"Dr Robbins, this isn't working. It's been four and a half weeks and she's just miserable in the brace." Christopher sighed into the phone.

"Okay, you can take her out of it. She's been in it for the majority of the six weeks. Her hip should've healed by this point anyways. That should be fine for her to be out of it already." Dr Robbins said.

They continue talking about Mereidth's condition for a few more minutes. Dr Robbins also suggests a wheelchair for Meredith if she has trouble walking. They discuss that for a few and then hang up.

He walks over to the living room where Carolyn is sitting with all of the kids. They're busy watching a movie. Carolyn has Meredith propped up next to her with a bunch of pillows. Amelia is sitting next to Meredith.

"Hey Meredith, good news sweetie." Christopher says softly to her. He kneels down in front of her.

"What?" Meredith asks softly.

"Dr Robbins says you can take off your brace now. We can be done with the brace. You don't have to wear this brace anymore."

"Really???" Meredith says, getting excited. "Can I take it off now?"

"She's really okay to take it off now?" Carolyn asks her husband.

"She is. We talked about some other things also but we can talk about that later on." He tells her.

Carolyn nods. "Okay Mer, let's get this brace off of you. Amelia, are you okay if we pause the movie? We'll start it again after we finish taking the brace off of her."

"Okay! Can I come? I wanna watch! No, I wanna help Mer!" Amelia says excitedly.

"You can't take it off of her but you can come if you want." Carolyn says. "Is that okay with you Mer?"

Meredith nods. "Come on Amelia! I want this off now! It hurts!" She raises her arms up for Christopher to carry her.

He picks her up and they go into the girls' room. He lets Carolyn help her.

"Okay let's do this sweetie. You'll feel so much better when it's off." Carolyn says, smiling at the small girl.

"Hurry up Mommy! I wanna play with Mer! She needs that off!" Amelia says loudly.

"Amelia, hold on. I'm working on taking this off of her. There's a lot of straps holding it in place."

After a few minutes the brace is off and Meredith sighs in relief.

"Thank you mommy! That feels better!" Meredith smiles.

"Come on Mer! Let's go play now!" Amelia races off down the hallway, expecting Meredith to follow her. "Mer! Come on!" She calls out.

Meredith slowly gets up and tries to walk but struggles and falls to the floor. "Mommy, why can't I walk still? It's so hard and hurts!"

"I know sweetie. It's because of your severe EDS and your pain disease. I know it's hard. I hate how it's so severe on your body." Carolyn picks up Meredith and carries her to where Amelia is.

"Mommy! Why are you carrying Mer? She's all better now! Her brace is off! She can walk Mommy! She's all better right?" Amelia says.

"Amelia, Meredith's illness is a lifelong disease. It's severe on her body which is why she struggles walking. Just because her brace is off doesn't mean she's all better now. I wish it was that easy but it's not. But Mer can still play with you! She can still have fun with you." Carolyn explains. "Meredith will need your help though sometimes, so no racing ahead of her thinking she's right behind you. You'll need to wait for her and help her? Can you do that sweetie?"

"Oh. Okay! Yeah! I can help Mer! I love her!" Amelia says after thinking for a moment. "Mer! Let's play doctor! Do you wanna be the patient? You can lay down and not have to move much."

"I don't want to be the patient! I don't like being the patient!!! It hurts!" Meredith whines.

"But Mer, you don't have to move! And you know how to be a patient better than me!" Amelia says.

"No!" Meredith pouts.

"Okay, I guess you can be the doctor! Let me go get our hospital stuff!" She races off to grab the needed hospital toy set.

——————

It's been a week and Meredith is still having trouble walking. Her legs just don't want to support her body. She tries taking a few steps but always falls to the floor. The Shepherds decide that they need to take her back in to see Dr Robbins. It might finally be time for the wheelchair.

Carolyn helps Meredith out of the car and Christopher carries her inside the hospital. "Let's go see Dr Robbins sweetie."

"Puppy's scared!" Meredith whines.

"Tell Puppy that he doesn't have to be scared. Dr Robbins won't hurt him." Carolyn says, knowing that Meredith is using Puppy to show how she is feeling.

They find Dr Robbins who does a quick examination on Meredith. She watches Meredith try to walk and listens to the Shepherds tell her what's been going on.

"I think it might be time to get Meredith her own wheelchair. She's struggling a lot and I don't want her to have to continue struggling. She could hurt herself trying to walk and we don't want that. Her EDS is such a severe case that I don't think we can get away with just her crutches." Dr Robbins says.

"I don't like being the patient!" Meredith mutters.

"What sweetie?" Carolyn asks.

"I don't wanna be the patient anymore! I don't like it! It hurts! And Amy always makes me be it when we play doctor!" Meredith pouts, trying to sit up but struggling to so she gives up and continues laying down on the hospital bed. "It's not fair Mommy! Amelia doesn't have to wear this hospital gown or go to the hospital! It hurts Mommy!" Meredith starts to cry.

"Oh baby girl. I know, it's so hard. It's not fair that you always have to be poked and prodded all the time. I wish I could make you all better." Carolyn says. "And I will talk to Amelia. You shouldn't always have to be the patient when you guys play doctor. You guys should take turns playing each part."

