GA and Private Practice are not mine
Derek and Patty arrive in the titular break room. Meredith sits and drinks coffee, Alex closes the fridge, Jackson studies a medical journal. All together, they notice Derek's presence with the little girl. Their looks are questioning, they wonder who this young girl is and what she is doing with Derek.
- Hey everyone, this is Patty and her friend Félix.
Everyone greets Patty and Felix. Patty, instinctively, approaches Derek a little afraid of the sight of these unknown people even though Derek has told her that he knows them and that he protects her.
Derek sees her concern, he decides to make the introductions.
-Patty, this is my wife Meredith, isn't she beautiful? (Derek smiles at Patty.) The man next to the fridge, he's a specialist doctor for children, his name is Alex and the other is to make people look better, it's Jackson.
- Make people more beautiful? Does he help the children too?
-You are already very beautiful, aren't you Jackson?
-Absolutely. I have to go to the OR.
Jackson leaves the room.
-You are a specialist in what sir?
-Call me Derek. I am a neurosurgeon. It means that I operate in people's heads.
Patty widens her eyes, surprise, people's heads must be very dangerous, she thought Derek must be very brave.
Meredith speaks.
-Derek, I'm glad to see that you are making new friends. (Alex chuckles.)
Derek turns to Patty.
-Patty, there's a couch over there, you could go. I need to talk to Alex and Meredith for a moment.
-Okay
Patty walks away on her crutches and sits on the couch.
Derek moves closer to Meredith and Alex.
-I need you. I have a problem.
Derek doesn't speak very loudly to prevent Patty from overhearing.
Derek explains the situation and shows Patty's mother's letter. Meredith and Alex are shocked.
Alex remembers Patty, she was in a car accident at the age of 5, her knee was badly injured, she was too young at the time for reconstruction. He knows that parents have financial difficulties, parents seemed to him to be good parents who love their child.
- Do you have their address? It's absolutely necessary to find them the social services will never take charge of the preparation
-Yes, I have their address.
-Give me this address, I'll go. Meanwhile, I want one of you to find a shrink Dr Wyatt for example or ask her about her daily home behavior and her parents' behavior. I want to know if they are good parents with her.
Meredith looks at Derek, he seems invested in this story for this little girl, he looks worried.
The story of this little girl disturbs Meredith.
-I'll take care of it.
-Very good, thank you Meredith.
Derek watches Patty play with her bear Felix. She's so cute, so innocent. I really have to find her parents, he thinks.
Alex searches for Patty's file in the computer files of the hospital, he quickly finds the address of Patty's parents. Derek wrote it down on a piece of paper.
-I'm going to free myself the day of the surgeries, unfortunately, I think it will take time to sort this out.
-Good luck. (Meredith said)
Derek leaves the room leaving Meredith and Alex alone with Patty.
Patty looks up, looks at Meredith and Alex.
-Derek is gone, is he coming back soon?
Meredith sighs, walks over to Patty, she sits down across from her.
-Yes do not worry. Look, I need you to answer a few questions about your parents.
Patty looks at Meredith for a moment, Derek is right, she is very beautiful. She hugs Felix against her chest.
-Okay. Can I continue to play with Felix?
-Of course.
The interrogation of Meredith lasted two hours. Everything is normal in Patty's house, her father and mother are good parents. During thoses hours, Meredith took a liking to this little girl. Patty is very intelligent, loving. Meredith is really hoping that Derek will find this little girl's father and mother.
Derek went to the address indicated by Alex, but there was no one house is empty, no furniture. Derek is desperate to find the parents of this little girl. He is furious with himself for not having succeeded, he is worried about Patty's operation and her future.
Derek returns to the hospital quickly, he returns to the regular staff room. He sees Meredith and Patty laughing together. This scene warms his heart. Meredith looks at him for a moment then decides to walk up to him.
-I'm coming back, Patty.
Meredith walks over to Derek.
-Hey your new friend is very funny. Her parents are good parents, all is well in the house.
