Bright and Shiny

Chapter 110

As Meredith and Derek walked hand in hand into the hospital, Derek tried his best to act normal however the fact he was holding his wife's hand. His wife who was having his baby's hand wouldn't leave his mind. He wanted to tell the janitor mopping as he passed him and the nurses he doesn't even like that she was having his baby.

They had decided in the car they'd go straight to the Chief before stopping to even drop their stuff and change into their scrubs. Meredith was still paranoid the entire hospital had found out already or that the gossip mill could have been started if just one person saw them at the toy store or leaving their doctors office yesterday.

None of those thoughts though could deter the "she's having my baby" thoughts from his mind. Derek realized Bailey really was going to yell at him for not being able to stop smiling and people passing him are going to think he'd lost his mind or something. As Meredith pulled him into the empty elevator she couldn't help but start laughing at him once the doors closed leaving them alone.

"What?" he asked knowingly.

"You're what, we need to talk to the Chief about serious things like maternity leave and re-scheduling my internship but you look like you're ready to jump on sofas or something." She laughed as Derek tried to tone it down before they reached the floor with the Chief's office.

"Better?" he asked trying to hold back his wide smile and look indifferent. Derek's attempts of toning it down made Meredith laugh just as much.

"No." she choked out before leaning in and kissing him on his cheek, lingering her lips over his. "But I adore you for trying." She added before kissing him slowly on the mouth before the elevator ding singling their arrival to their desired floor.

They walked out still hand in hand to the Chiefs office asking his secretary if he had some time to spare for them. She sent them straight it to sit and that was when Derek started getting nervous.

He had made promises to Richard when he took this head of neurosurgery position. The main one being to not favor his intern wife, however not even 2 months into her internship and they were asking for a maternity leave of advance and asking for a huge favor by not holding her back.

"So what do I owe the pleasure of a visit by your two so early this morning?" Richard asked them from behind his desk, glancing from Derek to Meredith and back to Derek again. Derek and Meredith also both looked at each other, not knowing which of the two were going to speak. Before Derek could say anything Meredith squeezed his hand and nodded her head slightly, signaling to him that she got this. It was her internship, she needed to tell her superior, not have her husband do it for her.

"Chief, Derek and I found out yesterday we are expecting a baby." She smiled as she glanced at Derek to see the big smile back on his face.

"That's wonderful Meredith, Derek, congratulations." Richard exclaimed taking his hand to shake Derek's. "Adele will be ecstatic, I can't wait to tell her" he continued talking making Meredith laugh at his familiar response as opposed to a boss like one.

"We'll need to work out some details." Meredith added trying to get back on topic before Richard and Derek both went off on a baby tangent making lists on whom to tell. Richard nodding grabbing a file from a cabinet in his drawer and glancing at it. Derek squeezed her hand to let her know she had his support and was still there, although she wanted to handle this on her own.

Richard continued reading before glancing back up at them. "You are more knowledgeable in theory than all the other interns in your class, perhaps even residents superior to you. You've already decided on a field and your OR numbers are already high. Keep this pace that you've been tracking already, no vacation time will be allocated to you but we'll add that to a maternity leave and I see no reason why you'd fall behind. As long as you pull in higher OR numbers now while you can it should make up for what you lose later on. We'll have Dr. Bailey schedule around your doctor's appointments and later shifts to avoid morning sickness" He told them as he closed the file looking at them seriously.

"Honestly, as I'm sure your husband here probably has told you. You can take this maternity leave, those months off. And you'd still be the top of your class and I doubt you'd be behind." He smiled at her.

"My husband did mention that, but he's kind of bias." She joked.

"Hey, I'm not. I was telling the truth and the chief of surgery here agreed with me." He pouted as Richard laughed and shook his head as all 3 stood to depart the office.

"I'll have Patricia draw up the maternity leave paper work and I'll set up a meeting with Dr. Bailey later on. I presume you will tell her yourself first?" Richard questioned.

"Yes, that's my next stop." Meredith told him worriedly.

"Ok, I hope you know Adele will be bombarding you with food and baked goods." Richard told Meredith making her eyes light up in joy at the though. Derek noticing and laughing at her reaction. "Oh she can't wait." He laughed as she jabbed him with her elbow.

"Congratulations again you two" Richard told them as he hugged them both and they departed his office hand in hand. Meredith thinking in her head, one down, more to go.