Had I known How to Save a Life

Almost Here

Chapter 12
*Alex POV*

I need a best man. "Avery," I whisper. The wedding is in two weeks. I also need groomsmen for it. I guess I can get Derek and Owen. I begin to look for Avery.

Jo wants a small wedding. She wants a real one with the whole best man, maid of honor, etc. And friends. We haven't decided about family yet.

"Hey Jackson..you know the wedding is in two weeks so I guess since you're a guy friend of mine, maybe you'd want to be my best man?" I ask. Hoping to God he'll say yes.

"Of course man, I got you." He laughs.

"Thanks man." I say. Relived. Time to go find Shepherd and Hunt.

I track them down when they're looking at a CT. "Shepherd, Hunt, I need to ask you something." I begin.

"Sure, go ahead Karev." Derek says.

"You see, I need groomsmen...and I was wondering if you two would be interested in that."

They both say yes, thankfully. At least I got all my stuff covered.

I see Jo, she just walked out of the OR. "So you know what's almost here right?" I ask her.

"How could I not? I get a little reminder every time I look a my left hand." She says laughing.

"Who are your people there?" I ask.

"Well Stephanie is my maid of honor. I don't really know for my other two yet." She says.

"Just find someone, they don't have to be super close to you." I tell her. "I got Avery as my best man, and Shepherd and Hunt as my other two" I also say.

*Meredith POV*

I see Wilson walking up to me. "Hey Dr. Grey...I was wondering, since you and Alex are pretty close, if you wanted to be a bridesmaid?" She asks.

Wow. I'm shocked she asked me. I guess I should say yes.

"Sure Wilson." I say smiling.

"Thank you Dr. Grey." She says relieved.

Right after I walk away, about to check up on a post op patient, I get paged to the Pitt. My pager is telling me there was a cop with multiple GSW's to the chest and abdomen.

I walk into the Pitt and they scream "Ambulanace is almost here, Dr. Grey."

I'm waiting for the ambulance with Maggie, Derek, and Owen.

"How long does 'almost here' take?" I ask. But that's only because it's raining outside and I guess since I'm pregnant, my body doesn't like the rain.

Right after I say that the ambulance pulls up with the cop.

"Oh my God!" Maggie scream.

"What the hell did they do to the guy?" I ask.

"Not lying about that 'multiple GSW's part. Could have added to number." Derek says.

We rush him into a trauma room. This guy has at least 12 bullet wounds. "We have to get him to CT immediately. I need to get a look at his head." Derek says.

We rush him up there. "Dammit. This guys got a massive subdural hematoma. If I don't get in there quick enough his brain won't have anywhere to swell and I need to help that bleed." Derek says.

We get him into the OR.

Derek is wearing a ferry boat scrub cap. He looks hot in that scrub cap. Instead of worrying about my dying patient I'm worrying about how hot my husband looks in his ferry boat scrub cap. This is what pregnancy hormones do to me.

I need to focus. I ignore it all. I look at the abdomen with 8 bullet holes.

"How many of these are through and through?" I ask Hunt.

"I think 6 out of 8 are." He says.

That's better. It's a harder repair when you're removing a bullet.

Hours pass. Hunt and I almost have the abdomen repaired.

Maggie isn't having an easy time on his heart. Nor Derek on the brain.

The monitor starts beeping out of control. His heart can't take the stress anymore. And his head isn't getting better.

He flatlines. Maggie charges the paddles to 360. Nothing happens.

We try a few more times.

The monitor stays flat. We're all silent. "Time of death: 16:34" Owen says.

"Listen up everyone, this man died a hero. He died in our OR. But he died a hero. We did everything we could." Owen continues.

He goes to talk to the wife of the cop.

I rush out of the OR because I'm about to cry. We all lose patients. I get that. But this one hits me hard. I know the feeling of being the wife in the waiting room. When Derek was shot. When Derek was in the wreck. You'd think it gets easier.

Derek follows me into the on call room.

"Meredith whats wrong? Are you okay?" He asks sensitively.

"I..I don't know. He has a family. A wife. Kids. And he's gone. When you were in that wreck. And I was in the waiting room of that hospital. I didn't know if I'd ever hear your voice again. I thought that I lost you. And this patient dying just reminds me of that. It reminded me that I almost lost you. And the thought of losing you is unbearable. Then my hormones raging everywhere." I cry in his arms.

"Meredith, I am so sorry. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. I can't promise there won't be another catastrophe. Right now, you're safe. I'm safe. Zola and Bailey are safe." He begins to say.

He puts his hand on my abdomen. "And this little one is safe." He says trying to reassure me.

I hold him tight and cry in his arms.

"I love you, Derek." I tell him.

"I love you too, Meredith." He tells me.

I guess he's right. He can't promise there won't be another disaster. But right now we're together. And we're safe.

We go home and hang out with Zola and Bailey. Zola hugs me tummy and tells the baby she loves it.

Derek and I go to sleep. He has is arms around me again and I know that we're safe.

Enjoy today. Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow is never promised.