Little Shepherd

Chapter 38

"Okay kiddo, everything's looking good. Today's the day!" Arizona tells Josie proudly. Josie cheers excitedly.

"I can't wait to sleep in Georgie's big bed." She giggles mischievously. Derek and Meredith laugh with her.

"You're really gonna kick him out of his bed?" Derek asks her, finding the whole ordeal hilarious.

"We had a deal." She shrugs, a smirk creeping across her sweet face. Derek shakes his head, chuckling. "And 'sides tomorrows my birthday. So he really won't mind."

"Birthday? I didn't hear anything about a birthday." Arizona teases, even though she's read the child's birthday on her chart dozens of times just this week.

"Mhm, maybe you can come at Mama Meredith's house to see me?" Josie asks hopefully.

"Oh, I don't know honey. I've got a lot of work to do tomorrow." Doctor Robbins responds.

"Oh" Josie responds sadly. She looks at her hands in her lap, giving Arizona the opportunity to wink at Derek and Meredith secretively. They acknowledge her signal before Josie looks back up. "That's okay, I know a lot of kids like me will be really happy to see you. I'm all better now but they're still sick. They need you more." Arizona nods, but can't bring herself to comment. She's horrible with secrets.

"Well. I'm going to go get the rest of her discharge paperwork and then you guys are free to break out of here. I'll leave them at the nurses station so that you can sign them on your way out." She says to Derek.

"Thank you." He says gratefully. She leaves the room and he turns his attention back to Josie. "You're all packed up, you ready to go?"

"My fwends aren't coming to say goodbye?" She asks him with a deep frown.

"Who do you mean love?" Meredith asks her gently.

"Awex, Doctor Baywee, Cwistina. My fwends."

"I don't think so honey, they're a little too busy with work right now." Derek explains. Josie's shoulders sag with disappointment.

"At least Georgie and Izzie will be at home to see me. And we'll get to see the new house with the water in a few days. Right Daddy?" She asks him hopefully.

"Yeah baby, that's right." She forces a weak smile, trying to stay positive even though she's genuinely disappointed. Derek lifts her into his arms, smoothing out her shiny red hair.

"Mommy's not even here..." she whispers as she wraps her arms around her fathers neck and lays her head against his shoulder. Meredith looks to Derek desperately.

"This is too hard." She mouths to him silently. He holds a finger to his lips, silently shushing her. "Look how upset she is, we should tell her." Meredith mouths again. He shakes his head no and grabs a bag of Josie's things with his free hand. Meredith gets whatever he can't carry in one hand and then they head to the nurses station. He puts the bag in his hand onto the floor, signs the paperwork and then lifts it back up.

"Alright little bear, we're out of here." Josie doesn't even lift her head up off of his shoulder, she's so sad that her 'friends' didn't come to say goodbye. This is the day they've all been waiting for and now no one is here.

****

When they arrive at Meredith's house Josie sulks to the door, her little hand clasped inside one of Meredith's. She still a bit wobbly on her feet but she is determined to be as independent as possible. Josie hears giggling through the door, but dismisses it, assuming it's just Izzie and George. She's shocked when Meredith opens the front door and reveals a crowd squeezed into the entryway. Her face immediately lights up.