Little Shepherd

Chapter 4

It's been weeks and to Josie's dismay Addison still hasn't called. Derek is beyond stressed between work and failing to to find a preschool for his daughter. He's barely slept in days between back to back brain surgeries, and the stress has started to way down on him. His face is stubbly, his hair a disheveled mess. Josie taps his arm, trying to wake him.

"Daddy..?"

"Hmm?" He mumbles sleepily, not fully awake. She shakes him.

"Daddy...DADDY!" She screams, jolting him from his slumber.

"Okay okay I'm awake, what is it?" She tilts the alarm clock towards him.

"8 o'clock!" He cries jumping out of bed. "I missed rounds! Come on sweetie we gotta go! Hurry go get dressed."

"Um..." She indicates her outfit. Showing she's already dressed. He smiles at her proudly. Dresses are the only thing she can put on herself. Her socks don't match, but he doesn't have the heart to say anything about it. She did just fine, all by herself.

"That's my girl! Go get your shoes on daddy has to get dressed." She takes off to the shoe closet while he throws on his work clothes. "Ready?" He asks as he grabs her an apple off of the counter.

"Ready!" He sits her against his hip and hands her the apple, carrying his brief case in his free hand. "Daddy your hair..." she says quietly, running her hand over his messy head. He buckles her in her car seat, and climbs into the drivers seat. Flattening his hair in the rear view mirror.

"Better?" He asks.

"Eh." She answers honestly with a shrug. She laughs at the slight disappointment on his face. He can't help but laugh with her. He flies to the hospital and they run inside. Derek grabs the first intern he sees. A skittish looking boy with hair as disheveled as his own.

"Uh you! Come here."

"It's uh George....George O'Malley...sir."

"Good...O'Malley I need you to take my daughter up to the daycare." He hands George her backpack, passing her hand off to him.

"Actually I...uh..."

"Josie sweetie be good! Don't forget you're going home with Uncle Richard tonight. Daddy will see you in the morning okay?" She nods. He kisses her forehead then takes off to the elevator.

"Uncle Richard?" George asks her.

"Dr. Wichard Webber..."

"Is your Uncle?"

"Mhm." She answers as they walk hand in hand toward the elevator. "Oh man, the chiefs niece?" He mumbles to himself. A slim handsome intern laughs as he passes the two of them.

"Geez O'Malley I thought you were a surgeon not a babysitter." He says with a smirk as he walks by.

"Screw you Karev!" George yells back after Alex has already walked away.

"What's screw you mean?" Josie asks innocently. George's heart drops into his stomach.

"Um..I..uh..." He stops a beautiful blonde women, as she rushes by. "Hey Izzie! Here! You like kids, this is Josie." He hands her Josie's things and takes off before she can argue.

"Hi sweetie, my name is Izzie."

"I want my daddy." She whines, on the verge of tears.

"Where are your parents honey?" Izzie asks, unaware of where the child came from. Josie buries her face in her hands and begins to cry, confused and scared not knowing who any of these people are. "Oh no! Please don't cry!" Izzie begs. Josie turns and runs, not having a clue where she's going. "Wait Sweetie please don't run!" Dr. Stevens calls after to her. "Damn it" She groans as she runs after the hysterical little girl. Izzie freezes when Josie runs straight into Dr. Robbins. Josie clings to her legs, crying uncontrollably. Arizona scoops her up into her arms, snuggling her into her chest. She rubs her back, comforting her.

"Josie, honey, what happened? What are you doing down here?" The child points to Izzie, sniffling as she battles to calm herself. "Stevens what the hell are you doing with Dr. Shepherd's daughter?" She asks as she tries to sooth the inconsolable child.

"O'Malley handed her off to me, I had no idea...i..." She stutters.

"Save it Stevens, I've got her." She storms off with Josie. The little girls arms are wrapped tightly around her neck. "What do you say we go down the cafeteria and get some ice cream?" She asks Josie, with her contagious smile. Josie nods, wiping her tears away.

**

They sit at a table in the cafeteria eating their ice cream for breakfast surrounded by chatting doctors.

"So kiddo..how'd you end up with those interns?" Arizona asks as she swallows a spoonful of chocolate ice cream.

"Daddy misses circles?" She says unsure of the word.

"Rounds?"

"Mhm he missed rounds, cuz he was sleeping. So he told the boy...."

"George O'Malley?"

"Mhm Malley, and then he said 'screw you' to the one with muscles."

"Karev?"

"Mhm then he made me go with the girl with yellow hair."

"Izzie?"

"Mhm, but then I just wanted my daddy. I don't like interns." She explains. Stopping to take a bite after every sentence.

"Not many of us do." Arizona jokes, making Josie laugh for the first time since she'd arrived at the hospital. "Well I tell you what, how about you spend the day with me today?"

"Yeah!" She cheers. Arizona beams happily down at the little girl, planning a whole day of fun things for them to do together.