"Mrs. Collins?" Amelia asked nervously, "Would you like me to run the last test again?"
"I would like you to run all the tests again," the woman gritted through her teeth as she gripped her son's limp hand. He had been declared brain dead hours ago and the intern had delivered the news- to the wrong family.
The intern gripped on Dr. Shepherd's arm and pulled her away to whisper, "This is Dr. Grey's triple organ transplant."
Amelia froze. This had been a surgery Meredith had been carefully working on and clinging on to hope for such a long time. And the family had nearly lost every drop of it until today.
She turned her head slowly and stared at him, "Then you had better go talk to Dr. Grey."
The intern gulped and ran down the stairs. He couldn't run fast enough and he could hear the footsteps of another intern running behind him.
As he reached the destination, he paused. Dr. Grey was being embraced by a family who was profusely thanking her.
"She's getting all three organs? All three? Are you sure?"
"They should be starting on the recovery soon," Chief Grey assured them, "Dr. Bailey will be performing the surgery-"
Lucas knocked on the window. She immediately turned and whatever smile was on her face, instantly fell.
He explained everything. He had screwed up. He had royally screwed up on his first day.
"Say it again, I want to make sure I understand." Meredith crossed her arms and stared at the intern. She couldn't believe the words coming out of his mouth.
"I spoke with the wrong family so Liam's mom almost didn't get a chance to say goodbye so she's-she's upset." Dr. Adams cleared his throat. His left hand twisted his fingers on his hand. Chief Grey was intimidating to say the least. She was a no nonsense kind of person and she had just given them a long speech filled with expectations. He couldn't look her in the eye without feeling like he was about to hurl with embarrassment.
"I'm sure upset doesn't begin to cover it," Chief Grey glared angrily, "Is she saying goodbye now?"
"No." Adams shook his head.
Meredith paced from one side to the other, "I need more, Adams."
He looked up to meet her eyes. The warmth that Lucas once saw all those years ago, was all gone. She was angry and rightfully so. But something- someone else caught his attention. He looked over Meredith's shoulder to the man standing by the nurses station. He saw how he was listening intently as he placed his lamplight inside the pocket of his coat. Lucas knew the man well. He knew that glare. He knew that the look he was giving him was a look of disappointment. He'd very rarely seen it. And when he did, it was never directed at him. He recognized the steel blue stare and could practically hear the man's thoughts. Lucas knew he didn't want him here. At least he assumed he didn't. He hadn't even heard from him since he had last left New York. And even after his accident, he didn't keep in touch much. A far cry from his childhood years when he saw the man often. When baseball games were a norm between them.
Lucas gulped and turned back to the chief, "I-I-I'm sorry-"
"This isn't about you. We don't have time to make you feel better," the man called out as he approached them, "What the hell did you do? What did you screw up?"
Lucas stared at Dr. Derek Shepherd with his mouth open. He could feel it grow dry as it stood ajar with no words coming out.
Dr. Grey turned to the second intern, "Griffith?"
"The mom asked Dr. Shepherd to run all of the tests again," Dr. Griffith explained, "She's doing that right now."
"And?" the other Dr. Shepherd asked.
"It felt like if she didn't, the organs wouldn't be donated" Griffith briefly glanced at him before turning to the two attendings.
"I just told my patient and her family that we found a match," the chief turned to the attending. The interns didn't miss how his gaze softened when her eyes met his.
"I know," he whispered.
Dr. Grey shook her head as she turned back to Dr. Adams, "What's the status of the patient?"
"He's uh brain dead-" Lucas stuttered.
"Yes. Obviously, thank you for that," Derek muttered, "She's talking about his vitals."
Lucas gulped again as his eyes looked around searching for an answer.
"Do you understand why I'm asking that?" Meredith exclaimed, "If the patient codes, if his heart stops-"
"You will be the one to tell that family that whatever hope they had- their one in a million match- just got wasted because of your mistake. Because you screwed up!"
Lucas' eyes fluttered between each of the doctors.
"Why are you still here? Go help Dr. Shepherd!" Dr. Grey ordered.
Lucas ran out of the room. He stopped briefly feeling like the room was spinning. And the breakfast he had that morning, was hurled into the nearest trash can.
"Five minutes?" Meredith stared at the bunch with a pair of scissors in her hand, "Five full minutes. It took you five minutes to respond to a trauma page? Shepherd, what kind of interns are you training here?"
"Guys, what have we talked about," Derek reprimanded, "Every single minute you're not in here is a minute you've wasted."
Despite their challenges, he'd grown fond of the bunch. It brought him back to his own intern years and he was overwhelmed with pride when he watched them learn. Still, they needed all the help they could get, and honestly, he wasn't always sure he was the one who should be helping them.
"We heard there was a trauma," Kwan looked around at the room full with gurneys with bodies, "Where's the trauma?"
"If there was one, your patient would already be dead," Derek deadpanned, "Every year, Dr. Hunt sets up trauma training in the parking lot-"
"There are dummies, rain, and lots and lots of opportunities to fail," Meredith paced around and turned to the interns, "With purpose."
Derek watched as she began to play with a pair of forceps she retrieved from a box. She stared at it for a while before throwing them back into the bin of instruments the interns would be using. She hadn't performed a surgery in a while, he could see it. And he'd read the board. She had been a little restless.
"But, we're in the age of minimally invasive treatment on open wounds- which is great- but doesn't help train young interns with little to no training," Owen continued.
"And you, brilliant minds of tomorrow, need all the training you can get, so," Derek pulled the sheet on the table in front of him, "We give you real cadavers. Fresh tissue, fake blood. The closest thing you'll get to a real body."
"Surprise!" Meredith cheered sarcastically.
"And what are we supposed to do?" Lucas asked incredulously.
"Save him," Derek crossed his arms, "Dr. Hunt?
"32-year-old male, stab wound to the left chest. B.P. is 90/40, tachy in the 120s, sats in the high 80s, Owen walked towards the cadaver and pulled on the knife to the side of its torso, "Let's go, you're wasting time!"
The interns ran towards the gowns hanging on the racks as the attendings watched amusingly. The room was bustling with five overly eager, competitive interns who were fighting over who was right, what to do first, and who would do it.
"Geez, Shepherd," Owen shook his head, "When you said you needed help, I didn't think it'd be this bad."
Derek shook his head. He'd done what he could the batch over the last few months but truthfully, they were focused on competing with each other and that never boded well for a hospital. He was hoping this would get them to pull their heads from wherever they were and force them to finally look each other in the eye and work in tandem.
"I warned you," Derek shook his head, "Honestly, I'm surprised the chief here hasn't fired me. Hey, don't you have chief things to do?"
