The Shepherd Legacy

Richard's Alcoholism

In the midst of familial turmoil, Mary's defiant voice cut through the air, the hairbrush she wielded pointing accusingly at Derek. "I told my BROTHER, not the head of neurosurgery!" A dramatic flourish accompanied her proclamation, the brush becoming an unwitting prop in their escalating conflict.

Derek, resolute in his stance, responded with equal fervor, fingers fumbling with shirt buttons. "I have to report him!" His tone echoed the gravity of a decision he felt compelled to make. "I have to!"

A clash of wills ensued, Mary's fiery spirit unwilling to yield. "No!"

"YES!" Derek's sigh of frustration hung in the charged air as Mary reluctantly lowered the hairbrush.

"If you report him," Mary said, her voice dropping. Contemplation flickered in her eyes as the weight of potential consequences settled on her shoulders.

Derek, grappling with a shirt button, interrupted his sister, cutting through the tension. "He's an alcoholic!" The button mishap forced him to redo his attire, his words punctuated by a warning about tone.

"He had a couple of drinks - that does not make him an alcoholic! He has his flaws!" Mary, ever the wordsmith, retaliated with a strategic nickname, channeling Meredith's clandestine jabs. "Flaws are unacceptable to McDreamy!"

"Don't McDreamy me!"

"McDreamy is being a McAss!"

A subtle dance of nicknames and familial arguing ensued, Derek issuing a stern warning. "Watch it! Last warning." His glare intensified, "He is an alcoholic. How long has he been drinking? Since the holidays?"

Mary rolled her eyes in annoyance and shot back with a provocative question, "What, do you want to take notes to present to the board so they can offer you his job on the spot? You want his job. You know it, and I know it."

Derek, jaws clenched, defended his position. "I am the head of neurosurgery. I have a responsibility to this hospital." Finally securing his shirt, he moved to fetch his tie.

Silence enveloped the living room before Mary persisted. "Admit you want to be chief."

The crumpled tie in Derek's hand bore the brunt of his frustration. "All right. You know what? I am done having this argument. I am going to the board. I am reporting Richard." He headed towards the door, trying to smoothen out his tie.

"What, you walk away? That's all I get?" Mary's anger reverberated in her words.

Derek pivoted, a warning in his gaze. "Just calm down, please!"

"Calm down? Are you fucking kidding me-" Mary's protest was abruptly halted as Derek's head snapped up, warmth replaced by icy resolve.

"Right, that's it. I warned you about your attitude time and time again. I am done tolerating - go get the belt." Derek's words dripped with determination, his tone taking on a steely edge that brooked no argument.

Mary, defiant to the end, challenged, "You're going to punish me for disagreeing with you? Am I not allowed opinions?" Her flinch betrayed her apprehension at the mention of the dreaded belt.

"This is not about the disagreement, and you know this. This is about the swearing and attitude used to voice your opinion. Go. Get. The. Belt." Derek's unwavering gaze locked onto his sister, the unspoken understanding of their sibling relationship simmering beneath the surface.

Mary, meeting Derek's eyes briefly, relented with a grumble of frustration. A muttered insult hung in the air as she headed towards the closet. "McBastard." Unbeknownst to her, Derek caught wind of the parting shot, choosing to address it at a later time.