Derek pulls off his ferry boat scrub cap and tucks it in his lab coat pocket, strolling down to the ER for a consult after a successful surgery.
As soon as he steps into the area, the loud sounds of sirens and bodies moving rapidly around him force him into a sharp, focused work mode.
"We're slammed." April Kepner finds him by the nurse's station and hands him a chart. "Bed three. Hurry."
"What happened?" Derek takes in the victims covered in burns and ash.
"You didn't hear? Fire at the Archfield a street over. Pretty bad, too. Half of the fire stations in Seattle are there now."
Derek freezes. "The Archfeld? A street over?"
"Yes, now move, we have patients."
"Kepner, do they need any help with triage? Are doctors going over?"
April frowns for a moment. "Yes, I think four of our people are getting into an ambulance to go now."
Derek desperately searches the ER for her familiar blonde hair and green eyes, knowing that she, if uninjured would be helping in any way possible. He finds no sign of Meredith.
"The Archfield is where Meredith is staying. Colonel Grey. Have you seen her?" He's near panic now.
April looks up from her charts. "Colonel Grey is there? I haven't seen her."
"Damn it. Can you get Nelson to cover my consults? I want to go triage. I have to."
April frowns for a moment, confused as to why he's so desperate to go to the fire. "I guess so, but-" Before she can finish her sentence, Derek pulls on a Seattle Grace jacket, grabs a med bag, and runs to the ambulance as it's pulling out.
Meredith. Meredith is at the Archfield. They had just been together a few hours ago. Right after he dropped her off, he had been paged for an emergency.
They kissed. They had kissed, after their amazing first date. And now she's in a deadly fire. Is she hurt? Is she still in the building?
Derek stressfully runs his hands through his hair as they drive, and when they finally pull up to the hotel, he jumps out, and the sight of the burning building seems like it's from the depths of hell itself.
Is this really how it ends?
As Meredith takes in a ragged breath, sucking in as much oxygen as possible with the little she has left. Darkness wants to take over, pain from everywhere so strong that her eyes water.
Just as she's about to give in, she hears something.
"Seattle FD!"
"Seattle Fire!"
"Is anyone up here?"
Multiple voices reach her ears, and she instantly begins to fight again. "Yes!" Her voice is weak, but this is their chance at survival. Gathering every bit of remaining strength, she yells. "Emergency stairwell! In here!"
Moments of yelling pass, she hears voices, so she continues to scream. Lightheaded, she almost loses consciousness. Until, finally, the stairwell door opens wider and three people appear, decked out in full fire-protective gear.
"Ma'am, are you hurt?" The first one, a large man moves to her instantly.
"Take the girl." Meredith rasps, and the firefighter easily lifts the child from her.
"Is she your daughter?" He asks.
"No. Her name's Maria."
The man nods and turns back to the next firefighter, who is female.
"Miller, we cleared this stairwell already, take the girl back to the front where Captain Bishop is waiting with the doctors and paramedics." She says, and Miller nods and heads down the stairs.
"I'm Andy." She introduces herself, checking over Meredith quickly. "Dean just took Maria for help, and this is Vic."
"Meredith." The colonel introduces herself as the two firefighters help her up, and a pained groan escapes.
"What hurts?" Vic asks instantly, placing an oxygen mask on her face.
"Our team is putting out the flames on this floor, and the structural integrity of the building isn't compromised. You're safe." Andy speaks up.
"I'm okay, but I don't know if I can walk." Meredith rasps. "Don't throw me over your shoulder though, you might kill me."
Both firefighters support either side of Meredith, utterly confused by what she's saying as they begin their descent down the stairs, taking most of her weight for her.
"I should properly...introduce myself." She begins, struggling to catch her breath between words. "I'm Colonel Meredith Grey...field surgeon for the United States Marine Corps. Six weeks post-op...major spinal and abdominal surgery...I was blown up and taken off active duty."
Vic and Andy exchange a shocked and impressed look. "Oh, wow."
