Requested by @sunshineeyesss
In the dim light of the early Seattle morning, the Shepherd household was unusually lively for such an ungodly hour. The city was still asleep, its streets quiet and serene, yet within the walls of the sprawling home, chaos was about to ensue, courtesy of one Derek Shepherd. Known for his remarkable skill in the operating room, Derek was equally renowned for his ability to stir his family into action, regardless of the time of day. Today, he had set his sights on an adventure that was far removed from the sterile corridors of Seattle Grace Hospital: a camping trip with his siblings.
First on his agenda was waking Mary, his youngest sister and a prodigious second-year resident at the same hospital where he and their brother, Mark, had made their marks. Mary, at nineteen, was not only brilliant but also fiercely independent, a trait that Derek admired even as it tested his patience. As he barged into her room, he made no effort to be quiet, flipping on the lights and announcing the day's plans with a volume that could rival a marching band.
"Rise and shine, Mary! The great outdoors awaits!" Derek's voice boomed across the room, filled with an enthusiasm that was met with an immediate and less-than-enthusiastic response.
Mary, buried under her blankets, let out a string of curses that would have made a sailor blush. "Derek, it's 5 a.m.," she groaned, her voice muffled by the pillow she had pulled over her head in a futile attempt to block out the light and noise. "What the hell?"
Derek laughed, a rich, hearty sound that did nothing to soothe Mary's irritation. "Camping waits for no one, especially not the sun. Let's move it, little sis!"
In response, Mary grabbed a pillow and hurled it in his direction, a move that Derek anticipated and dodged with ease. He caught the pillow and tossed it back onto the bed, his grin widening. "Five minutes, Mary. If you're not up, I'm coming back with a bucket of water. And you know I'll do it."
Her reply was a defiant middle finger, peeking out from under the mountain of blankets as she buried herself deeper, hoping to ignore the inevitable.
Undeterred, Derek made his way to Mark's room, ready to face his next challenge. Mark Sloan-Shepherd, despite not sharing blood with Derek and Mary, was family in every sense of the word. Raised by Carolyn Shepherd alongside Derek, Mark had been an integral part of the Shepherd household for as long as anyone could remember. His relationship with Derek was complex, marked by brotherly love and rivalry in equal measure.
Barging into Mark's room with the same lack of subtlety he had shown with Mary, Derek announced, "Wakey, wakey, Mark! Nature is calling, and you're about to answer."
Mark, sprawled across his bed and tangled in sheets, groaned loudly, one arm flinging out to shield his eyes from the light. "For God's sake, Derek, it's the crack of dawn. What's wrong with you?"
Derek's laughter filled the room again, a sound that seemed to echo off the walls. "We're going on an adventure, remember? You, me, and Mary. It's going to be epic."
"Epic is sleeping in on my day off, not traipsing around in the woods," Mark shot back, his voice thick with sleep but sharpened with annoyance. He reached for a nearby pillow, throwing it with surprising accuracy given his groggy state. Derek caught it with a smirk, throwing it back onto the bed.
"Five minutes, or I'm sending Mary in with the water," Derek threatened, knowing full well that the mere idea of being woken up by their youngest sister wielding a bucket of water would spur Mark into action.
As Derek left Mark's room, the house was filled with the sounds of reluctant movement. Within minutes, both Mark and Mary emerged from their rooms, dressed in outdoor gear and looking as if they'd much rather be anywhere else. Derek, already dressed and practically vibrating with excitement, clapped his hands together.
Derek threw a bag with a sandwich at each of his siblings as he met up with them in the hallway, his actions echoing the excitement that seemed to radiate from him like sunlight. "Time to hit the road," he announced with a grin that was as infectious as it was insistent. Mary, previously bought over by the mere sight of food, immediately perked up, her grumpiness momentarily forgotten as she wrapped Derek in a spontaneous hug. "Thanks, Derek," she mumbled, her words slightly muffled against his jacket.
