Little Shepherd

Chapter 12

Derek bustles around his apartment getting himself ready for another long day at the hospital, while Josie sits at the kitchen table already ready to go. She brushes her dolls hair as she waits patiently for breakfast.

"Hey Jose?" Derek asks slightly out of breath as he pulls on his shoes. "Daddy's gonna be late again if we cook. What do you say we walk to the Hospital and stop at that little coffee shop down the street and grab a donut on the way for today?" Josie groans a little.

"Again Daddy?"

"I know pumpkin, I know." He says as he grabs his briefcase from the chair across from hers. "I'll make it up to I promise. Next day I have off we'll make an extra special breakfast together."

"With bacon?" She asks with a smirk, pausing what she's doing.

"Sure love, we can get bacon."

"Okay deal." She says with a smile.

"You're the best." He replies as he kisses her forehead. "Ready?" He asks as he heads towards the door.

"Yep." She hops down from the chair keeping her doll wrapped in her arms. "We're ready."

"Alright let's go you two." He says with a chuckle. Josie giggles and they head out the door.

Derek takes a deep breath, soaking up the fresh air as they step out onto the side walk. "Ahh what a beautiful day." He says with a content sigh as they walk side by side.

"Ahh a beautiful day." Josie says copying him. Her tiny imitation of a sigh makes him laugh. They make their way to the coffee shop before long. Derek orders his usual coffee and Josie gets a strawberry glazed donut with sprinkles, her favorite. She eats happily as they walk, her donut in one hand with her doll in the other.

"Look daddy. That lady works at the hospital too." Josie points out as the approach the crosswalk where they need to cross to the other side. He looks and sure enough Doctor Miranda Bailey stands waiting at that very same crosswalk.

"Josie you stay close to me, okay? We cross together. Cars are dangerous, understand?"

"Yes daddy. I know." She says sweetly as she looks up at him over her donut. Her big blue eyes glittering in the morning light. He nods.

"Morning, Dr. Bailey." Derek says as they stand beside her, waiting to cross. She doesn't even look at the two of them. Her eyes dart up and down the street like she's searching for something.

"Shut up." She mumbles holding a hand up to him distractedly.

"That's rude." Josie mumbles under her breath, but with a mouth full of donut and the morning hustle of the busy street she goes unheard.

"You realize that I'm an attending and you're only a resident...that you work for me?" He asks as he sips his coffee.

"I know i've forgotten something." Miranda says seemingly not processing a single word Derek has said. "Something is happening today. I know I should know what it is, but I just cant..."

"Alright nice talking to you Doctor Bailey."

"It's right in front of my face." she says to herself. By now the traffic has come to a stop and it's their turn to cross.

"Come on Jose." He says as he ushers her forward a few steps. Chaos erupts, a car horn wails as a herd of bikes rip through the tiny space between the line of cars and the sidewalk, right towards Josie. Derek doesn't even see them coming. Miranda lunges forward grabbing a fistful of the child's little blue jacket. She yanks her back, her little feet just mere inches from the first bike. Josephine screams at the top of her lungs mid air, her donut and doll both falling into the road. Her blood curdling scream makes Derek's blood run cold. He looks to her pulling his attention away from the bikes as they barrel through, one of them hits Josie's fallen doll and starts to crash.

"Watch out, watch out!" Bailey cries out to Derek as she clutches his hysterical child to her body. She backs away dragging Josie with her as the biker slides to a stop on the ground right where they had just been standing, narrowly missing Derek as his reaction was much later than Bailey's. Dozens of other bikes gush around them as a stream would do to a boulder in its path.

"Hey!" Derek screams as the three of them continue to dodge the out of control rush of bikes.

"Now I remember." Bailey mutters as the commotion finally starts to calm. Derek drops his coffee to the ground, scooping Josie into his arms. She clings to him sobbing into his shoulder.

"Jojo, baby are you hurt?" He asks her worriedly. Miranda runs her hand over the child's back.

"Sweetheart, you gotta talk to us alright? Are you okay? Are you hurt?" She asks Josie sweetly. Josephine looks up at her teary eyed. She shakes her little head no.

"That mean man on the bike almost got me." She cries.

"Oh baby, I know. It's okay now, you're okay." Derek says reassuringly, but his gaze is on the doll that lays flattened in the road where his precious baby had just stood. That was almost her if it hadn't been for Doctor Bailey.

"What the hell was that?" Derek asks Bailey angrily as they cross the street together, Josie's cries calming to whimpers as they walk.

"Fools on bikes killing themselves...natural selection that's what it is." She replies sarcastically, obviously just as angry as he is. "They call it the "Dead baby" bike race. Every year the "Dead baby" bar holds this underground bike race. The race is completely illegal. Bunch of idiots with bikes trying to beat each other for free shots of tequila. The only rule...no eye gouging."

"Jesus..." Derek mutters. "What kind of person wants to take part in something like that? Especially over some friggin' tequila."

"Like I said. Idiots." Bailey replies.

The three of them finally reach the hospital. Derek pauses in the lobby, turning to face Doctor Bailey.

"Thank you for what you did." He says gratefully. "You saved her." With that statement Josie pulls her face from the crook of Derek neck where it had been hidden the rest of the walk.

"Tank you Doctor Baywe" She says meekly as she looks to Miranda.

"Aww, you're welcome sweet girl. You gonna be alright?" Doctor Bailey asks kindly as she runs a hand over the child head. Josie nods. "Good." She says with a smile. Her personality completely switching when she's talking to Josie. Bailey nods a silent goodbye to Derek then heads her sperate ways.