A/N: Glad y'all enjoyed the joke last chapter. After hearing Bailey complain about high heels breaking her feet a hundred times, I really couldn't help but think of Derek. Plus, generally Bailey and Derek's relationship definitely needs some more love.

A new group of interns arrive at Grey Sloan Memorial hospital.

"Happy intern day!" Derek exclaimed as the elevator stopped and the doors opened to his Chief of Surgery.

"Does it look like a happy intern day to you Shepherd?"

"No, Chief Bailey, no it does not." He said, reading her frown as she stepped in.

"Interns are brainless idiots. They screw up labs and IVs and scans. I do not have time to deal with brainless idiots screwing up labs and IVs and scans."

"You were an intern once." He reminded her.

"I was never one of those interns though."

"That's what we all say." He muttered with a smirk. "Think of Meredith. If anyone asks, she was a great intern. Was she? No. Well, actually yes for an intern, but she still got a lot of things wrong."

"Like falling for you, for example." She offered, turning to him with a lifted brow.

"Hey, Bailey, how are those shoes of yours?" He returned with a smirk that only widened when she frowned. "Can you walk now, like me? If you can't, I know a really good guy who makes beautiful custom chairs, I could give you his number and-"

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" She exclaimed. She hated it when he had weaponry. When anyone had weaponry.

He smirked. "You should be, you know. I was so, so close to suing you for that."

"Today is definitely-not-happy intern day Derek; I'm about to have fifty law suits for all the people they kill."

He sighed as the doors opened, and Bailey stepped forward. "Good point."

She smiled for, what Derek could only assume, was one of the first and only times today, and headed to meet the dreaded interns.

"Right. So this is where we are finishing the tour. I believe we've been basically everywhere. I'd would really love to tell you that if you follow the signs, you'll be okay, but I'd be lying."

"She's not kidding. You should have seen her when she was an intern. Talented surgeon and all, but I'm not sure she was ever taught how to read a map." Derek said with a smirk from where he was sat behind the nurses' station.

She smirked as he spoke, and the interns she had trailing behind her listened. "Unfortunately, that's true. Also- I'd like you to meet our best neurosurgeon, which I'm totally not saying because I'm married to him."

A hand shot up at the question.

"Yes?" Meredith said, taking the hand.

"Are you better than Amelia Shepherd? Because she removed that tumour from that foetal surgeon." The intern asked.

"You know she went blind after that, right?" An intern behind the man muttered.

"Okay, first of all- Amelia took an impossible case, and she lived. Yes, she is blind, but she lived. And people adapt to their disabilities, you know, so now she's fine." He replied, although he was surprised the intern so openly and abruptly asked the question.

"And he won't admit it, because he's too nice, but in terms of inoperable tumours, this is your guy."

Another hand

"Mmm mmm?"

She cleared her throat before talking. "Is it true that there is a neurosurgeon who works here who's in a wheelchair?"

Derek's eyebrows creased as he looked at his wife. "I feel like I would have noticed that, right?"

Meredith did her best to hold in a giggle. "I think you would have found the guy somewhen if it was true."

"So it's not true?" The woman pushed, completely oblivious to her fellow interns' smirks.

"Well, I've never found him. But maybe you will."

"Uh- I don't get it." She said, glancing from Meredith to Derek. She felt like she was being joked with, but she wasn't quite sure what it was that they were joking about.

"I'm saying I've never seen a neurosurgeon around here as you describe."

"So the answer is no?" She pushed. Why were they talking so weirdly?

"I think we should split off now. I don't want them to get lost, so would you mind taking some of them to the neuro ICU for Dr Po? She said she'd be there until they turned up." Meredith announced before either of them could answer. It was cruel; but funny.

"Mmm, that's fine."

"Right so- Bedford, DeLuca, White, Fuller and O'Neal, you'll be designated your attending by Dr Po. The rest of you, I'll take you to your residents, okay?"

There was a murmur of yeses, as well as a few head nods, and the five named interns split from the larger group as Derek pushed himself away from the desk and to the group.

"Crap." Dr Bedford stated, only realizing that she had said – no, exclaimed – the word outloud when she looked to her fellow interns to find that they had raised eyebrows.