Mark, on the other hand, approached the sandwich with a level of suspicion usually reserved for unidentified objects in the OR. He sniffed it cautiously, eyeing Derek with a playful wariness. "I wouldn't trust your cooking on a good day, but thanks anyway," he said, the corners of his mouth twitching upwards in a reluctant smile. Despite his words, gratitude was evident in his voice, a testament to the deep bond the siblings shared, one forged through years of shared experiences and mutual support.
As the trio piled into the Jeep, Mary claimed the backseat, curling up with the intention of catching a few more moments of sleep, while Derek and Mark took their places in the front. The engine roared to life, and they were off, the city slowly receding behind them as they headed towards the promise of adventure.
The conversation between the brothers soon turned to a recent surgery, a complex case that had challenged both their skills and their patience. As they discussed the intricacies of the procedure, they failed to notice that Mary had succumbed to the gentle rocking of the car, her earlier irritation giving way to the calm of sleep. It was a peace that Derek, ever the instigator, decided couldn't last.
With a mischievous glance at Mark, Derek reached for the stereo, cranking up the volume with a swift motion. The sudden blast of loud music shattered the quiet of the car, and Mary jolted awake with a start, her eyes wide and her heart racing.
"Derek!" she exclaimed, her voice laced with a mixture of shock and indignation. "I'm going to kill you!"
Her outburst was met with peals of laughter from the front seats, both brothers finding immense amusement in her reaction. Derek, still chuckling, shot back, "You love me, and you know it."
Mary rolled her eyes, a smile tugging at her lips despite her best efforts to remain annoyed. "Yeah, I do, but only because I have to," she retorted, her tone light and teasing. It was a dance they had perfected over the years, a blend of mock threats and genuine affection that defined their relationship.
The moment of tension dissolved into laughter, the car filled with the sound of their shared joy. It was these moments, simple and unplanned, that Mary cherished the most. Despite the early hour and her initial reluctance, she found herself grateful for the opportunity to spend time with her brothers outside the high-pressure environment of the hospital. It was a reminder that, at the end of the day, they were not just colleagues or even just siblings; they were united by a bond that went deeper than blood.
As the journey continued, the scenery outside the windows changed, the urban landscape giving way to forests and open fields. The laughter and conversation ebbed and flowed, the siblings sharing stories, teasing each other, and occasionally falling into comfortable silences. It was a rare respite from their hectic lives, a chance to reconnect and recharge.
Eventually, the Jeep turned onto a gravel path, the dense foliage of the forest enveloping them in a green embrace. The road was rough, the vehicle bouncing over potholes and uneven ground, but Derek navigated it with the confidence of someone who had made this journey many times before. The anticipation built as they neared their destination, the promise of the day ahead filling them with a sense of adventure.
As the trio began their hike towards the place where they intended to set up their tent, Mark and Mary didn't miss the opportunity to keep the atmosphere light with their jokingly complaints. "You sure there's actually a campsite at the end of this trail, or are you just trying to lose us in the woods?" Mark quipped, swatting at a low-hanging branch as he made his way forward.
Mary chimed in, her voice laced with mock exasperation, "Yeah, Derek, when you said 'adventure,' I didn't realize you meant a reenactment of 'Survivor'. Should I start looking for the hidden immunity idol now or later?"
Derek, leading the way with a map in hand, simply let out a hearty laugh, allowing the banter of his siblings to fill the air around them. He appreciated these moments of light-heartedness, knowing it was their way of expressing excitement and, in a way, their love for the adventure he had dragged them into.
However, as they reached the clearing they planned to call home for the night, the playful atmosphere took a sudden turn. Mary, who had been carefully stepping over a log, stopped dead in her tracks at the sight of a bee buzzing curiously around her. Her usual composure vanished in an instant, replaced by a look of sheer panic. "Oh my God, Derek, get it away from me!" she exclaimed, her voice an octave higher than usual as she took a few frantic steps back.
