Little Shepherd

Chapter 37

Josie slowly blinks her eyes open. She whimpers.

"You're okay baby girl, we're here." Derek tells her comfortingly. She reaches her arms out for him, not quite finding her words yet, but in desperate need of comfort. He lifts her into his arms allowing her to rest her head in his shoulders, her tiny arms cling around his neck. Meredith softly brushes Josie's hair behind her ear so that it's out of her face.

"You okay honey?" She asks her. Josie nods against Derek's neck. She lifts one of her arms away from Derek, reaching it out toward Meredith. She takes Meredith's hand and pulls her closer, hugging the woman's hand to her chest. Meredith smiles at her lovingly as Derek does the same. He loves the bond that they share.

"Jojo...I'm so sorry. I never meant to upset you." Addison says gently as she takes a few steps closer to the three of them. Derek holds up a hand to her and Josie clings to him and Meredith even tighter.

"Not now Addie, we'll talk about this later okay?" He asks, exhausted. She nods and stays quiet.

"I think I know just how to make you feel better." Meredith tells Josie with a bright smile.

"You do?" The child asks groggily.

"Daddy has some news for you." Meredith replies happily. Josie lifts her head, looking up at him expectantly.

"I talked to Doctor Robbins this morning, we're busting you out of here at the end of this week." He tells his daughter.

"Home??" She asks excitedly, still a bit foggy from the seizure. He nods.

"Yeah baby, you get to go home" he beams at her, so proud of how far she's come. His strong incredible little girl. Her bottom lip pouts and she buries her face into his chest as she begins to sob.

"Honey what's wrong, we thought you'd be happy." Meredith questions gently.

"Happy tears Mama. So happy." Josie replies tearfully. Meredith and Derek both chuckle with relief and happiness. Neither of them can wait to take this precious baby home. Addison smiles at her daughters joy, she wants nothing more than to be a part of that joy, to share this beautiful moment with her child, but instead she's standing on the sidelines once again. She knows it's her own fault. She made her bed and now she has to lay in it. All she wants to do is make things right with Josie, but every turn she makes she's just making things worse. If she had one wish she'd use it to go back in time and never let things end up this way. She'd never let anything get between her and her daughter. No time will ever take away the scars she's left on that little girls heart and she knows better than to think otherwise. Maybe some day she'll be able to earn her place back in her life, become part of her happiness again, but for now she's grateful to just be here. Standing in this room she feels more alone than she's ever felt in her entire life. She wonders if Derek could feel even a fraction of the loneliness she feels right now if he would understand why she finds comfort in Marks presence. He's all she has now.

"And you know what you're getting out just in time for?" Meredith asks Josie cheerfully.

"My birthday!" Josie chirps back.

"Nooo, no birthdays. It's no one's birthday." Derek teases playfully.

"Daddyyyy!" She giggles.

"I know I'm just playing, I could never forget the most important day in the world!" Her angelic laughter brightens the whole room. If an outsider walked in they would never have been able to tell that just a few minutes ago this sweet child was seizing.

"You we're the most beautiful little baby." Addison tells her with a tearful smile. "You still are." Josie smiles awkwardly at her, unsure of her feelings towards her mother.

"The day you were born was the best day of our lives." Derek says in agreement.

"How old are you gonna be this year? 16?" Meredith jokes.

"Mama!" Josie laughs. "I'll only be 4!"

"The smartest, bravest, 4 year old there ever was." She says, booping Jojos nose.

"Can we have cake?"

"Well of course, what's a birthday without cake?" Derek replies enthusiastically.

"Will you come mommy?" Josie asks Addison, who looks to Derek for how to respond.

"Of course she will angel." He replies quickly.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world."