I have arisen to try and finish this story! i apologize for the lack of updates but having a newborn just turns your life upside down. my son is almost 4 months old and maybe we might be on a schedule. Fingers crossed. but as of now, i am working on the next few chapters, hoping to get them done and up. thank you to those of you that stuck around. I am currently playing old greys episodes in the background as i do things to spark inspiration. sorry for the long intro, hope you enjoy. xo michelle
Meredith stirred in her bed, just waiting for her alarm to go off. She wasn't able to sleep, today was the day for CJ's surgery. She had to wake up and take Scarlett to school before heading to Seattle Pres where the surgery would take place. Her head couldn't clear up, she couldn't think straight. All the possibilities of complications rattled her brain. She finally got some relief which lasted only a second when her alarm clock rang. She quickly got up and went into her daughter's room. She cut the light on.
"Get up Scar, time for school," Meredith said in a loving voice. Scarlett stirred in her sleep, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. Meredith smiled at her and went back to her room. She didn't want to wake CJ yet, she was just going to carry him to the car in his pajama's.
She looked in her closet, grabbing the most comfortable clothes she had. She slid on her jeans and long sleeve Dartmouth shirt, pulling her converse on her feet. She went to the bathroom, brushing her hair and teeth. She then went down the stairs and to her kitchen where Scarlett had made a bowl of cereal for herself. Meredith was glad Scarlett was old enough she could fix her own cereal and do somethings on her own.
"Good morning mama," Scarlett said with cereal in her mouth.
"Morning sweetie," she smiled and poured her coffee into her travel mug. She packed herself a few snacks in her purse for while she was waiting.
"Are all your clothes packed for Aunt Lexie's?" Meredith asked and the little girl nodded.
"Ok," Meredith smiled, she would go back through her clothes and make sure she didn't forget anything still.
"Get your shoes on honey," Meredith said to her daughter before going to CJ's room, he was still sleeping soundly. She cut his lamp on and put his socks and shoes on his feet. He didn't even budge when Meredith picked him up. He was a very heavy sleeper which was good for today. She grabbed his overnight bag and went into Scarlett's room, she made sure everything was in there and grabbed hers also. She would be staying with Lexie and Mark while CJ was in the hospital. She went down and Scarlett had her backpack ready and she was sitting, waiting on her mother.
"Ready?" Meredith asked and she nodded. They left the house and drove Scarlett to school, letting her out at the front door. She kissed her daughter and watched her walk into the school before driving to the hospital. She knew the routine as she went and checked her son in, he was still passed out in her arms. She filled out the paperwork, she had gotten too familiar with that which she hoped this would be the last time for this reason.
"Charles Fuleki," the nurse said from the door. Meredith grabbed her purse and she took her son back with the nurse. He opened his eyes a little bit, squinting as his eyes adjusted to the light.
"Good morning buddy," Meredith smiled at her son.
"I was sleepin mama," he mumbled to her.
"You were but do you remember what today is?" She asked him as she sat him on the hospital bed. He nodded, pointing to his head.
"Are you scared?" Meredith asked.
"No mama, me big boy," he said confidently. Meredith chuckled and shook her head. The nurse took his vitals and left. It wasn't long until Amelia came into the room.
"Good Morning, I'm Dr Shepherd and I will be doing your procedure little man," Amelia smiled at CJ, she had the same smile and eyes as Derek. You could tell they were siblings.
"Mornin' Dr Shepherd," he said back to her.
"I know you're a surgeon yourself but do you have any questions?" Amelia asked Meredith.
"No, I know the procedure like the back of my hand," Meredith said, pursing her lips. Her heart was still beating faster than it should.
"Do you have any questions CJ?" Amelia asked the little boy.
"When you done, can I have ice cream?" He asked her and Amelia chuckled, nodding at his question.
"Of course, that's the best part. I'll see you in a few minutes little man," Amelia said to him and said her goodbye to Meredith. Meredith changed CJ into a gown which he did not like at all. He didn't like the way it didn't close all the way but he stopped fighting it after a minute. The anesthesiologist came in and he asked a few questions and in the blink of an eye, CJ was being wheeled off to surgery and Meredith was being escorted into the waiting room. She pulled out the book she wanted to start reading but her brain wasn't letting her read. She could only think about what was happening back in the OR. She was terrified, she tried to keep herself distracted for the first hour but she couldn't.
"Good morning," a voice came from behind her and she turned to see who it was.
"Derek. What are you doing here?" She said to him.
"I couldn't let you go through this alone," he said, sitting beside her. Her heart skipped a beat, she couldn't believe what he was saying. Her eyes watered a little when he said that.
