Chapter 7: They Helped


The next few days passed quickly. Meredith and Derek only ran into each other when they were going into the operating room or talking about a patient. When Wednesday came around, Meredith awoke rather early. She walked down stairs to get a coffee and was thinking over what the day would entail. She had to round on a couple of patients before she went to the pediatrics Christmas Party at 2 o'clock. After getting dressed, she walked over to the mantle above the fireplace in the den. Her hand reached up to the small frame and gently brushed some dust off of it. 'Breathe Mer' she thought. She left the room and walked towards the car to start her day.

Walking into the hospital gave her a different feeling that day. Her heart felt heavier, her skin tingled and her brain was telling her to be happy. She put a smile on her face and walked towards the elevator. Izzie was already in the locker room when she got there.

"Hey Mer."

"Hi Izz." She said as she opened her locker. She placed her bag in the locker and grabbed her scrubs and lab jacket. She quickly got changed and made basic conversation with Izzie while they got ready.

"You doing the Christmas Party today?" Izzie asked. There was a bit of hesitation in her voice.

"Yeah…should be fun." Meredith smiled. She knew what Izzie was thinking. She was also going to avoid talking about it. "Starts at 2. I need to round on a few patients first." The two friends walked out the door to the nurse's station where Meredith grabbed a couple charts. She started to walk towards a room, "you gonna be ok today Mer?" Izzie said softly. Meredith just looked at her friend. She honestly didn't know. This day was always hard for her. Izzie knew what Meredith was saying. So she turned and walked towards the elevator after saying, "let me know if you need anything."

After doing some rounds and instructing some interns Meredith sat down behind a desk and let out a heavy sigh. She opened up the chart and started writing down some notes.

After finishing her notes she looked up and noticed it was almost 2 o'clock. She walked to the nurse's station. "Nancy?" she looked at the older nurse who had always been a friend to her.

"Yes, Dr. Grey?"

"I'm heading down to the party now. Page me if it's urgent?"

"No problem. Good luck." The nurse smiled to her. She nodded in return and walked to the elevator.

"Hold the elevator!" she yelled.

She managed to get in the elevator just before it closed. She took out her phone to check the time and quickly check her messages. She looked down at a message from Izzie that made her smirk.

Good luck with the munchkins!

"Where's your costume?" she said looking up at Derek. He smiled "I tried to reserve them but they were all out."

"Ahhh." She laughed. "Ready for this."

"Yeah, I think so."

The door opened on the pediatrics floor. Derek couldn't believe how it had changed since he had last been in pediatrics. There were Christmas decorations everywhere in the main waiting area and music sounded softly. There was more giggling and laughing then he had heard since he started there. Derek noticed how her face lit up. She had looked upset when he first saw her that day. Her smile wasn't there. Her giggle wasn't heard. Her eyes looked fragile. But when they stepped onto that floor she changed. His heart warmed as he looked around at all the children and their families. Individual rooms had yet to be decorated and some parents had yet to arrive.

She walked further onto the floor and grabbed some decorations. He followed, unsure of what exactly was expected of him. "There are a couple rules when it comes to this party." She turned to look at him.

"Ok."

"First, we are doctors. If something happens, and it will, we tend to the children. But we aim to make this place feel not so hospitally."

"Hospitally?" He asked.

"Yeah, it's sterile and clean, just how it has to be. But most of these kids will be spending Christmas here. The least we can do is make them feel happy about being here."

"Makes sense" he grabbed some decorations and followed Meredith. "Next," she said, "Unless, something happens, we don't act as doctors. For just a little bit we…well…no doctor names ok?

"No doctor names?"

"Yes. Also have some fun. The smiles are worth it." They stopped in front a door and knocked softly. "Hi Richard!"

Inside the room stood the chief, Richard Webber, stood with a small boy and his family. "Meredith and Derek, come in."

"This is Jason." Derek smiled to the little boy. He could not have been more then 6 years old. "Derek could you push him out to the common area? Santa should be here soon." The chief walked out of the room with Meredith following holding the box of decorations. Derek smiled to her. He could see why she liked doing this. Hearing the laughter and seeing the smiles made him feel somewhat less lonely.

