Meredith is whimpering in her sleep because of the nausea she is currently feeling.
Unknown to her, Derek and Maddie are currently at the front door of the house.
"Hi Derek, hi Maddie!" Richard said, smiling at the two. "Who's that Maddie?"
"Nanas! Daddy got him for me!" She said, hugging Derek's leg. "Where's Mama?" She says, looking around Richard for Meredith.
"She's sleeping. Do you want to come help me wake her up? I know she'll be so excited to see you."
Maddie nods. "Yeah! Wanna see Mama!" She grabs Richard's hand. "Come on Poppa! Nanas and me wanna see Mama!"
Richard and Derek laugh softly and both go with Maddie.
Maddie opens the door and sees her mom sleeping. "Daddy! Mama's sleeping! I'm gonna wake her!" Maddie runs into the room and climbs up onto the bed. She climbs on top of Meredith. "Mama, wake up." She whispers. She pets her mom's face. "Mama!! Wake up!"
Meredith groggily opens her eyes and sees Maddie sitting on top of her. "Hi baby!" She says.
"Hi! Me and Nanas are here!" Maddie says excitedly.
"I see that! Can I have a hug?" Meredith asks.
Maddie leans in and lays on top of her mom and wraps her arms around her. Meredith wraps her arms around her daughter as well.
"I love you Mama." Maddie whispers.
"I love you too baby girl. So so much." Meredith says and gives her a kiss on her forehead.
Meredith sees Derek standing at the door. "Hi Der." She says sleepily.
"Hey. How are you feeling?"
Meredith shrugs. "Little nauseous but I'll be fine." She says softly.
"I'll grab you something for it." Derek walks over and puts his hand on her clammy forehead. "You feel a tiny bit warm Mer."
"I'm fine." Meredith whispers. "I want to be with Maddie."
Derek nods, not wanting to argue with her. He leaves the room and comes back a moment later with some medicine. She quickly swallows it.
"Mads, what do you wanna do today?" Meredith asks. She wants her daughter to be happy even though she doesn't feel 100%.
"Can we go to the pwaygwound?"
Meredith nods. "We can. Do you want to have a picnic there?"
"Yeah! Can we bring cookies? And goldfish?" Maddie asks excitedly. "Nanas is a monkey so he likes nanas! We gots to bring nanas!"
"I think we can make that work!" Meredith smiles.
"Daddy! You gots to come too!" Maddie says.
Derek looks over at Meredith. "Is that okay with you Mer?"
Meredith nods. "That's fine." Meredith looks over at her daughter. "Maddie, why don't you go help Poppa get food ready for our picnic?"
"Otay Mama! Mama I gots a question."
"Yeah baby?"
"When we gonna see aunt Cwis? I miss her!"
"Soon baby, soon."
"Otay! Gots to go help Poppa now!" Maddie jumps off the bed and quickly runs to find Richard.
Now that they're alone, Derek looks at Meredith worriedly. He heard her whimpering in her sleep when they first got to her room and is worried about her. "Mer, how are you really feeling? You look exhausted. You don't have to go to the playground. I can take her and have a picnic."
Meredith shakes her head. "I want to come. Maddie's life is changing. I need to be here for her and not let her down. I don't want to become Ellis."
"You'll never become your mom. And besides you're sick. But Mer, you're nauseous and feverish. Maybe you should stay here and rest." Derek worries.
"No." Meredith gets out of bed. "I'm coming."
Derek sighs. "Okay. I'll let you get dressed then."
Once she's alone Meredith sinks back down onto her bed and holds her head in her hands, a headache starts to creep up on her.
Once she's ready she follows her daughter's voice and finds her with Derek and Richard. She giggles when she hears her daughter's voice telling Richard what to pack.
"We need nanas and goldfish and gwapes! Ooh and Owanges!"
"You got it Miss Maddie! Any requests from Nanas?" Richard asks.
"Nanas! His was the nanas!"
Meredith walks in the room, softly laughing. "I don't know, I think you like nanas more baby."
"Nuh uh! Monkeys love nanas Mama!" Maddie says, as if Meredith doesn't know that.
