AN: After a long writing break, I decided to get back into my writing, and post something I've been working on, while I finish up some of my older stories.
I love Lexie Grey, love her. I have always thought that Meredith and Lexie's relationship was something special, but didn't get the full attention it could have. This takes place some time after the shooting and before Zola... and in my world.. Lexie, Derek and Mark never met untimely deaths.. Even if we aren't there yet in the time frame.. So sit back and enjoy a Meredith and Lexie story.
*** Chapter 1***
Lexie Grey stretched out on the bench in front of her sister's locker. Her head was pounding. Her throat hurt. Her body felt heavy and moving felt impossible, keeping her eyes open was difficult. It was safe to say nothing felt good. Her day had been long and she just wanted to go home. However she just needed her sister to finish up her surgery she'd been called into, so she could go home. The downfalls of carpooling waiting around.
"You know there are oncall rooms that are great for napping?" Callie Torres offered as she headed for her own locker, pausing briefly in front of Lexie before heading to her locker.
"I am off." Lexie covered her eyes with her arm "Meredith and I carpooled. I don't want her to forget me. If she sees me in front of her locker.. I have a good chance of getting home."
"Meredith isn't going to forget you." Callie shook her head while Lexie removed her arm from over her eyes and raised her eyebrow.
"Okay, there is a chance, she'd forget you" Callie back tracked "Not on purpose" She paused and rubbed her forehead."I don't think.. Not anymore.. I mean at one point she would have just flat out left you… but now..I don't think she'd forget you..."
Lexie's arm went back over her eyes. "Depending on the day, it's possible." She mumbled. "If I go to an Oncall room there is a chance Meredith may forget we rode in together, and leave me. I don't want to pay for a cab! I don't want to ride a bus!I want to go home. I want to have a hot shower, and I want to crawl into my bed and sleep really sleep.." The last part coming out almost a whimper.
Callie glanced at her watch "It's six oclock, isn't that a little early, even for you little Grey?"
Lexie groaned "I feel like crap, I don't care how early it is. I just want my head on my pillow. Like five minutes ago."
Callie threw the rest of her things in her locker before moving over to the bench peering down at Lexie. "You look like crap." She observed tilting her head to the side. "Legitimate crap"
Lexie moved her arm from covering her eyes again as she glared up at Callie. "Thank you?"
"No, seriously" Callie leaned down and placed her hand on Lexie's forehead. "You're burning up, Lexie. You need to go home!"
Lexie let out a frustrated sigh as she threw her arm back over her eyes dramatically "I am trying.. As soon as Meredith shows up, I am going home. She's supposed to be off at the same time as me. She's just held up."
Callie put her lunch bag and coat down on the bench by Lexie's feet, while shoving her wallet into the pocket of scrubs. "Don't go anywhere."
Lexie didn't bother uncovering her eyes this time. "I had no plans on moving from this bench. Moving equals pain and suffering. I am only going to do that once, when Meredith finally graces me with her presence. "
Callie rolled her eyes at Lexie's dramatics. "Little Grey, has a dramatic side, when sick" She shook her head before she left the locker room on a mission.
Meredith slowly made her way towards the locker room, it had been a long day and her feet were aching. Getting home sounded heavenly right now. She hoped Lexie was close by so they could leave. The last thing she wanted was to wait around on her bubbly social little butterfly of a sister.
"Meredith, just who I was hoping to find" Callie caught up to Meredith as she was approaching the locker room. "Here" She handed her a small paper bag. "You'll most likely need these tonight. Doctors are terrible at keeping these stocked in their own homes " She paused "Or its just me...but chances are it's you too."
Meredith paused for a brief second to look into the paper bag before looking up at Callie like she'd lost her mind. "Advil, Tylenol, Cough Syrup, Tums, Pedialyte...Ice packs, lysol and chapstick?"
"Oh that's mine" Callie grabbed the cherry lip balm and shoved it into her pocket. "My lips are chapped and I lost my mine somewhere around here today."
Meredith shook her head in confusion written all over her face."Did you rob a supply closet, and why do you think I need cold and flu products?"
Callie held up her hand "First, I didn't take any supplies, let's not break the hospital. These are all paid for, from the gift shop. Second" She opened the locker room door "Please take her home, before she takes us all down with whatever that is." She motioned in the locker room with her hand.
Meredith stepped around Callie to see what she was talking about and expecting to find Christina in some sort of crisis. What she was not expecting to find was Lexie. Her sister hadn't even crossed her mind as being an option. She'd been fine that morning…Hadn't she? Meredith paused as she thought back to that morning. Lexie had been running late getting out the door, had passed on breakfast, and had been very quiet on the car ride in. In fact she hadn't said anything on the ride in. Meredith had done all the talking. Which wasn't much...But not normal. She hadn't eaten her lunch either...ended up giving to Alex. Okay in hindsight maybe there were signs. She thought to herself.
Meredith shook her as she pushed the thoughts away.. "What's up with her?" She asked.
Callie pushed her into the locker room. "I think she's sick. Obviously" She retorted placing her hand on her hips as she narrowed her eyes at Meredith. "and now she's yours, I know she's in good hands now, Grey. Good luck!."
Meredith rolled her eyes at Callie before approaching the bench quietly, trying to not startle the younger Grey. "Lexie, it's time to go home."
When she was met with silence, she knelt down in front of the bench as she eyed her sleeping sister. Her skin was pale, yet her cheeks were flushed. Even with her eyes closed Meredith could see the dark circles under her eyes. She winced.. Crap.. She was sick.
