When she was a little girl, the hospital was her safe place. She roamed the halls, every floor had a special place to her. This hospital was her first home, the place her mother had given her the love of medicine. She didn't remember much from her childhood, but the hospital was some of her best memories. She remembered all the good times as she laid on the sofa next to her son's hospital bed. He slept peacefully, his fever spiked again last night, they were on day three in the hospital.
"Hey," Derek whispered as he opened the door. He was wearing his scrubs as he was working that day. He had a few surgeries he had pushed back that had to be done. He couldn't ask Amelia because she had a full schedule herself.
"Hey you," she smiled sleepily at him. He had stayed with CJ most the day yesterday so she could go to one of the on-call rooms and sleep for a bit on something other than the uncomfortable sofa that was in the room.
"How's he doing?" Derek asked.
"He's doing. Alex mentioned if he could keep his food down today he could go home," Meredith sighed. She couldn't stand to see her children sick, the poor guy couldn't keep even crackers down.
"Has he ate breakfast yet?" He asked and answered his own question as he lifted the tray of hospital food that hadn't been touched.
"He is too scared to eat. He doesn't want to throw up anymore."
"I wish there was something I could do," he frowned. They tried nausea medication and that didn't help any.
"Me too," she sighed, looking at the fragile boy. He looked sick, he had definitely gotten worse but she was glad Amelia and Alex were both doing everything they could for him.
"I hate to go so soon but I have a surgery in thirty minutes," Derek frowned.
"I understand," she said to him.
"Page me if anything changes," he kissed her before leaving. CJ slowly started to stir in his sleep.
"Good morning," Meredith smiled at her son.
"Mama, I'm hungry," he whined.
"They brought you some pancakes and eggs if you want to try and eat," Meredith got up and moved the tray to him. She pressed the button to sit the bed up and helped him get comfortable.
"I don't want to throw up mommy," he cried.
"Just try to eat a few bites, if you start to feel sick you don't have to eat anymore," Meredith almost begged. She understood his fear of eating, his neck was still super stiff and hurt him so when he would vomit, he would scream in pain with every heave. With hesitation, he ate a few bites before he pushed the tray away from him. Meredith grabbed a plastic bag that they provided in case.
"Are you ok?" She asked after a few minutes.
"Mhm," he said without nodding his head as usual.
"Do you want to eat more?"
"Not yet, it has to settle on my tummy," he replied.
"Ok," she smiled a bit, she couldn't believe he was able to keep food down. After a few more minutes he started to eat more and stopped after a few bites to take a break.
"Mama I'm this full," he held his hand at the top of his neck.
"Ok, don't over eat. I'm so proud of you for trying," she said. It wasn't much but it was progress for sure. There was a knock on the door and Amelia opened it.
"Good morning dude, how you feeling?" She said in a very chipper, not Amelia like voice.
"I ate a whole pancake and I don't feel sick!" He smiled ecstatically. He didn't enjoy being stuck in the hospital and being sick. He was surely doing much better than he was the previous day.
"That's what I'm talking about dude," she smiled as she gave him a high-five.
"Can I go home now?" He asked.
"We will see but your chances are high," Amelia chuckled.
"How are you doing mom?" Amelia now was talking to Meredith.
"Exhausted. But better now," she smiled over at her son.
"Good. You want to go grab you some breakfast? I need to do a quick check-up and I'll hang around my favorite little dude until you get back," Amelia said as she sat down at the edge of his hospital bed.
"Thank you," she smiled and kissed CJ's head before she left the hospital room. She walked the halls, something inside her made her reminisce her past at the hospital.
"Dr. Grey," Bailey said.
"Yes Dr. Bailey?" Meredith was in a daze, she felt her stomach tighten as Bailey was speaking to her. She hurt everywhere; her hips, her feet were swollen, her back felt so sore and she felt huge.
"I know you pregnant and all but when I page you, I expect you to answer," Bailey scolded. She led her to the residents lounge. Everyone was there, the lounge decorated in pink decorations and everything.
"What's this?" Meredith asked as she looked around everywhere.
"I know you said no baby shower but I couldn't help it," A very young Lexie said. Lexie and Meredith had just gotten close in the past year.
"I told them not to," Cristina shrugged as she went over to the pair.
"Did you know about this?" She laughed as the blonde-haired man came over and kissed her cheek.
"Guilty," he smiled, he rubbed her 38 week belly.
