We've Got To Stop Meeting Like This

Chapter 30

She felt awful. Her back ached, she was bloated, and her head was pounding. She was struggling to keep food down really, and she hated that Derek wasn't here. She needed him more than she had ever needed him before. She felt clingy, and it really wasn't like her. All she could do was blame the baby growing inside her.

She loved her baby. Three months in, as much as the whole pregnancy was wreaking havoc on her body, she loved her baby, and she wouldn't have it any other way. Well, except for Derek being there.

Sure, it hadn't been the best timing. Ideally, they wanted to wait at least a year or two before they got pregnant, but now that she was pregnant she wouldn't have it any other way. She had never even considered for a second getting rid of the pregnancy. This was her child.

She was currently curled up on the couch in the attendings' lounge, her arm wrapped around her middle as she fought of the sleep that was threatening to pull her under. Just a few more hours on call and then she could go home and sleep for as long as she wanted.

Derek would have been telling her to sleep now, but she couldn't be certain that once she was asleep, anything would be able to wake her up. That was something else that had changed because of the pregnancy. Before, she could nap while on call, and wake up as soon as her pager went off. Now, it would probably take a foghorn right next to her to wake her up.

At least she had the next day off. After she'd told her boss about the pregnancy, she'd been more than happy to lighten Meredith's workload where needed. She was more than ready for her first year as an attending, setting up the new paediatric neurosurgery wing at Seattle Grace, and they'd already ironed out the details of her maternity leave.

But Meredith didn't want special measures. She wanted to do her part, do her job, help people. She wanted to keep working, and researching, and if anything, she was dreading maternity leave. She knew know she wouldn't completely stop working while she was off with the baby, something that had already been discussed at great length with Derek over the phone.

He'd already said he'd be taking leave with her for at least a month, maybe two depending on how well he could be covered at the hospital. He was more of the idea that she didn't stress herself out too much by doing any work she could do from home. The compromise had been made in the end that they would see how she felt about it when the time came; nothing had been set in stone, and Richard was happy for her to take a step back from any planning during those months.

She glanced up at the clock on the wall, groaning at how slow time seemed to be ticking. Five minutes felt like half an hour. She rolled onto her back, staring at the ceiling a moment. She needed to get up. She needed to keep herself busy, or maybe even try and eat.

Almost as if he sensed her frustration from hundreds of miles away, Derek started calling her. She picked her phone up, staring at his picture on the screen for a moment before actually answering the call. She needed to try and sound the least amount of run down as she could. He always took it harder on himself when she sounded like crap.

"Hey," she answered, putting a smile on her face to see if the placebo of happiness would do the trick.

"Hey, I had a minute and just wanted to check in. Are you okay?" He asked, and she could hear him typing away in the background, most likely working on his final research paper for the end of his fellowship.

"Yeah, I'm good," she covered her mouth as she yawned, inwardly cursing herself for doing so, "Just a couple more hours and then I'm headed back home for at least thirty-six hours. What are you up to?"

"Just finishing the final notes on my patient," he said, and she didn't miss the concern in his voice, meaning she hadn't done the best job at hiding her mood from him at all, "You don't sound good, Mer."

"I'm fine, I'm just tired," she said quietly, sitting up on the couch with her legs crossed, "It's just a couple more hours and then I'm going home to sleep."

"Okay, just don't be working yourself too hard," he sighed slightly, "Did you have a look at the house listings I sent you?"

"Hmm, yeah, I was having a look earlier," she nodded, before realising he couldn't actually see her, "I really can't decide just from the pictures, I might ask Ellis to go around with a camera and take pictures, or video it for me."

"I'm sure she'd just be as picky as you are, so that might be a good idea actually," he chuckled, "I liked the look of the one that had a more open plan, I think it's the one that was only about ten minutes from the hospital, which would be ideal."

"You make an excellent point; do you want to ask her for me?" She tried.

"Mer, you know you have to speak with her anyway, she'll want an update after your next appointment," he chuckled again and she couldn't help but roll her eyes, "I can hear you rolling your eyes from the other side of the country."

"Crap, when is that appointment?" She muttered, trying to remember.

"Next Saturday, they gave you the weekend off and you were grumpy because you thought they were mommy tracking you," he reminded her.

"I still think they are, this pager hasn't gone off for hours while I've been on call," she huffed, "I'm bored."

"Oh, so you want young children to come in with complicated head injuries that might require surgery?" he joked with her.

"Well, when you put it that way," she groaned softly, before her voice went quiet, "I miss you."

"I miss you too, baby," he sighed softly, "I'm sorry that I can't be there with you on Saturday."

"Stop beating yourself up about it, it's okay," she reassured him, "It's just quick check up to make sure we're both alright. I'll be having another one when I get to Seattle at the end of next month."

"I know, I just hate that I'm not there with you now," he said, berating himself further, "I should be there with you, holding your hand and doing everything for you."

"I would never make you do everything for me," she laughed slightly.

"Doesn't mean I wouldn't do, or that I won't be doing it when we're together again," he warned playfully.

"It's not long now," she smiled happily, the thought putting a genuine smile on her face, her hand dropping to her slightly swelled abdomen.

"Finally, only six years later," he chuckled affectionately, and she could just imagine the grin on his face.

"I'm really glad you begged your dad to let you come along to that gala with him," she murmured, still smiling.

"So am I, baby, so am I."