And Then There Were Two

Chapter Seven

At night, when the sun goes down and the lights are turned out, we sleep. It's part of our natural cycle as human beings. There's just a part of us that needs that. We weren't made for perpetual motion. In fact, a lot of us sleep during the day too. Babies do. Kids do. They take naps, the naps we as adults can't have. The naps we wish we could. Our bodies can only take so much. They can only go so far before we have to recharge. Some of us try to push the limits. Some of us try to break the records, but at the end of the day, the bottom line is that we have to rest. We have to sleep at some point. Surgeons forget that. Surgeons forget that there even is such a thing as sleep. On-call shifts can often be ones that are worked straight through with no break, and surgeries can happen at four in the morning. It's the nature of the job. The thing is, surgeons aren't superheroes. Surgeons have to sleep too. They sleep less, but they do sleep. And when things happen in our lives, we often need more sleep, more sleep than we're used to. Sometimes we need more sleep than we want, but the bottom line is, we need it. Sleep is a good thing. It can be a bad thing, sure, but hey...anything in excess is bad, right? So all in all, sleep is good. It's the times that we can't sleep, the times that our body is screaming at us to just stop but we can't manage to flip the switch, that the problem occurs.

"Morning." It was the sun blinding her through the huge bay windows in the living room that woke Meredith the next morning, and she instantly began to regret not getting around to putting curtains on them. I'm going to have to fix that. She turned her head, shifting her body so the sun reflected on her hair instead of the eyes that were searching for an expression on her husband's face.

"Morning." He'd been awake for a while. Actually, he'd never slept. Not really. I mean, not unless you counted thirty-second intervals of shut-eye.

She yawned, quickly shutting her eyes again as she squirmed a bit more before getting comfortable. "Sorry." She mumbled when she heard him grunt a bit.

Derek simply laughed. "No big deal. I love being a human bean-bag. I mean, just go right ahead and..."

"Very funny." Meredith opened her eyes, finally glancing at the clock that was sitting on a nearby chair. She needed to hang that too. So many things still weren't done. Being off work was giving her time to figure that out. There was no telling how many other things she would notice if given enough time at home. 6:32. Too early. Go back to sleep.

"I thought so," Derek smiled and kissed the top of her head, running his hand gently over her back. He'd spent the better portion of the night watching her sleep, trying to force himself to imagine their future together. Instead, he'd thought more about their past. His thoughts had been on the shooting, the scare with the baby, the hell he'd gone through yesterday.

"How'd you sleep?" She kept her eyes open long enough to wait for his reply. She was comfortable, in his arms. Meredith felt safe with him. So despite the couch being a little cramped, she had slept soundly in the hold of her husband.

"Like a baby," What good could come out of telling her the truth?

"Good," She closed her eyes again, only to groan seconds later. She shifted her weight, pushing herself up until she was sitting.

There was a look of concern on his face, "What is it? What's wrong?"

"Need to pee," Meredith made a face, slowly getting up. "Need to pee, and still trying to sleep."

Derek chuckled, "Can't argue with a full bladder." He wasn't going to be the problem, not anymore. Things were already hard enough on her as it was, and he was determined not to drag Meredith down anymore than he already had. His issues were his issues. He could deal with them on his own. On his own, and in therapy, when he had the time. For now though, he was going to be her husband again, the same husband that had always been her rock. His pain, his fear, that could wait.

"I guess not." She walked straight to the bathroom, glancing toward the kitchen as she did, "This house is too big," She mumbled, just loud enough for him to hear.

"Somebody's grouchy. And it's funny that you would mention that, because I was going to say not big enough," He teased.

"You have to walk a mile just to get from the couch to the refrigerator. We should have thought about that, you know. I mean, what if we're watching a movie and we want some popcorn? You can't just hop over the couch and throw some in the microwave. You have to do the whole pause button and three hour tour just to have a snack." She left the door open while she peed, enjoying giving him a bit of a hard time. Meredith hadn't forgotten, either, about everything going on. It was haunting her just as much as it was him, but she was just trying to have a good day. Maybe if she could have one peaceful stretch of eight hours, she figured, she could have another. Then another, and another. One day at a time.

Now he was laughing. It was a good, hearty laugh. One that was actually a bit foreign to him. "We could always have a snack bar, if that's what you're worried about. I wouldn't want you to go hungry."

"Actually, that's not a bad idea. We could put it in the middle of the banquet hall we call our living room," She walked toward the kitchen when she realized he wasn't watching her.

"Freeze."

Crap. Meredith turned to face him, "Yeah?"

Derek just shook his head, "Bedrest means no kitchen privileges. You know that. Off your feet." He got up, walking over to where she was. "You promised, Mer, that you were going to do as Addison said."

"Derek. I had a UTI. It turned into a mean mean monster and attacked my kidneys which made my uterus very angry. I was on antibiotics. The infection is gone. I was just going to..."

