Chapter 6: Taking Care (Mer & Cormac)

A/N: Sorry for the long delays on all my stories. Mainly due to writer's block and my schedule. The school schedule around here has very short days at school, and not everyone on the same schedule, so I'm doing lots more driving than normal…

Chapter Summary: An emergency means that Cormac forgets to give Meredith one gift and alters their Friday morning plan.

Thursday

"No one can ever take your memories from you – each day is a new beginning, make good memories every day." – Catherine Pulsifer

Thursday Meredith spent the day in consults, research, and teaching. She was about to leave when she was paged 9-1-1 to the ER as there were multiple incoming traumas. "What's up?" She asks Owen walking into the pit.

"School bleachers collapsed at the middle school. Many injuries on their way in. I've already sent a resident and intern team out with Hayes. You will want to ensure you have childcare, if your nanny can't stay, bring the kids in here," he summarizes.

"Damn, give me 5 minutes to call the nanny," she replies.

"No problem, Mom is picking mine up from our nanny," he says.

"Lucky you. Can I use your office?" she replies.

"Go ahead," he says, heading to organize the rest of the ER, ensuring those patients that could be transferred out were sent home, or to a bed.

About 10 pm she is paged to OR4 as she was updating a family, "A nurse will come get you when your son is transferred after recovery. Sorry I've got to go back to the OR for another kid."

"Thank you so much Dr Grey," says the worried father she was updating.

Jogging past the OR nurse's station, the supervising nurse tells her to scrub in as they need extra hands. "Thanks, Wendy," Meredith says, quickly slipping on booties and a new face mask.

"What do you need?" Meredith says as the tech ties her gown and gloves her.

"Can we get your hands in here? There is too much damage to the left kidney, I think we should remove it," Cormac says.

"Helm, move over," Meredith says approaching the left side of the table. She quietly looks at the damage done in the area, and the clamps currently stopping the bleeding while listening to Dr Helm describe the injuries they have already fixed.

"I think I can re-sect it. I just need to see how deep this injury is," Meredith says, thinking it would give their patient the best chance of full recovery. The three of them work quietly chatting about what their kids were doing and how the hospital daycare is amazing.

"Are you two OK? Looks like they need me in the ER," he says after the nursing student reads out Cormac's pager message.

"Yes we've got this," Meredith says knowing that the pit was filled with kids the last time she was down there. After updating the family, checking on the patients in recovery and the ICU, she heads to the daycare to ensure her kids are asleep. Peeking in the window, she sees Ellis and Harriet curled up in their matching sleeping bags around their stuffed unicorns while Bailey and Zola are both sleeping in the cots on the other side of the room. Soon Zola will be too tall for the cots in the daycare, noticing her feet were off the end of the cot. Smiling she heads towards the pediatric ward and hopes that Cormac will be finished soon.

Cormac finally makes it back to his office planning on collapsing on his couch and notices a sleeping Meredith where he plans to lay down. She looks so peaceful, but not entirely comfortable as she fell asleep sitting up. He grabs out an extra blanket off the shelf, sits at the other end of the couch and pulls her so she is resting on him.

Thinking to himself that he'd love to take her to an on-call room so they could have a little more space, he knew that carrying her down the hall hunting for an open on-call room would be pointless. Not only is he afraid to drop her, but he also isn't as young as he used to be. And at 4 am, there probably weren't many beds left as so many had been called to extend their shifts. Enjoying the feeling of her settling down on his chest and her arms wrapping around him he lets himself drift off to sleep.

Her pager went off at 6:30 am waking them both up. "You made it back here," she smiled pulling herself up for a kiss.

"Yes. Someone was sleeping on my couch… What's the page?" he teased.

"Daycare, Ellie is upset," she replies, getting up and reaching her hand out to him. He quickly stands and pulls her into a hug.

"You go get your kids, I'm headed home to get mine to school. See you later?" he says releasing her from the hug after placing a quick kiss on her hips.

"Yes sounds good," she replies, heading quickly to the daycare.

He gathers his stuff up to head home and notices that he never managed to deliver his Thursday gift to her. So he slips into her office on the way out of the hospital and deposits both gifts on her desk.

Friday

"It's not selfish to love yourself, take care of yourself, and to make your happiness a priority. It's necessary." -Mandy Hale

"Mommy, you weren't here," Ellis cries running up to Meredith.

"Sorry, El. I worked really late, so left you sleeping with Harriet. You were cuddled together," she replies picking her youngest up and squeezing her tight.

"But I missed you," Ellis continues.

"I'm here. Should we get ZoZo and Bay, and get dressed and go for breakfast so you can go to school?" Meredith asks.

"Can we go for strawberry crepes?" Ellis asks looking hopefully at Meredith. There was a local crepe place not far from the hospital that Meredith often took the kids to if they slept over at the hospital.

"Sounds yummy. I love strawberries. How about you and I go to my office so I can get changed too? We can come back for your sleepy siblings."

"Aye," Ellis replies, cuddling deeper into Meredith's shoulder. Grabbing her bag with a change of clothes, Meredith quickly talks to the daycare staff letting them know she'll be back shortly. Meredith also texts Amelia wondering if she needs help with Scout.

"Mommy, you have two presents on your desk. Why? It's not your birthday. Can I help you open them?"

Meredith allows Ellis to help her open the gifts while they change. The first gift is a new journal with a beautiful handmade wooden pen, with a note:

"A penny for your thoughts, -C PS Sorry I missed getting this to you yesterday"

The second gift is some lovely handmade soaps and bubblebath.

"Don't forget to take time for you -C"

"Mommy, are these from Dr 'Mac? The soap smells pretty. I like bubbles," Ellis asks.

"Yes, sweetie. And I know you like bubble bath. Maybe I'll share this with you one day," she says.

"Yay! Why is Dr 'Mac leaving you gifts?" Ellis asks.

"He's been giving me gifts every day since Valentine's Day. Special gifts. Aren't I lucky?"

"You're the best!" Ellis beams.

"OK. Let's go get ZoZo and Bay and head for breakfast," Meredith says hoping the other two will be awake when she arrives back at the daycare. Daycare would usually have them ready as the kids arriving with their parents on dayshift would be starting to arrive. At breakfast, Meredith reminds her three that she would be out that evening and they would be staying with Auntie Amy and Link. Bailey replies with, "Yay! Maybe Link will take us for donuts!"

"Oh Bay, I think after last time and you guys not going to sleep, you won't get donuts tonight. Maybe tomorrow morning for a snack," she replies laughing.

"Dad, we don't need a babysitter," Austin complains.

"No you don't, but you are going to Tuck's tonight for a sleepover," Cormac says to his youngest. Having to pull an allnighter at the hospital had put him behind in his plans, and still needed to get back to the hospital as the peds ward was a mess because of the influx of patients the previous evening. He's trying to get everything organized for tonight, Meredith was staying over, without any kids in the house. It was a week after Valentine's but planning and arranging everything with all the kids was tough.

"But Dad, I don't understand why we need to sleepover. Can't you pick us up?" he asks.

"Dad probably wants the house empty so Meredith can stay over. Remember last week for Valentine's day they stayed with us? Dr Bailey and Ben got an evening without kids," Liam says coming into the kitchen. Cormac feels himself turning pink with embarrassment at Liam's comments.

"Ewww," Austin says, realizing why they are staying at Tuck's.

Clearing his throat, Cormac says, "Tuck and Joey want you guys to stay over. Ben has the night off and is taking you all Axe Throwing with a few of the firefighters. Now get your overnight bag packed and I'll drop them off with Dr Bailey at work."

A/N: Thanks to everyone for reading, leaving comments, likes and follows.