Meredith had just woken up when she heard Chrissy's footsteps in the bedroom. Soon Chrissy stood beside her and grabbed her arm, shaking it.

"Mommy, can I cuddle with you?" she asked.

"Sure," said Meredith as she lifted Chrissy and sat up, putting Chrissy on her lap.

"Daddy's here," Chrissy announced with a smile.

"I know, honey." She looked at Derek. "We're married." His eyes were closed, but he might still be awake.

"Can I be in the middle?"

"Sure." Chrissy moved so she sat inbetween Meredith and Derek. She looked at Derek closely. Then she asked, "Is Daddy really sleeping, Mommy?"

Meredith looked closely at Derek. He was smiling. She was pretty sure he was awake. "I don't know. His eyes are closed. What do you think?"

Chrissy looked at her Dad. "He has a smile. Do people smile when they're sleeping?"

"Maybe if they're having good dreams. Let's be very quiet, and maybe Daddy wil lwake up soon."

"Okay, Mommy," Chrissy whispered. She cuddled with her mother for a few minutes. Then she sat up and asked, "Mommy, do I really have to go to the hospital tomorrow?"

"Yes." Meredith decided to keep it simple.

"Why?"

"Because Dr. Bartley recommends that you have your bone marrow transplant as soon as possible."

"Why?"

Meredith looked at Derek. He was no longer smiling, but he was still either sleeping or pretending to sleep. "Because the cancer can come back. We want to do the bone marrow transplant before the cancer can come back."

"But I like being here with you and Daddy."

"We love being her with you, too, but we'll be with you in the hospital."

"I know Mommy, but it's more fun to be home."

"I know, sweetheart." Meredith hugged Chrissy. "Tonight we're going to sleep at Daddy's apartment so we can get to the hospital very early. Do you want anything special for dinner?"

"A happy meal?"

"Grandma was thinking she'd cook for you."

"I love happy meals, Mommy."

"We'll have to ask Daddy when he wakes up."

"Does Daddy like happy meals?"

"I don't think so, but maybe he'll think it's okay for you to have a happy meal. Why do you want a happy meal?

"Because I get a toy. And I get chicken nuggets."

"I like chicken nuggets, too."

"I know, silly mommy, but does Daddy?"

"I don't think so. Daddy likes healthy food."

"Isn't chicken healthy?"

"Not when it's fried, sweetie. Now let's be quiet and let Daddy sleep." Meredith hugged Chrissy and closed her eyes. She figured Chrissy would be more likely to stay quiet if she thought her mom was sleeping. Chrissy stayed quite for about twenty minutes. Then she whispered in her mother's ear, "Mommy, I'm hungry."

"Okay, Chrissy. Let's go downstairs and make breakfast."

"Mommy, I want pancakes. You don't make pancakes."

"Well, maybe Aunt Izzie is awake. She makes great pancakes."

"But Daddy makes the best pancakes."

"Daddy's sleeping."

Derek stirred. "I think I heard that somebody wants my pancakes," he announced.

"Me, Daddy," Chrissy answered.

"I'm up, so I'll come down and make pancakes in a few minutes."

"Okay, Daddy. I want chip pancakes."

"If we have chips, I'll make them for you."

"Derek, you're a total softy when it comes to Chrissy. Chocolate chip pancakes are not exactly healthy."

"I make them with some whole wheat. And chocolate is good for you."

Meredith smiled. "Right. I want chocolate chip pancakes, too."

"I'll make them for you, too."

Derek was cleaning up after breakfast when his phone rang. Meredith and Chrissy were watching The Little Mermaid; Derek thought they must have already seen it a hundred times. Derek looked at the phone and saw it was Richard Webber calling. He sighed, but he answered the phone. "Good morning, Richard."

"Good morning, Derek. I hope you had a nice honeymoon."

"It was wonderful, but much too short. We're pretty busy today."

"I know, Derek. I wanted to let you know that you have an office now. I thought you might prefer to hang out in your office rather than the waiting room tomorrow when Chrissy has her Hickman port installed."

"Thanks, Richard, you're right about that." Derek hated waiting in the waiting room with other patients' families. He could tell when there was bad news before a surgeon even opened his or mouth. He hated watching families get bad news, and he didn't like to be a spectator when his colleagues gave bad news. It was bad enough when he had to deliver bad news himself.

"Also, I have a favor for you."

"Yes, Richard," Derek sighed.

"There are five sets of scans on your desk."

"Five?"

"Yes, the first is for Alberto Rodriguez, a seven year boy with a brain tumor. Nelson said his brain tumor is incurable, but his dad thinks you might be able to help. He's a vice president at Microsoft, and he's been researching brain tumors and surgeons."

"Richard, you know I'm not starting working for you for a couple of months."

"I know. But Diego found that you had some good experiences with similar tumors. He's desperate for his son. You know what that's like."

"Yes, Richard, and that's why I want to focus on Chrissy for the next six weeks at least."

"Albert may not have six weeks. You may have the ability to save him. I'm not asking you do any routine neurosurgery. I'm just asking you to look at five cases that Nelson decided were incurable in the last three months."

"Five cases?"

"Well, I knew you wouldn't be pleased to just focus on Alberto's case because his dad is a Microsoft vice president. The others were all determined to be incurable by Dr. Nelson, but I'd like you to take a second look."

"But I'm supposed to be on leave."

"I know Derek, but you might be the only person who could save these lives. You have a gift. It's a good thing to use it."

"Richard, I'm trying to focus on Chrissy."

"Derek, what do you think Chrissy would say?"

"Richard, your really know how to play dirty, asking what my three year old would say."

"Well, do you know what she would say?"

"Of course, I do, and so do you. She'd want me to help. So I guess I have to look at the scans and see if I can help."

"Good. You can look at them tomorrow. Have a good day with Chrissy today."

"Okay."

Derek walked into the living room and nodded to Meredith. She gave Chrissy a kiss and moved her off her lap, and she walked over to Derek. "Who was on the phone?"

"It was Richard. I have an office now, and five sets of scans on my desk. All of brain tumors that Nelson said were inoperable."

"Nelson's very cautious, and not nearly the surgeon you are. Just because he said they're inoperable doesn't mean that you can operate."

"Exactly what Richard said. But I hadn't been planning on working while Chrissy's in the hospital."

"Derek, if you can save a life, you should. And I can be with Chrissy."

"That's what I thought you'd say."

"Look, we know what it means to have a sick child or family member. We want the best doctor to give our daughter the best chance. If we can do the same for someone else, we should."

"You're right, I know."

"And Chrissy wants a happy meal from McDonald's."

"She can have that for lunch if you want, but not dinner. My mom is going to make a great meal with real food."

"Chicken nuggets are real food."

"Hardly, Meredith. But a happy meal for lunch won't cause any harm. You can go out and get it."

"Oh, you won't set foot in McDonald's, not even for Chrissy."

"If it had been up to me, she wouldn't know what a happy meal is," Derek said with a smile.

"Okay, I'll be the one to get the happy meal. Do you want me to pick something up for you?"

"No. Don't tell me you're going to get something for yourself."

"I'll get my own happy meal. That's what Chrissy and I do; we get two happy meals, one for her and one for me. And I give her my toy."

"How often did you take her to McDonald's?"

"Not more than once a week."

"Once a week?"

"It's a good quick meal for a single working mom."

"Quick, yes, but I wouldn't agree that it's a good meal. It's a good thing you're no longer a single working mom, and you have a husband who can cook."

"I get it, Derek, happy meals are going to be rare now that we're married. But I'll get her one this afternoon."