Ellie woke up with Alex in the other queen bed. She read the note from her mom explaining that she headed back to the hospital. Her head was pounding and her wrist ached. She put on her jeans that were now dried. She attempted to put on her soggy, blood stained shirt but threw it out and instead but on Alex's sweatshirt. When she came out of the bathroom Alex was awake holding out a banana and some medications for her to take. She loved how he always knew exactly what she needed. Alex was close with Zola and Bailey too but Alex was particularly close with Ellie. They had a secret handshake and everything. "We should head to the hospital to see your mom and-" He cut off. Ellie looked down and pushed her hair out of her face. "She's with him, she went back last night so she knows who he is… Alex who is he? I need somebody to say it." She was shaking a little. "I'm gonna let your mom do the explaining." They gathered all of their belongings and checked-out.
They walked into the man's room. Ellie saw her mom lying on the bed with the man. "Hi mom." She stood there uncomfortably shifting her weight from side to side. Meredith jumped up and walked over and gave Ellie a hug. "How are you feeling?" She asked moving her messy hair behind her shoulders and out of her face. "I'm fine." With that the man on the bed chuckled. "God she's just like you Mer- you guys must always be fine." Ellie looked at Meredith puzzled. "Honey we should talk." They left the room and sat in the hallway.
"El, I don't know how this happened, but, that man, is Derek Shepherd. He's your dad. Somehow, this happened and it makes me sick thinking about it, but he is alive, and he is your dad." A tear fell from Ellie's eye. "How could this happen? Whose fault is this? How could they do this? They ruined lives. How do I go in there and talk to my dad for the first time in my life?" Ellie rambled on angrily.
Meredith was a little shocked at her reaction. "I don't know honey, you don't have to go in there right now if you don't want to." "Mom, I don't think I'm ready." "Ok, then we wait." She knew Derek would be disappointed but didn't want to push Ellie. She brushed Ellie's dark hair out of her face again and then got up to speak to someone about discharging Derek. After speaking for about an hour with a kind nurse, Derek would be discharged the next day if he could sit up. Meredith was torn with wanting to be with Derek and wanting to be with Ellie. It shouldn't be this way; her whole family should be together. Alex took Ellie to get food while Meredith helped Derek with the Physical therapist. When Alex and Ellie came back later that night with take-out for Meredith and Derek, he was sitting up an extending his arms.
The three of them went back to the hotel for the night. None of them could sleep. Meredith had called Zola and Bailey, which was the hardest phone call she ever had to make. Bailey only had 2 finals left so planned to leave immediately after them in a few days. Bailey would be home for summer by the weekend but Zola had committed to an internship in Germany and would only be able to make it home for a long weekend before she needed to head there, which she was incredibly upset about.
Meredith woke up the next morning nudging Ellie who was sleeping beside her. Alex was snoring in the other bed but woke when Meredith got in the shower. Within 30 minutes they were out the door. They went to Derek's room where he was already in his wheelchair. As they were leaving the hospital they walked past Paul's room. Meredith wanted to kill him. Ellie turned into the room and Meredith tried to hold her back. Ellie picked up his chart. Meredith was right behind her, even though he was handcuffed, she did not want to leave him alone with her. Alex wheeled Derek in as well when Ellie began to speak. Tears rolling down her cheeks. "I don't hate people. I have a lot of wonderful people in my life that I love. When I was little, you were my monster. I hated you more than anything because to me, you weren't a person. You were an ugly, scary, mean monster. Up until two days ago, I hated you. But now… I am thankful for you. It is because of you that my mom and I ended up in this hospital. Because of you, my mom is now with my dad. I always wondered why you were brought into my life. Now I know, without you, my dad would still be here, and I would still be without a father. So while you are a monster, I am thankful for you. And while you are rotting in jail, as a paraplegic, I will be at home, happy with my family. Thanks." She looked at everybody staring back at her. Derek was shocked she called him dad; she had been so distant ever since finding out. That was step. He thought to himself. Meredith wanted to say so much to him but was so angry she couldn't find the words. Ellie's speech was so dignified and caught her off-guard. In her most levelheaded voice she began, "For the last time, stay away from her, she's mine." She didn't understand why those words came out, she knew he wouldn't be able to move, and he'd be in jail. She just needed him to know how she felt; she then spit towards him and walked out. Alex smirked and began wheeling Derek out as he said, "have a nice life you son of a bitch."