Derek smirked as he glanced at Meredith. In fact, they all seemed to find it pretty funny.

"I am so, so sorry- I didn't realize that you were- crap, sorry." She said quickly, her cheeks burning ruby.

"It's okay, I wasn't offended."

"I didn't realize that you were-"

"Seriously, it's all good." He reassured her with a smile. "Now that I've got my yearly joke in, shall we go to Dr Po? Don't worry, I won't tell her what happened. That would be a bad start."

She did her best to swallow her embarrassment away, but she wasn't quite sure it worked. "Thank you."

"Hi. I'm here to update you about your friend, Ruth Powers." Derek explained to a group of women in the waiting room. From what he had gathered, they'd all lost their husbands and formed some kind of family of widowed women, but he wasn't surprised. His patient was eighty-seven, and they all looked to be around the same age.

His interns, Dr Deluca and Dr Fuller, had followed him out of the OR, and were going to make an attempt at talking to a next of kin for the first time, other than in their fake practices.

"How is Ruthie? Is she okay?" The woman who was actually designated as the next-of-kin asked.

Dr Fuller's eyes widened as Derek looked at him. His superior explained what to say on the way there, but he wasn't expecting to actually have to say it. "She- uh- she's doing well. She's in the intensive care unit, that's where everyone goes after surgery, and she's still sleeping right now, but she should be fine."

"She'll know us- and, you know- because we were reading what can happen after a uh- subdrowal haemotoma. She won't have any of those things, will she?"

Then Dr DeLuca got his turn. They'll ask about deficits, they always do. You say we have to wait until she wakes up, because it's better to play it safe, then explain that she may suffer from mild symptoms, just so they don't freak out when they get there and she's not a hundred percent yet, okay? Never evermake a promise that your patient will be fine. "So- we have to wait until she wakes up to confirm, but we have no reason to believe she'll have any neurological deficits. It's likely she may have a pretty severe headache for a while, or other symptoms like dizziness or pain with sound or light, but those should be temporary."

"That's...god, that's so great. Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you."

Deluca didn't ask for more help, instead taking initiative. "You'll be able to see her in about half an hour. As Dr Fuller mentioned, she'll be in the ICU. You can follow the signs to get there. Then just ask a nurse and she'll be able to confirm which room it is. We'll be back for a neurological evaluation before she wakes up, and quite a few times afterwards. This is all standard protocol."

"Thank you. So much."

Then you leave. Don't stay for too long. Don't let them think they can lean on you. Of course we provide sympathy and we try our best to support them, and sometimes it's okay to make a bit more of a connection to some patients than others, but most of the time, you have another patient to save."No problem."

"I really liked the way you talked to Ruth's friends DeLuca, good work. I'm surprised you remembered all those points after I flooded your brain with surgery. Normally interns are a little overwhelmed when they go from text book guts to real guts."

"Thanks. I'm trying my best to get back into everyone's good books." Andrew replied, glancing at Lee, his fellow intern, who knew what he had done.

"I wasn't aware you were in my bad book." Derek said, confused. Dr Bedford was in his questionable book, as well as his don't-joke-too-much-because-she'll-probably-die-of-embarrassment book after this morning's awkward error, but he didn't really have any other opinions on them.

"I- uh- well, I didn't lie about being a doctor, but-"

"Hey." Derek greeted with a smile as he found his wife stood at the surgical board, pen in hand. Clearly, she was slotting her own surgery in. "Operated yet?"

"Appy this morning. Easing myself in."

"That is easing yourself in?" Derek asked as he looked through the board and found his wife's name, then the surgery she was planning on completing.

"The Appy was. Now I remember, I can do anything."

Derek smirked. "I know, you're incredible."

"Not too shabby yourself." She muttered as she ruffled his hair. "But enough of the compliments, I have gossip."

"Do I like gossip?" He asked, confused why she was looking at him like he was going to find it interesting.

"Good gossip. Lots of tea." She explained. "One of the interns said he was a doctor at the scene of an accident, but what he actually meant was that he was starting today and he's actually a clueless idiot."

"Oh, wow." Derek breathed. "Sounds like the kind of thing an intern would do."

