Disclaimer: Grey's still isn't mine. Okay? Thanks for reminding me of one of the biggest regrets I have. Seriously.
Six Days: Part One
Mark leaned his temple on his hand and smiled down at Meredith. She was sound asleep and snoring loud enough to wake the dead. He knew if he just turned her to her side she'd stop but he couldn't do it. The loud noise amused him. She was so little and that awful noise was coming from her. It was cute.
His smile only widened when she snorted and woke herself up. "Hey Angel," he whispered and lean forward to kiss her.
She pulled back after a moment and fixed him with a steely glare. "You're laughing at my snoring again aren't you?" She huffed irritably. "You're a jerk. Why didn't you make me stop?"
Mark caught her lips again. "I like your snoring," he told her with a grin when they came up for air again. "It's cute."
"You're a strange man, Dr. Sloan," she whispered and wrapped her arms around his neck. "But that's okay. Because you're my strange man."
He nuzzled at her neck. "Yeah," he let out a long breath and watched her skin ripple with goose bumps.
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Meredith rolled her shoulders to dispel some of the tension as she and the others followed Bailey. Cristina had stayed at Burke's for the past five days straight and the bags under her eyes showed how not all right things were on that front but she wouldn't talk about it. George had told her that he'd yelled at Izzie about the check, again. It hadn't done any good though. Izzie was acting perky and happy again but the mask was so brittle that a strong gust of wind would shatter it. Meredith just wished that she could click her heels together and everything would go back to normal. This tension was killing her. Something had to give soon.
"How's Burke doing?" Izzie's overly bright voice asked from behind her.
Cristina didn't even break her stride. "I don't know," she answered with a bit of bite to her voice.
"She doesn't know," George mocked her.
Alex shot a confused look to Meredith who shrugged. "He just had surgery yesterday, and you don't know how he's doing?" He asked in a bit of shock.
"They're still not speaking," Meredith explained gently.
Cristina shot her a dirty look but maintained her silence. "I thought they made up," Izzie interjected.
Meredith rolled her eyes at Izzie. "They did…sort of," she shrugged again not willing to go into more explanations right then.
Izzie frowned fiercely at the back of Meredith's head. She was acting like none of the rest of them cared about Cristina. "But she's still not speaking to him?"
"He's not speaking to me," Cristina corrected quickly.
"They're not speaking to each other," Meredith elaborated helpfully.
Izzie shook her head quickly. "Okay," she said in a confused tone.
Cristina tilted her head a bit and looked over at Meredith. "Did you ask Shepherd about Burke's hand?" She asked cautiously.
Meredith took a deep breath. "I don't want to get in the middle of it," she claimed. "Shepherd seems to be over the whole stupid boy penis thing. I don't want to rock the boat."
Izzie huffed behind them. "You know, you could always swallow your pride and ask him yourself." She advised.
Alex snorted. "Her gut's not big enough for that," he chuckled at them. George and Cristina let out laughs as well and even Meredith couldn't stop the smile that crossed her lips.
Cristina rolled her eyes at him with a mild scowl. "Oh, Alex, you hurt me," she simpered and smacked his arm in retaliation. He didn't mind. She'd nearly smiled and that was good enough.
Loud raucous laughter bled into the hallway from the room they were heading towards. George let out a sigh and followed the others into the room.
"Oh, Georgie," George's dad called out when they'd all gathered in the room with him. There were people everywhere with hats and a cake. They all cheered and shouted out greetings. "Quiet down," he yelled after a few moments. "Everyone, quiet down!"
"Morning everybody," George's mom greeted them with a bright smile.
"Good morning," Chief Webber returned with wide eyes at all the people. He turned towards Bailey. "So, uh, who's presenting?"
"Oh," Harold exclaimed. "Can Georgie do it? He's real good." He beamed a proud smile over at his son. There was a sudden cacophony of noise as all the extra people in the room cheered the idea.
George looked around startled and suddenly uncomfortable. Bailey gave him an encouraging nod. "Um…Harold O'Malley, 63, status, post-aortic valve replacement. Morning chest x-rays showed no atelectasis after aggressive C.P.T. for the last two days." He couldn't stop the small smile at the proud look on his father's face. "Um," he continued. "Scheduled for a transhiatal esophagectomy tomorrow morning at nine." Sudden silence fell over the room as George stopped. "That's it," he finished at the expectant looks on the faces around him.
