A Dream Or A Nightmare?

18

A week later, Meredith went back to the hospital to get her arm cast off. "You okay?" Derek asked as he pushed her into the hosptial doors.

"Yeah." Meredith replied quietly. She knew she shouldn't be scared of this place. She grew up at Seattle Grace Hospital. She considered it her home. But that didn't stop her fears of the people in the hospital.

"It'll be quick. Callie will take the cast off, and you can probably even use your crutches to get out of here." Derek said softly, knowing her nerves were getting the best of her.

Meredith nodded. They got up to the ortho wing and Callie met Meredith right away and took her into an exam room. "So, how Ya feeling Grey?" Callie asked.

"Better." Meredith replied. "Good. Mind if I check your range of motion? I'll also need a quick X-ray to make sure we can get that cast off today." She explained.

"Okay." She said, holding out her arm to Callie. Callie began gently rolling Merediths arm and checking the motion. "I'm gonna take you for a quick X-ray." Callie said.

Meredith nodded and just let Callie to her job.

•••

30 minutes later, the X-ray was done, and they were back in the exam room. "Let's get that cast off, shall we?" Callie smiled.

Meredith held dereks hand as Callie used the saw to break the plaster. It was clear to Callie by her quietness that Meredith was still uneasy around people, but that was to be expected.

"How's it feel?" Derek asked as the cast was off. "Weird." Meredith admitted, flexing her fingers and moving her arm. "It's gonna feel like that for a few days, and maybe even a little sore, but that's normal. Do you want to try crutches?" Callie offered.

"Yeah." Meredith answered quietly. Her one worded, quiet answers started to make Derek worry about how she was really doing emotionally. She hadn't cried hard at hard at night, and she didn't really even talk much throughout the day.

"Here. Have you ever used crutches before?" Callie asked, handing her them. "Yeah."

"When?" Callie asked. "14. Broke my ankle." Meredith said. "Okay. Remember to bear your weight on the middle part, not the top." Callie reminded.

Meredith nodded and stood up. As she began crutching around, it was quite easy for her. "You're a pro, Mer." Derek said with a smile.

"Want to try in the hall?" Callie asked. "Sure." Meredith replied. They went into the hall and Meredith began going down the hall.

"How's she doing?" Callie asked Derek quietly. "Okay. She's not talking much." He replied. "Is she doing therapy yet?" Callie asked. "No. Another week and a half." Derek responded.

"Poor girl." She sighed.

•••

Meredith and Derek went home, and she sat down on the couch. Carolyn took Zola and Bailey out for the day, so it was just them.

"Happy to be out of the wheelchair?" Derek asked as he sat down next to her. "Mhm." Meredith murmured.

She was exhausted. Not physically, but emotionally. She missed her baby girl so much. She was glad to have her two other children back, but the fact that she had another daughter out there and she didn't know if she was safe was sickening.

And she was scared.

Scared of everyone around her. She even got scared of Derek sometimes, like when she'd wake up and her brain was foggy and slow.

"Hey, talk to me." Derek urged lightly, wrapping an arm around her. "I'm tired." Meredith shrugged. "Please Mer." He said. Derek knew Meredith had depression numerous times in her past. He witnessed it once.

He had known she had depression as a teenager for years. And he knew how bad it was, and for her to fall into another depression would be really bad.

"I told you, I'm just tired. It's been a long week and I don't want to talk about it. Please Derek." Meredith said, the defeat in her voice breaking his heart.

"Okay." He said. Meredith relaxed in his arms, closing her eyes. The stress and the flashbacks of everything just drained her completely. She wished this whole thing never happened. She wanted to be Happy with her husband and here three kids.

•••

Derek heard his Phone ringing in the other room and carefully moved out fo Merediths grasp and went to grab his phone.

"Hello?" He asked. "Shepherd, it's Bailey." Miranda greeted him. "Hey. What's up?" Derek asked. "Callie told me Greys appointment went well. She also told me Meredith wasn't talking much and seemed quiet and upset. I wanted to check in." Bailey explained.

Derek sighed and sat down at the counter. "She's good with the crutches. But she's just exhausted. It's a lot for her to be dealing with." He said.

"Derek, I don't want to ask this, but based on her past...is she a threat to herself?" Bailey asked. Derek immediately got flashbacks of her drowning, and inhaled sharply.

"I don't think so. She's...it's a different time now." He replied honestly. "Hospital mandated Therapy is in...12 days. Think she'll be okay until then or do you want to push that up?" Bailey asked.

"I think she'll be okay. I just don't know what to do or how to help her. I don't want her to get depressed again, but I don't know how to stop it." Derek admitted.

"You just be there. That's all you can do. Leave the rest up to Dr Wyatt." Bailey replied simply. "Thanks." Derek said genuinely. "No problem. I'll check in later. Let mereditj know that if she does need to talk, I'm always available." Bailey said.

"Thank you." Derek said before hanging up the run. He ran his hand through his hair and then returned to his seat on the couch, holding his wife.

Hey guys! Thank you all for reading and I hope you enjoy. If you have any ideas, please drop them!!