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"He's crashing" The OR team buzzed around Derek, springing into action once the alarm sounded throughout the room, the constant beep sound signalling no heartbeat echoed around them as they tried to revive the young man on the table. He was their responsibility, him dying wasn't an option in their eyes. Derek was just about to close him up when he coded yet Dr. Bailey still had some further work to do. His mind was brought to the woman who waited out in the waiting room for news of her fiance, he could not and would not tell her they had lost him. He watched as Dr. Bailey worked but there was still no change, the flat green line still moved across the monitor and the ringing sound still dominated the OR....
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She sat helplessly in the corner of the waiting room, there was still a flicker of hope left in her eyes but her nerves were obvious in the way she fiddled with her fingers. Derek edged closer towards her, knowing what he was about to tell her would more than likely shatter her world. His breathing was shallow as he got closer to her. He waited for her to see him but her gaze remained fixated on that one spot on the floor. He took a deep gulp, now just inches away from the woman he had grown to like so much. She soon noticed his presence and stood up detecting his mood instantly.
"Dr. Shepherd" she acknowledged now biting her lower lip with anticipation but Derek made no move to speak. "What happened?"
He stared at her for what seemed like forever, he just couldn't bring himself to say anything. Her eyes were piercing into his soul as she looked at him, desperately seeking good news. As usual the waiting room was full of people; crying, laughing chatting amongst themselves, yet she was still alone. Who would look after her now?
"Um...why don't we have a seat" he whispered softly motioning for the couch behind them. Her eyes shuffled between him and the couch for a few minutes until finally she moved to take a seat. He slid down beside her resting his arm behind her on the back of the hospital grey couch. Sighing deeply he prepared to tell her of her fiance's condition.
"Okay...you need to say something...cause I'm freaking out here...and you don't want me to freak out...seriously" she warned encouraging him to just tell her. He knew he couldn't prolong her agony of not knowing any longer deciding he couldn't protect her from this, as much as he wanted to.
"Adam...um...he made it through the surgery" Derek began as she let out a relieved laugh but refused to lose her focus, she knew there was more to be said. "Dr. Bailey was able to control the bleeding and repair the spleen, she found a few other minor bleeds but nothing serious"
His next words were not so optimistic. He dreaded the thought of her blaming him for her fiance's state but there was really nothing that could have prevented it. Adam's surgery was like any other patient's, some work out, some just don't.
"Meredith...I managed to control the bleed in his brain, there was alot of damage yet I was able to resolve it...but...."
"There's a but..." she said sadly, she knew the worst was yet to come. She could tell by his face that something was wrong. "Just tell me Derek"
She felt comfortable calling him by his first name and not Dr. Shepherd and he didn't seem to care. They felt like they knew each other although they were nothing more than acquaintances, he was the guy who operated on her fiance, and she was just another patient's loved one. Why did it feel so natural?
"Adam crashed on the table...he was down for several minutes, maybe too long" Derek pulled away from her gaze instead choosing to look at the spot on the floor she had probably stared at while waiting for the news "when the brain is without oxygen for a severe amount of time the patient loses...."
"Loses responsiveness...their ability to respond to normal stimuli...they can't....they can't..." she was beginning to hyperventilate, Derek pulled her close to his chest and she fell into his embrace without a struggle. He held her until she was ready to talk again, at one stage he thought she had fallen asleep but she hadn't, she was just trying to come to terms with her fiance's prognosis. Finally pulling away from him she wiped her wet face with her open palms and let out a loud puff of air before turning to face him.
"Adam's in a coma?" he didn't know if it was a question directed at him or a statement that was meant to convince her of the inevitable. He simply nodded in response not knowing what else to say. "A coma can...can last for years...he might not wake up for years...he might not wake up at all" she began rambling.
"Shhhh...shhhh" he soothed rubbling her arm with his hand "you can't think like that...you have to believe he'll wake up...yes comas are known to last for several years but its rare, most just last over a period of weeks" he assured her still stroking her arm. "you need to talk to him and assure him your there...waiting for him" Derek had no idea where all this soppy stuff was coming from, any other patient he would have walked away, but she looked so alone and helpless he couldn't help himself.
"Yeah...yeah your right" she sobbed trying her best to compose herself. "He'll pull through this...he's strong"
Derek merely smiled and nodded in agreement.
"Thank you Dr. Shepherd" she smiled warmly and he felt his heart melt within his chest. There was no way he could fall for this woman, and yet he knew he was.
"How's she doing?" Miranda Bailey asked as she stood alongside Derek outside Adam Holt's room. Derek hadn't moved from that same spot for over an hour, although instead of being concerned about his patient he was more concerned about the woman who stood watching over him.
"She seems to be holding it together" Derek sighed, his gaze still on Meredith. "But shouldn't you be asking how your patient is doing?"
Bailey looked at him in a very Bailey like manner. Her eye-brow arched like it always did.
"Fine...how's the patient?" she snapped. Derek simply laughed with amusement. He loved watching her get so annoyed with him. The truth was he loved Miranda Bailey and she was extremely fond of him although she'd never admit to it.
