216. Chapter 216

"Are you sure he's ready?" Meredith asked for the one hundredth time as they walked into the hospital that morning. The time had come for Meredith's maternity leave to end and for Devin to stay at the hospital daycare. They had considered a nanny and considered outside daycare but in the end they thought for now while Devin was still so young they wanted him as close as possible. Where they could go see him on breaks, take him out when they had nothing to do and Derek could grab him to hang out in the office while he was doing paperwork. Having Devin be in hospital daycare would be the best for his parents and for him until he was older.

Now Meredith was faltering a little bit, not being ready to let her little boy go off to daycare and have to fend for himself without his mom or dad around. True they've left him alone before, with Derek's parents when they came to visit, with Addison and Mark babysitting, with Adele and Richard also babysitting. Derek and Meredith had made time to be themselves and do couple things and not just focus on the being around Devin all the time. However, giving him up to strangers in daycare was going to be different.

"He's ready and we're ready. I know you're a little scared to go back to work, but this will be even better than when we go out to dinner and the movies. He's going to be in the same building as us all day long. We're both going to be able to pop in and out, Mark and Addison will be doing the same, and Richard probably will be caught in daycare." Derek laughed. As Meredith relaxed and knew he was right as they continued to walk into the hospital and up to the daycare level.

"You're right, I'm being a basket case for no reason. He'll be pampered and spoiled more rotten here than at home." Meredith smiled down at him in the baby carrier sleeping peacefully as Derek carried him through the halls.

"He'll also be very popular." Derek muttered watching as people watched the family walk through the hospital and towards daycare.

Meredith glanced up and looked around noticing the same thing. "You think the minute we drop him off people will go running to stare at him like he's an animal on display at the zoo?"

"It wouldn't surprise me. We should make sure he's kept from the windows. He's going to think he's a celebrity soon." Derek laughed.

"Yeah, I want this to go seamless as possible. Having all the hospital staff stopping by like a celebrity is in the room won't be a calm first day."

Meredith added as they arrived to daycare. "At least he's asleep" she whispered as they walked into the room. Noting the other cribs around with the kids asleep. The older children had their own daycare area and the infants had their own.

They greeted Claire, the head of the daycare division and got Devin all situated in his own crib. Meredith got him all comfortable in his crib which was the farthest from the front window and door. Meredith had brought some of his things from home so he'd be comfortable and have things around him that he recognized. While Derek was giving the daycare workers strict instructions on who got in to see him and how everyone else did not.

"Bye baby, we'll see you later." Meredith and Derek leaned down and kissed him while he still slept.