Drowned but Not Out

Chapter 28

SURPRISEEEEEE GUESS WHAT STORY IS UPDATED :)

Anyways, here's the new chapter! Sorry for the long wait!

I can't believe it.

I can actually go home.

I'm actually leaving.

Is this actually happening? Maybe this is a dream and I'm still stuck here in psych. That would be my luck.

"Meredith! Mer!" Derek called out to her, dragging her out of her thoughts.

"Huh? What?" Meredith said, distractedly. "It wasn't a dream." She muttered. "I'm 'QUACK QUACK' actually going home." She smiled to herself but then her smile disappears.

"What's wrong Mer?" Derek asks.

"I don't 'quack' think I'I'I'm r-ready. Everything 'cluck' will go downhill! Derek! 'Christmas Tree' Turn the c-c-car around! I can't do t-t-this!"

Derek calmly pulled the car over and put it in park. "Meredith, deep breathes. Breathe in, breathe through, breathe deep, breathe out."

Meredith takes a few deep breathes and then lets them out.

"Good job. Do that again if you need to." Derek says softly, rubbing her back to comfort her.

"Derek?" Meredith asks softly.

"Yeah?"

"D-do you think I can do this?" Meredith asks, once she's calmed down.

"I do. You have all the tools now to help yourself succeed. And Dr Wyatt has you on medication to help control your tics. They have only been happening when you get very overwhelmed or stressed. You can definitely do it."

Meredith nods. "Okay. I can do this."

They drive the rest of the way home, Meredith quiet the rest of the way home.

They arrive back at Meredith's house and Meredith follows Derek inside.

"I'm home." She says with a smile.

—-

After eating a quick lunch, Meredith and Derek decide to just relax and watch a movie together. Derek decides he's going to cook her favorite meal that evening to celebrate her discharge.

Suddenly Derek's phone started ringing. "Mer, if you want you can explore the house, I've put your favorite sheets on the bed." Derek smiles and picks up the phone.

Meredith slowly pushes herself up, her head twitching a bit as she slowly walks through the once so familiar house. When she arrives in the bedroom she feels everything get a bit overwhelming as she realized her whole future had changed for good.

Meredith leaned against the wall and softly banged her head against the wall. It was slow and soft but started increasing. Her breathing quickened and she was internally freaking out.

"Mer?" Derek walks inside, immediately worried when he saw her banging her head against the wall, scared she was relapsing already. He walked up to her and grabbed her steadily but then Meredith quietly spoke up.

"I-I c-can 'lalala' do it- C-Can you 'quack' bring m-my w-weighted b-b-blanket to the bed?" She asks him, not wanting to let her body overtake again, she needed to deal with this. For Derek, for herself, for their future.

Meredith slowly got her disapproving body to the bed, Derek placing the blanket down and she cuddled underneath it, her still ticking body now fighting the extra heavy blanket which tired her out almost immediately.

"Meredith, I'm so proud of you." Derek spoke up once he saw what she did, she actually dealt with her tics in a safe way in a new and scary environment.

"Thanks. I am too." She says softly. "I'm proud of myself. I didn't think I would be able to stop myself at first."

"But you did. And for that, I'm so proud of you. Dr Wyatt will be so proud also once she hears. Today is probably going to be the hardest days, or one of them at least, with you having to adjust to coming back home. That's a big adjustment and you've already proven that you can handle it!" Derek said with a huge grin on his face.

"I did, didn't I? I can do this Derek! I'm going to be okay. Today starts a new day and a happier Meredith." Meredith says smiling.

We really hope you enjoyed! Thanks to nkgreysanatomy _Ktje_