Meredith sat by Derek's bed like she had been the five days before. There had been little improvement in his condition so they kept pumping pentobarbital through his veins, allowing his body time to recover. Every morning she looked to the doctors hopefully, waiting for the day they'd tell her it was time to wake him up. So far, Bailey kept saying the neurosurgeon on the case was still skeptical. Carolyn and Amelia begged her to go home, since she'd been discharged two days before, and get some sleep but she refused. Derek needed her. Since getting kicked out of his room, Erin had been popping up during visiting hours to sit in the corner of his room quietly, not daring to offend the Shepherds and Meredith again.

"Good news," exclaimed Bailey, walking into the room with a chart in hand. "Nelson wants to stop the Phenobarbital. Time to wake Dr. McDreamy up." Meredith's eyes suddenly sparked with light, as they hadn't in a week. She sat up straighter, one of the heavy weights lifted off her shoulders. "When he wakes up, we'll see about getting him back in the OR to fix his skull."

"Oh thank god," sighed Amelia, leaning over to hug Meredith.

"Is his fiancé around? Wouldn't she like to be here for this?" questioned Bailey.

"Just do it without her," insisted Carolyn.

"Alright." She walked over to the IV made a few adjustments, swapping bags before smiling at those in the room. "Okay, it'll be a few hours but Derek will wake up today."

Suddenly, Meredith sprung out of the chair, hobbled on one leg towards her, dragging her cast covered leg along, and pulled Dr. Bailey into a hug. "Thank you," she whispered.

"You're welcome, Meredith." Meredith nodded and let Dr. Bailey help her back to her seat. "I'll be back in a few hours. Page me if he wakes up or even if his eyes start fluttering." The group collectively nodded 'yes' before turning their attention to Derek.

XXX

Hours later, a soft groan startled Meredith from her semi-conscious state. She blinked her eyes rapidly, trying to blink away the exhaustion. A groan sounded again, pulling her attention to Derek's lifeless form. His eyelids fluttered and his hands clenched into a fist before slowly stretching out again. Meredith slipped her hand in his, feeling the rough of his skin against her soft hands as she had for a week but this time it was different. His hands seemed warmer, more comforting. Suddenly his grip closed weakly around her hand.

"M-Mer," he managed to groan.

"Derek," she sighed happily, leaning in to kiss his forehead.

Erin was the next to rush to Derek's side, grasping his casted hand. "I'm here too, Derek," she asserted.

"Hmm," he moaned in acknowledgement. "What…where…"

"We got in an accident," said Meredith softly.

"Movie."

"Yeah, on the way back from a movie."

"Don't… can't…'member," muttered Derek, opening his eyes a little more.

"That's normal, not to remember the accident, it's okay, Derek."

"M'kay," he said sleepily.

"Sleep, Derek," she told him. Without response he drifted into a restful slumber. Meredith sat back in her chair, still clutching Derek's hand like a fleshy, warm lifeline.

"He didn't even care that I was here," huffed Erin as she dropped her fiancé's hand and sat in her chair.

"He was just waking up for the first time. He probably had no idea what was going on," said Meredith as reassuringly as she could.

"Yeah, you're right," huffed Erin, tucking a lock of straight hair behind her ear. "He was probably just remembering the last person he was with. Next time he wakes up, he'll be asking for me, the love of his life."

"Yeah. There's no reason he'd ask for me anyways," she said pitifully to herself.

XXX

Derek groaned and languidly stretched his aching back and torso. Every inch of his 5'10" body ached and screamed in protest with the slightest movement. Searing pain pounded against his skull and shot through his side, rippling into the cast that covered his right arm. Listening to his surroundings, he heard the familiar sound of a heart monitor beeping steadily and familiar voices talking softly. He opened his blue eyes slowly and found himself in a darkened, white room. "You're awake!" he heard a familiar voice exclaim happily.

"Hmm," grunted Derek in response. He could barely make a sound, his throat dry and in pain; it felt as if someone rubbed sandpaper up and down his throat.

"Hi," said Erin, kissing his lips.

"Mmh," he replied. "Thirsty."

"I have some ice chips," said Meredith reaching into the cup to pull one out. She ran it along his chapped lips, wetting them before sliding it into his mouth. He savored the cool moisture wetting his dry, aching throat.

"Mer?"

"I'm here," she said, squeezing his un-casted hand.

"What…"

"On the way back from the movie, a car hit us."

"I can't…"

"It's normal not to remember," she said quickly, anticipating what he was going to say. "Just rest."

He made a small sound, just letting her know that he heard her. Before going back to sleep he tried stretching out again, feeling the tension from lying in a bed for an unknown amount of time. Derek bent his arms a little, releasing a stiffening pain in his elbows, making them sigh in relief.

Moving down his body he tried stretching his legs out, knees first. When he couldn't, panic overrode all his other senses. "Can't…I… my legs," he mumbled nearly incoherently, fear evident in every word. "I can't move my legs."

Feels like you're drowning but you still got breath

XXX

A/N: Yeah, bit of a cliff hanger there.

Oh and, yeah. I never said Erin was gone for good. When she makes her exit from this story, well, it'll be blatantly obvious. It's coming up soon though, don't worry.