Meredith had survived lunch with a fussy Derek - not that she had thought it unlikely that she wouldn't survive. he had then walked her back to her mothers room and had left her there with hope that she would go in and keep her mother company.

It was there that she had remained standing again on the threshold until Richie returned from having lunch with Richard. It seemed that they had gone for lunch over ar the bar.

"Come on" Richie said as he wrapped an arm around her and walked her into the room.

Meredith sighed and leant into his embrace.

Richard smiled, he was glad that they had at least bonded even if Meredith was still feeling insecure by her mothers presence.

"Meredith" ellis spoke as she sat up and watched Richie walk her into the room.

Richie moved to help her in a chair. "Are you ok here?"he asked a few moments later.

Meredith nodded.

"Meredith" ellis asked again.

"I'm ok" Meredith mumbled.

This did not seem to put Ellis's mind at ease though as she then moved to sit a little.

"I want to know what is wrong with my daughter." Ellis said firmly "yesterday she could come in to yell at me and today she is too scared to come in."

Richard groaned as he moved froward attempted to calm ellis. "She's fine... she just gets a little timid." Richard tried to reassure her.

"Don't patronise me Richard. The poor thing is looking scared shitless what went on with that damn doctor?" she demanded to know because the daughter she knew was not a bumbling fool.

Richard groaned and looked over to Meredith who seemed to begin to start breathing eradicatly. He moved away from his wife quicky.

Richie was now standing in front of Meredith trying to calm her down, and richard knew that it wasn't likely to work as it was only he or the boys that could manage that.

He moved to stand in front of meredith, moving richie out of his way as he then scooped Meredith into his arms and sat down with her on his lap.

"Shhhh... baby girl... daddy is here... daddy isn't going anywhere... breathe for me baby." He reassured her and ran circles over her back with his hand... continually rubbing and whispering to her.

Ellis watched on curiously, she hated that her daughter had been reduced to this and that she played a part in this with her absence.

Meredith slowly calmed down and burrowed her head into Richard.

"Meredith has been told that after the baby is born she will be having heart surgery, and while she has been ok with it, telling you is a hurdle she can't handle." Richard explained.

"But why?" Ellis asked feeling flabbergasted.

"Because you left the last time." Richard replied with ease.

Ellis sighed. "She won't ever get over it." She knew that this was her fault, she had never understood the affect her leaving would have on her children.

"Don't talk as if she isn't here." Richie told them. "Meredith can hear you."

"She's sleeping" richard informed him. "She always does after a panic attack, it gives her body a chance to recupperate." He explained.
Richie nodded in understanding.

"How do we move past this?" ellis asked Richard.

"You need to give her a reason to trust you." Richard told her.

Ellis nodded, that will have to be added to her list of things to do. She was not sure yet how, but she would find a way.