Lost love

Chapter 9

Kathleen sat next to Meredith's bed holding her small hand as she waited for her to wake up, she looked at the small bruises on her face and the cast on her leg, her body looked tiny as she laid there. She wondered if Meredith would recall what happened when she woke up because of her head injury, and if she did how would she react? She was a shy girl already, very quiet and even during school time she liked to be alone and Kathleen couldn't help but worry if she would be worse after.

She had been here for 9 hours and there was still no sign of Meredith waking up, as soon as she got to Meredith she broke down in tears as her mom comforted her, she was angry at the world, angry at the parents who were supposed to love and cherish this sweet little girl and instead but her through pain and misery that she never deserved. Part of her blamed herself for letting it get this bad, if she had pushed further with her concerns maybe Meredith would not be in this situation or maybe if she had checked on her sooner her injuries wouldn't be so bad, either way she felt like she could have played a part in preventing this. She thought about Meredith's life afterwards, what would happen to her? She definitely would not allow her to go back to that house even if she had to fight for the girl herself, she would not be going back there with those parents but if she was taken away completely, would she be able to see the girl if she was no longer her teacher? Her thoughts were disturbed by the door to her room opening.

"Who are you?" A slim woman demanded as she entered. Kathleen recognised her voice immediately.

"I'm Meredith's school teacher, Kathleen Adams." She stood. She had no idea that this was news to Ellis too.

"Why is she here before me?! Did no one think to tell me that my own daughter was here?!" Ellis shouted outside to whoever was near by.

"What happened?" She turned back to Kathleen.

"I was hoping you could tell me." She challenged.

"Excuse me?"

"Well she's your daughter, right? And she was found beaten at your home, so why don't you tell me what happened to this poor sweet girl?" Kathleen's voice broke as she all but accused Ellis.

"If you're implying that I did this to Meredith then you are hugely mistaken. I would never lay a finger on her." She raised her voice.

"So who did?"

"Look lady, this is the first I've heard of Meredith being in this hospital, the hospital I work at. I haven't left in 4 days so there is no logical way I could have done this to Meredith. As far as I'm concerned the only person to have been with Meredith in those 4 days is her father..." Ellis trailed off as her face dawned in realisation. "Oh my god..."

"Her father." Kathleen repeated. "I had cps go out to the house because I had my concerns about Meredith at home, you had no idea he was doing this to her?"

"Of course not. What kind of mother do you think I am." She spat.

"My mother found Meredith after I called her and asked her to check on her, she lives on your block, your husband was not there."

"He's a coward." Ellis said as she span to Meredith who sounded like she hummed.

"Meredith?" Ellis questioned but got no response.

Kathleen stepped forward and sat back in the chair next to her bed, grabbing her hand again. Ellis watched as she did so and a part of her pinged with jealously and regret as she looked at the woman who obviously cared very much about her daughter, she wondered what type of relationship they had but she also felt grateful that Meredith had someone looking out for her whilst she wasn't around because it allowed her to work, the thing she loved more than anything. She stood by the door, out of the way.

A few minutes later Meredith made another noise and they waited with patience for her to wake up, Kathleen stroked her hand.

"M-mrs Ad-Adams?" were the first words Meredith spoke with a dry, hasty voice.

"Hey Meredith. Here have some water." She responded as she poured a glass of water and a straw so she could drink. She held the cup as Meredith drank.

"How are you feeling?" She asked gently.

"My head hurts." She reached her hands up.

"Do you remember what happened Mer?"

Meredith hadn't noticed her mother in the room yet. But when her teacher asked her the question she didn't respond and she lost eye contact. Kathleen knew that meant she did remember what happened but Ellis wanted to hear it for herself.

"Answer her Meredith." Ellis announced herself.

"Mommy." Meredith gasped.

"Do you remember what happened?"

Meredith nodded her head and looked up to her mom under he lashes. Kathleen watched as Meredith looked intimidated by her mother, but she wasn't scared and Kathleen knew in that moment that she had been wrong about Ellis and owed her an apology.

"Who did this Meredith?" She sighed when Meredith failed to answer her again, "answer me Meredith!" She raised her voice slightly.

Meredith tensed in the bed and stayed silent for a couple of seconds before she opened her mouth, "daddy."

"I'll kill him." Ellis muttered under her breath as she turned to leave the room.

"Dr Grey wait!" Kathleen jumped out her chair and followed her, wanting to be quick as she noticed the tears rolling down Meredith's face.

Ellis turned to her but didn't say anything. "I owe you an apology, I'm sorry for accusing you of doing this to Meredith. I had no idea that you didn't know this was happening. I'm sorry." Kathleen apologised.

"Thank you. It's nice to see Meredith has someone who cares about her." Ellis said before walking away.

What she said repeated in Kathleen's mind as she went back to Meredith. Someone, "it's nice to see Meredith has someone who cares about her".

"It's okay Mer, you're okay now." She said as she hugged Meredith who was crying.

She kept hold of her until she calmed down.

"Do you want to watch a movie?" She asked as she pulled out the iPad that Carolyn had brought her from Kathleen's house.

"I'm not allowed." Meredith said quietly.

"Of course you are." She said with a sympathetic frown.

"My daddy's says I'm not allowed, that only nice girls are allowed to watch movies." She said as she picked at her finger nails. She looked up to Kathleen, "am I not a nice girl, Mrs Adams?"

Her heart officially broke. "Meredith, you are perfect. What your father has said and did do you was wrong. You can do anything you want to do, what's your favourite movie?"

"I don't have one."

"How about Frozen, that's my little sisters favourite. You remember Amelia right?" She smiled through hee tears.

"Yeah. I liked her, and the boy, Derek?" she questioned.

"Yes that's right Derek, he's my little brother." She smiled as she set up frozen and got Meredith comfortable.

"They're lucky." She said. A few moments later she spoke again, "can you sit with me?"

"Of course I can." Kathleen sat next to her on her bed, she wrapped her arm around Meredith as the girls head leaned on her.

Sat here right there with Meredith she was so grateful that she was okay and that she was out of danger. She learnt that day to always trust her gut and instincts and she hated to imagine what could have happened had she not. Meredith's giggles throughout the movie made her heart swell, and also made her think more about what would happen once she was discharged from hospital.