"I told you guys," Meredith couldn't help but laugh. She didn't want a baby shower, she hated being the center of attention.
"I know. But we have cake," Lexie smiled as she showed Meredith the cake.
"Thank you guys," Meredith laughed as she looked around. She took a deep breath as she felt another contraction.
"My niece needs to be spoiled," Lexie smiled at them.
"Oh she will be," Charles added. He gleamed with happiness. Meredith suddenly felt something trickling down her leg as another contraction came through her. She let out a gasp as she felt it.
"What's wrong?" Charles asked.
"It's time," Meredith looked around the crowd and let out a nervous chuckle.
"Hey, at least we are at the hospital!" Cristina joked.
"Let's have this baby," Meredith laughed as everyone in the room started quickly moving around and dispersing. Lexie and Cristina followed Charles and Meredith to Labor and Delivery. Meredith couldn't believe she was about to become a mother.
Meredith couldn't help but smile at the memory. So much had happened in this hospital. Good things and bad, but the good always outweighed the bad. She was met with Lexie and Mark at the cafeteria eating.
"How's little dude?" Mark asked as he was shoving his face.
"He's doing a lot better," Meredith nodded. She grabbed herself a muffin and some coffee and went over and sat next to Lexie. She wanted to get back to CJ but she needed a breather.
"I'm glad, maybe he can go home today," Lexie added.
"Amelia seems to think so. How are you feeling?"
"Exhausted. My second day back and I am so tired. Who knew pregnancy was this hard?" Lexie admitted.
"Uhh I do. And some reason I did it again. Just wait until you can't walk from the elevator to the nurses station without getting out of breath," Meredith joked.
"I'm waiting on that. Is my niece and nephew behaving?" Lexie asked.
"Your niece likes to make her way into my ribs I think," Meredith laughed. She couldn't really tell which one was which but she mainly felt little kicks at her pelvis which she assumed was the little boy. Suddenly pagers all over the room started going off. Lexie's face went pale as she looked at it.
"What is it?" Meredith tried to look.
"Code Silver, what's code silver?" Mark asked.
"I-uh," Lexie began stammering, she was panicking.
"Lexie, what is a code silver?" Meredith repeated. She noticed how everyone got quiet.
"Active shooter. We are on lockdown," Lexie gulped as she started to take a deep breath.
"What?" Meredith gasped. Her heart stopped, it had to be a drill. She had seen the past few years of active shooters in hospitals and schools and movie theaters but she couldn't imagine here. This was her sanctuary, her safe place.
"I gotta-" Lexie was quick to jump up and run off.
"Mark stay with her, I need to get to CJ," she was quick to jump up and she ran, ran like her patient was coding. She passed a world of panic as she made it to the pediatric wing. The doors were sealed.
"Hello!" She screamed as she banged on the door. She held the buzzer on the wall.
"I'm sorry ma'am, we can't let anyone in or out of our wing," a nurse's shaky voice came over the intercom.
"My son!" Meredith began to panic. She couldn't be locked out, she needed to be there with him.
"I'm so sorry ma'am but your son is safe in here," the nurse said again.
"Stop calling me that. I am Dr. Grey. Now let me in," she demanded. A minute passed before she heard the buzz and a nurse opened the door for her.
"I'm so sorry Dr. Grey, I didn't know," the very young nurse squeaked. She was new, Meredith could tell.
"Where's Dr. Karev?" Meredith asked as she bypassed the nurse. She spotted Alex talking to a few nurses.
"Alex!" Meredith said as she went over to hun.
"'Mer, don't worry. No one moves, no one leaves or comes out of those doors unless it's Bailey," Alex said.
"What the hell is going on?" Meredith asked. Alex took her and walked to CJ's room.
"Bailey called to tell us to lock the wing down. Kepner found Teddy with a gunshot wound to the head," Alex said in a very hushed tone.
"Oh my god. Is she dead?" Meredith whispered back.
"Yes, so now the hospital is on lockdown until they find the shooter," Alex whispered.
"Oh god, Derek. He's in surgery," Meredith said in a panic.
"All non-emergency surgeries are cancelled. We can't risk anything so he will be here soon," Alex pulled Meredith into a hug.
"Amelia got a 911 page a few minutes before the lockdown so I had a nurse come sit with CJ until you got back," Alex said.
