Ellis had been relieved when Callie had told her that the surgery had gone well and that it was just donw to the waiting game for when she would wake.
She knew that the next few steps were going to be hard and normally were painful. She had thanked God everyday that Meredith wasnt subjected to feeling pain. She didnt have to worry about the tears that would normally come during the frivolous attempts to use her leg as the pain ripped through her, she only had to worry that her daughter wouldnt give herself adequate time to let her body heal, and would try walking on her leg long before her body was prepared.
Ellis looked at her two youngest daughters as they both sat talking quietly. It was obvious that both girls were tired and Molly was confused because she had witnessed her abusing Thatcher.
It wasnt often that Ellis would break down, in fact the last time that she truly could remember doing so was when Meredith was much younger, and that too had been caused by Thatcher Grey.
Ellis could remember everything leading up to that moment, and pretty much everything that had followed. She had suspected that something was happening when all the girls went to stay with Thatcher. Addie and Meredith would come home quiet, and would make the younger two go straight to their rooms.
She had spotted the bruises one morning when she had walked in on Meredith changing. She hadnt done it very often, but it occassionally happened.
Merediths 12 year old self was changing in the bathroom as Addie was busy studying in their shared room.
Ellis can still remember scanning Merediths body, and noticing the bruises on her stomach and thighs. She wouldnt normally have seen this as Merediths would wear jeans and sweatshirts.
When she had asked Meredith about the bruises she had stated that the girls soccer game had gotten rough and that she should see the other girl.
She had nodded her head, not quite believing her story. There had been something about the story that had just not seemed right.
There were a few times later that she had kicked herself for not asking Addison. She had wanted to, but whenever anyone mentioned their father the girls would shut off and mumbled that it was okay.
The night Meredith was wheeled into the ER was still painted in her mind. She could see the blood coming from her daughters mouth, the cuts on her cheek bone, the broken arm, and when she had pulled up the shirt, the giant bruises that were forming.
She could still hear the paramedics voice as he told her that the young girl, her daughter, was a victim of domestic violence and that the big sister had called when she had see that her sister was unconcious and bleeding from the mouth.
She remembered asking whether the others were okay only to see Addie rush into the hospital leading Lexie and Molly with a police officer following close behind.
The moments straight after were still a blur. But she vaguely remembered Addison apologising over and over again for not telling her sooner. The description of what her ex-husband had done to Meredith, and the confession from the girls that it ad happened regularly, still make her sick to her stomach.
The girls had never seen Thatcher again. The courts had ruled as much, and the 4 years jail time had not felt like enough to make up for the beatings his daughter had taken, the surgeries that had followed and the nightmares that had flooded her still.
....
Richard looked at his wife as he pulled her closer to him, feeling her move further into his embrace. He had met Ellis when he had been flown in to operate on her daughter and he had fallen in love with her. He could only imagine the thoughts that were flooding her mind.
"She's awake." they both heard, pulling them away from their thoughts. "The bay has calmed down, and she's now awake. We are just moving her back to her room if you want to go up."
Ellis hadnt needed telling twice. She was on her feet at once and on her way to see her precious daughter. The others followed close behind
She was sleeping. That was the first thing Ellis had noticed when she went running into the room. The second thing was the leg brace and lastly the bruises.
Moving closer, her eyes remained focused on her daughter.
She sat down on the side of the bed, opposite to Mark who was obviously asleep.
Reaching up, she ran her hand down the side of Merediths face, her fingers tracing over the bruise.
She head Meredith sigh and felt as she leaned into her touch.
Ellis moved her hand to run it through Merediths hair. Needing to just feel her and know that she was ok.
"Mommy" she heard Meredith murmur and she leaned forward to press a kiss on her forehead.
"I told Daddy dont." Meredith murmured, "but i didnt want him to hurt the girls."
Ellis sighed as she continued to stroke Merediths hair. "Your safe now." she whispered.
Molly and Lexie stood at the door with Richard. Lexie experiencing flashbacks of a similar moments years before and Molly stood there is shock as she tried to piece together the clues of the past.
"She's ok." Richard told them despite the fact that he knew that there was a long road still ahead of them.
.....................
Meredith laid in her hospital bed looking down at her leg and the brace holding it. Mark had been made to return to work and so had her sisters. Molly hadnt been back in to see her since the accident.
The feotal monitor had been removed just the day before with Addie feeling confident that the baby was okay and had definitely calmed.
Ellis had been by herside most days and Richard had only just managed the evening before to get her to go home to their bed. Meredith too had been surprised by the fact that he had managed to get her to leave just now to go get lunch.
Meredith knew that she had an hour of nothing and she had just spent the last 5 minutes thinking about everything that had been left unsaid.
She had heard the whispers during the evening between Ellis and Mark. She had heard the nurses talking. So she knew why Molly hadnt been back in to see her and she knew why her mother was staying close by.
Looking to make sure that no one was watching she lifted her leg to the edge of the bed, moving her body in the process before pushing herself up and standing.
She paused for a moment, looking down at her leg. "Still good" she said to herself before taking her first wobbly steps. She knew that she shouldnt really be walking on her leg. She had listened to Callie drone on and on about the importance of her letting her body heal.
