Day 3!

This one is partially based off a request from 'guest' on ao3, who wanted a scene after Meredith's board exam.

I switched it up a little, so she comes home as soon as she gets back in Seattle because she has the flu, and really just needs to go home so she can be pampered to death by her husband. I suppose that kind of makes this a sickfic?

Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

"So...I know you probably want to do something...like, fun to celebrate. But I'm tired and snotty and-"

"Meredith." Derek interrupted. "I know you're sick, and I know how to deal with sick Meredith."

Her eyebrows creased. "What does that mean?"

He put his key in the door, and pushed it open. "It means I know what you want already, so you don't have to tell me."

"Right." She agreed as she walked into the house, Derek following her.

"Now, you go off to bed." He instructed. "I'm going to heat up your soup."

"Soup?" She repeated.

"Butternut squash."

"From the can?" She asked. She tried not to sound ungrateful, because that was still very considerate of him, but she wasn't a fan of canned soup.

"God, no. Homemade soup. Only the best for you."

"You made me your soup?" She asked. His soup was amazing.

He couldn't help but smile at her expression and tone. She was so excited, yet sounded so bored and monotone from her stuffed-up nose and sore throat. "Like 10 servings, because I know you're going to want it for breakfast, lunch and dinner for the next three days."

"How did you- I mean-"

"I told you." He interrupted. He would have kissed her then, but he was trying to avoid her germs. "I know you Meredith."

"You got my favourite I-need-a-blanket-but-I'm-too-hot blanket out." Meredith said as she spotted her husband walking in, holding a tray with her soup on it. When she'd walked into the bedroom, she had also found two boxes of tissues, a few bottles of basic, mild-illness-solving pills, a small tub of topical ointment for colds, and a chapstick on the bedside table. She loved the mint-scented ointment, and she always got dry lips from sleeping with a blocked nose, so she was extraordinarily grateful for the setup.

He smiled. "Of course. You know otherwise you'll just overheat and make your fever worse. You did that last time you were sick and I couldn't find your blanket."

"Mmm." She agreed as he settled the tray on her lap.

"Want some water with that?"

"Yes please." She admitted. She considered offering - he'd already done so much for her - but knew there was no point; he'd forever say no.

He nodded, took her glass, and walked into the en-suit bathroom.

"Derek!"

He stopped the tap instantly at that, and placed the glass on the side to hurry back to her. "You okay?"

"I...pas-" Sneeze. Sneeze. Sneeze.

She pinched her nose with one hand as she sneezed, and waved her phone at him with the other as she did so.

He took it, although he was rather confused. "Email to...oh my god- to confirm you passed your boards! Mer! You're a surgeon!"

She tried to smile only to get interrupted another sneeze.

He pulled as many tissues as he could out the box and passed them to her. "A really, really sneezy surgeon."

This time, she did manage a smile. "I passed."

"You did. You passed the boards, while simultaneously being sick and sneezing everywhere. So...I kind of want to kiss you but-"

"Don't worry. I get it."

"How about-" He smiled before kissing his hand, and blowing the kiss in her direction.

She beamed. "Yeah. That's good."

Five days later

"Hey Mer."

Crap.

Meredith looked round from the front door at the sound of his voice. His stuffed-up, now-baritone voice.

He had clearly just come down the stairs (he'd probably come down at the sound of her car pulling into the drive) with the blanket from their bed around his shoulders, and a tissue in one hand. Her husband was handsome still, he'd never not be handsome, but he looked...horrendous.

"Oh, Derek-" She sighed at the sight of him. "I'm so sorry."

"You know how you're officially a proper surgeon now? " He sniffled. "Do you fancy doctoring my flu away?"