"Thank you," Meredith breathed. She couldn't panic and freak out over this in front of her son. Before she entered, she called Derek. No answer. A panic fell over her, in her mind she knew he was in surgery most likely and didn't answer his phone but she was terrified.
"Hey, call me when you get this. I love you," she said as she left him a voicemail. She took a deep breath, putting on her happy mom face as she went into the room. CJ was talking the poor nurses head off, she knew immediately he was feeling better.
"Hi mama," he smiled when he saw her.
"Hey bud, how are you feeling?" She asked. She saw his tray and more was gone than when she left.
"Better. Ms Jackie said if I eat all my lunch today I can go home!" He smiled.
"I'm sorry, Amelia put it in his chart and I knew that would make him feel better," she apologized.
"It's fine. You have other patients so I won't keep you anymore," Meredith smiled at the older nurse. She was Charlie's scrub nurse until a few months before his death and she transferred to Pediatrics.
"I'll be back to check on you in a little bit," she smiled before she left.
"Mama, did you know she knew dad?" He asked.
"I did. Me and her worked together a lot when I was a resident," Meredith smiled at her son. Her innocent son that had no idea of the chaos outside those four walls.
"She was telling me about how he did what Derek does and how great he was and one day I can be as good as my dad," CJ smiled. He never talked much about Charles. Meredith was glad to hear him talk about his late father.
"You will be even better," Meredith ran her hand over his hair, "you want to take a shower bud?"
"Do I have to wash my hair?" He asked. She knew his neck was still hurting and she didn't want to make it worse.
"No, you can save that for when your neck gets better. Do you want me to help you?" She offered. She could trust him to make sure he was clean, he loved taking baths and would every morning and night if Meredith let him.
"No, I'm a big boy," he smiled widely as he got out of the bed carefully. He couldn't fully turn his neck without wincing in pain. Meredith followed him and cut the water on for him before she let him be, standing close to the door so she could hear him if he needed help. The room door opened and Derek came in. He was out of breath, you could tell he was worried and ran here.
"Hey," Meredith gave him a weak smile.
"Where's Amy?" He asked. Last he knew she was here to examine CJ.
"I'm not sure, I think she got a 911 page to the emergency room," she said.
"I have to find her," he said in a panic. Meredith was confused, she wasn't sure what was wrong with him.
"Derek-" she started before he quickly interrupted her.
"No. Meredith she's my sister. There is a madman with a gun after her for killing the guys wife. One of the nurses he gunned down found me in a panic," he had tears almost running through his eyes.
"Please, just don't get yourself shot," Meredith pleaded, she couldn't lose him too.
"I won't. I'm finding her before him," he grabbed her in the heat of the moment and kissed her. It wasn't their usual quick kiss before saying goodbye. This one was special, he didn't want to scare her but he knew he couldn't lose his sister.
Derek Shepherd wasn't a scared man, he had been through and seen too much to be scared but today he was. When he got the page just before scrubbing in on his surgery, he panicked. He wanted to be with Meredith and CJ and keep them safe but he knew Amelia needed him. They were in lockdown, no one was suppose to move. Hallways were empty, you could hear any little noise through-out the hospital. He was too distracted trying to call Amelia a million times that he didn't even notice the body laying until he almost slipped in the puddle of blood.
"Avery!" He looked down and recognized the body.
"Help," Jackson managed to get out as he held pressure on the wound in his shoulder. Derek was quick to react. He grabbed the closest thing which was a sheet that laid on an empty gurney.
"What the hell happened Avery?" Derek asked as he put pressure on the wound.
"Some guy, oh god," Jackson winced as Derek applied pressure on the wound.
"What did he look like?" Derek asked, he pulled Avery to his feet.
"Old guy, Gray hair and really skinny. Said he was looking for you. Derek you got to get out of here before he comes back and shoots you too," Jackson said as he replaced Derek's hand.
"I'm not leaving you Avery. Look we can take the service elevator straight to the ER," Derek threw Jackson's arm around his shoulder as he applied pressure as he almost carried him to the elevator across the hall.
"Do you know which way he went?" Derek asked.
"I don't know, I didn't even notice the gun until he had it pointed at my head," Jackson replied. The elevator shot straight down to the ER where they got off. The ER was still hectic but they had locked the doors from the rest of the hospital.
"Jackson!" April screamed as she ran over to him.
"Hey I'm ok," he tried to calm him wife down.