In the common area stood a big Christmas tree with a star on the top. There were children and families everywhere, doctors sitting with families and nurse's getting ready for Santa's arrival.

Meredith walked in with a second box on top of the one she was already holding. She felt completely at piece in that moment. The two boxes stood high and she could barely see over top of them. Derek immediately stood and helped her with the boxes.

"Meredith?" Jason asked.

"Yeah buddy."

"When is Santa coming?" His mother tried to calm him down. Jason was nearly jumping out of his wheel chair.

"He'll be here soon Jason. We need to decorate the tree first."

She started going around the room to all the children and gave them each an ornament and a star with their name on it. One by one each child and a parent walked up to the tree. They delicately chose a place for their ornament and placed it on the tree. Next they placed their star on the tree as well. Derek watched with amusements as a little girl, Samantha, who was merely 4 walked up to the tree. "Daddy, up?" she said quietly. Her father lifted her up. "Higher daddy!" He lifted her up a little higher. "Up to the top, daddy!"

"Sweetie, it's as far as I can go." Gently Derek watched as Samantha put her ornament and star on the tree, reaching as far as she could without falling making sure it was just perfect. Her father gently put her down and gave her a little tickle. She giggled as she walked back to her spot on the carpet to wait for Santa.

Soon after all the children put their ornaments on the tree, Santa arrived. Meredith and Derek left the room to give the parents some time with Santa and their children. They told him a funny story, or a Christmas wish. Some got to sit on his lap, some didn't want to. They all got their picture taken but most importantly they all had a smile on their face.

Meredith walked to a desk and picked up a clipboard and a box from below it. She handed to box to Derek. "What are we doing?"

"Each child gets a present. We deliver them while they are with Santa so there is a surprise when the family comes back." Room by room Meredith and Derek place a present at the foot of the beds. The laughed and talked as they opened doors and placed presents on beds until there was only a few presents left. Derek watched as Meredith placed the last gift to be delivered into the last room. He couldn't help but notice how she moved with grace and how she talked with such passion of these children she barely knew.

Meredith tapped Derek on the shoulder and woke him from his daydream. "It's almost time."

"For what?" Derek looked puzzled.

"The other children." A sad smile appeared on Meredith's face as she called to get Santa's attention. "We have a couple more children that would like to see you Santa. They were unable to come out here though." Santa said one last good bye to the children and followed Meredith out of the common room. Derek followed as well.

"Santa, this is Alexia Cromwell," Meredith knocked then gently opened the door. The little girls face looked so full of excitement. Derek could only watch. He couldn't move. The little girl had no hair and looked so subdued from her chemotherapy treatments. He watched as Santa took a present from the box and delivered it to the little girl. Her mother, who was sitting next to her smiled. Her tears were threatening to fall. "Oh Santa! I can't believe you're here! I told momma that you would come. Didn't I momma? Didn't I?" Her mother smiled and just nodded. Words couldn't escape her at the moment. Meredith went over to her and knelt before her and held her hand. She whispered something softly and wiped the mothers tears away. Santa and Alexia had a small but very important conversation about pretty ponies and pink dresses and high heels and princess crowns. When Santa was done, Meredith stood and walked out of the room with him. She glanced at Derek and knew he saw the tears in her eyes threatening to fall.

Just as the exited Alexia's room, a band of nurses ran by. Over the speaker a code blue was called and the happiness that had been created disappeared. Everyone stopped. Parent's gasped and children's smiles went away. Reality came crashing back. They could hear screaming coming from a room down the hall. Meredith froze. Memories crept from the place she hid them and watched as a Doctor ran from a stairwell and into the room. Her and Derek walked to the room just in time to see as the little boy's heart was re-started. She let out a breath that she didn't know she was holding. She watched as the doctors administered some medicine and the screaming from the mother subsided.

Derek could see the pain and anguish on Meredith's face. He gently reached out and touched her hand. He wanted her to know that he was there. Without knowing, as his hand touched hers, she grabbed for his. It felt right. She squeezed it gently and turned towards him. She looked into his eyes. He knew what she was saying. He knew what she was thinking. Softly and gently he whispered, "your welcome." The two and Santa continued to the next room to deliver a special holiday message to another special child.