The chief had been sitting on top of the table next to the surgical instruments. She shook her head and turned to her two attendings, "They will get there. They just need time."
"I don't think we have time," Derek muttered. The interns continued to fight against each other as the door opened revealing Winston walking towards them.
"Heard there was a trauma training with real cadavers," Winston watched as he approached the attendings, "Thought it was a lie."
"Are you hiding from your wife again?" Derek asked as Meredith pushed on his shoulder, silently chiding him. Derek turned to her with a shrug, "What?"
"Keep me updated with their progress," Meredith rolled her eyes as she jumped off the table, "Winston, can you help these guys out? Before I fire both of them."
Derek and Owen chuckled amusingly. They'd both seen Meredith Grey come far and high from where she started. One half of the twisted sisters was now their boss.
"You got it chief," Winston nodded as Meredith left the room. He turned to Derek and sighed, "How do you do it, man? How the heck are you two making it work?"
Derek furrowed his brows, "What? Married and working together? Oh you should have seen us a few years ago, we were at each other's throats."
Owen chuckled, "Yeah, you two were a sight. I'm surprised you're handling the Meredith being your boss thing so well."
"I got bigger things to worry about now," Derek shook his head. Honestly, his children had been his bigger concern as of late. It rarely gave him time to really see that Meredith was his superior. If you asked him years ago, it would've been a blow to the massive ego he carried.
The interns' bickering called his attention and those thoughts disappeared once more.
"We need access to give him blood," Jules commanded.
Kwan shook his head, "So let's prep for an IJ."
"That's where he's-"
"What about the entry wound," Yasuda asked.
"Beep, Beep, Beep," Winston called out. He could tell his sounds were only aggravating the interns more, but it kept them on their toes.
"Your patient's dying, BP is 60/40 still," Derek added, "These guys need an incentive."
"I got one," Winston whispered, "Whoever uses the best critical-thinking skills on your patient will scrub in with me on an ax-fem bypass tomorrow."
It was like a light switch had been turned on. The once irritated, overly worked interns had a shiny new toy they could fight over.
Kwan eyes each one of the fellow competitors hovering over the cadaver, "I'm gonna do an emergency thoracotomy!"
"Not if I do it first!" Another yelled.
Lucas stepped back and sighed deeply. He couldn't get a break. A thoracotomy hadn't even crossed his mind and now he felt out of his depths.
Derek hung his head in disappointment at the four interns fighting against each other rather than working together to save a life.
He looked up at his nephew, who stood over the cadaver quietly watching. Observing. Derek could tell that his mind was turning its gears. He wasn't just watching. He was taking it all in because he knew his patient would need something more.
He just hoped Lucas wouldn't be too late.
Winston broke him away from his thoughts, "I am running from the wife."
Derek looked up at him, "You okay?"
"She treats me like a resident and I paid my dues, you know? I paid them at Tufts. I paid them while working under Maggie," Winston sighed, "She has comments on my surgical technique, everything! Even at home."
Derek chuckled lightly, "Maggie is a perfectionist. She has always been the best and she likes things done right. You guys have been married for less than two years-"
"Then why does it feel like-," Winston shook his head, "Sorry, I know she's Meredith's-"
Derek shook his head. The sisters could be very similar and very different. But he'd come to know the both of them quite well, and had butted heads with his sister in law a few times. Both on the professional front and personal front. But deep down, they both cared for one another deeply.
A page went off and all five interns looked up to check.
Dr. Simone Griffith pulled her gloves off and turned to the attendings. "Dr. Shepherd, it's the chief-"
Derek nodded, "Go. Run. Get there in less than the time it took you to get here."
Griffith ran out of the room as the rest of the interns returned to their work. Another phone went off. This time it was Winston's. The annoyed look on his face told him everything he needed to know.
"We did therapy on and off," Derek added, "But before that, work got in the way. I got a job out of state and took it. Mer was thriving here, and we were pretending everything was fine when it wasn't. It just got out of our hands- my hands."
Winston turned to him and listened. Any advice was good- especially from the pair he respected.
"And last year, the job in Minnesota was also a strain but," Derek shook his head as he thought back to the many fights he and his wife had, "Don't let your ego get in the way. It's the worst thing you can do."
He turned back to the interns. Lucas once again watched as Yasuda and Kwan shouted at each other. Milin tried to get her word in to no avail.
"These guys are gonna make me quit," Derek muttered, "Hunt, how are they doing?"
Owen turned to him with a grim look, "They killed the patient."
The elevator doors opened as Meredith stepped off and was greeted by the busyness of the emergency room.
She walked towards the nurses station where Maggie was standing, "You paged?"
"We need a quick consult, Link is already in there and I have a surgery I need-" Maggie handed her the tablet before a man walked up to them.
"Where's Jarah? How-how-"
Maggie sighed, "He is on his way to the O.R. He's losing a lot of blood and I will be sending an intern with some updates."
"I'll have Dr. Shepherd let Dr. Griffith come down to provide that," Meredith looked up briefly as she reached for her phone, "I'm Dr. Grey, Chief of Surgery and I'll make sure you get upda-"
"He should be arrested," another man approached them. His face was seething with anger and frustration. Meredith could tell that he was upset and was holding back from attacking Jarah's father, "And you are-"
"He's the father of the other patient-"
"His kid gave my kid drugs," the man accused, "and now–and now he's got a broken leg-"
Meredith stepped forward in an attempt to calm both of them. It would be a failed effort as both parents were agitated and desperate.
"My kid? They were at your house! Jarah doesn't even-"
Meredith put her hands between them as she turned to Maggie, "Get security and get to your O.R."
The men continued to shout over each other.
Your child! Your son! Your fault! You You! You!
Accusations of being a terrible father and being absent were hurled at one another. Emotions were heightened and she knew the feeling. But not as grave as this.
"Alright, alright, stop! Just stop!" Meredith shouted as she pushed the both of them away, "Both of you shut it! Do you know how hard it is to be a parent? You both do! I know you do!"
Meredith's voice reached their level as she breathed heavily, "One minute they're small and tiny and laughing at all the stupid things you do and the next they're having panic attacks! They're fighting with kids at school and pushing you away!"
"No one gives you a manual! No one gives you a handbook. Every single one of us is out there in the dark raising these kids and doing the best we can. The men turned to each other as they listened to her, "I'm sorry your kids did this, I am. But right now, it doesn't matter who brought what."
Both parents listened to her words. Parenthood was a shot in the dark most of the time. Every single one did what they could based on what they had. Sometimes it was great. Sometimes the choices parents made were terrible. But she was right, there was no manual. No guidebook.
