Bright and Shiny

Chapter 18

Derek watched his wife walk down the hall before turning his attention back to his scans, the bubbly blond intern and the Chief. He knew he couldn't only work with Meredith, but she knew her stuff. He had made sure she knew her stuff before every test in college and med school and anything less than the best was not good enough for him. When a little boys brain was open on his OR table he could only have the best surround him.

"Dr. Stevens please go do pre-op notes for this patient. Chief, can I speak to you for a moment in private?" He gestured to the empty exam room. Izzy continued to stand there before interjecting, "are you sure Dr. Shepherd I could go with you..." she was saying as Derek hit his patience level for this intern in a matter of working with her for 20 minutes.

That must be some record he thought before coming down forcefully "Dr. Stevens I gave you a task, go prepare the pre-op notes for this patient."

She seemed shocked at Derek's tone with her, and then just said "sure Dr. Shepherd" before leaving. Derek once again gestured to Richard and the exam room. Once they were locked inside away from all the prying eyes and ears and before Derek could get a word in edge wise, Richard held his hand up.

"I know what you're going to say Shep and I told you when I offered you this position that this was a teaching hospital and you were going to have to teach all the interns, not just Meredith."

"This little boy deserves the best in that OR Richard, and I need to have a team around me that knows what they're doing and I trust."

"Derek, it's up to you to make them know what they're doing. It's up to you to teach."

"Richard, I'm married, happily married and this intern looks at me like she's a groupie. I can't teach a student that doesn't want to learn but is here to socialize."

"You're the teacher, you're the mentor. Handle it, I know you are a leader who can, I wouldn't have brought you out here if I didn't think you could lead and apply yourself." Richard said with a nod before leaving the exam room and Derek there pondering his departing words. Just like he had left Dr. Burke pondering his.

After a few more consults and sending Dr. Stevens away most of the morning. He was finally ready to have some lunch with his wife. Making his way into his office, he smiled at her already in there sitting in his chair with a couple salads and bottles of water already sitting there waiting for him.

"I figured you had a busy tiring morning, so I took the liberty of grabbing us lunch."

All Derek could do was look at her in awe, she was exactly what he needed at this moment, even if he could only spend 15 minutes with her for a quick lunch.

This was enough to get him through the rest of his grueling day. He moved over to his chair, lifting her up easily in his arms and settling back down in his chair with her securely in his lap. Without saying a word, he just held her close breathing her in.

"Hey, she can't be that bad." Meredith said when she saw just how tiring to him his morning has been.

"I beg to differ and she isn't the only thing."

"Oh Dr. Burke you mean?" At the mention of him, Derek got a confused look on his face wondering how she knew.

"I overheard you in the stairwell and I'm his intern today and let's just say I'm not his favorite student."

"Has he said anything to you Mer?" he replied, getting instantly angry at anyone treating his wife badly.

"Hey hey" Meredith said in a soothing voice, trying to get him calmed down. She held his face in her hands and slowly kissed his lips before pulling back.

"I'm fine, I just don't think he likes me very much, since I'm his competitions wife and all."

"He's a jerk."

"I figured as much, I almost dropped a chart on his head when I heard him talking to you like that." She giggled.

"My hero." He chuckled.

"Yes, I am don't you forget it." She said as she placed a smacking kiss on his cheek.

"How was your morning? What happened in the locker room?" he suddenly asked, remembering all her worries of the morning.

"I held my ground and they're all a tad on the weird side with wanting to know things that are personal but I think they understand me now. They're going to hate me, but I didn't take their crap." She stated proudly.

"That's my girl."

"That I am, come on let's eat I'm starved and my attending has me doing wonderful charting that I must return to." She said rolling her eyes.

"You're too good to be wasted like that Mer, you're the best intern this hospital has. Heck you're the best intern on the west coast. I need you with me in that surgery today not one that looks at me like I'm fresh meat." He said honestly while stabbing his salad while she laughed at his mood.

"You know you can't have me as your intern everyday, you are the best and I'll be sure to sneak up there and cheer you on. Dr. Stevens will catch on eventually that you are not interested in the mean time just do what you're doing and treat her like any other intern except me of course" she winked.

"Richard told me that he knew I could lead and I just need to apply myself."

"You do apply yourself and you do lead, you got me where I am didn't you? It was you who stood by me and with your own grueling schedule still found time to force me to do my best. These other interns need that, you can make them more knoweldgable." She said looking at him with a gleam in her eye.

"Your gears are turning. What are you up to Mrs. Shepherd?" He smiled while stealing a cucumber from her salad.

"Me, I'm not up to anything. No way." She smirked.

"Uh huh, oh you so are." He laughed while placing a piece of hair that had fallen out of her ponytail behind her ears.

"Well..." she started off while nibbling her lip. "If you become the leader teacher attending person and Dr. Burke is being all assy making his interns do grunt work. It will work out in your favor when you need it to."

"You little sly devil, your little apply yourself speech was all part of your plan to be Mrs. Chief." She giggled at him and swatted his arm.

"It was not. Although I like that, Mrs. Chief." She grabbed his face in her hands once again and held him still, looking straight into his blue eyes she honestly said

"You're better that him, you're smarter, you're a better teacher and you have so much more respect and compassion for people. Go get him." Derek just sighed at the faith she had in him, leaning his head to brace against hers. Now this was going to get him through the day. "You'll be in the gallery right?" he whispered looking straight into her soul with the look he was giving her.

"I wouldn't be anywhere else, me and all my post op charting." She whispered back staring back into his eyes.