Jerry and Ronnie led the loud cheering after that announcement. Even Bailey had a hard time fighting down her grin. It was nice that George's family was so supportive. Finally she knew she needed to break up the party. She waved her hand to get everyone's attention. "For the next few minutes," she said loudly. "I think it would be best if the extended family could wait out in the waiting area."
Loud groans of dissent and disappointment met this pronouncement until Harold raised his voice above the din. "Just a few minutes, guys, and then you can come back."
The groans didn't diminish but the crowd started towards the door slowly. They all seemed to touch George in one way or another as they passed. A pat on the back, a squeeze to the shoulder or a hug. George smiled at each of his relatives as they passed but his eyes stayed on the bed and his father.
Bailey stood next to the bed as the room cleared of all but the immediate family, Webber and her interns. "How are you feeling, Mr. O'Malley?"
Louise grinned at her. "He's feeling great," she answered for him. She ran one hand along his arm as George took his hand. "'Better than ever,' he said. Which is why we had everyone come out today, because we figured after today, he maybe won't be feeling so great for a while." She smoothed a hand over the top of her husband's balding head with a gentle touch.
Harold nodded with a rueful smile. "Uh, after the surgery, uh, then do we start chemo and stuff?" He asked suddenly.
Everyone turned to Dr. Webber expectantly. "That protocol depends on what we find when we open you up, Harold," he explained.
Harold looked at him with suddenly intense, confused eyes. "What do you mean, what you find?" He asked.
Bailey looked away from him to her interns and lifted her chin at Meredith. "Grey," she said.
Meredith knew that look well and she took a step forward. "There's only so much they can tell from labs and scans," she explained in her most professional voice though the small supportive smile on her lips conveyed her sympathy and hope. "So they really need to get a good look inside to see if the cancer has spread."
Louise stared at her. "If it's spread, that changes how much chemo he needs?" She asked with just a hint of desperation.
"That changes a lot of things," Dr. Webber told her vaguely as he looked away so that he didn't meet her gaze.
"Like what?" Harold asked.
Dr. Webber looked towards the floor. "I'll let the oncologist explain that to you later today, Harold," he prevaricated. "And Dr. Grey will be taking you through a final battery of preoperative tests before we go. So, um—" he stopped abruptly.
Bailey stepped into the awkward breach left behind. "So, it would be best if the party went home," she said gently.
Ronnie and Jerry's faces fell but Louise gave George a brave smile as he kissed her cheek.
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Meredith saw the exasperated glare Shepherd shot her best friend as they entered Burke's hospital room and sighed. She wished Cristina would just talk to Burke already. This silence between them was just so…stupid and childish.
"Good morning everyone," Shepherd said with an edge to his voice that made everyone give him funny looks. He took a deep breath. "Who's presenting?" He asked in a more level tone. He nodded to Burke. "Morning."
Alex ignored the uneasy tension in the air. "Preston Burke, post-op day one from I and D of a compressive hematoma to the brachial plexus," he stated confidently. "He is afebrile, and vital signs were stable over night." Shepherd nodded with a small smile. "Incisions are clean with no signs of infection. Last morphine was given at two o'clock this morning."
Cristina bounced on her toes next to Meredith and nudged her with an elbow. "Ask about the hand," she instructed.
Almost everyone in the room turned to stare at the two of them. Meredith sighed again. "You ask," she said lowly. She didn't want to be in the middle of this, she really didn't.
Cristina rolled her eyes at her best friend and shook her head. "No, it's just one question," she lowered her voice to a whisper. "Be a friend."
Bailey turned her head and fixed Cristina in a steely eyed glare. "Dr. Yang…" Cristina gave her an innocent wide-eyed look. "Something you want to share with the rest of us?"
Cristina stared over at Burke for a long moment. He only stared back, waiting. Finally Cristina made a clicking sound with her tongue and ducked her head. "No ma'am. Sorry."
Burke waited until Cristina was looking away and then allowed a smug smile to cross his lips. Shepherd nodded to him. "Looks good, Preston," he said. "Take it easy on the nurse's," he threw over his shoulder as he walked out of the room.
"I'll do my best," the promise floated from the room after them. "O'Malley," Burke called out as Meredith followed Bailey down the hall.
