Love gives hope

Chapter 24 "going home"

Derek's Point-of-View

It had been one hell of a week for me. For starters, I had gone nearly seven days without a sighting of Meredith. She called my room a few times. When I could answer, we would talk as long as I could keep myself awake. Still... hearing her voice was amazing, but I needed to touch her, to see her.

I started to stir myself awake on the seventh day, and I felt something I hadn't felt in a long time... alive.

I felt energy, life and... dare I say like my old self again?

I opened my eyes, seeing two familiar people staring at me with huge grins on their faces.

"You ghouls aren't going to cut into me again, are you?" I mumbled, "Because you've got those surgery hungry grins on your faces."

"Ellis." Richard said without breaking his grin, "Get him a mirror."

"Here." She smiled, "Go ahead, take a look."

I frowned as I took the mirror from her extended hand. I brought it up to look at my disgusting reflection. I gasped as I hardly recognized the man staring back at me... He had a complexion, he had healthy skin, he had color in his eyes, and he was in dire need of a shave.

"I have color." I mumbled to myself.

"The transplant is working even better than we expected." Ellis said, "Your immune system is kicking in and growing as we speak."

"You're kidding." I breathed.

"Not about this." Richard smiled, "Even better, Dr. Swinder says that so far she doesn't see any abnormal cells, so that means..."

"I'm in remission?" I nearly choked as tears of joy breached my eyelids. Suddenly, in that moment, I wanted to share it with Meredith, she fought just as hard for it as I did.

"I wouldn't go that far yet." Richard said cautiously, "It looks like you are just about there, Derek."

"Can you send in Meredith now?" was all I could seem to ask, "I think she needs to know."

"We will send her in later." Richard nodded, "After we get you discharged."

"After I get what?" I gasped.

"We figured that you are pretty sick of hospitals by now." Ellis added, "We've decided that it's time you went home to recover. You're well, and strong enough. As long as you come in weekly for checkups with Dr. Swinder, and follow her treatment plan... there is no reason you can't go home."

"Oh god." I whispered as I closed my eyes before tears fell out of them.

"Derek?" Richard asked, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah." I breathed

"Do you want to go home?" Ellis asked.

"Yeah." I nodded, "Only on one condition."

They looked nervously at each other as if they were worried that I would ask something impossible of them.

"What is it?" Richard asked.

"I want to walk out of here. I don't want to be pushed in a wheelchair"

Their faces broke out into smiles of relief, and they nodded.

"Absolutely."

"Of course."

They turned and dismissed themselves from my room, I laid my head back against the pillow and felt a smile that wouldn't leave my face on my lips.

I was going home.