Best Friends Last Forever ✔️

Part 29: I'm not fine

Just as Andrew wanted to say something, Amelia and Link approached them and sat down. Meredith quickly mouthed him 'later' as she whipped her eyes with the back of her hand. He nodded sadly. She was finally ready to tell him what was going on and now she couldn't.

"Uhhh- I think I'll get myself some fries too." Amelia said as she looked at Meredith's and Andrew's plates. "You can have mine" Meredith said as she pushed the trail further away from her as if only the thought about food made her nauseous. "You sure?" she asked as she pulled them in front of her. "Yeah I'm not hungry" Meredith replied and smiled at her. Only now he noticed that her smile was different. It was fake, it didn't reach her eyes. She was hiding her pain and tried to smile for the world while on the inside, she was falling apart.

He saw her taking out her phone and a few seconds later he had a message.

'Can we go home?' it read. 'Of course' he quickly wrote but before he could hit send he got another message.

'You can finish your fries first I can wait' she said which made him look up. He met her eyes. She was smiling sadly at him as Amelia and Link didn't notice anything of them texting while being in a deep conversation.

'Screw the fries' he replied and looked at her. What he saw confused him. Panic. She was panicking. For anyone else invisible but for him obvious. Her breathing got a little faster and her cheeks flushed, which always happened when she was shy, embarrassed or in panic. She was also chewing her bottom lip which made him clear that she was uncomfortable.

'I don't care about the fries Mer, but I care about you' he replied which made her smile as she slightly nodded. "Sorry guys we have to go" he said when he stood up as Meredith did the same.

On their way out, Andrew threw away the rest of his food and put the trail on the table at the exit. As they were walking through the hall he suddenly felt her hand in his as he closed his bigger one around hers. This on top of everything made him clear that she was anything but fine as she didn't even care about the looks from the other people as they walked through the hospital holding hands.

"Maybe you should talk to Bailey and ask about a couple of days off. I'll do the same and-" he begun but she interrupted him. "No. You just signed your contract you can't risk your job because of me a-and I'm- I'm okay I promise it's not that bad-" but she as well was interrupted by Andrew, who now grabbed her upper arms to stop her from pacing through the attending's lounge. "Mer. Bailey knows about us." That made her fell silence. "S-s-she w-what?" she stuttered in panic, her breathing becoming faster every second. "Hey Mer, it's okay! It's okay, nothing happened" he said, quickly bringing her into a tight embrace to calm her down. "She says it's okay as long as we keep being professional at the hospital. She's okay with it." He said, as she slowly calmed down again, still breathing a little irregular against his shoulder.

"She's o-okay with it?" Mer then asked after they stood in silence for full two minutes which somehow felt like ages before they pulled apart again. "Yes she is" he said, smiling at her reassuringly while she took a few deep breaths. "Everything is going to be okay." He then said again, but not only to calm her but also himself a little down. Meredith was finally ready to tell him about what was going on.

"O-okay I'll ask her if I can have few days off." She then said, wringing her fingers nervously. "Me too." He said which made her look up again but she didn't protest anymore.

A few minutes later they stood in front of the chief's office. "I'll be right here outside okay?" he said before she nodded slowly and then hesitantly nocked at the door. "Come in" they heard her say from behind the door and Meredith quickly entered, closing the door behind her.

"Grey, what can I do for you" Bailey said as she closed a file, which was laying on her desk.

"Uhm- I-I need a few d-days off." She begun, standing in front of her former teacher, again, fidgeting with her hands "I-I know I already had a week off a-after... y-you know but I need a few days more" she stuttered, her confidence suddenly completely gone which made Bailey frown.

"Grey, attendings don't stutter. Interns do but not the chief of general surgery." Bailey said. "Are you okay?" she then added visible concerned, gesturing Meredith to sit down. She did as ask and tried to hold back the tears which were again forming in her eyes. "I-I don't know b-but I will be. I promise it's j-just for a few days a-and I'll be back at work o-on M-Monday if that's okay." Meredith said with a quiet voice, looking Bailey directly in the eyes now.

"Yes, of course you can have a few days off" Bailey replied, looking into her former interns' eyes. "Thank you" Meredith said relieved as she stood up and made her way back to the door.

"And Grey?" Bailey said, before Meredith reached the handle. "Y-yeah?" she answered, turning around again, scared that she might have changed her mind. "Tell DeLuca that his work as an attending starts on Monday and that he is off till then" Bailey said, smiling slightly at Meredith as she quietly mouthed 'thank you' and slipped out of the room.

As she closed the office-door behind her, Meredith let out a shaky breath and as she looked up she was met with Andrews comforting arms around her. They kept standing like this for a few minutes, not knowing that Bailey was watching them through the window, a sad and concerned but also relieved smile on her face while she kept looking at the couple. 

TO BE CONTINUED...

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