Mark, who had been following closely behind, couldn't contain his laughter at Mary's dramatic reaction. "It's just a bee, Mary. What's it going to do, ask you for a dance?" he teased, still chuckling until a sudden sensation on his own arm caused his laughter to halt abruptly. Looking down, he saw a bug—far less benign-looking than a bee—crawling up his sleeve, its legs moving in a way that sent shivers down his spine.
In an instant, Mark's amusement turned to horror. "Oh, hell no!" he yelped, frantically shaking his arm in an attempt to dislodge the unwelcome visitor. His previous composure crumbled, revealing a shared aversion to bugs that apparently ran in the Shepherd family.
Derek, witnessing the sudden turn of events, couldn't help but laugh at the sight of his two siblings flailing and freaking out over their tiny adversaries. His laughter, however, was cut short when he noticed the curious glances from other campers in the vicinity. His cheeks flushed with a hint of embarrassment as he realized how the scene must look to outsiders: two grown men and a young woman, doctors no less, in a state of panic over a couple of insects.
Trying to regain some semblance of control, Derek stepped in, gently shooing away the bee from Mary and helping Mark rid his sleeve of the bug. "Okay, okay, crisis averted," he announced, still trying to suppress his laughter. "Let's set up the tent before we attract a whole insect zoo."
As they worked together to set up their camp, the earlier incident with the bees and bugs became a source of endless jokes and laughter, serving to lighten the mood further. Mary and Mark, having recovered from their initial shock, were now in cahoots, plotting a playful revenge on Derek for his amusement at their expense. They whispered back and forth, their heads close together, conspiring to come up with a plan to give Derek a taste of his own medicine, all in the spirit of sibling rivalry and affection.
The sun had begun to dip below the horizon, casting a warm, golden hue over the campsite. The trio found themselves huddled around the campfire, the crackling of the flames providing a comforting backdrop to their conversation. Despite the serene setting, the topic of their discussion was anything but tranquil. As doctors—two surgeons and a resident, to be precise—their conversation naturally veered towards their work.
"You should have seen the tumor," Mary was saying, her eyes alight with the passion she felt for her work. "It was nestled right between the frontal and parietal lobes. Derek had to navigate through a minefield of blood vessels to get it out. It was amazing!"
Derek, ever the modest one, shrugged off the compliment. "Mary did all the heavy lifting, monitoring the patient's brain activity, making sure we didn't nick anything important. It was a team effort."
Mark, who had been listening intently, chimed in with a grin. "And here I was thinking my face lifts were life-changing. You guys are on a whole different level."
Their laughter was easy and genuine, a reflection of their deep bond and mutual respect. However, it wasn't long before Mark noticed the curious—and somewhat disconcerted—glances from other campers seated nearby. It seemed their casual discussion of brain surgery over dinner was not exactly typical campfire fare.
"Guys, I think we're freaking out the neighbors with our OR stories," Mark observed, nodding subtly towards the other campers.
Derek and Mary followed his gaze, noticing for the first time the wary looks being thrown their way. The realization struck them all at once, and a burst of laughter erupted from the group, their amusement echoing through the trees.
"Maybe we should stick to more traditional campfire stories," Derek suggested, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes.
"Yeah, like the one about the surgeon who accidentally sewed his watch into a patient," Mark added, winking at Derek.
"Or the resident who fainted during his first surgery," Mary countered, poking fun at her older brother and earning a playful nudge from Derek.
The rest of the evening passed in a blur of laughter and storytelling, with each sibling contributing their most embarrassing, heartwarming, or bizarre experiences from their medical careers. It was a night of connection and camaraderie, a rare escape from the pressures of their demanding jobs.
As the fire dwindled to glowing embers, the trio settled into a comfortable silence, each lost in thought. They were acutely aware of how precious these moments were, a temporary respite from the chaos of the hospital. Here, under the vast expanse of the night sky, they were simply siblings, sharing stories and making memories.
