Title: Breathe
Authors: Sara And Lizzie
Rating: T for language, mild sex
Disclaimer: It would be nice to own grey's anatomy, sadly all we own are a lot of high priced shoes and handbags, and both seasons on dvd.
Summary: A month or so after Meredith's near death experience, tragedy strikes Seattle Grace again in the form of a robbery gone wrong. A hostage situation takes place in the OR. Nine lives hang in the balance as they wait to live, die, or just get blown up.
Author's Note: Wow. You guys were AWESOME with reviews last time! Let's see it again.
REVIEW.
I can cry until I laugh, or laugh until I cry,
so cut the deck right in half,
I'll play from either side.
Meredith's body stirred under Derek's, and her eyes fluttered open. Everything that had taken place over the last ten hours hit her all at once. "Derek!" she said urgently, trying to shake him without causing any more injury. "Der, come on!" She wiggled out from under him and checked for a pulse, finding it steady.
He opened one eye. "Try mouth to mouth." He suggested, sitting up and wincing at the pain in his ribs.
"That was not funny!" Meredith said. She looked around at the linen closet, and the state of wreckage it was in. "Are we dead?" she asked. Derek reached out and pulled her close to him, pressing his lips to hers in a deep kiss.
"Definitely not dead." He said, pulling back. Meredith got up and kicked some partially charred towels out of her way. She helped Derek to his feet and their fingers intertwined on instinct. She stepped over the metal racks that had fallen to the floor, and he followed her lead, marveling at her strength.
She pushed the door open and sucked in a breath. Stumbling to her side, Derek could see the charred wreckage of what used to be the second OR floor. "So now," Meredith said, "The question is how the hell do we get down?"
Derek grinned and pointed to what looked like a smoldering hole in the ceiling. "Care to jump?" he quipped.
Silence had fallen over the first floor. Seven of them, the seven who made it down, were staring at the stairwell, as if they could will the door to open, and Meredith and Derek would simply stride out.
Seconds passed, and turned into minutes. The only sound they could hear was the fire alarm ringing, and the chaos unfolding around them. Joined by the chief, Bailey and two official looking detectives, the seven of them stood, dumbfounded and breathless. Finally, Izzie sank to the floor.
"We left them." She whispered. "Ten hours and we just left them there." No one knew what to say; there was no excuse nor was there an explanation. George sank down on the floor next to her, and took her hand in his, their fingers intertwining perfectly. At that moment, Cristina realized that they were the only two who hadn't said the one thing they would say to someone in the OR. Something tugged at her, told her this was important, but she couldn't process it amongst thoughts of Meredith.
"They could be okay." Alex said. "They could have…"
Addison wiped a tear from her cheek and, still in Mark's arms, lifted her head from his chest. "Could have what?" she whispered.
The chief stepped forward. "We won't make any assumptions until we've attempted to search for…them." He said. "Addison, you need a doctor. Miranda, page Dr. Torres."
Bailey reached for her pager, and then realized it would do no good. Callie was long gone by now, and paging her would only bring that to light while everyone was still focused on more important matter. She looked at the ground as Addison spoke.
"Richard…" she said. She trailed off, sounding as exhausted as Mark looked. He looked like he could have dropped, but he stood firm, clutching Addison, still holding her, cradled in his arms, like nothing short of death could have gotten him to let go.
"Damn it, Derek, come on." He muttered under his breath.
"She's a fighter." Alex said. "Look at her. Look at all of us."
Meredith's arm reached out and smacked Derek's shoulder. "Not funny." She said. She turned to him. "How are your battle wounds?" she asked, a small smile playing at her lips.
"I thought it wasn't funny." Derek said, smirking.
Meredith looped her arms around his neck and grinned. "Well, we're alive." She said. "What more do you want?" He leaned down and pressed his lips to her, his tongue slipping expertly into her mouth.
"I could use some sex." He murmured.