"What matters is that they are alive- and that they stay alive!" Meredith sighed and licked her lips, "Can you please just- we're gonna do what we can to make sure you both take your kids home. Okay?"
The men glanced at each other before one of them walked away. Jarah's father watched him leave the room and turned to Meredith with his eyes watering- filled with terror.
"Please," he begged, "Please save my son."
Meredith's mind briefly thought about her own children. Zola. Ellis. And Bailey. She didn't know what she'd do if she was in his shoes. If one of her own was laying on an O.R. table fighting for their life, "We're gonna do the best we can."
"Who did the tie?" Owen asked as the three men inspected the body.
Kwan raised his hand proudly, "I did."
"You left an air knot," Winston observed, "You also didn't take the time to do a proper assessment. You all just zoomed in on the obvious injury."
"Well if Milin hadn't-" Kwan began.
"You know what Blue?" she defended herself before the rest of the pack yelled.
Your fault. You did this. You did that. It's your fault.
"You know what? Why are we even fighting over this?" Kwan yelled, "This is a training exercise!"
"Can you just tell us what we did wrong?" Yasuda insisted.
"We could," Derek shook his head, "But now you gotta go tell the patient's family that your patient is dead. And their death is on your hands."
A darkness enveloped the room.
"You gotta go tell his wife that her husband isn't coming back. He has, let's see, two young girls. And now he won't see one of them go off to college and the other start high school." Derek approached the interns slowly as he took in the faces of each intern. The startling realization that they weren't just practicing anymore had hit them. And that's exactly what he wanted.
"His mother's still alive and she is out of the state so who knows when she'll say goodbye and his brother's are going to have to cancel the fishing trip he planned for all of them next weekend."
The four remaining interns slowly looked down at the body in front of them. They looked back up at their teacher with a heaviness they didn't feel before. All of them except for Lucas.
"He isn't just any patient. This cadaver was once a person," Derek crossed his arms as he explained, "He was a man with a life. A son. Spouse. Father, with kids who are probably at home still crying because he's not there."
Every patient that had been on his table was someone important. He made them important. They weren't just numbers or statistics. They were a person. He'd been so sick of death that it was his mission to work his ass off and make sure they made it out with a second chance. And when they didn't, it hurt him deeply.
He knew what it was like to change someone's life forever- with no way to change back.
He knew what it was like losing a father- with no way to save him.
He knew what it was like to be on the O.R. table- scared that he'd never see his family again.
Being a surgeon was no easy feat. It took humility and understanding.
"In the real world, you would be out there telling the family that they will never see them again," Derek shook his head, "This person signed a release form- gifted his body to doctors- to learn how to save the next life."
Owen and Winston nodded in agreement at the words they were listening to.
"So you can either compete to be the best and forget why you are doing this," Derek offered, "Or you can work together, learn, and give this person a chance to see tomorrow."
The imaginary life he had presented to them could have very well been a true one. And that's why this mattered. They needed to learn to appreciate the importance of each surgical skill, so that when they had someone lying on a table, they wouldn't make stupid mistakes or let their own arrogance get to them.
They would save a life. Not end one.
The interns glanced at each other as Derek walked to another table and took off a sheet, "Try again. Give him a name. Make him a person."
"Chris," Lucas muttered as the others' turned to him, "His name is Chris."
"Chris it is," Derek nodded in approval, "Get to work."
"How'd he do?" Meredith walked into the scrub room where Maggie was rinsing her hands.
"He's stable. Barely and by some miracle but he's stable," Maggie sighed as she watched Meredith, "You okay?"
Meredith watched as they pulled out the patient out of the room, "Yeah. I'm-I'm okay"
"How's the school search going?" Maggie grabbed a towel and dried her hands.
Meredith sighed, "She hated the school here. And there's another that focuses on children who are academically excelling but Zola is so-"
"So much more than that," Maggie threw the towel in her hands into the waste basket and stepped closer, "She's so much more."
"She is," Meredith agreed, "She's empathetic, she's curious, insanely imaginative, and so creative. Did you know when she was younger, Derek was working on the sensor's for Callie's prosthetics, and Zola drew a zig zag that inspired him to design the sensors?"
"Wow," Maggie beamed, "A genius since then? I'm impressed."
"Her name is on the article they published because Derek said one day she'd pick it up and take it even farther," Meredith laughed, "I don't even know if she still wants to be a neurosurgeon anymore."
"Or even a doctor," Maggie sighed, "She can do so much."
"She can," Meredith nodded, "Maggie, what if her fears are right-"
"Meredith," Maggie heaved, "We can't live with this notion that we're going to die the way Ellis did."
Meredith closed her eyes as she shook away the thoughts that came with her mother, "When Ellis got sick, I was the only one who knew. I was the one who put her in the home, and I was the one who approved the surgeries, the treatments."
There was a guilt that plagued Maggie when Meredith spoke about their mother- her biological mother. She hadn't been there to be her sister when she- perhaps- would've needed her the most. She wasn't there to help her make decisions. To help lift the burden of the secret Ellis Grey forced on her.
But truthfully, Maggie felt some relief in not seeing it all first hand. In not having to suffer the way Meredith did. Because her parents were good. They loved her and took care of her. And though, Ellis Grey may have given birth to her, her mother was Diane.
"You hadn't thought about the kids in all this," Maggie whispered knowingly.
Meredith shifted in her feet, "I used to tell Derek I didn't want my kids to go through that. That's why he started a trial all those years ago. And then Zola came into our lives and I stopped thinking about it."
Meredith bit her lip. So much had happened since then.
"And then I got tested, found out I had the gene when I was pregnant with Bailey and it all came back again," Meredith sighed, "And he's good you know? Derek? He's good at helping me put it aside and he had his accident so we focused on just living."
"But now it's all coming back and you have three kids. And one of them is very aware of what may happen," Maggie sighed. She crossed her arms and watched her sister spiral, "Mer, you can't stop living because of a disease that may or may not happen."
"It's not just me," Meredith whispered.
The weight of it sat with Maggie. Both of them had tested postive for a gene that predetermined a genetic disposition to Alzheimer's. And there was so much fear.
"I have three kids, Mags," Meredith whispered, "Whatever happens to Derek and I, I- I don't want them to be complicated like the Shepherd sisters and I don't want them to push each other the way I did with you and Lexie."
"They won't," Maggie promised, "You've shown them not to."
"How's Zola?" Owen asked as the three of them continued to observe the interns, "I hear you're looking at schools because she's gifted? That true?"
Grey Sloan was a hospital filled with too much gossip. And it spread like wildfire.