The adventure of the day, from the panic over bugs to the shared laughter around the campfire, had brought them closer together. It was a reminder of the strength of their bond, a bond forged not just in shared blood but in shared lives and shared dreams.
As they eventually retired to their tent, the silence of the forest enveloping them, Derek, Mark, and Mary felt a profound sense of gratitude. Gratitude for the family they had, for the work they loved, and for the simple joy of spending time together, away from it all. This camping trip, conceived as a brief escape, had turned into a cherished memory, a reminder of what truly mattered.
--
As the first rays of dawn pierced through the canopy of trees, the trio awoke, the forest around them slowly coming to life with the sounds of nature. The previous night's sense of peace and gratitude lingered as they began to pack up their campsite, the task undertaken with a quiet efficiency born of their shared history and deep connection.
Derek took the lead in dismantling the tent, folding it with a precision that mirrored his surgical skills. Mark, ever the pragmatist, handled the campfire, ensuring that no trace of their stay would be left behind. Mary, meanwhile, gathered their leftover supplies, her thoughts already on their return home.
As they loaded their gear into the Jeep, the atmosphere was filled with light-hearted banter that had become a hallmark of their relationship. This time, Mary made sure to claim the shotgun seat, a strategic move to avoid any potential pranks from Derek. "No more backseat naps for me. I'm keeping an eye on you," she declared, her tone playful yet firm.
Derek feigned innocence as he started the engine. "Who, me? I would never," he said, the twinkle in his eye belying his words.
Mark chuckled from the backseat. "Yeah, right. You're as innocent as a cat next to a spilled vase." His comment earned a round of laughter, the vehicle filling with the warmth of their shared amusement.
As they drove back home, the conversation flowed easily, the siblings reflecting on the trip with a fondness that belied their initial reluctance. "You know, for all our complaining, I think we needed this," Mark admitted, his gaze fixed on the passing scenery.
Mary nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it's been a while since we just hung out without worrying about rounds or surgeries. We should do this more often."
Derek smiled, navigating the Jeep through the winding forest roads. "I'm glad you guys enjoyed it. Next time, we'll go somewhere with fewer bugs, though," he promised, earning a relieved sigh from Mary and a snort from Mark.
The conversation then turned to plans for their next outing, each sibling throwing out suggestions ranging from beach vacations to ski trips. That being said, all three siblings knew that most of those spots were simply wishful thinking - with their busy schedules, taking even a week off at a time was highly improbable, if not possible. The underlying theme was clear, though: no matter the destination, the importance lay in the time spent together.
After the Shepherds returned home, they found the house quieter than usual, the Grey sisters still away on their trip. The silence of the home, usually bustling with the energy of five doctors living under one roof, was a stark contrast to the lively atmosphere of the camping site they had just left behind.
In search of a way to fill the evening, Mark, ever the instigator of family activities, had a spark of inspiration. "How about a game of Monopoly?" he suggested, his eyes gleaming with the anticipation of the competitive chaos that was sure to ensue.
Mary raised an eyebrow, only half-jokingly warning him, "You know that's not going to end well, right? We're all way too competitive for this to be a peaceful game."
Derek, unable to resist the challenge, joined in with a smirk. "What's the worst that could happen? It's just Monopoly. Bring it on."
As they set up the board, choosing their tokens with the seriousness of surgeons selecting their instruments, the air was already charged with their competitive spirits. It wasn't long before the game transformed into a battleground of strategic moves, cunning deals, and playful banter.
"Ha! Pay up, Derek. That's rent with a hotel on Park Place," Mark crowed, extending his hand for the money with a triumphant smirk.
Derek, handing over the Monopoly money with feigned indignation, retorted, "Enjoy it while it lasts. The Shepherd luck is about to turn."
Mary, focusing on her own burgeoning property empire, chimed in, "You guys are too focused on each other. Meanwhile, I'll quietly take over the board."
Their laughter and competitive jabs filled the room, the game bringing out their sibling rivalry in the most entertaining ways. Deals were made with the seriousness of business negotiations, each trying to outsmart the others while maintaining a thin veneer of diplomatic relations.
