31. Revelation

Disclaimer: Nope. Not mine.

Good thing I wrote these two chapters together. I'm sorry I even did what I did in the last chapter in the first place, because people were pretty upset about it. The only reason I did it was to give Meredith a wakeup call. I'm doing something Shonda has yet to deal with on the show since season three. And I think it's something pretty important. So if you're sticking with this, I really appreciate it. :)

As Meredith drove to the hospital after getting the call from Alex, the only thought running through her mind was Derek. Suddenly, nothing else in the world mattered. Alex told her that Derek was okay, but she wouldn't believe it until she saw him with her own eyes. He was the love of her life, the person that she couldn't survive without. If he wasn't okay, she didn't know what she would do.

It was a small struggle to make it to the hospital without pulling over to the side of the road and breaking down. She managed to pull into the parking lot, park her car, and hastily run into the ER. She was immediately greeted by Alex. "Mer!", he shouted loud enough so she would be able to hear him over the already chaotic emergency room that had been full of victims of whatever trauma had taken place earlier that night.

Meredith spun on her heel and spotted him. He rushed over to her side and pulled her into an empty hallway. "Mer, he's okay", Alex assured her.

"Alex", Meredith cried. The damn burst. She could no longer hold back the tears. She gripped onto her friend's yellow emergency gown and cried into his chest. Alex wrapped his arms around her and held her close.

"Mer, listen to me. He is okay. They took him up for a CT a minute ago. He's alert, he's talking. Everything is going to be okay", he said softly, gently rubbing her back.

Meredith sniffled and continued to shake. "I have to see him."

"I'll take you upstairs. Come on", Alex said, keeping his arm wrapped around her side, her body still wracked with fear, even after Alex had assured her that Derek was okay.

"We—we were fighting. We had a fight about the playroom, and then he got called back into work. And I didn't even—I didn't even tell him I loved him before he left. Oh God…", Meredith whimpered.

"The minute he got here, he told us to call you. He didn't even care about getting himself checked out. He told us to make sure you knew that he was okay", Alex replied as the two stepped onto the elevator.

"What happened?", Meredith asked almost inaudibly. She dug around in her coat pocket for a tissue and wiped her red, puffy eyes.

"The guy behind slammed into the back of his car. So they took him up to CT to make sure everything was okay. He had some tenderness in his ribs and some minor bruising. Other than that, he looks okay", Alex informed her.

"What if he—? He might have internal injuries. Alex, what if he…", Meredith began before crying again.

Alex sighed sadly for his friend. "We won't know until we get the CT results. But I don't think it's anything serious."

The elevator doors opened and Alex led the way to an empty patient room. "After his CT, they'll be bringing him in here. So let's just wait for them to get back, okay?", Alex asked gently.

Meredith knew that no matter how much she wanted to see him, it wouldn't be an option until all of the tests had been run to make sure everything was okay. "Who called the ambulance?", Meredith asked with shaky breaths.

Alex walked her over to the small couch so she could sit down. "Not sure. I'm guessing it was someone in another car nearby."

"Who's with him right now?", she asked nervously.

"Bailey and Izzie. He's in good hands, Mer. Just try to relax", Alex said softly.

Meredith let out a deep breath and leaned back on the couch. "We were fighting. It was so stupid…"

"Mer—", Alex began before she interrupted him.

"We were fighting about the playroom. The playroom, Alex! Do you know how stupid that is? And now he's hurt and I…", Meredith cried, unable to finish her sentence.

"Mer, try to remember…it could have been worse", Alex reminded her. "Much worse."

Meredith nodded and sniffled. "I know", she squeaked.

"Everything's going to be okay", he said comfortingly. "He'll be here probably within the next twenty minutes. CT was backed up because of the trauma that came in. He was walking and talking…don't worry until you have to, okay?"

"Yeah. Okay", Meredith breathed, brushing some hair out of her eyes.

Alex's pager interrupted them. "Damn. I have to get back down to the pit. You gonna be okay? Want me to send someone up to sit with you?"

"No. I'm okay", Meredith said, sniffling slightly. "Thank you, Alex."

"It's gonna be okay, Mer", Alex whispered, giving her one last side hug before getting up off the couch.

