Driving Sideways

45.

eredith held her sobbing husband for several minutes before they felt the pushing and prodding of four little hands and feet climbing onto them. "Daddy, are you crying?" Richie asked as he rolled over his mother's side and pushed on his father's arm. "Daddy?"

"Don't cry, Daddy..." Greyson whispered as he climbed up to the top of the bed and leaned down, kissing his father's cheek as he ran his tiny fingers through his father's hair. "Don't cry..." he whimpered as he felt the urge to cry. "Daddy..."

Derek looked up at his little boy, watching the tears roll down his cheeks, he felt horrible for being the cause of it. He reached up and touched his little boy's hand. "Oh... don't you cry too..." He whispered.

"Don't cry anymore, Daddy... why are you so sad?" Richie asked as he noticed his mother was crying too. "Mama?" Why is everyone crying?" He whispered. "I'm not crying... why are you all crying?" He asked, totally confused as to the feeling of the room, the sadness and tears rolling down everyone's face. "Listen... listen guys..." Richie said as he climbed down from the bed. "Listen guys, Listen... guys... guys?" Richie said, his voice was nearly panicking as he stood beside the bed. "No more crying!" He exclaimed emphatically as he waved his arms around in the air. "No more crying! No more crying!" He exclaimed "This is craziness!" He exclaimed as he flopped backwards onto the bed behind him.

Derek couldn't help but chuckle between his tears at his son's dramatic attempt to cease the sad and depressing mood that was filling the room. He looked up at the little boy, lying on his back on the other bed as he stared at the ceiling. "Richard..." Derek coughed a little, watching his son's head lift to look at him. "Come over here..." He waved him over as Meredith wiped her tears on her arm and cleared her throat as she rolled over a bit and lifted her arm up as her little boy approached. He draped both of his arms over his mother and looked into his father's eyes.

"Are you going to explain all of this?" He asked with an exaggerated five year old sigh.

"Climb over..." Derek said, nodding his head to his son as he moved over a little, allowing the little boy to nestle into the spot between his parents, their younger son sat perched above them, sitting cross legged on the pillow as Richie looked up at his parents and brother. "What the heck is going on?" He sighed.

Derek took a deep breath and released it slowly. He looked to Meredith, who was watching him carefully, waiting for his explanation and at the same time, waiting to see if he needed help with his explanation to them. "Do you boys know what daddy does for his job?"

"You color?" Greyson asked.

"He doesn't color, dummy..." Richie sighed.

"Don't call your brother a dummy..." Meredith interjected

"Sorry." Richie sighed. "You work at the hospital..." Richie replied.

"Do you know who comes to the hospital?"

"Sick people..." Richie replied.

"Yes... you're right... sick people..."

"People with boo boos..." Greyson replied.

"Yep..." Derek said with a nod.

"Babies... that's where Grey came from... he came from the hospital..."

"Yes... babies come from the hospital too..." Derek explained. "Well... daddy works with people... who are sick inside their brain... inside their head..." He said, touching his head and watching as the two boys did the same. He smiled a little at Meredith as she lifted her hand to run her fingers through Greyson's hair as she watched his eyes. "And... today... GG... GG had a boo boo inside her head..."