Bright and Shiny

Chapter 122

Meredith breathed a sigh of relief and smiled when her 4 year old patient's scans came up on the illuminated screen in front of her with no brain damage. She saw no abnormalities or anything severe to prevent this child from living a long and happy life.

Derek hovered behind her also looking over the scans and Alex looked on blankly from on the other side. Meredith noticed she had some slight swelling for which Derek would have to go in and routinely relieve some of the pressure and that should be it, she sighed.

From the second she saw the little girl unconscious being wheeled in her heart dropped. She knew that she shouldn't have let the case affect her but a little child playing at home and falling off their balcony just hit her hard with reality of being a parent that she'd have to learn how to be.

Meredith stepped back to let Alex get a closer look, he had questions and Derek quizzed him on treatment while they discusses possibilities. Meredith just kind of zoned out knowing Derek was ignoring her out of pride because he knew that she saw the same issue as him on the scans. He knew that she knew the course of treatment he'd take, she had seen him do this surgery countless times before in New York. Alex didn't know on both counts so he was being the teacher while she stood back and watched him teach. He was so proud of his craft that he came alive teaching others who wanted to learn.

"Dr. Karev, take Chandra up to be prepped. Dr. Shepherd and I will speak with her parents." Derek ordered as they finished up their conversation. Alex nodded and Derek turned to her ushering her out the door. His hand resting against the small of her back while he directed her to the first open on call room he saw and locking the door behind him.

"Well this is new," she smirked. "An on call room, Dr. Shepherd." She whispered breathlessly a hint of mischief in her voice. Knowing very well he brought them in here to check on her and not for what most of the rest of the hospital staff used these rooms for. Which made her grimace a bit at the thought of how unsanitary these rooms probably are.

"How often do they wash these sheets?" she blurted out in thought. "It's not sanitary." she blurted again with a furred brow.

"Meredith." He replied with amusement in his tone at her random question and comment that probably popped in her head out of nowhere.

"I'm fine" she whispered remembering the reason as to why he ushered them in here, still looking around in thought of the room. "I will be very scared about our balcony doors. But I'm fine." She said honestly, taking a step forward to him and playing the hem of his scrub top with her fingers.

"We'll have every safety lock and precaution known to man, they're already baby proofing the house, it's so safe." he reassured her as she nodded. Knowing that he was right and it was just her fears of her baby being hurt that made her take this case so seriously.

"I'm ok." she said as she gave him a smile.

'Ok, so lets go tell these parents their little girl will be going into surgery." He said brushing his hand across her cheek as he turned to leave the room and Meredith held his scrub top jerking him back towards her.

"Mer?" he asked worriedly.

"They're not here, they work a lot and she was brought in by her nanny." She let out quietly while Derek let out a sigh realizing just how close to home this was hitting her. "Oh Mer, everyday we'll bring him with us to daycare ok?"

"Everyday?" she looked up at him with wide scared eyes. Showing tears threatening to fall over her insecurities and fears of one day being like her mother, raised by nannies daily.

"Everyday, no nanny." He reassured
"No nanny agreed." She smiled at them making their first parenting decision.

"Ready" he asked nodding to the door with a slight smile on his face.

"Ready." She smiled taking his hand in hers to exit the on call room together not caring what people thought they were doing there, but making a mental note to never use an on call room for any reason and tell Derek never to either.