The Missing Sloan

10

Eden had gone upstairs to her room, she couldnt stay down there with greiving Mark, she didnt feel the same way and needed to talk to the one person she always turned to.

"Hello Eden" a cheery voice chimed down her phone.
"Hello Mama"
"Everything okay sweetheart" mama shephard asked knowing her Eden.
"No, my mum turned up in the ER today drunk"
"Okay, did you talk to her?" Mama asked
"Oh she only wanted to talk to Mark, her marky"
"Marks there?" Mama asked shocked
"Yes, did Derek not tell you, he arrived weeks ago"
"No but I havent spoken to Derek since he left, anyway we arent talking about him we are talking about you?"
"We can talk about him if you want" Eden said deflecting.
"No, we are talking about you" mama firmly spoke.

"So your mum was in the ER today?" Mama prompted her to continue.
"Yeah so she was in the ER, she coded and i had to perform cpr on her and defibrillate her"
"Oh Sweetie that cant have been easy"
"Its my job, it was mark who was freaking out like a little girl" Eden lightly chuckled. "Once she was discharged Mark took her back to his hotel with him, she went into the bathroom 20 minutes later Mark found her passed out on the ground she over dosed, he tried to bring her back but she was gone. Mama my mum came back then she left again" Eden spoke she tried so hard to keep it all together but when she told her that her mum was gone her voice broke.

"Oh Eden honey" mama comforted Eden holding the phone tighter to her ear wanting to jump into it and give her Eden a hug.
"But mama im not sad, im not cross. Mark is downstairs on Merediths sofa sobbing and im up here hugging a tub of ice cream as i dont know how I feel. I didnt know how to feel when i saw my mum lying in my ER bed, she knew who i was but the only person she wanted to tlak to was Mark. Mama i dont know how to feel." Eden honestly told her.

"Oh Eden, you have to remmeber Mark spent 18 years with your mum yes they werent all the best but he still spent most of his chuldhood and teen years in a house with her, when he left home she still saw him only for money but she still made the effort to see Mark. You Eden you only spent 6 years with her and those 6 years the one who actually looked after you was Mark, she wasnt a mum to you, Mark was. The two of you have very different relationships with your mum. So no wonder Marks the one crying on Merediths sofa" mama slowed down when she said Meredith but decided to question that in a minute. "Eden its okay not to be sad"

"I feel like I should be sharing my favorite memories of my mum but i dont have any. I just dont know what to do" eden begged for the answer for the support but this was killing Mama Shephard because she wasnt there by herside to help her through it, she had always been there for Eden through every drama, from bad grades, first heartbreak, the fall out from her mums leaving and processing all that she went through in the first 6 years of her life and the annoyance she felt at Mark.

"All you can do is be kind to yourself and be there for Mark." Mama suggested.
"I can do that" Eden agreed
"Does your dad know?"
"I have called him but hes probably on his flight back to New york as he was in seattle for a couple of weeks. Im sure he will call when he lands" Eden told her.

"So I have to ask why is mark on Merediths sofa and why are you at Merediths?" Mama asked quickly
"Ahh I havent told you I live with Meredith, theres 4 of us interns and Derek practically. Mark came here to tell me what had happened but I was out so he waited and now Dereks consoling him something i never thought I would see again" Eden told her a little more cheer in her voice.

"They are best friends, they will always be, they know eachother better than anyone else"  mama said.

"Yeah they do, they are both just very stubborn neither wants to apologise first" Eden firmly spoke. "Thank you mama for listening, i will speak soon" Eden smield
"I will always listen see you soon Eden sweetie" Mama said as their call end.

"Hey, i come bringing chocolate" Mark smiled joining his sisters side on her bed.

He opened the wrapper of the chocolate watching his sisters faces grow with a smile as she saw her favourite flavour in his hands.

"Cookie dough my favourite" Eden said excited waving her legs and bouncing on the bed.
"Cookie dough always solved any problems" mark smiled.
"Because its the best" Eden smiled as her brothers arms were wrapped around her bring her close to him.

Mama Shephard stood there in her quiet kitchen staring at her phone, at her picture of her 6 children, she was looking at the smiley face of Eden in the middle of all the 5 Shephard children hugging her, even though they arent bioligcally related, they always look out for Eden they all love Eden like she is the 6th shephard.
Mama knew what she needed to do, so she made some calls to make her needs happen.