"Look we are evacuated everyone outside. When we get to the ambulance we will have you sent straight over to Seattle Pres," April reacted quickly as she took him out to the ambulance bay.
"Owen, have you seen Amelia?" Derek asked as he saw Owen rush past him.
"I paged her, I could really use your help. We have to get this guy stable enough to transfer," Owen said as he sped into trauma bay 1.
"Have we had any other victims arise yet?" Derek asked as one of the nurses shoved his PPE on.
"Two dead so far and Jackson makes three wounded," Owen said as he started on one of the victims. One of the nurses from the East wing. The bullet grazed his neck, barely missing his carotid.
"Who's all dead?" Derek was scared to ask.
"Altman and Percy," Owen responded.
"I'm sorry man," Derek said to him as he jumped in on the patient. He knew Teddy and Owen had a past, he didn't know the extent but he knew they cared deeply for one another.
"It's fine," Owen said as he was trying to stitch up the wound. The skin was so fragile it kept tearing. They finally were able to stitch up the neck, he pulled his gloves and gown off and his mind finally went back to the reason he was running around.
"Amelia," he quickly said before rushing off. He went to the service elevator again, knowing it was the only way he knew he could leave the ER. He searched floor by flood, he came to a stop when he heard a man's voice.
"I'm already hurt, you hurt me when you decided to kill my wife," the man screamed. Derek's breath was quick to hitch. He knew that voice. He remembered the voices of all the patients loved ones, the hurt and pain flew with every word the man said. He heard a gun cock.
"Mr. Clark. Please understand," her voice was shaking, she was scared. She knew what was next. Derek knew what was next. He peaked around the corner to see an older gentleman with a gun pointed at his sister's head. He froze, it was memories flooding back to him as he remembered seeing the same thing. Watching a man pull a gun on his father,.
"Shut up!" He screamed, shaking the gun. He was terrified, the man was terrified. You could see the guilt come across his face as tears fell, "you think I wanted to kill all those people? I came looking for you, those people were not nice people. They wouldn't just tell me where you were!"
"I mean what kind of hospital is this place? To let just a man with a gun come in and kill innocent people? No one is safe here," his voice shook. He watched his sister. He knew she was terrified, she was shaking her head as she looked at him.
"Mr. Clark please, your wife had cancer. I tried everything I could to remove her tumor. Her body just couldn't handle it. I'm so sorry," she choked. Derek watched as his finger twitched against the trigger on the gun.
"Mr Clark," Derek said as he came around the corner. His gun went from her to him.
"You, you were there too. They called you in for a second opinion and you were the one who made the final call to pull the plug on my wife," he screamed.
"Derek!" Amelia cried, she turned and he saw the tears streaming down her face.
"If you want to shoot someone, shoot me," he said as he slowly stepped toward him, "I am the one who pulled the plug. I killed your wife. This is my sister, if you want her to hurt in the same way you are hurting. Shoot me," Derek gulped as the words came out of his mouth. He watched as Mr. Clark's eyes swayed between the two of them.
"His wife is pregnant. With twins, you can't shoot him," she cried louder. She shook her head as she watched him. Mr. Clark was panicking. He swayed the gun between the both of them, his whole hand shaking as he did.
"Amelia please, tell Meredith I love her and to take good care of Zoe," he closed his eyes. He wasn't prepared to die, he was honestly terrified to leave everyone he loved behind. Mr. Clark's gun swayed back to him. Derek took a deep breath, ready for the blow. It was in an instant when you heard the sound of a gun shot, Derek fell to the floor.
"No!" Amelia cried as she ran over to him. She looked all over his chest, looking for the wound of impact. She was confused when there was no blood. She turned and looked to see Gary Clark laid out, a gun wound to his head. SWAT team had quickly came around the corner.
"I'm alive?" Derek said, his eyes fluttered.
"Why do you have to be so stupid," Amelia scolded as she hit him before quickly hugging him.
"I couldn't let you die. You're my sister," he sat up and hugged her back.
"Are you two hurt?" One of the men asked.
"No," they both said.
"Good, we are going to get you out of here," they said as Derek got to his feet.
"You can't do shit like that Derek. You have a family," Amelia said.
"You are my family too Amy," he said. It was true, him and Amelia may fight and disagree on a lot of things but he would always take a bullet for her. He would have when they were kids in their father's shop and he would now.