Meredith's Pain

22- Deeper Understanding

Arizona's POV
Callie, Meredith and I all had lunch together in the cafeteria, although I did notice Meredith only bought a small side salad.
A: is that enough for your lunch Mer?
I asked concerned, not that a salad shouldn't be lunch but she only grabbed a side serving of salad.
M: yeah
A: mer?
I asked again something didn't seem right.
M: it's all Derek give me money for
She whispered to me. Oh god that man is pure evil,
A: what would you like
I ask pointing at the food options in front of us.
M: what?
A: I'll pay for it don't worry
M: thank you zona
Meredith quickly grabs a hamburger from the options and I pay before we go and sit down.

After Lunch
Meredith and I are playing with the kids in the nursery, it was nice having lunch with her. It's sad though that it took a plane crash to bring us together I'm not sure why I wasn't friends with her before she's amazing.
S: mamma, wook I have a puwple bwook
A: you do my love,
I smile at Sofia how is sitting in front of me building a tower, I love playing with her. Callie is still working but she finished at 6 so we only have about an hour before we go home.
A: Meredith what time does Derek finish today?
I asked smiling at Meredith who is also playing with Zola.
M: oh um, 7 I think
Of course it had to be after we leave
A: are you waiting for him to take you home
Meredith just nods smiling and giggling at Zola. That means Meredith still has two hours until she gets to go come and rest. If he will even let her rest.
A: do you want to get a lift with me a Callie?
I ask, at least then she's at home and not stuck somewhere in the hospital.
M: um... sure
She seemed hesitant but seems ok, I quickly send Callie and message letting her know and I see Meredith do the same. As we continue to play I notice Zola start crying then moving her hands in a way that resembles sign language, as I turn to look at Meredith I see her doing them as well.
M(signing and talking): oh baby girl what's wrong
Z(signing and babbling): hungry
M(signing and talking): hungry? You want your bottle?
Zola then nods, I didn't know Meredith knew sign language, and why is she getting Zola to use it.
A: Mer was that sign language?
M: oh not quite, it's Makaton
A: what's Makaton?
M: it's a communication tool with speech, signs, and symbols to enable people to communicate. I learnt it when I was a kid as I had a friend who had autism and was partially non-verbal.
A: oh, how come you use it with Zola?
M: it can be easier for children to understand and she can use it when she's feeling tired or upset to communicate to me what I need.
A: oh that's amazing,
I thought about what she'd said, it helps Zola communicate when she's upset hmm. I quickly made a note if it, and plan to have more of a study about it later.
M: I thought so...
Meredith replied, taking me back a bit she seems to be disappointed or something
A: what's wrong
M: oh nothing, Derek just doesn't like it
Of course he doesn't, it gives Zola and Meredith independence from him.
A: well I think it's a great idea.
I smile at her before going back to playing with Sofia.

Soon enough 6 o'clock comes around Callie comes up to the day care to meet me and Meredith, she helps me collect Sofia's things. Once I've collected Sofia's stuff I turn around and see Meredith struggling slightly to grab Zola's jacket of the shelf, just as I'm about to ask Callie to go help her I see her put all her weight on her remaining leg and balance for 5 seconds allowing her to grab the jacket and sit back down. It was impressive but sadden me slightly knowing it's because Meredith was taught to never ask for help. Once we've got all our stuff, Sofia sits on my lap and Zola sits on Meredith's and we start to make our way towards the car. Callie is currently carrying Sofias bag and Zola's is also on Meredith's lap, I quickly ask Callie to go help Meredith, once we reach the lift Callie takes the bag of Meredith lap and starts to carry it as well, I then silently tell Callie to push Meredith instead of me.
M: oh thanks Callie,
Meredith is surprised when we leave the lift and Callie is helping to push her to the car rather than her having to push herself.
C: it's no problem Meredith, I figured you could use a break from pushing yourself and this little one around.
Callie cooed while pretending to tickle Zola. We quickly make it to the car and Callie helps buckle both girls in thankfully we had an extra child's seat in the boot that Sofia had our grown but seemed to fit Zola just fine. As Meredith gets in the car she seems hesitant.
A: everything ok Mer?
M: yeah fine,
she quickly gets into the car and Callie loads her wheelchair into the boot of the car, I'm very grateful at this point that we have such a large car. We quickly drive Meredith home, before heading back home ourselves, I've told Meredith I'll come over tomorrow as we don't have PT but we can still help each other and I can try and make sure Derek doesn't hurt her anymore.

