AN: I'm baaaack! (Please don't kill me for not updating my other fic.) For the record, I definitely don't want this fic to become canon, but the speculation on twitter got me thinking...
The second Mellie heard the doctor say "cancer," her brain shut down. The doctor's subsequent utterances of "aggressive," "chemotherapy," and "radiation," fell on deaf ears.
As Mellie walked back to the White House, she was carried by feet that didn't seem to be her own. She made a zombie-like beeline for the residence, without hearing or seeing any of the staff members who attempted to exchange pleasantries with her.
When she finally reached the confines of her bedroom, she unceremoniously plopped onto the bed. She stared blankly at the ceiling. "Numb and fine are the same," she assured herself.
(At Fitz's institute)
As the meeting ended and the room began to clear, Ftiz asked Marcus to stay a minute in the conference room.
"So do you know that Mellie…" Fitz trailed off.
"I know."
"She has her first chemo treatment today, and I...I want to go and be there for her. I mean, she's the mother of my children after all. But I don't think she wants me there. She didn't even want either of us to know in the first place. She's just so….."
"Stubborn?" Marcus completed Fitz's thought.
A small smile appeared on Fitz's face for the first time during the conversation. "Yeah, she is."
There was a brief silence that was broken by Marcus. "I want to go too, but she probably doesn't want me there either."
Fitz knit his eyebrows together. "Do you still love her?"
"Yes." Marcus replied, without missing a beat.
"Then, it's simple: You have to go. Take the rest of the day off. I'll see you tomorrow, Marcus." Fitz walked out of the conference room, leaving a slightly dazed Marcus.
When he arrived at the White House, Marcus sought out the staffer who had informed him of Mellie's illness in the first place, hoping that she would also help him find where Mellie was being treated. She did lead him to the proper room, but he still had Secret Service to contend with. They were understandably under very strict orders to allow no one in. As Marcus loudly argued with Secret Service, he heard Mellie's voice from behind the closed doors.
"Marcus is that you?"
"Yes, it's me."
"What are you doing here?"
"I...Mellie, I know, about... I know what today is, and that's why I'm here." There was a long pause. Marcus began to think that she just wasn't going to answer.
Finally, in a barely audible, slightly annoyed voice: "Let him in."
The doors opened, and Marcus' heart constricted when he was greeted by a vulnerable Mellie. She lay in a recliner, covered in a blanket, with an IV bag hanging beside her. She also had a desk full of papers sitting across her lap because she refused to miss a day of work. She did not acknowledge his presence as he walked toward her, pretending to be absorbed in her work. Marcus grabbed another chair, moved it beside hers, and sat down while he waited for her to be ready to talk to him.
Finally, she spoke. "So, did you come to try and get my support for something or the other that you and Fitz are up to? And you thought I might listen this time because I can't easily leave the room?" She craned her neck toward him, making eye contact for the first time since he walked in the room, waiting incredulously for his answer.
"No, Mellie. God, no. I-" She couldn't keep the surprise off her face when he took her chilled hand in his. "I'm here for you, because I don't want you to go through this alone. You are so strong, and I know you can do this by yourself, but you shouldn't have to. You shouldn't have to be strong every second of every day. Please let me in, let me be there for you."
Mellie was silent, trying to process what he had said. As she did, her eyes filled with tears, and a single tear slid down her cheek. She squeezed Marcus' hand, and through her tears, she whispered "thank you." Marcus squeezed her hand back and whispered "of course."