Meredith laughs slightly, which causes her to break into a cough so harshly her entire midsection throbs. They stop momentarily, both women supporting her. Each breath brings new pain, and Meredith bites down strongly on her bottom lip.
"Colonel Grey, that's awesome. How long did you serve?" Vic asks when they move again, this time the firefighters are mostly carrying her down.
"Seven years. Three in the navy. Four in Marines."
"Where did you deploy?" Andy joins in, knowing exactly what Vic is doing. Talking will help keep Meredith focused and conscious.
"Everywhere in the Middle East, pretty much. I speak quite a few languages, including Arabic."
"Arabic, wow. That's impressive."
"No, impressive is my collection of awards."
All three women laugh lightly and finally make it out of the building.
"We need a gurney over here!" Andy yells, and a paramedic instantly runs over. Quickly, they get Meredith secured on the stretcher.
"Wait," she rasps, and both firefighters stop to direct their attention to her, "you said there are doctors here? From Seattle Grace?"
"Yes ma'am. We needed their help with triage." Andy replies.
"Dr. Derek Shepherd? The neurosurgeon? He's the lead attending on my case, if you can find him, get him to me, please."
"Of course," Andy replies, then exchanges a look with Vic. "Go. The fire is eighty percent contained and the buildings clear. We'll be fine."
"Thanks, Herrera." Vic nods, pulling off her helmet and tossing it on the back of the firetruck before jogging back over to the triage center. She's seen Dr. Shepherd before at the hospital, she knows what he looks like.
Moving through the swarms of doctors and people, she finally finds a tall man with a mass of dark curls on his head wearing navy scrubs and a Seattle Grace Hospital jacket.
"Dr. Shepherd?" Vic steps up to him, and he nods. The fear and concern are obvious on his features.
"Is there a patient that needs me?" His voice wavers slightly.
"Actually, yeah. She requested that we find you. Colonel Meredith Grey?"
"Oh my god, you found her? Is she okay? Is she hurt?" He fires off questions and follows Vic as she moves quickly to the ambulance where Meredith is.
"She's alive and responsive, but that's all I know as of now. My guess would be some minor burns, smoke inhalation, and a setback in her surgery recovery."
Derek jumps through the open back doors, fear pounding through him, nearly crashing into Andy, who is stepping out.
"Dr. Shepherd?" The firefighter frowns.
"Derek." Meredith rasps from the gurney, where a paramedic leans over her.
"Are you okay?" He sits at her side, taking in her soot-covered features. Without thinking, he reaches up a hand to cup her warm face.
"Couple minor burns...and smoke inhalation for sure. You should...look at my incisions." She leans back, pulling up her soaked, stained shirt.
The paramedic, a young woman with wild blonde hair, gives Derek a look.
"You can go drive us to Seattle Grace, I've got her from here."
The paramedic nods and gets in the front seat, starting to drive. Working diligently, Derek hooks her up to an IV and oxygen, then pulls on a pair of gloves to look at her incisions. After removing the gauze, he gently examines the area.
"Your surgical incisions look good here, but you reopened the one from the shrapnel. I'll check your back as soon as we get to the hospital. Any burns?"
"My legs." She rasps.
Derek quickly pushes morphine, relaxing only when she does. He rolls up the loose pajama pants she's wearing and finds burns up her calves and thighs.
"Mark will need to look at these when we get back. And I'll have Bailey make sure we get scans and everything is still-"
"Derek. There are other patients who need rooms more. I'm stable, not critical. I can wait." Meredith looks at him, speaking through the oxygen mask covering her nose and mouth.
"Are you hurt anywhere else? Let me do some neuro checks."
She allows him to do what he needs, but when they roll up to Seattle Grace she swats him away. "You're needed elsewhere. Go save lives. I'll be fine."
Derek, against every single one of his instincts, pulls the curtain shut around Meredith's bed in the corner of the ER and walks away.
