Untouchable face

4.

Surgeons liked to teach their residents lessons. They liked to use them to do hard work, because this apparently taught them lessons that were essential to being a surgeon. And when they weren't sure what news to deliver to families, they always sent residents out to do it. Meredith usually hated it because she wanted to be in the OR. Today, she hated it because the news didn't sound good. Numb legs after falling off a roof were never a good thing, ever. The scans hadn't shown much because of swelling but it had been enough to see Derek Shepherd had broken his back and they weren't sure what the extent of damage was. It just looked bad and she had no idea what to tell his brother and what other family was there.

So while her patient was rushed off to surgery to attempt to fix his broken back, broken leg, and several internal injuries, she had to find a way to tell them she just didn't know if their son and brother was going to come out of surgery walking. Which was why she was currently shaking as she walked towards the waiting room. She didn't do families. She just didn't. She knew she was good with patients, or at least that's what everyone said but she was crap with families and Mark had clearly said he had to call Derek's mom so there would be people who would want to know things. At this stage, it was just scary things she could tell them.

There wouldn't be happy hugs and gasps of relief. She was about to become the very bad guy in their story, when she could be doing surgery. But she had to do this. She took a deep breath and walked into the waiting room, clutching Derek's file. "Derek Shepherd?" she called, looking around the crowded room.

"Here," a voice said from the corner.

"Oh," she turned and walked towards the corner, almost stopping when she saw all the dark curly heads that matched Derek's perfectly. But there was one blonde head, which belonged to a petite woman holding an older woman's hand. "I'm Dr. Grey, I'm the resident on Derek Shepherd's case."

"How is he?" the older woman asked.

"I...can I ask who you are?"

"I'm his mother."

"Oh," Meredith nodded, looking around at everyone else who was staring at her.

"Sisters, a lot of sisters," Mark sighed.

"I'm his girlfriend," the blonde whispered and Meredith's heart clenched for a second. "I'm Derek's girlfriend, Maggie."

"How is he?" Derek's mother asked again.

"He's being taken into surgery now," Meredith started. "When he fell, Derek broke his leg, had some internal bleeding, suffered a moderate concussion, and...and broke his back."

"Broke his back?" one of the girls with Derek's hair gasped.

"Yes," Meredith murmured. "He broke his back at the thoracic five vertebrae."

"What...what does that mean?" his mom asked.

"To be honest, Mrs. Shepherd," she took a deep breath, "we're not sure yet. Your son suffered what's called a burst fracture, which means his vertebra was crushed in multiple places."

"Oh my god."

"Our fear is that some of those bony fragments spread into the spinal column, which is compressing nerves and causing the numbness in his legs."

"Numbness..."

"He said he couldn't feel his legs when he came in, Mrs. Shepherd."

"Oh...oh..." the older woman gasped, tears filling her eyes.

"I don't...I'm sorry, what?" Maggie whispered. "I don't...I'm not stupid, Dr. Grey, I swear I'm not. I'm a teacher, I went to college. But right now, it sounds like you're telling me my boyfriend is paralyzed."