"Mmm. Post-grad med students always think they know everything. I think if it was day two of internship, he would say he didn't even take AP bio because he would be so scared."

"Probably." He agreed. "Now, you have a very simple, easy little surgery to get on with, don't you?"

She smirked. Her surgery was on the other end of the spectrum from his joke. "And you?"

"Waiting for a patient to wake up."

"Enjoy." She muttered as she kissed him. "Love you. Oh- and lunch in the cafe at one."

He smiled. "Right. See you there. Love you."

"Oh." Derek breathed as his eyebrows raised. He was the one Meredith had 'lots of tea' about.

He sighed. For a second, he thought he wasn't as well know as he thought and was glad about that, but it didn't last long. At least if he wasn't named, it meant some people wouldn't know it was him.

"Yes, oh. He's that one." Dr Fuller muttered.

"That's fine, I like black sheep." He dismissed, shooting a look at Dr Fuller. Everyone made mistakes, and as long as it wasn't on a patient, Derek could dismiss it in favour of a clear display of skill.

Andrew smiled. "So...Dr Grey is your wife, and the other Dr Shepherd is your sister?" He couldn't help but ask.

"Mmm." He agreed. "People always get confused about that, and I get why."

"I get the impression that there is a lot of that. I think uh- it was like- someone from uh- plastics was with someone from trauma or something."

Derek laughed, just once. "Oh, yeah. You see doctors don't have time to go out and have social lives, so we kind of end up marrying each others. Or like- Dr Grey, for example...Dr Pierce is head of cardio, she's her sister. Dr Webber is basically Meredith's dad. He's with Dr Avery's mom. Avery is the plastics one who's with Dr Kepner, a trauma surgeon. If you tried to make a family tree of this place...well, just don't. Making one sounds more complicated than brain surgery and, you know, I'm literally a brain surgeon."

Andrew smiled back. "I do get the impression that there isn't much time for lives."

"Me and Mer- uh, Dr Grey have three kids, so I think we have an excuse not to have lives. But nowadays, with rules to stop like- eighty hour shifts, maybe you'll be able to squeeze in oh- I don't know, half an hour of life a week?"

"Yeah, Dr Shepherd, that doesn't sound that great." Andrew muttered sarcastically.

"But the rest of the time, you'll be saving patients, so at least you have a good job. Now, Ruthie is awake, Fuller, you present."

"Oh- uh- okay." He said as he stopped outside the room they had been going to before pulling the door open. "Hi- my name is Dr Fuller."

"Oh- these are the nice men who fixed you Ruthie." One of the women said.

"My surgeons?"

"Yeah. Uh- I have to do something called a presentation. It's just where I say what we did and your injuries and uh-"

"It's something we do because we're students, if you don't mind. Then you can ask any questions you wish." Andrew explained when Lee failed to.

"Right uh- so- Ruth-"

"Ruthie." The named - or rather incorrectly named - patient corrected.

"Okay. Ruthie Powers, eighty-seven. Brought in by an ambulance after a fall. A head CT scan was done that showed a subdural haemotoma that was evacuated by Dr Shepherd."

"What did he miss?" Derek inquired, looking to Dr DeLuca.

"Um- post-ops?" Andrew guessed hesitantly.

"Good, which are?"

"Stable, neurological status is good. No deficits known. Will be in the ICU for a few more hours before being moved to the ward. If everything runs smoothly, she'll be out in uh- four or five days, provided she has a stable, caring environment to return to."

"Great." Derek congratulated. Sure, he'd pretended to be a doctor, but he was closer than the interns that were clearly teasing and prodding him about the claim. "Now, do you have any questions Ruthie?"

"Do I have to take lots of meds? I already have so many."

"Just for a little while. You can collect your prescription on the day of discharge, there's a pharmacy downstairs. You may also want to take some non-prescription painkillers for any headaches. If they're severe enough that painkillers don't help, come back to the ER or contact your doctor."

"Why?"

"You may have a surgical complication, or a rebleed." Derek answered; his interns had had enough responsibilities for one day.

"Why would that happen?" She pressed.