Derek sighed, "It's true. Zola is gifted and her anxiety has heightened. So we're opening up all our options."
"Maggie says Zola's not too happy about it," Winston turned to him as he munched on a bag of trail mix.
"She is not," Derek shook his head. He thanked his brother in law as he reached for trail mix, "At least not with the one she saw here in Seattle."
Owen furrowed his brows. He keenly repeated the statement in his head, "What do you mean here in Seattle?"
Derek was about to respond when he heard the interns bicker again.
"Did your dad teach you to side coach so you'd take the winning shot every time?" Yasuda snarkily retorted to Kwan as they worked on the patient.
"Never had a dad but thanks for bringing in my personal pain into this," Kwan rolled his eyes.
Derek rubbed his face as he glanced at Adams- who had his hands on a bleeder and was watching. Just watching.
"Remember when Meredith got fired?" Owen looked to Derek, "Christina got so pissed, Bailey said she started punching Karev because he ratted her out for what she did on the trial-"
"Wait, what?" Winston asked incredulously.
Derek shook his head. The trial. Meredith fired. Zola taken away. All terrible moments in their life that he had tried to push back.
"Is this their version of that day?" Owen asked, "A Gunther?"
"Wait. Go back to Meredith being fired," Winston insisted, "I've never heard that story before."
"I was too busy trying to find my wife who had stolen a baby that day, remember?" Derek turned to Owen, "Besides, you can't have a Gunther if they don't even know what they're doing yet."
"Found it!" Lucas' voice interrupted him, "Pinprick hole in the pericardium."
The three attendings glanced at each other. Clearly Derek was wrong. Someone- surprisingly- knew what he was doing.
Derek grinned, "What's next?"
Lucas nodded- appreciating the moment of approval, "We need to do a pericardial window."
"Don't waste any time," Dr. Ndugu nodded, "Let's go!"
"Okat llet me do it-" Kwan reached over before Millin pushed him away.
"Are you kidding? Last time you almost-"
Yasuda jumped in, "Wait a minute I should-"
"Oh my god, can you one of you just frickin' do it? Chris is gonna die on us!" Lucas yelled out. He didn't catch the look in the attendings eye but they all quietly approved of someone saying what needed to be said. What mattered was the patient.
"Kwan, how fast can you do it?" Milin turned to him.
Derek watched them work in tandem, "Now we're getting somewhere."
Meredith opened the door to the lab. The attendings stood in front of the four interns…who were hovering over the "patient"
"How'd they do?" she asked as she stood next to the Director of the Residency Program and the two attendings in the room.
"We're about to find out," Derek nodded, "Dr. Hunt?"
"B.P is steady, strong heart rate, responsive to stimuli," he smiled, "Chris is stable."
"Chris?" Meredith turned to the attending in charge of the interns. She knew the meaning of the name. But it could've been a coincidence that the cadaver they were "saving" was named Chris like the once Shepherd patriarch. Especially since Lucas brought more and more baggage for Derek. Baggage he had once left behind or forgotten.
"Adams named him," Derek turned to his wife before catching the second question in her eye, "Don't start, this has nothing to do with me."
Meredith hummed unconvinced as she turned back to everyone in the room.
"So now the question is who gets to scrub in with me?" Winston raised his brow as they watched the four interns wait eagerly.
"Well?" Meredith asked, "Who earned it?"
Kwan raised his hand, "I did a pericardial window?"
"And I did his chest tube." Yasuda smiled.
"After I gave you the appropriate visual field with my retraction," Millin furrowed her brows.
Derek sighed before looking at the fourth silent doctor, "What about you Dr. Adams?"
"I uh," Lucas shuffled his feet before shrugging.
"Dr. Adams?" Meredith asked again. Maggie's words rang in her ear about the intern before Owen's voice stopped it.
"You saw the hole in the heart."
"Right but I only saw it because Millin was such a beast with the suction. After Kwan constantly reminded her. And Yasuda widened the incision," he fidgeted with his hands before shrugging again, "Without any of that, I would've had a clear view."
Winston smiled. Owen nodded proudly, Derek turned to Meredith- who had been clearly impressed.
Derek grinned and nodded proudly, "You used all the hands around you. Nice work."
"Dr. Adams, you will be scrubbing in on an ax-fem bypass," Dr. Ndugu nodded before turning to Derek in approval, "I'll email-"
"Wait," Lucas called out, "Can't we-uh, can't we all do it?"
The interns turned to him wide eyed in surprise. This had been a competition. And clearly he had won it fair and square. No one had given him a hand. Being a Shepherd didn't matter here. At least not this time.
Derek turned to Winston and then to Meredith, "Sure. If Dr. Ndugu is okay with it."
"I'll email you all the case details in a few hours," Winston nodded before walkin out of the room with Owen in tail.
"Nicely done," Meredith grinned at the four interns before turning to Derek and quietly muttering, "You sure he's your nephew? He was willing to share."
Derek scoffed and chuckled before turning to make his way out with the chief next to him.
The following morning, Derek stood over a plan of blueprints on a table he had set up in front of the firmest tree he could find.
"Daddy?" Ellis eyed his curiously, "What are you doing?"
Derek looked up from his work and saw his little girl standing a few steps away from him with a softball in her hand. He smiled as he saw how the light bounced off her blonde tresses and how curiosity peaked through her green eyes, "I'm building you a treehouse."
"I'm getting a treehouse?" Ellis eyes him widely, "Really?"
The little girl beamed. Her delight was evident and he lived to see her smile. Even if it cost him. Whatever she wanted she got. She was his baby after all. The baby he wanted after making mistake after mistake. He loved his children all equally. And he adored how wildly different they were. He loved how Zola was so bright and how she put that brilliance to do good. He adored Bailey's fearlessness. It reminded him of how simpler things once were when he was a child.
But Ellis was something else. She was the quieter one. The bolder one. The stubborn one with a streak of rebelliousness that he just knew she had inherited from her mother. And a streak of arrogance she inherited from him.
"You asked for a treehouse," Derek grinned, "You get a treehouse."
Ellis gasped brightly before running into his arms, "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!"
Derek groaned as he lifted her and embraced her. Her lithe arms wrapped around his neck and squeezed him so tightly.
"Ellie, I kind of need to breathe to finish it," he pretended to struggle.
"You're the best daddy ever," She jumped off before running to the house, "Zola! Bailey! Dad's building me a tree house but I can share it with you!"
As she ran into the house, Ellis bumped into her mother who was walking out, "Momma! Daddy's building me a treehouse!"
She ran again leaving her frazzled mother in giggles, "You spoil her! She has you wrapped around her little tiny finger."
