It Came Upon A Midnight Clear

85.

September 20th

"Derek, this is not a good idea... it's not a good idea at all... I should stay home with him..." Meredith whimpered as she started to pull Richie's coat from his arms.

"No, Meredith... it's a great idea... he'll get to meet other kids... you'll be within walking distance of him... He'll be right downstairs..." Derek said as he reached over and started to pull the baby's coat back up onto his arms.

"No... Derek... it's daycare... it's daycare and it's in a hospital... you work in a hospital, do you know how many diseases are in a hospital? You should know... you should know... I mean, you work in a hospital! He'll get sick, I don't want him to get sick..." She said as she started to pull the baby's coat off, watching his blue eyes as they flashed to his mother's concerned face.

"Meredith, he's going to have to get sick sometime... and it's better if he gets sick now... then he'll build up a resistance... and he'll be a strong, healthy boy..." Derek replied as he started to pull the baby's coat back on, his wide eyes going to his father's determined face as his mother's hands trembled on his hands.

"I can't believe you want him to get sick..." She whispered as she started to pull the jacket off. "He can't go... he... he's smaller than all of the rest of the kids... he'll get picked on..." She whimpered as she smacked Derek's hand away from the jacket.

"Meredith... he's four months old... I don't think the other babies are going to be going around saying... 'hey... my soft spot is bigger than yours...'" Derek shook his head as he reached for the baby.

"It's not a joking matter, Derek!" She exclaimed as she pulled the baby away from him, tossing the jacket onto her bed. "I'm calling in sick..."

"Meredith, you are not calling in sick..." Derek said as he followed her down the hallway. "Stop being neurotic about this." He said, stopping in his tracks. He knew that it was the wrong thing to say, yet somehow, it had slipped past the 'don't say it' checkpoint in his brain.

She stopped and slowly turned around. "What did you just say to me?" She growled.

"I... I..."

"Don't even talk to me." She growled as she turned towards the baby's bedroom.

"Meredith..." Derek said as he followed her into the bedroom. "You have to admit... you are being a little bit neurotic about this." He replied, internally kicking himself again.

"Derek...go to work." She grumbled as she cuddled her son as she looked out the window.

"Meredith..." Derek said softly as he reached for her, hearing her grumble as he wrapped his arms around the two of them. "Meri..." He whispered as he kissed her cheek, her neck.

"Leave us alone..." She mumbled against her son's head, kissing it softly as Derek continued his light, feathery kisses on her skin.

"Think of it..." He said with a low growl. "You're in surgery... and... its been a long, long surgery... and all you want to do is snuggle with your little guy... and what do you do? You scrub out... and take the elevator... and there he is... right there in the daycare... to cuddle and hold and talk to...You can't do that if he's here with a babysitter... can't do that if he's all the way at home..."

"Derek..." She mumbled. "I can cuddle and hold and talk to him here..."

"Oh, come on, Meri... you love surgery... you love being in that operating room... you love saving lives...the feel of those instruments in your hand... the power of having the drill... the excitement as the first cut is made... the hot lights... you're like a movie star in there... all attention is on you..." He growled softly into her ear as he kissed her neck.