Meredith nodded. "Okay." After Alex left the room, Meredith was once again left alone with her thoughts. She rested her head in her hands and sighed.

All she could think about as she sat there was how Derek must have felt when she drowned. Only what he went through was multiplied by a million. She was dead. Frozen, blue, gone. He literally had to breathe for her for an hour of his life. There was really no comparison in the situation. Meredith wasn't sitting there breathing life into Derek's body. She didn't have to wait in the hall while half the hospital tried to bring him back to life.

Something like this put life in perspective. Paint didn't matter. Fighting over a minor detail of the house—who cared? She hadn't even told him she loved him when he stepped out the door.

What if the accident had been worse? What if he died? Meredith couldn't even comprehend the thought. The idea of Derek dying brought tears to Meredith's eyes. She was overcome with immense sobs and began crying uncontrollably with her face buried in her hands.

She didn't know how long she'd been sitting there when Derek, Izzie, and Bailey finally came into the room.

"Mer", Derek said softly, his eyes full of sadness for his fiancé.

Meredith raised her head and looked at him. "Derek", she said quietly, breathing a sigh of relief.

Bailey and Izzie helped him into bed and made sure he was comfortable. "You okay, Derek?", Bailey asked softly. Derek nodded and laid his head back on the pillow. "How about you, Meredith? You alright?"

"Yeah. I'm—I'm okay", Meredith replied nervously as she made her way to Derek's bedside. She took Derek's hand in hers and squeezed it gently. She ran her fingers through his hair and kissed his forehead. "Is everything okay?", she whimpered, fearful of the answer.

Bailey nodded. "Everything is fine. There's no internal bleeding. He has a fractured rib and some bruising, but that's it. We just want to keep him overnight as a precaution, but he's going to be just fine."

"Thank God", Meredith cried, keeping a firm grip on his hand.

"We'll be back to check on you in a few hours. Grey, keep an eye on him", Bailey instructed.

"Page me if you need anything. Either of you", Izzie said with a small smile.

"Thanks Iz. Thank you, Dr. Bailey", Meredith replied, her eyes still pooled with tears.

After Izzie and Bailey left the room and shut the door, Meredith began sobbing again, letting go of the tears she had been holding back. "Derek. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I love you so much. Oh God…", she cried.

"Mer, it's okay. I'm fine", Derek whispered, pulling her down to sit on the side of the bed. "Everything is okay."

"Derek, you were in an accident. And we were fighting, and it's all so stupid. You could have been—it could have so much worse. And I'm sorry. I love you so much", she sobbed, her body shaking with sadness.

Derek leaned up slightly, wincing at the slight pain in his ribs. He kissed her forehead and smiled at her. "I love you too. And don't even worry about the fight. It's not important. We're okay", he said softly. "Slow, deep breaths. Just relax. It's okay…"

Meredith closed her eyes momentarily and evened out her breathing before looking at him. "Are you in any pain?"

"Just a little sore. But I'm okay, I promise", he assured her.

"I'm sorry", she said quietly as tears streamed down her cheeks. "I'm sorry for everything you went through when I drowned. I know that what I went through tonight doesn't even begin to describe what you went through that day. I took you for granted. You had to—when I think about what you must have been feeling, it's—I am so sorry", she wept, kissing his forehead. "I love you so much."

She finally understood. Until she'd actually experienced something like this, she never realized that losing Derek was possible. But he knew. He knew what it was like to have to consider the possibility of a life without her. "I get it—the hovering. The protecting. I know that what happened to me is worse than what happened to you, and because of that, you're the one who suffered. I didn't get it—but I do. Now I get it", she said softly, looking into his eyes.

Derek nodded slightly but said nothing. There was nothing he could say. She had said it all. They had finally come to an understanding. The situations were almost entirely different, but the lesson learned had been the same. They understood.

"Come here", Derek finally said, moving over slightly on the bed to make room for her.

"I'll just go on the couch. I don't want to hurt you", Meredith replied, kissing his cheek.

"You're not going to hurt me. It's okay", he said with a soft smile.

Meredith returned the smile and nodded. She kicked off her shoes and gently lay down in the bed next to him. "I want to paint the playroom", she sniffled, turning her head to face him.

