Ok don't freak out on me, please. You have to trust me and Kate. We know what we're doing really. So take a deep breathe, relax, and read the chapter.

Times Like These

" I should've stopped her. I should've taken her keys hostage." Izzie said pacing back and forth in the hospital's waiting room.

" Izzie, it's not your fault. It's no one's fault."

" I knew something was up though. I knew. I should've taken charge. I should've forced her not to drive.' She continued to pace. " Because of me, that little girl could loose another parent."

" Izzie," Meredith shook her head back and forth, " that's not going to happen. She's going to be ok."

" What if it's not? What if she's really gone?" Izzie's eyes began to swell as she sat down next to her friend. " It'll have been my fault."

" No. No. She's going to be fine. She's Addison. She's a mom. She can do anything. Including come back from this."

Dr. Murphy approached Izzie and Meredith with the news, " Doctors."

>>

Eric was sitting in the Montgomery home waiting impatiently for the phone to ring. Both girls had sent him there to keep an eye on Kennedy.

" Eric," Kennedy came and sat in his lap. " What's we waiting for?"

" We're waiting for Izzie or Meredith to call."

" Izzie? She's pretty. Like mommy is."

Eric smiled, nodding in agreement, " Yeah. She is," Dear God let this phone ring.

>>

" You can see her now if you'd like." Dr. Murphy said after explaining Addison's condition. " Room 4415,"

" Ok. Thank you Doctor," Izzie said before rushing down the hall trying to find the room.

" Iz, wait up," Meredith said speeding up to catch her.

" 4403, 4404, 4405, 4406. Damn it!" Izzie said frantically trying to find the room. "4411, 4412, 4413, 4414, 4415." Izzie stopped at the door. " 4415." She repeated while tracing the numbers on the room plaque with her index finger. " 4415."

" Izzie! There you are!" Meredith said almost out of breath. " You want to go in."

Izzie just stood in the same spot tracing the numbers over and over again, "4415." She whispered almost silently.

" You don't have to go in if you don't want to."

" No. I want to."

" Ok."

" Ok." Izzie said, pulling the doors open. The constant beeping of Addison's heart monitor rang through the room. " Oh, God." Izzie said, seeing the multiple scrapes and gashes on Addison's face.

>>

" Eric, when's Mommy coming home?" Kennedy asked in her pj's holding on to Dr. Fuzz.

" Umm. I don't know, K. She had a-," The phone began to ring in mid sentence.

" Hello?" Eric answered promptly. No one replied. " Hello?" He hung up.

" Was that them?" Kennedy asked, her brown haired bobbed back and forth.

" No."

" When's Mommy getting home?"

" K, I don't know." He said in an exasperated tone.

" When will you?"

" Hopefully when Meredith or Izzie calls."

" Ok." Kennedy said with a giant yawn.

" You want to go to sleep?"

" No," She smiled a dreary smile.

>>

" No change?" George said peering into Addison's room.

" No change." Meredith confirmed.

" You going home?" George asked.

" You can." Izzie said, refusing to take her eyes off Addison. " You should. Sober up a little."

" You should go home, too."

" I'm not going home. I'm staying here."

" Iz?" George gave a pleading look.

" No, I'm staying here! She has no one."

" I think I'm staying too George."

George nodded his head in understanding. " Ok. Well, would you at least call Eric? He's probably freaking out."

" Oh, My God. Eric! We forgot to call Eric." Meredith trudged through her tote bag looking for her phone.

" Hey, Er. So sorry!"

" How is she?" Eric said making his way away from Kennedy who was watching Dora the Explorer.

" She's unconscious, and she broke 2 ribs."

" So she should be fine."

" When she wakes up yes."

" Ok. Uh. What should I tell Kennedy?"

" Umm. I guess just tell her."

" You want me to tell a four year old that her mother got into a car accident?"

" She's a Shepherd. She spews knowledge."

" Ok. I trust you." Eric hung up the phone and walked back into the TV room. " Kennedy."

" Was that them?"

" Yeah. It was Meredith. You remember her, right?"

Kennedy put on her best thinker pose, " I think so."

How am I supposed to do this?" Ok. Well she called to say that…umm. Mommy got in an accident."

" What kind of accident?"

" A car accident."

" Did Mommy go to heaven?"

Eric nearly broke down in tears, " No. Mommy's not in heaven."

" She's not with daddy?"

" She's not with daddy."

" Or Madeline?"

" Who is Madeline, Kennedy?"

" Madeline's my sister. Mommy said she's in heaven with Daddy."

" Oh." Addison and Derek had another kid?

" We visited her in New Ork."

" Ok."

" So if Mommy's not in heaven where is she?"

" Mommy's in the hospital."

" Well, Mommy's always in the hospital, silly!"

>>

A few hours later, Izzie glanced over at the sleeping Meredith. She had In Style Bride draped across her knee. The monitor was still beeping at an even pace, " So. I know that everything is probably really bright and glowing up there. And Derek's up there and you're really happy to see him cause I know you miss him a lot. But the thing is we still need you down here. Kennedy still needs you. Meredith, who will never admit it, needs you. I need you. So, if you could just wake up that would be very nice."

" She will," George said standing at the door.

Startled, Izzie turned back to face him, " Promise?"

" Promise. You should probably get some sleep."

" No, I can't sleep."

" So, you're just going to sit there?"

" Yeah."

" She'd want you to sleep."

" Maybe." Izzie watched as George carried Meredith out the door.

" Good night, Izzie."

" Good night."

Eric cell phone vibrated in his pocket waking him up from a deep sleep, on the Montgomery couch with Kennedy curled up next to him and Twizzler on the arm rest. He saw 'Izzie' on the caller ID

" Eric?"

" Yeah, Iz?" he said sleepily.

" What if she doesn't wake up?"

" She will. She can fight through this."

" What if she doesn't want to?"

" What do you mean?"

" What if she doesn't want to? What if she's happy? What if she really misses Derek?"

" She's always going to miss Derek. And you think she doesn't want to watch Kennedy grow up? Get married? Have kids?"

" I know. But what if she doesn't?"

" She will. I promise."

" Did I wake you?"

" No,"

" Liar."

" Did you sleep at all?" He looked at the clock on the wall. 1:44

" No."

" You should."

" I can't."

" You should try to. You're going to have a long day tomorrow."

" I can't leave this room."

" Iz, I know she's your friend and you're worried about her, but you should get some rest. Seriously."

" I'll try. Thanks Eric. Go back to bed."

He smiled, " I will. Good night."

" Good night." Izzie shut her phone and continued to watch Addison. She sat there praying that Addi'd just wake up.

So. You like? I know, I know, Addi's not awake, but at least she's breathing! Trust me though. I have this all under control. FooFighters take claim to this song. It's actually pretty good. Anyway. You know what to do...

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