"Oh, who do you think she gets that from?" Derek teased as he stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jacket, "I think it should be done by Christmas."
"Knowing you and how you spoil her, you'll finish it in less than a week," Meredith teased, "The other two never asked for one."
Derek sighed, "The other two didn't have the same fascination with trees."
Meredith giggled as she pictured her daughter climbing up her favorite tree. She had been so angry at Derek once when he was forced to cut down a tree near the house. He had received the silent treatment for nearly a week.
He hated it.
"You're building her a treehouse while we're looking at schools for Zola in other states," Meredith pointed out, "You're sure you should build it now?"
Derek let out a deep breathe. He couldn't and would not stand in the way of what was best for his daughter, but he also knew that Bailey and Ellis still had lives here. They didn't just stop.
"She hasn't made up her mind," Derek pointed out, "I'm not backing out, we agreed we would do whatever Zola needed-"
"Right but-"
"This is still our home. We are still here and the other two Little Shepherds are about to change everything they know," Derek interrupted, "Wherever we go I will build her a new one but for now, Ellie gets her treehouse here."
"Okay," Meredith smiled as she thought of Ellis, "She hasn't called me momma in a while. Actually I haven't heard any of them call me that in a long time."
"Yeah," he shook his head, "They're so big now."
"I haven't forgotten them you know?" Meredith raised a brow, "I know our kids are making sacrifices. I know they-"
"Meredith," Derek turned to her softly, "I know you. I know how good of a mother you are, I see it every day."
It didn't feel that way all the time. Especially now. Between Zola and Bailey, it felt that she was constantly doing the wrong thing. There wasn't a manual she could look at and she couldn't go to her mother the way other parents typically could.
Meredith leaned into his side as he wrapped one around her. She laid her head on his shoulder and looked at the plans laid on the table. It would be a beautiful treehouse. A sense of a traditional treehouse with a deck and a lot of room for the kids.
"You're a good dad," she whispered, "You'd never forget who was on the red wagon."
He knew exactly what she was referring to. He was there when she corrected Thatcher and reminded him that she was the one on the red wagon. Not Molly or Lexie. It was her.
Derek didn't whisper anything back. He pressed his lips against her hair as he took in the moment.
"Hey!" Derek opened the door and smiled at his guest, "You made it!"
"Well you did invite me, didn't you? Am I late?" Richard smiled as Derek let him in, "Catherine's in Boston, she couldn't make it, sorry. She sends her regards."
"No we just got started," Derek closed the door behind Richard as he welcomed him in, "She okay?"
Richard removed his coat as he looked around to the crowd gathered at the dining table, "Oh, her flight got delayed so she stayed behind with Jackson and April. I wanted to spend it here. Keep the tradition going. I, uh, brought a pie."
"Thanks," Derek took it, "How've you been?"
"Retirement is boring," Richard raised his brows, "I've been missing my teaching days but I hear that's your job now."
"The chief's a hardass, I'm sure you've heard," Derek joked, "I'm not allowed to say no to her even if I wanted to."
Richard chuckled as he followed Derek in. He looked out at the group laughing near the dining table at something Link had said. Richard had worked with every single doctor there. He knew them all well, "She knows what she's doing. How's your nephew?"
"You heard," Derek shook his head as he walked toward the kitchen and set down the pie, "I don't know. One day it's a piece of cake and other days-"
"Remember your internship days? You relied on Addie sometimes-"
Derek laughed, "That's not true!"
"You were a little slow at the beginning," Richard insisted, "Give the kid some time. Let him make his own name, he'll get the hang of it."
Richard patted his shoulder as Derek nodded, "Thanks."
Derek watched as Richard made his way to the gathered crowd. He liked this. Having a loud home with friends and family gathered. He had this many eons ago when his father was still alive and he had tried to fill that void when he started having his own kids.
As dinner started, the kids sat at a table set up for them while the adults quietly ate.
"Where's Kai?" Maggie asked as the sounds of the utensils clanged against the dishes.
Amelia smiled, "They are in Minnesota. They promised they'd spend today with their family but they'll be back on Saturday."
"They're hiding from Meredith aren't they?" Derek raised his brow as he teased his younger sister, "Still worried she's pissed because they ran the tests?"
Meredith rolled her eyes as the table laughed.
"Could be a possibility," Amelia answered, "Maggie can you pass the peas?"
Maggie nodded as Derek looked around the table. To his right sat his wife, his eldest daughter (who refused to sit at the kids table now), and Maggie. Amelia sat on the opposite end and next to her sat Richard, Link, and Lucas, One person was missing.
"Link?" Meredith looked up, "He's on call right?"
"Yeah, he was with Scout this morning so it worked out well for the both of us." Amelia smiled.
"Where's Winston?" Derek asked, "I've barely seen him outside the hospital lately."
Maggie didn't look up, "He's also on call."
"I thought Teddy was on call?" Meredith looked up, "I saw the schedule yesterday."
"She was," Lucas looked up. "Griffith was on her service but then she said she'd be on Dr. Ndugu's."
"Oh," Derek furrowed his brow, "That's unfortunate."
"Zola, are you excited for your trip soon?" Maggie asked in an attempt to change the conversation, "I heard there's a school in Boston that's in the mix. I gotta say, I'm a little jealous."
"Only you would be jealous of Boston, Maggie," muttered Meredith. No one else heard her except Derek who gently nudged her knee under the table.
"In the mix?" Richard looked up, "What does that mean? Is she headed to college already? I was only out of the country for a few months!"
Meredith looked up at him with a slight chuckle, "No, um, Zola's been deemed gifted and we've been scouting schools that better fit her needs."
"Outside of Washington?" Richard furrowed his brow, "Aren't there schools here?"
"Yeah," Derek looked at him knowing that Richard never had the best reaction to Meredith leaving, "Well, Zo has a variety of needs and Seattle has a school here but Zo's not convinced."
Meredith took a bite of her food as she waited for Richard's response. He had been the closest thing she could call to a father. And the last time the possibility of leaving Seattle came up, they had been at odds for weeks.
"The school here is not too bad," Zola interrupted her thoughts, "It's still a possibility that I choose it."
"That's not what you said a week ago," Meredith chuckled.
"But your parents are opening up doors for you, Little Miss Zola," Richard smiled at the young girl, "You have a chance that many other kids wish they did. You should take it and run with it."
Meredith's head snapped to Derek who nearly choked on his bite. That was unexpected. A part of her thought Richard would storm out at the thought of Meredith Grey leaving Seattle- again.
"You think so, Uncle Richard?" Zola asked genuinely but with a little hesitance.
