¹ 𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗻𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗹𝘀, 𝐝.𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐝

lxxviii. chief shepherd

lxxviii. chief shepherd
6.13

Atlas knocked on the door before he opened it gently, inside the room stood Derek with two ties in hand. "The blue one, it brings out your eyes." Atlas said, his voice causing Derek who hadn't heard the knock to turn around startled.

Derek's eyes travelled downwards to where a cup of coffee were held in both Atlas's hands. "Coffee?" Derek asked with a hopeful smile.

Atlas shook his head with a playful smile, "It's all for me, early morning." When Derek's once happy smile faded, Atlas was quick to hand his husband one of the coffees. "I was just kidding, I'm sorry."

Derek sighed, he was becoming interim chief for the time being, and as much as he wanted this to happen he wasn't sure how him and Atlas would move forward with their family. "Thank you, love."

"Of course," Atlas smiled and stepped forward, setting his own coffee down and grabbed ahold of Derek's untied tie. "Let me get this for you."

"Thank you, again, Atly." There was along pause as Derek watched his husband tie his tie. "You know, The hospital, the staff, they love Richard. To them, I stabbed him in the back to get the job. They're gonna be mad at me."

Atlas shook his head, his eyes moving from Derek's tie to Derek's eyes. "You will do a great job, baby. You're gonna be an amazing chief."

"You think so?" Derek questioned softly.

"Of course, you'll make me and everyone proud."

╚═ ☆ ═╝

Atlas's gloved covered hands were coaxed in blood.

The patient, who had come in complaining of chest pains, laid still on the operating table — then again, they were just under anesthesia and wouldn't have woken up until later.

But now the patient was dead, at the hands of Atlas.

"Time of death, 05:12." Atlas announced as he took a step away from the patient. He now had to go and tell the persons family, that he hadn't saved them. That someone's husband, someone's father, someone's son was dead.

A deep sigh left Atlas's lips, today was supposed to be a good day. His husband was now chief of surgery, he and Christina had rocked one of his surgeries early that morning. It had been good. Now he had to go tell a poor family that their son, husband, father, brother had died.

He would have to tell them that he couldn't save them.

By now Atlas had take off his bloody gown along with his sticky gloves, scrubbed the feeling of blood and death off his hands, and started his way towards the waiting room.

He spotted the family within a minute of standing there looking. No matter how many times this situation happened, it never got easier to tell people. But he did it anyways.

"Miss, hello..."

╚═ ☆ ═╝

Atlas and Mark walked into Derek's new office with intentions of gossip. Okay, that was Atlas's intentions after hearing about some burns Christina had.

"Hey." Mark greeted as he swung into the office.

Owen waved, "Hey!"

"Hiya baby." Atlas greeted Derek with a kiss, the quick kiss they shared making him giddy.  "Hi."

"Hi, my love." Derek said back with a fond smile. "What do you think of the present I got from Hunt for becoming Chief?" Derek asked Mark and Atlas as he pulled himself away from his husband.

Mark walked towards the rolly chair behind the desk. "From Hunt, huh? I was gonna get you one of those." Derek chuckled but Mark continued on. "The deluxe version. You know, the kind that keeps score? Not, uh, you know, the cheaper one."

Mark sat down in the black rolling chair, this action caused Derek to stop throwing the small basket ball and look towards Mark. "That's my chair."

Mark grinned. "I know. I like it. It makes me feel powerful."

"That was quite a scene in the conference room earlier." Owen sighed as he sat up straighter and looked to Derek.

"Oh, you saw that?"

"Baby, everyone saw that." Atlas added.

The conversation slowed and it was just the men throwing the basket ball into the net. Or that was what was happening until Atlas focused on Owen.

"So you gave Yang some hot cross buns, huh?"

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been awhile, how is everyone!
short, but here it is!