Don't Give Up On Me

Chapter 20

Monday, 9:35am

Derek watched as his girlfriend slept. There was no signs of pain on her face at all. She looked so relaxed, yet so frail and so sick. He knew she should be waking up soon.

Meredith came around shortly after to dereks loving gaze. Thanks to the pain implant, she was feeling nothing. Well, physically that is. Mentally, she was in another world.

"Hey." Derek whispered, cupping her cheek in his hand. "Hi." She said with a sleepily grin. "How are you feeling? Any pain?" Derek asked, smiling at her relaxed nature.

"Nooooo. Feelin good. Super super good." Meredith slurred.

"Yeah? That's good." Derek replied as the door opened. "Hey Mer." Cristina said as she picked up her chart. Meredith didn't respond and started at the wall.

"Hi Cris." Meredith said after a full two minutes. "Wow. You're really doped up, aren't you?" Cristina asked with a smirk. The Meredith on morphine effect was good, but this was on a whole new level.

"Not doped up. I don't do drugs." Meredith said seriously. "Of course you don't, Mer." Derek agreed, sending cristina a frown.

Meredith suddenly let out a loud cough and winced a little. "Are you okay Mer?" Derek asked softly. "I'm fine. Derek?" Meredith replied.

"Yes Mer?"

"I want to have sex." She replied nonchalantly. Dereks lips turned up. "You what?" He asked. "I want to have sex. Take your pants off." Meredith ordered as she fumbled with his belt. "Hey, I'm still here!" Cristina exclaimed as she turned around.

"Hey Mer? You know where we are, right?" Derek asked as he grabbed her wrists softly. "Not really." Meredith muttered. Derek smiled. "We're in the hospital. You're post op from a surgery. So we can't have sex now."

"Why?" Meredith whined. "Because you're recovering after surgery in the hosptial." Bailey replied as she walked into the room. "Bailey!" Meredith exclaimed, forgetting about her demands from Derek.

"Good morning Grey. I see the pain implant is certainly working." She said as she began checking her blood pressure amongst other things.

Bailey made small talk with Meredith, and Derek noticed when she frowned when taking Merediths temperature. "What's wrong?" Derek asked in concern.

"I want some sex and you said no, thats what's wrong!!" Meredith exclaimed. "Just a slight temperature." Bailey replied calmly.

"What is it?" Cristina asked. "100.3. Barely a temperature, I wouldn't worry about it but I'll order labs again to be sure there's no infection."

Derek frowned and stared at Bailey. "Shepherd, calm down. Don't worry about it until we have reason to. If somethings wrong, we'll take care of it." Bailey said in an uncharacteristically soothing voice.

"Baileyyyyyyyy?" Meredith asked. "Meredithhhhhhh?" Bailey mocked in response. "My throat kind of hurts. It could be from when Derek and I-" Meredith started before Derek clamped his hand over her mouth.

"Don't finish that sentence. Your throat hurts?" Bailey asked. Meredith nodded and coughed once more. "Open up." Bailey ordered. Meredith opened her mouth and look in her throat.

"I'm not seeing anything, but I'm going to order labs for sure. How about you try getting some sleep Grey? Is there anything else bothering you? " Bailey asked. "My incision kind of burns." She replied.

Bailey frowned and lifted up her gown. Bailey began palpated her incision, and despite her pain transplant, it was really bothering her shown by her squirming in pain.

"Ow." Meredith whispered. "Okay. I'm done." Bailey said. "How about you get some sleep?". "Okay Bailey." She agreed, smiling as she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Derek, Bailey, and Cristina went outside of the room and chatted. "I ordered labs. Her incision is hot and painful, and her slight fever. We should get them in the next few hours, although I heard they're pretty backed up. I'm sure it's nothing." Bailey said.

"Okay. Can one of you stay around here? I have to go deal with my family." Derek asked. "I will." Cristina offered.

•••

Derek found his sisters and mother back in the waiting room and waved them over. "Derek! How's Meredith?" Carolyn asked.

"Enough, mom. Derek, when are you coming home?" Nancy cut in, getting straight to the point. "Nancy, stop! Meredith is my girlfriend. I love her. More than I've ever loved Addison. She has cancer. She's sick. I'm never going back to Addison so accept Meredith, please!" Derek exclaimed.

"We all do, Derek. Nancy's just being a bitch." Amelia said. "Amelia! Listen, we all like Meredith. Nancy is just a little....she's having a hard time adjusting. Now, how is meredith doign?" Carolyn asked.

Derek sighed "She's okay, I guess. They put in a pain transplant and she's....very high. But Bailey suspects she has an infection of some sort. I don't know." He replied as he ran his hand through his hair.

"What is she doing now?" Amelia asked. "Sleeping. And I'm hoping she'll stay that way. But seriously, I need you guys to respect Meredith and I's relationship. She's....I'm going to marry her someday. Once she's in remission, maybe." Derek blurted.

"You are going to marry her?" Carolyn asked softly. "I am. She's....I've never felt this way over a girl. She makes me feel like I'm the happiest man ever. Even when she's sick, when she's going through hell she makes me happy. And I'm gonna be there for all of it." Derek replied.

"Okay." Amelia said, smiling. "Can we meet her?" Lizzie asked, speaking up. "Liz, I would love for you to meet her. But she's sick. And she's very doped up. When she's feeling better, yes." Derek replied.

"Okay. Do you want us to leave or...." Kathleen trailed off. "If you want to stay, you can. I'll be fine either way." Derek replied.

Carolyn opened her mouth to say something when Bailey came up to him, with a passive expression. "Bailey? What is it?" Derek asked worriedly.

"Shepherd...."

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