Seven Thousand Hours

Chapter 14| Sparkly eyes (part 2)

Once Meredith left to get cleaned up and changed into some new scrubs, she met Derek down in the scrub room. "Hey, there you are" Derek said as he leaned against the sinks. "Just needed to freshen up. And thank you, Derek, for doing that" Meredith smiled at him. Derek simply nodded before tuning to scrub in.

"This is Darren Covington, our first patient. Began developing early Alzheimer's at 32, he's 35 now." Derek mumbled before shaking his hands of the water. Meredith nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat that felt like it was choking her. "Are you sure you're okay to do this?" Derek asked when he noted her pale complexion. Meredith nodded sternly. "Just nervous, Dr Shepherd. Let's get this done." She said frustrated before walking into the OR.

"Alright everybody, it's a beautiful day to save lives" Derek said before he stood by the patients head. "Dr Grey, could you open the envelope from the FDA to tell me if we're inserting the placebo drug or the real one" Derek said. Meredith nodded before walking over to the nurse and taking the envelope and opening it. She squinted at the paper, something that didn't go unrecognised by Derek.

Car, table, fish. Damn it, we forgot!

"It's the placebo drug, Dr Shepherd" Meredith said sadly and she showed Derek the paper. Derek sighed and nodded before Meredith stood by her side. "Meri, are you sure you're okay to do this?" Derek whispered behind his mask as he took the opportunity when the nurses were distracted by preparing the drug. Meredith rolled her eyes, "I told you Dr Shepherd, I'm fine!" She hissed quietly at him. "What we're the 3 words you needed to remember?" Derek whispered. Meredith looked up to him, searching his eyes for something.

The nurses came back into the room and broke the tension. "Go sit down." Derek whispered faintly yet sternly. Meredith just shook her head no. Derek threw her an icy stare before turning to his patient.

"Ten blade" he ordered before taking the scalpel and making the incision. As he retracted the skin, he felt Meredith brush against his side before pulling away. This happened 5 times. "Dr Grey, can you stand still, please" Derek mumbled. Meredith nodded. "Sorry, Dr Shepherd." She mumbled back.

He felt her brush against him again. Stopping what he was doing, he turned to look at her, instantly noticed her pale complexion and the small pupils in her emerald eyes.

"Dr Grey, go and sit down" he announced sternly when he noticed that she was swaying. Meredith shook her head. "Dr Grey! That is not a request, it is an order!" Derek shouted, catching everyone's attention both in the OR and in the gallery.

Meredith begrudgingly went and sat on the stool at the back of the OR. "Bokee, please come here a moment" Derek said as his favourite scrub nurse came and stood by his side. Bokee never gossiped, never made an error, never irritated him.

"I need you to page Dr Shepherd and get her to come and get Dr Grey. And I need you to page radiology and get her in for a head CT. Okay?" Derek whispered. Bokee nodded firmly before walking to the pagers and doing what she'd been asked.

Derek knew he had to be professional, but that went out the window when he saw Meredith resting her elbows on her knees, her face in her hands. No one had any clue what was going on or even really noticed, but it's all Derek could focus on.

"Dr Grey, what are some early symptoms of Alzheimer's?" Derek asked. If he could just keep her talking through this quick procedure, then everything would be fine. And if he could do that without getting the nurses gossiping, then that would be even better.