If that's what it takes

91

Derek's sister held her brother in her arms securely as he cried. His sobs were gentle and not violent, but it was very rare that she ever saw her brother cry. She could tell that the whole situation had affected him deeply. She could tell that the little girl that he spoke of, and her mother meant so very much to him, and she could tell that his heart was breaking for her plight. "It's alright, Der..." She whispered as she held her arms around him tightly. "It's alright..." She whispered as her vision caught sight of two wide gray eyes staring across the room at her from the top of the stairs. "Derek..." She whispered as she looked down at Derek, and when she glanced back to the stairs, they were gone. "Derek..." She whispered as Derek sat up slightly and wiped his tears almost embarrassingly from his cheeks.

"I'm sorry..." He sniffled. "I... I just... I haven't.... there hasn't been anyone around me lately that doesn't already know the story." He said as he swallowed hard. "Anyone I would have had to talk about it to around here... they already know... and we don't talk about it. It... it just was a lot harder to talk about than I thought it would be." He whispered.

"Derek... I think..." She whispered as she looked back up the stairs and saw those two gray eyes staring back. "I think someone wants to check on you." She said as his eyes lifted to the stairs as he watched the little girl's eyes disappear.

"Zoey?" Derek said aloud as he waited a moment. "Little monkey?" He called as Sarah watched him, listened to his tone, how it softened when he spoke her name. "Come out, come out, wherever you are." He said gently. Her eyes appeared once again as she stared wide eyed down at him. "Come here, little one." Derek whispered. He watched as she moved forwards slightly, taking a step down the stairs. She paused as she watched Derek cautiously, her hands grasping the spokes of the stairs as she walked down slowly.

"Are you crying, DD?" She whispered.

"I'm alright, baby..." Derek whispered.

"Did something happen to mommy?" She asked.

"Oh... oh, no, sweetheart... come here..." Derek said as he held his arms out. "Come here, baby." Derek said again as she climbed down the rest of the stairs quickly and ran across the room, grabbing him tightly as he pulled her into a hug. "Nothing happened to Mommy, baby... nothing bad happened to mommy..." He whispered.

"Then why are you crying, DD?" She whispered. "Why are your eyes all red, and your cheeks all wet...? Why are you crying if nothing bad happened to mommy?" She whispered as she pushed her body into Derek's chest and watched Sarah cautiously. "Did Miss Sarah make you cry?"

"No, sweetheart..." Derek whispered. "DD is just... he's a little tired... and just thinking of sad things." He whispered.

"Don't think of sad things." She whispered. "Think of um... think of happy things. Think of when mommy said my name." She said as she watched his eyes light up. "You laughed then." She said as Derek nodded.

"I did laugh." Derek said as he smiled a genuine smile through his tears. "I was happy... I am happy..." Derek nodded.

"She made it?" Sarah asked, watching Derek as he caught her eyes. "Meredith... She made it through the surgery?"

"She did." Derek whispered. "And... it... took a lot out of her." He said as he felt Zoey wiping the tears from his cheeks as she watched his face carefully. "But... she made it through... and it was touch and go for a while... we didn't think she'd make it... it took a while for her to wake up." Derek said softly. "They had to take out her inner ear... she's deaf in her right ear now... and there is paralysis on her right side, only time will tell if she will regain use... but she's alive."

"Alive and...talking?"

"She can make... sounds... she needs speech therapy, physical therapy... occupational therapy... but she is alive... and she is going to need help for a long time."

"Derek..." Sarah said as she shook her head with a smile on her face.

"What?"

"Why are you crying?" She whispered. "She's alive."

"DD?" Zoey said as she looked up into his eyes.

"Hmm?" Derek asked as he raised his eyebrows.

"I want to go visit Mommy, please." She said as she put her hands up to her braids. "My ribbons are in... and I'm ready to go."

"You're ready to go?"

"Yes."

"Would it be alright if Miss Sarah and Morgan and Sammy came too?"

"Oh yes!" She said excitedly. "Sammy is one of my new best friends." She said as she watched the two little girls walking down the stairs.

"Sarah...?" Derek asked. "Would you mind coming along with us? We were on our way out the door when you got here."

"I would love to meet her..." Sarah said with a curious look into her brother's eyes.

"What?" Derek asked as he helped the little girl slip from his lap.

"Nothing..." She said with a smile. "I was sure I saw something in your eyes..."

"You're crazy, Sarah..." Derek said with a laugh.

"Hurry, DD! Hurry.... Let's go see mommy.... Get your pink sparkly shoes on and let's GO!" Zoey exclaimed as she ran toward the door to find her shoes.

"Sparkly shoes?" Sarah laughed as she looked to Derek.

"It's a very long story..." Derek said with a laugh as he and his sister stood up, and they got ready to visit Meredith.