"Okay. Thanks." Meredith whispers.

"Hey Meredith, did you know you can have cool designs on your wheelchair? Any idea what you would want on yours?" Dr Robbins asks, trying to distract the little girl.

"Really?" Meredith asks, wide eyed. "Can I have princesses on it?"

"You sure can!" Dr Robbins, says smiling at her. "We'll get that ordered for you but in the meantime you can use a plain one okay sweetie? We'll get you your princesses one! Would you like it to be pink also?"

Meredith nods. "Yes! Pink!"

"You got it! I think you're going to have the coolest wheelchair in Seattle Meredith!" Dr Robbins says excitedly, trying to get Meredith excited about the wheelchair. She doesn't want her to be embarrassed by it.

"Yay! Mommy! Daddy! It's gonna be pink and have princesses on it! Puppy is gonna love it also!" Meredith says loudly.

"It's going to look so nice Mer! It's perfect for you!" Christopher says.

Dr Robbins tells them she will order it and it should be in soon.

———————

"Mer! Mer! Wake up! It's Derek's birthday!!!" Amelia says excitedly, while waking Meredith up.

Meredith slowly wakes up and sees Amelia next to her all excited.

"Mer! Let's go wake Derek up! I'll help you okay?" Amelia says.

"Okay!" Meredith says smiling. "We gotta be real quiet so he doesn't wake up before we surprise him!"

"Yeah! Come on!" Amelia helps Meredith out of bed and puts her arms around her to help her walk. Unfortunately Meredith is unable to walk and falls to the ground.

"Melia, I wanna wake him up! But I can't walk!" Meredith whines.

"Wait! I gots an idea! Hold on!" Amelia runs off and comes back a minute later with a small stroller. She didn't know where Meredith's temporary wheelchair is at. "Sit in this Mer! I'll push you!" Amelia helps Meredith into the stroller and pushes her to Derek and Mark's room.

"Shh!" Meredith says.

Amelia slowly opens their door and sees both boys sound asleep in their beds. Amelia pushes Meredith right next to Derek's bed. Amelia holds up one finger, than two, than three. At three both girls yell "HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEREK!"

Amelia jumps on top of Derek and giggles. "Wake up! It's your birthday!

"Derek! Derek! Derek! Wake up! Wake up!" Meredith yells.

"I'm up!" Derek says laughing at the two girls. "Hi you guys. Thanks! I think you woke up the whole neighborhood." He says laughing. He tickles Amelia, who is still sitting on top of him.

"Stop! Stop! That tickles!" Amelia giggles.

Mark has been trying to sleep this whole time and eventually gives up. "You two girls are so loud." He jokes.

"It's not our fault!" Meredith giggles. "It's Derek's fault!" She giggles a lot.

"How is it my fault?" Derek asks the younger girl while laughing.

"It's your birthday! So we had to come wake you up!" Meredith shrugs and continues giggling.

Derek laughs and shakes his head.

"Hey you two. Let's let the boys sleep for a little bit longer." Carolyn says coming into the room. "Happy birthday Der." Carolyn sees that Meredith is in the stroller and smiles at that. She knows that Amelia must have gotten her in that to help her be able to participate in waking Derek up.

"Yes. Please. I want to sleep more." Mark says.

"Okay….." Amelia says, dragging out the word. "Come on Mer! I'll push you!"

Meredith smiles and Amelia pushes her down the hallway and into their playroom.

————-

A few hours later Derek's birthday party is going on. Derek has a few of his friends over.

Derek, Mark and their friends are running around all over the backyard. They're playing soccer and Meredith really wants to join in but can't.

"I wanna play soccer! It's not fair Mommy!" Meredith whines. "I wanna play!"

"I know you want to play sweetie. Why don't you be their cheerleader again? I know they loved it the last time." Carolyn suggests.

"I guess." Meredith sighs. "Where's Amelia?"

"She went into the house for something. I'm not sure what." Carolyn says.

A few minutes later Amelia comes running out of the house. "Mer! Mer! Mer! I got you something!"

Meredith looks and sees Amelia holding her blanket and her face lights up. "My blankie! Thanks Melia!" Meredith clutches her puppy in her arms and smiles.

"I got both of our blankets! We can cuddle with our stuffed animals and watch them play!" Amelia covers Meredith with her blanket and then covers herself with hers as she sits right next to Meredith. "I brought more stuffed animals for us also! Here's your unicorn!"

Meredith is smiling so brightly right now. She is completely distracted from being unable to play with the boys now.

"Amelia, that was so sweet of you." Carolyn said to her daughter.

"I wanted to make Meredith happy Mommy!"

"You definitely did, baby." Carolyn says, smiling.

Hey guys!

We hope you enjoyed! I just wanted to let you know that I am going on vacation today so I will most likely not be able to write this week! Once I'm back I'll be able to write again! However, the stories that could possibly be updated are my collabs. Locked Away and Fever will be updated once I'm back and am able to write again!

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and special thanks to my co-writer _Ktje_