She pulled away and regarded him seriously. "Der, this floor is completely unstable. And everyone is probably worried." She tugged at his hand. "Plus, I'm starving." She muttered.
Mark finally took Addison to get her legs looked at. Burke walked away with the chief to discuss logistics with the Homeland Security officers, and Bailey had gone to assist with relocating patients to other hospitals.
Cristina, Alex, Izzie and George all sat in the hallway, facing the stairs. None of them spoke, but none of them dared to move. Each one of them, in their own way was turning over the fact, that after everything they faced together, as one, it could all end here.
Izzie dropped her head to her knees as tears ran down her face, and George's hand moved to her shoulder and rubbed small circles on her back, slowly and calmly, even though his own hands were shaking. Alex stared straight ahead, stonily, his face completely stoic, and Cristina was going over surgical procedures in her mind, in an effort to ignore what was right in front of her.
She glanced back at the stairwell and blinked, because through the window, pounding at the glass was Meredith. She froze, thinking it was a hallucination of some sort, caused by stress. She searched for a medical condition, not wanting to get everyone's hopes up. Finding nothing, she gasped. "Meredith." She said. She was on her feet in seconds, and she could feel them all rising with her. Feet pounded and they all shouted as they raced for the door.
Alex yanked it open and Meredith and Derek burst out. "Who the hell locked the door?" Derek asked, as Izzie practically jumped on Meredith, throwing her arms around her in an exuberant hug.
"Iz, we're fine."
"Well, good Lord, in Heaven." Bailey said behind them. "You must have nine lives, Grey." She smiled as she watched them; Meredith and her friends, and the way she was grinning up at Derek. "Watch out for that one, Shepherd. She's only got six to go." Derek whispered something in Meredith's ear and she winked at him. Bailey rolled her eyes.
"How's Addison?" Meredith asked.
Bailey nodded. "She's getting her legs checked out right now. Over in exam room 4."
"Is Callie with her?" George asked. Bailey's expression changed and she took a few more steps towards George.
"O'Malley, I'm so sorry. She left."
"She went home?" George asked incredulously. Bailey looked down, then back at George.
"George, she's gone. She left Seattle."
A hush fell over them, and once again, George and Izzie's hands connected, but this time it was Izzie who reached for him. "George…" she said.
"Iz?" he asked. "It's okay."
"No, George…."
"Izzie." George said firmly. "It is okay."
She opened her mouth, like she was about to say something else, and then closed it again, as though she thought better of it. Burke appeared, half running around the corner. "I thought I heard… Shepherd? Grey?" He strode over embraced Derek, and clapped Meredith on the shoulder. He looped an arm around Cristina's waist, and they all stood there, smiling absurdly at each other, like they were all seeing one another for the first time.
"Oh my God." Addison said, coming around the corner on her crutches. She and Mark reached them, and the laughter and the noise started again. Addison hugged Derek, and then reached over and grabbed Meredith, pulling her into an embrace.
"I'll be damned, Shep." Mark said, pulling Derek into a hug. He smiled at Meredith, but Derek shook his head.
"Don't even think about it." He said. Mark raised his hands in the air, signifying surrender and backed away from Meredith. "You okay?" he asked Derek.
Derek felt his stomach gingerly. "Just bruises." He confirmed. "Addie?"
"Tiny fracture in the left leg. Should heal by the hospital benefit dinner."
"Well thank God for that." Burke said dryly.
They all stood around, looking at each other, smiling. They were all standing, talking, laughing, breathing.
Mark checked his watch and looked at Alex. "It's almost eight…" he said.
Alex nodded. "Breakfast?" he asked. Izzie and Addison scoffed, but without arguments, the nine of them were heading for the doors. They left the hospital without telling anyone, which would get them in trouble with the security agents later.
The lobby doors slid open to reveal sunny skies, and not a hint of rain. Meredith took a deep breath and squeezed Derek's hand.
They were all breathing, and sometimes, that was all that mattered.
EPILOUGE COMING!