"Are you okay?" Meredith asked. She had just spotted Lexie running into the locker room in tears.
"N-No…M-Molly…she-she…he-h-he…"
"Come on calm down," said Meredith as she awkwardly patted Lexie on the shoulder. "Breathe then tell me what's wrong."
They sat together on the bench while Lexie's breathing slowed down and became normal.
"Now what's wrong?" asked Meredith calmly.
"Molly…my sister she called…well I called her this morning, I couldn't find Dad. He hasn't been home since yesterday morning…he went out to buy more scotch and he hasn't been home… Dad is missing!"
"Are you sure? Have you checked everywhere?" asked Meredith, feeling only slightly worried. She knew she should be really worried but she just didn't feel panicked.
"Yes, I called everyone he knows last night…well except you, I looked everywhere I could think of…he's missing," said Lexie. "He hasn't called or anything, I don't know what to do."
"Uh…okay," said Meredith. "Take the day off, go home and be with your sister and wait for him to find his way home."
"I can't I have rounds and…Dr. Yang…"
"I will clear it with Cristina," said Meredith firmly. "Go home, I'll check the ER's and make sure he hasn't had an accident or anything."
"Thank you," said Lexie wiping her eyes.
"No problem," said Meredith. "Call me if he turns up."
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"Are you alright?" asked Derek when he found Meredith hunched over charts at the nurses station.
"No," said Meredith shortly.
"Do you want to talk about it."
"No."
"Alright," said Derek. "I'll just stay here in case you change your mind."
"You can actually do something for me," said Meredith.
"What?"
"Tell your girlfriend I didn't tell you she had syphilis," said Meredith glancing over at a huddle of nurses. "And tell them I am not sleeping with you or seeing you in any shape or form outside of this hospital."
"Uh why?"
"Because I can't seem to find any patient charts and I seem to be the only resident getting paged to do SCUT or rectals…in other words the nurses are teaming up against me because they think I told you that your little nurse had syphilis and you broke up with her and now she's McHeartbroken and I'm McBitch!"
"Anything else?" said Derek knowing that something else was wrong with her.
"No." said Meredith stubbornly. "Just tell your nurse I had nothing to do with you pulling the plug!"
"You want me to lie?"
"That isn't lying."
"I broke up with Rose because I'm in love with you."
"Shut up!"
"It's true."
"Go away Derek," sighed Meredith. "I have charts to find."
"I'll tell them," he said softly. "I'm sorry."
"Thank you."
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"I thought I sent you home," said Meredith that night when she had finished her shift, she had spotted Lexie and Molly running into the hospital.
"The police called…they found a body…we have to identify him," wailed Lexie.
"He's dead?" said Meredith surprising herself again at the lack of panic or fear she was feeling.
"What if he is really dead?" whispered Molly to Lexie. "Both him and Mom?"
"Lexie take your sister to the cafeteria," said Meredith firmly. "Neither are you are in any state to identify anything."
"But…"
"I'll go to the Morgue," she sighed. "I'll find you as soon as I'm done."
"You don't have to," said Lexie. "After everything…you don't owe him anything."
"I know," said Meredith. "But you shouldn't have to do this…he's your Dad…he's just my father…so I'll do it."
"Thank you," said Molly.
"No problem," said Meredith. "I'll come find you as soon as I can."
"Thanks," said Lexie leading Molly away. "We'll wait here."
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"What the hell do you want now?" snapped Meredith. She was about to go in and identify a dead that could potentially be her father, when Derek popped out of nowhere again.
"I heard about your father."
"How did you hear?"
"Lexie," said Derek. "I can do it if you want."
"I'm fine," said Meredith. "You can leave now!"
"I'm not leaving."
"Yes you are!"
"You don't have to be so brave all the time," Derek whispered to Meredith. "There is no' one around, just you and me."
"And the morgue guys," Meredith couldn't help but add.
"I'll bribe the morgue guys," said Derek. "Nobody will ever know."
"Okay," said Meredith grudgingly.
"Come on then," said Derek taking Meredith's hand.
Meredith walked into the morgue and watched as a medical examiner pulled a sheet off a dead man's face. It wasn't Thatcher!
"Thank god," said Derek squeezing her hand.
"Yeah," she said numbly. "It's not him."
"You did good," said Derek as they walked towards the elevators. Meredith quickly pulled her hand from him.
"I have to go and tell…you know…them," said Meredith.
"Okay," said Derek.
"Thank you," she whispered so softly that he barely heard her.
"You're welcome," he said. "Meredith?"
"What?" she asked not turning round to face him.
"Have breakfast with me tomorrow?"
"No."
"Please," said Derek. "Just breakfast."
"Just breakfast?"
"Just breakfast," said Derek. "Tomorrow at seven? I'll be at the usual place. Meet me there?"
"Maybe."
"I'll take what I can get," said Derek.
"I really have to tell…my…Lexie and Molly that their Dad isn't dead."
"Okay."