Of parents and children

No matter how many times he really wanted to.

He couldn’t escape.

Not this time.

It was an event the hospital decided to show more paranoid family members of the staff that Caduceus indeed was not some government conspiracy involving their tax dollars and children.

Derek sighed as he stood outside of the hospital watching as a woman with brunette hair and blue eyes hurried up with a sheepish smile. “Hi there honey.” Lisbeth smiled taking off the sunhat she was wearing.

Only my mom would show up in a tank top, clam diggers and sandals… “Hey mom…” He grimaced. “Um...You do remember what event this is?”

She nodded hugging her son as he hugged her back. “Of course! I get to see my little boy the doctor in action! And meet all of your co-workers.” She beamed. She had been looking forward to this especially since she could spend some time with her only child.

He only grimaced more. Lisbeth’s smile faded as she looked concerned. “Are you okay baby boy?” She felt his forehead brushing his bangs back as she did so. “Ugh and you didn’t comb your hair again! Always so messy.”

“Mom…” He quietly pleaded looking around to be sure none of his co-workers saw them. “I just got out of surgery I’m a little messy.” It was a lie and she knew it.

She glowered at him crossing her arms. “You think I’m gonna embarrass you.”

“Noooo! No no no!” He brushed her off with an all too obvious grin trying to disprove it. Yes, yes a thousand times yes mother. You’re queen of embarrassing me… He thought unable to hide a wince as she tugged her comb out of her purse and ran it through his brown locks. “Mooom….My hair looks cool.”

“You said that when you somehow managed to dye your bangs blue when you were in highschool.” She said with an unimpressed look.

Derek cringed remembering that incident. He had been dared by a friend of his to do it and he had...And he didn’t want to remember the ear yanking that followed as his mother scrubbed his hair with vinegar until the dye came out. “Please let’s keep that a secret.” He begged.

She shook her head and nudged him. “C’mon I wanna meet ALL of your co-workers on a better basis then when you were ‘sick’.”

Sick meaning about to turn into half fish…  He thought as he lead her inside.

He passed the nurse’s station finding Angie talking to her mother as he smiled a little.

“Aww...There’s your mate.” Lisbeth said loud enough for the two women to hear.

Derek and Angie flushed deep red both from embarrassment and slight anger. They hadn’t exactly TOLD Angie’s mom that she was dating.

Mrs. Thompson looked genuinely shocked. “Mate? As in dating!? Angela!”

“Mother…” Angie gulped as Derek and Lisbeth made their way over. “I was going to-”

“Why didn’t you tell me he was adorable!?”

Lisbeth grinned nudging her son as Derek blanched ducking his head down face burning red. “He takes after his father. Ain’t he just the cutest? And I must say your daughter is just beautiful. She’s grown into a lovely young woman and she has a beautiful example of a mother.” The two mother’s after that hit it off.

Derek whispered to Angie; “Think we can get them to the elevator before they start on the baby stories?”

Angie shook her head.

“Psst..” They heard a voice behind them and whirled around. They found Tyler hiding under the nurse’s station desk. “Do you see a woman with short brown hair and blue eyes wearing a red dress walking around with a guy who looks kind of like me?” Tyler asked in a hushed tone.

“No-”

“There you are!” A woman’s voice alerted them as someone fitting Tyler’s description stopped at the nurse’s station looking down. “Tyler Chase! You dare try to leave your mother alone in a creepy morgue by herself!?”

“Chase? Thee Tyler Chase my son practically has a bromance with?” Lisbeth spoke up as the brunette looked over to the Stiles widow.

Both surgeons groaned quite audibly. “We do NOT have a bromance!” Both chorused Tyler jumping up. It’s SO a bromance. They both unknowingly thought.

Tyler’s mother held a hand out to Lisbeth as she shook it. “Carly Chase, Tyler’s mom. You must be Derek’s judging by the moaning of the boys.” Carly giggled as Lisbeth grinned.

“Yup he’s my little surgeon...Tell me does yours mumble about your cholesterol while your trying to enjoy a sandwich?” She asked crossing her arms.

“E’yup. And blood sugar…” Carly rolled her eyes as both mother’s gave their son’s a look.

They decidedly looked away and quickly began walking away.

“C’mon mom I wanna introduce you to my  friend Leslie.” Angie said leading Mrs. Thompson away before any damage to her reputation could be done.

