Chapter 22: She's Getting Worse
"Mommy! Mommy!" Meredith shifted in her sleep, unsure if what she heard was in her sleep or real., She shifted in Derek's arms, feeling him groan and pull her closer. Sleep, she didn't hear anything, and she should go back to sleep. She was warm, completely warm as Derek held her close.
She didn't remember them finishing the movie, so she must have fallen asleep before it ended. It made sense, she was exhausted and now she didn't want to move in Derek's warm, strong arms. She closed her eyes again, feeling Derek casually press a kiss against her neck. That made her want to giggle, and she probably would except now she heard that childlike cry again, definitely real. She moved in Derek's arms, but he pulled her close, groaning like he wanted to hold her like that forever, except she had to get up. The more stressed those cries became, she realized her daughter needed her. "Mommy!"
"Der..." Meredith groaned, tiredly pulling his arms.
"Hmm..." Derek murmured, kissing her neck again.
"Derek..." Meredith tried to move.
"What?" He mumbled into his pillow.
"Let me go." Meredith yawned, hearing her daughter's cries.
"I...Oh...Sorry." Derek breathed, kissing her again before moving his arms from around her.
"Thank you." She groaned, walking towards the door.
"I'm coming..." He muttered, slowly getting out of bed too.
"Go back to bed." She instructed, walking out of the bedroom and turning on the hall light.
"I...Okay." Derek whispered, climbing back into bed.
"Dawsyn?" Meredith opened the door to her daughter's bedroom, flipping on the lightly to find her daughter getting sick, her eyes still closed. "Daws!"
"Mommy..." Dawsyn groaned.
"Daws..." Meredith walked over to her daughter, putting a hand on her head. "You still have a fever...can you sit up honey?"
"No...No..."
"Come on..." Meredith sat on the side of the bed, putting her hands behind her daughter. "Come on...let's sit up."
"Mommy..." Dawsyn cried, as she got sick again.
"Okay...okay." Meredith held her daughter, reaching for a bag.
"There...fireworks...I saw them..."
"What?"
"I saw them..."
"Dawsyn...what fireworks?" Meredith frowned, feeling her daughter's head. She was burning up and sweating. "Daws that was a dream I think."
"No. They were...outside my window."
"Okay...no...you're sick."
"Can I see them again..." Dawsyn breathed, before coughing and gagging.
"Daws...Derek!" Meredith screamed, unsure of how much longer she could hold her lethargic daughter up. "Derek!"
"What?" Derek mumbled, coming into the room and yawning.
"She's sick."
"We knew that already."
"Derek!" Meredith raised her voice, as Dawsyn fell back in her arms.
"Did you take her temperature again?" Derek asked, putting his hand on Dawsyn's forehead.
"I checked before we went to bed, and it had gone down to a hundred but she's burning up now..." Meredith replied as he handed her the thermometer. "Open your mouth, Daws."
"Mmm..." Dawsyn groaned.
"It'll be done in a second." Meredith kissed her daughter's cheek. "She's lethargic."
"And dehydrated." Derek replied, examining the little girl.
"Okay Daws Bug...want to sleep in my bed?"
"Meredith, we need to take her to the hospital."
"It's just the stomach flu...she'll be fine by morning." Meredith replied. "Come on Daws."
"Meredith." Derek said a little bit more forcefully. "Her fever is back up to one hundred and three...and she's severely dehydrated."
"Dawsyn...come on."
"Fireworks..." Dawsyn mumbled.
"Dawsyn I told you...it was a dream." Meredith replied, helping her daughter sit up before letting go. Dawsyn fell back on the bed. "Sit up Daws.."
"She needs to go to the hospital." Derek repeated, brushing the hair off of Dawsyn's forehead.
"Derek they're just going to tell us to take her home and give her fluids...you're a doctor so you know."
"Her fever is going up and she can't sit up. That's not just the flu."
"Dawsyn...my room...stand up."
"She can't, Meredith!"
"Yes, she can!"
"Mommy..." Dawsyn groaned, rolling over and getting sick again.
"Daws...what about a bath? Stand up..."
"No..."
"If we don't' take her now, I'm calling an ambulance." Derek said.
"Stop talking!" Meredith screamed at him, putting her hands over her face.
"Meredith." Derek said, putting his hands on her shoulders. "She needs to be seen in the emergency room. I can't do anything for her here."
"I just need to think...just for a second." Meredith pushed him away.
"Dawsyn...Can you open your eyes for me?" Derek whispered, sitting on the edge of the bed, rubbing her back.
"The fireworks are shaped like hearts."
"Open your eyes kiddo..."
"What?" Dawsyn blinked.
"There you go." Derek whispered, stroking her forehead. "Can you drink something?"
"No..."
"Did you think about it yet?" Derek said, standing up as Dawsyn closed her eyes again.
"Fine! We'll take her!"
"Come on Dawsyn..." He said, picking her up off of the bed.
"Where are you taking me?" Dawsyn whimpered, her head resting on Derek's shoulder.
"We're going to go somewhere that'll make you feel better."
"I want my slippers." Dawsyn murmured, before jolting her head up. "Mommy! Mommy!"
"She's right here." Derek whispered, rubbing Dawsyn's back.
"Right here Dawsyn..." Meredith replied, quietly.
"Let's go."
"Let me just grab my purse and a blanket for her."
"I'll meet you downstairs."
"Okay." Meredith said quietly, moving out of the room. Her mind was moving a million miles a minute and all she could think to do was grab the blanket from the hall closet, then walk to her bedroom to get her purse, even though her legs were shaking. She panicked and she hated that. She hated that she put off taking Dawsyn. She should've been more worried about taking her daughter and not more concerned about what an emergency room visit would cost. That had to make her the worst mother ever. However, she couldn't worry about being the worst mother ever right now.