If that's what it takes

29

So here we are again, you're yanking on my ever loving body while I lay here innocently crying out for you to... shit... stop that...for you to stop. Why won't you leave me the hell alo....aaaahhhh oww! Alone! Leave me alone! Izzie, stop it! Stop it! Stop it!

Izzie could feel Meredith's muscles tightening as she exercised her joints, a daily activity that had to be done to keep her muscles and joints pliable and less stiff. The process was painful for Meredith, and if she could communicate the pain she was feeling, she would. Izzie very carefully lay her friend's leg onto the bed and reached for her other leg.

Jesus, Izzie... do you enjoy torturing me? Do you? Do you really enjoy doing this to me. First you read me smutty magazines about who is marrying who in Hollywood, and now you are subjecting to pain that is almost as unbearable. You should be working in a prison! You have man hands, Izzie! OW! Fucking... fuck fuck...

Izzie stopped the physical therapy as the door opened slightly, Cristina popped her head in. "How are her lungs?" Cristina asked as she watched Izzie look up.

Oh, thank God... thank God you're here, Cris! She's torturing me! Tell her to stop torturing me... I'll do anything...

"Her lungs are clear... the antibiotics are doing their job, she's almost done with the regiment of medication." Izzie nodded. "I'm almost through with her physical therapy, and I was going to give her something to relax her muscles. They seem a lot stiffer than they were a couple of days ago. I hope that her muscles aren't further atrophying."

"She's probably trying to tell you to leave her the hell alone."

Thank you, Cristina.

"Meredith..." Cristina said as she looked down at her friend as she lay there every so peacefully. "If you want her to leave you the hell alone, just tell her."

"Cris, don't be an ass!" Izzie exclaimed.

I would, Cris! Trust me, I would!

"Derek is going to be here soon with Zoey." Cristina said to Izzie.

"Zoey? Why is he bringing her here?"

My baby?

"He wants to visit Meredith." Cristina replied.

Who is Derek?

"He shouldn't be bringing her here."

Shut up, Izzie!

"Shut up Izzie." Cristina replied as she sighed.

"Cristina, it's a bad idea..."

"She has no one, Meredith is her mother. Meredith needs her."

"Meredith isn't getting better, Cristina. Putting the little girl through this is just being cruel!"

"No more cruel then leaving her with her aunt who let her abusive ass of a boyfriend near her!"

What? Lexie did what?

"Lexie can't take care of her and you just let her attach herself to one of your doctors... she's supposed to be your responsibility, Cristina! She's supposed to be in YOUR care!"

Cristina?

"Derek is perfectly fit to take care of her, Izzie... and if Meredith had left you as her daughter's guardian... if she trusted YOU to take care of her daughter... then we would be having a different discussion here... but I think Meredith would trust me in this decision, that she would trust that I would find a person who is worthy enough to take care of her child..."

What happened to Lexie? Where is Zoey? The boyfriend... did he hurt her? Did he hurt my baby? Where is she? She was here yesterday, you said she was here yesterday... where is she? Who is Derek? Was he the person holding my hand yesterday? Was he the person who was here with my baby?

"Shit, her blood pressure is rising..." Izzie muttered as she walked over to her monitor to assess the issue.

"It's probably from all of the negative energy you're bringing into the room." Cristina muttered as she touched Meredith's hand.

"I am not bringing negative energy into the room!" Izzie exclaimed as she reached for the IV to see if she could figure out what was making Meredith's blood pressure rise. They both turned their heads as the door opened and tiny feet flitted across the room.

"Oh. My. Gosh!" The sound of a little girl's voice could be heard as they looked down at the little girl as she stood there holding a handful of balloons, dressed with a brand new pink jacket, pink shoes, and little pink ribbons in her hair as she grinned brightly. "You would NOT believe the day I had!" She said excitedly to anyone who would listen.

Derek dragged into the room behind her, a slight smirk on his face as he looked between Cristina and Izzie as they just stared at his exhausted, smirking self. "I believe it..." He muttered with a chuckle as Izzie's eyes went back to the monitor as Meredith's pressure slowly normalized.