Yin To His Yang | Sterek

Time Of Death

"Time of death: 6:49 a.m." Derek is standing rigid beside the older man, Dr. Finstock, as hears him call the time of death. Patient Amy Collins. 54, female, widowed mom to her two adopted kids. Amy had unfortunate incident which lead her lifeless in the hospital bed, and her children orphans.

Derek is the head nurse practitioner, it goes without a saying that he sees thing kind of thing every day, and something more than once. But Derek can fill the bile in his throat as they shut the machines done, and cover her body with the white sheet. Derek gets angry with himself, upset that he can't do his job without feeling guilty, and storms out if the room. He sneaks in one of the private room, slides to the floor, and proceeds to balls his eyes out.

The same little old lady who was nice to him in the long judgement line at the store, the same one who just wanted to mother to misfortune kids, and the same one who texted him everyday with a joke about 'modern day' technology. Derek realizes that her twins, Ashlyn and Joshlyn, will have to go back into foster care, and it only makes him want to throw up. No kid should have to live through the system, and Amy shouldn't be dead in the first place. Derek given in the nausea as he throws up in the small garage can. Amy is–was elderly, but she was healthy for someone her age, and someone had to take her live away from her. Derek only got bits of what happen, but Amy was in the process of getting money out of the bank when a group of men came in, guns blazing. It made news quick and the police were able to catch the men, but that doesn't change anything.

Amy wasn't the only one who lost their life in the robbery, but it's became personal for Derek. He only knew her for a short while, a week or two, but Derek imagined her being a part of the baby's life; like a secondary grandmother. He imagined the twins being excited about the baby, but now all Derek can do is feel hopeless.

A knocking on the door makes Derek wipes his face, and spit in the trash the last bit of bile in the trash to try to get the nasty taste out of his mouth. It doesn't work as Derek is hoping it to. When the door cracks open, Isaac head pops in. "You alright, Derek? The nurses said they saw you running off, and called me up to check on you."

"Yeah, I'm fine." Derek says with a smiles, hoping that Isaac takes the lie, but his voice cracks, and it his friend is soon rushing beside him.

Derek lets himself be pulled into a hug, and takes in Isaac scent in the hopes of finding some stability. "I thought you stop breaking down when one of the doctors call time of death years ago."

"I knew her." Derek mumbles before letting the tears fall fast. He can feel Isaac nod, and pet his hair, not even caring that Derek is soaking his scrubs with snot and tears.

"It's not good for you or the baby to be in the kind of stress, you know?"

"I know, but I don't know how to handle any of this." Derek says as he pulls away, and slumps himself in one of the chairs. He starts to fumble with his green scrub sleeve. "I'm crying when I don't want to. You know me! When shit hits the fan, I bottle it in."

"No matter how manly you are, hormones will be your worst nightmare." Isaac states. He crouches in front of him, and places his hands on Derek knees; smiling a bit. "I once had this macho man as a patient, and he told me he was tough and all. Never cried during movies or at funeral, but when I told him he was having a girl, he busted out in tears."

"Wimp." Derek teases, but wasn't all serious about it. He can't speak for himself in the situation seeing as he still had a few weeks until he found the sex of the baby out. Even though the feeling in the room as ease a bit, Derek can't help but feel guilty for the way he acted. "What do I do, Isaac? She left her children without a mother, and no dad."

"You go to her funeral, you let yourself grieve, but you be there for those kids. You make sure they are being treated right, and they find a good home." Isaac stands up, and sits beside him. "Hell, maybe you can take them in."