The Seventh Sense is Love

Sealed Up and A Baby Shower

"Derek?"

"Yes?"

"What if I have to have a c-section?"

He'd wondered when she was going to talk about this. Earlier, at their appointment with Dr. Chu, they'd learned that Meredith wasn't dilated or effacing - at all. Taking a steady breath and pulling her closer to his side, Derek said, "Then you have to have a c-section, Mer."

"It's not what I want," she stated. Her voice was calm and serious.

"I know. Maybe you won't need a c-section. We won't know for sure until you're actually in labor."

"You're right and at this point, I'm worrying unnecessarily, but I'd rather we have a plan made before labor even begins."

"A birth plan," he chuckled, thinking of what they'd listened to recently.

"Yes!" she laughed, "a birth plan. What do you want, Derek?"

He sighed and looked away from her for a moment. Then he leaned in to kiss her and answered, "I wish I could make it so you can have Ian effortlessly, painlessly, and in the blink-of-an-eye."

"Derek -"

"However," he squeezed her with a small hug to indicate he wasn't done speaking. "Since I'm not a magician, I just want you to have the easiest, healthiest delivery possible. I will support whatever you want to do - as long as you and Ian are safe."

"So, if I tell you I don't want any medication at all - you're fine with that?"

Derek actually blanched a little but answered steadily, "Like I said, whatever you want as long as you and Ian are safe."

Meredith giggled and said, "Okay but for the record, I have no intention of trying to be super woman. I want to try to have Ian without drugs but if the pain gets to be too much - I promise I'll be asking for an epidural. Okay?"

"Of course!" Derek said with a small catch in his voice.

"If it does come to me needing a c-section," Meredith sighed, "I'll have one without complaint. I just want to try to have Ian vaginally first. I want the experience. I want to know we tried. Is that crazy?"

"No, not at all!" Derek gave a sigh of his own and closed his eyes. He ran his fingers up and down Meredith's back in a relaxing way. As excited as he was about Ian's birth day - he was also completely freaked out about it. He was resolute about staying calm for Meredith's sake, but the idea of her being in pain and not being able to do a damn thing about it really bothered him. He knew everything would be all right, though. "I love you, Mer."

"I know." She moved to kiss him. "I'm grateful for you and our love every day. And even though I'm a little freaked out about giving birth - I'm excited, too. I love you and Ian, and I can't wait to bring him home and for the three of us to be a family." When she was done speaking, she laughed.

"What?" Derek asked with a grin.

"Just," she shrugged and laughed again. "I was such a workaholic - devoted to being a surgeon and nothing else. Then I ran around the corner and straight into you. Now we're married and expecting a baby. I never factored having a family of my own and now it's the most important thing to me. You knocked me on my ass and changed everything."

"Excuse me?" Derek laughed. "I knocked you down? By your own admission - you ran around the corner and into me."

Meredith started to say something and then grabbed his hand and put it on her stomach instead. "Apparently," she giggled as Ian kicked and wiggled around, "he's already agreeing with his Daddy."