Meredith Grey-Montgomery

Chapter 22

"My Cancer is Back"

∆∆∆∆∆

Meredith decided that she'd go to another hospital to do some more tests when she gets her next day off which was this Saturday.

It was Wednesday morning and Meredith wasn't feeling any better, she tried taking the last antibiotics prescribed to her during the last relapse she had.

During the 4th year of Med School, Amelia and Meredith's relationship was strained and they stopped talking for 5 months. It was only Jackson who's been with her during those times. So when she had her first relapse, Jackson stayed by her side the whole time, didn't even tell her family because the symptoms were all mild and the doctor only prescribed antibiotics. Since then, she's been in tip-top shape. That is, until today.

"Meredith we've got to go!" Amelia says barging into her room.

"I'm coming, just got to change my shirt," Meredith says slowly getting up from bed and lifting her shirt.

"Have you lost weight? You look like a skeleton, your bones are popping out"

"What are you talking about? I've always been insanely thin, you know that. Now, come on let's go we'll be late,"

∆∆∆∆∆

After rounds, Meredith ended up on Bailey's service. Every hour that goes by, she could feel the fatigue become stronger.

"Grey, we need to get to radiology on 5, with the elevators down, we could use the stairs," Bailey says as she hands the nurse.

"Stairs? Seriously?" Meredith took a breath after breath slowly already feeling the exhaustion from the thought of walking up 3 flights of stairs.

"What's wrong Montgomery? Too lazy to go up the stairs now are we?"

"No Dr. Bailey, it's alright,"

After the first flight of stairs, Meredith had to sit down because she couldn't suck up the pain anymore. She didn't even care that her boss would find out her secret.

"Seriously Meredith, what's wrong with you? You've been out of it the last few days and it's getting annoying" Bailey says though sounding tough, genuinely concerned for her intern.

"Just tired that's all, you know me just a little weakling," Meredith chuckles trying to get up but quickly falls back down out of exhaustion.

"Meredith, don't make me call your sister,"

"Fine, I have Multiple Myeloma, I had it when I was a kid and had a mild relapse when I was in my 4th year of Med school, hadn't had another one after that, that is, until I found out that I was relapsing just a few days ago," Meredith explains and Bailey sits down next to her.

"Blood work?"

"Creatinine and Albumin are off the charts, with Hypercalcemia. Which could mean anything if you were a previously healthy person, but not if you're someone with a history of MM"

"Who have you told?"

"Well there's you, and that's about it," Meredith says trying to ease up the situation.

"Oh, Meredith-"

"And I would like to keep it that way, Dr. Bailey,"

"Have you at least done more tests?"

"I was going to at Seattle Pres this Saturday during my day off, and yes, I've been taking some antibiotics prescribed to me the last time for the pain, and I feel much better" Mer lied through her teeth.

"You expect me to believe that getting insanely tired after only one flight of stairs is you getting better?"

Meredith just sat there silent.

"Fine, I would agree to not telling your family for as long as you come with me right this instant for more tests,"

"But if we find something serious, I won't assure you I'll be keeping my word,"

Meredith just nods and they head to an exam room.

∆∆∆∆∆

After taking the needed samples, Bailey sent Meredith home since it was already the end of her shift and she looked even worse than she did in the morning.

"I ask you out, and you full-blown stop seeing me?" Mark came barging in locking the door to the intern locking room.

"Mark not now-"

"Then when Meredith?" Mark says trying to lower his voice.

"Never"

"What?"

"We're done Mark," Meredith says looking at him in his eyes trying to hold back tears.

"That's it? We're done?"

"Yep," Meredith pops her lips at the P.

With much confusion and defeat, Mark heads out slamming the door behind him and as soon as she hears the bang, she balls out crying alone.

∆∆∆∆∆

The next day, Bailey gives their assignments. She then pulls Meredith to an exam room to show her results.

"How are we feeling today?" Bailey asks her intern.

"Great actually, I think the cancer is gone," Meredith tries to move but she's so weak that it takes her a literal minute to just sit.

"Yeah well, if that's the case would you be a dear and hand me a chart from the nurse's station?" Bailey says, as Meredith just sat down.

Plastering on a fake smile, she wriggles herself up trying to stand back up again.

"Sit your ass back down, you don't get to hide your pain this time Montgomery. Seriously, how has nobody noticed that you're just hanging on to dear life?" Bailey looks at her and then thinks about how oblivious her family is.

"Everybody's got their own stuff. Addie and Derek have been busy since they're trying for a baby, Amelia's been seeing someone so she's rarely home, Christina's trying to be the next Burke, and Everybody else has their own lives to think about."

Bailey just looks at her with disbelief,

"Meredith- if you could care enough to know these things about them, I think they could do the same for you"

"It's not that serious Dr. Bailey, so if you wouldn't mind I'd like it if you just tell me my results and hand me the prescription so I can finally get back to work,"

Bailey just scoffed and placed the scans on the viewing light.

"Shit" Meredith says as she looked at the scans,

"As you can see the cancer has effectively progressed into your brain and you now have what is called a plasmacytoma or an inter-cranial brain tumor, which means-"

"which means I have to tell my family,"