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Meredith stood quietly next to Cristina as they waited patiently for the patient to emerge from the bathroom. The door swung open and Meredith hid her shock. The poor girl was bent nearly in half.
"You okay, honey?" The older woman in the room, presumably the patient's mother asked.
"Yeah," the girl grunted breathlessly. She struggled her way over to the bed. "Just can you help me…?" Her mother went to her with a hum of agreement and placed one hand on her back while the other took her arm and guided her to the bed.
"Scoliosis?" Meredith murmured her question to Cristina as quietly as she could.
Cristina's brow furrowed. "Looks like a birth defect," she mused just as quietly.
"Looks like Hell," Alex chimed in.
The girl turned her head a bit to stare at them and sighed loudly. "What are you all staring at," she spat out in an infuriated tone. "Really, if you're expecting me to be the brave and heartwarming differently-abled girl, that isn't going to happen, so go ahead and do your thing." She turned her head back to face the windows.
Bailey raised her eyebrows at the back of the girl's head but nevertheless motioned to the girl's mother who nodded. Bailey undid the ties on the back of the girl's gown. "Okay," Bailey said when she was finished. "Stevens." Everyone bit back their gasps at the twisted spine that was revealed.
Izzie stepped forward cautiously. "Heather Douglas, seventeen, past medical history of Vater Syndrome." Izzie nodded her head firmly at the end of her recitation.
"Which is?" Bailey probed gently in a quiet voice.
Izzie pulled in a deep breath. "Vater Syndrome is a genetic condition that affects the vertebrae, anus, trachea, esophagus, and renal system." Callie slowly made her way to stand beside Meredith while studying the girl's back with an intent look.
Heather huffed. "Wow," she drawled. "Give this girl a medal. She memorized the whole acronym. Which is, I assure you, a Hell of a lot easier than living with it." Bailey busied herself doing the ties back up while Izzie watched with her jaw dropped and a hurt look in her eyes.
"Stevens," Bailey prompted after a few moments of silence.
Izzie blinked and shifted from one foot to the other. "Right, um…Heather is—is in today for a lithotripsy to remove kidney stones and a thoracoplasty to alleviate pressure on her lungs."
Callie looked up from her contemplation of Heather's chart. "Can I ask—I-I know I'm just supposed to be here to remove a few ribs, but I'm wondering if you've ever tried anything more radical to treat the spinal curvature?"
Heather's mother nodded tiredly but Heather turned her head again and glared murderously at Callie. "Let's see," she bit out coldly. "If by 'more radical', you mean having a steel rod inserted into my spine, then yeah, we've tried," Heather laboriously turned her body with her mother's help so that she was leaning against the pillows on the bed. "The rod just…bent," she told them.
Callie nodded with a thoughtful expression.
Izzie licked her lips and pressed on. "Removing kidney stones may seem minor, but it will really improve your quality of life."
Heather's glare transferred to Izzie and a sardonic smile creased her lips. "Really?" She asked dryly. "So this surgery is gonna get me laid?" She flashed a bright smile at Izzie's shocked look.
"Heather," her mother admonished quietly. "Stop it."
"Mom, I'm sorry," Heather said in a tone that belied her words. "But she's talking about improving my quality of life, and I don't think doctors should make promises they can't keep." She sent Izzie and Bailey a completely fake sweet smile and stared at them until they all turned their eyes away.
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Meredith grinned happily as they entered the NICU. She'd been by several times to check on Laura. Every time she came by she'd take a minute to just whisper to Laura and chat with Molly or Susan. Neither of the women was in evidence today. So Meredith simply laid a hand on the warmer and smiled at her sleeping niece.
"Laura Grey-Thompson," she recited from memory. "Born four days ago with jejunal atresia. Corrected surgically." She glanced away from Laura for a moment as the door to the room opened again. Her brain didn't register the man entering and she continued her litany. "Uh, post-op course—" Addison held up a hand and Meredith stopped abruptly.
"Oh, I'm-I'm sorry," Thatcher Grey stuttered at the crowd of people surrounding his granddaughter. "Am I interrupting?" Addison gave a small shake of her head. "Her mom and grandma ha-have the flu," he explained. "And they asked me to get an update." He gave Addison a sheepish smile.
Meredith felt that she should have expected this. He was Molly's father. He had a right to be here. He was supposed to be here. But he'd blindsided her again. She blinked at him and tried to see the hero he used to be to her but all she could see was a frumpy, older man with a perpetually confused expression and puppy dog eyes.
