Love gives hope

Chapter 39 "in sickness and in health

Meredith's Point-of View

"You should really eat that." I said as I eyed his hospital food tray, he looked at it and turned a shade paler than he already was and sighed.

"Why don't you take this one, I'm not hungry right now, baby."

"I can't keep eating your food for you." I rolled my eyes, while at the same time picking up a piece of French fry and popping it into my open mouth "You need to eat...its actually good today."

"I'm sure it is." He said with a weak smile, "Its good watching you eat it."

While I admired the smile he attempted to give me with that sauntering remark, I still wasn't getting what I wanted out of him...and I just couldn't have that.

"Derek." I moaned as I picked up a fry and shoved it in his face "Eat."

He hesitated a moment, his eyes were dull and retracting, as if he were fighting it...but he'd have to fight me at the same time. At that realization, he opened his mouth and let me feed him. I moaned but I could tell by the slow way he chewed that he was forcing himself to eat it.

"Delicious." He mumbled as he swallowed. "You should definitely have some more."

"So should you." I giggled. "I can't have you withering away on me."

"Oh, is that what you're worried about?" he sighed with a soft smirk in his eyes, "You don't want me to lose any more weight?"

"Shut up." I hissed, "We both know that's not true...when I fell in love with you, you were a hundred and thirty-five pounds and bald."

"No." he shook his head "You didn't fall in love with me until I had hair, it was the hair you fell in love with."

"Though you have a gorgeous head of hair, that I really hope you pass onto your child here...I so fell in love with you before the hair."

"When?" he scoffed. "Was it when I tricked you into letting me look down the front of your dress?"

"No." I giggled, "It was when you let me have control of the remote and at through hours of torturous and very cheesy soap operas. I like a man that lets me take control."

"Figures." He chuckled, "You know when I fell in love with you?"

"What...it wasn't at first sight?"

"Almost." He smiled as he reached up and took my hand to pull me down onto the bed. "It was when you told me you weren't going to let me die...I saw the fight in your eyes, and....I knew you'd be a total tiger in bed."

"Derek!" I squealed with laughter and softly smacked his shoulder, he rippled with laughter but squeezed me close.

"No in all seriousness." He sighed "I'd be dead a long time ago...but I got to see the best days of my life, because I lived...and because of you."

"I always get what I want." I smiled as I leaned in to kiss him. He started to tilt up toward me when he suddenly pulled back and a glance of panic splashed across his face, I quickly sat up as I knew what that look meant "You need to throw up, don't you."

"Hurry." He groaned.

I grabbed a plastic tub off the nightstand and handed it to him just as he curled over. I placed my hand on the back of his neck and gently massaged my fingers into his head, handed him a dry cloth, and a glass of water. He caught his breath and leaned back against the pillow with a soft look of shame in his eyes.

"You don't have to sit around and watch this."

"Then, we shouldn't have gotten married." I shrugged as I disposed of his mess. "I took a vow...for sickness and health. I didn't omit that part so...if you didn't want me to do this then, maybe you shouldn't have gotten so sick."

He was quiet for a moment, I thought he'd fallen asleep until I turned around to see a soft, almost sad look in his eyes. I walked over and sat back down next to him and placed my hand against his face so he would look at me.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." He finally smiled, "I'm just surprised is all...after all those years being married to Addison, she never took her vows to heart. Only when it was convenient. So, I'm just not used to this."

"Well, get used to it." I smiled, "I'll be taking it to heart for the next fifty to seventy years."

He smiled, but I saw in his eyes he didn't believe it...not that he didn't believe me, he just didn't believe that he would make it that long.

That was okay...because I believed enough for both of us.