Don't Give Up On Me

Chapter 8

Friday- Day 5 of Chemo.

"Easy Mer." Derek whispered, supporting Meredith's back as she climbed into the hospital bed. She sank into the pillows and closed her eyes, too exhausted to do anything else.

"I'm gonna step out  for a second, are you gonna be alright?" Derek asked, still worried about the thought of leaving her alone.

"I'll be fine." She murmured, shivering despite the mound of blankets covering her small body. Derek brushed a thin strand of hair from her face, bent down to kiss her forehead, and exited the room into the hospital corridor.

"Richard!" He called, locating Chief of Surgery
rather quickly.

"What is it, Shepherd?" He asked, concern evident in his tone.

"It's Meredith, sir." Richard's face fell. He was having a hard time processing the intern's diagnosis. He promised Ellis Grey he'd look after her, but he couldn't protect her from this.

"Is everything alright?"

"She's really sick, Richard. And I-" Derek struggled to find the right words. "I love her, and.." Richard suddenly understood what his world-renown neurosurgeon was asking.

"You want to take a leave of absence." Derek nodded, holding his breath in anticipation of the chief's reply.

"Of course, Shepherd." Derek breathed a thank you and turned around, walking back towards Meredith's room.

"Derek?" Richard called after him.

"Yeah?"

"Take care of her for me."

—

As Derek rounded the hallway corner, he saw Doctors Bailey and Swinder both exit Meredith's room.

"How is she doing?" He asked them, breathlessly.
The two women exchanged a silent, worrisome glance.

"We started her treatment for the day." Swinder stated. Derek could tell they weren't giving him the whole truth.

"But how is she doing?" He pleaded.

"Just keep a close eye on her today. Page me if her systolic drops below 80." Bailey spoke softly. The two turned and left, leaving Derek alone outside the door.

He entered the room quietly , sitting down in the chair by Meredith's bedside.

"Hey." He said, smiling as he noticed a pair of green orbs fixed on him.

"Hey." She whispered, her voice raspy.

"So what will it be today? Movie? Card game? I could quiz you on surgical techniques?" Derek offered enthusiastically, determined to make Meredith's chemo sessions as happy as possible.

"I just want to rest, Der." Meredith murmured sleepily.
She turned away and pulled the blankets up higher. Derek sighed and picked up a medical journal from the bedside counter, paging through it to give her some privacy.

—

Several minutes later, Derek was pulled from his reading by the sound of beeping monitors, indicating that Meredith's blood pressure was dropping.

"Mer?" Derek quickly sat up and shook her shoulder. She wouldn't wake up, and her skin was so hot against his hands. He pressed the call button.

"What is it Shepherd?" Bailey asked, running in almost immediately. Doctor Swinder entered the room shortly, followed by Cristina. The intern must have been on her service.

"She spiked a fever, and her systolic dropped to
72. She's unresponsive!" Derek yelled, slightly panicked.

Bailey was quickly at Meredith's side, sticking a thermometer through her mouth. Doctor Swinder administered an antihypotensive agent that would help increase her blood pressure.

"104.3" Bailey said, reading from the thermometer. Her and Swinder exchanged another silent, worried glance, but even Derek knew this was far too high.

"Cristina, go grab some cooling blankets from central
supply, now!" Bailey yelled at her intern. Cristina
stood in the corner, mouth slightly open. She ignored her resident's demands.

"Please, go!" Bailey pleaded. Cristina finally tore her eyes off her very sick friend, and ran out the door.

Meredith groaned, slowly regaining consciousness.

"Stay with me Mer, you're alright." Derek whispered, clutching Meredith's hand.

"Mm Der.. cold." She muttered, shivering despite the fever. Suddenly, her eyes rolled to the back of her head, and she shook violently.

"She's seizing!" Bailey yelled, rolling Meredith on her side. She finally stopped shaking as Cristina entered the room again, carrying several cooling blankets.

"What the hell happened?" Cristina yelled as she began to cover Meredith with the blankets.

"She had a febrile seizure, her immune system is severely compromised." Doctor Swinder informed. Cristina's heart sank.

"I think we need to consider an isolation room, at least tonight." Swinder stated apprehensively.

"No, I can't leave her alone!" Derek pleaded.

"It's in her best interest, Derek. You know that." Bailey spoke softly. Derek glanced down at an unconscious form of Meredith, nodding slightly.

"Do it."

—

Meredith was wheeled into the ICU, where all the rooms could double as negative pressure isolation rooms. Derek waited outside her door, dressed in full PPE and pacing anxiously.

The monitor alarms blared slightly as Meredith's heart rate increased. She was waking up. Derek pulled his face shield over his mask, and secured his gown before breaking the door's airtight seal and entering the room.

"What.. what happened?" Meredith croaked, slowly taking in her surroundings.

"You spiked a fever. You're extremely susceptible to illness right now. We've put you in isolation so your immune system can recover and you can stay healthy."
Meredith nodded numbly.

"Can you hold me?" She whispered, effectively breaking Derek's heart.

"Oh, Mer. I can't be in here for longer than 15 minutes, it's too much exposure." Meredith's face fell.

"Sedate me."

"What?"

"I want you to sedate me. I don't want to spend the night alone." Derek nodded, and beckoned Bailey, who stood outside the room, to come in.

"Can you dose her with midazolam for the night?" Derek asked as she entered the room. Bailey nodded. Tears had began to stream down Meredith's face. Derek wasn't even allowed to touch her to wipe them away.

"This is going to make you sleepy, Grey." Bailey said as she pushed the medications through her IV.

"Well yeah, that's the whole point." She joked, smiling as Derek laughed.

"At least your humor is intact." Derek bantered back. Meredith's smile quickly faded as the drugs took effect, and her eyes fluttered shut.

"Goodnight Grey." Bailey whispered, gesturing to the door so Derek knew it was time to leave. The two left the room and sealed the door.

Derek pressed his hands and face against the glass door, longing to be nearer to Meredith.

"I love you."

Hey guys! We hope you enjoyed this chapter and hope your all doing well. As always, go follow merderrstan , she amazing!!