Addison blinked at Meredith's glazed eyes and then looked over at Thatcher. "Oh, she's doing very well, Mr. Grey," she told him hoping to stall long enough for Meredith to shake off the shock. "We'll be out of here in just a minute," she nodded cordially at him.
Thatcher gave her a small half smile before his eyes tracked over the room. They came to rest on Meredith's face and widened. He swallowed hard and blinked. Meredith blinked as well and then turned her head away from him.
Bailey frowned towards Thatcher though he didn't see her. His eyes were stuck on Meredith's averted face. "You were saying, Dr. Grey," she asked.
Meredith's eyes darted back to the chart in her hands. "Um…" she tried desperately to remember what she'd been saying. A clatter as Thatcher bumped into one of the tables brought her eyes back up.
Thatcher was looking everywhere except at her. "Excuse me," he backed toward the door. "I'll just come back a little later." He stumbled out the door and shut it behind him.
Meredith watched him go and swallowed the hurt. Cristina reached over and gently took the chart from her hands. She reported the relevant information while Meredith laid a hand over the warmer and simply stared down at the baby within. Alex stood behind Meredith and set one hand just between her shoulder blades while George gripped her hand in his. No one called attention to the fact that Meredith had dropped the ball and no one blamed her.
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They left Laura's room in silence. By the time they'd finished rounding on the patients Meredith thought she might have gotten her balance back. Why had he basically ignored her? Meredith shook the thought off and followed Bailey to the nurse's station with the other interns to get their assignments for the day.
"Dr. Grey," Bailey started off immediately. "I'd like you to stick with Mr. O'Malley this week." Meredith peeled off from the others and towards Harold's room. She breathed a sigh of relief. She liked George's dad.
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Meredith slid to a stop at the counter of the lab. She grinned at the lab tech. "Hey Gray," she greeted. "I need a CBC and a chem-7 on Harold O'Malley, please."
The lab tech gave her a smile and a nod. He turned to grab the reports for her before Cristina came to stand beside her and slapped a baggie on the counter. "I need these labs ASAP," she instructed.
He frowned at her. Sometimes these interns really pissed him off. At least Dr. Grey knew how to say please and thank you. "Everybody needs everything 'ASAP'," he drawled.
Cristina rolled her eyes at him. "Oh yes. And all throughout this hospital, people are dying while you give me crap about 'ASAP'."
Well when she put it like that…he took the bag and turned to get Meredith's results.
Cristina gave his back a triumphant smile and Meredith stifled a chuckle. Cristina turned to face her with an assessing look on her face. Meredith sent back a bland look and Cristina sighed loudly. "Mark's looking for you," she announced finally.
Meredith rolled her eyes and sighed. "Who ratted me out?" She asked. Cristina just shrugged. "You are no help at all."
Cristina gave her a small smile. "Well, I know it wasn't me. He already knew that your biological was around when I called him. I'm fairly sure it wasn't Izzie either. Other than that it could have been any of the others. Even Bailey."
Meredith frowned at her in confusion. "Why wouldn't Izzie call Mark?"
Cristina scowled. "She's convinced you're too dependent on him. She says it's unhealthy." Meredith rolled her eyes with a snort. "I told her it's only because your life has a tendency towards crap and his doesn't but she doesn't see it that way."
Meredith huffed out a laugh. "His life has a tendency towards crap sometimes too. He's just better at internalizing than I am. And we are dependent on each other. Kinda happens when you go most of your life without someone to lean on and then someone appears that is happy to take the weight."
"Preaching to the choir," Cristina said. "Anyway…you owe me." She nodded vigorously at Meredith's questioning look. "You dropped the ball and I covered for you. So now will you ask Shepherd about Burke's hand?"
Meredith shook her head in exasperation. "Why won't you just talk to him?"
"Because then he wins," Cristina explained as though it should be obvious.
"Wins what?"
"Never mind," obviously Meredith didn't get the whole power in a relationship thing. That wasn't a big surprise to Cristina. There was no power struggle between Meredith and Mark. They really did tackle the world as a team instead of the front runner and the support. Cristina had no desire to be the support. Not for the first time she wished that Burke was more like Mark.
