Chapter 95: 95. Maternity Leave
Disclaimer: I don't own it. I just wish I did.
Only a week between updates! Winter break is awesome. ;) Because next weekend is Christmas, there probably won't be an update. I have a one shot started, and I'm hoping to have that posted within the next few days. Enjoy this chapter!
Meredith sighed up at the ceiling. Maternity leave sucked. Because it was six in the morning, and thanks to the nap she'd taken out of boredom the night before, she was wide awake before sunrise. And on top of that, she had a craving for brownies that wouldn't go away, no matter how much she tried to distract herself.
She kicked the covers off, and rolled over as best she could, her pregnant belly getting more difficult to move from side to side as it grew. "Ugh," Meredith huffed.
The time staring back at her from the clock on her nightstand read 6:03. Normally, now is when she'd be getting up for work. But again, because of the maternity leave that was forced upon her thanks to stupid hospital policy, there were no alarm clocks. No surgeries. No scrubs. And while she appreciated the chance to get the rest her body needed, no one told her how freaking bored she'd be.
"Derek," Meredith whispered after she rolled her body to the other side, careful not to whomp him with her belly in the process.
He was sound asleep next to her, his face buried in the pillow, snug under the covers. He looked so peaceful and cozy… and it was pissing her off. Irrational, yes. But a small part of her was slightly annoyed that her husband could sleep on his stomach. His flat, non-baby-inhabited stomach.
"Derek," she said again, nudging his shoulder. He let out a quiet snore at her jostling, but didn't move. "Der."
He squinted his eyelids shut tightly then blinked them open. "Hmm, what?"
"Hey," she said.
"Hey." His eyes flickered shut as he was pulled back to sleep until Meredith nudged him again. "'S wrong?"
"I can't sleep."
Derek sighed tiredly. After finishing a forty-eight hour shift the night before, his brain could barely process what she was telling him, but he didn't want to get on her bad side either, especially at six in the morning. "That tea…"
Meredith looked over at him. "What?"
"Chamomile tea in the cabinet," he trailed off as he sunk back into sleep.
"That's it? Tea?" Meredith used his shoulder for leverage to pull herself into a sitting position and swung her legs over the side of the bed. "Really helpful. Thanks," she muttered.
Derek flipped onto his back, rubbing his eyes with the backs of his wrists. "Sorry, I'm tired. What do you want me to do?"
"Nothing. Go back to sleep," Meredith said, tying her hair back into a ponytail. "Wouldn't want to disturb you…"
"Mer, I worked for two days straight. I'm exhausted," Derek said into his pillow. "I know you're uncomfortable. Just tell me what you'd like me to do, and I'll do it."
"I'd like you to give a crap!" Meredith said angrily. "I'm carrying your baby, I'm retaining water like a freaking cactus, I have porn star boobs that are spilling out of my bra, and Lilly's head-butting me in the cervix, which isn't such a pleasant feeling. And all you can say is 'go drink tea.'"
"Meredith, I don't want to fight. I know you're not feeling great these days. I know you're bored sitting around the house all day, and I'm sorry. But please don't say I don't give a crap. I haven't been working my ass off lately for kicks. I'm doing it for our family. So if there's something you want me to do to help you… cook you something or rub your feet or go to the store to get something that'll make you more comfortable, please let me know. Otherwise, I don't know what to do," Derek said.
"I don't know. But tea isn't going to do a damn thing," she pointed out. She heaved a heavy sigh and shook her head. "I'm going out. I'll be back later."
"It's six in the morning…"
"And?"
Derek stared at her blankly, trying to keep his cool. "Okay, well, where are you going?"
She pulled on a pair of shorts, then reached for her bra. "The grocery store is having a sale on newborn diapers. And we both need shampoo."
"I can go out and get that stuff later," Derek offered.
"I need to get out of the house," she said, tossing her camisole into the hamper and securing her bra in place. She grabbed a shirt from her drawer and put it on, then slipped her feet into her flip-flops. "I have my phone. Just… sleep or whatever."
"Mer."
Before he could say anything else, she closed the bedroom door behind herself, and he heard her footsteps in the hall, eventually becoming distant and disappearing after she descended the stairs. Derek knew from experience that chasing after her wouldn't do any good, so he didn't. Instead, he gave her time to chill, get out of the house, and have some retail therapy, even if it was just a trip to the grocery store for diapers and shampoo.
…
Meredith's was standing in the checkout line, reaching for her wallet in her purse when her cell phone rang. She pulled it from her pocket, expecting the call to be from Derek, but the name flashing over the screen told her it was Cristina.
"Hello?" she said as she handed the cashier the money.
"Hey," Cristina responded. She heard the beeping and bustling in the background, and glanced at her watch. "Where are you?"
