Don't Give Up On Me

Chapter 22

Monday, 2:58pm

Derek held Meredith's hand as she came round from her seizure. Her eyes fluttered open as her fingers gripped his tightly.

"Doctor Grey, can you tell me where you are?" Tom asked in an attempt to assess her cognitive function. Meredith opened her mouth to speak, but instead began to gasp for air as her breathing became strained.

"Let's hit her with the oxygen mask." Derek said as he noticed her struggle.

"Derek.." Bailey began sadly.

"She's been on 100% flow nasal oxygen for the last 4 hours, and her respirations are only getting more labored. I think it's time that we discuss a higher level of intervention." Doctors Swinder finished, stating out loud what every doctor knew, but nobody wanted to admit.

Just as Derek began to argue with this, the monitors blared and Meredith started seizing again. Tom quickly turned her on her side.

"We can't wait for her lab results. If she's seizing this much, it's likely she has meningitis. I'm officially recommending a medically induced coma to prevent brain damage." Tom yelled over the chaos. Derek nodded hopelessly, wiping a tear from his eyes.

"Alright, let's dose with propofol and sux, we'll need lactated ringers as well." Bailey ordered as soon as Meredith stopped shaking.

"Let's also prep for intubation. Get me a 4.0 endotracheal tube and a kit." Swinder added to the nearest nurse, who nodded and ran out of the room to grab supplies.

Derek just clutched Meredith's limp hand, tracing circles with his finger and whispering loving words between tears.

Bailey used an ultrasound probe to insert a central line, and attached it to the lactated ringers. This medication would be administered constantly, until blood pressure increased from a dangerous low.

"Placing an airway." Burke informed. He swiftly guided the ET tube down Meredith's throat, and attached it to a ventilator.

Tom watched the scene unfold sadly.. He had only been at this hospital for a few weeks, as a temporary fill-in while Derek was on leave. He had been on Meredith's service for even less time.But still, after short interactions in the elevator, or the radiology suite, he had grown quite fond of this particular patient.

Meanwhile, Lexie and Cristina stood outside the ICU room, mouths gaped in horror. A lab technician approached the two women, clutching a white envelope.

"Labs for Meredith Grey?" Cristina nodded and quickly tore open the envelope and began reading out loud.

"Meningitis- positive. Her CBC panel reveals elevated LDH still, which is worrying. At this point she may need a bone marrow transplant." Cristina observed defeatedly.

"Hey, what the hell?" Cristina yelled after her intern as she ran down the hall. Lexie grabbed a phlebotomy kit from a supply closet. She quickly drew a blood sample from herself in the dark room, before putting it in a vial and labeling it "john doe"

Lexie poked her head out of the supply closet, making sure nobody was paying attention as she ducked out, clutching the blood sample.

She walked around the halls, lost, until coming across a tall man in navy scrubs leaning against the nurses station.

"You look seasoned and wise. Any chance you can point me towards the laboratory?" She asked as she approached him.

"Did you just call me old and ask for help in the same sentence?" The man asked, turning around. Lexie's eyes widened.

"Oh, God no! I-I was just-"

"I'm kidding, breathe. I have to pick up some labs anyway, follow me." He said, beginning to walk away. Lexie followed him, smiling.