The Shepherd Legacy

Locker Rooms and Alex's Antics

The almost empty locker room echoed with the distant sounds of medical equipment and hushed conversations as Mary stood near her locker. She had just scrubbed out of a surgery with Derek, and the patient had not made it. Her thoughts were filled with all kinds of possibilities. 

The door swung open, and in walked Alex Karev, a fellow doctor whose cocky demeanor often rubbed others the wrong way. He spotted Mary and couldn't resist the opportunity to make an entrance.

"God, I smell good. You know what it is? It's the smell of open-heart surgery. It's awesome. It is awesome. You gotta smell me," Alex declared, his arrogance evident in his tone. Mary, visibly uncomfortable, dismissed his antics.

"I don't want to smell you," she retorted, not in the mood for Alex's antics.

"Oh, yes you do," he insisted, moving closer with a self-satisfied smirk. Normally, he would have stayed away from Mary, who was eight years younger than him, but the surgery high had him on a roll.

Mary, fed up with his behavior, turned abruptly and grabbed him, pushing him against the lockers by his shirt. "You have got to be kidding me! Okay. I have more important things to deal with than you. I have studies, and boy problems, and family problems."

Alex, unfazed, yawned and glanced around, clearly unimpressed, provoking Mary even further, as she pointed a finger in his face. "You want to act like a little frat boy bitch, that's fine. You want to take credit for your saves, and everybody else's? That's fine too. Just stay out of my face."

As Mary spoke, the door swung open, revealing Derek, but his sister was too angry to even notice. Mary seized the opportunity to make her point, grabbing Alex's chin to make him look at her. "And for the record, you smell like crap."

Derek's cough alarmed his sister to his presence. Mary retreated to her locker, embarrassment written all over her face. Derek, noticing the tension, shot her a questioning look, silently asking what had transpired.

Alex, quick to deflect blame, pointed at Mary. "She attacked me."

Clearly not satisfied, Mary moved to attack him again, prompting Derek to intervene. He grabbed her arms and pushed her back, shooting Alex a warning glare. "Mary, Mary, Mary!" He scolded, before turning to Alex. "You might want to leave. Before I change my mind and let her beat you to a pulp with her tiny, ineffectual fists."

Derek closed the door behind Alex, who shot Mary a final face before disappearing. Derek sighed, looking at Mary. She avoided eye contact, her embarrassment still palpable.

Once alone, Derek approached the subject, his tone stern. "What was that about?"

Mary, her frustration evident, retorted, "He was being an idiot."

Derek, with a mix of concern and authority, warned her, "Mary, if another attending had walked in, this would have cost you your job. You can't be attacking other residents just because they are 'idiots.'"

Mary, annoyed, shot back, "He was being a dick, Derek. And this is the residents' locker room, attendings are not supposed to be here. Maybe you should mind your own business." She stormed off, leaving Derek with a sigh.

Derek knew he needed to address the issue, but he also understood that Mary needed some time to cool down. A couple of hours later, he paged her to his office, a space where they could talk privately and frankly about the consequences of her actions and the reasoning behind them.

In Derek's office, he leaned against the desk, urging Mary to sit down. The blinds were closed, ensuring their conversation remained confidential. 

Mary scoffed, brushing off his concerns. "It was worth it."