"No it's—you're right. We don't have to do that yet. It's alright", he said softly.

"No. We're painting it. I was scared before. And I shouldn't have been. This is what we want. I guess I was freaking out earlier because I realized that all of this is real, you know? And it's scary. But at the same time, it's perfect. It's what we've wanted for a long time now", Meredith stated, taking his hand and lacing their fingers.

"You've never done this before", Derek said understandingly. "I have. And I think sometimes I forget that. Because I'm so excited about it. But I get it now. I understand why you were scared."

"I'm not scared anymore. I mean, not of little things, anyway. Stuff like you getting hurt scares me. The fact that we could lose each other scares me. But a lifetime with you—that doesn't scare me. A lifetime without you scares me. Because I need you. And I love you so much", she said softly, leaning in and pressing her lips to his.

"I love you too", he smiled. "And I have the same fears that you do. And that's okay."

"Being scared means we have something to lose", Meredith replied, recalling what she had said to Derek months ago.

Derek nodded slightly at the memory and smiled. "Yeah."

"And I don't intend on ever losing you", she whispered.

"You won't", he replied, kissing the top of her head. "I'm here."

"I love you, Derek", she said softly, breathing in his scent that always comforted her.

Derek pulled her close to him and smiled. "I love you too, Meredith."

--

The next morning, Meredith's eyelids fluttered open and she looked around the room curiously. When she realized where she was, she remembered what had happened the night before and quickly looked to Derek to make sure he was okay. She smiled softly and kissed his cheek when she saw him sleeping peacefully, their fingers still laced together.

She gently rested her head on his shoulder and drifted back off to sleep until people started making their way into the room to make sure Derek was okay.

Dr. Bailey entered the room and smiled softly at the two lying in bed together, hand in hand. She walked over and gently tapped Derek's shoulder. "Dr. Shepherd", she whispered.

Derek opened his eyes and adjusted them to the light before looking at Dr. Bailey.

"I just want to check to make sure everything is okay", Bailey explained. Derek nodded and Bailey quickly checked Derek's injury, inspecting the area with her hand. "Everything looks good. I'm going to go sign the discharge papers."

"Okay", Derek smiled sleepily. "Thank you, Dr. Bailey."

"Grey snores, huh?", Bailey asked with a slight smirk, looking at Meredith's sleeping form.

"Yeah. She does", Derek grinned, kissing her forehead. "You get used to it."

Bailey chuckled softly before turning around and exiting the room, leaving Meredith and Derek alone.

Meredith mumbled something incoherent in her sleep before stretching out in the bed. She opened her eyes and smiled at him. "Hey", she whispered.

Derek smiled. "Morning."

"Mmm…morning", Meredith sighed, sitting up slightly in the bed. "How are you?"

"I'm okay", he said with a nod. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I'm okay", she said softly before kissing his cheek.

"Yellow", she whispered.

Derek looked at her confusedly. "Yellow?"

"For the playroom. I like yellow", she smiled.

"Hmm…", Derek grinned.

"That room gets a lot of sun. So yellow would look nice in there. And it works for boys or girls", Meredith said with a small smile.

"Yeah. It does", Derek agreed as he leaned in and kissed her.

"I love you", Meredith breathed.

"I love you too", Derek replied, kissing her again. Meredith moaned against his lips and ran her fingers through his hair. Just as she was about to thrust her tongue into his mouth, the door to his room opened.

"Whoa", Mark laughed. "Didn't mean to interrupt."

Meredith pulled back from the kiss and quickly regained composure. "Hey Mark."

"How are you two doing?", Mark asked, walking over to the bed.

"We're fine. Now leave", Derek laughed half-heartedly.

"No strenuous activity for a few days. That means no wild sex", Mark grinned.

Meredith blushed and turned her head away from him. Derek just looked to his friend and rolled his eyes. "What are you doing here, Mark?"

"Checking in", Mark shrugged. "Everything okay?"

"We're good, thanks", Meredith smiled sarcastically.

"Bailey wanted me to tell you that you're off work until Monday", Mark informed him as he leaned against the wall.

"What? Why?", Derek asked. "I'm fine."