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"Alex," Mark called out as Alex passed the nurse's station. "Come help me with this mess, will you? Stupid intern messed up my charts again. Pre-op before post-op. Why can't they get something that simple right?"
Alex snickered and helped Mark order the charts correctly. "You find Mer yet?" He asked softly.
Mark shook his head. "She'll find me when she's ready." Then he looked up and his entire face closed off into a cold angry look. "I'll see you later," he told Alex and turned to stalk away.
Alex turned his head to see who or what had pissed Mark off and found Addison standing near him. "Do I want to know why he looked ready to kill you?" He asked the red head.
Addison sighed and shook her head after giving him a long look. "No, you really don't want to know. But I deserve it so don't give him a hard time. It's going to be a long week." There was a hint of sorrow in her eyes.
Alex pulled out his rarely used compassion, dusted it off and tried it on. "Are you all right, Addison?"
Addison patted his shoulder and nodded with a faint smile. "I will be, Alex."
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"Ready to head out, Angel?" Mark asked as she appeared in his office doorway as the sun slowly sank below the horizon.
"Yep," she nodded and held out her hand for him to take. "I'm sorry I didn't come find you earlier. It was…busy today." He just shot her a serious look and she gave him a half smile. "Seriously. I'm fine. It was a shock to see him there but…well…it doesn't matter what he thinks. Molly wants me around with them and so does Susan." She squeezed his hand in hers when he finally stood and took it. "Are you alright? I remembered what this week was about twenty minutes ago. I'm sorry I forgot."
He locked his office quickly and then threw his arm around her shoulders. "It's all right. I didn't remember until I saw Addie earlier. And I'll make it." He pulled her as close to him as he could. "Let's go home."
She hooked her thumb in his belt loop and nodded against his shoulder. "That's an excellent idea, Dr. Sloan."
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Mark stared up at the ceiling. Meredith was cuddled against his side with her ear resting over his heart fast asleep. He couldn't stop thinking long enough to fall asleep. So he simply watched the play of light from the bay on the ceiling of their apartment. Normally the quietness and comfort of the apartment soothed him but it wasn't working tonight.
Meredith made a fretful sound and stroked a hand along his chest. "You're not sleeping," she murmured. "I can hear the thoughts racing through your head."
Mark couldn't stop the amused snort of laughter that escaped him. "You psychic now, Angel?"
Meredith lifted her head and propped her chin on his chest to stare him in the eye. "No, I just know you. You're thinking too hard." Her hand crept up and cupped his cheek. "I can't say anything to make this better. Nothing will make this any easier for you. I do love you, you know. And we'll make it through. It's okay to be sad and it's okay to be angry. So do what you feel you need to and I'll be right beside you." She gave him a soft smile and laid her head back down on his chest. "Now, go to sleep. Everything will look better in the morning."
Mark tilted his chin down and kissed the top of her head. He tangled his fingers in the hair at the nape of her neck, closed his eyes and let her breathing lull him to sleep.
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Alex greeted them with two cups of coffee as they shook the rain from themselves. "Morning. Bone dry cappuccino and a caramel latte." He handed them the cups and grinned.
Meredith took the cup with greedy cold fingers and sighed in pleasure. "Ooo, warm," she grinned at Alex. "Thank you." He nodded.
Mark accepted his cup and stared at Alex warily. "Do I want to know why you're sucking up today?"
Meredith's gaze went from Mark to Alex and back again. "He wants to know why you're angry with Addie," she finally told the silent men. She frowned at Alex as Mark stiffened beside her. "Let it go, green bean. Seriously."
Alex swallowed at the closed off expression on Mark's face and took a step back. "Right," he nodded and leaned against the nurse's station where Addison was hiding behind the charts. Mark and Meredith walked past them without a single glance in Addison's direction. "I really don't want to know, do I?"
Addison shook her head. "Want in on a surgery with me?" She asked.
Alex shrugged. "Sure. Mark's going to be an ass today anyway."
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Meredith trailed the bed holding George's dad. George and his mother were walking on either side of the bed holding Harold's hands. "Tell me what I want to hear," Louise instructed.
Harold chuckled just a bit. "If I die, you'll kill me," he answered.
Louise smiled and rubbed his arm. "He's a quick study," she joked.
The bed came to an abrupt stop as it nearly mowed down Thatcher Grey. He looked up with his constantly confused expression. "Meredith," he said slowly. "Hello."