She moved forward slowly, making her way towards the door. It wasnt until she reached the door that she realised she had been caught.
There was Mark standing by the nurses desk with a wheel chair next to him. He chuckled at the exasperated look on Merediths face.
"How did you know?" she asked as she folded her arms and watched as he moved forward with the wheel chair.
"When you sleep you snor. Like a trucker actually." he added, "and last nights sad attempts to fake sleep was enough to tell me that you were listening."
Meredith sighed before taking a seat in the wheel chair. "Is he still here?" she asked a moment later, after having given herself time to get comfortable.
Mark looked down at Meredith taking in her pleading eyes. "Yeah, he's here." he murmured.
Meredith had heard his words and noticed how his face had changed completely. "Have you seen him?" she asked.
Mark nodded. He couldnt lie to her about this.
"Did you threaten him?" she asked.
Again Mark nodded.
"Good" Meredith sighed as she leaned back in her chair.
Mark looked down at her confused. He didnt know what response to expect, but he hadnt expected that.
"Can you take me to see him?" she asked and Mark didnt know whether he should or not/
"There are somethings i need to say." she told him, her eyes again pleading with his to understand.
Mark internally debated whether doing this was the right thing to do or not.
"Please Mark i need to do this. You need to let me do this." she murmured to him.
Mark let out a sigh. "If your mother finds out." he started.
"Let her find out, but its time for me to have my say." Meredith said strongly. "It's time for me to step up."
Mark ran a hand over her hair. "Ok" h murmured. "But im staying with you." he told her.
Meredith let out a sigh before nodding. "ok" she murmured knowing that he wouldnt let her go otherwise.
"Black Eyes, Blue Tears"
Black eyes, I don't need 'em
Blue tears, gimme freedom
Positively never goin' back
I won't live where things are so out of whack
No more rollin' with the punches
No more usin' or abusin'
I'd rather die standing
Than live on my knees
Begging please-no more
Black eyes-I don't need 'em
Blue tears-gimme freedom
Black eyes-all behind me
Blue tears'll never find me now
Definitley found my self esteem
Finally-I'm forever free to dream
No more cryin' in the corner
No excuses-no more bruises
I'd rather die standing
Than live on my knees
Begging please-no more
Black eyes-I don't need 'em
Blue tears-gimme freedom
Black eyes-all behind me
Blue tears'll never find me now
I'd rather die standing
Than live on my knees, begging please...
Black eyes-I don't need 'em
Blue tears-gimme freedom
Black eyes-all behind me
Blue tears'll never find me now
It's all behind me, they'll never find me now
Find your self-esteem and be forever free to dream
....................
Mark wheeled Meredith into the room. Neither of them had acknowledged the two people occupying it.
He rested a hand on her shoulder. He wanted to reassure her that he was there. He had no intentions of going anywhere. He was never going to leave her alone with the beast of a man that had once called himself her father.
"Meredith?"
The words fell from Thatcher Greys mouth and it was enough to make her skin crawl.
"Do not say my name." she bossed in a voice so strong it had shocked him.
"Do not say my name." she repeated. "You have lost the right to speak of me and to me."
"Meredith" she heard Susan say and she recognised her from the accident.
"You dont have that right either." Meredith snapped. "I cant believe that you are still with him." she stated looking between them both with disbelief. She couldnt believe that the man occupying the bed was supposed to be her father.
Susan went to say something but Meredith stopped her. "I dont want to know." she told her.
"I dont know how either of you did it." she said honestly. "i did nothing to you." she said to Thatcher in a raised voice "and yet every night you beat me to the brink of death.
"And you." she said to Susan. "how could you stand back and watch him."
"I could have died. You were a monster." she stated before taking a deep breath.
"I was your daughter, I had barely turned 12. What kind of a human being does that?" She asked. "What did i do to you to deserve that kind of a beating ever night."
"No one deserves that kind of a beating." Mark murmured when he heard her voice waver and knew that her emotions were catching up with her.
"I was your daughter." she said again.
Thatcher didnt say anything and Mark looked at the man with intense hatred.
"I didnt deserve it, but you did it anyway." she murmured. "You are a beast and you shouldnt have been let out."
Mark gave her shoulder a squeeze reminding her that he was still there for her.
"YOU SHOULDNT HAVE DONE IT." Meredith said with as much strength as she could muster. before reaching to take control of the wheels of her wheel chair.
"Meredith" Susan said, causing Meredith to pause.
"Dont speak to me." Meredith said as she regained a little strength. "You are just as bad as him." she stated.
Meredith then looked up at Mark and he could see that she had used all of the energy that she had stored.
"Lets go." he murmured as he took the handles of her wheel chair.
As Mark began to wheel her away he was shocked to see her grab the wheels of the chair and bring them to a hault. She turned back to look in at Thatcher and Susan who were both now sitting there completely speechless.
"By the way." she said, regaining their attention. "I hope you rot in hell." she finished, feeling Mark then turn the wheel chair knowing that she had nothing more to say.
He watched as her hand drifted down to rest on her stomach, and prayed that together they could tackle what was left ahead of them, knowing that Meredith facing her father had been probably one of their biggest bumps.