"Hunter...stay in your seat." Derek told his son, carrying two plates of food out from the kitchen and placing them on the dining room table. He was still reeling from hearing what Ava's treatment was going to entail and he didn't really feel like eating. But his sister Amelia was over, along with Mark and Lexie and he felt like he needed to act normal and put on a brave face for everyone there.
"Dad did you get mashed potatoes for me?" Hunter asked.
"Yes."
"Derek are you ready?" His mother held Zola on her lap as she reached for the salad dressing.
"Yeah...I think everything's out." He sighed, sitting down at the tab next to Meredith.
"Derek are you ready?" His mother held Zola on her lap as she reached for the salad dressing.
"Yeah...I think everything's out." He sighed, sitting down at the tab next to Meredith.
"Is Ava still sleeping?" Derek's younger sister Amelia asked. "I can go get her."
"She's still asleep." He looked over at his sister.
"You want her to sleep through dinner?" Amelia frowned.
"I want her to get as much rest as possible." Derek sighed, looking down at his empty plate, feeling his stomach turn.
"Ava needs to get as much rest as she can." Mark agreed. "We're going to win the fight against cancer."
"We are." His mother smiled warmly.
"Yeah." Derek breathed.
"Dad is Ava going to be bald?" Hunter asked suddenly and everyone around the table froze.
"Where did you hear that?" Derek asked.
"On the computer." Hunter shrugged.
"You said you were only using the computer to play games." Meredith frowned.
"I looked up cancer." Hunter replied.
"Hunter...what did we tell you about asking before you use the computer?" Derek sighed, taking a sip of his water.
"I did. Mommy said I could." Hunter answered. "So is she gonna be bald?"
"You know Hunter...Ava might lose her hair because of the medicine but she's going to look just as pretty. She might be sad about it but I bet you'll take good care of her." Amelia cut in, noticing the fear on her brother's face.
"Hunter, eat your food please." Derek changed the subject.
"Okay Dad..."
"Zola is getting so big." Lexie spoke up, making silly faces at Zola from across the table. "She keeps growing."
"You can't take credit for how cute she is." Mark smirked.
"Thanks Mark." Derek chuckled.
"She'll be one before you know it." Mrs. Shepherd bounced the baby girl on her lap.
"I can't believe that." Meredith breathed.
"You guys will have to have a huge birthday party." Amelia smiled. "Derek...eat."
"No thanks." He breathed.
"So do you need anyone to go to the hospital with you guys for the surgery?" Mark asked.
"I think it's just going to be the three of us." Derek answered, putting a small spoonful of potatoes on his plate.
"I'll keep the kids." His mother replied.
"We can come over and keep Zo and Hunter company too." Lexie added.
"Thank you." Meredith smiled weakly. "Hunter eat your food."
"I am." He groaned. "Dad isn't eating."
"Derek eat.'" Mrs. Shepherd insisted.
"I'm fine." Derek argued, reaching for his water glass instead.
"Derek..." Meredith moved her hand to his back.
"Hmm?"
"Eat."
"Not hungry." He breathed.
"Hey Hunter...what do you say we go get some ice cream after dinner?" Mark offered, trying to distract his nephew.
"Yeah!" Hunter gasped.
"I want to go." Amelia laughed.
"We can make it a big family outing." Lexie laughed.
"Maybe Ava will be awake and will go with us." Amelia smiled, patting her nephew's head.
"Maybe you guys can bring it back." Meredith replied. "She can have it when she wakes up."
"I'll her her chocolate ice cream with rainbow sprinkles." Hunter told them, finishing his dinner.
"That sounds good, bud." Derek smiled weakly.
"We can take Zola with us." Amelia offered.
"Thanks." Derek sighed, pushing his plate away from him. "Does anybody want seconds?"
"I think we're good." His mother replied, as she looked around the table. "Hunter if you're all finished you can wash your hands and go play while you wait on your aunts and uncles."
"Okay." Hunter got up and disappeared into the kitchen.