Meredith smiled politely at the cashier as he handed her the receipt and her change, then pushed her cart full of diapers and two bottles of shampoo toward the exit. "The grocery store," she answered.
"It's 7:00 in the morning."
"Couldn't sleep," Meredith shrugged. "And rather than bitch at Derek, I figured shopping would be more productive."
"Yeah? How'd that go?"
Meredith smiled. "I just spent fifty-nine dollars on two bottles of shampoo and four boxes of diapers."
"Damn. How many diapers is that?"Cristina asked.
"Over three hundred Huggies to cover her little baby hiney," Meredith said, opening the trunk of her car and stacking the diaper boxes inside. "That should be enough to last us a while. Hey, why exactly are you calling me so early?" she laughed.
"I forgot you weren't working," Cristina shrugged. "At least you weren't asleep."
Meredith slammed the trunk shut and wheeled her cart into the nearby drop-off spot. "I wish," she said. "Derek is all comfy-cozy, and I'm the insane one buying diapers at dawn."
"His surgery lasted ten hours yesterday. I'm surprised he even drove home. McDreamy looked exhausted last night when he left," Cristina said, taking a sip of her coffee. "I told him he should just stay, but of course, he didn't listen to the voice of reason."
"I hadn't seen him for almost two days. He wanted to come home," Meredith said. She unlocked the driver's side door and slid inside, wedging her pregnant belly behind the wheel. "It's probably good that he's sleeping."
"Crap, I'm late for surgery. Big, bloody trauma case came in earlier this morning," Cristina said, unable to tame her excitement.
Meredith fastened her seatbelt and smiled. "Maybe I'll go watch. I miss it there."
"Come. Live vicariously through me and my bloody surgery," Cristina coaxed.
"Alright. I'll… wave from the gallery," Meredith sighed. "Maternity leave sucks."
"Sounds like it," Cristina agreed, not even attempting to claim otherwise. "See you when you get here."
"Okay. Bye." Meredith ended the call and tossed her phone onto the passenger seat. "I know I should call and apologize to Daddy, Lilly," she told her belly as she reversed out of her parking space. "But I'm not that big of a person right now…"
…
Meredith knew that sitting in the OR gallery dressed in a tee shirt, shorts, and flip-flops was hardly professional looking, but after working at the hospital for almost five years, everyone knew her, so she wasn't all that concerned.
She peeled open the wrapper to the granola bar from her purse and propped her feet up on the glass in front of her. If she wasn't able to do the surgery, she was at least going to make herself comfortable. She texted Derek with her whereabouts so he wouldn't worry, then got lost in her surgical happy place. It wasn't until she heard Bailey's voice that she was pulled back to reality.
"What're you doing here?" Bailey asked, dropping down into the chair next to hers.
Meredith glanced over at her and sighed. "Maternity leave sucks."
Bailey laughed. "That's what I thought. But believe me, enjoy it while you can. Once the baby comes, you'll be wishing all you had to do was sit around and watch TV in bed," she said wisely.
"I know. I think I'm just restless. This morning, I started fighting with Derek because I couldn't sleep, and there he was, dreaming away."
"I've been there, too," Bailey nodded.
"Any advice for the water retention and throbbing in my crotch?" Meredith laughed, taking a swig from her water bottle.
"Giving birth," Bailey joked. "Wish I had more sage advice, but that's the only answer I've got."
"Hmm, I was afraid of that," Meredith smirked.
Bailey smiled at her. "The last few weeks are tough. You can't see your own feet. You're tired all the time. And you know that pushing a baby out of your vajayjay is in your immediate future," she chuckled.
Meredith tucked her hair behind her ear and giggled. "Yeah, that sounds about right."
"It's worth it though. The first time you see her? It'll be the most profound moment of your entire life," Bailey said, patting the top of Meredith's hand.
Meredith felt Lilly kick her, just barely, and she smiled down at her bump under her shirt. "I know it will," she said softly. "I'm actually going to miss being pregnant. I love feeling her move and kick, even if it makes me have to pee every ten minutes." She laughed. "I actually blamed having to pee all the time on Derek this morning."
"Well, you're doing all the work. It's only fair if you blame him for things once in a while," Bailey pointed out.
"I don't mean to snap at him. But he's right there, and he lets me, so I do it," she managed to joke as she munched on her granola bar.
"Of course he lets you. That man loves you, Grey," Bailey said.
Meredith smiled. "I know he does."
Bailey's pager rang out in the gallery, and she pulled it from her pocket. "I have to get to surgery," she said. She squeezed Meredith's shoulder lightly after she stood up. "You'll be back here soon, so enjoy your time off. It's a gift… one that comes with a paid leave. Gifts like that don't come around very often."
"I know," Meredith laughed. She glanced down to the OR, and though part of her missed it, she had to admit, taking a break from the hustle and bustle of the hospital might do her some good. She gathered her things and got out of her chair. "I'm going."