The Stiles and Chase wives shrugged and followed in tandem after their son’s talking the entire way

“I remember when Tyler was three he decided to strip down to his skivvies and covered himself in baby powder and ran around the yard.” Carly giggled as Lisbeth laughed. “He ran right for the rose bush!”

“Oh god!” Lisbeth laughed. “That reminds me of when Derek was four and he decided to pretend to be Superman and grabbed his dad’s belt and my good RED drapes and climbed to the top of his swingset.”

Derek and Tyler sighed trying to focus on their jobs but it was hard listening to their own mother’s exchanging humiliating moments from their childhood.

“And he said to his dad after he picked him off the ground; “Daddy why does the ground hate me?” his big eyes all welled up with tears. John told him the ground didn’t hate him and he was asking why he didn’t fly all the way to the hospital. He was sad that his ‘cape’ didn’t give him superpowers and only earned him a broken arm.” Lisbeth shook her head.

“Aw...He must’ve been one cute kid.”

“I got pictures in my wallet.”

OH.HELL.NO. “Mom, Mrs. Chase how would you two like to observe a surgery from our observation room?” Derek asked whirling around putting on his most charming smile he could manage.

“Yeah we’re doing an exploratory surgery today with a new model of endoscope.” Tyler replied in a cheery voice throwing an arm around his best friend.

The parents looked to each other and shrugged. “Sure, why not? That sounds wonderful dear. I’ve been dying to see you in surgical action.” Lisbeth beamed with pride at her son..Despite not even five minutes before about to embarrass him.

“I’d love to...But please tell me you’re going to tie back that hair.” Carly said as Tyler quickly turned around and made his way for the OR. “Hey don’t ignore your mom when she’s talking to you! You look like a woman!”

The Stiles mother and son watched them go before Derek turned to Lisbeth. “Mom..I’m begging you...No more embarrassing stories.” He pleaded giving her a begging look.

Lisbeth frowned in confusion. “Derek...Those aren’t embarrassing...Some of those happened before you  could even remember...And those also happened when your father was with us still. Those are cherished memories...Besides..You’re my baby. I’m sorry if I embarrassed you but I haven’t been able to talk with anyone about these things in years.” She said with a sigh.

“Mom you talked to grandma and grandpa about it...The other um...Y’know…” Derek said quietly.

“It’s not the same as talking to other moms who went through similar things.” She said with a shake of her head. “Everyone in our family knows how proud I am of you...How much I adore you and think you’re the greatest thing to ever happen in this world…” Her voice cracked a little.

Now he felt bad..His mother looked like she was about to cry now. Derek held his arms out as his mother brought hers around him. “Mom...I..I had no idea..”

“I just love you so much...And Derek you’ll understand when you have kids of your own.” She said wiping away unshed tears. “You’ll embarrass them like absolute hell, you’ll scare away boys who try to date your daughter if you have one, you’ll dread giving your son the sex talk...But you’ll cherish all the silly memories, from toddlers running naked in the front yard, to seven year olds asking about genitals and strutting around wearing your partner’s shoes.” She smiled at memories and hugged her son a little tighter. “If I embarrass you..It’s because that’s what a mom does...We do a LOT for you kids when your small...A lot...And if we can get some enjoyment out of it then why not?”

He had no idea that’s how she felt. He sighed hugging her rubbing her shoulder. “Sorry mom...Go ahead….Tell as many stories as you want...And make best friends with my best friend’s mother. It’d be awesome to finally be able to talk to Tyler about our crazy mom’s.”

She pulled back and smirked playfully smacking his arm. “That’s your crazy fish mom to you buster.”

“That’s Dr. Buster to you.” He laughed as they made their way to the OR the two separating one to the observatory over the OR and the other to scrub in.

Watching their son’s work Carly and Lisbeth mused on a few thing’s. “So..Did you ever wonder if our sons loved each other?” Carly asked out of the blue after a moment of silence.

Lisbeth started to crack up. “Oh dear heavens! I thought so but more like a brotherly thing. Hence the bromance. Did your son ever love zombie movies from the eighties?”

Carly smirked. “Yep...He watched Return of the Living Dead to the point of where he could memorize Trash’s scene atop the tombstone...And memorized Tonight by SSQ.” She replied pulling out a picture.

Lisbeth took a glance at a photograph of a ten year old Tyler chase with messy curls standing atop his family’s couch singing into a hair spray bottle. “He’s ADORABLE.”

