Lost love

Chapter 2

Ellis had been woken by her pager at 2:10am but she wasn't disappointed, she quite literally dreamed about it going off when she stayed at home because it was the last place she wanted to be. As soon as she heard the vibrating noise she jumped out of bed and threw on her scrubs, getting herself ready to head back into the hospital. As she walked past Meredith's bedroom she heard rustling, and opened the door to see where it was coming from.

"Why the hell are you still awake?" She whispered angrily at a young Meredith who stood looking at her bed with glistening eyes.

"I had a bad dream." She whispered, walking over to her mom and holding onto her leg.

"Let go of me and go back to bed." She pushed her away.

"I- I can't." Meredith whispered very quietly.

"Why can't you? Stop playing games Meredith, I have to go back to the hospital."

"It's wet. I wet myself." She said with embarrassment.

"You what?" Ellis said, her eyes glaring at her daughter. "Look at me when you're talking to me Meredith."

"I had a bad dream and I wet my bed." A tear slipping down her check, she quickly wiped it away and hugged herself.

"Stupid! Stupid! Stupid girl! You're 6 years old Meredith, only babies wet themselves!" She spat as she pulled the covers off of her bed. "You can make it yourself, I have to go."

Before Meredith could reply, her mother was already walking about muttering about how stupid she was and how much of a waste of time she was to her, she could have been at the hospital by now. Meredith had no idea how to fix the bed but she knew that new sheets were in her wardrobe, she just didn't know how to fit them. She pulled and stretched every side of the sheet but couldn't do it without another side popping back up so exhaustedly, she gave up. She couldn't help but falling asleep on the floor, her small head against the bean bag with her duvet pulled over her.

"Meredith!" Her body jolted awake. Her father standing above her. "Why are you not in your bed?"

A couple of hours had passed and it was now morning.

"I had a bad dream and I wet myself. I couldn't change the sheet all by myself. Mommy left for the hospital." she sighed with frustration and sadness.

Thatcher looked down at his daughter with no expression, her green eyes looking back at him almost caused him to soften, before telling her to get up. His moods with Meredith came in waves, sometimes he would tolerate her and the other times he wouldn't, she never knew how she was going to be treated but she had learnt that hope only leads to disappointment so she always expected the worst. Today however, he seemed calmer and after he has made her bed with fresh sheets and taken her dirty ones downstairs to be washed, he came back up and took her down for breakfast.

"Do you want fruit loops or Cheerios?" He asked as he grabbed her pink bowl.

"Cheerios, please." She said as she struggled to get up on the stool. He came round and helped her up.

"Here you go. Eat quickly so we can get you to school." Meredith nodded in response and ate her cereal as quickly as she could, she didn't want to spoil his mood.

The one thing she looked forward too was going to school, her teacher Mrs Adams was her favourite, she was really kind to Meredith and the other children. She was a young teacher, probably only 23 or 24 but Meredith loved being in her class and she was always on her best behaviour, her mother had told her that if she acted like a brat, everyone would hate her even more. As she finished her bowl of cereal, Thatcher took it away before helping Meredith down to go and get dressed, he didn't really care what she wore and most of the time he let her chose herself, she dressed herself in a light blue top and a white skirt with her favourite white buckle shoes.

"Daddy, can you put my bow in please." She held a matching blue bow in her hand.

"No Meredith. We don't have time." He rushed her out the door, forgetting her lunch box.

When they got to the school, Meredith walked to her classroom which was already full of children playing, she took herself over to the quiet corner and picked up her favourite book, 'The Rainbow Fish'. Meanwhile, Mrs Adams noticed the small girl walking in silently and empty handed.

"Good morning Meredith. Are you okay?" The teacher sat next to her.

Meredith nodded her head and opened her mouth to say something but decided not too.

"What was you going to say?" Mrs Adams asked with a smile on her face.

Meredith looked up at her and smiled shyly, "Mrs Adams?"

"Yes Meredith."

"Can you put my hair bow in please? My daddy didn't have time to help me." She said as she held the bow clenched in her fist tightly so that she didn't lose it.

"Of course, come here." She patted for Meredith to sit on her lap whilst she did her hair. "There you go. Beautiful." She complimented and Meredith blushed, never really receiving compliments from anyone before.

Meredith began telling her about her nightmare that she had and how she had forgotten her lunch box.

"I'm sure your mommy can bring it in."

"Mommy is at the hospital." Meredith said as she put the book back.

"Your mommy is in hospital?" Mrs Adams asked in concern, normally they would be aware of a situation like this.

"No, she works at the hospital. She's a surgeoner, she does surgery all the time." Meredith explained.

"Oh, well your dad then and if not we can get you a school lunch!" She smiled as she rubbed Meredith's back. "You know, my mommy works at the hospital too."

"She does?" Meredith gasped, having more in common with her favourite teacher. "Is she a surgeoner too?"

"My mommy's a nurse."

"Oh. Cool." Meredith giggled.

Mrs Adams helped Meredith up before calling out for the class to sit in their assigned seats so the teaching for the day could began.