Disclaimer: Grey's Anatomy is not mine- too bad.
Rating: KTDerek woke with his cell phone still in his hands. Looking at the time it read 5:15 am. He couldn't believe he had slept until 7:15 in the morning. He should have been up at five to check on the baby girl, but Addison hadn't paged so he suspected everything was fine.
Getting up he straightened his scrubs and coat and smoothed down his hair. Walking out of the on call room he headed towards pediatrics. Standing in the room Addison was speaking with his patients parents as the baby slept in an incubator.
Once he entered both parents turned to look at him,
"Thank you," the baby's father said shaking Derek's hand as his wife nodded.
"I was happy to help. She looks like she will be fine," Derek smiled.
"Thank you… this is wonderful. Dr. Montgomery told us you were the best. Where is it you are from?" the woman spoke up.
"Uh, originally here, but now I live in Seattle," Derek answered the question.
"Well…I… thank you so much for making the trip out here dropping everything it seems," her husband shook his hand once again.
"Well if you'll excuse me I need to go do some paper work," Derek excused himself and went to the nearest nurse's station.
A half hour later he was still filling out the baby's chart.
"Do you have any children Dr. Sheppard?" Mrs. Gregory, the baby girls mother approached him.
Derek looked up at her,
"Yes. I have three," he told her.
"Charlotte is our first. Does it get hard? I mean does it get hard operating on children since you have children?" she asked.
Derek answered immediately,
"With any patient I do my absolute best and everything I can possibly do for that patient. When it comes to children however I have extra cautious knowing as a parent what it must feel like to have a child on the operating table… that feeling of dread and uncertainty…" Derek cut himself off and closed the chart and went to file it. As he filed it the woman smiled and nodded,
"How old are they?" she asked
Without looking up from the files Derek answered,
"Andrew is five, Lilliana is three, and Kieran is two," he found the charts place and looked up at the woman, "if you'll excuse me I need to be getting back to Seattle," Derek shook her hand once more and sprinted off towards Addison's office. His patient's family probably thought he was some sort of rude big headed doctor but right now what was important to him was his wife, his two boys and his sick little girl.
"Addison you can see Charlotte through recovery right?" he asked pulling out his blackberry and getting online to check flights into Seattle.
"Uh yeah…Derek what's going on?" She asked looking up at him her glasses pushed down her nose.
"I need to get back to Seattle Addie, I just upped and left. Lilly isn't getting any better and Meredith is stressing out. She has a full day and she needs to get the boys taken care of…I need to be there,"
Addison looked at him a moment. Part of her still wondered 'what if'. What if she and he had had kids… but then she couldn't imagine that he would be happy…well as happy as he is with Meredith the woman who despite all that Addison wanted to be true wasn't a bad person and had treated Addison with the utmost respect- always.
"Go. Thank you for coming you really are the best," Addison stood and hugged him. Derek hugged her back and literally ran out of the hospital grabbing a taxi and taking back to his useless hotel room where he held the taxi quickly changed and ran back down. If they got to JFK in time he could make the ten o'clock flight.
Meredith made her way around the kitchen as she made Andy's lunch and waited for the boy's waffles to pop up in the toaster. Drinking out of her coffee mug she put it down once she saw the time and ran to the stairs making her way up them,
"Shit! Its 7:15," she needed to get the boys fed and ready to go in time to have Andy at school by eight.
"ANDREW MICHAEL," she bellowed as she climbed the stairs. The little boy popped his head out from her room.
"What?" he asked
"We have half an hour, go down stairs as soon as I bring Kieran down I will butter and put syrup on your waffles.
Andy nodded. Meredith made her way in Kieran's room where he sat in his crib dressed from when she had dressed him earlier.
"Let's go get breakfast," she told him as she swung him out of the crib and carried him out into the hall and downstairs.
Once she was back downstairs she took the boys waffles and placed them on separate plates making sure Kieran's had no syrup and was cut into small pieces.
Walking over to the cabinet where she kept the children's cold medicine and other medicines Meredith opened it and grabbed the Children's Airborne. She wasn't a big fan of it but with Lilly having pneumonia who knew what else was lurking around the house and even what she was bringing into the house from the hospital.
Reading the directions she took the right amount and dumped it into the boys orange juice stirring it thoroughly. Tapping the spoon against Kieran's sippy cup she dropped it into the sink with a loud clank and set the cup in front of her sons.
"Drink up," she said glancing at the clock noticing she had fifteen minutes before she needed to be leaving the house in order to get Andy to school on time.
Andy took a sip and scrunched up his face, "Mom this is not orange juice!" he said pushing it away.
"Yes it is…it just has some medicine in there to keep you from getting sick I need you to drink it if you want to see Lilly this afternoon," Meredith told him staring at him pointedly.
Andy plugged his nose and tipped his head back as he took two giant gulps. Making a face he pushed the drink away,
"Mom can I have water too?" he asked as Meredith came back into the room with his shows, Kieran's shoes and Andy's backpack in hand. Grabbing a paper cup she hit the water dispenser on the side of the fridge filling it up and handing it to him.