“I know right? It was so funny...And he then banned Amy from seeing the movie.” She shook her head looking at the picture sighing wistfully remembering a simpler time. Before GUILT, before Amy got sick, before Tyler became a surgeon. “He’s a good man...He takes such good care of her...When she was sick Tyler was willing to do anything for her...And honestly? I was terrified that if she passed away I’d lose not one but both of my babies.”

Lisbeth gave her a sympathetic look and gave her a half hug.”I’m so sorry...How is Amy now?”

“So hyperactive you’d think Tyler gave  her an IV of Red Bull instead of blood.” She smirked. “She’s doing much better then she was….Your son operated on her...So thanks.”

She blinked. “F-for what?”

“For raising such a great young man that turned into an amazing surgeon. He saved my daughter’s life.” Carly beamed as Lisbeth smiled. The two shared a real hug before looking down at their son’s.

Derek appeared to be cursing Tyler out about something. The blonde doctor making mocking gestures.

“So...Question...How’d your husband react to you being pregnant?”

“John jumped for joy...Literally. He went out onto our terrace at the time we lived in an apartment and yelled at the top of his lungs: “I’M GONNA BE A DAD.” Three times. One neighbor suggested that if he yelled it some more I might have multiples. He turned white.” Lisbeth giggled at the memory. “He then realized he technically broke a rule...We agreed that when we got pregnant I’d tell my sister first before anyone else got told because we’re mega close...But I didn’t mind. I got it on film.” She smirked but it faded into a sad smile. “John was wonderful during the entire pregnancy. He even drove to KFC at three in the morning because I was craving it and even remembered to get the boneless because he knew I hated the bone in.”

“Wow you lucked out.” Carly giggled. “I’m so jealous...Jake my husband fainted and then when he came to he went for the yellow pages..I asked him what the hell and he said he was going to find me a decent mid wife…”

“He didn’t!” Lisbeth had to crack up at that mental image.

“He did. And then when I went into labor he tried to get me to ‘focus on him’...I punched him in the eye and screamed so loudly that the people two doors down wondered if my baby had died or something.” She shook her head. “I just about killed him…”

“Ho boy he must’ve been scared when you got pregnant again.”

“He hugged Tyler and said: “Mommy’s gonna be psychotic in nine months.” instead I was so high on the freaking medication they gave me that I didn’t even realize this squirmy screaming baby belonged to me when Amy was born...But then I held her and it was magic...And she puked on her brother after her first bottle.” She snickered. “Tyler refused to go near her during feedings for months.”

“Pfft..Sounds like what happened when my nephew was born...And he HATED it when we asked him to baby sit Ethan when he got a bit older. Apparently Ethan was the son of the devil as he put it.” They chuckled hearing their son’s talking as they looked down blinking as they realized they must’ve missed something. The patient was gone, the men were descrubbing and making violent gestures at each other.

“I think we missed something.” Lisbeth blinked.

“Let ‘em scream it out. They’re big boys.” Carly deadpanned.


Then they realized what they were yelling at each other. “I TOLD YOU TO STOP FREAKIN’ STABBING THE TUMOR!” Derek screamed at Tyler.

“I TOLD YOU TO TAKE A LEFT AT THE SMALL INTESTINE! NOT A RIGHT!”

“...Let’s just quietly go get them some food.” Carly began.

“And remind them that they’re the best of friends, a bromance even and then pull out baby pictures and show their girlfriends.” Lisbeth finished.

“‘Brilliant plan my friend, brilliant plan.”

The day went on as ‘planned’ the Chase and Stiles families getting to know each other better, Derek and Angie getting some brief alone time.

Victor getting his cheeks pinched by his mother infront of his co-workers...Who then mercilessly pointed and laughed at him.

And more embarrassing childhood stories then they could count getting exchanged.

“Let me tell you when Sidney and Greg were in highschool they got picked for Senior Year Drag Day….”

“MOTHER!” Sidney Kasal gawked as his co-workers/employee’s listened with rapt attention.

“Do tell more Mrs. Kasal please do.” Derek said with intense interest his own mother nodding.

“Is that any like Sophomore Costume Ball? Because I wound up making my son this Tuxedo Mask costume-”

“Mom…!”

“Don’t you mom me!”

But by the end of the day...They were grateful when their parents left and prayed this day would never come again.

But for Tyler and Derek it was still continuing months after the event when Carly and Lisbeth became good friends.

“Tyler?”

“Yeah man?”

“...I think our mom’s are having a bromance.”

“...I’m scared.”

FIN