The Seventh Sense is Love

Maybe We Should

Meredith sat in her office at Seattle Grace. She was supposed to be doing paperwork, but she couldn't concentrate on it at the moment. In two days, a new batch of fresh, eager, surgery-junkie interns would be starting their Residencies. Yes, they'd be scared but they'd also be hungry; for knowledge, to hold a scalpel, to join the Game.

She sighed as she tried to alleviate the ever-present backache. Fortunately, Meredith didn't have her own set of interns to deal with. Besides being due to have her own baby in seven weeks, she was finally beginning the seventh and final year of her own Residency. She'd worked her ass off to get to where she was at this point in her career. How would having Ian change her career? Hers and Derek's marriage? She laughed at herself, knowing it was a little late to be worrying about this stuff.

"Come in," she answered when there was a knock on her office door.

"Hi," Lexie said as she cautiously stuck her head in the doorway.

"What are you doing?" Meredith laughed at her sister. "Get in here and sit down."

"Okay," Lexie grinned and sat in the chair across the desk from her sister. "I wanted to make sure you were in a good mood first. You've been grouchy for the past couple of days."

"You'd be grouchy too if you were forced to leave Maui and come back to a pile of paperwork. You'd also be grouchy if you couldn't get comfortable, had to pee every twenty minutes, didn't sleep through the night anymore and couldn't find a comfortable position for sex with your husband."

"All right," Lexie interrupted and held up a hand to stop Meredith's mini tirade. "I'm sure all of that would make me grouchy. However, I also think you're scared. That's the biggest reason you've been biting people's heads off or holing up in here."

Meredith blinked at her sister and then said, "I don't want to talk about it right now."

"When?"

"Excuse me?"

"When do you want to talk about it?" Lexie said, "You're due to have my nephew in seven weeks, Mer -"

"I know when my son is due," Meredith snapped. At her sister's arched eyebrow and all-knowing stare, she sighed loudly. Then she mumbled, "Sorry. You're right, I am scared. Right now, I feel like I'm afraid of everything and it's making me bitchy."

"I'm pretty sure what you're going through is normal, but you should talk about it. Does Derek know how you're feeling?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"He has enough to worry about right now without adding my neurosis to his list."

"That's not fair to him, Mer."

"I know," Meredith admitted quietly, "but I feel like I've been such a pain-in-the-ass through most of my pregnancy. I just want to hide out and get over the way I'm feeling so I can enjoy the last few weeks of this time."

"What scares you the most?"

Sighing again, Meredith asks, "You're not going to leave me alone, are you?"

"No, I'm not."

"As much as I want I -" Meredith cut herself off and giggled, "this little boy -"

"You named him!" Lexie accused and sat up straight in her chair. "You and Derek named my nephew and you're keeping it a secret!"

"We're not telling anyone until he's born," Meredith giggled again, feeling the pressure and fear in her chest begin to ease. "Thank you for making me laugh, Lex. I'm feeling better."