He's about to check in with April to see what he can do when something else catches his attention. Standing by the nurse's station is a very tall, hugely muscular man with blonde hair- wearing a camo BDU.
Derek recognizes the General the gave Meredith her award back during her first few post-op weeks at the hospital. The tag on the man's jacket reads Kellin.
"General?" Derek steps in front of him, separating the man from the nurse he seems to be yelling at.
It takes Kellin a minute of studying Derek to recognize him as well. "Dr. Shepherd."
"What are you doing here?"
"Where the hell is Meredith? I got back to the states an hour ago and as soon as I land I see the news about a huge fire in the hotel she's in. Is she okay?" He demands, his voice loud and booming, even over the chaotic ER.
"Meredith is...she's stable and conscious. They rescued her not long ago and I just brought her back here. She's in bed seven, in the corner." Derek points the general over to the curtain. "I would be over there too, but she's okay for now and there are more critical patients that need me."
Everything Meredith has told him about General Michael Kellin has indicated a protective, loving relationship between the two, despite the ranks. For some reason, Derek feels the need to suck up to the man.
Kellin studies him a little while longer, and Derek does his best not to cower under the hard, cold eyes of the General. Finally, Kellin softens. "Thank you."
Derek watches as he pushes his way through the people to Meredith's bed, and April snaps him out of it by placing three charts in his hands.
"Death." Michael greets, pulling the curtain open so he can step in, and closed behind him.
"Micheal- what the hell? I thought you weren't supposed to be here for another week?" Meredith brightens instantly at the sight of him.
"I got out early. Of course, as soon as I land I see the news about a giant fire. I knew you would end up trying to kill yourself playing hero there. Like always."
Meredith chuckles. "There was a little girl, Mike, I wasn't just going to leave her. But I'll admit, I did think I was going to die."
He shakes his head, then takes in her body. "Gross, are those burns from today?"
Even though he's a respected, award-winning General for the US Military, Micheal Kellin is not a surgeon and does not do well with blood.
"Yeah. I'd be cleaning them myself right now if I could bend over enough to reach. Also, I'm a little high."
Micheal laughs. "High, huh?"
"Morphine. I didn't ask for it."
"Of course not."
About twenty minutes pass and Meredith grows continuously more drowsy until finally, the curtain opens again and the one and only Mark Sloan steps in.
"Hey, GI Jane. Heard you played some hero today." He greets with his usual smirk and gravelly voice. Meredith only hums in acknowledgment. Mark takes in Michael as he snaps on a pair of gloves. "And you are?"
"General Kellin of the USMC. Just here to catch up with the Colonel a bit."
Mark nods, and begins to look at Meredith's burns. After a minute, he makes eye contact with her.
"You're lucky. These are only partial thickness and minor burns. I've seen a lot worse today." Mark picks up her chart and reads over the drugs she's been on. "I'm putting you back on antibiotics and anti-inflammatories. Keep the infection out and swelling down. Other than that, just add your legs to the list of injures you need to change the dressings on twice a day. They should only take a week or two to heal."
"Thanks, Sloan." Meredith says, then, when he finishes the first dressing and wraps her legs, she asks, "Can you look at these incision sites? They're not healing as fast or as clean as I'd like."
Michael holds back a gag. "I don't need to see this, I'm going to grab a coffee and be back in ten minutes."
Meredith smirks as he leaves then exposes her stomach to reveal the large gashes across her entire midsection.
Mark examines them for a minute and cleans them, not forgetting the one on her back. "There is a different suture technique I could try. There are also skin graft options that will minimize scarring."
"I don't care, whatever will get me back faster with the least amount of gore permanently on my body."
Mark chuckles and quickly forms a treatment plan, which he is explaining when Alex bursts in.
"Damn it, Mer! I couldn't find you! I thought you had gotten hurt or died in that fire..." The peds surgeon pants. "You're okay?"
"A few minor burns, but I'm good, Alex," she answers.
"Yang's in surgery, wanted me to make sure you're alive. Pretty sure Altman is around here somewhere too."
