This Life

Chapter 8

Over the next few weeks Beth's teething had gotten worse instead of better. There had been several nights when coming home from a late surgery Derek would find Meredith pacing the house with a screaming Beth in her arms. It had gotten so bad on one particular evening that Derek finally relented and phoned his mother.

Cathryn was pleased that her son had called for help and was prepared to jump on the next available plane to come and help them out. Derek reassured her that they were fine but running out of solutions on how to ease the pain for Beth. He had been slightly horrified at Cathryn's suggestion of putting a dash of brandy on Beth's gums. Cathryn's response had simply been that he had not complained about it when he was teething and it did not do him or Nancy harm. When he hung up the telephone and told Meredith she simply laughed "Stupid! I forgot all about that!" and when she noticed the look on Derek's face "Relax – it is only a miniscule amount."

Derek had not been convinced and chose to stick with the medicine.

Derek felt as if his heart was breaking when he looked at his daughter's sobbing face and bright red cheeks. Most nights started with him and Meredith taking it in turns to sit and try to get Beth to sleep and usually ended with all three curled up together in Derek's bed. Although he had no objections to Meredith sleeping beside him in bed every night he knew that Beth would get to used this idea and it would be a nightmare to get her settled back in her cot.

He had no idea how Meredith had stayed sane throughout it all. She was up most mornings at 5am with Beth crying and then looked after her in the nursery for most of the day so that she would not distract the other children. Once Beth finally did sleep Meredith was then trying to do her own work and most days did not even get a chance to take a lunch break. She then left the hospital before him most nights so that would not annoy the other children who were sleeping. When he eventually got home Meredith was still trying to get Beth to eat dinner with no joy. Throughout it all Meredith had never complained once.

Thankfully the teething stopped the day before Thanksgiving. He finished early at the hospital and came home to find his daughter chewing on a farley's rusk in her highchair while Meredith was on the phone with Gavin who was giving her a crash course on to make a Thanksgiving dinner.

They had decided to have a small dinner tonight as both of them were working 12 hour shifts the following day and knew that by the time they got home they would be too tired to cook.

Derek walked over and kissed Beth hello at the same time as Meredith finished speaking to Gavin. He could not resist walking over and grabbing Meredith by the waist and kissing her.

"Derek" she squealed

"Am I not allowed to kiss you hello now?" Derek smirked.

"No, you just scared me that's all. Beth had something to show you" Meredith answered.

Derek turned around and looked at his giggling daughter.

"Come on Beth smile for daddy" Meredith said tickling Beth under her chin.

Beth finally opened her mouth and there it was another small white tooth at the front of her lower gum. Meredith looked at Derek who was crying with joy. The next few minutes was a flurry of activity with Derek clicking like mad on the camera and also on his cell phone and texting everyone he knew a photo of Beth's new tooth.

They had enjoyed dinner and for the first night in weeks Beth fell fast asleep in her cot as soon as her head hit the pillow. The only downside of this Derek thought was that Meredith would not be sleeping in his bed tonight.

Thanksgiving Day had been busy for Derek with a constant stream of consults and had only got to see Meredith and Beth briefly for a quick sandwich between patients. However the day had been quieter for Meredith in the nursery with only a handful of children in. She had spent most of the day with the older children showing them how to make brownies that they could take them home for desert at thanksgiving dinner.