Flip the Script

Prioritize

Derek continued to play with the kids until he said

"I have a surprise for you guys"

"What is it?" Zola asked

"You guys are gonna have a baby sister or brother!"

"Another sister?" Bailey asked

"Or brother, yes."

The kids laughed and squealed upon hearing this and hugged Derek. They played for a while then Derek went back to Meredith's room. Meredith was asleep so Derek pulled the blanket over her and walked out.

"How is she?" Callie asked when she saw Derek walk out

"Good, she's asleep but she's doing good."

"I was going to take her arm cast off right now but I'll wait until she wakes up."

"Okay, thank you."

Derek walked into the attending's lounge and sat down on the couch. He pulled out his phone and saw three missed calls from his assistant at DC from 5 minutes ago. He saw that they were all recent so her called them back.

"Dr. Shepherd! I thought you had lost your phone or something."

"I was with my kids so I couldn't answer."

"Oh no problem, so the president has reached out and asked if you were coming back for the meeting you have in a couple days."

"Tell the president that I need to take care of my wife and I quit."

"But Dr. S-"

Derek hung up before they could say anything, he wondered why his assistant had not yet told the president or anyone why he left. He called the administrative office of the N.I.H to double check.

"Office of the N.I.H. how can I help you?"

"This is Dr. Derek Shepherd-"

"Ah, Dr. Shepherd! We missed you last meeting, is everything ok?"

"Didn't my assistant inform you that I resigned?"

"No they didn't, may I ask why?"

"My wife was in an accident the other day and I decided to resign."

"You didn't have to quit, we could've given you a couple days off."

"No, I don't want to leave her again. That's why I resigned."

"Oh I'm sorry to h-"

"I'm just calling to inform you that I resigned, I don't know why my assistant didn't tell you."

"Okay, thank you for calling"

"Yep."

Derek called his assistant almost immediately and they picked up almost immediately.

"Hello?"

"Why didn't you inform the N.I.H. of my resignation?"

"You never resigned?"

"Yes I did, when I called you about my wife."

"No, you said you needed time to be with her. I think you're mistaken"

"I'm not mistaken, I quit."

"Doctor Shepherd, your wife was in an accident. That will pass, but this job won't, I hope you know the opportunities you're missing."

"My wife and children are not more important than a job. You are MY assistant, not my boss, not my administrator, if I tell you to do something you do it!"

"Dr. Shep-"

"Goodbye"

Derek was full of rage and threw his phone at the wall. It cracked and he held his face in his hands. He was breathing heavily with tears running down his face.

He wiped his tears and picked up his phone. The screen was shattered, he put it in his pocket and walked out.

He walked into Merediths room and saw no one in there. He started panicking and wondering if she was dead or if she was in the OR.

He walked out into the hallway and asked a nurse where she was.

"Where is my wife?!"

"Dr. Torres took her to go get some x rays. They should be back soon."

"But she got x rays three days ago."

The nurse shrugged her shoulders and Derek got worried. He walked back into Meredith's room, he tried calling Callie but remembered his phone was shattered.

He waited nervously and heard a bed moving down the hall and saw Meredith and Callie coming back in.

"How'd it go?" Derek asked as he leaned down to kiss Meredith

"I was removing the cast on her arm and I noticed some bruising so I went to get some scans."

"What did you see?" Meredith asked

Callie pulled the scans out and turned on the light behind them and pointed to the damage in Meredith's arm, wrist, and parts of her hand.

"The damage in your arm and hand never properly healed, I need to go back into the OR and fix it."

"Can she handle another surgery? Her body can't take that many surgeries. We should wait until she's stronger."

"If we wait we risk permanent damage."

"So if we wait I never get to operate again, and if we don't I could die. Great."

"Meredith" Derek said as he looked over to her and saw the sadness in her face

"What do you want to do Meredith?" Callie asked

"I- I don't know." Meredith said as she rubbed her face with her other hand. She didn't have a cast anymore, she had a brace that let her move her fingers more freely but it still didn't let her move her wrist or thumb.

Callie's pager beeped and she walked out. Derek sat down next to Meredith and sighed. Meredith was staring at the wall.

"We can't do the surgery yet" Meredith sighed

Derek nodded.

"But if we don't I won't be able to operate again."

"Meredith, you could still do PT and there's a chance you could get back in the OR later on."

"The plane crash."

"What?"

"In the plane crash, you injured your hand. You weren't able to operate unless they operated on your hand. How do you think I feel not being able to operate again."

"Meredith this is different, you could die if we don't wait. I need you here, Zola and Bailey need you, our baby needs you."

"I know, I just wish there was a way to do both. My whole career would just be thrown away."

"What do you want to do?"

"I don't know."