Burn out ✔️

Part 3

The next morning, he woke up to an empty bed but he could hear voices downstairs, indicating that Meredith as well as her kids were already awake. He slowly got up, rubbing his face with his hands as the memories of the previous evening flashed back into his mind. Getting up he now started changing before quickly brushing his teeth and climbing the stairs down to meet everyone in the kitchen.

He spotted Meredith at the counter, preparing the kid's lunch boxes while the three little ones were eating their cereal, talking with each other enthusiastically. "Good morning everyone." Nick said, smiling at the scene in front of him. Meredith immediately looked up at him, a very tired smile on her lips that clearly didn't reach her eyes. She wasn't feeling much better. "Morning Nick!" Ellis said, smiling up at Nick from her seat while he walked over to Meredith. He didn't know if she would be comfortable with him kissing her in front of her kids so that he just placed a hand on the small of her back, rubbing the spot a little. "How are you feeling?" he asked, noticing the dark circles around her eyes, indicating that she hadn't slept very well.

"Not now." She whispered silently, not wanting to worry her kids. Nick just nodded, signalling her that he had understood. "Can I help with something?" he asked, observing her as she was cutting cucumber and equally putting it into the three boxes.

But right in this moment Bailey's voice interrupted them. "Mom? I have a question about maths for my test today." He said, looking up from his notebook. "Can I help you?" Nick asked as he saw Meredith looking up to the clock at the wall, scared that her kids would be late for school if she wouldn't finish their lunch now. "Are you as good at maths as mommy is?" Bailey asked.

"Probably not but I can try." Nick chuckled, walking over to Bailey and sitting down next to him, taking a look at his notes. Meredith now smiled again a little bit. She loved to see Nick interacting with her kids. It had been so beautiful to watch ever since she had introduced him to them half a month ago. She focused back on the lunch boxes. That was when she noticed that her hands were shaking. She put down the knife and closed the three boxes that now each contained a sandwich, a few cucumber slices, a carrot, and a cheese string. She put the three boxes onto the table as suddenly she started to hear the voices of her kids and Nick again. She hadn't even noticed that she had been shutting them out for the past minute. She rubbed her eyes tiredly, earning a concerned glance from Nick but he decided not to say anything.

"Okay! Thank you." Bailey said, writing down something on his paper as Nick stood up again. "Problem solved." He told her as he laid an arm around her waist again and she rested her head against his shoulder for a brief moment. "Thank you." Meredith whispered, closing her eyes for a second, enjoying being next to him. "I- I don't know if I can drive, I don't want anything to happen." She suddenly said quietly, looking up at him with fear in her eyes. "I'll drive, you'll be in the passenger's seat." He said, reassuring her by giving her a slight squeeze. He didn't want to offer her to bring her kids to school because one, he didn't know where the school was although that was a solvable problem but two, Meredith didn't want her kids to worry and that would only work if she would come with them. "Thank you." She sighed, leaning into him again for another few seconds before starting to get the kids ready and making sure everyone had their things with them.

They dropped the kids off at the entry of the school building before driving back onto the highway in silence, back to Meredith's house.

"Do you trust me?" Meredith suddenly asked breaking the silence, not looking at him but just starring out of the window. "Of course I trust you." He replied, looking over at her worriedly. "Do you think I'm making the right decision?" she then asked, rethinking everything that had happened the past few days. "I don't know that Meredith. You should just trust your instincts. If it feels right for you to take the job then it's exactly what you should do. You've spent the past five years in general surgery and now you're looking for a change and that's totally fine. If the job in Minnesota makes you happy and is that what you've been looking for then I think you should take the opportunity besides what other people are telling you. But if you have doubts and probably feel like you'd rather stay here in Seattle which would be totally understandably than that's just fine as well. You have to do whatever makes you happy. " he said, emphasizing the 'you' in the last sentence.

He saw her nodding in the corner of his eye as he focused back on the road and they fell in silence again. They arrived at Meredith's house just five minutes later but it seemed as if she hadn't noticed that they had arrived already. "Mer? We're home." He said, laying a hand on her tight to get her attention and pull her out of her thoughts as it seemed as if she had just zooned out. She snapped up her head, looking around confused and taking a sharp breath.

"Maybe I should stay with you?" he suggested as she didn't make any move to get out of the car. But she just shook her head, finally looking up at him. "I'll be fine I promise. I'll probably just sleep. The whole day." She chuckled slightly and suddenly she looked almost normal again, happy. "Okay, I'll drive to the hospital then and hope not to run into Bailey." He said, smiling, making her giggle again. "What are you going to tell her if she asks where I am." She asked, the smile vanishing. "I'll just tell her that you need a few days for yourself to clear your head." He said, taking her hand and squeezing it, trying to offer her some comfort. "Okay." She sighed, nodding absently.

"Are you going to step by before you leave for the airport?" she then asked after a few seconds of silence. "Of course." He reassured her, stroking the back of her hand with his thumb. "Get some rest Mer, everything is going to be okay." He said again before they shared a wonderful kiss. It was soft, gentle but also passionate at the same time. It was just- perfect. "See you later." He said before she got out of the car and he watched her walking up the front poach and disappearing into the house.

Making sure she got inside safely he now drove off to the hospital, preparing himself for the day.