The Seventh Sense is Love

Help of a Friend

When Derek walked back into Meredith's room, she was in the throes of another strong contraction. He was relieved when she reached out for him. He immediately wrapped his arms around her and held her gently through the contraction.

"I'm sorry." she said once she had her breath back.

Derek kissed her and whispered, "Don't worry Mer, I'm fine."

"I was such a bitch."

"No," he said and held her hands tightly in his, "don't beat yourself up. Just," he trailed off and held her tighter, "please don't."

"All right," she answered and rested her head on his shoulder. Dr. Chu came in a couple of minutes later and broke Meredith's water with a tool that looked like a giant crochet hook. The L&D nurse administered the Pitocin and left the room. Meredith shifted in the bed and gave a strange little sound.

"What do you need?" Derek asked carefully.

"For Ian to be born," she answered and gave a small laugh. "I don't know why, but I thought the water breaking would be more of a gush. Obviously, I didn't pay enough attention in my OB/GYN rotation or I'd know this is more like a steady trickle."

"Really?"

"I know you want to laugh," Meredith said and gave in to her own giggles. "It feels like I'm peeing myself."

Derek had started laughing with her and now just shook his head and grabbed a bunch of towels.

"What are you doing?"

"What do you think?" He tapped the side of her butt and said, "Lift up."

Doing so, she said, "This is gross."

"It's natural," Derek said as he put the dry towels under her to help catch some of her fluid.

"Yeah, naturally gross," Meredith insisted. "Maybe if I get up and move around it'll help."

Derek started to say something and then decided against it.

"What?"

"Well," he said carefully, "if you get up right now there's just going to be a puddle on the floor."

"You're right," she said and had another fit of giggles.

Derek grinned. He'd much rather hear his wife laughing than yelling. Meredith's giggles abruptly turned to a gasp and a groan as another contraction started. He looked at the monitor and immediately saw that it was a stronger one due to the drugs. "Roll on your side," he said and reached to softly touch her stomach. He had to take a deep breath when he felt how tight her muscles were with the contraction. She grabbed his hand in hers and squeezed tightly. Derek thought he felt the peak and glanced at the monitor to see that it was true. "It's almost done, Mer. Try to take a deep breath," he said calmly.

"Oh my God," she groaned, "that was -" she had to stop to breathe.

"Just catch your breath," Derek whispered and pushed her slightly sweaty hair off of her forehead. "I know that one was bad."

Meredith gave an understandably irritated and inelegant snort. "Bad doesn't even come close to describing how these damn contractions feel," she said a few moments later. "Did I tell you I think labor sucks?"

"Yes."

"I hate this. I just want to hold my son. How is it that with all of the modern medical advances no one has come up with a better way to give birth?"

"Umm," Derek hesitated and thought, Shit. How the hell do I answer this? Fortunately, Meredith laughed, and he focused on her face and smiled in return.