What if

Chapter 7

"I hate it." Alex whispered. "She's like my sister, I screwed up and now we're losing her. It's not fair." He added. "No, it's not." Bailey sighed. "She will never know who Zola is, or who we are." She added. "I don't know how Derek does it. Staying calm, even though she asked the same question for the fifth time." "Try to imagine that you had a trial for Alzheimer's. Then lose it and now your wife has it" Bailey replied bitterly. They were interrupted by the high heart rate from Meredith's monitor. "Page Shepherd." Bailey quickly said to Alex and went to Meredith's bed. Meredith tossed around in the small bed and mumbled some words that Bailey didn't understand. "Meredith wake up. It's just a dream." Bailey tried, but it didn't help. A few moments later Derek ran into the room. "What's going on?" He asked. "I think she has a nightmare but she won't wake up." Bailey replied. She stepped away from the bed as Derek went to her. He took her good hand in his. "Mer, wake up." He whispered. He stroked her hair and kissed her forehead. "Wake up, it's just a dream." Meredith stirred and quickly sat up. "Derek?" She whispered. "I'm here." He replied. "It was just a dream." Derek whispered, trying to calm her down. "You're okay?" Meredith asked, she still didn't notice Bailey and Alex in the room. Derek looked confused. "Yes, Mer I'm okay." "You're not dead?" She whispered. "No, why would I be dead?" He asked. "Because he shot you." Meredith whispered, while her voice broke. Now Derek understood what was going on. "I'm alive. I survived, everything is okay." Derek assured her and hugged her tightly. "Derek, is the baby okay?" She asked after she pulled away. Derek inhaled deeply, he felt how his eyes began to water. "I'm sorry sweetie. You lost it." Derek whispered with a trembling voice. "Noo." She whispered, Derek was now sitting on the edge of her bed. "I'm sorry." Meredith said not meeting Derek's eyes, Alex excused himself quietly and left the room with tears in his eyes, Bailey went after him. "It's not your fault. Don't ever think that this is your fault." "You're not mad?" She asked him. "No, I'm not mad." "Promise?" "I promise." He replied and kissed her temple. Meredith looked down at her bandaged hand. "What happened to my hand?" She asked Derek. "You burned it, Mark did a tiny surgery on it to remove the burned skin." "Oh, okay." Both of them were silent for a minute. "Where's Zola?" Meredith asked suddenly. Derek was confused, was she lucid? "You know Zola?" He asked. "Yes, she's our daughter right?" "Yes, she is our daughter." Derek replied happily. "Where is she?" "She's with Mark and Lexie at home." "Okay, Derek I'm sorry about the trial." She whispered. "It's okay, I forgive you." He replied quickly. "You sure?" She asked, Derek nodded. "I love you." Meredith said before she yawned. "I love you too. Get some sleep." Derek said as he kissed her lips gently. Meredith laid back and closed her eyes. Soon she was fast asleep. Derek sighed, she could remember Zola, he just hoped that this would stay. He sat down in the chair next to her bed and closed his eyes.

A few hours later Derek woke up again, a nurse took Meredith's vitals. "Good morning Dr.Shepherd." the nurse said. "Morning." Derek replied shortly. "I thought Dr.Bailey wanted to stay with her." "They paged me because there was a situation." He explained, the nurses nodded and left the room. Derek looked up at Meredith and saw her still sleeping, but rounds were soon so he had to wake her. "Meredith, wake up." He said while gently shooking her shoulder. Meredith stirred a bit and slowly opened her eyes. "Hey." She whispered. "Morning." He replied, before kissing her forehead. "Why am I here?" She asked. "You burned your hand yesterday, and Mark did a surgery to remove the burned skin." She looked down at her hand and saw the bandages. "Can I still be a surgeon?" She asked as she sat up. Derek nodded, even though it was a lie. "Good." She replied with a smile. "When can I go back to work?" "Soon, your hand has to heal, and then you can go back and kick ass as a surgeon again." Derek answered with a small smile. "Good." Then it knocked on the door, Mark and Lexie stood there with Zola. "Who's this?" Meredith asked, pointing at Zola. Derek sighed, he knew that she forgot about Zola but it broke his heart every time. "This is Zola. She's our daughter." Derek answered as he took Zola from Lexie's arms. "Daughter?" "Yes, our daughter, we adopted her a little while ago." Zola reached out for Meredith's arms. "Do you want to hold her?" Derek asked gently, Meredith slowly nodded her head. Derek smiled and placed Zola in Meredith's arms. "But be careful with your hand." Meredith nodded and smiled when Zola cuddled herself in Meredith's chest. "She's cute." Meredith whispered. After a few minutes some interns came into Meredith's room. Derek gently took Zola in his arms and gave her back to Lexie, after Meredith kissed her forehead. One Intern presented Meredith's case. "Meredith Grey, 33 burned her left hand yesterday. It's a grade 3 burn, that's why Dr.Sloan performed a surgery yesterday, she's also diagnosed with Alzheimers." Meredith looked confused at Derek. "I don't have Alzheimer's, my mom had it but not me." Meredith told them. The Intern who presented rolled his eyes, Mark saw that. "Dr.Kelly please find me after." Mark siad angry while he went to Meredith to dress her hand new. "That's right Mer, your mom had it." Derek whispered into her ear. Meredith smiled a bit. "Meredith, I have to dress your hand, is that okay?" Mark asked. "Why what's wrong with my hand?" She asked. "You burned it, Mark has to dress it again." Derek replied in a calm and soft voice. "Can't even remember what I said three minutes ago." Dr.Kelly muttered. Mark shot him a glance the same way Derek did. Mark removed the bandage and looked for the creme. Meredith looked at her hand. "It looks kinda funny." She laughed. "It does." Derek replied. Mark found the creme and gently rubbed it over the burns. Meredith winced and pulled her hands away. "That hurts." She whispered while looking up into Derek's eyes. "I know, it will be over soon." Derek replied before kissing the side of her head. "Can I?" Mark asked, Meredith nodded. After Mark bandaged her hand again, and the interns left the room, Derek laid down beside Meredith, who cuddled into his chest.