Bright and Shiny

Chapter 145

"Well if this isn't a reversal?" Richard chuckled as he took a seat next to Derek in the sparsely populated gallery seeing Derek watching his wife assist in the OR down below.

"It is isn't it?" Derek smiled back as he didn't take his eyes off his wife as she held the instrument she was holding still while she smiled at the child's progress during the procedure.

Richard nodded his head in remembrance thinking back. "I remember all the times I used to see her watching you. I wasn't sure how she wasn't bored at watching you appendectomies and simple general surgeries over and over again during your intern year. She was probably the only freshman in college who could give a step by step account of all basic surgeries while the other freshmans were figuring out the periodic table of elements." Richard laughed.

"She just supported me no matter what the surgery was or how many times she had seen me do them." Derek lsmiled. "I think she had heard about every surgery possible anyways from Ellis. Instead of Humpty Dumpty the nursery rhyme, Meredith got told how to do a Humpty Dumpty procedure. But she sat up there to cheer me on no matter how boring it was, every time it was like the first time she'd seen or heard about it." He smiled.

"Steady, precise and compassion. All the right attributes to be a great doctor." Richard said more to himself than anyone as he watched her. "It's not everyday you get an intern that's seen it all before. She must have seen Addison perform this procedure in New York," Richard slowly realized as Derek nodded his head in pride.

"How's Ellis handling the grandma news?" he asked changing the topic from professional to personal as Derek paled and looked up from watching the procedure.

"We've been busy, that hasn't actually been handled yet. Meredith is waiting for the right time. " Derek said diplomatically knowing that Richard was an old friend of Ellis's and didn't want him to tell her until Meredith was ready. Lying about waiting to tell Ellis on their own time would help them stall until Meredith decided the time was right.

"I understand, with Ellis being well... Ellis. That Meredith could fear her mothers reaction." Richard said, hesitating on whether he should continue with his opinion or not and choosing to voice his thoughts. Knowing that Ellis wasn't being told because of a reason, because she was Ellis who tried in her own way. Monetary ways and pushiness ways but was never the mother Meredith needed her to be. He knew that Meredith spent most of her childhood alone with nanny's growing up with a privileged and sheltered lifestyle. Richard thought it was very amazing that Meredith didn't grow into one of those pampered rich kids who only cared about the partying and lifestyle. She grew up in that life, with those people in the private schools and drinking like adults from the age of 14 or younger. Yet she was so different and better.

"She'd want to know Derek, I know she hasn't been the best mother," he said as Derek rolled his eyes at how far off from best Ellis Grey was. "but she'd want to know that her little girl is having a baby of her own. I'm sure your entire family knows."

"It's not the same. Not at all and you know it Richard." Derek argued back. "My family is her family, they've loved and been there for her since day one. Meredith wants to wait to tell her mom and we'll wait. She's already a pregnant intern and I'm not going to force stress on her when she's not ready. There's no telling as to how Ellis would react and what she'd say to Meredith."

"Ok, you're right. You can't push her when she's scared and not ready. But trust me it's better that Ellis finds out from you two than someone else. That would be much worse if she hears it from the grapevine and just shows up."

"Don't I know it." Derek muttered in agreement as he continued to watch his girl shine in the OR.