Westbury Western

by zeilfanaat

Category: General/ Humor

Rating: G/K

Warning: Spoilers I suppose

Disclaimer: "Doc" is not mine. It is produced by Dave Alan Johnson & Gary R. Johnson. No infringement intended.

Spoilers: "The Art of Medicine", slight one for "Family Matters"

Summary: Just how did Derek arrange for all the (accomplices in) cowboy gear on such short notice? From the point of view of the female doctor who seems to be present as a background character throughout the series.

Archive: i2eye Fan Forum,

Challenge: None

A/N: I took the liberty of naming some of the background characters. I don't know if any of them have ever been given a name in the series, but if they have, I'd love to hear about it. Big thanks again to tis*me! for looking this over!

Finished: 29th of September, 2015

She was about to get into her car when she heard her name being called. Turning around, she saw her colleague, doctor Derek Hebert, hurrying towards her. She waited. He slowed down when he was close enough.

"Thanks, I'm glad I caught you."

"Something wrong, Derek?" she asked.

"Oh no, no, no, not as such," he was quick to assure her. But then he countered his words by looking around as if to check if anyone else was listening. She looked around as well, but didn't see anyone in particular to worry about.

"It is just… I was wondering, and I know it is very short notice and everything, but you see, I kind of need some things that are not exactly… standard in most people's wardrobes, and…"

He was babbling. It was kind of endearing. "What do you need, Derek?" she asked in a fond tone. "And please tell me you're not looking for a dress, because you're not getting one of mine," she added in warning. She didn't actually think Derek would ever contemplate wearing a dress, but then again, he had worn that awful pregnancy suit… His horrified expression was reassuring.

"Oh, no! No, no, I definitely-, no!" Well, that was clear at least. Derek took a deep breath. "I need some cowboy gear – not just for me, mind you…" He caught himself before he went off on a tangent again. "I know your boys are at that age where they might have been dressing up as cowboys… And we were wondering if you have something we could use, and if so, if we could borrow it for tomorrow morning?"

She blinked. Well, that definitely was an odd request. "Do you mind if I ask you why you need this?"

Derek looked around again, but then he stepped a little closer with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "We're going to pull a slight prank on Oliver."

She tilted her head slightly. This could be interesting. "A prank, you say?" Derek nodded. His mood was infectious. "Tell me more."

A smile spread on Derek's face, as if he knew he might have just found another accomplice. "Ms. DeWitt just asked me if I could pass on a message to doctor Cassidy. The message has 'Oliver Crane' written all over it though. Apparently, Clint's clothing style does not 'mesh' with ours, and they want him to dress 'more appropriately like everyone else'."

Her eyebrows rose. "Well that would be a shame. I've gotten rather used to the cowboy boots and jeans." And she didn't think she was the only one, a particular nurse coming to mind.

Derek nodded. "I think it's a rather ridiculous demand. If he'd show up like he was neglecting himself, that would be something else. But in my opinion, there's nothing wrong with the way he's dressed. And despite what Oliver claims, it hasn't hurt Westbury's reputation either."

She had to agree with that. While it seemed unlikely at first, having the country doctor at Westbury had actually improved things, in more ways than one.

Not only through the influx of patients, but he'd brought the human side back into the sterile environment of the HMO. Or perhaps the latter was the cause of the former. Something to think about. Later. Right now, Derek was talking.

"Anyway, I had a chat with nurse Nichol about it, and she thought it was ludicrous as well. And then we thought, perhaps we should do something to make sure Clint's clothing style meshes with ours…"

Huh?

Oh.

Oh! She started laughing. She could just imagine Oliver's face at that. She shook her head in amusement. "Just how many people have you asked?"

"Oh well, so far it's just Nancy and me. Nancy's asking nurse Goodman," She nodded, Mae would no doubt join in. "And I was hoping to call Anthony and Howard."

So, mostly the people that could be counted on to be at the clinic early even if they didn't have a patient yet first thing in the morning. "Call Benjamin as well," she suggested. "He'll probably have a cowboy hat or two lying around. And he'll never forgive us if we all show up in cowboy gear and he wasn't involved. He'll definitely arrive early for this."

"Really? Well who'd have thought Doctor Benjamin Edwards to be a closet cowboy fan…" Suddenly he caught on to something else she'd said. "So…you're in as well?"

She smiled. "Oh yes, definitely!"

It would be nice to be able to do something for doctor Cassidy for a change.

She went through a mental list of what cowboy gear she might still have lying around at home. "I should have at least two, maybe three, adult sized cowboy hats lying around, and maybe a belt with a large buckle… And I know I have a few red bandanas." At Derek's look, she chuckled. "You weren't wrong when you said my boys are the right age for this. My youngest had a birthday a few months ago and he wanted a cowboy-themed birthday party. Unfortunately the rest of the cowboy hats are child-sized. I'll bring what I have, bright and early."

A smile of gratitude was sent her way. "Marilyn, you're the best."

"And don't you forget it," she teased. "I'll see you in the morning, Partner."

Derek chuckled and tipped his, for now imaginary, cowboy hat. "Yee-haw!"

THE END