"You don't have to," she shook her head.
"I want to," he assured her with his McDreamy smile. She smiled back at him as he sat down next to her.
"What about your surgeries?" She asked.
"I asked Bailey for the day off," he replied. She shook her head, trying not to smile at him. They talked for a while, about their lives and she told him more about the kids. He told her about Zoe and time seemed to pass quickly with him there. They were the only two in there, which was very unusual. She yawned and chuckled a little.
"Didn't Get much sleep?" He raised his brow at her. She shook her head.
"Couldn't sleep at all last night," she said.
"Understandable, you can nap if you want and I'll wake you up when someone comes out," he said to her.
"No, I'll be fine," she shook her head.
"Meredith," he said to her. He put his arm around her neck, she immediately dropped her head to his chest. He made her feel safe, it was something she hadn't experienced in a long time. She drifted off to sleep to the sound of his heartbeat.
He just sat there, his arm around her and something made him just feel right, being there with her. He felt her breathing evenly, calmly. Just listening to the sound of the light snores coming from her, it was something he could get use to. He didn't want to push her, he knew that but he wanted this. He felt himself slowly doze off but was awaken when the door opened and he heard his sister's voice.
"Amy," he said, causing Meredith to stir and open her eyes.
"Is he ok?" Meredith muttered as she sat up, blinking her eyes until she was fully awake.
"He's going to be fine. I got all of the tumor successfully without too much damage to the rest of the cerebrum. Now when he wakes up, I'll assess his motor function just to be sure," Amelia said.
"Thank you so much. Can I go see him?" Meredith asked as she stood up.
"Of course," Amelia said and had a nurse guide her to his room.
"Derek," Amelia started before Derek interrupted her.
"We are just friends Amy, please don't make nothing of this and don't tell mom," he said.
"Derek please don't get into anything stupid," Amelia pleaded.
"I know what I'm doing Amelia and we are only friends," he said again.
"You keep saying that but friends don't hold each other like that," Amelia hummed before turning on her heels and walking off. Derek asked the nurse which room CJ was in and he went back. He had seen many kids after brain surgery but this one hit him harder than any other one. The bed made him look smaller than he already was, with wires hooked all over him and attached to the bandages wrapped around his head. Meredith looked sad, her hand was squeezing her sleeping son's hand.
"Hey," he said quietly. She didn't say anything, just looking back at Derek with sad eyes.
"I can go if you want me to," he said to her.
"It's fine, I want you to stay," she said, her eyes filled with tears. He frowned, slowly moving toward her and wrapping his arms around her. She buried her face into his chest as she began to sob. He comforted her, running one hand up and down her back and the other through her hair.
"He's going to be ok, they got the tumor and now he will get better," he whispered to her. They stood like that for a while. She finally pulled away when her tears stopped. He looked at her and caressed her red cheeks. She leaned up and planted an innocent kiss on his lips, it was quick and she pulled away with a smile.
"Thank you," she said.
"For what?" He asked with a furrowed brow.
"Being here, you really didn't have to," she said while pulling away from him.
"I wanted to," he replied with a smile.
"Mama," a small, fragile voice came from the little boy in the bed. Both Meredith and Derek looked at him, Meredith went over to him and grabbed his hand.
"Good afternoon sweetie," she said in a very soft and gentle voice. She rubbed her thumb across his cheek.
"Thirsty," he groaned, his throat irritated from the tube he had in his throat during surgery.
"Here buddy," she grabbed the box of apple juice the nurse had left and held it close to his mouth. He took a big drink of it, almost drinking it all.
"Look who came to see you," Meredith said cheerfully to the boy.
"Derek," he tried to smile as he said his name. CJ really liked Derek because he would play with him and do anything he wanted to when he was around.
"Hey there little man, you did so good," Derek praised him.
"Mama my head hurt," he frowned.
"They got the bad place out of your head honey, it's probably just sore," she said and she pages a nurse to come give him some medicine. The door opened but it wasn't a nurse.
"Aunt Lexie!" His eyes lit up from the bed.
"Hey buddy," Lexie said, she had a teddy bear with get well balloons attached to it.
"Hey Derek," Lexie smirked as she looked at her sister and him. She knew something was going on between them but Meredith didn't ever go into detail.
"Hey Lexie. I think I'm going to go so I can get Zoe from school," Derek said. He said goodbye to Meredith and CJ before leaving.
"Don't," Meredith shook her head at her sister. Lexie didn't say anything, she just continued to talk to her nephew about how he was feeling. Meredith breathed a little easier with Lexie avoiding the subject of Derek being there but she knew she would have to explain sometime.