"Alright, Derek, I'll trade you Marvin Gardens for your railroad. But remember this when you land on my properties," Mark negotiated, a sly grin on his face.
Derek, contemplating the offer, replied, "Only if you throw in a get-out-of-jail-free card. I know how you play, always landing in jail at the most inconvenient times."
Mary watched the exchange with amusement, waiting for her moment to strike. "You guys are too busy making deals with each other. Haven't you noticed I've been collecting all the utilities? Power moves, brothers, power moves."
The game continued, filled with laughter, mock indignation, and the occasional groan of defeat as fortunes were made and lost on the roll of the dice. Despite their warnings and the high stakes of their competitive nature, the game served to bring them even closer, a reminder of the countless nights spent in each other's company, enjoying the simple pleasures of family time.
As the night wore on and the game reached its inevitable conclusion—with Mary declared the triumphant mogul, much to her brothers' chagrin.
Exhausted but content, they packed away the game, each sibling secretly planning their strategy for the next time they'd face off across the Monopoly board. The three decided to wind down with a movie. However, choosing the movie quickly escalated from a discussion to a playful scuffle for the remote control. What started as a tug-of-war between Derek and Mark, with Mary trying to mediate and then joining in the fray, turned into an all-out wrestling match on the living room floor.
Amidst the laughter and attempts to pin each other down, a vase—unfortunately placed too close to the action—toppled over and shattered, the noise momentarily pausing their tussle. Silence fell for a brief second before all three burst into laughter, surveying the mess they'd made.
"You guys! Look what you did," Mary exclaimed, though her scolding was undercut by her continued chuckles.
"I blame Derek; his elbow game is too strong," Mark defended himself, pointing an accusing finger at Derek, who was trying to catch his breath and laughing too hard to respond.
Derek, in between gasps for air, managed to say, "Me? Mary is the one who decided to go full wrestler on us!"
As they all sat on the floor, catching their breath, Mary feigned offense. "Well, if you two hadn't teamed up on me, I wouldn't have had to. Besides, Mark, you landed on me and made me hit my head," she complained, her tone more teasing than hurt.
Mark, still laughing, looked at her with mock concern. "Oh, did the big bad doctor get a boo-boo?"
Mary stuck her tongue out at Mark, rubbing the back of her head.
Derek, however, didn't miss a beat. Ever the protective older brother and neurosurgeon, he immediately switched into doctor mode. "Let me see," he said, his tone shifting to one of concern as he moved closer to examine her. "You know we can't be too careful with head injuries."
Mary rolled her eyes at his overprotectiveness but complied, sitting up so Derek could give her a cursory examination. "It was just a little push, Derek. I'm fine," she assured him, trying not to laugh as Derek peered closely, his face etched with concentration. He checked her pupil response and carefully palpated the area of injury, his fingers gently going over the bump.
After a thorough check and satisfied that it was indeed just a minor bump, Derek relented, and they all burst into laughter again, the seriousness of the moment giving way to the realization of how ridiculous they must look: three accomplished doctors acting like children over a remote control and a minor bump on the head.
"It's official; we're never growing up," Mark declared, helping to pick up the pieces of the broken vase.
Mary rolled her eyes, "Correction. You two are never growing up."
"And why should we?" Derek responded, a smile playing on his lips. "Moments like these are what keep us young."
The rest of the evening passed in a lighter mood, with the siblings eventually settling on a movie and watching it amidst a pile of cushions on the floor, the earlier chaos forgotten. They teased each other and shared snacks, completely immersed in the joy of each other's company.
As the movie ended and they prepared for bed, the incident with the vase and the wrestling match for the remote control became another cherished memory, a reminder of their deep bond and shared love for life. It was these moments of pure, uninhibited joy that reminded them of the importance of family, of being there for each other through thick and thin, and of the incredible journey they shared, not just as siblings, but as children at heart.