Disclaimer: Not mine.

AN: My medical facts are just what I found on the internet and in medical textbooks. Enjoy.

Alex's room, Mercy West, Saturday morning

Dr Payton enters the room about five minutes after Meredith, who had more or less run there after finishing a night shift. "Morning Alex."

"Morning Sam." Alex replies.

"How's that line feel, not causing you any pain?" Dr Payton had put in a central line into Alex's chest yesterday so he could avoid the constant needle sticks.

"It's fine." Taking a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. "Time to start?" Alex enquired, failing in his attempt not to betray his nerves.

"Yeah, we'll be starting with the cyclophosphamide infusion and dexamethasone tablets, alright?"

"Guess so."

Alex's nurse Kate walks in wheeling an IV infusion pump to his bed side, and carrying a paper cup holding several pills, which she puts down on the table.

Kate moves to the head of the bed, takes the clamp off one of the lines, and connects the tubing from the IV bag. "That'll take two hours to run in." She hands Alex the pills. "These are the dexamethasone, and oxycontin tablets. Here's water to swallow them with." Kate hands Alex a plastic cup, he quickly swallows the pills.

"I'll come and check on you in a couple of hours." Dr Payton tells Alex, he then strides out of the room.

"So, if you work over at Seattle Grace, why come here?" Kate enquires as she adjusts his blankets.

"No one over there knows." He replies.

"Isn't it going to be hard to hide? Won't your friends notice that you're not there?"

"Meredith told them I had to go back home for a family emergency."

"Okay. I need to go check on my other patients now, but if you need anything just press the call button." Kate leaves the room. Meredith sits down on the side of the bed, they just sit there talking for a while before Alex suddenly starts to feel nautious. Instintively Meredith grabs an emesis basin from the table, and thrusts it in front of Alex just before he starts retching violently. Meredith gently rubs his back, trying to ease his pain.

Meredith pushes the call button, and a minute later Kate walks into the room. "How are you doing?" She asks Alex.

"He's really nauseated, did Dr Payton write for an anti-emetic?" Meredith asks.

"Yes, I'll go get it." Before leaving she swaps the used basin for a clean one. Meredith holds Alex as another wave of nausea hits him, eventually Kate comes back in carrying a needle. She quickly pushes the needle into his central line, and injects the contents.

"That should help pretty soon."

"What was it?" Meredith asks.

"Maxolon. We'll add it in tablet form to his next dose of meds." Kate then brings over a facewasher, which Meredith takes, and gently wipes Alex's forehead, continuing to move her hand in soothing circles on his back. The maxolon barely does anything for the nausea, but they both know that it works better to prevent nausea, than to stop it.

Mercy West,

Several hours later

Alex is feeling like hell, the nausea is still pretty bad, despite the meds.

"I'm just about to takes him down for the first radiotherapy session." Kate informs meredith.

"Okay." She turns to Alex. "Alex, I've got to go to work for a few hours, but I'll be back later. Is there anything I can get you?" Alex simply shakes his head, fearing that opening his mouth for any length of time will trigger the vomitting to start again.

Mercy West,

6pm Saturday

Meredith is sitting quietly beside Alex's bed, thankfully the nausea settled down overnight, and stayed that way until a meal tray is brought into his room. Within seconds the nausea restarts, even worse than before. Meredith motions to the volunteer carrying the tray to leave, and calls for a nurse. "It's okay Alex, I'm right here."

Kate walks in. "Nausea's back?"

"He was doing alright until someone brought in a meal tray, started it off again. Can he have another maxolon shot?"

"Not yet." She looks Alex in the eye, and soothingly says "Alex, I want you to try something with me. Can you do that?" He nods so slightly Kate and Meredith barely see it. "Okay then. Take a deep breathe in, and hold it, now slowly breathe out. I know it's hard when you're feeling like this, but it can help." Alex follows Kate's instructions, at first he struggles, but after a few minutes he starts feeling better. "Okay, just keep doing that. I'll be back to check on you in a few minutes." Kate walks away.

Meredith picks up the facewasher, and gently wipes the sweat and tears off his face. She then wraps her arms around Alex, and holds him as he fights off the nausea.