"Not gonna stick around until it's over?" Bailey asked as they exited the gallery and walked toward the stairs.
Meredith shook her head. "No. Derek's off today and I want to get home." She sighed at herself, amused. "I feel bad for yelling at him. I never used to feel bad for yelling at him."
"That's because he probably deserved it," Bailey joked.
"Well, that's true."
…
Derek flipped on the coffee pot, then set about the business of his usual day off. It was rare that he got a Friday off, but thanks to some surgery shuffling, he had the next three days to relax. Only with Meredith still being gone after yelling at him this morning, relaxing wasn't so easy. He'd gotten her text, saying she was at the hospital, so he hoped that when she came home, she was in a better mood. The hospital always made her feel better.
After he put a load of dirty clothes into the washer, he heard his cell phone ringing in his pocket, and he quickly grabbed it, thinking it was Meredith. But when he saw Izzie's name pop up on the screen, he already knew what the call was about, and he was slightly relieved that Meredith wasn't in the house.
"Hello?" he answered, tucking the phone between his chin and his shoulder as he opened the back door to let Charlie run around outside in the yard.
"Hey," Izzie said. "Is Mer around? I wanted to talk to you about tomorrow."
"No, she's at the hospital," Derek replied. "Wait, aren't you there?"
"I'm in the clinic, so I had some free time. Why is she at the hospital?" Izzie asked, as she chewed on something.
Derek sighed. "Long story. So, what's up?" he asked, taking the box of Muesli from the cabinet.
"Oh, right. I ordered her ice cream cake with strawberry frosting and those sugar flower things. At first, I thought vanilla frosting, but the strawberry is pink, and because you're having a girl, I thought it would be cuter. She likes strawberry frosting, right?"
"Mer likes anything with strawberries," Derek chuckled as he took the milk out of the fridge.
"Okay, good," Izzie said. "So I told everyone to be there by one, but I want to give them some time, because a few people are coming from work. Could you be at the house by two?"
"Yeah, that's good. I guess I'll just ask her if she wants to go out to lunch or something," Derek said, grabbing a spoon then sitting down at the counter.
"Good. And I'll call you around one thirty with some fake emergency," Izzie decided.
Derek narrowed his eyes. "Like what?"
"Like… I can't get the garage door open, and Alex is at work, so you have to come fix it," she suggested. "So tell Mer that you have to make a quick stop over here before lunch."
"Alright," Derek played along. "I can do that." He paused. "Am I going to be the only man at this thing?"
"A few of the guys had to work to make up for all the women being over here, but I think Sloan is coming, and maybe Alex if he doesn't get paged in," Izzie told him. "And don't worry, I told everyone to park a block over, so Mer won't see the cars."
"Okay," Derek nodded as he shoveled a spoonful of cereal into his mouth. "I'm just glad this wasn't planned for today. She's pissed because she couldn't sleep and I was."
"She has to be in a good mood tomorrow; otherwise, this baby shower will be DOA," Izzie said.
"Don't worry. I'll make sure she's happy."
"Thank you," Izzie sighed in relief. "Okay, I have to go. I'll see you tomorrow. If there's anything else I need, I'll text you so Mer won't hear your phone ringing, so keep it nearby."
"Okay. I will," Derek promised. "And thanks, Iz. I know this is a lot of work, and I appreciate it."
"It's no problem. I'm happy to do it. Meredith deserves a nice baby shower, even if she wants to kill us all for giving her one," Izzie said.
Derek laughed. "Let's hope not."
…
"Hey," Meredith said as she walked through the front door, tossing her flip-flops onto the steps and walking into the living room, holding a plastic bag of takeout food. "What're you doing?"
Derek glanced up at her and smiled. "Assembling the baby swing."
She dropped the food onto the coffee table, then sat down next to him on the floor. "So, look… I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you, or said you don't give a crap. You were tired and—"
"Don't," he said, wrapping his arms around her. "I get it. And I'm sorry, too."
"You worked forty-eight hours without sleeping. You needed rest," Meredith said, arching toward him when he slipped his hands under the back of her shirt and began running his fingers up and down her skin.
"And you're carrying our baby. You need rest, too," he reminded her. "Sorry I wasn't more help."
"Tea? Really?" she giggled.
Derek smirked. "I said I'm sorry."
"I know." Meredith threaded her fingers through his hair and kissed him. "I love you."
"I love you too," he said, his lips pressed to hers.
"I got food," she told him after they pulled back. "Chinese."
"You hate Chinese food."
Meredith smiled. "Non-pregnant me hates Chinese food. But pregnant me has been craving eggrolls all freaking day. And I got wasabi peas, too."
"More?" Derek chuckled.
"I already finished the container we bought the other day. I needed more," Meredith shrugged.