"Put your dish in the sink when you're done. Kieran I need you to finish that drink please," Meredith had no time for Kieran to pull any crap.
"No!" Kieran protested kicking his legs in his high chair causing the cup to fall of the chair and hit the floor; the lid Meredith had not put on properly in her rush broke off rolling away as orange juice went everywhere.
"Kieran!" Meredith yelled. The two year old looked at the mess and then at his mother's tired face then back at the mess before bursting into tears. At this point Meredith had no patience. Where the hell was Derek when she needed him the most.
"You, shoes on," she pointed at Andy whose face had gone white when he saw what happened. The five year old jumped from his place on the table and took the shoes from his mother's hands and then ran to the coat closet pulling out his heavy coat and beanie.
Meredith took Kieran's plate off of his high chair table and threw it into the sink chipping the plate as it landed. Unhooking the table she roughly put his shoes on and velcroed them closed. Picking him up she side stepped the giant orange juice spill and sat him on the island in the middle of the kitchen. Andy rushed in handing her his brothers' coat and gloves.
"Thank you baby; get your backpack and go put it in the car please," Meredith told Andy who immediately did as he was told. Meredith geared Kieran up for one of the harshest Seattle winters she had ever experienced and set him down in the living room.
"Don't move," she told him sitting him down on the carpet as tears still ran down his cheeks.
Meredith sprinted back into the kitchen and pulled paper towels off their roll and started to clean up the orange juice, once it was off the floor she took a damp clothe and washed the spot on the kitchens flag stone flooring once again to ensure ants wouldn't come looking.
Looking up at the clock she realized she needed to have left a minute before. Grabbing her purse and checking to make sure she had everything she picked up Kieran, Kieran's diaper bag, grabbed the keys off their hook near the garage door and entered the garage to see Andy sitting in his seat buckled and ready to go. Thank God I can trust at least one Shepherd man. She thought to herself as she put Kieran, still crying into his car seat before jumping into the driver's side and opening the garage door pulling out of her garage and driveway and onto the street; heading towards Washington Elementary their local elementary school.
Christina poked her head into Lilliana Shepherd's room. The little girl was just waking up.
"Aunt Christina, where's mommy?" the little girls voice trembled.
"Hey Wild Thing, Mommy is coming," Christina sat down on Lilly's bed.
"What about Daddy? Is he mad? He didn't come at all yesterday," Lilly snuggled up against Christina.
"Oh no! Daddy isn't mad with you. He needed to help someone else that's all," Christina could wring Derek Shepherd's neck.
Lilly nodded.
"Is Jason at day care?" she asked.
Christina nodded,
"I wish I was there," Lilly told her.
"Only a few more days of this W.T.," Christina comforted her wrapping an arm around her. Hearing Christina's pager go off Lilly looked up at her,
"Better get going,"
Even at three years old Lilliana knew the workings of the hospital. It was her second home. What was to be expected when both parents are surgeons as well as all their friends…well not friends but family.
"Yup, guess I do. Be good," Christina hopped off the bed and left the room.
Lilly sighed and looked around the room. She really wished she could be able to breathe with out the tubes up her nose, or that he tummy didn't hurt, or that her mom and dad would walk into the room right then. Staring hard at the door trying to make one of them appear she didn't even realize she had laid back down and her eyes were slowly starting to droop as she fell back to sleep.
"Run, run, run! I love you. Aunt Izzie will be here at twelve!" Meredith yelled as Andy nearly sprinted to catch up with his class as they made their way into his classroom.
Looking in the rear view mirror she saw that Kieran continued to cry.
"Kie… its ok. Mommy isn't mad," she told him. The little boy met her eyes in the mirror and looked down again. Meredith sighed as she pulled away from the school and made her way towards the hospital, ten minutes away.
Pulling into Derek's parking spot she unloaded her son and carried him into the hospital just as the rain started to pound down on them.
"Can I see Lilly?" Kieran spoke for the first time in forty twenty minutes.
"At lunch I will come get you and you can see her but Mommy is late and there isn't time now," Meredith told him as they walking into the elevator.
"I love levaors," Kieran told her trying hard to pronounce elevator.
"I'm sure you do," Meredith smirked at him seeing more and more of Derek in him.
Walking off the elevator and into the day care Meredith kissed her youngest as she set him down and signed him in.
"I will see you in a couple of hours," Kieran nodded and made his way to where Jason was sitting coloring.
Meredith entered the empty locker room and changed into scrubs dropping her purse into the locker before slamming it shut.
Walking out of the locker room she passed the OR board where she needed to confirm her surgery at three and continued into Lilly's room. The little girl was asleep her face turned towards the door. Meredith's heart broke as she saw Lilly hooked up to oxygen and clutching her teddy bear.
Sitting on her daughter's bed she lay down next to her and stroked her hair. Meredith laid there for thirty minutes before her pager vibrated against her hip and she was struck back in reality realizing she had a job to do.
