Chapter 43:
January 5, 2026- Seattle Washington
Meredith woke up and realized a new day had started. She must have slept for at least twelve hours: not a very common thing when you're a surgeon. She forgot where she was until she looked next to her on the small hospital bed and realized she was alone. Then things started clicking together: she was in a hospital room. Derek's hospital room. Without Derek. She was in Derek's bed and he wasn't there.
She jumped up and ran out of the room towards her own. She found her daughters, both half asleep in the room. "Where is he? What did they do to him?" she yelled frantically.
Celine and Aimee both immediately woke up, "Woah, Mom. Calm down," Celine said as she wrapped her arms around her mother and made her sit down, "What are you talking about?"
"Your father. He was there when I went to sleep, but now… now…" she began to cry, once again unable to finish her sentence.
"Mom, it's okay," Celine whispered.
"Okay? What the hell do you mean okay? It's not okay!" Meredith yelled.
Celine was almost scared. She'd never seen her mother like this. She was completely falling apart. "Mom, he's fine. He's just being treated right now. He told us not to wake you."
"What?" Meredith asked, stopping her tears.
"He's fine. He'll be back soon," Celine said as she brought her mother into a hug.
A little while later, Meredith stepped into Derek's room. When he saw her, he immediately lit up. Meredith walked over to him and sat on the side of his bed.
"I'm going to go home," he told her casually.
"What?" she asked, a little surprised.
"I'm going home with you and Celine and Aimee," he said.
"What?" she asked again.
"I've spent so much of my last twenty years here. I don't want to spend my last days here," Derek said.
Meredith looked at him with a desolate look. Last Days. His last days. "You need the treatment, Derek. We can't just go home."
"I'm not going to waste my time here, just sitting around losing my hair. Besides, I like my hair. And you like my hair. I'm not sure you would like me as much without my hair," Derek joked with a smile on his face.
Meredith was amazed that he managed to keep a smile despite everything that was happening and everything yet to come. He was right. Being here was only going to make his last days miserable and that's not what she wanted. Really she didn't want it to be his last days, but if they had to come so soon, she should at least respect his wishes, "Okay. We can go home."