"I'll get it for you." He slid one arm around her waist, smiling as he looked down at her. "Lets make sure we keep this baby where it's supposed to be, okay?" His free hand was laying on her belly.

How was she supposed to argue with him when he was being all loving and concerned? Clearly he'd ignored her whining ramble because he didn't want to argue. "Alright." She smiled. "I'll sit."

"Upstairs, in bed. I'll be up there in a few minutes. What sounds good?" He kissed her before going into the kitchen to start breakfast.

"You're supposed to be resting too, you know. So, I could say the..."

"Meredith." Derek shook his head. "Don't make me send you to time out. I'm coming as soon as I finish your breakfast."

"Time out? Who says that?" She laughed and walked toward the stairs. "Toast is fine. And milk. Oh! And peanut butter, with regular butter too. The spray kind. I don't like the real stuff."

"At least I know you're still the same opinionated woman I married." He chuckled and got down a plate. "And it was Bailey. Bailey told me I was going to have to go to time out."

"Somebody should remind her that time out is for children." Meredith smiled, heading up the stairs to their room. She took them slowly, remembering Addison's direct orders not to be out of bed except to pee, for ten minute showers, and definitely not to climb stairs. Even though she was tempted to dig through her closet until she found her favorite old pair of navy scrub pants and her hot pink tank, she went straight to their bed and crawled under the covers. It was going to be a long three weeks, ones that she didn't even think needed to be spent in bed in the first place.

"Somebody should," Derek laughed as he started on making her toast, deciding to add a few slices of bacon to her plate as well before he poured her a glass of milk. Toast just didn't seem like enough for her. She was, after all, trying to grow a baby. For himself, he simply grabbed a banana and made some oatmeal before heading up the stairs. "Thank God for these little trays that Lexie gave us. I know you said we'd never use them, but they work well for people banished to bed for weeks on end." He teased as he walked into their room, putting the black tray of food down on the bed next to Meredith.

"At least we can tell her we put it to good use." Meredith grabbed her plate, but the playful smile was gone in an instant. "Derek." She groaned at the rush of nausea that swept over her. There wasn't time to get to the bathroom, so the trashcan was the only option she had. Dry heaves and some leftover water. She frowned at the clear stomach contents that ended up in the bottom of the bag.

"The food?" Derek frowned, quickly moving the tray off the bed and onto his bedside table. The plate went with it. "I'm sorry.." He climbed onto the bed, gently holding back her hair for her just in case. Usually it was a two-part routine.

And it was a good thing, too, because the vomiting came again before she could answer him, "Stupid bacon." She finally mumbled, leaning back into his arms when she was sure she was done puking everywhere.

"That's my fault. I'm sorry. I just thought you would be hungry if you just had toast." He sighed, running his hands down her arms. "Do you at least feel a little better?"

"Yeah. But, can you get that out of here? Otherwise." She made a face, moving out of his arms in hopes that he would do it sooner rather than later.

"I'll be right back." Derek grabbed the bacon from the plate and left the room before deciding just to eat it himself. It wasn't something he usually had, but he figured it was better to eat it than to let it go to waste. Besides, the thought of climbing the stairs as exhausted as he was just wasn't worth saving his arteries. "I really am sorry about that."

Meredith couldn't help but grin when he came back in the room. "You ate it, didn't you? I mean, unless you just tossed it into the other room, I'm assuming you ate it. Because you were gone all of three seconds. And I'm proud of you, by the way. I mean, that's such an accomplishment, you eating bacon."

"I ate it." He smiled and was just about to get back into the bed with her when he remembered the trashcan. Crap. There was just no way to avoid making that trip downstairs. Should have just held onto that bacon. "Are you sure you're feeling okay now?" Instead of tying the bag off there and risking it leaking, he took the whole trashcan with him.

"I'm sure." Meredith settled back against the pillows, sitting up as she took a bite of her toast. It was definitely nice to have him there, able to take care of her some. Still, she was fully prepared to insist that he rest with her once he got back from throwing the garbage bag away.

"I hope you're done with that for the day," Derek had made sure to put a new bag in the trashcan before bringing it back upstairs. "Because honestly, I think I'm too lazy to keep walking the nine miles to take it outside." He grinned, playfully teasing right back with her about the jokes she made earlier.

"See? That's my point. It's too big, and there's no elevator. So many problems with this place." Meredith's words were playful. "Derek?" She put on her best pouty face.

"What is it that you need?" He laughed, shaking his head. "My poor stomach is going to have to digest cold oatmeal." It was worth it to him, though. Anything for her.

"Oh.." She frowned, the teasing disappearing as she realized he was right. "Nothing, it can wait."

"I was just joking, Mer. What is it you need? I'll get it."

"No." She shook her head. "I want you to eat."

