Aftermatch ✔️

Part 20

"Good morning, Grey we're here to take you for your lung tests." Bailey said, standing in the door. They were both laying together in Meredith's bed, fast asleep. Another two days had passed and Andrew had already tested negative the day before but Meredith's PCR test had still been positive. She had told him to go home since she didn't want him to feel obligated to stay with her but he was determined to not leave her alone.

The passed days had been rough but she slowly started to feel a little better, due to her getting so much sleep. Her oxygen levels hadn't risen a lot but since she had been wearing the nasal canula they were steadier.

"Don't wanna." She mumbled, pulling the blanket over her head. "Come on Mer." Andrew said, putting on his mask and getting up, yawning. "Mhm-mhm." She said, not moving. He sighed, looking up at Bailey. "We'll be there in five minutes." He said and Bailey nodded understandingly, leaving the room.

"Come on Mer." He said again, sitting down on the bed next to her, carefully trying to move the blanket away from her face but she grabbed it, pulling it back. "What's wrong?" he asked, slowly losing his patience.

"I just don't want to go." She replied, her voice muffled into the pillow. "Why not?" he asked, squeezing her shoulder. "It'll hurt. And- I want to stay in here. It's safe here." She said. He sighed, not knowing what to say now. He knew that she had developed some kind of germaphobia and he didn't blame her but she had covid already and they were in a hospital so somehow he didn't see the point right now.

"Come on, it'll be quick." He said, trying to gently pull the blanket away from her head and now she let him. She slowly sat up, pulling her knees up to her chest and laying her head on top of them. He picked up her mask from her nightstand and gave it to her and she quietly put it on, still not moving.

"Please Mer." He pleaded, standing up again, his hands on her hips. But she didn't reply nor moved. "Okay. Tell me what's going on." He said, sitting back down. "I already told you what's going on." She said grumpily.

"Meredith it's just a few tests, they will be over really quick. And everything is sanitized there so there's no reason to be scared." He said impatiently. He knew that it was hard for her and he would love nothing more than to just let her sleep so she would feel safe and get healthier again. But she had to do those test so they could adjust the dose of her medication.

He knew that he was acting untactful. But this wasn't the first time she refused to do something that would require getting out of the room. "Please. I can't." she said, her voice shaky as she looked up at him with tears in her eyes. He tried to be mad at her but couldn't at the sight of seeing her like this.

"I'm scared okay? There are dozens of reasons to be scared." She said, looking at him, her eyes shining in tears. "Please don't make me go. I can't." she said, her throat starting to hurt from holding back her tears, her chest tight and she struggled to breathe a little.

"But you have to. How can I make it easier for you." He said, laying an arm around her, pulling her into his side. "I'm not sure." She said, climbing onto his lap as he cradled her against his chest. "It's okay." He said, rocking her back and forth.

"They're waiting for us." He said after a few minutes. "Mhm." She replied, starting to get up. Without saying anything else he got up with her, taking her hand in his as he led her towards the door.

"Ready?" he asked, not wanting to push her. "No, but it's okay." She said quietly, grabbing the hand that was holding hers with her other hand as well so that he was now holding both her hands in his left one. He opened the door and pulled her with him into the hallway. She kept looking around anxiously, not wanting to get to close to any other person in the corridor.

They slowly walked through the hospital, stopping every now and then when there were too many people at one spot and Meredith wanted to wait until they had spread a little. After seven more minutes they finally reached the lab where Bailey and Maggie were already waiting.

"Good morning guys! How are you." Maggie asked cheerfully, obviously trying to light up the mood since they knew that the test results they would get wouldn't be very encouraging.

Andrew just looked at her and slightly shook his head, signalling her that it had no use to act happy since the whole situation was just crappy. Meredith quietly sat down on the chair she had already sat on so many times.

Andrew again sat down next to her, wanting nothing more than to just wake up from this awful nightmare.

"Okay, we'll start the tests now, we won't do all of them just those for the lung capacity, you know the procedure." Bailey said, from behind the monitors. He saw Meredith suspiciously eying the mouthpiece but it seemed like she didn't want to say anything now that so many people were in the room.

Meredith started with the first test once again and managed to complete it until they heard the loud beeping noise. She immediately put her mask back on as she started coughing, pulling her knees up to her chest, leaning back in the chair, her feet on the seat.

He rubbed her back, trying to ease her pain a little as she squeezed her eyes shut while still coughing roughly. After a few minutes she calmed down a little, leaning back in the chair. "I- n-need a new m-mask." She said out of breath, taking off hers since she had coughed up mucus again and the mask was completely soaked.

Maggie quickly gave her one and Andrew threw the old one into the garbage bin while Meredith put on the new mask. "Thank you." She said tiredly, leaning back again, rubbing her eyes. "How does it look?" Andrew asked, taking Meredith's cold hand in his to offer her some comfort.

"Your lung capacity has shrunken again. It is now even lower than it was during your first check-up." Maggie said in shock, typing something in the computer. Bailey sighed, closing her eyes, and looking up, folding her hands. Andrew took a glance at Meredith who was shivering slightly. "Why." She said in a broken and raspy voice.

"It was already so much better." She added, looking at Andrew, tears welling up in her eyes again. "I'm so sorry Mer." He said, squeezing her hand slightly.