Don't Give Up On Me

Chapter 17

Sunday, 8:03 AM

Derek awoke the next morning to a very cold body in his arms.

This was weird. He was used to sleeping with a personal heater curled into him, but Meredith's skin was icy to the touch.

"Mer?" He whispered, gently shaking her. She didn't stir, but a quick glance at the monitors told Derek she was stable for now.

Derek pulled Meredith in closer, willing for his own body temperature to help warm her. He must have fallen asleep, because he was awakened by the sound of beeping monitors.

Meredith was now burning up in his arms, and her blood pressure was dropping far too quick, and far too low. Derek quickly stood and pressed the call button.

"What's going on?" Bailey demanded, entering the room with Doctor Swinder.

"Her blood pressure dropped really quickly." Derek explained frantically, gesturing to the alarming monitor.

"Earlier this morning she was really cold, and I think her temp spiked a few minutes ago." He finished.

"Was she hypothermic?" Swinder asked, frowning.

"I-I don't know!" Derek stammered, silently shaming himself for falling asleep.

"It's okay. I'm administering another dosage of anti-hypotensives, this may help keep her blood pressure from falling quickly.

"I'm also adjusting her fluids, which will hopefully-"

"Hopefully?" Derek exclaimed, cutting Bailey off mid-sentence. He glanced between his unconscious girlfriend, and the two concerned looking doctors.

"What are you guys not telling me?"

"Why don't we step outside for a moment?"

Meredith had been slowly stirring to the sound of distorted voices. She finally forced her eyes open, only to see the door swing closed.

The momentum caused a "Get Well Soon" card to fall off a table in the room. Meredith whimpered, hoping someone would see her awake.

When nobody came, Meredith pulled off the blanket, shivering, and weakly pushed herself off the bed into a shaky standing position. She slowly walked towards the card so she could pick it up.

—-

Bailey and Swinder stood outside Meredith's room, watching Derek as he paced anxiously.

"Just tell me." He said, finally coming to a stop in front of the doctors.

"We'd like to take Meredith into surgery tonight." Swinder stated professionally.

"You- what?" Derek cried, running a hand through his hair anxiously.

"This has always been the plan, Shepherd. But Meredith is getting less stable every day. The longer we wait, the less likely she is to survive the surgery."

"But-" Derek was cut off by the sound of beeping monitors. He glanced through the window of Meredith's room, and saw an empty bed.

"Meredith? Oh my-" Derek pushed the door open to see her laying on the ground, unconscious. He knelt at her side, trying to shake her awake. Swinder took her radial pulse, eyebrows furrowed in concern.

"Let's get her on her back." Bailey instructed, supporting Meredith's head as they flipped her. Swinder secured an oxygen mask over her pale face.

"Lift on three!"

Moments after Meredith was placed back in the bed, she began to stir.

"Grey, can you hear me? It's Bailey, you passed out." Meredith began to sit up in bed, giving the doctors confused looks when they laid her back down.

"W-what?" She groaned, prying off her oxygen mask. Derek quickly replaced it over her face. By the looks of her stats, she needed it.

"Do you know where you are?" Swinder prompted. Meredith's eyes darted around the room, and her forehead creased in concentration. She was clearly disoriented.

"Do you know what my name is?"

"B-B-"

"Bailey, good. You're alright Grey." Derek nodded in agreement, grasping her shoulder lovingly. Meredith's eyes fluttered shut as the monitor beeped frantically once again.

"Ah damn it. We should get her to the ICU, she's getting too unstable." Bailey muttered, unlocking the wheels to the bed.

"Do it." Doctor Swinder confirmed, nodding.

—-

Derek sat in the ICU room, head between his knees. He looked up at the sound of soft rustling, and was met with a pair of green eyes looking back at him.

"Der-" She started weakly, immediately erupting into a fit of coughing. Derek rushed to her side, raising the head of the bed and rubbing her arm.

"You okay?" He asked gently once she had calmed down. She looked up at him with unfocused eyes.

"Woah, Der. You're spinning." She muttered. Derek placed a hand under her head and guided her into a lying position.

"Better." She confirmed, smiling softly. Meredith glanced around the room, seemingly just realizing that she had been moved to the ICU. She opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted.

"Grey?" Bailey asked, knocking as she entered the room, followed by Swinder and the rest of the interns, all different shades of pale.

"What's up? Meredith asked cautiously, sensing the tension in the room.

"Well we uh, came to start your I.L.2 dosage." Bailey said slowly. George wheeled forward the infusion machine, refusing to make eye with Meredith.

"You guys are freaking me out." Meredith said as Bailey began to prep the IV insertion site.

"We're also here to prep you for surgery." Alex blurted, earning him a sharp elbow from both Izzie and Cristina.

"What?" Meredith exclaimed, glancing frantically between Bailey and Swinder.

"We have no choice, Grey. We can't wait for you to get any less stable." Bailey said, placing a comforting hand on Meredith's shoulder.

"B-but, I'll be okay, right?" This sentence caused Izzie to burst into tears, this time she was elbowed by Cristina, Alex, and George.

"All of you, out!" Bailey yelled, turning around.

"Let them stay." Meredith croaked. "Just tell me what's going on." She gasped, leaning back into the pillows as Derek pulled an oxygen mask over her face. The two looked up at the group of doctors expectantly.

"Look, Grey. It's not going to be easy." Doctor Swinder began. "Your cancer is advanced, and your vitals make me worried that the surgery may be too much for your body."

"But we're going to do our best, and so are you. You have to fight, Meredith." Bailey finished, brushing away a very "un-bailey-like" tear.

"I will. I promise."

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