Let me love you | Merluca

5 - help

Meredith's perspective

...

1 week later

...

After Meredith had two interns on her service the past week, she finally had Dr. DeLuca back. And to say that she was relieved about it was an understatement. She didn't really know herself why she wanted to have him on her service this much. But he did know that working with him was a lot more fun than with the interns from last week.

They were informing the foster parents of a little girl they would operate on. Dr. DeLuca explained the procedure and afterwards Meredith answered all the questions they had left.

But once they left the room, she noticed that something bothered DeLuca. He always was completely professional when he was at work, and except for the small moment last week, he had always been so put together and competent while being at the hospital. But something about the way she saw him now when they left the room reminded her of last week. And somehow she wanted to make sure he was okay.

"Everything okay?" Meredith asked, walking towards the nurses' station as well, filling out some paperwork, while he was booking an OR.

"Yes, just kids..." He tried to put on a smile, failing at it.

"Do you have children?" She asked carefully, trying to find the reason.

"I- yes. A son." She could see that she took him a little off guard with her question, but as he answered a smile appear on his lips. The first real smile that she saw on him since he started working here.

"I didn't know that." She gave him a small smile and just for a moment he returned it, looking at her.

"Most people don't know." He turned his gaze away again.

"Do- do you want to talk about what's going on?"

"I think I prefer to work." He took a deep breath before he looked up at her another time.

"That's what I do too." She gave him a small smile "Working when I want to escape what's going on around me."

"Thanks." He looked at her gratefully.

"I see you in the OR." She gave him another small smile and a nod before they both parted ways.

...

They met an hour later in the OR to operate on the little girl and except for two small comments from her side, Dr. DeLuca was perfectly capable of performing the surgery on his own. And somehow she was a little impressed. And while she knew that there was something bothering him, he was completely focused on his work right now. And to be honest, she knew that sometimes all that helped her to forget everything else for some time, was to work. And she liked to see that apparently she wasn't the only one.

...

"Everything went fine. And you should be able to see her once she is awake again. A nurse will inform you and bring you to see her." They informed the parents after they finished their surgery.

"Thank you so much, ever since her parents left her, she is like our own daughter."

"Excuse me, I need to leave." DeLuca almost interrupted the mother giving her a small forced smile, before he quickly left.

"I don't know what I would have done without her. Thank you." The mother finished, hugging her, before Meredith gave her a smile as well and then left them.