-I do not doubt it. Thank you Meredith for your help. Meredith, I went to the address Alex gave me, the house is empty, there was no one, no furniture.
Meredith is speechless.
-My God.
-I am very worried. I have to ask Patty where her parents could be.
Meredith and Derek approach Patty who is still playing with Felix. Derek and Meredith kneel down to come up to him.
-Patty, I have a question for you about your parents.
-Derek, are my parents dead?
Immediately Meredith and Derek move a little closer to Patty to reassure her
-No Patty.
-No Patty. Do not worry. I'm looking for them. You would have an idea where your parents are going if they are not at home.
-Maybe at my Aunt Katie's house.
Patty looks scared.
-My parents have problems?
Derek tries to reassure Patty.
Patty, listen to me, I'll do my best to find your parents, I promise. You trust me ?
Patty looks into Derek's eyes. She feels safe.
-Yes.
-Very well. Patty, I promise I will always tell you the truth about your parents. Do you know your aunt's address?
Patty is reassured by Derek's promise. She gives him her aunt's address.
-Thank you Patty. I'm going to go to this address and do all I can to get you back to your parents.
-Thank you Derek.
Derek gets up, Meredith decides to stay with Patty feeling that the young girl needs comfort and support.
Derek parks in front of Patty's aunt's house. He sighs heavily in front of the wheel of his car. He gets out of the car, heads for the house, then knocks on the door. A woman opens.
-Hello Madam, I'm Dr Derek Shepherd of Grey Sloane Memorial Hospital.
This morning, your sister left her daughter alone in our emergency room ...
- I cannot answer you.
Suddenly, a man appears, he does not look pleasant, he orders the woman to close the door.
The woman tries to obey. But Derek physically refuses to close the door.
-Patty is very scared, she wants to see her parents again.
The woman seems very cold. Derek realizes something is wrong. This woman is not Patty's aunt. She looks a lot like Patty just like the man.
-Tell him we're sorry. It's over.
Derek explodes in anger.
-What's over? ! It's your daughter !
Derek manages to get home. The woman moves back and approaches her husband.
-Your daughter needs to have an operation, she needs you to be there for her. She is scared.
The woman folds her arms, she seems very withdrawn. The man responds.
-We've been drowned in bills since the accident, we're riddled with debt. We tried, we did everything we could, it doesn't cost too much.
-We love him, said the woman, but we can't, we can't anymore. It's over.
Derek has a violent urge to murder. He is terribly angry and he is in total incomprehension. How to abandon his child, because it costs too much? He looks at Patty's parents with deep disgust.
-Your daughter has survived a car accident, years of rehabilitation and the day of the operation which could improve her life you let her down ? ! This child is full of life, she is beautiful, strong, intelligent. I would be able to walk on broken glass for this kid !
The parents remain silent, their eyes are shy. Derek is mad with anger and revolt.
-You know what, you are right, it is to finish because you did not deserve it !
Derek abruptly leaves the house. He drives with rage and anger towards the hospital. He remains alone in his car for a moment, completely in shock. He decides after an hour to return to the hospital. He goes to Bailey's office.
-Bailey, I need a favor
Bailey immediately sees that Derek is not in his usual state.
-What's wrong?
-There is a little girl who has surgery planned today, I need this surgery to take place.
-His parents ?
-Her parents signed all the pre-operative papers, everything was fine, but they abandoned him.
-You have to call social services.
-And then she will not have her operation, she had an accident at the age of 5, she has back problems, hernias, she considered elective, social services will not pay.
-We need parents to operate on children.
-And if we pretend they're there.
-Dr Shepherd you come here, you expect me to violate the ethics of the hospital to essentially commit fraud.
-There is a little girl in the incumbent's rest room alone with Meredith waiting for her life-changing surgery. Surgery that she won't be able to have unless she skips a step in the process and lets things go as they were supposed to. Please Bailey, I looked Patty's parents in the eye, they don't care, this surgery must help her.