What Next?

Chapter 6- Gentle

Cool bright lights seeped into Nathans mind as he gently came round to his senses. He peeked through the slit of his barely open eye and could briefly make out a hazy figure with light brown hair. Meredith. Carefully, she dabbed a cotton swab across the top of his right cheekbone, her hands were so delicate that he could barely feel a thing. Or maybe that was the morphine? He wasn't too sure.

"Hey, I don't wanna be accused of being a needy patient or anything but could you dim the lights a tad? I thought I was being dragged into the afterlife for a minute there." He joked lightly.

The corners of Meredith's mouth twitched as she made eye contact with his one good eye.

"If I hadn't tackled Owen to the ground I'm pretty sure you would be going into the afterlife, think yourself lucky." She chuckled back and then went to the door where she dimmed the lights slightly.

Nathan winced as he let out a short raspy laugh.

"Well, then I must thank my knight in shining armor."

"Damn right you should. But first I need to check your ribs for any breaks"

"Any excuse to get me to take my shirt off, eh Dr. Grey?"

"You wish." She laughed as he sat up and removed his blood-stained gray shirt and tossed it onto the floor.

She slowly pressed against his chest, working her way from rib to rib. There was plenty of swelling and bruising but she couldn't feel any breaks.

"You're a lucky man, I was almost sure you'd have some sort of interesting breakage."

"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, Dr. Grey. I'll do better next time" He bantered alongside her. She smiled at him again and they stared at each other for a few moments before Meredith snapped herself out of her trance.

"Do you want me to get you a scrub top to put on? I mean, you can wear your dirty bloody top if you like but judging by the smell of it, I wouldn't advise it..."

"Yes please, if that's not a problem"

"I'll be right back."

Meredith left the room and left Nathan with his thoughts. He made himself look so weak- in front of Meredith too! He didn't even bother to fight back like he had done before. Secretly he felt like he deserved it. All of the mental strain he had felt, especially since Megan's return, had just been released upon himself. In a way, it felt relieving to know the pain was real. He passed out after a few punches- who does that?

It had been five minutes and the sound of the door latching open snapped him from his thoughts. In came Meredith holding some light blue scrubs.

"They didn't have any dark blue ones so you'll have to pretend you're an intern for a day or so. It's not like you'll be doing any surgeries for a while anyway" she teased.

"Haha, I'll feel right at home then." He pulled the shirt over his bare torso and slipped out of his jeans and into the scrub pants whilst Meredith politely turned her back.

"Hey erm-, I just wanna say that I'm not sure why I passed out... I mean, I've only ever passed out once before when I was 12 but that was because I fell down my garden steps and-" he rambled.

"Nathan, it's ok, honestly. And this may just be a wild guess but I think the reason why you passed out may be something to do with the fact that you had blood dribbling out of your mouth, nose, forehead, and cheek. " She cut him off sarcastically.

"Yeah I guess you could be right" he laughed and then inhaled sharply as his hand flew to his forehead. "Aaah!"

"Don't laugh! I had to give you stitches! I wouldn't want them to come loose" She smirked.

"I think you mean you don't want me to be in pain, but thanks for the concern"

"Anytime." She responded fondly.

Meredith dragged over a stool and placed it near the end of his bed whilst he shut his eye and breathed deeply. It remained silent for a few minutes before Meredith decided to address the elephant in the room. She wasn't even sure if he was still awake, but even if he wasn't it wouldn't matter as she wasn't even sure if she should ask about her.

"How is she?" She spoke quietly.

"She's...different." He replied slowly.

"I suppose you can't expect her to be the same..."

"I know, but it's like she's not even there anymore. She doesn't recognize any of us. She's like a different person."

"I know. Get some rest, I'll be here if you need me."

"Thank you, Mer."

"You're welcome."

Meredith watched him slip into unconsciousness within a matter of minutes, his brow furrowed. She decided to page Maggie in hope that she would be able to pick up the kids. She had been really supportive recently, but she didn't want her to feel like she was taking advantage.

Maggie took twenty minutes to arrive, partially because her surgery overrun, but also because she had never gone to the far end of the hospital before and she got lost looking for the room.

"Hey Mer, Amelia told me earlier, I would've come sooner but I had a surgery and-"

"It's fine Maggie, I was just wondering if you could do me a massive favor?"

"Sure. What is it?"

"I need someone to pick up the kids, you can take the car if you like. I would do it but it looks like I'll need to stay overnight to monitor him. I can get the nanny if you don't want to-"

"Of course that's no problem. Just give me a call if you need anything else."

"Thank you so much, Maggie, you're a lifesaver. Here." Meredith gave Maggie her car keys.

"No problem, I'll see you tomorrow. Bye."

"Bye" Meredith replied and Maggie turned and smiled at her just as she left the room.

She steered the stool towards the top of Nathan's bed and unwrapped the stethoscope from around her neck. She placed it on top of his heart and listened. His heartbeat was loud and normal. She listened for a few moments more, the sound pulsing through her brain.

Reluctantly, she replaced the stethoscope around her neck and rested her chin on top of her hands which lay on the bed next to his shoulder. She watched him sleeping so peacefully and as though his entire world hadn't just been turned upside down. It wasn't long before she too was swept away into her dreams...