"Well, I'm fine, Alex. But I'm trying to work out my treatment plan so, go tell whoever you need to tell, and I'll probably be admitted for overnight observation so I'm here for a while."
He nods, gives her a crooked smile, and leaves.
Forty-five minutes later, Meredith is settled in a small room for observation. Michael was back for a bit, but Meredith sent him to get her a cup of coffee after she smelled his. She's enjoying the quiet when the door opens again.
"You're okay? You're actually okay?" Derek's voice makes her smile instantly.
He closes the door and within seconds his face is only inches from hers.
"I'm okay," Meredith whispers, and then their lips come crashing together. The kiss is desperate, passionate, and long. When he finally pulls back, he rests his forehead against hers for a long minute, and they gaze into each other's eyes.
"I'm really glad you're okay."
She smiles, and the door opens yet again, causing Derek to jump back.
Cristina makes a face. "Thanks for moving before I had to see anything I do not need to see."
Meredith rolls her eyes, "Hey. How'd your surgery go?"
"Rocked it. Per usual. Heard you almost died today." The cardio surgeon folds her arms over her chest, studying her friend's stats.
"Nothing new."
Cristina snorts. "So, that hotel is gonna be out of commission for a while."
"I guess I have to call another hotel somewhere and get another room." Meredith shrugs.
"There's no way in hell we're letting you stay in a hotel again." Cristina frowns, like her statement should have been obvious. "Look how well it went last time."
"Where should I stay then? I don't have a place here in Seattle."
Cristina crosses her arms. "My place is a complete dump, or I would offer it up. It's probably worse than your tent in Afghanistan. I hired a maid once, she ran away crying."
Meredith laughs, but upon hearing this, Derek is deep in thought, having an internal argument with himself.
"How about Alex?" Meredith bites her lip.
"He has a girlfriend. They're probably going at it like rabbits everywhere in that house. But I'm sure he'll let you stay if you ask."
The blonde snorts, "What do you suggest I do? Grab a cardboard box and live in the alley behind the hospital?"
Before Cristina can respond, Derek finally speaks up. "Move in with me."
Both women freeze and Meredith stares at him, wide-eyed.
"I mean, you can stay with me. I have a full house with a guest bedroom."
"Uh, Derek," Meredith laughs nervously, "moving in together now is a little fast, don't you think?"
"Not moving in exactly, but if you don't want to be in a hotel and your friends' places are unavailable, just stay with me. Maybe not in a big relationship jump kind of way, but...another friend, offering up a place to stay."
There's a light knock on the door and it opens, revealing Michael Kellin, still in his cammies. He moves to Meredith's bedside and hands her a cup of coffee. He glances around the room, frowning. "What's happening here?"
At first, his tone is soft, and no one says anything. Not used to being ignored, Michael repeats his question with the loud, commanding voice he uses in the military. The tone makes Meredith straighten on instinct.
"I'm just gonna...uh..." Cristina trails off and leaves the room.
Meredith takes a deep breath, meeting Michael's eyes, "I'm moving in with Derek."
Fear strikes the heart of the neurosurgeon, and he doesn't take his eyes off the General only a few feet from him. Kellin is much sturdier and more muscular than Derek, and his presence intimidates the usually-confident surgeon.
"You're what?" Michael demands, his gaze bouncing between Meredith and Derek.
"My hotel burned down, so I'm not staying in a hotel again. And Derek has a house, with a guest bedroom which he offered."
Michael is older than Meredith by quite a few years, and though they have a sibling-like relationship, he feels compelled to protect her.
Meredith has never had a father figure in her life, not since Thatcher left, so when she joined the military, Michael took her under his wing, and their relationship has grown and strengthened since then.
But Michael does not know Dr. Derek Shepherd well enough to think it's a good idea for Meredith to move in with him. His thoughts spin and Derek holds Michael's gaze while the General formulates his opinion, like a child waiting to be scolded.
Kellin's gray eyes meet bright blue in a wordless battle of wills.