What if it was Meredith

Chapter 13

A week passed, and Meredith was still stuck in the hospital, much to her chagrin. She was feeling a lot better. Her head didn't hurt as much, and neither did her chest. The pain had dulled significantly, and she felt was ready to go home.

"Grey! You ready to get those casts off?" Callie asked enthusiastically as she came in. "Uh, yeah!" Meredith exclaimed. Derek squeezed her hand and smiled. "Let's get that wrist off first." She said. Derek held her good hand as the saw cut through the cast. "You okay?" Callie asked. Meredith nodded. Callie pulled the cast off and Meredith sighed in relief. "How's that feel?" She asked. Meredith flexed her arm and moved her fingers. "Feels great." Meredith gasped. "Good. Ready for the leg?" Callie asked. Meredith nodded again. "It's gonna look bad. We had to put pins in." Callie warned. Meredith nodded and Callie went to work.

She cut through the cast and pulled it off. "Ugh." Meredith groaned as she saw the scars and bruises. "I know. I have to put this brace on, and you gotta wear it all the time. I think the plan is to get you walking today with crutches." Callie explained. She carefully and slowly attached the full leg brace on and Meredith winced and it hit a sore spot. "Sorry." Callie apologized as she strapped it on. "How's it feel?" Callie asked. "Okay." Meredith replied. Callie nodded and stood up. "I gotta go. I'll see you later and we'll get you up and walking." Callie said as she left the room.

Meredith Shifted uncomfortably on the bed and groaned. "You okay?" Derek asked softly. "I'm fine." Meredith said. Derek gave her a skeptical look and his brow furrowed. "I'm okay. It's uncomfortable but it's okay." Meredith elaborated. Derek nodded and slipped into the bed beside her. "I love you." Meredith said. "I love you too." Derek replied.

"Derek Christopher Shepherd!" A voice yelled from the door, interrupting the comfortable silence. Both him and Meredith shot up, earning a grimace from Meredith. "Mom?" Derek asked in shock. "Tell me why I had to hear about my daughter in law's accident from Amelia, and not you?" Carolyn asked as all 3 of dereks other sisters, not including Amelia, appeared. Meredith looked as if she wanted to disappear, still very nervous about being around dereks family.

"Uh, well, you-." Derek stuttered as he looked at Meredith. Meredith looked petrified as she met his gaze. "Meredith dear, how are you feeling?" Carolyn asked softly. Meredith felt the gaze of the 4 women and shifted. "Uh, I'm okay. I'm good. H-how are you?" Meredith asked. Carolyn gazed turned sympathetic and smiled. "Don't be nervous dear. I know it's a lot at one time, but we don't bite." Carolyn said with a small laugh. "I, uh, sorry." Meredith apologized. Derek rubbed her back soothingly and grounded her. "Don't apologize." Carolyn said. "Kathleen, nice to meet you." She said as she offered her hand to Meredith. Meredith took her hand and shook it. "Meredith." She said quietly. "Nice to see you again." Lizzie said with a smile. "You too." Meredith replied.

"Meredith." Nancy said. "Nancy." Meredith said as she looked at Derek. "Uh, how about we let Mer get some sleep?" Derek asked. The girls nodded and left the room. "What just happened?" Meredith asked. "I had no idea they were coming. I'm sorry." Derek said. "It's okay." Meredith said. "I'm gonna go talk to them. I love you." Derek said as he leant down and gave Meredith a kiss. "Love you too." Meredith replied with a smile as Derek left her room.

"What are you guys doing here?" Derek asked as he ushered his family away from the room. "Amelia told us about Merediths accident. We wanted to make sure you both were okay." Carolyn replied. "I appreciate you guys coming out, but you should've told me. Mer gets nervous around family." Derek said. "We could tell." Lizzie said with a small laugh. "She...hasn't had a good experience with family." Derek explained. "Her sister died in the plane crash, right?" Kathleen asked after a moment of silence. "Yeah." Derek replied sadly.

"How is she feeling? What were her injuries?" Carolyn asked. "I think she's okay, pain wise. Last week was a different story though. Uh, she shattered her right leg, broke her wrist, had internal bleeding, and had a brain bleed. Oh, and broken sternum," Derek explained. "Damn!" Nancy exclaimed. "Amelia told us she fixed the initial bleed, but something else happened?" Carolyn asked. Dereks eyes narrowed and he took a deep breath. "Yeah. Nelson, the other attending neglected to take her for a CT and she had a rebleed. A fellow fixed it, but she was out for like a week and a half." Derek explained. "Amelia also told us you punched him." Kathleen said with a smirk. "Well..." Derek trailed off.

"Daddy!" Zola and Bailey yelled as they saw their father across the building. The two ran into their fathers arms and Derek picked them up. He looked back at his sisters and mother and saw the shock in their faces. "Who dat?" Bailey asked as he looked around. "Those are my sisters and my mommy Bails." Derek explained. "Let's go sit in Merediths room. She's probably still up." He said to his sisters and mom.

They all moved to Merediths room and she was still awake. "Mommy!" The kids exclaimed as the squirmed in dereks arms. Derek put them down gently on the bed and the kids cuddled with their mom. Carolyn and her daughters watched with wide eyes. "Is rhat okay?" Derek asked softly. Meredith nodded and looked at the women.

"Bails, Zo, this my mom. Your grandma. And these are your aunties, Lizzie, Kathleen, and Nancy." He said as he pointed to the women. "Where auntie Amelia?" Zola asked. "I'm here!" Amelia said as she came into the room.

Meredith watched happily as her kids met dereks family. She so desperately wanted this as a kid, and she's glad her kids are getting this. "Meredith, Bailey looks just like you!" Carolyn exclaimed as she held her grandson. "He has dereks eyes, thankfully." Meredith said with a laugh. She looked down at the kids, Bailey was sleeping peacefully in his mother's arms and Zola was playing quietly with her doll. Meredith shut her eyes, and she too fell in a deep sleep.

Carolyn snapped a quick picture and her and her girls left her room to stay at a hotel for the night. Derek lifted Zola from Meredith and laid down on the couch with her. Zola laid on top of Derek and Derek held her against his chest as they too drifted off to sleep.