Meredith's amused smile at the O'Malley's antics slipped from her face as her eyes widened. "Hello," she returned in a low voice.
Thatcher swallowed. "I'm…uh, how are you?" He finally asked. George slanted a glance at Meredith and nudged her foot with the toe of his shoe.
"Good," Meredith nodded a bit uncomfortably and clenched one hand into a fist before deliberately unclenching it and resting it against her thigh. "Busy with work." She motioned to Harold. "We have a patient." She pointed out unnecessarily.
Thatcher gave a start of surprise and stared at Harold for a moment. "Hello," Harold greeted him cheerfully.
"Hello," Thatcher answered with wide eyes.
Louise gave him a big smile. "Hi," she said.
"Hi," George said dully.
"Hi!" Thatcher's lips stretched into a small smile in recognition. George's eyes slid from his to Meredith's face. Meredith put on a smile and stared at Thatcher waiting. "Uh, all right then," Thatcher finally said. He pushed past George and nodded to Meredith as he passed. "Uh, nice seeing you," he commented.
"Okay," Meredith breathed out as he brushed past her. She shared a look with George. "That wasn't awkward at all," she commented wryly.
George snorted a laugh and Louise grinned at them. "Was that your ex-boyfriend?" She asked.
Now George snickered helplessly at the look of disgust on Meredith's face. "Thanks, Mrs. O'Malley," Meredith whined. "Where's the brain bleach when you need it. That was my ex-father. Just ew…seriously." She smacked at George's arm. "Stop laughing. George! Stop it!"
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Meredith felt like Hell as she scrubbed out of Harold's surgery. She sighed heavily as she dried her hands. George's dad had cancer all through his system but they'd gotten as much of it as they could. Now it was up to him.
She wanted to tell George how much his dad wanted to live and the choice he'd made but she knew she couldn't. Harold had asked them to stay silent. She would honor his wishes she just hoped it wouldn't come back to bite her.
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Meredith followed Bailey around the corner and nearly slammed into her when she stopped abruptly. Her head shot up when she heard Callie's distinctive laugh. Meredith smiled. The lines of tension around George's mouth and eyes were nearly gone. Callie was good for him.
Bailey and Meredith watched George grin and say something to Callie before he caught sight of them and the tension returned. George said something else and then brushed past Callie and strode towards them.
Bailey told him gently about his father's surgery and his chances for recovery.
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They led George, his mother and his brothers to the recovery room that Harold was sleeping in. Meredith peeked over her shoulder at George as he stopped and turned to his family. Part of her wondered what he was saying to them but the rest of her knew that he needed this moment before he slipped back into his stoicism.
George's family finally entered the room with George bringing up the rear. The looks of shock on their faces weren't as extensive as Meredith had been expecting. George must have given them a heads up on what to expect.
Louise smoothed a hand over her unconscious husband's head. "Welcome back, sweetheart," she said and leaned over to kiss his cheek.
"Dad looks like something out of the butcher's shop," one of George's brothers muttered. Meredith could never keep straight which one was which.
"That's a cool scar," the other muttered back with a slight smirk.
Meredith rolled her eyes at them and turned to face George to share their silliness. George was standing in the doorway with the oddest look on his face. Oh boy, Meredith thought.
No sooner had the thought crossed her mind than George backed out of the room and spun to lean against the wall outside. She touched Bailey's elbow and nodded to the door. Bailey looked over and then nodded back. Meredith walked to the door and stood at George's side. She tilted her head to catch his eyes. "You need to breathe," she told him softly. She touched his arm and he grasped her forearm in his hand as he drew in a breath and started to shake.
George's eyes stared at the wall across the hallway and then darted to hers before skittering off again but his grip never wavered. Meredith wondered if his hold on her arm was the only thing keeping him from flying apart. "He's my dad," he finally whispered.
Meredith squeezed his arm back. "I know," she told him. She laid her head on his shoulder.
"He's m-my dad," George's breath hitched.
Meredith held him as tightly as she could. "I know."
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Mark blinked his eyes open and drew in a deep lavender scented breath. Meredith snuggled closer to his chest. "You gonna tell me why you have fingerprint bruises on your arm?" He asked quietly.
