Imagines and Preferences: Book 1

Coolest Wife Ever | Shaun Murphy

Requested by @camcrusher123

Summary: You're married to Shaun Murphy, who conveniently neglected to mention that you exist to his colleagues until now. They, of course, don't believe him; they've never seen you. And then, you show up at the hospital...

QOTP: Do you like Morgan?

Word Count: 1161

It's a normal day in St. Bonaventure Hospital. Shaun Murphy, Jared Kalu, and Claire Browne are helping Dr. Melendez with a patient. Melendez is off somewhere, probably checking on another patient of his. Shaun, Jared, and Claire are waiting on an MRI.

Claire's talking to Jared about something; Shaun wasn't listening until he heard her say, "I've honestly been thinking about taking a self defense class."

Shaun suddenly says, "My wife teaches one of those."

Jared and Claire, of course, look at him in confusion. Jared's brows furrow. "Your what?"

"My wife," Shaun repeats casually.

"You're married?" Claire asks, skeptical.

Shaun nods. "Yes."

Jared squints. "Where's your wedding ring?"

"I don't like to wear it to work because I don't want to lose it," Shaun replies. "It's too big."

The MRI scan finishes, so the conversation is dropped. Jared and Claire are still suspicious, however, and talk about it sporadically throughout the work day.

They come to the conclusion that, for some unknown reason, Shaun is lying. So, at the end of the workday, they decide to ask him about it again.

Both Claire and Jared park out back, so they never exit the hospital through the front doors. However, they do today so they can talk to Shaun. They spot him through the window - or wall, considering that's all the front of the building really is.

He's sitting on a bench, seemingly waiting for the bus. They see a car driving into the front parking lot, but they don't see the man until it's too late.

He's drunk - maybe high on something. It's unclear why he's here, though. He's stumbling around, and he looks mad. Shaun says something to him, and he turns and shoves Shaun off the bench.

Shaun hits the ground and Jared and Claire, after a moment of shock, starting rushing toward the door. But they're two floors up.

The car speeds up drastically as the man continues to hit and kick Shaun, then it grinds to a halt and a woman jumps out, leaving it running. The man looks up as she shouts something.

He abandons Shaun and heads for her. Claire looks at Jared. "He's going to kill her."

The woman almost slowly walks over to him, obviously seething. Jared shakes his head a little. "Maybe not."

The man clumsily lunges at her, so she throws her arm up. He grabs her wrist, but, in a flash, she twists her own arm up, grabs his wrist with her free hand, and twists his arm back, causing him to turn. She pins his arm to his back and pushes him to ground, close to where Shaun is still laying in a fetal position. He's conscious, but he's bleeding.

Hospital personnel come running out of the building, Jared and Claire on their heels. When they make it out, the woman still has the man pinned, sitting on his back so he can't get up.

"He's drunk," the woman says calmly, though there's panic hiding in her voice. She gets off him and security puts him in handcuffs. Someone calls the police. Immediately, the woman runs to Shaun. Jared and Claire are already next to him. His lip is busted, and he has a black eye.

"Shaun?" the woman asks, completely panicked now. "Are you okay?"

"N-No," Shaun replies. "No, no, no, no..."

He's still panicking; the attack scared him half to death. The woman sits down, and gently moves his head to her lap and starts to run her hands through his hair. She looks at Jared and Claire. "You're doctors, right?"

They both nod and continue to look at Shaun's injuries. "Claire," Jared says, "go get a gurney. We should take him inside. There's too much blood to see anything."

Claire runs off. Meanwhile, the woman is quietly assuring Shaun that everything will be okay. Jared notices a wedding ring on her left hand, and he puts the pieces together. "You're his wife, aren't you?"

She looks up at him. "Yeah. Yeah, I am."

Claire comes back with a few nurses and a gurney, and they get Shaun onto it. His wife walks alongside the gurney until Melendez, who came rushing downstairs when he heard, tells her to wait in the waiting room.

"But I need her," Shaun protests.

Melendez shakes his head, checking Shaun's injuries. "You know we can't have loved ones in the room for this part. Who is she, anyway?"

"She's my wife and I need her," Shaun replies. Jared nods at Melendez, who is completely shocked, but doesn't show it.

"Tell me about her," he says, trying to get Shaun to calm down. It's obvious that he's not in any mortal danger, but he's still in a panic.

Shaun starts talking, telling them about how he knew her in high school, then met her again in Casper and started dating her. Then, about how he proposed (you had to mention beforehand that you would say yes, considering he'd be too afraid of rejection otherwise). The move to San Jose. And your job - a self defense instructor.

Jared decides to head to the waiting room to update her on Shaun's condition.

She jumps out of her seat when she sees him. "Is he okay?"

"He's calmed down," Jared replies. "His lip's busted, his nose is bleeding, he's got a black eye, and Melendez is thinking a bruised rib. A few scrapes, but he'll be fine."

She sighs in relief. "Good. That's good... So he can come home tonight?"

"Yeah, most likely," Jared says. There's a pause, then he asks. "What's it like? Being married to him, I mean?"

She chuckles. "Stressful, at times. But it's never boring, that's for sure. I wouldn't have it any other way."

"The funny thing is, he never mentioned you until today," Jared says.

"Yeah, I figured. What'd he say?"

"That you're his wife and you teach a self defense class."

She chuckles again. "Just the basics, then. Of course." Jared nods, and before he can say anything else, she asks, "You're Jared, right?"

"Yes...?" He's not sure how she knows his name.

"He's mentioned you before," she elaborates. "Anyway... thank you for being Shaun's friend - it sounds stupid, I know, but some people aren't as kind as you, Claire, and Dr. Melendez."

"Well, you don't need to thank me for that," Jared replies.

"It's a shame I feel like I have to, isn't it?"

Jared nods. "Really is."

She sighs. "Anyway, it was nice to finally meet you."

"You, too."

Soon after that, Melendez tells her she can see Shaun. After she passes him and enters the room, Melendez looks at Jared and quietly says, "Coolest wife ever."