Chapter 16: Maybe Carolyn Can Help

"I don't know Mom...she's just...she looks at me and she looks so helpless… I just want to help her." Derek sighed, sitting across from his mother in her kitchen. They were waiting for Mark and Lexie to get there for dinner. He needed someone's advice who was looking in from the outside.

"You said she might be losing too much weight?" His mother frowned as she stirred a pot of homemade chili.

"She hardly eats anything...a few pieces of toast here and there but that's not enough."

"How long has this been going on?"

"Four months...maybe a little more."

"Derek if she's not eating enough or sleeping...she needs professional help." She replied. "More than just her therapist."

"Don't you start with that too." Derek sighed. "She doesn't need to be committed."

"You don't think so?"

"No."

"Do you think she's sick?"

"What do you mean?"

"As a doctor...when you look at her what do you see? What's wrong with her? What are her symptoms?"

"I see a very fragile woman who's in a lot of pain because she just lost her husband."

"As a doctor..."

"I see an underweight woman, who if she doesn't eat, is going to end up suffering from malnutrition." Derek sighed.

"I understand that you want to help her. I do." The older woman wiped her hands on her apron, before turning to her son. "It's clearly a much bigger task. If you, Lexie, and her friend want to help her you have to take time..."

"What if someone had done that to you after Dad died?"

"I would have had a big problem with it." She answered honestly.

"Exactly."

"Derek...she's dying inside. She's had the worst happen and she is literally dying. I had you guys...I had my kids and an amazing family to get me through." Carolyn Shepherd explained, sitting across from him. "She doesn't have a child to push her to the next day."

"I won't do it." Derek shook his head. "I won't..."

"It's not up to you..." His mother pointed out. "It doesn't sound like something Lexie would do… maybe that's not what's best for her."

"Hey guys!" They heard Mark shout as the front door opened.

"We're in the kitchen." Derek called.

"Hey." Lexie breathed, sitting her purse down on the counter before walking over to hug Carolyn. "Long time no see."

"Good to see you too." Carolyn hugged her.

"What's up?" Mark asked, going to get a cold beer.

"The chili is almost ready." Carolyn smiled, hugging Mark.

"Smells amazing." Lexie replied, taking her own beer.

"Thanks Dear."

"She's been working really hard on it." Derek smiled weakly.

"Has Meredith texted you?" Lexie asked, looking at her own phone.

"Not since earlier."

"Damn." Lexie groaned.

"She said she was going to try to take a nap."

"Well, if she sleeps that, would be nice." Lexie shrugged.

"Let's sit down to dinner." Carolyn interrupted. "Mark...can you grab the cornbread?"

"Got it." Mark said as he reached for the serving plate.

"Well enjoy everyone."

"Thanks Mom." Mark smiled, reaching for his spoon as Lexie picked her phone up again.

"If she's sleeping, you're going to wake her up." Derek pointed out before Lexie started typing.

"She hasn't answered a single text all day." Lexie groaned.

"Try calling." Mark suggested.

"No." Carolyn shook her head. "Don't do it."

"Why not?" Lexie frowned.

"If she's finally asleep, you will wake her." Carolyn Shepherd continued. "If she's awake, she's going to be reminded that nobody thinks she's stable."

"She's right." Derek nodded, pouring himself some water.

"I've been where Meredith is Lexie."

"As bad as she is?"

"I don't know if I was."

"I still think she needs to be hospitalized." Lexie sighed.

"No...just...no." Derek argued, putting his fork down.

"Just give her a chance to find something to live for." Carolyn Shepherd explained. "She needs people to take care of her without hounding her. She needs someone to pick her up when she falls, and she needs someone who...gets what she is going through."

"Like you." Derek breathed.

"Exactly." Mark replied quietly.

"What are you suggesting?" Lexie looked at him strangely.

"Let Mom talk to her." Derek replied.

"She doesn't know Mom." Lexie pointed.

"What if we make it seem like we meet on accident?" Carolyn suggested, taking a deep breath. "I wouldn't have wanted a stranger to just talk to me...but what if it was an accident?"

"How are we supposed to do that?"

"I don't know." The older woman shrugged.

"She's hurting, but she's not stupid." Mark added in.

"How many times have I shown up at your home Derek to bring you food and you're at work?" His mother asked, turning to Derek.

"More times than I can count..."

"So what if I do it again?"

"She walks Cash every day at noon."

"You really think showing up with a pie and tissues is going to fix Grey?" Mark smirked.

"Mark..." Carolyn shot Mark a look.

"Do you think you can help her?" Lexie was desperate.

"I do." The older woman nodded.

"She's pretty messed up." Lexie frowned.

"What if Mom can't help her?" Mark asked.

"Then we'll have no choice." Lexie breathed, looking over at Derek.

"I..."

"I have four daughters'...I can fix anything." His mother replied. "I have been where she is."

"Let her try." Derek breathed.

"It's one of the last things you guys can try." Mark replied, squeezing Lexie's hand.

"Fine. But I'm serious. If this doesn't work..." Lexie shook her head, before checking her phone again.

"If it doesn't work then we will find something that does." Carolyn Shepherd replied.

"Well...maybe it will work." Lexie sighed. "She doesn't...she'll be worse if we put her in a hospital."

"That...and staying out at the trailer...something has to work." Derek nodded.

"And she really likes your dog." Mark added.

"Because of Sylvester." Lexie sighed.

"There are things we can all do to help her...we just have to do them." Derek's Mom said as she buttered her cornbread.

"Then let's do them." Derek breathed.

"Derek...call me tomorrow with the best time to go over this week and I will." His mother winked. "On accident of course."

"I will." He smiled weakly.

"Lexie...is she a chocolate loving girl?" She asked.

"If you're speaking in terms of making your brownies...I'm sure she would love them." Lexie grinned.

"Great...I'll make a double batch." Carolyn smiled.

"When you make those brownies...will I get some?" Mark asked, finishing off his chili.

"I'll save some for you too, dear."

"Perfect." Mark grinned, leaning over to kiss Carolyn's cheek. "You're my favorite."

"Uh huh." Carolyn Shepherd rolled her eyes.

"She loves me more than you." Mark clapped, pointing to Derek.

"Yeah right." Derek smiled.

"Boys..." Carolyn Shepherd laughed. "Finish your dinner."

"Thank you Carolyn." Lexie smiled weakly.

"No need to thank me."

"She just...she doesn't know how to handle things and she needs help."

"I will do whatever I possibly can."

"I just..." Lexie stopped, jumping when her phone rang.

'Is it her?" Derek asked quickly.

"No." Lexie groaned. "It's the alarm on my phone reminding me to call Alex at the hospital. Damn it, Meredith!"

"She's probably asleep." He tried to convince himself.

"Believe it or not...being alone sometimes is okay." Mark replied.

"Not for her...not right now." Lexie argued.

"Lexie." Carolyn moved her hand across the table and over Lexie's. "We're going to help your sister."

"I hope so."

"Now let's just eat and we can worry about this more later." His mom suggested.

"Good idea." Derek nodded, checking his own phone.

"That means phones to the side...and we'll have a quiet dinner." She warned.

"Just checking."

"Alright then." Mark nodded, pushing his chair forward. "Let's eat."

"Yeah." Derek picked up his fork again, looking around at everyone before he started to eat again. Like Lexie, he was hoping for just one message from Meredith. Just one word to at least let him know that she was okay. He needed to do something and if getting his mom involved was going to help, he wasn't going to hesitate. He hoped that she would be open to it.