The Shepherd Legacy

Failed Dinner

The air at Seattle Grace Hospital was usually filled with the buzz of activity and the hum of healing, but tonight, within the walls of the Shepherd household, a different atmosphere enveloped the dinner table. The five residents of the house—Derek, Meredith, Mark, Lexie, and Mary—gathered for their routine family dinner, each carrying the weight of a tiring day.

Derek Shepherd, the renowned neurosurgeon and current Chief of Surgery, was particularly drained. The Clark case deposition had taken a significant toll on him, his usual lively spirit subdued under the pressures of his role. Sitting quietly, he barely touched his food, his thoughts elsewhere.

Meredith, his wife and a gifted surgeon herself, cast concerned glances his way, while Mark Sloan, Derek's lifelong friend and brother in all but blood, attempted to lighten the mood. "I swear, I had more patients today than the whole week combined," Mark commented, trying to break the somber silence.

Mary, the youngest and exceptionally talented second-year resident, added, "It's been hectic at the hospital. More accidents than usual, I think."

Her comment, innocent as it was, seemed to strike a nerve with Derek. His brow furrowed, and he retorted sharply, "Mary, you're too young and inexperienced to judge my work as Chief."

Mary looked taken aback but responded calmly, "Derek, I wasn't judging—"

He cut her off, his voice rising, "Maybe you should focus on listening more and avoid making unnecessary comments."

A heavy silence fell over the table. Mary's expression hardened slightly, but she remained quiet, her gaze dropping to her plate.

Mark leaned in, his voice firm, "Derek, come on, that was unnecessary."

Meredith nodded in agreement, but Derek's frustration only grew. "I don't need you and Meredith ganging up on me," he snapped.

The tension escalated when Mary, unable to bear the stifling atmosphere, quietly excused herself. But Derek, his temper flaring, commanded, "Sit down, Mary. It's disrespectful to leave the table like this."

"I am not a child, Derek," Mary said, her voice steady but firm. "I have the right to excuse myself."

Derek's hand slammed against the table, his eyes locked with Mary's. "You will not speak to me that way. I am your guardian, your brother, and your attending."

The room fell silent, the shock of Derek's outburst palpable. Mary slowly sat back down, her eyes not leaving Derek's.

Mark stepped in again, his voice a mix of concern and frustration. "Shepherd, you're out of line."

"Stay out of this, Mark," Derek retorted, his gaze still fixed on Mary.

Meredith reached out to Derek, but he shrugged her off, the tension between him and Mary growing.

Mary, holding her ground, said, "I respect you, Derek, but I expect respect in return."

Derek scoffed. "You're 19, Mary, yet you act like you're 30."

"It's not about age," Mary replied calmly. "I am a medical professional, just like Lexie. If you bring profession into this, then respect me as a resident, not as a little kid."

The standoff continued, every eye in the room fixed on the siblings. The familial bonds that had always held them together were being tested, the lines between personal and professional blurring under the strain of their roles at Seattle Grace Hospital.

"You have no right to judge how I run the hospital, Mary," Derek asserted, his voice laced with an edge of anger.

"I never judged you, Derek," Mary responded, her tone calm but firm. "I simply mentioned there were more patients than usual. It's a fact, not a criticism of your leadership."