AN: Thank you very much for all the support, reviews and follows. You guys are great! (Again sorry for any mistakes)
Lexie could feel the pounding in her sleep. Her head felt like it was being squeezed in a juicer. Her eyes opened slowly and she half expected to find her brain coming out of her ears and nose.
Her stomach churned with the motion of simply opening her eyes. She let out a gurgled groan. She snapped them shut instantly before trying again. Opening them slower. She felt movement next to her, and was momentarily confused before remembering she was in Meredith and Derek's room and it was Meredith next to her. Her eyes snapped shut again as she tried to still herself in hopes that Meredith wasn't awake.
"Lexie, you okay?" Meredith's voice cutting through the dark.
"mmm hmm" Lexie responded before sitting up quickly, as stomach protested being awake. She no longer cared that Meredith was awake. "Not okay… really not okay. I am going to be sick."
Her sister must have already sensed what was about to play out, as she had somehow managed to get from next to Lexie in bed, to now in front of her holding a bagged trash can.
She was mortified that her sister was holding a trash can for her while she lost the contents of her stomach. "I am…. Sorry….Mere" She managed to get out in the few seconds she was able to pull air into her lungs.
"Whatever for?" Meredith asked her tone even. "People puke, Lexie."
Lexie groaned as involuntary tears rolled down her cheeks, finally feeling a little relief she was able to lean back on the bed.
Meredith took the opportunity when Lexie settled back against the pillows to head into the bathroom, and after a few moments she was back. Placing a freshly rinsed out lined trash can by the bed before placing a warm wet rag over Lexie's forehead.
"Just take it easy" She encouraged the younger Grey. "Now you see why, I didn't want you up in the attic?"
Lexie didn't bother to respond, she heard her sister shuffle off again returning a few moments later. "Want to rinse your mouth?" She asked "Maybe try some pedialyte?
The idea of putting water or pedialyte into her mouth made Lexie's stomach churn again, but she sat up anyway wanting to rinse her mouth. "Just rinse"
Meredith nodded and helped her take a small sip from a water bottle as she held out the can under her again so she could spit. "Easy"
Once her mouth was rinsed Lexie eased back against the pillows while Meredith re-adjusted the wet rag on her forehead. "You're okay," She stated to Lexie. Willing her to believe it. As if being not okay wasn't an option.
"I am sorry, Mere" Lexie repeated.
Meredith climbed back into bed next to her sister. "Quit apologizing, you're sick. You can't help that."
"But…"
"But what? I am a doctor….We are doctors" Meredith reminded her. "We see puke almost daily in our line…"
"I just don't usually puke my guts up, in my big sister's bed...Where she sleeps with her husband..." Lexie grumbled.
"If the situation was reversed, would you be mad at me? Put out by me being sick? Appalled by me throwing up?"
Lexie's head continued to pound as she brought in her lip and bit down. "No, but it probably wouldn't be me helping you. It would be your husband or your twisted dark sister" She grumbled. "Wouldn't be me." Her lip coming out into a slight small unguarded pout.
The room grew quiet for a few minutes. While Lexie instantly started to regret what she'd just said. Why would she say something so stupid to Meredith as they were still growing in their sisterly bond.
"I just realized how lucky I am..." Meredith's voice halted her thought "What?" She asked, raising an eyebrow before snapping her eyes shut tightly, wincing at the pain that had caused.
"Growing up, I took care of myself when I was sick" Her sister stated in her matter of fact voice. As if she just told Lexie the sky was blue and grass was green.
Lexie's heart felt heavy at that statement as she thought back to her own childhood. How her mother was always there when she was sick. When she was little she'd stayed up with her all night, rocking her in an old rocker. Holding her tight, running her fingers through her hair. Then as she grew she'd camp out wherever Lexie had found most comfortable sick, and would play with her hair, massage her temples. Hum lullabies.
Her eyes still closed as she could now hear her mother's voice. Humming quietly.
It broke Lexie's heart that Meredith hadn't had that growing up. Her sister deserved that and so much more. She pictured seven year old Meredith hanging over a toilet with nobody holding her hair, rubbing her back. Telling her she'd be okay. A tear slipped down and Lexie wiped it away. "Sorry" She spoke quietly. "I am really sorry."
