Chapter 6: Telling Her Story

"What's this detective going to do now? I mean he's gone to the police with what he knows, right? What are the police going to do? What's foul play mean anyways? He doesn't think Meredith was hurt, does he? What are you going to do Derek?" The beautiful red head started shooting questions at her ex-husband the second he finished filling Addison and Mark in on the new developments.

He didn't know how he ended up here. After leaving the bar, he kind of just drove around aimlessly, not knowing where to go, but not wanting to go to his empty trailer. He found himself sitting outside of the Sloan's large house and wasn't sure whether or not to go in. Thirty minutes later, the decision was made for him when he heard a light knock on his jeep's window and turned to see Mark.

He didn't know how to define the relationship he and Mark shared. He supposed they were friends. He knew they would never have the same bond they had shared years ago, but they were at least amiable now. After all, Mark had married his ex-wife, and he still considered her family. So, in a way Mark was family too. They had both been there for him when he had hit rock bottom. They understood his moodiness and were one of the only few who could handle his erratic temper.

So there Derek sat, on a soft ivory couch, between his ex-wife and ex-best friend spilling his guts. He placed two fingers on his temples and moved them in circles trying to ease the throbbing that he felt inside.

"Addie, slow down." Mark gave his wife a look that told her to step back. He could tell that this man, who still felt like a brother to him, was taking it hard. He knew his wife was upset by the news and had lots of questions; he had his fair share as well. Mark also knew that Derek was still processing everything for himself and didn't need to be bombarded by their questions.

They sat for a moment in silence, husband and wife watching their devastated friend.

"I didn't tell you the worst part." Derek's shaking voice broke the silence. "Meredith was pregnant."

Both friends sharply inhaled, eyes wide with shock. That was the last thing they had expected. Neither knew what to say to comfort their friend. So, they sat in stunned silence. All three of them staring blankly ahead.

Meredith was nearing the end of her workday. She had finished updating the medical charts that lined the back wall days ago, and was now sitting at a desk in a small room to the back of the office working on another task. She was just finishing up when she heard the door to their main office open and Alice greeted the visitor, "Allison! What a pleasant surprise. To what do I owe this pleasure?"

Meredith's attention was immediately torn from her work at hand, and she leaned closer to the front room, trying to hear what the ladies were discussing. She could only make out a few words here and there from their small talk, so she quickly thought of an excuse to get closer. She grabbed some papers off the desk that needed to be filed and made her way to the front where the filing cabinets stood in short rows. She tried to be as inconspicuous as possible as she slowly put the separate folders in their correct spaces.

The two women fortunately didn't notice and continued with their conversation. They seemed to be old friends and very much at ease with one another. They were talking about their families and getting caught up on each other's lives.

"Tell me how your nephew is doing?" Allison cheerfully chatted up her dear old friend. "Last time I talked to you, you mentioned he was having some headaches and he had an appointment with his doctor to get it checked out. What happened?"

For some reason the turn in conversation sparked Meredith's interest. She took a couple steps closer to the women, forgetting about the filing she was supposedly doing.

Alice nodded knowing instantly what she was referring to. "Oh yes, well you wouldn't believe what happened. Only a few days before his appointment he woke up one morning with slurred speech and his balance was completely off. His parents panicked of course and rushed him to the Emergency Room where they immediately performed a CT scan. Everyone was shocked to learn he had a …."

"Subdural Hematoma." Meredith said in a voice only barely above a whisper, surprising herself even more than the two women who spun around to face her.

"How… how did you know that?" Alice asked her mysterious employee, furrowing her brows, her voice laced with heavy suspicion.

"I… I don't know?" Meredith answered honestly.

"Mary!" Allison chimed recognizing her from the day before. She stopped herself from continuing and didn't say anymore when she noticed the skeptical look being given to her new friend, from her old friend. "Wh… What's going on?" She asked looking back and forth between the two, entirely confused.

"I'm not sure," Alice said coolly. "Why don't you ask Mary, because there is obviously something our new little friend is keeping from us."

Meredith looked back and forth between Alice and Allison. They both stared at her expectantly waiting for some kind of answer. She didn't know what to do. She felt like a deer in the headlights. Her hands were shaking, and she felt beads of sweat form on her brow.

She slumped to the ground and started crying, quiet sobs. She had no choice. She couldn't lose her humble job. She had to tell them. She knew she had some kind of connection to Allison, and maybe confessing her whole story would be the way to figure out just what that was. She could trust these people, right? They wouldn't turn her in to the unhelpful doctors again, making her daughter spend the night alone and scared. Right? She looked back up to the ladies that stood there speechless. The cold accusation in their eyes had been replaced with sympathy and confusion. They both kneeled down on each side of her, and Alice grabbed her hand.

"It's okay honey, whatever it is you can tell us." Alice gave the scared young woman an encouraging smile, persuading her to come clean.

Meredith took one last breath gathering strength and started her story back at the beginning. She tried to remember as far back as she could recall. Back to Canada, back to the kind nuns, back to the news she was going to have a baby, to the feelings she had experienced, the cold fear of realization that she would be bringing a helpless life into a world she didn't have any recollection of. She told them it all, not sparing any details. She told them about how her search for a cure to her amnesia had landed her here in Seattle, desperately seeking for a way to meet with the nation's top Neurologist.

When she was finished, she let out a sigh of relief and looked into the eyes of her new friends. They're facing mirrored bewilderment and compassion.

She immediately felt the knot in her stomach dissolve, and she knew she had done the right thing.

No one spoke for a long time.

"Oh my gosh." Were the only words Allison could get speak.

Alice stood up from her spot on the floor beside Meredith and started pacing. She had one hand on her chin and was rubbing it as she thought.

"So,… Meredith…" She started, testing out the new name. "You're sure that the Neurology department at Seattle Grace is your last hope?"

Meredith nodded solemnly keeping her eyes on the woman before her.

Alice thought a minute more than shook her head as if deciding something in her head. "Well, it looks like we don't have any other choice." She crossed the room to her desk and picked up her phone. "It looks like I'm going to have to call in a long overdue favor."

Meredith and Allison watched her, both confused. They didn't know what she was talking about or who she was calling, so they just sat and watched, puzzled looks on both of their faces.

Someone on the other end answered and Alice turned her back to her audience and spoke into the phone, "Hi, this is Alice Jenkins, may I please speak to Miranda Bailey?"