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Meredith and Derek were also one of the lucky ones who could go home that night. Or so they thought.
"So, whatever will we do tonight," said Meredith to Derek as they were walking out of the hospital.
"Oh, I have some ideas on how we can entertain ourselves tonight." Was Derek's reply. Their laughter was however cut short when they heard a quiet feminine voice saying Derek's name.
As they looked towards a nearby alleyway, they saw a badly insured Tessa limping closer to them. They were both so shocked that the only thing either of them did was just stare.
"Tess," was all that Derek managed to utter. However, they both jumped into action when they saw Tessa collapse a few feet away from them.
Derek was the first one to arrive at her side.
"Tess, Tessa look at me. Don't close your eyes, do not fall asleep right now." He said while holding her head in his hands and trying to look over her injuries. "Mer, run inside and get a gurney and tell a nurse at the table to page everyone. Bayley, Webber, Torres, Slone. Now go."
The slight panic in Derek's voice made Meredith move faster then ever before. Of course, he was panicking, it was his sister lying on the ground, bleeding, trying to hold onto her life.
As she reached the ER, she saw Owen. "I need a gurney, now. Owen you need to come with me."
As a nurse got her a gurney, Meredith told her, "Page Webber, Bailey, Sloan, Torres and maybe a few more doctors."
"Meredith, calm down, what's going on" Owen trying to calm down a frantic Meredith.
"I have no time to calm down. It's Tessa, she's been attacked, and we need to help her." With that said Mer ran out of the hospital with Owen on her heels.
As they got back to Tessa and Derek, Owen was shocked. He understood what someone getting attacked meant, but he wasn't prepared for the sight that waited for him.
They carefully lifted Tessa on the gurney and ran back inside. As they got there, all the doctors who had been paged were waiting for them. The only problem was they didn't know what was waiting for them. Everyone froze for a second but got over it in a second because they understood what was on the line. A co-worker had been insured badly and they were the only ones who could save her.
What no one at that moment seemed to take noticed to was the fact that one of the doctors who had been paged was Alex Karev. The man who loved the woman on that gurney. He couldn't wrap his head around the fact that not an hour ago she had been fine. And now there she was pattered, bruised, insured, fighting for her life.
Tessa however has afraid, of everything, the scenery around her changed too quickly for her. There were too many people around her. Touching her. She wanted to scream for them to stop but a rational part of her brain was telling her that they were only trying to help.
Still she took a hold of her oxygen mask taking it off her face.
"Stop, don't... just stop." But they kept going. "STOP!" That got everyone to stop. Tessa needed something familiar, something that meant safety to her. She needed ... "Alex. I....please get Alex. I need Alex."
First one to jump into action again was Meredith. "I'll go get him. Just let them help you."
She ran out of the trauma room and didn't have to look for long until she found Alex. He was sitting on an empty gurney, crying. Meredith had never seen Alex so devastated before and she knew exactly why he was in such a state.
"She needs you Alex. She needs you there by her side." It was all Mer needed to say for Alex to jump off the gurney a run towards the trauma room Tessa was in.
Everyone saw Tessa physically relax when Alex got to her side.
"I'm here, I'm sorry. I'll be here for you. Don't be scared. I'll help you." Alex told her as he stroked her head. And that was all that Tessa needed to hear at the moment to feel a little bit less scared. Alex was all she needed.
Tessa's surgery was long and gruelling, but she survived it and that was the most important thing for everyone.
Alex never left her bedside, and everyone understood that. He waited for her to wake up. While sitting there he made himself a promise to never let her get hurt again. He had made up his mind, that once she woke up, he would tell her just how much she meant to him.
When Tessa woke up, the first thing she saw was a sleeping Alex holding her hand. And even though, her body ached the sight of him made her smile.
"Alex," she said quietly. After a calling his name a few more times he woke up.
"Tessa, I'm going to get a doctor." Alex tried to stand up and go get a doctor but couldn't leave the room because Tessa was holding his hand.
"Wait, sit down, don't go just yet." And he did as he was told. "I need to tell you something before I lose the courage to do it. This attack made me realise something. I can't be a coward, I should be brave. Because if I am not then am I really living."
"Hey, it's not your fault that the guy attacked you." Alex interrupted, but before he could continue Tessa said. "I'm not talking about the attack. Well maybe a little, but what I meant was that I have feelings, that I have not expressed yet. I.... Alex, I love you. You are what makes life worth living for me. It doesn't matter if I'm happy or sad. You are always there for me. Even now. And lying in that alleyway I understood that this could be it. And the biggest regret of my life would not have been that I didn't travel more or that I didn't cure some mystery illness. My biggest regret would have been that I didn't tell you how much I love you. So, I'm doing it now. I'm telling you...."
But she never got to finish her speech, because she was stopped by a pair of lips. Alex Karev was finally kissing her. "I love you too." Said Alex before he was pulled into another kiss.
Tessa knew that she was in pain and there was a long road to recovery ahead of her, but she knew that now that she had Alex by her side she could even conquer the tallest of mountains with ease.
