Bright and Shiny

Chapter 70

Meredith hunched over the nurses desk signing her last chart, she was finally done for the day. After taking care of Derek's patients' entire lab work and scrubbing in on a surgery with him, Meredith was exhausted.

The lack of sleep from the night before, the early morning sprint to work not to mention the mental exhaustion of worrying about Derek being mad at her. Then the mental exhaustion of wondering why he wasn't mad at her and what he was hiding, because she figured it was all linked.

She was too tired to play the guessing game with him now, she'd let it go until she was bright and fresh and could really think.

All of that had caught up to her and she was dead on her feet. She just wanted to go home and go fast asleep in her husband's arms and sleep for the next 36 hours. She was free from shifts until then and curling into bed and never leaving sounded like heaven. Although her husband had to wok tomorrow, but he has his attendings are special come and go when he pleases hours so he can't complain.

"Dr. Shepherd." The Chief called from behind her.

"Hi Chief" she quickly said straightening up her posture to look more appropriate for work.

"I have been looking for you. There's something we need to talk about."

"Oh, okay. I'm in trouble?" Meredith asked shyly.

"No, no, nothing like that Meredith." He quickly reassured. "Just some hospital business. That's pressing. I wanted to let you know that… you look tired, are you okay?" He asked just noticing the look of exhaustion on her face mid-sentence.

"Just needs some sleep, time differences, intern long hours, house building, and visitor from back home. Guess it's all just catching up to me." She yawned. "I'm sorry, you were saying?"

Before the Chief could continue on with what he needed to speak to her about, Derek sauntered down the hall towards them all ready to go in his street clothes. Dark jeans, a white button down and a blue sweater with his black cashmere coat to top it off. He looked like a walking GQ model and he instantly brought a smile to her face.

He appeared at her side swiftly noticing her tiredness. Wrapping his arm around her waist and propping her tired body up to lean against him for support. He was holding Meredith's bag and coat she had dropped in his office instead of her locker.

"Your time is up. I'm taking you home to sleep. You and Richard can chat tomorrow, right?" Derek said to the Chief silently asking him through his eyes to agree, although he directed the question to his wife.

"Sure sure, it's nothing that can't wait." Richard told them warily.

"Great, now say good bye Chief." He told Meredith with an overprotective smile.

"Goodbye Chief." She mumbled already almost sleeping, her eyes closed, cuddling deeper into his arms and inhaling his Derek scent.

The Chief and Derek laughed as Derek held onto her and started to walk down the hall leaving the work behind them.