Ellis isn't dead in this story.

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"Alright," House sighed as he paced swinging his cane. Meredith was sitting in the back of the room while most people cluttered near the front hanging on every word produced from House's mouth. Wilson slowly snuck to the back of the room and sat beside Meredith.

"You know when this is over there's going to be that showering of sucking up." She whispered. He chuckled and nodded.

"Always is. So who knows?"

"My friends, Mark, and Richard… I think that's it. I'm glad you came, Jimmy."

"Me too, Meri-Ann."

"How did he get that one pass the board?"

"Made it seem like he didn't want to come. He also got off of clinic duty for a month."

She giggled watching as House silently paced the room swinging the cane.

"Symptoms?" He finally said. Everyone looked around wondering who he was talking to. He pointed at Bailey. "Dr… Whatever."

"Uh… headache, loss of consciousness, uh…dizziness, but all test came back normal."

"Run them again." House ordered.

The door opened and a nurse peeked in.

"Dr. Grey?"

"Yeah?" Meredith said looking over at the door.

"We need you. It's urgent."

Meredith looked at House and Richard who nodded. "Alright, I'm coming." She got up and followed the nurse out. "What's up?"

"Phone. Line 4."
Meredith walked over to the nurses' station picking up the phone. "Hello?"

"Dr. Grey?"

"Yes?"

"This is Maxine Hun at your mother's nursing home. I'm sorry for contacting you at work but I tried your cell."

"No, it's fine."

"Your mother has been off today."

"What do you mean?" She asked sitting down in a chair.

"She's refusing to let us get anywhere near here. We were wondering if you could come down…"

"Yeah, um, I'll talk to my boss and I'll be there."

"Thank you."

"Yeah." She hung up letting out a sigh as she rubbed her temple. Standing up, she headed back into the room. She made her way to the front of the room and over to Richard. House's eyes followed her the whole way. "Dr. Webber, I need to go."

"What do you mean?"

"It's my mother. The nursing home called, I have to go over there."

"Is everything okay?"

"I'm sure it will be. But is it alright if I…?"

"Yes of course."

"I'll be back afterward."

He nodded and she headed back out giving House a little nod.

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After checking on Christina, she headed to the nursing home.

"She's in there, Dr. Grey." The receptionist said pointing to the room.

"Thank you." She smiled and walked towards the door. Peeking through the glass, she could see her mother sitting in to the corner by the fireplace twisting her watch around her wrist. Ellis's eyes bolted up to the door causing Meredith to move her head quickly. Letting out a sigh, she leaned back against the wall. Taking a deep breath, she counted to ten to get the courage before walking in.

"Mom?" She said softly walking over. Ellis's eyes bolted up from her hands again and landed on Meredith's face.

"Who are you?" She asked sharply.

"Mom, it's me. Meredith." She answered cautiously. Having not been to see her mother in a while, it felt like fresh wounds when she didn't recognize her, but she hid the hurt well.

"Meredith, go away. I have to be somewhere." She said turning away.

She wasn't sure what her mother saw her as. A young child? A teenager? She wasn't sure.

"Mom, you have to listen to me." She reached for her hand but Ellis jerked it away.

"I don't have time for you right now. I have to go."

"Mom. Listen."

"No, Meredith!" She yelled. "You listen. Leave me alone. I don't want you here. You can't be here. Leave."

"Mom! Listen to me! The doctors need to give you some meds."

"What do you know? You're a child. I don't need any medicine."

"Yes you do. The doctors want to give you something to help you calm down."

"What do they know? They're incompetent! They don't know how to do their own jobs. They have to call in a five year old to sit her and give me puppy eyes. They might work on your father, Meredith. But they don't work on me." She hissed.

"Mom! You're being unreasonable. You…"

"I'm being unreasonable." She laughed harshly. "You're a joke. You can't stand up for yourself and when you figure that out you'll come crying home to me and want me to fix it. The world doesn't work like that, Meredith. You're supposed to be a woman now, but you're nothing more than a puppy trying to find someone who will give a damn. And when you throw your life away in medical school that you have no chance of succeeding in. When you do, I'm not going to pick up the pieces. You're worthless to me. And you're going to be worthless to the medical field."

She had heard that before. She had heard it when she told her mother about her wish to go to med school, when she was accepted to Dartmouth, and when she felt like she had hit a hard patch in medical school. But never once had her mother gone so far to tell her she's worthless to her and to the medical field.

Standing up, she looked at her mother with hurt eyes. Tears begin to fill her eyes and cascade down her cheeks. Shaking her head, she backed away before turning and hurrying out.

"Dr. Grey?" The receptionist called as Meredith hurried by.

Turning around, she called back. "Do whatever you have to, to give her the meds."