On Call | Grey's Anatomy // Book 3 // COMPLETED

34 | Three Months

My whole body was numb as Meredith and I walked into the attendings' lounge that morning. I felt like I was going to throw up every time I took a breath, so I couldn't even imagine what it must have been like for Meredith.

Everyone else, though, was just...normal. Callie, Maggie, and Alex fought over the coffee pot. Owen was on the computer looking something up and Webber was going on about some surgery he had just done.

"Derek is dead," Meredith whispered.

No one heard her, though, so she said it again, this time a little louder. "What was that?" Callie asked as everyone looked to us.

"Derek..." Meredith spoke up, "...is dead."

Everyone was frozen at first, then they started asking questions and trying to get her to talk again. "Meredith." Webber started, followed by everyone calling her name.

"What do you mean?" Callie asked.

I felt Meredith grab for my hand as she collapsed to the floor, exhaustion and the build-up of emotions just being too much for her. We all rushed to her side and Owen and I got her into a room. We set her up in a bed and put an I.V. in her just to give her some fluids.

The whole hospital was a mess in only hours. As people found out about the news, more tears followed. Owen had told Amelia, and I just felt so bad for her and Meredith especially. 

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Derek's funeral was held a few days later in a cemetery. Almost everyone I could think of was there. The large crowd of people in black gathered around as the service began.

"This is a day for us to celebrate Derek Shepherd's life and for each of us to say our goodbyes. Every day we celebrate him in some way...as a father, as a husband...as a brother, as a friend."

After the service, we went back to Meredith's house, but Meredith just sat on the couch, silent, the whole time. I had barely heard a word out of her mouth since she told everyone that Derek was dead. I wanted so badly for her to smile, to be happy again...but I knew that it would be a long while until I had my best friend back.

As the sun started to set and people started to head home, I offered to stay the night with Meredith, but she refused to let me. So, instead, I went back home.

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"How are you doing?" Owen asked as he crawled into bed next to me. It had been a while since the funeral, but things weren't exactly getting better very quickly.

I exhaled deeply. "I just...I have to be strong for Meredith. I'm so worried about her."

"I know." he wrapped an arm around me and planted a kiss on my forehead.

Just as I was about to drift off to sleep, Owen's phone went off. I was wide awake now, as the last time there was a call in the middle of the night, it didn't end so well.

Owen talked to someone for a few seconds before jumping out of bed. "Come on." he told me, "We've got to go. Meredith is gone."

Standing up, I pulled on some regular clothes before we both got into his car.

"It's just so strange that she left with no warning." Owen huffed as we walked around Meredith's house with no sign of Meredith. She and the kids were just...gone.

"She left a note." Amelia shrugged.

Callie scoffed from where she was sitting on the couch with Bailey, Maggie, and Alex. "Uh, "the kids and I are safe"? Yeah, that's helpful."

"I called Yang again, but she hasn't heard from Mer since the funeral," Alex said

"Are you serious?" Bailey asked, "That was weeks ago. W-Okay, I just don't understand. I don't understand. I do not understand how you...I mean, sh-she just dropped everything...her patients, her surgeries."

"Look, maybe it's time we hire a detective, make sure she's really safe," Callie suggested.

Maggie nodded, "Yeah, I think we should call the police."

"Okay...that's-that's enough." Webber spoke up, "Meredith Grey is not a missing person. She-she left a note. She's not jeopardizing her kids. She's not an irresponsible person. If she's gone, she's gone because she wants to be gone. She's doing what she knows how to do. Same as her mother. Ellis Grey left Seattle and never looked back."

"So that's it?" I looked around at everyone, "We just let her go?"

Picking up his phone, Alex tried calling Meredith again, but of course, she didn't answer. She hadn't answered Owen's, Cristina's, or even my calls.

═══ Easter ═══

"And time isn't the same over there." Owen explained to April and me as we walked down the hall, "Hours don't exist. There's only minutes, seconds. It's visceral and exciting."

April cocked a brow, "But you're chief."

Owen shook his head, "Uh...well, not for the next few months. Webber is stepping in as interim chief. The work I'll get to do is raw and urgent. Kepner, you just feel so useful and good at the end of every day, and after everything that's happened here, I-I'm ready. I'm ready for this kind of change. I just need to feel-"

"Useful. And good." April finished.

Owen chuckled, "Yeah."

As April walked off, the giant Easter Rabbit that we had walking around the children's floor came up to us and removed its head. "I don't care how sick the kids are." Stephanie huffed, "I'm not doing this next year."

Turning to Owen, I sighed. "Are you really leaving for three months?"

"Yes." he nodded, "But I'll be back before you know it."

"It just seems like such a long time, and it's dangerous." I grabbed his hand, "I just want you to be safe."

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Taking a deep breath, I gave Owen a hug as we stood at the gate to his plane. "I'm going to miss you so much." I kissed him, "Only three months."

"Only three months," he repeated.

Pulling away from the hug, I smiled at Owen. He was standing in his army uniform, fully decked out from head to toe with a large pack on his back. "I love you, Owen." I smiled, "I needed to tell you that so that you'll come home. Please come home."

"I will, I promise." he kissed me one last time before he and April, who had decided to join him, turned and started walking off.

"Be safe!" I called to them. Spinning around, I made my way over to Jackson who had come to say goodbye to April. The two of us stood together, watching the others walk off. "Three months." I crossed my arms, "That's a long time."

"Yeah." Jackson breathed.