"You're gonna give Lilly heartburn," he teased her.
"Lilly's the reason I'm eating them," Meredith defended. "By the way, there's four boxes of diapers in the trunk."
Derek laughed, helping her up off the floor and taking the bag of food off the table. "Well, that should be enough to last a while."
"How many diapers to babies go through a day?" Meredith asked.
"Probably eight or nine. But you're breastfeeding, so she'll poop more," Derek informed her, untying the bag and removing the Styrofoam containers from inside.
"How do you know that?"
"I read it in What to Expect," he said.
"You're very impressive," Meredith said, getting forks from the drawer. "So I guess we'll be going through more diapers."
"Yep. But that's okay. I'd rather have good little pooper," Derek chuckled as they sat down at the kitchen table.
Meredith laughed. "I'm sure that's something she'll want announced when she's sixteen and brings over her boyfriend."
"What? Am I not allowed to be proud of my daughter's digestive tract?" he asked, scooping some noodles onto his plate. "I'm going to be proud of everything she does. From being a good pooper to giving us grandchildren."
"Me too," she agreed as she began chowing down on her eggroll. "Mmm, God, this is so good. How could I ever hate Chinese food?"
"This stuff is so unhealthy," Derek commented while he got drinks for both of them. He laughed. "And it's not even noon yet."
Meredith shrugged. "Lilly likes it, so I don't mind the calories. Plus, I plan on having lots of sex with you later, so... it cancels."
"Lots of sex, huh?"
"Well, we did fight this morning. Kind of," she pointed out as she forked a piece of chicken. "So yes, lots of sex."
"Alright then. Looking forward to it," he grinned. He stole some chicken off her plate, and popped a piece into his mouth. "So how about we go out to lunch tomorrow, then we can start organizing the nursery?"
"We don't go out to lunch," Meredith giggled.
Derek tapped his fingers against his glass as he tried to find a way to convince her. "No, but I have the day off. And I know you're tired of sitting around the house. Come on, it'll be fun."
"Fine," she relented, licking some sauce off her finger. "Where do you want to go?"
"Doesn't matter. You pick," he said, smiling as she practically drowned her eggroll in plum sauce. "Just not Taco Bell, please."
"You suck," she smirked. "Fine, uh... oh, a new seafood place opened up right by the hospital. We could try there if you want."
"Sounds good," Derek nodded, relieved. Step one of the plan was in motion.
...
After his less than helpful suggestion this morning, Derek decided to redeem himself by doing something he knew his wife would appreciate. So while she showered, he took a bottle of lavender lotion from their hall closet.
When she stepped into their bedroom wearing her bath towel, Meredith saw him lying on the bed and she smiled at him. "What're you doing?" she asked suspiciously.
"Helping you relax."
"I am relaxed," Meredith said, running her fingers through her wet hair.
Derek grinned at her. "So you don't want a massage then?"
"Nobody said that," she said playfully. "Are you going to give me a massage, Dr. Shepherd?"
"Hmm, I am. If you'd like one."
Meredith bit her lip and let her bath towel fall to the floor at her feet. His breath caught in his throat at the sight of her body, all rounded and glowy, the way her belly protruded and her breasts swelled. "You're beautiful," Derek said softly as she lay down next to him on their bed.
"Thank you." She leaned in and kissed him, wasting no time in snaking her tongue into his mouth and her hand into his boxers.
Derek gasped for air when he felt her fingers touching his groin. "Not yet," he said. "This is about you."
"Okay," Meredith sighed, removing her hand. "Massage me, then I'll have my way with you." She rested on her side and smiled. "I miss lying on my stomach."
"I know." Derek kissed her shoulder and smelled the vanilla body wash she'd used in the shower. "Soon enough, you'll be able to."
"I know," she whispered, closing her eyes.
Derek rubbed his hands up and down her back, massaging the lotion into her skin. She moaned audibly. "Wow, this is... yeah, you're definitely getting lots of sex for this." Meredith smiled when he massaged between her shoulder blades. "Oh yeah, right there," she said, flexing her back muscles as his fingers dug into the knots.
Derek smirked. "That was dirty."
"Think of it as a pre-game for the sex you're about to have," she said. She rolled onto her back and ran her hands over her breasts. "You can finish later. Right now, I want sex."
He wasted no time in taking off his boxers and tossing them onto the floor next to the bed. "You want to have your way with me?" Derek chuckled, leaning down over her and kissing her.
"Mmhmm," she murmured against his lips. "I want to ride you."
Derek groaned when Meredith's hands stroked him. "Oh God."
She felt the baby move, putting pressure on her bladder, and she smiled up at her husband. "Give me a second. I need to pee."
"Pee fast," he practically pleaded, helping her sit up.
Meredith smirked as she waddled to the bathroom. "Well, that's romantic."
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