You've got a Way

25.

Derek never left work early. He can only remember doing it one time and that was when he was still in school and he had gotten a phone call that one of his sister's was in labor. But today he was leaving work early because he felt absolutely terrible. He didn't know if it was the fact that Emma was up all night sick, or that he had caught whatever she had but he felt terrible. The drive home seemed to take forever as his cough got worse and his head seemed to pound even more. When he finally got home, the first sound he heard was the same he had heard when he was leaving. Emma was screaming which could only mean she was still sick too and all Derek wanted to do was go to sleep.

"I'm home!" Derek called as he entered the house, his voice weak.

"Ugh....we're in here." Meredith groaned from the living room. Her voice barely loud enough over Emma's cries.

"Has she slept at all?" Derek asked walking into the living room only to see Meredith curled up on the sofa, her face pale.

"A little." Meredith groaned, as Emma sat on her lap.

"Ba! My ba....no!" Emma cried, bouncing her body against Meredith.

"Has her fever gone done?" He asked before starting to cough.

"No." Meredith said, before sneezing into a tissue.

"You've got it too?"

"Clearly." Meredith sneezed again, as Emma began to crawl off of her lap.

"I feel like I got hit by a truck." Derek groaned, walking over and picking up Emma before sitting on the couch.

"Me too." Meredith groaned, as Emma hid her head in Derek's chest.

"You too Em?" Derek sighed.

"Da."

"Daddy needs you to go to sleep." He whispered.

"She would have to stop screaming in order to fall asleep."

"My head is pounding." He groaned.

"Take something." Meredith suggested, trying to hand Emma her baby doll.

"No!" Emma pushed it away, before crying harder.

"I did...it's not working." He sighed, bouncing Emma slowly.

"Oh."

"Emma...Shh...."

"Ba....!" Emma's face was red, her eyes wet as she cried, coughing over each gasp.

"Did you give her medicine?" Derek asked.

"That's a stupid question." Meredith rolled her eyes.

"Sorry..." Derek groaned.

"She's been screaming and crying all day."

"Emma...Please...Shh..." Derek whispered.

"Da! Ma....Da....no." Emma gasped, coughing hard against Derek as she stood on his lap.

"I...maybe we should just put her in her crib and try to get her to sleep."

"It doesn't work."

"How long did you leave her in the crib for?"

"A half hour."

"Maybe we should try longer." He sighed, giving Emma her cup of juice.

"No!" Emma took one sip, before tossing the cup at Meredith.

"Noodle...no!" Meredith gasped, as she caught the cup in her hands.