Save My Life

Chapter 7

3 Months Later

"Do you know where she is?" He asked, walking back and forth in the room. There was no limp in his step now, and his care was ending at the hospital. It would soon just be him, and his mother would leave.

"No. I haven't seen her," She said.

He turned around and saw his mother looking into his eyes and he smiled.

"I love her, ma." He said so quietly, like it was a secret.
"Derek..." She trailed off and he hugged her.
"Look at me." He paused, "I am alive and finally well."
"You're still admitted in the hospital." She said defensively.
"I can finally tell her and say something." He chuckled.

"Today." He said, coughing into his elbow.
"Derek, are you alright?" She asked as he nodded.
"I'm fine." He nodded, drinking a sip of water.

She helped him into bed and he laid before resting. His skin was crawling and he felt a tug inside his chest a few minutes later, eliciting another coughing fit. The more he breathed, it hurt and he almost asked for morphine for the first time in a week.

Meredith - 4 Hours Later

She was in surgery with Dr. Burke and had just saved a patient when she got the call. She held the phone to her ear and heard coughing.

"Meredith, something's wrong." A low voice came in through the speakers and she ran. She was by his bedside in a minute and his mother was holding a metal plate at his mouth. He brought his head up and their eyes locked. He was in shock, his heart physically pounding against his chest. She looked into the metal plate and then watched as blood came out of his mouth.

"Meredith." He coughed, "It feels like I'm dying."

She gripped his hand tightly and he inhaled deeply, a harsh sound coming from his throat and chest. She let go of his hand and unwrapped the stethoscope around her neck. She stuck her hand down his shirt, and he winced at the chill of the metal as she held it to his chest. There was fluid in his lungs and he was breathing rashly.

"Hemopneumothorax." She concluded as he nodded.
"You have to do it." He said through gasping pants.
"Alright." She said nervously, leaning over and grabbing a thoracotomy kit.

"Please make it stop." He wheezed against her neck, his face brushing her cheek.

She pulled back for a moment and looked into his eyes. Her hand wrapped around his head and she held the hair at his nape and time stopped.

"I've got you." She said as his eyelids closed.

She watched him pass out, and then quickly lowered the bed before pulling his shirt up his chest. She took a scalpel and felt her way around his ribs. Suddenly, she quickly spliced his skin and pushed her finger into him. Her gloves covered in blood and she replaced her finger with a tube into his chest.

His shook back to life with a shout of pain and she watched the blood collect in the bag. She stood up straight and her mother had backed away a few feet. As she taped the tube to his chest, she took off her gloves and tossed them.Their fingers immediately interlocked tightly together and he squeezed as the blood drained from his lung.

She let go and ran her hand to his face, stroking his cheek and then wiping his eyes. His breath became more clear and he fell asleep as she held his face.

"How long will he have to stay at the hospital?" His mother asked as Meredith gazed down at the man who used to be her everything. She hadn't seen him in two months and it had been so difficult to not come to him. Everyone else had, Richard, Bailey. and even Burke.