"Hey." He called when she came in. Dropping her bag, she walked into the kitchen where he was.
"Hey." She answered quietly.
"Want a beer?" He asked holding out a beer. She shook her head. Quirking an eyebrow, he decided not to ask considering how she has been acting lately. "So, ah… Where have you been today?"
She shrugged. "Just around."
"Well, you're pretty lucky. Supposedly, everyone has the flu now." He rolled his eyes shaking his head.
"Hmm." She answered sitting at the bar.
"Are you okay, Mer?" He asked with genuine concern.
"I'm fine. I think I'm going to bed." She sighed walking out.
"Meredith…" He called hurrying after her.
"Yeah." She answered turning to look at him.
"Are we okay?" He asked.
"Why wouldn't we be?" She forced a small smile. "Goodnight."
He grabbed her arm, before she could walk away. Turning to look at him, she raised her eyebrow. Before she could question him, he crashed her lips against hers. After a few seconds, they broke apart.
"Goodnight." He said.
"Goodnight." She smiled softly before walking up the stairs.
He let out a long sigh. Something wasn't right with her.
--
She woke up early and headed to the hospital to try and avoid any conversations with Alex. When she walked into the locker room, she found Christina there early as usual. She was pulling on her scrubs and didn't look up until the door shut behind Meredith. The rest of the locker room was empty since the rest of the residents probably wouldn't be filing in until nearly six.
"What are you doing here so early?"
She shrugged.
They stayed quiet for several minutes until Christina decided to speak. "What's been up with you lately? I mean all week you've been... I don't know. Ignoring us or something."
"Nothing's up. I'm fine. Everything is fine."
"Did Evil Spawn do something? Should I kick his ass or make sure he can't have kids?"
Meredith cringed slightly but hoped Christina wouldn't notice.
"I have to go." She said after she finished changing.
"Where are you going?" She asked.
"I need to see the Chief before I check on my patients."
"For what?"
"I just need to talk to him about something." With that she left before anymore questions could be asked.
--
As she waiting for an answer, she nervously played with her hands trying to decide what to say.
"Come in." His voice came. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door.
He sat behind his desk which was clutter with folders among folders.
"Good Morning, Chief." She said with a slightly risen eyebrow.
"They're intern folders. I have to approve all of these and get them back to the board today, so that the computer can sort them out and put them with a resident." He explained.
"Oh. Do you have a minute?"
"For you? Always."
She smiled lightly. "I have two and a half weeks of time off saved up."
He nodded. "I don't know the exact amount, but I'll take your word for it."
She sighed. "I need some time off, Chief."
He looked confused for a second as he leaned forward so he was leaning on his desk. "What's going on, Meredith?" Tears burned her eyes, but she didn't let them fall. Minutes went by and she didn't answer and just stared blankly out of the window into the courtyard. "What's wrong?"
"You're not my father." She said sternly as tears rolled off her cheek. "You are not my father."
He was slightly taken back. "I know." He answered after a second.
"Then stop trying to be." She almost yelled.
He stood up and walked to her side of the desk. "I'm not your father. I know." He said softly. "But I promised your mother that I would look after you."
She started to cry. For the first time since she took the home test, she just let it go. There were only two times she cried since she found out that she was pregnant; right after the stick turned blue and right now as Richard took her in his arms.
As her cries started to subside, she still allowed him to hug her. "I don't know if I can do it all."
"Do what?" He asked.
"Be a mother and a surgeon."
"You… You're pregnant?"
"I found out three days ago. I'm waiting on the doctor's test, but I'm always nauseous, everything smells, and I'm already gaining weight." She let out a deep breath. "Alex doesn't know."
Richard stayed silent for a few seconds. She was pregnant. The little girl who used to bounce around the yard with her hair pulled back into pigtails; the little girl whose diaper he used to change was pregnant.
"Is this a good thing?" He asked after a few seconds.
She stayed silent and pulled back a little to look up at him. "I don't know. I honestly don't know."
"I know that we've had an off and on relationship, but I'm here for you. No matter what you need."
She nodded. "Thank you."
"Let's get you a request for time off." He smiled.Giggling lightly, she wiped her eyes and sat down in the chair across the desk from him.
"How long do you want off?"
"Two weeks."
"Alright. Well interns are coming in a week in a half. On the sixteenth, in fifteen days, we're having a meeting that all staff must be present for. Is that okay?'
"Sounds good." She forced a small smile. "Thank you, Dr. Webber for everything."
"You can call me Richard, Meredith. I think you've earned it."
Meredith smiled and nodded. "Thank you Richard."
"You're welcome. If you don't mind me asking… where are you going to go?"
She stood up. "I think I'm going to spend some time in my mother's house in Miami or New York… and get my thoughts together."
"I'll see you when you get back. Call if you need anything." He stressed the word 'anything.'
"Please don't tell anyone about where I'm going or about the baby."
"I won't, Meredith."
He gave her a quick hug before she left.
--
The elevator chimed and the doors slide open. She stepped on not paying attention to anyone who was on the elevator. Her mind was too full to care. She stood with her head low and her eyes shielded from the glances of other people around her. She didn't want people to know she was crying. She didn't want them to talk or to make up speculation about her current state. With all the things that could go wrong, she didn't need the hospital to talk about her.
She got off the elevator and hurried to the locker room. Thankfully it had cleared out and the second round of later arrivals hadn't come. She quickly grabbed her bag and changed back into street clothes before leaving as quickly as possible.