Mercy West, 8pm

Saturday

Kate comes back in with the next infusion, and quickly attaches it to his central line. As she turns to leave Meredith stops her. "Kate, I need to get home, I'm supposed to start work at four am tomorrow, so I need some sleep. Can you keep an eye on him for me?"

"Of course, when will you be back?"

"I get off work around seven pm, I'll come by on my way home." Before getting off the bed she turns to Alex. "Are you okay if I go home?"

"Yeah, sure thanks for being here today." Alex says weakly before his body is once again seized by violent retching, Kate moves to his side, and takes over from Meredith, who slips from the room.

Alex's room, Sunday morning

When Alex wakes up the next morning, he slowly sits up, avoiding doing anything to start the nausea up again. The maxolon finally started to help last night, until then he had been doubled over dry retching for hours. A few minutes later Kate walks in with a meal tray, she has taken off everything except some plain toast, apple slices, and fruit juice. "Good morning Alex, here's some breakfast for you. Are you feeling up to it?" Alex nods slowly, Kate puts the tray on his table, and pulls it closer to him. He picks up a slice of toast, and cautiously takes a few bites. "How's that?" Kate enquires.

"Alright. What time am I having treatment today?"

"Same as yesterday, cyclophosphamide infusion at eight am and eight pm, dexamethasone tablets at eight am, maxolon tablets at four hour intervals, and oxycontin tablets also at four hour intervals. And radiotherapy at three pm."

"Sounds like fun." Alex says sarcastically.

"I'll be back with your meds in half an hour."

Alex's room, 8pm Sunday

Meredith gets to Alex's room just as Kate is connecting the infusion pump to his central line. He is dozing restlessly, he's pale, and sickly thin. "Evening Alex." She says softly as she gives him a gentle hug before sitting down on the side of the bed. "Kate, how's he doing today?"

"Better than yesterday, he managed to keep down some toast and apple is morning, and some dry crackers and cheese for lunch."

Alex rolls over, and looks at her. Softly stroking his hair she speaks to him. "Sorry I disappeared yesterday, I was so tired. Is there anything you need?"

"Other than to beat this?" He says jokingly. "I could always use more med journals, maybe my Ipod, stuff like that. I don't know how patients do this everyday, the high points are when a trainee nurse wakes you up at one am for no good reason." Meredith laughs slightly when he says this, and she pulls several magazines from her bag.

"How'd I guess you'd want these?"

"Thanks Mere." The nausea hits several minutes later despite the anti-emetics. Meredith sits with him, rubbing his back, and comforting him until he eventually fell asleep an hour later. She goes out to the nurses' station where Kate is sitting eating her dinner alone.

"Kate, he's asleep, I'm heading home, I can't come in tomorrow. With him off work I've picked up a lot of extra shifts, you know how it is. Tell him I'll call him tomorrow, and come see him the day after."

"Will do, night Meredith."

"Night Kate."

Over the next few days Alex continues to receive treatments, and Meredith comes in as often as possible. On Thursday morning Dr Payton comes into his room, just as Meredith is helping him change into street clothes. "Evening Alex. Keen to get out of here?"

"Definitely. Can I go now?"

"Yeah, but first we just need to go over the plan, on Monday you'll need to go to the outpatient department to get the next dose of vincristine, and pick up the dexamethasone tablets for you to take for four days, then you have a week off before you'll be admitted again to start the second cycle. Don't forget to take the maxolon, and oxycontin, even if you're feeling good. I'll see you on Monday, okay?"

"See you on Thursday." Alex says as he gets into the wheelchair that Kate brought into the room for him. Meredith picks up his bag, and follows Alex and Kate from the room. When they get outside Meredith brings her car to the front entrance, so that Alex won't have to walk so far. She helps Alex get in, and quickly thanks Kate before climbing back into the car, and driving away.

"Mere, is anyone going to be home?" Alex runs his hand through his already thinning hair.

"Not till tonight."

"Good."

"You know as soon as they see you they'll know, right?"

"Yeah, I know. I'll tell them tonight." They remain mostly silent for the rest of the drive, when they get home Meredith helps Alex up to his room, and leaves him to get some rest.

TBC.

Please let me know what you think.