Let me love you | Merluca

8 - enjoy

Andrew's perspective

...

They have been going over the test results together for hours now. But Mr. Smith's symptoms didn't match with their results. Or better said the test results gave no explanation about what could be wrong with him.

"Okay. The new labs came back, but..." Andrew quickly went over the most important numbers, the numbers where they had hoped to find some irregularities, but there was nothing "...but they don't show us anything we don't already know." He finished and then handed the results to Dr. Grey.

He observed her for a moment, giving her time to go over the results before he suggested "Maybe we should take a short break and then look over everything from he beginning. Maybe we missed something."

"Yeah." She sighed, laying the tablet aside "That actually sounds like a good idea." She gave him a small smile.

"Okay." He returned her smile before he added "I will check on Mr. Smith again and... I thought about ordering pizza afterwards, since I think we will sit here for at least a few more hours. Do you want something?"

"No. But thank you."

He looked at her for a moment, not sure whether to insist or let it go. But he couldn't hold himself back. They had worked on this case the whole day and she hasn't left once.

"With all due respect, you need to eat something, Dr. Grey. You didn't even leave for lunch." He said gently but determined, tilting his head ever so slightly while having a small smile on his lips.

"With all due respect." She was teasing him slightly, raising an eyebrow. "Fine. I will take a pizza. Margarita for me." She finally answered, making Andrew laugh. He quickly took his phone, shaking his head slightly, already on his way to check on Mr. Smith.

...

"Here." Andrew came back almost half an hour later with their pizzas and tried to make his presence heard, seeing that Dr. Grey was still going through some research papers trying to find something that would fit to the symptoms of Mr. Smith.

"Thank you." She looked up from her books and smiled at him, while he handed her the pizza.

"Did you find something?"

"Maybe. But first I need to eat something." She took the books and papers and put them a little aside to have some space for her pizza on the table.

"Ah, hungry after all?" He asked, teasing her slightly now.

"Oh-" Shut up. She stopped herself mid-sentence, remembering that he was still her student, but smiling at him widely.

Andrew looked at her for a moment, having to chuckle slightly at her attempt to control herself and what she said before they both started to eat heir pizza.

"Mr. Smith was okay earlier, given the circumstances." Andrew started after a moment before he sighed and added "I also ran into his wife and his daughter. They wanted to stay this night."

"It's always hard with kids." Meredith looked up at him with a sad smile on her face.

"Tell me." He answered ironically, raising his eyebrows a little. Ever since he had Theo, everything that involved him, made it so much harder, because he never wanted to hurt him. He would do everything to avoid hurting him again.

"How old is your son?" Meredith asked softly after she observed him for a moment.

"Almost a year now." He felt how a smile formed on his lips while talking about his son.

"So, he's already speaking?" She added asking while she smiled at him.

"Yeah, a little... But he knows already very well how to get what he wants." Andrew ended chuckling slightly while taking another slice of his pizza.

"That's the first thing they learn." She joined him, chuckling as well "And I think it will never stop." She added after a moment.

"You have kids, too?"

"Yeah. Zola, Bailey and Ellis." He saw how a big smile formed on her lips at the thought of her children "And they get better at it every day. Bringing me to give them what they want." She added chuckling, making him smile as well.

...

After they finished their pizza, they went back to work. Reading some more research papers and once the most recent tests came back, they finally found something that could help them.

Just as Andrew was about to check the tests results with some symptoms described in one of the papers, his phone started ringing. And he didn't even need to look at it to know what this was about. He already recognized it by its alarm sound that it was his reminder to take his medication and to get enough sleep. He took a deep breath, while dismissing the alarm. He didn't want to leave now, knowing how much work they still had to do, knowing that their patient needed them. And he didn't want to let Meredith do all the work alone... But he also knew by now that he wouldn't be much use to anyone if he didn't take care of himself as his therapist liked to say.

"You need to go?" Meredith asked after she must have noticed his hesitation.

"I- Yeah." He looked up at her almost asking if it was okay that he would already leave - well, already compared to the amount of work they had to do, after all it was already the middle of the night.

"Sure. Is everything alright?" She looked at him slightly concerned.

"Yeah. It's just- something I need to take care of. I will check on our patient before I leave."

"Okay. I will see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight."

...

enjoy / in-ˈjȯi / verb
to have a good time; to take pleasure or satisfaction in

to enjoy someone's company