MerAdd Oneshots

I haven't slept in four days

Triplets.

When Meredith and I decided to start a family, we didn't even think our first round of IVF would give us one healthy baby, let alone three. And while we were overjoyed and grateful beyond words, they outnumbered us, three to two.

Being pregnant was scary, but exciting. I was excited to feel their kicks and moves, I was scared they'd come too early, I was excited to see their faces but scared they'd hate mine. One thing I never even thought of, perhaps something I should've expected, was just how sleep deprived I'd be.

I always thought getting the babies to sleep would be a breeze; I spent all day in the NICU at work, three babies at home would be a breeze. Sleep when the babies sleep, keep them content and make sure they were always tended to the second they began to fuss. It sounded easy, I thought I'd have an easy time.

But I was wrong and I quickly realized it surrounded by three screaming newborns, barely a week old, and piles upon piles of dirty laundry and dirty dishes.

"I don't know what to do" I said in frustration. Meredith was gone to the store and I only had two hands, but there were three babies. I hadn't slept in days, I hadn't showered in a week, I was running off of coffee and handfuls of dry cereal shovelled into my mouth in between cries.

"Katie, Ellie, and Jessie" I look at all three girls as they scrunch their faces up and continue to cry. At this point, I'm ready to let them cry it out until Meredith gets back.

Unsure of what to do, I call Meredith, ready to tell her to leave the store right away and come home to help me. The babies were asleep when she left, and they should've stayed asleep until she got back. But not ten minutes after she'd gone, they were awake and screaming.

"Meredith you need to come home" I all but sobbed into the phone, clutched between my shoulder and ear as I rocked Ellie in her bouncy chair with my foot, balanced Jessie on my lap and held a bottle up to Katie who was propped on a pillow on the couch.

"I'm on the freeway, I just left the store. There's an accident, I'm stuck in traffic" Meredith sighed into the phone. I could practically see her rubbing her temples in frustration "I'm going as fast as I can, okay? Hang in there"

In sheer sleep deprived anger, I said my goodbye to Meredith and threw my phone at the wall, watching as it smashed to bits and irritated the babies further, making them scream louder.

I placed Ellie in her swing, and Katie in her bassinet, before hunting down the landline and calling Callie.

"Calm down Addison, I can't hear you between all the crying" she said, as I cried into the phone and the babies cried on in the background. "Where's Meredith?"

"The store" I sob "Callie, I haven't slept in four days! There's an accident on the freeway, she won't be home for an hour at least. I can't do this, I can't" I was ready to stuff some earplugs in and go to bed, leaving the babies to their own devices. The harsh reality of motherhood was smacking me in the face times three, and I needed some help.

"I'm on the way" is all she says, and I feel relief begin to flood my entire body.

~

Callie arrived with Arizona and Lexie in tow, bursting in through the door less than fifteen minutes after I'd called her like my knight in shining armour.

"Where's Sofia?" I ask, looking at both Lexie and Arizona. Sofia was always with one of those three, always.

"She's with Mark, he's still back at our place" Lexie tells me. In my sleep deprived state, I forgot Mark existed and momentarily thought Sofia had three Moms and no Dad.

"Go upstairs and sleep honey, we can get the babies" Arizona rubs my back and offers me a smile, while Callie and Lexie immediately begin soothing the girls. "We'll let you know if we need you, but you need sleep. You're no good to them like this"

I could've kissed her.

The moment I got upstairs and slipped into bed, my entire body seemed to decompress and relax. The loud screaming of the babies was now a dull roar, I could barely even hear that there was anybody else in the house.

My head hit my pillow, and just like that, I was out like a light.