Outside of Fear

Chapter One

"Shep! Come on in!" Richard Webber calls.

Derek enters the office of the Chief of Surgery at Seattle Grace, having been summoned only minutes ago.

Part of him is slightly worried as to why he's been called up, and he takes it as a good sign that he doesn't remember killing anyone lately. Though, as a new transfer as Head or Neuro to this hospital, he has no clue what this meeting could be about.

"Please, have a seat." Richard beckons to a chair across the desk from him, and Derek obeys.

"What can I do for you, Richard?" He asks, settling into the chair and hoping he's appearing more confident than he feels.

"I have an old friend," The older man starts, removing his glasses and setting them on a stack of papers on his desk. "Her daughter has served seven years overseas as a trauma surgeon for the military. First the Navy I believe, then Marines."

Derek nods, impressed. "She?"

"Colonel Dr. Meredith Grey. You heard the name?"

Derek's eyes widen. "The Meredith Grey? Are you kidding? Everyone's heard her name. Ellis Grey's daughter, right?"

"That's her. Just two days ago the Iraqi bombed Kirkuk, where she and her entire medical team were stationed. Colonel Grey was critically injured."

"Oh, is she alive?"

"Yes, she's alive. But the field hospital she's been flown to in Germany can only do so much. They got her stable, but she needs better treatment and doctors they just don't have access to over there."

"Of course." Derek nods, suddenly intrigued by where this is going.

"We're flying her here. To receive treatment from the doctors here, because we have the best."

"Are you calling all the department heads into your office to tell them this?"

"No. Colonel Grey has a major spinal trauma. She was impaled through and through her abdomen with a large piece of shrapnel." Richard studies Derek for a moment before continuing. "I want you to make sure she walks again."

"With all due respect Richard, you know I can't promise anything. Especially with injures like these I-"

"I know, I know. This is important, Derek. She's saved thousands of soldiers' lives and risked her own for the greater good. I knew her as a child. Do everything you possibly can to get her on her own two feet."

Derek sighs. "I will, I always do. But you can't get your hopes up, I haven't even seen the scans."

"Oh! Thanks for reminding me, the German hospital sent over what they had, which isn't much. They're short on everything." Richard shuffles through some papers on his desk before pulling out an envelope and handing it to Derek. "She got back into the US earlier today and they're airlifting her here in two hours."

Derek nods, taking the hint of dismissal and leaving the office. He heads towards the viewing room to put the scans up, joined by Dr. Callie Torres, Head of Ortho and one of his friends, not a minute later.

"I just heard some gossip that Richard fired you." She says, walking into the room and shutting the door behind her. "Is it true?"

Derek chuckles, not turning to face Callie. Instead, all his attention is focused on the spinal MRI and CT scans.

"No. Just a VIP patient."

Callie comes up next to him. "Shit." She breathes, looking at the scans. "This the patient?"