"Of course, you gotta at least see what's out there. It's like choosing a college or med school. You search, apply, and hope for the best," he smiled before he glanced between the parents, "Gifted? Wow, you two must be proud! I remember her first birthday, you two were just beaming with so much happiness."
Derek and Meredith smiled at each other, as they turned to see their daughter. Wasn't it just yesterday that she was scrunching her face at cameras? Wasn't she just learning how to crawl? How to write her name? Where did the time go?
Meredith turned to Richard and mouthed, "Thanks."
"Does Bailey know?" Richard furrowed his brow, "You know how she reacted last time-"
"Yes, both of you were on a rampage of Meredith being disloyal," Derek intervened, "We haven't really made it a secret."
"She's Bailey," Meredith elaborated, "She knows everything."
"Where else are you looking at?"
"There's one in New York and New Hampshire," Meredith answered, "Another in Los Angeles-"
Derek added, "We're looking at our options."
"New York sounds pretty cool," Zola's fork stabbed into a piece of turkey, "Nana's out there so maybe-."
Derek's eyes darted to his sister, "I don't know if we'll be able to see your nana this time, Zo."
Another pair of utensils dropped.
"Oh my God, you're gonna see mom?" Amelia looked up with shock, "Are you seeing the entire sister clan? After last time?"
"Wait, does that mean you'll see my mom?" Lucas' eyes widened in shock and a little horror.
"Woah, woah, woah, let's backtrack," Meredith raised her hands as she noticed the stress level reach maximum level on her husband's face, "This is about Zola. Let's focus on that."
"Well, Zo," Maggie smiled, "Whatever happens, I know it'll be great."
"Yeah," Amelia grinned at her niece, "We're rooting for you kid."
Zola grinned shyly, "Thanks."
Meredith rubbed her daughter's back as she looked around the table.
Her daughter- her children- were surrounded with so much love. So much support. And for that, she was grateful.
"So uh, Lucas, right?" Richard turned to the young man next to him, "I hear you're an intern at Grey-Sloan?"
"I am sir," Lucas nodded, "I uh, heard a lot of great things about you. I'm sorry I missed out."
Derek's eyes flickered between the two before meeting Meredith's.
"How's it going so far?" Richard asked, "It's a unique program Chief Grey came up with."
Lucas looked around the table. What should he answer? The truth? A lie? This was Richard Webber. The Richard Webber. He had been an infamous name in the Shepherd household long ago when his uncle was a student.
"I'm uh, very lucky to be learning from everyone there- err here," Lucas chuckled.
"Good, good," Richard picked at his plate again, "I've got some stories for you about your Uncle Derek here-"
"Richard-," Derek warned.
"Wait, you have stories about my dad?" Zola's eyes widened.
"How come I never heard these?" Meredith asked enthusiastically.
"Why did you keep them from me?" Amelia turned her head towards him, "We've talked through things and you've been holding out on me?"
"I think I reserved them for the right person," Richard chuckled before turning to Zola, "You'll hear them soon, future Dr. Grey-Shepherd."
Lucas chuckled a bit, "I'm looking forward to them, sir."
"You'll be surprised with this one," Richard chuckled as he looked towards Derek, "Trust me."
Zola turned down her bed as her uncle Richard's words rang in her ear. An opportunity. Not many had it. Right.
"You know just because Uncle Richard says you should take advantage, it doesn't mean you should stay quiet about what you actually want," her mother's voice broke through her thoughts. Zola turned and saw her mother standing by the door.
"I know," Zola grinned.
"Are you worried about the school visits?" Meredith walked towards her bed and sat alongside her.
"A little," Zola twisted her mouth slightly, "I was excited for New York because I thought we'd get to see Nana."
Meredith hummed, "I think Daddy doesn't want to bother all his sisters with their busy schedules."
Zola nodded, clearly unconvinced.
Meredith noticed her fidget with her blanket, "Any nightmares?"
She shook her head, "Not lately."
"Should I stop talking about it now?" Meredith smirked with a slight chuckle.
"Yeah," Zola giggled.
"Okay," Meredith smiled, "You okay?"
Zola sighed, "Did Grandma Ellis expect you to become a surgeon?"
Meredith's eyes widened, "I-yeah. She expected that out of me."
"Did you always want to be a surgeon?"
Meredith pressed her lips tightly before shaking her head, "No."
"Why not?"
"You know, Zo," Meredith sighed. She was at a lot for words, "I don't even know why. I think it was because I thought I'd be lesser than her. It took me a while to understand that I was me and she was her own person."
"You're a really good surgeon," Zola added, "Uncle Richard says you get it from her."
Meredith smiled, "I like to think I get it from myself."
Zola giggled again as her mother smiled. She treasured these laughs.
"G'night, Zola," Meredith pressed her lips on her forehead before standing up, "Sweet dreams."
Meredith made her way out of the room and walked into another. A little blonde girl sat on her bed as she read the book on her lap.
"You didn't ask daddy for a bedtime story? You always ask him for a bedtime story."
"He's with Bailey," Ellis muttered, "And I'm too old for bedtime stories."
"Really?" Meredith asked with a raised brow, "You're too old for bedtime stories? That doesn't sound like the Ellie who used to fight me over marrying him."
Ellis giggled. Long ago, she'd proudly proclaimed she would marry her daddy. No one could stop her, not even his own wife. And when she finally left outgrew that stage, she begged for her parents to have a big wedding. Because according to her, a post-it wedding wasn't a real wedding. A real wedding needed two people dressed nicely and a big party. In this case, her momma in a dress and her daddy in a suit.
And of course they obliged.
"Oh, I don't think you could ever get too old for bedtime stories," Meredith sat on her bed, "Do you want me to read it to you? I'm a really good reader."
Ellis looked up at her mother with a happy grin on her face, "Okay."
The pair sat on the head of the bed as Ellis tucked near her mother's side. As Meredith read the book, the little girl fell sound asleep.
Elsewhere in the kitchen, Derek walked into Lucas putting away some plates.
"Hey, you're still up? Don't you have an early shift?"
"I uh, wanted to help," Lucas threw the towel on the counter, "Can I ask you something?"
"Yeah?" Derek leaned on the counter.
"Do you think I'll make it?" Lucas asked almost shyly, "Residency? Do you think I have what it takes?"
Derek blinked, "I think you have a road ahead of you, Shep."
Lucas' eyes begged for more.
"But it's not impossible," Derek pressed his lips together, "You just gotta keep at it."
"Not convincing, Uncle D," Lucas chuckled, "He can't even say 'uncle' right. He just says the vowels and it comes out like uh-dee."
