If that's what it takes

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Derek rocked the little girl in his arms as she held him tightly, her arms securely around his neck as he rubbed her back and whispered to her.

"Hey, little monkey..." Mark said softly as he walked up to Derek, she turned her head and waved with her fingers as her thumb remained in her mouth. "Poor little thing..." Mark whispered as he ran his hand through her blonde hair, her eyes closed tightly as she buried her face in Derek's neck. "What are we going to do?" Mark asked as Derek rocked her back and forth, looking down at Meredith who lay there with her eyes closed.

"We're going to go in." Derek shrugged. "There's nothing else we can do."

"What do you mean we're going in? We don't have tests, we don't have consent! How are we going to go in? It could kill her!" Mark whispered fiercely as Zoey's head popped up and her eyes went to Mark. She turned and faced Derek and then Mark again. She had a look of panic in her eyes as she slammed her face into Derek's neck and gripped him so tightly, her fingernails were pulling into his skin.

"Are you stupid?" Derek whispered angrily at Mark. "Mark Andrew Sloan... are you seriously, honestly and truly... THAT stupid?" Derek raised his voice as Zoey whimpered into his neck. "I'm sorry, sweetheart..." He whispered as Izzie walked into the room.

"Derek, these are her things..." Izzie said as she set the small backpack down on the chair in the room. "She insisted on packing this bag..." She shook her head. "She was throwing a fit because she couldn't get all of her toys inside... and finally she let me help." Izzie swallowed. "I wasn't able to get her school clothes for tomorrow."

"It's alright, Izzie. I don't think she'll be going to school tomorrow." He said softly. "She hasn't slept at all tonight, there really isn't any sense in it."

"I wanna go to school..." Zoey whispered.

"You're going to be too sleepy, little bear..." Derek whispered. "Let's see how you're feeling in the morning." Derek said softly, not wanting to upset her as he rocked her. "I need to get her into a room or something...she needs to be sleeping, not being dragged around the hospital." He said as he looked to Izzie. "I'm still on call...and... and I'm waiting for Cristina to call me..."

"I'll go find an on call room... I can take her there and lay her down... and if there are any problems, I'll page you." Izzie said softly as she nodded.

"Sounds like a good idea." Derek nodded. "Thank you, Izzie."

"It's no problem." Izzie said as she disappeared out the door as Derek rocked Zoey in his arms carefully and walked toward the bed.

He slung the little girl's legs over his arm as he cradled her even more, sitting on the edge of the bed as he looked down at Meredith. He watched the woman in the bed, her eyes closed delicately, her hair clean and surrounding her head on the pillow, the look on her face so peaceful. Derek's eyes traveled to the little girl in his arms, the same delicate eyes, the same tiny nose, her soft, sweet lips, and the same halo of beautiful blonde hair crowning her head, long and flowing and angelic even in the lights of the hospital room. Derek lifted her slightly and kissed her forehead as her nose wiggled in her sleep and she sucked her thumb a little harder for a moment before it slowed.

"You deserve the world." He whispered as he rocked her gently as she slept in his arms. Mark sat silently across the room as he kept his head down, the soft rhythm of the machines keeping him alert as he let his friend have a moment of silence with his family, saying a silent prayer of hope, as he tried to block out the fear that was slowly invading the room, threatening to choke them to death.