"I'm not eating until you tell me what it is." Derek suddenly became very stubborn. "I happen to like cold oatmeal, as a matter-of-fact."

"Yeah, right," She actually rolled her eyes a bit, but gave up with battle. She wouldn't win. It was impossible to win when he got like this. That much she knew. "My navy scrub pants. You know, the ones that are all messed up on the bottom? And that pink tank-top I had on the other night."

"I could get you some new ones, you know." Derek felt a sense of accomplishment when he finally found her pants buried at the bottom of a stack of clothes on the floor of their walk-in closet. "I mean, it's a good thing that people don't see these. Otherwise they'd wonder if I lost my job or something." He handed them over to her, along with the top.

"I like them," Meredith made a face. "For your information, they are very comfortable."

"And, ruined."

"Not ruined." She argued. "Worn in. Loved."

Derek laughed. "If you say so." He held onto her plate for her while she changed, his eyes glued to the curves on her body. She really was beautiful. Stunning.

"What?" Meredith gave him a curious glance when she caught him watching her.

"What do you mean, what?" Derek made a face. "I can't watch my wife change? Is there some rule now, that I can't see you naked? Because I don't ever remember agreeing to that."

Meredith laughed, pulling her tank-top over her head. She carefully stretched it down over her belly which was just starting to show the start of a tiny little baby bump, proof that there really was a perfect little life growing inside of her. "Didn't say there were any rules." She climbed back into bed and kissed him as she took the plate from him. "Will you eat now?"

"Yes, I will eat now." Derek grabbed his bowl, taking a bite of his oatmeal.

Now she was laughing so hard that her insides hurt, her arm wrapped around her stomach. "Your face."

He raised his eyebrows, chuckling a bit as he looked at her, forcing down the bite of ice cold oatmeal. "I think those pregnancy hormones are making you a little loopy. What about my face?"

"The...hey I'm eating cold oatmeal and it's gross face." She finally took a deep breath but only succeeded in laughing again.

"Here, why don't you try it." Derek put the spoon near her mouth.

"You wouldn't want to upset my stomach again, would you?" Meredith smiled and shook her head, putting the plate on the bedside table when she was done with her toast.

"You make a great point." He managed to choke down the rest of his oatmeal before quickly taking a bite of the banana. He was certain, in that moment, that a banana had never tasted so good.

"Thanks." Meredith smiled and rearranged her pillows before laying down next to him, on her side she she could still be face to face with him. "How are you feeling?"

"Isn't that my line?" He smiled, looking down at her.

"It would be, if you hadn't nearly given me a heart-attack yesterday." Meredith insisted on getting an answer out of him.

Derek understood. He understood her worry, her need to know that everything was okay. "I'm good, Mer. Really. I feel good today. I'm a little tired, but other than that I'm great."

"You should rest with me, then. We could take a nap. If it hadn't been for needing to pee, I for one would still be sleeping."

He laughed, nodding as he finished up the last bite of his banana, tossing the peel into the trash. "A nap sounds perfect. Especially here, with you."

"I can't remember the last time you and I were here doing this during daylight hours." Meredith admitted. She curled up next to him when he laid down, resting her head against his chest.

His arms slid around her. "You better get used to it. I'm not leaving anytime soon. I left Richard in charge for the next few weeks. Figured you needed someone around here."

"And you need rest." Meredith interrupted. She smiled, when she realized the decision he'd made. "And for what it's worth, I think it was smart, to leave him in charge."

"Thanks." Derek rubbed her arms gently, planting a kiss on her head even though her hair was in the way.

Meredith was quiet for a moment as she laid there in his arms, "Derek?" She finally broke the silence just as his eyes closed, her voice soft.

"Yeah?" They opened almost immediately.

"Do you really think our baby is going to be okay?"

"I do." He answered her question quickly, and honestly.

"Do you think that I'll have to be on bedrest forever?"

"Are you worried about it?" There was a small frown that made its way to his face.

"I just hate the thought of laying here for months. I'll do it, I mean, if I have to. I just don't really want to. And I guess I'm scared. I'm scared that something is still going to go wrong. I mean, I'm not completely out of the woods yet...right?"

"You're not." Derek admitted, knowing that there was no use avoiding what they both knew to be true. "But, Mer, you're doing really great. And it's a really good sign that you haven't had any more problems. I really do think everything is going to be okay. I don't want you worrying about that. Okay?"

"Okay." She snuggled up closer to him, yawning.

"Why don't you think about some other things? Like what color you want to decorate the nursery, or what you want to name the baby." He tried to find something that could distract her, something that would allow her to think of the baby in a positive light rather than in the fear she had that she was going to miscarry.

"You want to talk about names?" Meredith smiled, squeezing his hand as she laced her fingers in his.

"I do." Derek kissed her head again, holding her against his body. Even if it was just for a moment, everything seemed alright again. He, for one, was okay with that.

*Revised/Reworked 6/2017