I'll Look After You

Chapter 16

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"YOU!"

Layton stood his ground, his eyes focused on the man who was charging at him with full force. He waited for Derek to push him against the wall. His head lightly hit the wall and he felt the urge to push the smaller man away but he knew he deserved to be slammed against the wall. If he hadn't flown back to D.C. and left Meredith here, this wouldn't have happened.

"You fucking stay away from her!" Derek spoke through his gritted teeth. His eyes were full of mixed rage and pain. Layton looked down at him, not uttering a word. He didn't know what else to say.

"You think I can't put two and two together?" Derek glared at him. "First you get shot and then my wife's brakes get clipped!? You fucking stay away from her!"

"Dr. Shepherd!" Izzie shouted out the other doctor's name.

Within a few seconds, Alex placed his hand against Derek's chest and pushed Derek away from him. He gave out a breath as he looked at the man whose ex-wife was barely breathing inside the small room. Barely breathing because of him.

Derek Shepherd watched as Alex pulled Layton from him. Derek didn't know what came over him, charging a man inches taller than him.

He was shaking and it was bad. At most times, he could control his self but this time was different. He wanted to lash out and punch the living lights out of the taller man who caused everything. He glared at the said man and his thoughts went back to what happened barely an hour ago.

(Flashback)

"Where is he?" he heard George's voice from outside. After a second, George entered the room and looked at him. "Dr. Shepherd?"

"Yes, Dr. O'Malley?"

"T-there's something going down in ER, they need you,"

"What's going down there?"

"The attendings are fighting over a patient, sir."

"A patient? My attendings?" he sighed, shaking his head in dismay as he stood up and followed George out of the room. He looked at George, noticing his state. "Dr. O'Malley, are you alright? You look..."

"I-it's... Nothing, sir," George shook his head. "It's nothing..."

They reached the ER after a few minutes and Derek could already see the sea of doctors gathering around a patient. He stepped closer to them and he cleared his throat to catch all of their attention.

"Dr. Shepherd," Dr. Skye, his head of neurosurgery, approached him. "You need me to take a look at her now, Dr. Shepherd. All the other attendings are just coming in here for show."

"Show?"

Derek pushed past him and his whole world came crashing down. "Oh god."

"Dr. Shepherd!" Bailey shouted at him as he approached Meredith's limp body. She was covered in blood and she was unconscious. And he felt like a ton of bricks fell on him.

"W-what?" he couldn't even form his words as he ran his hand across her head and hair.

"Car crash," Dr. Skye told him. "You're in no condition to take her case, sir. I'll do it."

"No," he shook his head. "I-I... S-she needs the best."

"The best won't do her any good if you're in that state, Dr. Shepherd. Now you need to step away from the bed and let your attendings to their job," Dr. Bailey dictates at him as she kept her eye on the monitor. The monitor that was telling the world that Meredith's heart was barely beating.

(End of Flashback)

Derek shook his head. No, no. This wasn't happening. He was dreaming. Yes, he was definitely dreaming. But every last brain cell of his is taunting him and telling him that it was true. His Meredith was lying right in front of him, beaten and blue. It really was happening.

And there was nothing else he could do.
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