My Dad the Brain Surgeon

Chapter 13

I headed to my office to clear my head before I spoke to Mark.  Unfortunately, my plan was ruined when I walked in and saw Addison sitting in my chair with Mark standing behind her.  Wonderful, my ex-wife and the man who started this mess all in one room.

"How's little Shepherd?"  Of course, Mark would be the one to start the conversation and act like there is no elephant in the room.

"Well, she'd be a hell of a lot better if you hadn't opened your fucking mouth!"  I didn't mean to be so blunt, but I can't even see my own child because of his stupidity.

"What are you talking about?  I haven't talked to her?"  His confused look almost made me laugh.

"You called Sarah's parents.  Now, she's here with them claiming they need a paternity test and that I have caused permanent brain damage to my daughter.  I can't have any contact with her at all while they investigate.  I'm insanely close to having a custody battle thrown in my face by the people that you so kindly called."  My anger fueled my speech as I felt it running through my entire body.

"Woah, hang on.  You have called them yourself before.  I simply thought they'd like to know that their granddaughter had just had brain surgery.  I doubted you were in a good enough mental state to handle that call.  I was trying to do you a favor since they've been in her life."  He looked at me like a little kid who'd been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"They haven't been in her life in six or seven years.  It got too awkward for Tay to be around the parents of the woman who abandoned her.  They don't get updates from me or anyone else and they haven't tried to stay in touch.  Your favor could end with me losing my daughter to them."

"I was just trying to help.  I know you know that I would never do anything I thought would risk you losing your kid.  I'll go explain everything to her.  Then I'll go brag to the lawyer about how great of a dad you are."  He started for the door with Addison on his heels.

"We can stay with her until you can see her so she's not alone.  I'll text you updates."  She chimed in.

Just the thought of the mother of my daughter, my first wife, the man who had an affair with my first wife, my current wife, and my daughter all in one room together sent chills through my spine.  The poor girl just had brain surgery, she doesn't need some sort of twisted 'family' situation that could be on an episode of Dr. Phil.

"Sucking up to the lawyer won't hurt anything, but Mer's with Tay.  I think she's got things under control right now."  He nodded as he walked out the door.  I was honestly relieved to have them out of my space.  I doubt he did this intentionally, but part of me is still furious.  I forgave him for sleeping with my wife, but I don't know that I could forgive him for causing me to lose custody of my daughter.

Meredith's POV.

Shortly after Derek was forced to leave, I told Taylor that her mom was here.  I quickly and simply explained that she was trying to prove that he was a neglectful parent.  Thankfully, she's so drugged up right now that I don't think any of this is really setting in for her.  Her mom came in with a lawyer to talk to her, but so far Taylor hasn't made any eye contact with either of them.  She's staring at the door.  The mood changed when the quizzing started.  The lawyer started to ask how Derek was as a father when her mom added her own opinion.  I could feel Tay's hand tighten around mine when they started talking over each other.  She couldn't even answer the question because Sarah was going on and on about how Derek screwed up her brain surgery.  Tay's eyes were starting to fill with tears, I could tell this was too much for her to handle right now.

"She just had brain surgery today.  Can't you do this some other time so she can rest?"

"I just need to ask her a few questions then I'll be done.  Her perspective on her father is one of the most important."  As he was saying that, Sarah was adding her opinion, "See, I told you he messed up!  She's crying because he did something to her brain and now she can't concentrate on anything."

Taylor's head was buried in my shoulder at this point and I could feel the tears on my shirt.  I couldn't try to calm her down and handle her mom at the same time.  Thankfully, Mark walked by while they were talking and saw Taylor's ICP raising on the monitor.  He was in the room in a split second.

"You two need to leave.  That's an order not an option.  I am a doctor and you are stressing our patient out and that is causing her intracranial pressure to rise.  I know you have a job to do, but you are risking the health of this patient so your job will wait."  He ushered them out quickly then whispered for me to go get Derek.

"Mark, he legally can't come in here.."

"Her ICP needs to go down, she needs to relax.  Get Derek, quickly!  I'll handle them, I promise!"

I jogged out of the room to Derek's office even though I didn't really trust that anyone was going to let him in.  She needs her dad Derek for comfort and Derek the neurosurgeon to manage her ICP before it gets to a dangerous level.

A/N I've had a very busy summer, but my schedule is back to normal.  I'm going to write and post more often as kind of  a count down/celebration to when I see Patrick in two months.  I have a second story in the works that I will hopefully start posting soon.