Delicate Hearts

Thirty Two

Ellis prayed that he hadn't shot her daughter, but her fears were soon confirmed as Meredith's cries of pain and whimpers filled the house. Again the gun fired and the whimpers stopped. The house fell into silence.

Wayne dropped the gun without thinking and ran, the door slamming behind him. He had mistakenly taken Meredith's unconscious state as her being dead.  

Her blonde hair now dripped with water and blood from where the shattered glass had punctured her skin. Ellis used her strength to free herself from the rope even though it burnt her leaving her skin red raw she didn't care. 

She stumbled to the hallway, tears falling from her eyes as she looked at her daughter and the blood that surrounded her.

Two bullets had pierced her skin, tearing it open, whether there were exit wounds or not Ellis was oblivious.

"Its okay baby, its okay, stay with me, stay with me"Ellis applied pressure as Meredith's eyes flickered open. Ellis looked deep into them, Meredith's eyes always mesmerised her. They were green yet had such a blue tint.

Her chest rose and fell rapidly as blood trickled from her mouth, she gasped for air. Ellis' hands stayed firmly on her chest.

"Stay with me. You stay with me baby"Ellis sobbed, moments later the open door flooded with emergency services. 

"I ..love you"Meredith spoke, her words broken as she wheezed for air.

"I love you baby, stay with me please baby please"Ellis had always feared losing Meredith but never in this way, never did she think it would be this man that took her. He should have still been behind bars. The system of justice had failed. Meredith had pleaded with the parole board not to release him, she told them she was scared for her life, but they didn't listen. Now she lays in a pool of blood. With a bullet wound to her chest and the other to just below her collar bone.

Ellis could safely assume the bullet had missed her heart since Meredith was still alive but she couldn't be certain.

Sirens began to sound from every direction, the lights illuminated the house.

"They are here baby. Hold on, hold on"

Back at the Shepherd household all of the kids were sleeping and the adults sat in the garden, laughing and joking about something. Addison told stories about the man she had been seeing for the past week. 

Derek was thinking of her, how could he not. She was different. Anyone could be pretty, like Addison. But not everyone had a beauty like Meredith, one that was on the inside and outside. One that ran through blood and DNA.

He wouldn't call Meredith pretty, he used words such as Gorgeous, Beautiful, Stunning and Sexy, of course Sexy.

Mark's radio sounded.

"Sloan are you with Shepherd"It was Rose.  

"Yeah I am, what is wrong" Mark could hear the urgency in her voice.

"We are responding to several 911 calls to the Grey residency, two gunshots and screaming. On scene officers say a female has been shot twice and has called a major incident. Seattle Grace is on stand by with blood and a team. We think it could be Shepherd's girl's mum" Rose spoke.

"Meredith was going there"Derek stood up and pulled out his radio, he turned it on. "This is Chief Shepherd, can anyone confirm the identity. I repeat can anyone confirm" his voice broke

"Derek lets go, we have the car"Mark nodded to him. Derek was gone the second the words left Mark's lips.

"Mark let me know please, please she is my family"Addison pleaded. Mark didn't say anything he simply nodded.

Derek sped, his sirens blaring. Fear was all he felt, was Ellis hurt, was Meredith okay? Questions ran through his mind. He ran every light as he held his foot on the gas. The usually 20 minute journey took just over 7 minutes.

"Mer's car"He gulped as he messily parked, people surrounded the police tape.

"Shepherd you shouldn't go in there"Rose had been on scene for only two minutes herself, she had seen the blonde. He ignored her and barged through flashing his badge. The second he reached the door way all colour, all life drained from his face.

Two paramedics worked on her trying to keep the bleed under control, she laid lifeless.  Her top had been ripped open.

"No exit wound, I think her lung is compromised" Ben looked at Matthew.  

Mark placed his hand on Derek's shoulder. 

"Ellis, are you alright"He rushed to Meredith's mothers side.

"He shot her Derek... Wayne he shot her"Ellis sobbed, Derek pulled the mother of his lover into his arms, trying to comfort them both. It was then he saw the handle of the gun poking out from under the unit.

"Sloan, the gun is there. Get Rose to take it"Derek wiped the tear that fell. He couldn't look at her. He couldn't see her that way.

"We need to get her to Seattle Grace now, we can't do anymore here and we are losing her"Ben admitted. 

"BOYS POLICE ESCORT TO SEATTLE GRACE NOW"Mark shouted. "Derek come on we will follow, come on"Mark tried to pull him. Derek took that moment to look at her and it killed him inside.

"It'll be okay Mer, I love you so much. Don't you leave me, I can't live without you"He placed a kiss to her head, a kiss he savoured incase it was the last. He wiped the blood from his lip, he walked away , stopping the tears that threatened to spill.

"Chief"Rose began.

"Find him rose. Wayne Brown. Find him" Rose nodded and went to the team, she was well respected, she and Mark had been seing eachother in the recent weeks. Rose had once fancied Derek as Mark had Meredith, it was how they both managed to destroy those feelings. 

The moment that the ambulance loaded Meredith into the back and Mark began to drive Derek began to cry, he let the tears fall thick and heavy. Sobs wracked his body, something that had never happened. 

"Mark I can't lose her...we need more time...I ..I can't lose her"Derek punched the dash board over and over, so much that Mark had to turn off the airbag in case Derek triggered it. 

"Derek your girl is a fighter okay, she knows how much you love her, she knows it all. You will have plenty of time brother"Mark held back his own emotion.

"I need to call my ma"Derek sniffled as he dialled her number.

"Derek son, what is it"She asked, she could hear him sniffling.

"Tell Addie...tell her Meredith's been shot and its not looking good...please ma." He broke down. 

"Oh son, we will be there. Seattle Grace?" She questioned. Derek hummed in response and ended the call.

He parked in the emergency bay moments before the ambulance pulled in. 

So many doctors stood with sad expressions, they were the people who knew her, who had become her family. Richard had watched her grow. 

"Ben"Miranda shouted as the doors opened.

"Meredith Grey, 22, she has a GSW to her chest as well as her just below the collar"Were the only words he could pull out, everything else he fazed out. A man with ginger hair who looked quite podgy took over. An elder man with dark skin placed his arm around Ellis and took her in. 

Then the man they knew the name too, Atticus Lincoln walked over to them.

"Hey boys, Shepherd I'm sorry. But we got your girl okay. You should go sit in the relatives room I will show you to it okay" Link spoke, he had high authority and was a nice man who they respected.  

"Thanks buddy"Mark responded, Derek was in a world of his own, his posture had slumped and he allowed his feet to drag as he walked. 

His heart was full of worry and dread, she was his entire world and it felt like he was losing it all.