Confide in Me

Chapter 16

Time seemed to fly by, or maybe everyone around her worked quicker than she expected them to. Richard had completed his examination and confirmed that Maddie did have appendicitis, and after a quick ultrasound, where Maddie had refused to let go of Meredith, had then confirmed she needed surgery as soon as possible.

Since, Derek had tried to explain to a lethargic Maddie what would happen, but from a mixture of pain medication and fear, Maddie was in complete refusal. She was adamant that she didn't need to go into surgery and there was another way for them to make her feel better.

They both knew Derek couldn't go in with her, but Meredith thought that maybe she could convince Richard to let her go in. She knew she had a better chance, given her mother was in New York for the week, and if it helped Maddie by having her there, then she would do it. She would ignore every fear ridden bone in her body in order to help Maddie. She was her daughter now.

Maddie was half asleep now, exhausted from the pain and the medication. She clung on to Derek now, but would start to whimper if Meredith moved away from the bed. Meredith had settled to running her fingers lightly through the dark curls, letting Maddie know she was right there.

"Maybe, I could ask Richard if I can sit in with her," Meredith said. "If you want, to make it easier for her. Maybe if I was there she would be comforted more."

"I mean," Derek frowned as he contemplated her words.

"I wouldn't operate. I would sit her head," she said. "Hold her hand."

"Do you think Richard would allow it?" Derek asked.

"If Ellis was here probably not, but she's not here, and I could probably convince him," she explained, looking up to meet the gaze she could feel on her. "If you were okay with it."

"I would love it if you were able to be in there with her," he nodded. His hand reached toward her, and she took it with a gentle squeeze. "Thank you."

Meredith stretched behind her to pick up the phone and page Richard back to the room. Derek's arm moved around her middle, over Maddie, holding both of them close to him. Only a second later, Maddie started to fuss between them, wriggling around.

"Daddy, too tight," she mumbled, her eyes blinking against sleep.

"I'm sorry, baby girl," he moved his arm away just as Richard walked into the room.

"Everything okay?" Richard asked, eyeing the three of them on the bed.

"Hurts, Doctor Richard," Maddie turned toward him with a frown.

"We're going to get you fixed up really soon, Maddie," Richard said. "I've got an operating room ready for her in half an hour, so not much longer."

"Richard," Meredith said, looking to him. "I was thinking maybe I could go in with Maddie, and I'll stay sat by her head and I won't interfere or have any part in the surgery."

"I'm not sure, Meredith," Richard frowned.

"Richard, please. It's a compromise. Derek will stay in the waiting room, and I'll go in with her," she said, pleading with him as they shared a look for a moment, and by the softening of his eyes she knew she had won him over.

"I'll be on my best behaviour," she nodded with a slight grin, and turned back to Maddie. "How does that sound, little bug? Daddy can't come into the surgery, but I'll be there the whole time, holding your hand. I won't leave your side."

Maddie frowned and thought about this, and finally nodded, turning into Meredith with a sniffle. "Mommy stay with me."

"I will, I promise," Meredith murmured, pressing a kiss against Maddie's curls. "And daddy will be right here, waiting for us to come back."

"Daddy?" Maddie asked, turning to find him.

"Right here, angel," he said, his hand moving to her shoulder.

"Love you, daddy. We be right back," she told him.

"That's right," he smiled, and Meredith caught the ways his eyes watered a little. "I love you too, so much. Everything is going to be okay; I promise."

"Mer look after me, like sleep overs," Maddie said.

"Exactly," Derek nodded. "Come and give me a cuddle before you go. Meredith needs to change her clothes to go in with you."

Maddie nodded and crawled over to him, burying her head against his chest as he wrapped his arms around her. Meredith slowly moved off the bed, ignoring the aching in her limbs from laying on the bed with Maddie since they'd arrived. She needed to change quickly, and run to the toilet, and she didn't want to be gone for too long. They needed to get to the operating room and Maddie needed her there.

"I'll be right back," she said to them before she slipped out of the room.

She was thankful for the quick breather. She made her way through the hospital to find scrubs to change in to. Her mind was racing, and she hadn't stopped since she'd woken up in the bed with Maddie crying in pain to even pay any mind to the thoughts. She just needed to stop for a few minutes.

She sat on the bench in the locker room, leant forward with her hands on her knees, taking a few deep breaths. She couldn't do this yet. She couldn't feel everything, or breakdown yet. She needed to pull herself together, and be strong, for Maddie and Derek.

She stood up from the bench, pulling off the pyjamas she still wore, and pulled on the scrubs, regretting not wearing a bra there wasn't anything she could do about that right now. As she made her way back to Maddie's room, pulling her hair out of the messy byn and pulling it up into a tidier one. She'd have to use one of the disposable, scratchy scrub cap, which she wasn't super excited about, but it really didn't matter right now.

She walked into the room, grinning softly as she saw Derek sat on the bed with Maddie curled up against him. She perched on the end of the bed, her gaze settled on them.

"It's almost time," she said, keeping her voice quiet as Maddie looked sleepy again.

"I'll page Webber," Derek murmured and pulled out his phone to do just that. He also pulled out his scrub cap and handed it over to her. "Here."

"What?" Her eyebrow arched at him in confusion.

"Take this," he set the cap down between them on the bed. "You don't have yours, you can borrow mine."

"Are you sure?" Meredith took it with a soft laugh.

"Boats," Maddie murmured. "Daddy likes the boats."

"He does like the boats, you're right. We should go and visit the boats soon once you're better," Meredith suggested, reaching her hand over to gently squeeze Maddie's leg.

"Right, Shepherd, waiting room," Richard said as he walked in.

"Okay," Derek sighed, and turned to Maddie, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I love you, Princess. I'll be right here waiting for you."

"Love you too, daddy," she whispered back.

He pulled away from her with an obvious reluctance. His hands held out toward Meredith, and she took them, letting him pull her into a hug. His nose buried in her hair. She could feel his warm breath against her neck.

"Thank you," he whispered. He pressed a kiss against the side of her head.

"She'll be okay, I've got her," she reassured him before she pulled back.

Meredith moved to the side of Maddie's bed, taking hold of her hand as she was prepped to be taken to surgery. Derek gave them one last smile before he left the room.

"Time for a sleep, and you'll feel much better when you wake up," Meredith said, giving her hand a small squeeze.

"Mer, when I'm better, can we have girls night again?" Maddie asked with a yawn. "Miss girls night."

"We'll have the best girls night ever."