The Ga on call room

Is she feeling better

The next day, Meredith woke up to find herself hit with yet another wave of nausea. She had spent the night in and out of sleep, tossing and turning. She couldn't get out of bed, for fear of a dizzy spell. She was slowly going mad, because there was nothing Meredith hated more than being stuck in bed all day, especially if it wasn't the sexy kind of bed rest.

As Meredith lay there, willing the nausea to pass, she thought about how Derek had come over yesterday afternoon and how he had been so gentle and dare she say it...loving.

It had felt nice to have someone look after her, even if it was for a little while. She had spent the last few months constantly being there for other people, and she wasn't regretting her choices, not for a second, but she wouldn't deny that it was nice having someone be there for her. Having Derek look after her allowed Meredith to let herself get swept up in what used to be, to get swept up in how he used to treat her, before it had all gone so wrong. However, this was where it had to end. There couldn't be any more of those wonderful moments between them, Lachlan was coming to Seattle in two weeks time, and she refused to let him feel inferior or jealous over something that so obviously meant nothing... right?

As Meredith went to get out of bed, the wave of nausea finally got the better of her and she ended up paying homage to the porcelain god for a good five minutes. Finally, just when she was beginning to think that it was never going to end, she made her way downstairs only to realize that it was late morning and everyone had gone to the hospital. Not daring to get something to eat, Meredith made herself some chamomile tea and settled herself on the sofa, taking the packet of cold and flu tablets Derek had left her.

Meredith must have eventually drifted of to sleep, because the next thing she knew, the front door had swung open and in came Izzie, Alex and Lexie.

Meredith began to stir and suddenly they realized what they had done.

"Oh, god, Mer. I'm so sorry. I...we had no idea you were sleeping." Izzie apologized.

"No, it's fine." Meredith said as she sat up. "I came down late this morning and just never went back up, too much nausea."

"Still?" Izzie asked as she sat on the edge of the sofa.

"Yeah, trust me to get the worst case scenario flu." Meredith replied. "Oh, and if I hadn't said it before, thanks again Lexie."

"Yeah well, if it makes you feel ant better, I'm still suffering from it. It seems like I can't shake it. You may have got the severe form, but I've got the constant form."

"At least it hasn't chased away you're appetite. For someone who can't shake the flu, your appetite hasn't changed." Alex put in.

"So you're saying I'm a pig?" Lexie asked.

Izzie and Meredith both glared at Alex, female solidarity evident

"What...No...you just have a healthy appetite." Alex defended.

"Whatever, I'm going to bed." Lexie told the group.

"It's only six o'clock Lexie." Meredith said, letting the wheels in her head suddenly start turning, something had suddenly occurred to her. No...it couldn't...

"Yeah, well I'm tired." Lexie said as she headed towards the stairs.

"I'm just going to..."Alex began, getting up to follow his girlfriend.

"You better." Izzie and Meredith said in unison.

As Izzie went into the kitchen, preparing a small dinner for herself, she offered to make something for Meredith, who refused with force.

"No way Iz, my stomach has been very sensitive these last couple of days." She responded, still distracted from the conversation that took place in the lounge, it had been something that had been bothering her. Meredith suddenly had the urge to talk with her sister.

"Hey Mer, do you think you'll be feeling better in a few days, because there's something that..." Izzie started.

"Actually Iz, there's something that I need to discuss with Lexie...just sisterly stuff." Meredith added when she saw Izzie's look of confusion.

"Sure..." Izzie responded with suspicion.

Meredith offered a small smile, before turning out of the kitchen.

Once she eventually got up the stairs, she quietly knocked on Alex and Lexie's bedroom door.

"Lexie, can I speak with you for a moment? It's urgent."

——————
"So...I've had a great time tonight." Rose told Derek as they walked arm in arm down the street.

"Me too." Derek smiled, although it was far from the truth.

Earlier on in the day, Derek had an attack of conscience and decided that he should at least take Rose out for dinner, which was something he hadn't bothered to do since Meredith had come back to Seattle. Also, Derek was still on a high from his visit with Meredith the day before, so nothing could break his spirits, or so he thought.

Rose looped her fingers through his, and he fought the urge to forget that when Meredith used to do the same thing, he could usually feel the silky smoothness of her skin. All he ever did was compare Rose to Meredith, and he knew that it wasn't fair to the former, but he couldn't help it.

Suddenly Rose halted her movements, and due to her hard grip on him, Derek was forced to stop as well.

"Oh! Derek do you mind?" Rose asked, gesturing to the store they had stopped in front of.

"Do I mind what?" Derek wondered in confusion.

"Do you mind if we go into the drug store for a second. I love the little packets of jellybeans that they always sell, and I want to buy one." Rose said sweetly.

This girl had serious candy problems, Derek thought.

"Lead the way." Derek responded.

As they made their way to the counter where the packets of jellybeans were stocked, both Derek and Rose were surprised to see Meredith there, paying for a purchase.

"Hi Meredith, fancy seeing you here." Rose said, with new found politeness.

Meredith looked shocked as she turned around, and if possible, her already pale face went even paler.

"Oh...Um...Der...Der...Derek...Rose... what are you doing here." Meredith rambled, clutching onto the paper bag.

Derek looked at Meredith and instantly knew she was hiding something, while Rose chose to answer the questions.

"Oh, we just came from dinner and I wanted to stop in and buy a packet of these." Rose replied as she leaned over and grabbed a packet of jellybeans.

Meredith instinctively jumped prompting Derek to ask her what was wrong.

"You're a little jumpy Mer, everything alright? Still feeling the affects of the flu?" Derek wanted to know.

'Yeah...the flu...Lexie and I..." Meredith began to tell Rose. "...we've had the flu and...yeah. I just came for some more tablets, so I'm...just...gonna...go. Bye."

Derek and Rose looked at each other in confusion, before Rose turned to pay for the jellybeans. As she handed her money over to the person behind the counter, she noticed the piece of paper lying on the counter.

"Well, well, well..." Rose stated, with a smirk on her face.

"What?" Derek asked.

"Meredith left her receipt behind."

"So." Derek asked, not seeing what was so serious about that.

"Have a closer look." Rose told him as she handed him the receipt.

Derek felt his stomach drop through the floor.

It was a receipt for a pregnancy test.

Suddenly Derek's spirit broke