Derek chuckled as he thought back to his youngest nephew, "You're not jealous are you? You know you've been the favorite nephew for a good couple decades there, you gotta give Scout a chance-"
"Aha, see I am the favorite, I always knew I was," Lucas teased back, "I'm just glad Aunt Amelia isn't forcing me to be on daddy duty anymore."
Derek nodded, "Hey, so the ax-fem bypass? Winston emailed me and told me you all did good."
Lucas nodded. He had let everyone scrub in alongside him.
He scratched the back of his head and looked up at his uncle, "Hey uh, Bailey asked if we could go to the batting cages on Saturday. I have it off. Is it cool with you and Aunt Mer if I-"
"Yeah," Derek nodded, "I'll run it by his mom but it shouldn't be a problem."
Lucas grinned and made his way to his room before stopping and tracing his steps back, "You trust me right? You trust that I'll get better?"
"Shep," Derek sighed, "I trust you with my kid. Of course, I trust you'll get better. It's a matter of time."
Lucas nodded and walked away. For a brief second, he believed his uncle's words.
"Where were you?"
"Reading to your baby girl," Meredith sighed as she walked to the bathroom to change and prepare for bed. She walked out of the bathroom and smirked, "I know we said this wasn't a competition but right now, I'm her favorite."
"Yeah, whatever," he retorted as he pushed the comforter and let her climb into bed, "I'm building her a treehouse, I'll be her favorite again as soon as it's done."
Meredith giggled as she climbed into bed, "Open your arms, I'm cold."
Derek laughed as he embraced her, "Girls go down okay?"
"Fast asleep," Meredith confirmed, "Bailey?"
"Snoring just like you," he jested, earning a nudge to his chest, "Lucas wants to take him to the batting cages this weekend. You okay with that?"
"Oh you already said yes," Meredith teased, "He likes Luke, he's like a big brother to him."
"Yeah, he does," Derek sighed, "Remember when he was little, he used to run into the room whenever there was a thunder storm and he'd rush into our bed."
A flash of a younger Bailey crossed her mind. He'd push the door wide open and sprint his way to the bed. He'd tug on his mother's arm until she helped him up. Bailey would grip both parents' hands until he was fast asleep. And when he would finally fall asleep, Meredith would watch as her both Dereks would sleep nearly identically. Hands tucked under their head, slightly smiling lips, and hair touseled.
And then there were other times.
Meredith laughed, "It made for a few close calls. I remember that very clearly."
"There was that one night," he whispered wistfully, "It was just raining non-stop and he ran into the room and Ellis ran in right after. Zola somehow sensed they were both in here and she also came in.
"She claimed she was not scared," Meredith released a slight chuckle, "She was only checking to see where her siblings were. That was her story."
"Yeah," Derek smiled, "And it was all five of us. You and me with the kids in the middle."
Meredith thought back to that night. Bailey had always been scared of lightning. He would run in with tears in his eyes but Ellis loved them. She'd stare out of her window for as long as she could just watching it all. Zola didn't seem to mind them too much. But that one night, that one night was a memory both parents cherished. They searched for solace within their parents and found it. They'd protect their children no matter what. As long as they could.
"We stayed in bed for hours the next morning while the kids goofed around. They laughed and laughed so much I was scared one of them would pee their pants," Meredith giggled before looking at the bed, "I don't think they'd fit in here if they tried."
"No they wouldn't," Derek rubbed his temple, "It's my favorite memory. One of my favorites at least."
When they were younger, things seemed to be simpler. Easier. The biggest thing the kids' would worry about was lightning. Whether or not the ice cream shop was open. If they'd go on ferry boat rides. Things were much more easier.
Meredith hummed as she intertwined her fingers with his, "I want more of that."
"What?"
"Memories," she whispered, "The good kind. Like that one, I want more of it."
"Are you asking for another baby?" Derek asked with a hint of a twinkle in his eye, "Because we agreed that that ship has sailed. I even-"
"No!" Meredith nudged him again with a slight laugh escaping her, "Not another baby! Just-"
She thought about the picture she had put away long ago. The little girl on the wagon only wanted her parents to love her.
"I don't have any happy memories with my parents. You have some with yours but I don't-," She sighed, "I just want more. I want our kids to be so happy and I want to be there for all of it."
Derek stared into her eyes before leaning down to kiss her and whispered, "We'll make more. I promise."
"And if I forget," she whispered, "You promise you'll remind me?"
Derek shook his head slightly before smiling reassuringly, "Every day. I will remind you every single day."
"Where's your wife?" Derek turned to the voice behind him and found Amelia and Maggie walking in the door.
"Last time I saw her was in the comfort of our bed," he answered, "I don't think you want the details."
"You are disgusting," Amelia nudged him as she sat next to him, "Maggie needs married people advice and though I am in a very happy relationship, I am not one of them."
Maggie nudged her proclaimed sister as she sat down next to her brother, "Amelia!"
"What?" Amelia shrugged as she watched Maggie sit on the chair on the other side of Derek, "he's married too, it's a different perspective. Ask Derek, then Meredith, and then take your pick."
Derek glanced between the pair, "What's up?"
"Adams isn't on my rotation again? I have several procedures I think he'd be-"
"This isn't about Adams!" Amelia growled, "Winston is switching specialties because they keep fighting and Maggie's upset about it-"
"Amelia!" Maggie chided again.
"Is it true?" Derek's head shot up, "I heard the interns whisper about it in the lab but I didn't want to ask until he said something."
"Why isn't he on my rotation? Adams-"
"Because he's on Meredith's" Derek explained, "This isn't about Adams. You okay?"
Maggie eyed Amelia before turning to Derek, "Meredith quit Neuro right?"
"Uh, yes she's chief now," he grinned slyly, "If you haven't noticed. She's our boss."
"No," Maggie rolled her eyes as she walked up to the chair next to him and sat down, "Years ago, she quit neuro for you."
Derek shook his head, "Not for me, Maggie. It was so much more complicated-"
"Did you still love her the same?" she blurted, "I mean did you…"
Derek put his pen down and turned his chair towards her, "Maggie, what's wrong?"
"Winston is changing specialties. At least he says he is but," she sighed, "he is saying he's doing it to save our marriage."
Derek turned to Amelia who shrugged, "And you said?"
Maggie twirled in her chair while she avoided Derek's knowing gaze.
"Ah," he nodded once before lifting his pen again, "She's doing the Grey thing where they avoid it until it explodes, isn't she?."
"See, you speak Maggie, too," Amelia smirked, "I knew you'd get it."
"I speak Grey," Derek nodded as he popped a peanut into his mouth.
