The Club
After Derek Shepherd dies, Meredith Grey calls Cristina.
"Cristina," Meredith calls her best friend and person out of the blue.
"Meredith-" says Cristina. "It's three in the morning in Seattle!?"
"Derek's dead," Meredith says all at once. "He got hit by a car, he never made it back to Washington, D.C. And now I'm at the hospital filling out paperwork, about to take him off of his life support, and I have absolutely no idea what to say to my children," Meredith sobs into the phone.
"The truth. That's what they need from you. Your kids will survive. They just need the truth," says Cristina.
"Okay," says Meredith.
"Okay," says Cristina.
"Did you tell them?" Cristina asks Meredith when she picks up the phone several hours later.
"I did. It was awful and horrible, but I did it. I told them. They know that their father is never coming back. He's never coming back, Cristina!" Meredith cries.
"Do you want me to talk to them?" Cristina offers.
"Yes, here," says Meredith, as she hands Zola the phone, and she puts it on speakerphone.
Cristina pauses, and then she speaks clearly, and thoughtfully.
"There's a club. The Dead Dads Club. And you can't be in it until you're in it. You can try to understand, you can sympathize. But until you feel that loss... My dad died when I was nine. Zola, Bailey, I'm really sorry you had to join the club."
"Thank you, Auntie Cristina," says Bailey.
"Thanks," says Zola.
"No problem," says Cristina. "Can I talk to your mom again?"
"Sure," says Zola, as she hands Meredith the phone again.
"Are you okay?" says Cristina.
"No," says Meredith. "But I will be."
"He's very dreamy, but he is not the sun. Remember that?" says Cristina.
"I remember that," says Meredith, sniffling. "This is why you're my soulmate," says Meredith.
"Damn right it is," says Cristina. "Now get some sleep. You sound like crap. I'll call you back in the morning," says Cristina.
"Thank you," says Meredith.
"You're my person," says Cristina. "It's no problem."
"Whatever," says Meredith.
"Whatever," says Cristina.
They stay on the phone for a while, not talking, just hearing each other breathing until they feel a little bit better again.
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***** FIN