"I have people now, who will take care of me, when I am sick" Meredith stated brushing over Lexie's apology. "I went from having to take care of myself, to having three solid people who I can count on to take care of me."
Lexie turned her head slightly to look at Meredith.
"My husband, Christina, and my sister. Of course I know there are others, but my top three." Meredith handed Lexie the water bottle again. "Take a few sips, lets see if we can start getting fluids back into you, and don't give me those confused doe eyes, Lexie Grey." Meredith warned "Who was at my bedside day in and day out after donation surgery?"
Lexie took a few sips "But, I made you have that surgery. I had to make sure you got the care you needed. I owed you."
"No" Meredith shook her head "You didn't make me have it. You showed me why I wanted to do it, and you owe me nothing. I know that if I get sick, or hurt you'll show up. No questions asked. Tell me I am wrong?" She challenged her eyes narrowing.
Lexie couldn't argue it. She would show up for her sister if she asked her to or not. Molly wasn't really in the picture, and while she loved her little sister and her niece, their bond was different. And yes Lexie had made up some kind of fantasies about her big sister, that nobody really could have ever really filled. They weren't reality. Yet Meredith was special. Even when she pushed the girl away. When she allowed her friends to tease her and talk down to her. Lexie saw something in Meredith, and she vowed to love her, even if older Grey had never loved her back.
Though as time went on and the girls began to form their own bond. Lexie's heart and hope grew. It gave her one person, that was hers. With her mom gone and Thatcher rebuilding his life and Molly off living her life. Lexie had Meredith, her big sister. Nobody could take that title away from her. Not even on the worst of worse days.
"I'd show up" Lexie admitted quietly "Even if you didn't want me to."
Meredith couldn't help but laugh slightly "I know. That's why I said three for sures."
Lexie closed her eyes as she allowed the warm rag to soothe her head. "Incase I don't remember to say it later, thank you."
"Isn't there some kind of Hallmark Cheesy quote line, that states this is what a sister does?" Meredith asked as she rolled to her side to face Lexie.
"Probably" Lexie agreed as she managed a small smile.
"It's still really late..." Meredith offered "Or early, however you want to look at it. Do you think you can manage to go back to sleep?"
"My stomach feels better, now" Lexie admitted.
"If your stomach stays calm, in a few hours we really should push the fluids."
Lexie nodded, wincing at the pain moving her head caused "Right" She agreed. "What time are you going in tomorrow, are you sure I am not making things harder for you?"
"Off" Meredith stated as she stared at the ceiling.
Lexie opened her eyes in alarm "Wait.. You didn't call out because of me, did you?!"
Meredith rolled her eyes but shook her head. "I would have, but no. I am already off…Guess you just got lucky."
"No Meredith. You wouldn't have had to call out, I am fine by myself!"
"Of course you are," Meredith assured her as she rolled on her side facing Lexie. "Lexie, I have no doubt in my mind that you can care for yourself. YOu are a smart, brilliant, capable woman. You're a Grey." She added "Which means you are stubborn… and resilient…"
Lexie used her pajama sleeve to rub her eyes feeling Meredith's eyes on her even in the dark.
"You are," Meredith stated again.
The room fell quiet, the only thing that could be heard was a clock ticking in the hallway. However Lexie could still feel Meredith's eyes on her.
"Meredith, go to sleep" Lexie grumbled "quit staring at me. I am fine."
"That's crap." Meredith stated.
Lexie removed the wash rag from her forehead, so she could turn on her side slowly and face her sister. "It's just a bug. I'll be fine. I promise."
"We aren't talking about the flu, and we both know that." Meredith tucked her hands under cheeks to prop herself up just a little. Her blue eyes locked on Lexie. "You can lie to yourself, but you can't lie to me Lexie.
"Meredith, I can't." Her voice cracked her stomach churned slightly. "I don't want to puke again."
"You can't right now." Meredith agreed. "Right, now you close your eyes. You get sleep. You focus on kicking this flu...and maybe...You can let your guarded stubborn Grey gene-made wall down, and let me…." She paused for a moment as she reached out and clasped her hand around Lexie's arm. "Let me be the big sister...Please?"
Lexie swallowed hard praying she wouldn't puke again when Meredith was being so vulnerable with her. She managed a slight nod.