"I"m not a-"
"You are so much like your sister," he muttered to himself, "You both like to avoid, avoid, avoid. She likes to do it with sex so sometimes it works-"
"Too much information!" Amelia yelled disgusted at her brother's sudden lack of a filter.
Maggie rolled her eyes, "And you never answered my question!"
Derek turned to her once and then to his own sister and sighed, "Look, Meredith and I have both made sacrifices for our marriage and our kids."
"Still doesn't answer my question," Maggie insisted.
Amelia watched the two as they continued.
"Let me finish and I will," he blinked, "Marriage takes work. It takes a little give and a little take. You don't lose yourself in it but you also compromise."
"I can't respect the fact that he insists-"
"Your husband is seeing cracks in your marriage and he is trying to patch them before they get-"
"But I married him because I loved his passion. His passion was surgery- cardiothoracic surgery! It's what we bonded over!"
"Did you marry the surgeon or the man behind the surgeon?"
Maggie stared at him for a moment. The question was one no one had asked. Not even her sisters.
"Who did you marry Derek?"
Derek slowly turned his head to stare at her. He could see there was some anger behind her eyes. A frustration she was taking out on him. He'd be a liar if he didn't say that a reason why he had been so attracted to Meredith was the passion she had for surgery.
"Meredith quit neuro because she tampered with a clinical trial and broke my trust as her attending," he explained, "I let a few jobs go because she wasn't ready to leave Seattle. We've both made sacrifices."
Derek grabbed his tablet and stood from the chair, "And for the record, I would love my wife, no matter what she chose."
"Dr. Shepherd?"
"Yeah," Derek looked up at the intern as he observed Adams' sutures.
"I heard Dr. Grey is doing a whipple today," Griffith asked, "I was wondering if-"
"Wait, didn't you scrub in with Dr. Pierce last week?"
"I haven't scrubbed in with Dr. Grey," Millin raised her hand eagerly from another table, "We were supposed to operate on a patient two weeks ago but she was replaced by Dr. Bailey-"
"Are you complaining about Dr. Bailey, Millin? She's not gonna be too happy if she hears that you're complaining," Derek smirked with a raised brow. The rapport he had built with this class was one he was proud of. There was a fine line that no one crossed but there was a trust they had with each other.
The interns chucked before Lucas looked up from his sutures, "Wait, I'm on general this week, shouldn't I be the one to scrub in."
Derek rubbed his chin before clearing his throat, "Technically yes you are Adams."
Derek walked to the front of the room and sat on the stool as he looked at the small class, "The rest of you have rotation schedules for a reason. This hospital has more than one surgeon. There is a reason why we have you rotate, now I had you all on one surgery last week, this time stick to your rotations."
The interns sighed in disappointment. It was fair, even if they hated to admit it. Each of them had scrubbed in with a different attending in a surgery that blew their minds. Grey Sloan's residency program may no longer rank amongst the best, but there was no doubt that their attendings were the best.
That or Grey Sloan was just cursed with tragedies. They couldn't decide.
"Adams, you're scheduled to scrub in. Go prep, Dr. Grey doesn't like interns who are not prepared," Derek indicated before turning to the rest, "Millin, you're right, with Dr. Grey as chief it's hard to catch her in the O.R. so I'll tell you what, you all get to watch in the gallery today."
The interns quietly cheered and thanked him.
"Go get notepads, snacks, whatever you need, who knows when you'll get the chance to see her in there soon," Derek nodded.
"Are you gonna be there Dr. Shepherd?" Yasuda asked with a hint of tease in her voice. The other interns smirked and snorted. It was no secret to anyone at all that the Shepherd and Grey were- well Shepherd and Grey. They kept it professional in public but every now and then the interns would catch the chief throwing soft, tender glances at the director. And he'd lean next to her almost teasingly, whenever she was nearby. Glances were stolen, hands were placed on backs, voices were softened, flirting, everything. And the walls all whispered the great legend of Meredith and Derek.
They had always been the stuff of legends.
"Yasuda, go before I put you on scut," Derek chided as he watched them walk out of the room leaving their director on the stool slightly shaking his head in amusement. He looked up at the only intern still working
"Griffith, you okay?"
"Yes, sir," she didn't bother to look up as she concentrated on the sutures, "I'm just wrapping up on my sutures."
"You called out last week," he stated. Not asked.
Griffith looked up briefly before looking back down at her work, "I'm sure Dr. Grey mentioned my situation-"
He nodded. He was aware her grandmother had Alzheimers'. She had roamed the hospital a few weeks ago looking for her daughter- Simone's mother. She had died on her birth.
"She did," Derek nodded, "I know how difficult it is. And I know that saying sorry doesn't help."
A beat passed as Simone passed her stitch once. She paused and looked up. He wasn't her teacher, her director, an attending. He was just a person.
"No, it doesn't," Simone sighed.
"You know when my wife was a resident and she was dealing with her own mother," Derek moved to sit on the chair in front of her, "She buried herself in her work. She pushed people away and she felt like she was drowning."
His wife. Not Chief Grey. Simone took notice how his voice had softened and how his eyes seemed to darken as he swallowed a lump.
"I thought she was handling it well because she was saying she was fine," he sighed, "but she was drowning."
Simone blinked. It didn't seem like Dr. Grey.
"Residency isn't easy, and we're trying to change that here," he continued, "But your home life isn't easy either. So if I may offer you a piece of advice, don't push people away. Let them in. Trust them."
"They-they don't get it," Simone chuckled sarcastically, "They're all competing to be the best and it's the only thing they have to worry about. None of them get it-"
"Maybe not all of them," Derek shrugged, "But you and Lucas seem to be getting along."
He could see her briefly suppress a smile before leaning back, "Dr. Shepherd-"
"I'm not playing wingman to my nephew, I wouldn't cross that line. And I am talking to you as an attending who's seen several residents feel like the world is against them," Derek sighed, "Find someone to trust. Whoever it is, and when you feel like drowning, ask them to help. Whoever it is, let them in."
Griffith blinked. It was an unexpected surprise to hear these words coming from a superior. No matter what was happening- if anything was happening- between herself and the intern who was his nephew.
"Don't flame out," Derek continued, "You've got potential I've rarely seen in residents."
Simone smiled, "Thank you Dr. Shepherd."
Derek smiled back before standing up, "Now get to the O.R. Dr. Grey is waiting for you and Adams."
A/N: Very VERY wordy chapter...but this is setting something up... and explore the hospital dynamics with our two favorite doctors. Also, don't hate Maggie. I love her! I feel like she's severely underused in the show because her initial purpose kind of hit a wall but she's got potential! Let me know your thoughts!