"Hunh?" She asked and pulled her arm off of the bed to inspect it. "Oh. I hadn't even realized." She let her arm fall back. They weren't that bad. "George. He was shaking so bad after he saw his dad that I thought he was going to vibrate himself to pieces."
Mark nuzzled his nose into the hair at the back of her head. "So you held him steady then?"
"I don't know if I did any good or not," she sighed heavily. "He's hurting and I can't make it stop for him."
"He'll be alright, Angel," he assured her. "He knows we're here if he needs us."
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Meredith hid in the shadows by the NICU door watching her father talk to Laura. She could help wondering if he'd ever stood over her cradle the same way. One part of her pointed out that he couldn't have or he'd never have left her in the first place. Another said it didn't matter. He wasn't a part of her life anymore. And she didn't want him to be.
"Hey Mer," Alex's voice behind her had her jumping and spinning to face him. "Did you need something?"
Meredith shook her head helplessly. "No, I'm…I'm fine. Thanks, Alex." She turned and hurried down the hall away from NICU.
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Richard stared at the huddled form in the gallery for a moment. He nodded to himself and walked over to stand beside her. "How's it going?" He asked her gently.
Meredith didn't tear her eyes away from Addison and Alex. "Okay," she answered. "They had a scare a minute ago, but she stabilized," she finally turned to him and gave him a small smile. She decided that Richard didn't need to know that Addie was flirting outrageously with Alex and using her niece to do it. Meredith found it kind of funny actually.
Richard cleared his throat. "Your, uh, father is pacing up and down the halls." Meredith's face wiped clean of all expression and she turned back to the OR. "He's worried." Richard ignored the sudden cold that invaded the room. "Maybe you can give him an update."
Meredith's mouth twisted into a disgusted frown. "Maybe you can go give him an update," she retorted.
Richard sighed. "He's not a big fan of mine," he admitted. He turned his head back to the woman beside him in time to catch the amused smile.
Meredith turned clear light green eyes to him. "He's not a big fan of mine either," she told him matter-of-factly.
Richard shook his head and gave a small chuckle. "Oh, I can't imagine that's true," he told her in a tone that said he thought she was exaggerating. She turned her head back to the surgery and Richard stared at her for a moment in thought. She really did believe that. "Your mother was a force to be reckoned with," he finally told her softly. "If she wanted things a certain way, I…" He paused when those clear green eyes came back to his face. "I'm saying your father was a good man when I knew him. He may have a side in this that you don't know anything about."
Meredith's eyes hardened. "What, you think he tried to send me a card every year and my mother has a whole drawer full of unopened cards?" She scoffed. "Because it's not often that my life turns out that way."
Richard shook his head again. "I don't know," he admitted. "You won't know either until you ask him."
Meredith's stare returned to the OR. "I did. And he said nothing, Dr. Webber. He kept me out on his porch in the rain and said nothing." She turned and stalked out of the gallery. Richard watched her go with sorrow weighing down on his shoulders.
MS/MG MS/MG MS/MG
Meredith paused outside of Laura's room wanting to go see her for just a moment. Unfortunately Thatcher was once again standing over the warmer. Meredith let out an aggravated sigh and headed down the hallway to go get Mark and go home. Maybe she'd have better luck tomorrow.
"Meredith," his voice called out to her and she stopped abruptly, dragging in a deep breath before turning to face him.
"Thatcher," she nodded. "How's Laura doing?" She asked politely.
"Um," Thatcher's head tilted a bit to the side. "They…they tell me she's doing good. Did you…wanna come in?" He offered hesitantly.
"Angel!" Mark's voice yelled down the hall. "You ready yet?"
Meredith turned her head and waved at him. "Be right there!" She shouted back before turning to Thatcher. "I have to go," she said. "I'll be by tomorrow though…if you don't mind."
Thatcher was staring down the hall at Mark. "That's…uh…that's the boyfriend?" He turned his attention back to Meredith. "Bit demanding isn't he?"
Meredith merely shrugged though her eyes iced over. "Maybe I'll see you later, Thatcher," she said and strode down the hall to Mark.
"You okay?" Mark asked as she immediately grabbed his hand and leaned her head on his bicep.
"Mmhm," Meredith hummed as she nodded against his arm. "Just ready to go home."
"Then home we will go," Mark squeezed her fingers and dropped a kiss on the top of her head. "You can tell me all the gossip on the way."
Meredith giggled and shook her head.