"Okay okay calm down Miranda" he smiled and gave her a very McDreamy like wink.
"Why are you staring at that girl anyway?" If anything Miranda Bailey was observant. Nothing ever slipped past her or went unnoticed. Derek was a little taken aback by her remark, was it really that obvious that he was staring? He stuttered for a few minutes before being able to form a concrete sentence.
"I wasn't staring at her...I'm monitoring my patient" he shot back although not exactly in a casual manner. She continued to stare him down before replying with a very un-convinced "Mmmm Hmmm"
"I wasn't" he reinforced his original statement of denial before turning away from her and walking quickly down the hall. Bailey just shook her head, she knew Derek Shepherd's reputation all a little too well.
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After turning the corner, out of sight from Dr. Bailey, Derek let out an agitated sigh. He couldn't seem to shake this connection he had felt with Meredith even though she stood down the hallway holding her fiance's hand. Trying to compose himself a little he noticed the chief approaching. He had forgotten that she was the daughter of his affair twenty-five years ago and knew the chief was looking for answers as to why she was here in the hospital.
"Derek..." he called ensuring Derek had seen him coming. Derek just smiled and nodded and waited for the chief to get closer, he knew he would have questions. "you were with her earlier...I saw you in the waiting room"
"Yes...chief I was" Derek agreed as he glanced around him ensuring no one was eaves dropping in on their conversation. The last thing the chief needed was to be center of the gossip mill at Seattle Grace.
"And?....what is she here for...she looked upset....is it Ellis?" the chief questioned, his voice a little more shaky than normal. Derek could tell he was nervous and scared, he didn't need his ex-lover floating around the hospital halls.
"Um...no...no her fiance was in a car accident...he's my patient" Derek explained briefly.
"She's engaged?" The chief sounded as if the news bothered him, as if he was some father figure to the girl who had yet to hear of her good news. Derek looked at him waiting for him to say something else but nothing came.
"Her mother isn't here...she hasn't even mentioned her" Derek continued but the chief simply nodded and turned to walk away. His behaviour was becoming more and more strange as the day progressed.
Derek's schedule was clear for the rest of the evening unless some sort of trauma decided to gate-crash his alone time. After wandering the hall for over an hour he felt a strong urge to go and talk to Meredith. He had passed the room a couple of times and she just sat there holding her fiance's hand, perhaps she wanted some company or maybe he was just trying to come up with some sort of excuse to go and talk to her. He pondered on his idea for over an hour finally deciding a brief hello couldn't hurt. He saw her sitting in the corner of the room, she looked fragile and innocent but most of all she looked lost. She was staring at the bare walls of the hospital room, a magazine lay open in her lap but Derek knew she hadn't been reading it. Her vulnerable state was all the encouragement he needed to knock softly on the door. The knock startled her but she flashed him a warm smile the minute she saw him.
"Dr. Shepherd" she stood up before he could say not to. He stepped into the room like a nervous little boy his eyes glued to the woman infront of him. She was smaller than he had originally thought, about his shoulder height. Her golden brown hair fell loosely below her own shoulder level and was a little messy from her attempt to get some sleep in the recliner chair during the day. Her most eligant feature was her pale porcelain skin that was highlighted beautifully by her piercing green eyes. He had never seen a more captivating woman before now. Realising he was indeed staring at her he finally spoke
"Hi" was all he could manage in the moment as he began fidgeting with his fingers behind his back.
"Hi" she smiled back, once again having the ability to light up the entire room. He was staring again and quickly shook it off moving a little closer to her. She moved with him in a circular motion until he stopped alongside Adam's bed.
"How's he doing?" he asked, knowing it was probably a question she would have for him.
"He's the same..." she sighed moving herself over to the otherside of the bed "I've been talking to him...maybe if he hears my voice and knows that I'm here he'll open his eyes" she brushed her long fingers through his sandy blonde hair so lovingly as she spoke and Derek immediately felt a cold stab of jealousy.
"It's good to talk to him" he smiled as he watched her hand move down to her fiance's cheek "I'm sure he knows your here"
She laughed softly before sitting into the chair that sat beside his bed for her.
"I'm suppose to start work next week...but maybe it'll be good for me, you know keep my mind off things" she was talking to him now as if they were good friends, which he hoped they could grow into. He didn't know if she was seeking advice or approval. He pulled the other chair over by the bed and sat into it. She was holding onto Adam's hand now, stroking it gently with her tiny thumb.
"I think it would be a good idea...there's no need for you to be here 24/7 and didn't you say his mom was coming?"
She nodded her head and cleared her throat. He could tell she was exhausted.
"Yeah...she'll be here in a few hours"
He was staring once again, but he just couldn't help it. This woman had him mesmerised, within a couple of hours he already knew he wanted her. She glanced up at him, her green eyes sparkling in the light and smiled.
"You should get some rest" he instructed returning the smile.
"I will...once his mom comes...I don't want to leave him alone" her eyes were back on her fiance and Derek knew that was his que to leave. Strolling out the door a piercing pain hit his heart, he was jealous of the man that lay in the bed...in a coma! He had never wanted to trade places with a patient...until now!