Echoes of Resilience

10

The following day finds Meredith and Addison back at the hospital for the blonde's appointment with Dr. Wyatt. Addison can feel the anxiety pouring out of the woman next to her and gently squeezes her hand. It was a rough night filled with nightmares for the younger woman before she finally gave up on sleep around 4am. Addison of course was up with her through it all, comforting her and ensuring her that she was safe.

Dr. Wyatt enters the waiting room and calls Meredith back who immediately looks at Addison to make sure she's coming with her. The two women stand up and go to meet the other woman in her office, sitting down on the couch with Meredith grasping onto Addison's hand like she'll die if she lets go. Addison gives her a soft smile and squeezes back.

"Hi Meredith, Addison told me that you had a rough day yesterday, Derek left you a voicemail?" Dr. Wyatt asks in a gentle voice, not missing the wince the blonde lets out at the mention of Derek's name.

"He did. I didn't really listen to it though. The sound of his voice made me drop the phone." Meredith says quietly, her eyes staring at her feet as her body begins to tremble lightly. She can feel tears start to build but quickly blinks them away. "Did she tell you about his interview?" She asks softly.

"She did, she also mentioned you wanting to give your own interview? Do you want to talk about that?" Dr. Wyatt asks carefully. She personally does not think that giving an interview is in Meredith's best interest and she knows that Addison agrees with her, but the blonde lost full control of her life for so long that at this point, she needs to be able to make her own decisions.

"I don't want to do an interview, but if it means that they pull the plug on Derek's then do I really have a choice?" Meredith exclaims, panic rising in her bones. "He's going to lie and get everyone thinking that I'm a liar and a whore and that I wanted it! I didn't want it! I didn't!" Tears start to fall from her eyes as she hides her face in her hands. Addison gently pulls her hands away and tilts her chin so they're making eye contact.

"We know you didn't want it, sweet girl, and we know that you're not a whore. Do not do this just to stop Derek, don't let him have that power over you. I don't think it's a good idea, we don't know what kind of questions they may ask you and it could cause you to regress on national television which could just cause you more trauma when you've already had enough for a lifetime. If you want, I could see if they'll do an interview with me instead of him." Addison offers, fighting back her own tears. Meredith goes to respond when Dr. Wyatt beats her to it.

"I agree with Addison, if you do this interview only because you don't want Derek to do one then you are giving him power over you that he does not deserve and just risking traumatizing yourself even more, it's not worth it Meredith. I also don't think it's a good idea for you to do one either Addison, the media isn't here to present the case, they're here to get ratings. They could twist and edit everything you say in order to make you seem complicit in what Derek did and that narrative could be detrimental to you and to Meredith. The hate that this could bring on you would impact Meredith in ways I cannot even begin to explain and it would impact you just as much." She pauses and watches the women across from her consider her words. "There may not be a way to stop Derek from doing this, but the two of you could issue a public statement before his interview. Something the two of you are in full control of as opposed to putting it in the hands of reporters and producers that don't care about what happened to Meredith, all they care about is how many viewers they can bring in and what makes a good story."

Addison sighs, knowing that the doctor is right. There's a reason both she and Meredith have been refusing to speak to the media and if they do it now it'll just be for the wrong reasons, but issuing a written statement may not be the worst idea. It could give them some control in a situation where they seem to have so little. At the end of the day, it's up to Meredith. The redhead will do whatever the blonde is most comfortable with.