Don't you remember

5

Meredith was laying down in the hospital bed. Her daughter was cuddled into her left side and sound asleep. Derek was laying next to Grace, partly out of the bed as there wasn't enough room for him

"Mer, are you awake?" She heard Derek whisper

"Hmm" She groaned

"Are you okay?" Derek asked, noticing she was quiet

"Y-Yeah" She nodded

"Are you laying comfortably?" He asked

"Stop" Meredith sighed and turned her head away from him

"Mer-" Derek gasped but decided to drop it

A few hours later Grace woke up. She had her mother's sleeping habits

"Morning" Grace giggled

"Morning princess" Derek smiled

"Morning mommy" Grace kissed her mother's cheek

"H-Hi" Meredith smiled softly at Grace

"How did you sleep?" Derek asked Grace

"I had a really nice dream about ponies" The little girl started rambling "There was a pink pony with rainbow hair" She smiled

"Really?" Derek chuckled

Meredith wanted desperately to talk tk her daughter but she didn't understand what the little girl was saying. She felt locked inside her own body. It was as if deep down she could understand most things, except abstract things, but she couldn't respond as if her body was failing her

"Mommy, do you like ponies?" Grace asked

"I-?" Meredith seemed to think but eventually nodded. Derek didn't know if Meredith remembered how a pony looked a like, if Meredith even knew that it was an animal or not

"Me too" Grace breathed "Daddy, can I have my pony book?"

"Of course" Derek smiled softly and handed it to his daughter

"Mommy, look" Grace said to get Meredith's attention as she was still staring outside

Grace opened the book and showed Meredith all the pictures of her favourite ponies. Meredith's raised her left hand softly and her fingers softly brushed over the page of the book, tracing the lines of the small horse

"Mer, I was thinking we should call Cristina.." Derek carefully started

"No" Meredith said sternly, not looking up as she kept looking at the images her daughter was showing her

"Mer, we can't not tell her. She'll want to see you" Derek sighed

"No" Meredith sternly repeated

"Mer.." Derek sighed "Can I at least tell her?"

"No see. D-Don't wanna.. Uh-" Meredith started but started thinking "Not talking"

"You don't wanna see her and talk to her?" Derek guessed and watched her as she slowly nodded

"Mer, she'll discover anyway. Can I please just call her?"

"You, yes" Meredith snapped which causes Grace to flinch slightly

"Mommy kay?" Grace frowned

"Y-Yes" Meredith nodded "Pony" She smiled softly

Derek sighed and slowly left the room. Outside of the room he collapsed on the chair. He noticed she didn't make much sentences anymore, she even refused to let her best friend know about everything that was happening so now Derek had to call Cristina and tell her

Derek walked into an on call room and dialed Cristina's phone number

"Hey, Derek" Cristina's voice was heard

"Hi" Derek forced out "Cristina-"

But Cristina interrupted him "How are Mer and McBaby?" She asked

"Cristina.. I need to talk to you about something" Derek sighed

"What's wrong?" Cristina asked

"Mer had a small accident at work- Or at least that was what we thought.." Derek sighed

"Shepherd, spill!"

"A patient pushed her, she fell.. A few hours later she had a seizure and it became clear she had a stroke" Derek explained and heard Cristina gasp "Her right side is useless. Her speech.. I- It's not horrible" He sighed

"Derek?" Cristina's voice cracked

"She's been having absence seizures, she's refusing to talk and barely eats.. She didn't wanna call you, she's embarrassed. She's shutting herself out from everything" Derek was desperate

"What about Grace?" Cristina asked softly

"She's the only one Mer talks to. Grace and Mer were looking at a picture book together. She can't even read anymore" Derek started crying

"I'm coming over" Cristina said sternly

"No.. Please don't. Mer is refusing to see anyone"

"Derek, Mer and I used to be each other's person, I'm not gonna do nothing"

"I know" Derek sighed

"Derek, this is Meredith. She'll get through this" Cristina said

"Yeah" Derek breathed " I hope"

Derek hung up the phone and composed himself before he walked out of the room and back to Meredith's room. Once he entered her room, he noticed her phone was ringing in her bag on the couch

He saw it was Cristina and hung up

"Hi, are you two doing okay?" He asked softly

"Mommy loves the white pony" Grace told him

"Oh, I like the white one too but I love the blue one the most"

"Blue eyes" Meredith whispered softly

"Yeah" Derek smiled softly and kissed her forehead

"Mommy, look! Their mommy" Grace showed her

AN // Shorter chapter, I'm sorry. Feel free to leave some ideas and merry xmas!