Off the Carousel

Bat-Shit Voodoo Crazy

Enjoy!

"I think you and Michael switched places," Liz stated slowly.

Meredith looked up from her tight ball. She blinked, trying to accept this concept. But she couldn't. A magical compass? Yeah freaking right. She stared at Liz, whe stared back with hopeful expectation.

"You should eat something, dear." Carolyn said, "You look pale as a ghost."

Maybe she was.

A ghost.

Meredith bit her lip, hard. Ow. Okay, so she felt pain. So, some part of this was real. Right? She wasn't dead again?

"This... this is crazy." She said finally, one hand gesturing upwards.

"I know it sounds crazy," Liz started-

"No, it doesn't sound crazy. It is crazy. You're crazy. This...whole.... Whatever-thing is, is- insane." Meredith released her knees and planted her feet on the floor. Wiping her eyes, she stood up. "I have to go find my kids."

"Meredith-," Liz said.

"No," she shook her head. "I don't know who you are, or what you want from me, but, I can't stay here. Derek is dead. My kids are missing, and I-I'm-," lost. "I need to find them. That's it." Find her kids... nightmare over. Right?

"Mere-,"

"Please, please, just stay away," Meredith pleaded before dashing out the back door.

She had to find her kids.

xxx

George carefully buckled Zola and Bailey into his truck. He didn't have a booster seat, but a couple of old telephone books would do. "Cassie's at the hospital," he said to Michael. "I'm going there, maybe Meredith will turn up. Brandon will be back this way in a bit if we still can't find her."

Michael paused, thinking. All he could think was that this... wasn't home. Something wasn't right, and he had to figure it out. He fiddled with the compass in his pocket. "No," he shook his head, "I need to figure something out."

"Are you sure?" George squinted at him. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. I'll keep looking for Meredith," he smiled a little.

George hopped into the truck, "Okay, well, I won't be long, just wanna get these tykes somewhere safe."

Michael nodded. "Okay," he waved to the older man as he drove off.

Then he turned back to the Grey House. Something strange was definitely going on in this town. Sinking his fingers into his pockets, he stepped up to the front door.

xxx

Cassie stopped outside of Grace's hospital room, she was sound asleep. Nick too, leaning back in a chair beside her, his legs propped up on one side of Grace's bed.A nurse bustled in, clipboard in hand. She carefully checked over the patients in the room, before looking up at Cassie.

"Um, are you Cassie Nightingale, Grace's mother?"

"Yes," Cassie nodded.

"Great, I'm so glad we found you. We'd like to discharge her."

"Oh, good." Cassie sighed with relief.

"I have a prescription here from the doctor for some stronger pain medication. She'll need to get plenty of rest, no heavy lifting or strenuous activity, and a follow-up check-up in a week." The nurse offered her some papers to sign.

"Um, okay. Thanks." Cassie said, pleased but not surprised, knowing they needed the beds. Quickly she signed the papers and handed them over. She approached the bed and waited.