If that's what it takes

32

Derek sat in the chair beside Meredith's bed while Zoey lay curled against her tightly. The little girl's gray eyes stared out at him for several minutes as he tilted his head and watched her stare at him. She had a curious sparkle about her playful eyes and Derek smiled softly.

"You look happy..." He whispered gently as she nodded against Meredith's shoulder as she watched him over her body, closing her eyes tightly for a moment as she gripped Meredith's hospital gown.

I am happy.

"Why is she here?" Zoey asked softly as she lifted her head. "Why is she all alone here, why isn't she home? She was at Lexie's house... She's Lexie's sister... Izzie said that... Why is she at the hospital? Why is she here now? Is she sick?"

"She was sick..." Derek nodded. "She's... better..." He paused, knowing that what was wrong with Meredith was difficult enough to explain to himself, let alone a curious six year old.

"Why is she still sleeping, then?" She asked, her curiousness getting the better of her as she sat up in the bed. "Why is she still sleeping if she's better?"

"Well, she was brought into the hospital for a different reason, sweetheart... she had a cold... the reason she's sleeping is totally different for why she's here in the hospital."

"Why won't she wake up?"

"We don't know, sweetheart. She is just sick... and sometimes it's hard for doctors to be able to figure out what is wrong with their patients... I only just met her yesterday... and I don't know much about her history."

"When you find her history, can you wake her up? You're a good doctor... you made me feel better! You can wake her up, Just Derek, right? You can wake her up...She's Lexie's family... so she's my family, right? You can wake her up, right? You can because you're a doctor!" She whimpered.

Don't do this to her, Derek. Don't make a promise... Don't make promises you can't follow through on. Don't break her heart... Please... please don't break her heart.

"Zoey..." Derek said softly, watching her carefully as she gripped Meredith's gown tightly. Her mind was racing as she stared at Derek, her brow furrowed with frustration as she watched him. "I can take care of you... and I can make sure that you have someone to love you, and clothes to wear, and food to eat... but I will never make a promise to you that I don't fully intend on keeping." He whispered, watching her nod. "I promise..." He whispered.

Don't do it, Derek.

"I promise that I'll take care of Meredith too." He whispered. "We can spend time with her and talk to her, draw pictures for her... sing to her, cuddle with her... It isn't fair... you know... what she's gone through... to be sick, and not be able to wake up... it's not fair to her." He whispered.

"No." She shook her head.

"So she needs people to take care of her... She needs people to talk to her and love her... and be here for her... because she doesn't have anyone to look after her like some people do. That's another reason she's here... She was staying at Lexie's house, and now Lexie is hurt...she's here because she doesn't have another home to go to." Derek explained, resisting the urge to just spit out what he was thinking, when Zoey did just that.

Good save...

"She can come home with us!" Zoey exclaimed suddenly, her face lighting up as she squealed in delight, watching Derek's eyes carefully as they refused to falter.

Yeah, Just Derek... what do you say to that? Just when you thought you had everything figured out, the six year old bests you... Did you say you were a neurosurgeon?

"I... she wouldn't want to live with us..." Derek replied, shaking his head.

"Please, Just Derek? She would love to live with us! She would love it! You have lots of rooms and we could decorate it for her and keep her company! We could tell her stories and stuff! I can draw her pictures! Izzie can come and take care of the nurse stuff, and all of that... Please, Just Derek? Please? You said she has no one to take care of her, we can take care of her! I love her so much, Just Derek... I love her so much... you can take back all of the toys that we bought today, take back all of the clothes! Just let her stay with us... please... please?"

"Zoey... she's a person... she's not a puppy..." Derek mumbled as his conversation with Cristina screamed in his ears.

"She's my family, Just Derek... if we don't take care of her... who will?" She asked desperately as she stared into his eyes, his mouth hanging open as he stared at the eagerness in her face, waiting patiently for his answer.

Speechless, huh?