"Well now that he's not here..." Mark took a deep breath.
"What did Arizona say?" Amelia finished for him.
"Well she's having her surgery to have the Hickman line put in and to have the mass removed from her stomach. As soon as her body is ready, we're going to start chemo." Meredith explained.
"So she will lose her hair." Amelia sighed. "I hate this."
"We all do." Mrs. Shepherd said. "But we're going to be here for her."
"She'll probably be in the hospital for about three days after the surgery." Derek told them.
"If you want we can all work through our schedules to help you at the hospital. When you want to run home and shower maybe Mom or I could come sit with her." Amelia suggested. "I took this week off when I heard you were coming."
"Mark and I can try and help too when we're off work or on breaks." Lexie offered.
"Thanks guys." Derek tried to smile.
"Thanks." Meredith sighed.
"She's got her uncle in her and she's strong." Mark spoke up. "She's going to be just fine."
"She is." Meredith nodded.
"Leave it to Mark to take credit for her being strong." Derek really laughed for the first time in days.
"Hey...she's my niece."
"So you don't know when the chemo is going to start?" Amelia asked.
"No." Derek sighed. "We won't know until after the surgery."
"Hopefully soon before the cancer gets a chance to spread anymore." Meredith leaned back in her chair.
"I'm...I'm going to make a pot of coffee." Lexie stood up and went into the kitchen.
"Ba!" Zola reached back at her grandma.
"Can we go get ice cream now?" Hunter ran back into the dining room.
"If it's okay with your parents." Mark answered.
"It's fine." Derek nodded. "Be good, bud."
"Come on guys!" Hunter jumped.
"Do you want us to bring you back anything?" Mark asked, putting a hand on Derek's shoulder.
"Just a small cup for Ava."
"She likes cookie dough." Meredith added as Amelia stood up.
"Do you want anything?" Amelia asked Meredith.
"I'll eat the cake your Mom made." Meredith smiled weakly. "She has a tub of strawberry ice cream."
"I always buy Meredith's favorite before she comes." His mother smiled.
"Let's go!" Hunter tugged on Mark's arm.
"Okay okay." Mark laughed. "We'll be back soon."
"Have fun Hunter." Meredith kissed her son's cheek.
"Bye Mommy."
"Stay with Uncle Mark."
"I will." Hunter smiled, hurrying out the door with Mark and Amelia.
"Zola's eating well." Meredith replied.
"She's a growing girl." Mrs. Shepherd smiled.
"Mommy?" Ava's soft voice filled the room.
"Hey...you're awake." Derek smiled, opening his arms to pick up Ava.
"I was sleepy!" Ava exclaimed.
"I bet you were." He laughed, lifting her into his arms. "How are you feeling, princess?"
"My tummy hurts right here." Ava lifted her shirt over her stomach and pointed to her abdomen.
"I know."
"The doctors are going to make it better sweetie." Meredith replied.
"With surgery?" Ava asked.
"With surgery." Meredith nodded.
"Okay." Ava sighed, resting her head on Derek's shoulder.
"Do you want something to eat?" Derek asked, rubbing her back lightly.
"I want cereal."
"Well we have plenty of cereal...come on Ava." His mother stood, putting Zola on her hip. "You and your sister can come with me."
"Do you have fruit loops?" Ava asked, getting off of Derek's lap.
"I do." Mrs. Shepherd smiled, taking the girls into the kitchen.
"She's hungry...that's good." Derek breathed.
"That's good." Meredith moved her head onto his shoulder.
"We're really lucky." He whispered.
"She's...we're doctors so why are we...we can help her."
"The only thing you and I can do is be there for her...it's out of our hands now."
"I wish this would go away."
"Me too." Derek sighed, holding Meredith's hand tightly as she laid her head on his shoulder. They weren't ready at all for what was about to come but knowing that they had the support of all of their family made it slightly easier to take. The hardest part was knowing that Ava had no idea what was about to happen and how bad she was going to feel before she got better and Derek would have given anything to go through it for her.