"Hey, do get mad at me. She just sent me in here to tell you", Mark said, throwing his arms up in defense.

"It's only for a few days", Meredith said, kissing his cheek.

"Hey Dr. Shepherd. How are you feeling?", Izzie asked with a smile as she walked into the room, followed by the George, Alex, and Cristina.

"I'm fine", Derek smiled.

"I interrupted foreplay", Mark grinned.

"We weren't going to do anything", Meredith scolded, rolling her eyes.

"Sloan, leave the poor girl alone", Bailey sighed as she walked back into the room with Derek's discharge papers. "And the rest of you, get back to work."

They all said their goodbyes and exited the room before Bailey spoke to Meredith and Derek. "Shepherd, you're free to go. And Grey, the Chief gave you the day off", Bailey informed them.

"Oh. I can work. It's fine", Meredith argued, shaking her head.

Bailey smirked. "Just take your damn day off."

"Fine", Meredith conceded.

"Good", Bailey nodded. "Okay, Shepherd, no lifting, no bending. And limit the uh…bedroom activity", she said amusedly, watching as Meredith's face turned a bright shade of red. "Here's a prescription to help with the pain", she said, handing Derek the little white slip of paper.

Derek smiled and accepted it. "Thank you, Dr. Bailey."

"Okay, I'll see you on Monday—not a day sooner. You need to heal. And Grey, I'll see you tomorrow", Bailey smiled.

"Okay", Meredith nodded, taking Derek's hand. "And thank you again."

Bailey just smiled. "Alright, go home, and get some rest."

When Bailey left the room, Meredith looked to Derek and smiled. "Looks like I get to take care of you today."

"I guess you do", he smirked as she helped him remove the hospital gown and change back into his clothes.

"Oh Derek", Meredith sighed as she looked at the bruising from where his ribs had hit the steering wheel.

"I'm okay", Derek assured her. "I just need to put ice on there."

"We can stop at the pharmacy on the way home for the prescription", Meredith said as she helped him put his shirt on. "I'm just glad that's the worst of it."

Derek kissed her forehead. "That's the worst of it."

"Even still, you're taking it easy today", Meredith said softly, fixing his collar and kissing his cheek.

"But we fought. So now we have to have make-up sex", Derek reminded her as he pulled her close and kissed her.

"Hmm…no", Meredith giggled against his lips.

"What do you mean no?", he asked amusedly.

"Too much activity", Meredith explained. "It could be dangerous."

"You could give me a sponge bath", he said with a smirk.

Meredith rolled her eyes. "You're not that hurt. And we'd just end up having sex."

"Which is why I think it's a good idea", he grinned.

"We'll see", Meredith said with a coy smile. "Do you need the wheelchair?"

"No, I can walk", he nodded.

"Okay", Meredith said softly, taking his hand. "Let's go home."

--

After a quick stop at the pharmacy, Meredith and Derek went back to the house and relaxed in bed after eating a little something and changing into comfier clothes.

Meredith laid the ice pack over Derek's torso and he winced slightly at the coldness. "Sorry", she whispered.

"I'll get used to it", he smiled as he lay more comfortably in the bed.

Meredith lay down next to him and rubbed his arm gently. "Did the medicine kick in yet?"

"Yeah, a little", he nodded, looking over to her.

"Do you want anything?", she asked. "A drink or…"

"No, I'm okay", he said, smiling slightly.

"Are you sure?", Meredith asked worriedly.

Derek chuckled slightly at her great concern for him. "Yeah, I'm sure."

"Am I hovering?", she asked softly.

"A little", he shrugged, smiling at her. "It's nice though."

"Sorry", she whispered, kissing his cheek. "I guess I'm a hoverer."

"If you hovered over me in a different way, I'm sure I'd feel a lot better", he said with a smirk.

"You're not getting sex until you're healed", Meredith told him. "I don't want to be responsible for any further injury."

"So mean to me…", he teased.

Meredith giggled. "It keeps you in line."

They spent the remainder of the day resting, keeping the physical activity limited to lying in bed together. They had learned a lot in the past twenty-four hours. They learned that getting angry over the little things wasn't worth it. What mattered was the love they shared, and they would never again take it for granted.