"Depends on the complication. Something like an infection, post-op pneumonia- that would be from a bug you've picked up while recovering. Other symptoms like mood changes, concentration problems, memory problems, speech problems or reduced motor function can also occur with subdural haemotomas. Again, if any of those occur, contact a doctor as we can provide rehabilitation to help you."

"But- does that happen because you made a mistake?"

"Of course, those are the kinds of things that occur due to a mistake, but it can happen even if a surgeon is flawless. If the injury occured a long time ago and you weren't brought in quick enough or if the bleed was particularly bad, then-"

"Was I brought in on time? Was my bleed particularly bad?"

"Yes, and no." He answered. He already knew where this was going.

"So then it would be your fault?"

"Not necessarily."

"Look, if you're implying that Dr Shepherd made a mistake because of his disability, you're wrong. We were there." DeLuca said, interrupting the previously two-way conversation.

"You said you were students. You did that presentation thing to learn." She rebutted.

"Dr Shepherd is one of the most skilled neurosurgeons in the world. He doesn't make mistakes. There are plenty of reasons why you could have deficits which are nothing to do with how he operated."

"He said that deficits happened when people made mistakes, or other things that he said weren't true to me."

"You don't even have a deficit, Miss Powers. Why are you so worried?"

"Because none of my friends thought about saying no to a surgeon who clearly isn't capable of fixing people."

"I just said-"

"Dr DeLuca-" Derek warned, but he didn't listen, continuing without even a pause to hear his superior's plea.

"-he is an incredible neurosurgeon. You can't go around telling people that they can't do things-"

"I can and I will." Ruthie replied simply. "I'm not comfortable with the idea. I have friends my age and older who can walk, no way would I trust them with my life, so why the hell would I trust him to do it right?"

"Because he's a surgeon, and has been for- thirty odd years. He's a professional, he's the best in his field-"

"Dr. DeLuca. Stop. Now."

"-he's incredible, and he just saved your life. You can't even be thankful because you're too busy focusing on the fact that he's a wheelchair-user, which is wrong, and discriminativ-"

"DeLuca!" Derek barked.

He swallowed as he glanced at his superior. He'd gone too far. He'd gone so far that he wasn't even near where was supposed to be. He couldn't even see the standards he was supposed to be holding true.

"Out. Now." He instructed, nodding his head towards the door.

He stared at him for a second, speechless and frozen, until he caught the eye of Dr Fuller, and finally moved.

Lee followed him out, followed by Derek.

"Dr Fuller, you're dismissed."

"What does that mean?" Lee asked, confused.

"Have a break, get something from the vending machine, stare at cute babies in peads, whatever- just leave. You'll get a page when I've got another patient."

He swallowed as he looked between the pair. He didn't want to be here for this. "Yes, Dr Shepherd." He agreed before disappearing.

"I- I'm sorry." Andrew eventually spit out when Derek's eyes wouldn't leave his alone, following them where ever they tried to hide.

"I know." Derek agreed. He understood, but professionalism wasn't the only reason he was angry. Sometimes, even when he agreed, he had to scould people to show that that kind of behaviour wasn't allowed, and it was partly the case here, but also partly due to his own feelings. "But you can't say that kind of thing to patients. Even if you think they're wrong, you can't."

"I know but- Dr Shepherd, if it wasn't for you, she'd be dead. Instead of focusing on that, she's focused on-"

"Dr DeLuca, which one of us is in a wheelchair?"

He swallowed. He didn't really want to answer that, but knew he had to. "You, Dr Shepherd."

"I understand why you are angry, and nothing you're saying is wrong, but we can't do that."

"It's discrimination."

"And I know that too. But people are people, and people suck. I've gotten used to it, that's far from the worst thing I've had from a patient, and I don't need you to defend me. I understand that it's infuriating. But please, if I can control myself, you have to as well."

He sighed, and accepted he was right. "But it's not fair, Dr Shepherd. I don't know a lot about surgery, but I know that you are freaking good at it, and it's not fair."

"I know, but it is how it is."

"But how can you just- pretend they don't do that? How doesn't it bother you?"He asked, exacerbated with confusion. The

"I never said it didn't hurt, Dr DeLuca."