I Wanna Love Somebody Like You

25

"Stupid triage," Meredith muttered as she moved slowly around the kitchen, shoving everything she needed for the day into her bag. "Stupid decaf coffee."

Derek fought a smile as he leaned against the doorframe to the kitchen. Meredith was very obviously not in a good mood, and since she'd entered her third trimester she'd been very cranky. Ethan was kicking a lot now, and although Derek loved feeling his son kick, he knew that Meredith was tired of getting kicked and punched all the time. He'd made her dinner and let her go to bed early the night before, hoping that a good night's sleep might help her get ready for the triage Bailey was taking her interns on today. But apparently Ethan had already inherited his mother's love for staying up late, and Meredith had barely slept for three hours.

"You know you can call in sick," Derek offered. "Bailey's baby is only seven months old, she remembers what it's like to be pregnant."

"I can't call in sick," she rolled her eyes. "I have a triage today."

"That can be rescheduled."

"No, it can't," she snapped. "Because I am eight million years pregnant, but I still have another two months to go. So it can't be rescheduled, because I'm only going to get more miserable."

"You're right," Derek nodded, having learned quickly that those were the two most important words he could say throughout the duration of her pregnancy. "I shouldn't have even suggested it."

"Thank you," Meredith sighed. "Let's go."

Derek nodded, making sure to grab the bag she had left sitting on the floor of the kitchen. She was forgetting more as the pregnancy progressed, and he had learned to always be one step ahead of her and pretend like he was helping her out instead of reminding her what she was forgetting.

"I'm so tired, Derek," she sighed as she dropped into the passenger side of his car.

"I know," he offered her a sympathetic smile as he started the car. "He'll be here soon."

"Seven weeks is not soon," Meredith said, leaning her head against the window.

"Well...your maternity leave starts in five weeks," Derek offered. "Which means you can lay in bed and eat ice cream all day."

"That sounds amazing," she said. "Five more weeks."

"Five more weeks," he nodded. "But seriously, Meredith, if the triage is too much..."

"I'll stop," she promised. "I won't do anything to hurt Ethan. But I don't want to fall behind in my career either."

"You won't," Derek promised. "Just a month."

"A month is a long time," she sighed as he pulled into the hospital.

"You'll love it," Derek smiled. "Six weeks to play with Ethan all day."

"That will be fun," Meredith said, running a hand over her stomach. "And he can kick all he wants once he's out on his own."

"Still bad?" Derek asked, parking the car and turning to reach for her stomach. "Hey buddy. Calm down a little bit, Mom's got to work now."

"He's always quiet when I'm in surgery," Meredith said as she pulled herself out of the car. "Christina says it's because he's going to be hard core."

"His parents are both surgeons," Derek said. "And he's my son. Of course he's a genius."

Meredith rolled her eyes. "I'm pretty sure it's the heart monitor," she said. "It calms him down."

"Could be," Derek nodded. "You're sure you're okay to go on a triage? Because if you're not..."