Derek's POV
I'm scrubbing out of a Surgery and I check the time 7:15 awesome I'm finished for the night, I'll go collect Zola and I suppose Meredith so she can go home and make some dinner. Once I'm finished scrubbing out I check my phone and see I have a message from Meredith.
"Hey Derek, Arizona and Callie offered to drop me and Zola home early, I will have dinner waiting for you when you get home."
What does she mean she got a lift home I told her to wait for me, I'm fuming I swear that girls does not have ears to listen she never does it's always oh I'm going to do whatever I want. I quickly grab my stuff from the attending's lounge  and start the journey home. I was looking forward to seeing Zola and now because of my wife's stupidity I have to wait longer.
As I walked in the house I'm greeted with the smell of Spaghetti, oh great I didn't want spaghetti for dinner. I know I said that to her this morning but that's another reason she needed to wait for me to come home so I could tell her now I wanted Stir-fry.
D: Meredith!!!
M: im in the kitchen Derek, I've just finished dinner I know you don't like to wait
D: why did you leave the hospital without me and take Zola with you!!!
M: I..um... Arizona offered plus I thought...I...um that way...
D: oh for god sake Meredith stop stammering, I..I..I you would like an idiot.
It's ridiculous she's a 30 year old women who can't even speak in proper sentences.
M: I'm sorry
She mumbled god I hate it when she mumbles.
D: don't mumble Meredith!!!
I yell hitting my hand on the table causing her to jump.
D: and what's this?
I ask pointing towards the food on the table
M: it's dinner I made spaghetti just like you asked,
I look and the table and see two serves sitting ready, I don't want this plus why does she think I'd want to eat with her.
D: why are there two serves!!!
M: I...I thought I could eat dinner with you...
D: why!!!
I yell, god the smell of the spaghetti is making me fill ill, I don't want this.
M: I...um..I.... We...
She start to stutter mumbling again, god she's such an idiot, I quickly grab a plate of the spaghetti off the table.
D: stop stuttering and stop mumbling your not an idiot...
I yell throwing the plate at her, annoyingly it misses her and hits the wall behind her leaving spaghetti marks on the wall. It's not like I was going to eat it anyway.
D: see this is the issue cause you where stupid and didn't use your ears to listen to me and left early you made this disgusting spaghetti mess when I wanted stir-fry
M: but this morning you said you wanted spaghetti.
D(mockingly): but this morning you wanted spaghetti. (Back to normal) well if you'd not been an idiot and waited for me I could have told you that.
M: but I've made the spaghetti now is it ok?
She asks pointing to the plate of spaghetti left on the table. I smirk before I go and pick the plate up and walk back to her, she's been sitting on a bench behind the kitchen counter. I pull her off the bench dropping her on the floor.
D: this spaghetti is rubbish...
I say before tipping the plate of spaghetti over her head as she lies on the floor.
D: and I don't eat rubbish.
I quickly grab the pot that had the left over spaghetti in it and tip that over her as well.
D: now has Zola eaten?
I ask bending down and pulling her head up by her chin with my thump, she just nods
D: good, then I'm going to order some dinner for myself and you can have this
I say pointing to the spaghetti on the floor. I pick up a handful and push it into her face being sure to rub it into her hair. Before leaving her on the floor and walking into the lounge.
D: oh and make sure to clean up the mess you made
I laugh before turning into the living room to watch tonight's boxing match.