The next day Meredith was walking into the hospital. She'd work a few hours on her research project or teach the group of interns and after lunch she'd go up to oncology to receive her chemo for the day.

After an hour Meredith felt like she needed a break so she headed outside to grab herself some well deserved coffee

"What are you doing here? Didn't you start like an hour ago?" Cristina asked

"I did." Meredith nods. "And now I'm getting myself coffee

"That baby or Boston or whatever made you go really soft, Mer! Where's the time we stole surgeries?!" Cristina got up

"Cris.. Those times are over, I-" She wanted to say but they got interrupted by Alex

"Mer! I missed you! I came looking for you yesterday-" He hugged her. "But they said you had the day off."

"Yeah.. I had the day off" Meredith nodded

"Where's Maddie?" He asks

"Urgh, I'm going back inside to see if there are any surgeries." Cristina rolled her eyes

"Cris- Wait!" Meredith tried to stop her but she was already gone

"Are you okay?" Alex asked her. "You've been pale and quiet.." He asks

"Not really." Meredith sighs

"What do you mean?" Alex asks her and placed his hand on her back

"I.. I have cancer.." Meredith said and looked down in her lap

"C-Cancer?" Alex frowns. "Is that why you're back?"

"Yeah.." Meredith nodded, leaning into her friend's touch

"I'm sorry, Meredith.." Alex rubbed her back and kissed her cheek softly

"Shit happens.." Meredith sighed

"You need to talk to Cristina" Alex said

"I know.. But she keeps walking away, complaining about how I went soft for working less. I don't know if I can keep this going. I don't know if I wanna let everyone see I'm soft." Meredith admitted

"You're not soft because you're sick. Look at you, you're still working. Why would you think that makes you soft?" Alex frowned at what his friend said

"Because I work half days, I take so many breaks and I'll have to stop working soon. Swender said it's too dangerous for infections.." Meredith muttered

…

"Mama, I'm full" Maddie smiled

"Then we'll empty the tray." Meredith smiled and got up, feeling her muscles were sore as a reaction from the chemo

"Okay!" Maddie smiled and grabbed Nanas

"Now grab my hand, we're going to find daddy and then I'll bring you back to daycare" Meredith smiled

"But mommy.. I wanna come with you!" Maddie sighed

"We'll see.." Meredith nodded and they made their way over to Derek's office

"Daddy!" Maddie knocked on the door

"Monkey!" Derek opened the door and the little girl jumped into his arms

"She wanted to see you before I brought her back to daycare.."

"I don't wanna go! Wanna stay with you!" Maddie frowned, tears appearing in her eyes. "I miss you!"

"Oh-" Meredith was shocked by what Maddie said

"Maybe… Maybe Maddie and I can stay with you for a while? I can take the rest of the day off.." Derek carefully suggested, knowing Meredith hated feeling dependent on others. "Only if you want, I'm not gonna force you into anything."

"Okay." Meredith nodded. "But take her if.. you know-"

"I will, no worries." Derek promised her. "Mads, did you hear?"

"What daddy?" Maddie looked up

"We're going with mommy!" Derek announced

"Yay!" Maddie jumped in Meredith's arms, causing her to wince

"Hey, easy!" Derek said as he helped Meredith. He saw how she had to brace herself on the table

"Sowwy.." Maddie backed off

"Shh, it's okay." Meredith quickly said and kneeled down

"Sowwy.." Maddie repeated

"It's okay monkey." Meredith assured her daughter

"Hmm.." Maddie went quiet in her mother's arms so Meredith lifted her up despite the sore feeling she felt overtaking her whole body

"Are you okay?" Derek checked as she walked way slower than usual

"Of course." Meredith nods and walks up to the elevator. "Okay, press number 5, please."

Maddie pressed 5 and frowned as she read the sign. "Mommy, what's oncowogy?"

"Oncology.." Meredith breathed. "It's where mommy needs to be so they can make my owie disappear." Meredith explained

"Oh" Maddie nodded. "Let's go! Mommy needs to get better!" She grabbed both parents' hands as the doors opened again

Meredith and Derek followed the little girl, Derek looking at Meredith. He saw her eyes turning sad and teary

"Oh Doctor Grey, please follow me. Your room is ready." The nurse smiled and led them to a room

"Thank you." Meredith sadly smiled and took a seat on the bed.

"Doctor Swender will be here very soon to start you on your chemo." The nurse informed them

"Mama, what's chemo?" Maddie asked as Derek placed their daughter on the bed next to Meredith

"That's the medicine that will make me better, monkey" Meredith kissed Maddie's head softly

Dr Swender came and started Meredith's round of chemo after they talked about how her first round went. Maddie was playing with her stuffed monkey

"Hmm.." Meredirh groaned as she felt the chemo affecting her body, Maddie was too busy playing to notice

"Hey, you okay?" Derek stroked Meredith's forehead

"Yeah" She bluntly nodded her head, trying to ignore the sore feeling inside her body

Meanwhile Cristina was making her way up to oncology for a consult when she recognised Maddie's giggles as she played with her monkey

"Maddie?" She stopped at the room and watched Meredith laying down in the hospital bed. "What- What the hell?" Cristina frowned

"Auntie Cwis!!" Maddie smiled. Meredith's eyes widened in fear

"Let's go, monkey. Let's get auntie Cristina and mommy some coffee, okay?" Derek lifted his daughter in his arms and left

"What the hell is going on?" Cristina frowned and walked towards the IV pole and checked the bags

"Cristina.. I'm sick. I have breast cancer.." Meredith quietly said

"No way." Cristina nodded her head. "This is a sick joke" She insisted

"Cris.. It's not. Come sit down and I'll explain. Please? Before Maddie returns.." Meredith pleaded

"What the hell Mer?"

"Suddenly I felt a lump in my breasts. I got checked out, had surgery and radiation but.. it spread to the lymph nodes in my armpit so I needed chemo.." Meredith explains

"Who knew about this?" Cristina frowns

"Back then only Richard and Adele did. Richard is my emergency contact.." Meredith sighed

"That's when he took some time off?" Cristina said as she started connecting everything

"Yep.." Meredith nodded. "When Richard found out I needed chemo he insisted I'd come back with Maddie.. and so I did." Meredith explained and laid back down, Cristina joining her and wiping away some of the sweat that was building on Meredith's forehead

A little while later Derek returned with coffee, a refresher and some cake and saw Meredith half asleep in Cristina's arms

"Hey!" Derek said as they entered

"I have to go back to work" Cristina said and tucked in Meredith before leaving the room, taking one of the coffees out of Derek's hands. "She's sweaty and doesn't feel great." Cristina quietly said to Derek

"Hi mommy" Maddie smiled and climbed up the bed

"Coffee?" Derek asked Meredith but saw she wasn't feeling great. "No worries." He assured her

Meredith sighed and kept laying down as Maddie started eating a piece of cake

"Love you mommy." Maddie said as she finished her piece of cake and laid down with her mother

We hope you enjoyed! Thanks to my cowriter