M.A.G.I.C siblings

Five

Derek walked into the room after Mark left. Same like Mark, Derek didn't say anything and just hugged me.

"I heard about your mother from one of the nurses"

"yea"

"I'm sorry you don't deserve this"

"I wonder how long she had the tumor for. What if that's the reason she acted so cold and disrespectful to all her kids and coworkers"

"Well brain tumor can kill you in 1 to 5 years so even without a tumor she was horrible to you and your siblings"

"Oh god"

"What what's wrong"

"The kids how am I suppose to tell them their mother is probably dead"

"Don't worry they're still in school for another 6 hours. When school is done I'll bring them here you can sit in a private room and tell them. Then we take them to say goodbye okay?"

"Derek?"

"Yes?"

"I'm scared"

"Mer you're never scared"

"I know but today. Today I'm terrified"

"What are you terrified of"

"What is thatcher tells the doctors that he is never home and neither was Ellis. What if they take the kids away. Derek, I can't live without them" I sobbed

"They won't take the kids you're almost 18 and we can get a lawyer to help make you their legal guardian. Thatcher isn't ever home so he will probably pass his legal rights to you and make the kids yours."

"Can we get a lawyer then and talk to Thatcher about it"

"Not until you're 18 Mer"

"I am 18 now, Today is the 10th," I said looking at the date on my phone

"Oh Mer I'm sorry I forgot. Why didn't you say anything this morning"

"Don't worry about it, I didn't say anything Because I forgot. I was so caught up in making sure George was safe and the kids were caught up in school. I realized it was the 10th when I called Thatcher today and I saw the date."

Derek hugged me tighter and told me happy birthday in my ear. I ended up falling asleep because when I woke up I was laying on the bunk and Derek was beside me lying his head in the crook of my neck.

I got up and told Derek I was going to see Ellis. My siblings still had 2 hours before school let out. I went into Ellis's room. I saw that Thatcher was sitting next to her bed. He had tears in his eyes but turned away from me just as they fell to his shirt.

"Meredith I'm sorry about this but we have to let her go," he said with tears running down his face. I've never seen him like this it made me...sad?

"Do we have to right now?"

"Not at this exact moment but soon, why?"

"The kids they don't know. They are still at school. I need to tell them and then we all need to say goodbye"

"Oh, the kids right. When do they get out"

"About 2 hours"

"We'll do it then okay" he said standing up.

"Come here," he said opening his arms I was hesitant at first but I hugged him. it's been a long time since we had this kind of bond.

"I know this is not the right time especially not in front of your mother but I have to say it. I started another family with another woman we have a daughter her name is molly she is 3 right now" I pulled away from his hug

"Another family? So I have a half-sister?"

"Yeah something like that"

"Well this is the wrong time for me to say this but here I go, today is the 1oth it's my 18th birthday, and I'm standing it here getting ready to say goodbye to my mother. But you are never home Ellis is dying so I was wondering if you could send your legal right of the kids to me"

"You want to be the legal guardian of all 4 kids?"

"Yes"

"Are you sure you can handle it they are all still young and I don't think you are financially ready"

"I've been taking care of the four of them for more than half of my life because you and mom were never home. I have a part-time job after school, In mom's will she stated that everything goes to me the house, the money, everything"

"Whoa right sorry I just never paid attention to how much you have done," he said looking down at the floor.

"Neither has mom the only person who does is Derek"

We ended up taking for almost two hours. He agreed to hand over his parental rights. I was now on my way to pick up the kids from school.

I picked up the oldest first they kept on talking about how fun their field trip was I then picked up Izzie and headed home to pick up George and pay Derek's mom for taking care of George.

"Mer where are we going" asked Alex

"The hospital" I simply said as they nodded

We got to the hospital and they met up with Thatcher they said their awkward hello and goodbyes. I took them to an empty on-call room to tell them the news.

"After I tell you what I am bout to tell you, you can cry and get a hug from me okay?" they nodded

"I know this will be hard to hear even if you didn't like her" i said.

"You guys know what a brain tumor is right?" they all said yes in unison.

"Mom had a brain tumor but they got it out. But they don't think she is going to wake up. Her brain isn't working. She is dying and we have to go say goodbye" I said with tears in my eyes.

They came up to me and hugged me all 4 were crying their eyes out the tears in my eyes fell but I didn't want to cry until the kids were all in bed. Ellis was never there for us but it hurts knowing our mother won't be back.

We all cleaned our faces and went to Elis's room.

"Mommy I'll miss you so much"

"Bye mommy I still love you"

"Love and miss you already"

"See you someday I love you"

It was hard seeing my younger siblings saying bye to their mother. Seeing the tears and hurt in their eyes broke my heart.

"Go find Thatcher tell him to take you out for ice cream okay?"

"Okay" Cristina sid

"Mer?" Izzie said

"Yes?"

"Will you be our mommy?" She said

"I will be like a mom and dad but you can still call me Mer okay?" I could see how they all cheered up with that.

"Okay," she said and they walked to go find their dad.

I turned back to Ellis and said

"Mommy this hurts me so much but it makes me so happy too. Seeing you here helpless gives me comfort because that's what it was like taking care of the kids for a while. It hurts me to see you go and it hurts more knowing you're leaving your 4 young kids without their mom. I'll miss you bitch. oh, how good it feels to call you that without getting yelled at. goodbye mom"

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