The Shepherd Legacy

Jackson, out of all people?

Mary Shepherd stormed into the house, her face flushed with a mix of indignation and defiance. Her brother, Derek, followed close behind, his expression a mix of frustration and concern. The tension between them was palpable, slicing through the air like a scalpel.

"You're too young for this, Mary!" Derek exclaimed, his voice echoing in the spacious living room.

Mary whirled around to face him, her eyes blazing. "Too young? Really, Derek? Because it seems like I'm only 'too young' when it suits you."

In the dining room, the clatter of cutlery paused as Meredith, Mark, and Lexie looked up, sensing the brewing storm. 

Derek, struggling to maintain his composure, replied, "It's different, Mary. You were caught with Jackson Avery in the on-call room. That's not appropriate."

"Oh, and I suppose everyone else in this house hasn't done that?" Mary retorted, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "You're all hypocrites!"

Derek's jaw tightened. "We weren't nineteen, Mary!"

"That's not my fault!" Mary shot back. "I'm younger than the other residents by seven years because you allowed it. You thought I could graduate high school at twelve. You told me I should take the dual degree program to get my MD in six years. You pushed me to be this prodigy, and now you're upset about the consequences?"

Derek opened his mouth to respond, but Mary cut him off. "And why aren't you proud of me? Today, I performed my first craniotomy under Dr. Nelson's supervision. But you wouldn't know that, would you? You're too obsessed with the 'Avery situation.'"

Derek's expression softened slightly, surprise and a hint of pride mixing with his frustration. "I didn't know about the surgery, Mary. I..."

But Mary was relentless. "You didn't know because you didn't let me tell you. I tried, but all you cared about was the stupid on-call room! You're more concerned about my personal life than my professional achievements!"

At the dinner table, Meredith exchanged a worried glance with Lexie, while Mark leaned back in his chair, his gaze shifting between Derek and Mary. He knew when to intervene and when to let them hash it out.

Derek's voice rose, his patience fraying. "You're still a child, Mary! Of course, I care about your personal life!"

"I am not a fucking child, Derek! I am a surgical resident!" Mary's retort was fierce, echoing through the house.

Derek's face turned red, anger and concern mixing in his elevated voice. "There are rules in this house about safety and respect, Mary. And you're breaking both!"

"I'm only giving back the respect I'm getting from you!" Mary countered.

Mark finally stood up, his voice stern. "Enough, both of you. If you're going to argue, do it respectfully."

Mary opened her mouth to argue, but Mark's stern gaze silenced her. "Yes, sir," she muttered, her anger simmering beneath the surface.

Derek nodded, his voice softer as he apologized to Mark. But the truce was short-lived.

Mary and Derek reluctantly took their seats at the dinner table, the usual chatter and clinking of cutlery replaced by a heavy silence. Mark, Meredith, and Lexie exchanged uneasy glances, knowing well the volatility of Shepherd family dynamics. Derek and Mary, especially, were way too similar to each other.

Derek, trying to regain some semblance of control, turned to Mary with a stern look. "We need to talk about your responsibilities, Mary. You're not just any resident; you're a Shepherd."

Mary, her frustration still evident, shot back, "And being a Shepherd means what exactly? That I can't have a personal life? That I can't have sex? That I have to be perfect all the time?"