"Oh right! I forgot! Are we ready to go?" Meredith asks, hiding a yawn.
"You're all packed up!" Richard says.
"Thanks Richard." Meredith says.
"Okay let's go!" Derek says.
————
Meredith and Derek sit on the bench watching their daughter play on the swings.
"Mer, what kind of cancer is it? How bad is it?" Derek asks.
Meredith sighs and looks away.
"Mer, please. I need to know. We were married. Plus we have a daughter together. I need to know Meredith. I care about you. I always will."
Meredith sighs. "Breast cancer." She whispers. "I was getting changed one day and found a lump in my breast. I got it checked out at Mass Gen and my doctor had it biopsied." She brushes away a tear.
"I'm so sorry, Mer. Is it bad? Do your doctors have a treatment plan?"
"Yeah. Initially I was only supposed to have surgery and radiation but they found out that it was worse than they thought during surgery. Richard found out and wanted me here for chemo. We came immediately. They did a procedure to insert a port and then we flew here."
"That's horrible. I'm so sorry you have to go through this. Is that why you're staying with Richard and Adele?"
Meredith nods. "Yeah." She looks over at her daughter. "Can you take her Monday and Wednesdays? I have chemo those days."
"Of course. Whatever you need."
"Thanks." She wraps her arms around herself, shivering.
"You cold?" Derek asks. He looks up at the sun shining brightly.
"Yeah."
"Here, take my jacket." He takes off his light jacket and gives it to Meredith.
"Thanks." She says, shivering.
"Do you still have a fever?" He puts his hand on her forehead and frowns. "Tiny one still. Are you still nauseous?"
Meredith nods.
"We should have our picnic then so we can get you back home. You really should rest." Derek looks at Meredith. "Also, I was thinking that you and Maddie should move in with me. I can help take care of you."
"No thanks. I'm fine with Richard and Adele. And I want to find a place of my own. I don't want to be a burden to them." Realistically she knows she can't live by herself because of the cancer.
"Mer, you have cancer. It's not safe for you to live by yourself."
Meredith doesn't respond. She knows he's right.
Just then Maddie comes running over with her monkey. "Mama! Daddy! Me and Nanas are hungwy!"
"We can't have that, can we?" Derek asks, grabbing ahold of Maddie and tickling her.
Maddie giggles. "Daddy! Daddy! Stop! That tickles!!!" She stays laughing uncontrollably.
Meredith laughs at her daughter. She's so happy that her daughter has her father in her life now. She loves seeing Maddie giggle and have fun with Derek.
After they have their picnic they head back to Richard's house. Maddie is chatting away in the backseat. Derek looks over at Meredith and finds that she's sound asleep. He hates how everything makes her so exhausted now.
"Mer, we're here." Derek says.
Meredith blinks her eyes sleepily. "Okay." She whispers. "Let's go inside Mads."
Meredith, Derek, and Maddie go inside and Maddie runs off to tell Richard something.
"Mer, you should really lay down. You look absolutely exhausted." Derek can see bags under her eyes.
"Soon. After you guys leave." Meredith grabs a blanket and wraps it around herself. "I'm gonna find Maddie." She yawns and walks down the hall.
Derek sighs and follows her.
"Poppa! I saw two doggies! Two! I petted them! They gave me kisses!" She giggles.
"Did you see any monkeys?" Richard asks teasingly.
"I wish, Poppa." Maddie sighs. "No monkeys at the pwaygwound today." She says sadly. She perks up all of a sudden. "But maybe they'll be monkeys at the pwaygwound tomorrow!"
The three adults laugh softly.
"Maybe!" Richard says.
After a while Derek has Maddie say bye to her mom.
"Bye Mama! Nanas says bye too!" Maddie waves her monkey's paw at Meredith.
Meredith picks her up and holds her on her hip. "I love you so much baby girl! You have fun with your daddy!"
"Otay Mama! I love you!" Maddie wraps her arms tightly around Meredith's upper body.
Derek sees the quick look of pain on Meredith's face before she hides it.
"Mer…" Derek starts.
"I'm fine." She says softly and wrapped her arms around Maddie.
We hope you enjoyed