If you were here

Chapter 5

Meredith slowly opened her eyes and right away noticed the tube down her throat. She started choking, alerting Derek that she was awake.

Derek jumped out of his seat and pressed the call button. "It's okay, I'm here. Your alright." He said softly, making sure he was in her line of view. She grabbed his hand and held on tightly.

"Grey, calm down. We're gonna get the tube out." Bailey said as she and a few nurses came in, just as the previous night. Bailey prepped for extubation. "Cough." Derek wrote on the bored. Meredith let out a hacking cough and the tube came flying out.

Meredith was in a lot of pain. Her jaw was throbbing, and her chest was burning. But she could breathe. Tears were cascading down her face, Derek trying to frantically wipe them away. They needed her to calm down.

"Derek, calm her down." Bailey said firmly. Derek did the only thing he thought of that usually calmed her down. He climbed in to bed, being very careful of her injuries, and wrapped his arms around her gently. He kissed the side of her forehead multiple times, and rubbed her side up and down in a soothing manner.

"That's it, you're okay. Just breathe, I got you." He murmured into her ear. Derek and Bailey watched as she relaxed, and scooted closer to Derek. Meredith whimpered as Derek tried to move to a comfortable position. "I'm not going anywhere, I got you. You're okay." Derek said softly.

Meredith let herself fall asleep, feeling safe in her husbands comforting and strong arms.

"Rounds are in an hour Derek. Sleep." Bailey said. Derek nodded, but he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep. It hurt him so much to know that his wife was in so much pain, and he couldn't really do much about it.

About an hour later, rounds came just as Bailey said. Derek had not slept.

After rounds, Derek did some work that he had Mark bring for him, still in Merediths bed. He looked up when he heard a knock on the door. "Hey mom." Derek said quietly. "Oh my, Derek!" Carolyn Shepherd exclaimed as she saw her injured daughter in law resting in bed.

Derek slipped out of bed quietly and gave a quick kiss to Merediths forehead before stepping out to speak to his mother. "What happened?" Carolyn asked as gave a tight hug to her son. "She- a patient was posictal. He attacked her." Derek replied.

It was clear to Carolyn that Derek felt helpless. "Is she going to be okay?" Carolyn asked. He nodded. "She should be fine, but it's gonna be a long time until we can go home." Derek replied. "What are her injuries?"

Derek sighed. "Uh, torn ACL, broken collarbone, broken jaw, broken ribs, fractured cheekbone. concussion, and she can't hear." Derek said sadly. "Oh my goodness." Carolyn said in shock. "Oh, and her lung was just punctured." He added.

"What aren't you telling me Derek?" Carolyn asked, noticing that her son definitely hiding something. "I- I got a job with the president in DC at the NIH. Meredith didn't want to move across the country with the kids, so I went alone. I haven't been a very good husband or father lately." Derek explained.

"And I wasn't here when it happened. I was in a meeting with Obama signing some resignation papers." He said. "Derek, it's not your fault." Carolyn said softly. "If I were here she never would've been here in the first place." Derek argued. "Were you the one who attacked her?" Carolyn asked sternly.

Derek shook his head. "It wasn't your fault. Does Meredith blame you?" She asked. Derek shook his head again. "And you resigned, correct?" Carolyn asked. Derek nodded. "Good. Your doing what's right for your family, dear. I'll stay as long as you want me to, okay? I can help look after the kids or stay with Meredith if you need." Carolyn said.

"Thank you mom." Derek said. He turned to look at Meredith when he noticed her awake. He wanted in and placed the marker in her hand when she noticed her motioning to it. "Kids?" She wrote once again. "All are good." He wrote back. "Mom?" She scribbled. "Yes, came to help. Hope it's okay." Derek wrote back.

Meredith nodded and looked at her mother in law waiting out side. She watched as Derek gave her a wave and she walked inside. Carolyn stepped closer to Meredith and grabbed her hand, instantly going into Mothering mode. She brushed back Merediths hair and smiled warmly.

Derek smiled at his mother and wife. He had a feeling Meredith was probably slightly uncomfortable as she was never mothered this way, but he also had a feeling that she didn't mind it.

Meredith allowed herself to go back to sleep with the soothing hand on her hair and Dereks protective hand on hers.

Lexie and Mark came in and talked to Carolyn for a while. Alex and Cristina had popped in to check on Meredith. Callie and Arizona, Richard and Bailey. Derek was glad everyone was checking in, because it gave him the chance to say hi to the kids.

"Daddy!" Bailey and Zola cheered. "Da!" Ellis squealed. He hugged all of his kids tightly and smiled. "Ma?" Ellis asked. "Guys, mama got sick. She  has to stay here for a while." Derek explained. "Mamas sick?" Zola asked. "Yes. My mama is here. Do you remember nana Zo?" Derek asked. Zola had met Carolyn once, when she came to visit.

Zola nodded. "Okay. You three are going to stay with nana tonibnt, okay?" Derek asked. The kids nodded.

Later on that night, the kids were all at home with Carolyn, and Derek was back in his seat in Merediths room.

Hey guys!! Hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and if you have any ideas for future chapters, feel free to drop them. Hope your all doing okay!!