2 Days after being intubated
"Mer, sweetie, you have to get better. Please baby." Derek says to Meredith's unconscious form.
Dr Bailey walks in and sees Derek crying. "She'll be okay, Derek. Just give her time."
"I know, I know. I just hate seeing her like this! She doesn't deserve this! None of this!" Derek says angrily.
"No, she doesn't. Have you gotten any sleep or eaten anything?"
"I don't want to leave her." Derek says.
"Derek, you can't help her if you won't help yourself. Go take a nap and have something to eat."
"But-"
"No buts. I'll stay here with her." Dr Bailey says to Derek.
Derek sighs. "Fine." He gives Meredith a kiss on her forehead and leaves the room.
"Meredith Grey, you better get better. You're going to break his heart if you don't." Dr Bailey says softly. "And you'll break mine also. If you can hear me you better not repeat this to anyone when you're awake."
3 more days have passed
"Derek, I'm going to check her oxygen levels to see if we can take her off the vent today." Dr Bailey says, coming into the room. "Her sats look okay."
"Do you think she'll be able to come off of it today?"
"I don't know. I hope so. She's doing better with a lower oxygen level." Dr Bailey says and goes over to the vent machine. She has been lowering the oxygen levels for the past few days. "Okay, everything looks good. I'm going to take away her sedation and lower the vent settings. We'll be able to see if she's breathing over the tube before we extubate her."
"Thanks Bailey." Derek says softly. "Do you think she'll breathe over the tube?"
"I hope so. We'll just have to wait and see." Bailey stops the sedation medicine and then lowers the ventilation settings. "Okay she should wake up within a few hours."
Bailey smiles at Meredith and squeezes her hand. "Grey, you need to stop scaring us with your near death experiences. It's not funny." She says to Meredith's unconscious form.
"Page me when she wakes up." Bailey says to Derek and then leaves the room.
A few hours have passed
"Mer, wake up please. I need you." Derek says. "You can do it baby."
A small groan is heard from Meredith's unconscious form.
Derek's eyes widen. "Mer? Are you waking up? You can do it baby."
Meredith squeezes Derek's hand with her eyes still closed.
"Open your eyes baby. Wake up for me."
Meredith's eyes flutter open and she looks at Derek sleepily.
Derek's heart sinks when he realizes she isn't fighting or choking on the tube.
"Hi baby. I'm so happy to see your eyes open."
Meredith looks around the room sleepily. She realizes her throat hurts. She sees a tube sticking out of her mouth and starts to freak out.
Meredith makes a little noise and puts her hands onto the tube in an effort to pull it out.
"Mer, you need to keep that in. It's helping you breathe."
Meredith's eyes widen in fear when she realizes she isn't breathing over the tube. She points to the tube and shakes her head.
"I'm paging Bailey Mer. Don't worry. Just rest." Derek pages Bailey 911.
Meredith's eyes keep looking around the room terrified.
"You're going to be okay Mer. Relax for me sweetie."
Meredith's eyes fill with tears.
Just then Bailey comes rushing into the room. "Nice to see you awake Grey." She listens to Meredith's heart and lungs. "Let's wait a while and see if you start breathing on your own Mer. I won't increase the settings yet." She puts her hand on Meredith's shoulder to comfort her.
Meredith let's the tears escape from her eyes. She shakes her head at Bailey and points to the tube.
Bailey sighs. "I know you want it out Meredith. I need you to breathe over it before we can do that. I'm sorry sweetie, I know it's uncomfortable."
Meredith's stubborn side comes out and she puts her hands on the tube and starts weakly trying to pull it out.
Bailey quickly reaches and pulls Meredith's hands away. "Grey, don't do that. You're going to hurt yourself."
Meredith looks down at her lap. She closes her eyes and lets sleep take her.
"Poor thing. She's exhausted and scared. Let's hope she starts breathing over the tube soon." Bailey stokes the top of Meredith's hair. "Page me if she starts fighting the tube."
"I will. Thanks Bailey." Derek says.
An hour later Derek is resting his eyes when he hears Meredith start choking on the tube. He instantly pages Bailey 911.
Meredith opens her eyes and points to the tube again.
"I know. Bailey is on her way and she will take it out. Just a few more minutes." Derek says and holds her hand.
Bailey comes into the room followed by a nurse and smiles at Meredith. "I hear someone is breathing over their breathing tube!" She looks to the nurse. "Prepare to extubate."
Bailey and the nurse get to work on extubating Meredith and a few minutes later the tube is out.
Meredith starts coughing uncontrollably. "Wa-water." She chokes out.
Derek quickly gets her a cup of water and she gulps it down.
"Thanks." She says softly.
"Mer, we're going to bring you for scans soon." Bailey says. "We want to make sure the cancer hasn't spread."
So sorry for the delay! I hope you enjoyed