"Lexie" She called a little louder this time. Still no answer. Meredith inwardly groaned as she reached out. Her first thought was to shake the young doctor awake, but she surprised herself as she gently ran a hand over Lexie's forehead. Meredith's hand lingered on Lexie's forehead. Heat radiating under her palm. Her eyes traveling up to Callie who was watching the exchange.
"Oven, right? Like fry an egg on her forehead kind of hot." Callie observed as she handed Meredith an ear thermometer that seemed to come out of thin air.
"She's burning up." Meredith agreed as she turned the thermometer on. Trying to figure out one had just appeared. Though it was a hospital locker room. Anything was possible.
Meredith turned her attention back to Lexie "Lex, I need you to wake up now" She gently shook her shoulders with her free hand.
"Mer, you're here" Lexie observed not sitting up. "Can we go home now?" Her voice sounded tired. Making the young resident sound even younger."Please?"
Meredith offered her a smile in hopes to keep her calm and quiet. "In a minute" She promised moving some of Lexie's hair away from her ear. "I am going to take your temperature really quick."
"I am fine" Lexie mumbled her arm coming back over her arm to shield her eyes from the light again. "Let's go home."
"Mmm hmm" Meredith nodded ignoring her sister's quiet protests as she placed the thermometer in her ear. When it beeped she pulled back and both her and Callie peered at the number.
"102.9" Callie whistled, shaking her head. "Yikes. She's sick."
"Should I take her home?" Meredith mused mainly to herself but glancing up at Callie.
Lexie sat up quickly almost regretting. Her hands flew to her head as she held onto it tightly, wincing "Yes, take me home!" She insisted as she gave Meredith her big hazel doe eyes.
Meredith had to look away quickly to not fall victim to Lexie's doe eyes. They were powerful and Lexie knew how to use them.
"Everyone in your house is a doctor." Callie reminded Meredtih. "Just keep your eye on it. Push fluids and rest. If it gets higher, bring her back." She reasoned "I think she's better off at your house then anywhere else right now."
Meredith bit her lip as she thought about what Callie suggested before nodding. There was no reason Lexie couldn't go home. Get some medicine down, and sleep whatever she had off. Even if the high fever was concerning. Though doctors tended to make the worst kind of patients. Meredith inwardly groaned there went her quiet night at home, on the couch with pizza and a beer and her newest book.
"Don't you just love it when work follows you home?" Callie asked with a smirk.
Lexie managed to shoot Callie a glare while Meredith stood up from crouching by the bench and headed to Lexie's locker. She grabbed a sweater and her purse. The purse was put down on the bench by her locker to grab, but the sweater she tossed to Lexie. "Put that on." She instructed her sister before going to her own locker to change out of her scrubs and grab her own things.
Once she was done she turned to find Lexie still sitting there holding her sweatshirt in her hands her eyes glazed over as she focused on a spot on the wall.
"Lexie, put your sweater on" The older Grey repeated stepping in front of her with a huff. It was like talking to a toddler.
"Mer" Lexie went to protest but the older Grey cut her off. "It's raining and 40 degrees outside, the last thing you need is to get a chill on top of a fever. Does pneumonia sound fun to you?"
Lexie exhaled but made no efforts to move. 40 was practically tee shirt weather for Pacific NorthWesterners. She was just going to the car. She would be fine. Putting on the sweater was more effort than she wanted.
Meredith narrowed her eyes at her sister. Lexie was normally the easy going, bubbly full of hope Grey sister. Usually if Meredith told her to do something Lexie would jump to do it. Meredith wasn't dumb though knew her sister had an obstinance side. After all she was a Grey. So of course now was the time it was showing itself. Well two could play at that game Meredith thought to herself, grabbing her sister's sweater from her hands as she not so gently maneuvered her arms into the sweater, causing Lexie to flinch.
"Send help" Lexie pleaded to Callie as Mereith zipped the sweater up quickly causing her to recoil slightly, afraid her chin or hair may get caught in the zipper.
Meredith pulled the hood over Lexie's head and tied the strings in hopes to keep any rain from giving the sick one a chill.
Callie didn't even try to hide her amused smile as she watched the interaction between the sisters. Everyone knew Meredith and Lexie had a rocky start in their relationship.
Everyone who really knew them also knew the two Grey sisters had an undeniable strange bond. Some minutes it was possible they could actually kill each other and others they'd kill for the other. She wasn't sure which would come to play for them over the next few days, but it would sure be interesting. "Good luck Grey's" Callie smiled "You're both going to need it."
Lexie lifted her hand ready to show Callie what she thought of that remark but Meredith quickly grabbed her hand in her own, stopping the motion of the middle finger rising as she narrowed her eyes at Lexie. "Lexie!" She warned.
Lexie dropped her head down as she withdrew her hand from Merediths. "I am sorry" She mumbled.
"You get cranky when you're sick." Meredith observed as she stood up straight gathering both their belongings and the bag Callie had given her in her arms as she motioned for her sister to follow. "Home. Now."
"About time" Lexie mumbled, earning herself a famous Meredith Grey scowl.
"Thank you" Meredith nodded towards Callie "For the care package. I am actually not sure what we have stocked in the house. This will save me from dragging Lexie to the store."
"Lexie's grateful for that," Lexie nodded in agreement. "Thank you, Callie."
"It's no big deal, now please get her out of here, before she containments us more and takes us all down."