Bright and Shiny

Chapter 133

"Good job." Derek commended her before turning to the patient. "Mr. Emerson this is Dr. Shepherd, she'll be treating you this morning." He said earning a look of disapproval from Dr. Bailey which Derek equally stared back again to challenge her to say that anyone else deserved this case. Derek took the chart from George and depositing it in Meredith's hands. Moving to stand behind her in close proximity, placing his hand on the small of her back that made Mr. Emerson realize that his two doctors standing with intimate proximity had to be married.

"Get started on the lab work and meds, page me if there are any side effects." He told her as she nodded her head and he gently patted her back as he disappeared from the room with all the other doctors and Dr. Bailey in tow.

"Dr. Bailey. A word please." Derek called out to the resident as they departed the room, leaving Meredith in there with the patient to get started on the lab work and meds

Bailey halted in the hall and sent the interns on ahead.

"Yes, Dr. Shepherd" she turned to look at him with still a disapproving tone.

"I'd like to discuss that look." He told her seriously.

"What look?" Dr. Bailey asked of him.

"That look, the unapproving look. Do you believe I favored my wife in there? Do you have any other candidates for my patient's case"?

"No, Meredith Shepherd was the best intern for that case. However, she was also tardy this morning and put on Dr. Burke's service as a punishment until you swooped in with your hair and the dreamy look." Dr. Bailey calmly but coldly told him while emphasizing the hair and look comment by pointing to him up and down with her hands. Derek partially rolled his eyes to the ceiling and chose to ignore the personal comments to himself and focus on just the real subject on hand.

"So because a pregnant intern was a few minutes late for rounds, I should put one of the other unprepared and unknowledgeable doctors on my patient's case. While the best intern for the patient is charting with a Doctor that doesn't use her to her full capabilities, do I understand that right Dr. Bailey? Is that fair to the patient?" He asked her with an authoritative cold tone.

This caused Bailey to step back and understand her superior attending's point of view.

"No, it's not. Our patients deserve the best care." She agreed.

"That they do I understand you are their resident, they are your interns and it's your job to mold and discipline them. However, you are my resident." He informed seriously and paused before continuing.

"My job is to be your attending and to make sure my patients are getting that best patient care. I don't need that look you provided in there again Dr. Bailey, nor do I think any other of your other superiors need you telling them how to do their jobs and who to put on their patients cases. If you have problems with the fact Dr. Shepherd is the best for the case then perhaps you need to make sure the others start learning some more and you teach them. So they are not unprepared."

"Yes, sir." She agreed in a biting her tongue way and apologized with a nod of her head.

"Good, have a good day Dr. Bailey." Derek told her, letting her know that she was excused as he walked over to the nurses desk for a chart and she went on to catch up with her other interns. Derek hadn't realized that his chat with Bailey had an audience with the Chief watching on from the desk.

"Chief" Derek greeted him.

"Dr. Shepherd. Nicely done." Richard told him as Derek's eyebrows raised in confusion as to what the Chief of Surgery was congratulating him for.

"Oh, don't look at me like that Shep. Dr. Bailey is one of the best residents in this hospital, if not the best. However she does have an issue with always thinking she is right and going against her attendings in that belief that only her opinion is the right one. You handled that situation well. Strong, but not over the top, serious but not public. You handled it Chief like." Richard told him with a smirk as he patted him on the back and walked down to focus on his OR board leaving Derek there putting the pieces together of Richard's underlying comments.