Off the Carousel

Another Baby? Seriously?

Enjoy!

Cassie smiled as she saw Grace sitting up in bed. "Hey honey," she said, giving her daughter a gentle hug. "I missed you."

Grace smiled back. "It was pretty weird sleeping in this hospital bed, but I'm okay."

"That's good." Cassie said. Her daughter had always been resiliant. Grace truly was her namesake. "I brought some of your things... Your ipod, some books, clothes, your toothbrush..." she walked around the room, setting the items in place.

"Oh good, I was getting so bored," Grace rolled her eyes.

Typical teenager, Cassie thought. She sat down on the bed beside her daughter and stroked her cheek. "I'm so glad you're okay," she said. She'd been scared, last night knowing that her daughter was here and she wasn't, had been hard. But there was a reason for that.

"Me too."

"So... how did you know about Meredith?" Cassie asked, wrinkling her nose slightly.

"You found her?" Grace's eyes widened in excitement.

"She's staying at Grey House."

"What! Really?"

Cassie nodded, feeling Grace's excitement. "Yup. There's something... I don't know... she lost her husband Grace..."

"Yeah... I felt that."

"You did?"

"When she was in the car with me, I looked into her eyes... and I saw..." she shook her head. "Someone loved her very much. But he's gone."

"I know."

"So what are we going to do?" Grace asked.

"I don't know." Cassie replied, and for once... she really had no clue.

xxx

Meredith walked into the pharmacy. Her shoulder ached. It started this morning. She supposed the ointment had worn off. Well, it would be a few minutes and then she would have her medication. She fished around in her purse for the prescription, and then realized she left it at the bed and breakfast. No way, she sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. Stupid. Whimpering softly, she tried to think of what to do next. She supposed she would have to go pick up her rental, and then she could drive back on her own to pick it up and come back...

As she left the pharmacy, though, she saw a doctors office. Hope sprang in her. Maybe the doctor here could write a new prescription? She took Zola's hand, who took Bailey's and walked down the hall.

The doctor's office was clean and bright and she walked up to the young blonde receptionist. "Hi, um... I was wondering if you do walk-ins? I um, seem to have lost my prescription and-"

"Meredith Grey," a familiar voice called.

Her head snapped up in the direction of the voice and she saw the doctor from the hospital. "Huh?"

"I'm glad you came, I wasn't sure if you got my message."

"Message?" she asked.

"I called, but your phone was turned off. So I left a message on your voicemail."

"You called?"

He smiled, seemingly amused by her repeating.

"Follow me..." he said.

Confused, numb, Meredith followed, Zola and Bailey quietly trailing her.

He opened the door to an exam room and gestured for her to sit on the examining table, helping her up.