Looking back at Lilly Meredith was struck with something her mother had once said to her when she was reliving her residency days,
"I should have never had a daughter,"
Looking at her sleeping child Meredith could never imagine saying that, it would physically hurt her.
Three hours later Meredith had sat with Bailey and spoke with her patients' family and had given interns the job of getting the patient ready for surgery in two hours. Taking the free time she had Meredith picked Kieran up and took him to Lilly's room. Setting him on her bed she left the two in there with a nurse and went go get lunch from the cafeteria.
Bringing peanut butter and jelly sandwiches up she glanced at the time, 12:21 Izzie had left around 11:45 to pick Andrew up she should be back soon.
"I told Kieran when I get home we can play outside in the tree house the one Daddy is building,"
Meredith nodded as she took a bite,
"Attempting to build sweetheart, and only when you aren't coughing anymore and Dr. Bailey says so," Meredith pointed out.
Lilly nodded. After lunch Meredith took Kieran back to the day care and made sure interns were preparing her patient before returning to Lilly's room. Walking close to her to room she heard Andy talking. Izzie must have brought him by before she went in for surgery herself Meredith walked closers to the door expecting to hear Izzie's voice but instead she heard a voice she thought she would never be so happy to hear talking animatedly to her children.
"No Daddy! Mommy says I can't play until Dr. Bailey says so,"
"Well Mommy is right, but when you are all put back together you, Andy, Kie and I maybe Mommy too, will finish it and then you guys can play on it,"
Meredith entered the room to see Derek sitting in the chair she had vacated ten minutes before and Andy lay next to his sister.
"Mom!" Andy exclaimed.
"Hey baby, how was school?" Meredith crossed her arms and smiled at him avoiding Derek's eyes.
"Good," Andy replied shrugging it off.
"I'm gonna go talk with Mommy ok?" Derek told his children as he got up and took his wife's hand.
Taking her out into the hall Meredith leaned against the wall her arms crossed looking at him pointedly.
Derek gave her his look. The one where he tilted his head a little studying you, looking into your eyes all concerned trying to communicate.
Meredith looked away,
"Mere," Derek touched her arm. Meredith turned her eyes back towards him. He left! Granted it was only for two days but still…in a time when she need him most he left.
Looking into his deep blue eyes however Meredith's resolve crumbled and she felt the tears well up. Biting her bottom lip she tried looking anywhere but him.
"Lilly looks good," she said.
"Meredith," Derek called her attention back to him grabbing her other arm softly. Meredith shook her head feeling the tears start to fall.
Derek's heart broke gathering her in his arms he held her close walking her into an empty room.
"I'm so sorry baby," he whispered into her hair as her sobs slowly took over.
"God Derek, I didn't know what to do. There was Lilly sitting her alone in the hospital and the boys being passed from one available hand to the next and work…"
Derek hugged her closer, "I'm here now, I'm not going to leave you or our children again. Never." Derek promised not only her but himself as well.
Meredith wrapped her arms around him as he kissed her.
"I don't know how I could do this without you," she whispered into his ear her head lay on his shoulder.
"I don't know how I do anything without you," he told her,
"Come on, Andy brought home some homework so I will take him to my office and work on it with him, Lilly can get some rest and then after your surgery you can go get Kieran from daycare and bring him into Lilly's room and Andy and I will go get dinner to bring back and we can just be here together. No one will be alone, no one will be passed from person to person we will all be here.
Meredith nodded hugging him tighter. Looking up at the clock on the wall she realized she needed to go prep for surgery.
"I have to go," she pulled away and looked into his eyes,
"You better not ever make me mad at you like that again Derek Shepherd,"
Derek brought his forehead to hers,
"Never again Meredith Shepherd," he whispered kissing her gently letting her go do her job before he returned to Lilly's room.
Meredith watched carefully looking for any bleeders, Dr. Bailey at her side.
"All clear," Meredith told her. Bailey was a attendee now and Meredith was assisting as resident.
"Good, lets get this taken care of and get her out of here," Bailey said as her pager went off.
Glancing down at it Bailey did a double take.
911 Nurses Station
Bailey looked at Meredith,
"You can finish this Dr. Grey," she told her carefully removing her hands and walking away scrubbing out.
"Ok?" Meredith watched her mentor.
Bailey walked out of the room and sprinted to the nurses station,
"What is it?" She asked Olivia.
"Lilliana Shepherd…she…"
Bailey looked down at the OR she had just left.
"Did you page Derek Shepherd?" she asked interrupting the nurse.
"I thought he was out of town," Olivia answered.
"No, he is back; page him and him only. Do not page Meredith,' Bailey ordered sprinting towards Lilly's room.
Ok so there is six. It took forever but I started writing it right after I posted five… oh well it is hard when you are trying to get two research papers done. Do Profs really want to read fifty papers all pretty much on the same thing? I guess so. Ok I will have the next one up as soon as I can…. Give me a week or so…and then semester is over YAY!
Loti