The Shepherd Legacy

Professionalism

In the bustling corridors of Seattle Grace Hospital, an undercurrent of tension laced the air as Derek made his morning rounds, flanked by Mary and Lexie. The atmosphere was thick with unspoken words and the residue of a recent argument.

That morning, as the trio navigated the corridors, Mary's expression was a mix of irritation and defiance. The recent argument with Lexie still hung heavily between them. "Lexie, I can make my own decisions. Jackson is-"

Before she could finish, Lexie, her voice indignant and laced with concern, cut her off. "Not good for you! How do you not see it?" she demanded, her brows furrowing in disapproval. 

Mary, the youngest and most fiery of the Shepherd siblings, had always been fiercely independent. Her response was swift and sharp. "Lexie, this is my choice, leave it be."

Yet, Lexie, equally strong-willed and protective, persisted. "But-"

Their argument, however, was swiftly interrupted by Derek, his tone stern and authoritative. "Dr. Shepherd," he began, eyeing his sister with a warning glance, "Dr. Grey," he continued, looking at Lexie with equal disapproval, "I assume I don't have to remind the two of you to not argue in front of the patients, do I?"

Both women, suddenly aware of their surroundings and the unprofessional nature of their dispute, looked down, their expressions shifting to one of shame. "No, sir," Mary replied. Lexie echoed the sentiment, her voice low. "No, Dr. Shepherd."

Derek, his voice still stern, added, "I better not."

As they approached the room of their next patient, the mood among the trio shifted. Derek greeted their patient, Gwen Graber, who was working on her laptop despite her evident exhaustion. "Good morning, Ms. Graber," he said politely.

Ms. Graber, her tone light and humorous despite her condition, replied, "Oh, really? 'Good morning?' You haven't let me sleep in three nights." Ms. Graber continued, "And this ridiculous hat is destroying my self-esteem, and I still haven't had a seizure. But, ok, sure, we'll go with 'Good morning' if it makes you feel better about yourself."

Derek then turned towards his residents, introducing the case. "Ms. Graber is here for brain mapping," he explained. "Dr. Shepherd?"

Mary, shifting her focus to the professional task at hand, began, "Brain mapping, it's where you locate the area of the brain where the seizures originate and surgically remove it with minimal damage to the surrounding tissue."

Derek nodded in approval, "Excellent."

Ms. Graber, however, interjected with a mix of sarcasm and genuine concern. "Excellent, except for the fact that it's not working, and I'm losing billable hours. Unless any of you are looking to get out of some bad sex?"

The question caught Derek, Mary, and Lexie off guard. Derek and Lexie quickly dismissed the suggestion with a firm "No."

Ms. Graber, turning her attention towards Mary, probed further, "What about the other Dr. Shepherd?"

Mary, caught in the awkwardness of the moment, stumbled over her words. "Yes - I mean, no. I'm fine, thank you."

Ms. Graber, not entirely convinced, pressed on, "Really?"

Derek, sensing his sister's discomfort, stepped in to deflect the conversation. "Yes," he affirmed, decisively closing the topic.

Lexie, about to add her thoughts, started, "I mean..."

Her words were stopped by Derek's low, warning tone. "Dr. Grey." She looked away, understanding the cue to drop the subject.

Derek, returning to his professional demeanor, concluded the interaction. "We'll come by a little later to run some tests, Ms. Graber." He then turned to leave, signaling to his residents to follow. "Dr. Grey, Dr. Shepherd, a word please?"