Bri

His muscles relaxed ever so slightly seeing that it was Dana and no one else that had approached him, curiosity and slight accusation in her tone, though it didn't really bother Frank either way.

The way she stood was rather intimidating though. Approaching the table with one raised eyebrow like she assumed Frank was some kind of convict and wanted to know what crime he had committed. She stood behind the chair next to Frank, hands on her hips and her head cocked to one side as she waited impatiently for him to answer her question.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He was tired, he wasn't in the mood for playing games or messing around with a cat and mouse chase.

She gave him a certain look that told him not to toy around either; he knew what she was referring to. "What's going on with you and Robby?"

"Nothing-"

"Don't give me that crap. He's furious with you over something. You spent two days in triage, he's barely speaking to you and won't consult on any patient with you. You're being punished, now what for?"

Both arms dropped down onto the table with a clatter, hands still entwined though his muscles lost their tension and strain and seemed to melt against the smooth polished surface. His hands started to fiddle, fingers bending, joints cracking in an attempt to keep himself busy.

Frank couldn't look up at her.

He knew if he dared to look at Dana, his composure would crumble and he would be at risk of spilling his guts to her, and that was the last thing he wanted to do right now. He didn't want anyone in the ER finding out about his dilemma and why Robby was so angry with him. If he asked Dana to keep a secret he knew she would, but she would then know and he didn't know whether the relief of talking to someone outweighed the urge to keep this private.

Everyone could tell something was up though, it was no secret when Robby was making it blatently clear.

A few rumours had spread through the ER when people heard Frank and Robby arguing outside, though no one knew what it had been about. Then Frank had gone awol for the last part of their shift, and Robby had been furious, barely speaking to anyone, let alone the patients.

Two days later when Frank was back on his next shift, he had been banished to triage for the entirety of his twelve and a half hour shift. What made people ore suspicious was the fact that Frank didn't question it. At all. He allowed himself to be banished, and the following day too when Robby sent him there again.

But then Robby was refusing to speak to Frank, he acted like he was a ghost that he could neither see nor interact with. If anything had to be said to Frank, it was spoken into the air, his name never mentioned, or someone was sent to Frank to deliver a message.

No one had ever seen their attending and senior like this before and it was starting to become unnerving. Dana didn't like it either, the ER was like a ship that had to be navigated and sailed precisely or all order wennt to pot and chaos ensued. She wanted her ship back in order again, with the attending and senior back to how they should be with one another.

"It's not related to work."

Dana's brow quirked as if her interest had been sparked yet again and she pursed her lips as she hummed. "So you have done something then."

It wasn't accusing, more stating the obvious facts and Frank nodded solemnly because it was true. He had indeed done something to warrant Robby being so brisk and unfair to him, that was clear by the way Frank allowed Robby to act like this. If he hadn't done anything worthy of this treatment, Frank would have caused a fuss, he would have called Robby out on it right there on the ER floor.

"It'll blow over, kid. But you need to talk to him, we can't have an attending and a senior avoiding each other on shift, you'll cause friction for the rest of us."

"Go tell him that." Frank gestured his hand towards the door. "I tried being civil, he's not speaking to me at all, won't let me explain anything or ask for a consult. Nothing."

It wasn't Frank who was causing the friction at work. Sure, he was the one who had casued problems between them, but Frank didn't want to let it get in the way of work. He had tried to talk to Robby, to be civil and ask about patients and tell him which patients he was discharging or sending up for a scan or informing Robby of changes.

Robby listened but didn't respond or acknowledge Frank in any way, he was treating him like he didn't exist and that was causing problems at work. Robby was the attending, the Chief of Medicine, he was the one who was supposed to rise above the rest and not let personal drama affect the workplace. But it was him who was being childish, not Frank.

"Why?"

He didn't want to answer, he truly didn't but Dana was like a work mum to Frank. She had always listened to his troubles, given him advice, helped him when he felt low and didn't want to go to Robby with his troubles.

She might be able to help, to offer Frank some advice on how to deal with Robby in the workplace. She might go and talk to Robby for him and convince him to be civil to Frank. He was at the point of trying anything to get Robby to talk to him either in or out of work to sort this out.

It wasn't going to get any easier considering Frank knew that (Y/n) hadn't spoken to Robby in nearly a week. She wouldn't answer his calls and she had only just started to answer his texts with short blatant responses that were driving her dad insane. He had truly upset her and she wasn't going to forgive him so easily, which seemed to make Robby more intent on taking his frustrations out on Frank whenever he saw him in the workplace.

"I…" Frank eased himself forward and rose his arms so his face was encased by his palms once again. "I slept with (Y/n)."

He managed to look up through his fingers at Dana, but he was dismayed to see her staring at him with wide eyes and lips caught between frowning nd laughing. She seemed to settle on an aghast, jaw-dropping look as she emitted a sigh and shook her head.

"It was nice knowing ya, kid."

All he got was a pat to the shoulder before Dana left the room and Frank's stomach dropped down like a stone sinking to the bottom of the ocean.

That wasn't comforting at all. What was he supposed to do with that? How was he supposed to make things work here at the ER if even Dana didn't know what to say or do? Clearly she wasn't going to go and talk to Robby, at least not right away, and that was going to do absolutely nothing to help Frank.

Now he was glad he didn't disclose that (Y/n) was pregnant. That was still (Y/n)'s news to tell more than it was Frank's, and he would never want to tell on her behalf and have it spread round the ER like gossip. Gossip was currency in this place and this would top the bill.

Robby had already gone over her head and told Frank, there was no way Frank would tell a soul without making sure it was okay with (Y/n) first.

Nor did he want to admit to Dana or anyone else right now that he was in love with (Y/n).

That was something he had to tell Abby first.

***

"Is everything okay?"

A deep sigh rumbled past Robby's lips and he lolled his head back until the florescent lights were burning his closed eyes and his neck cricked into place.

He did his best to muster up a calm, almost smiling expression before he looked over at Val. "We've got things covered up to now, and that seven year old got sent up to you about twenty minutes ago, right?"

Robby hadn't been on shift that long and already he was aching to go home. Well, he had felt like this for the last week since everything had happened with (Y/n). But this shift was already starting to take a toll on him and Robby knew it was going to be a long day, he could feel it deep in his bones.

But he put on his best smile when he looked down at Val. She worked up in pediatrics as head nurse and she was a lot kinder than some of the people Robby had to be with. He would deal with Val one hundred times over than have to talk to Gloria even once.

But when he looked down at her, he found her frowning up at him as if he had just spoken pure gibberish.

"I meant with you, Dr Robby." The way Val dipped her head to one side and stepped a bit closer made Robby unnerved.

"Me?"

What was that supposed to mean? A sliver of dread crawled up Robby's spine at the thought of (Y/n) mentioning something, because paediatrics was (Y/n)'s ward, her place of work. Had she been talking to Val? Had she told her colleagues what was happening in their lives?

Did she mention that she was pregnant? That she had fallen out with her dad over who she was seeing? Robby was curious to know if she had told any of them that she was seeing a married man. He presumed she wouldn't, but he couldn't be sure of anything anymore. He never thought his daughter would go sneaking around with a married man, let alone one of Robby's own colleagues, his right hand man at work no less.

"I heard (Y/n) was down here last week, and she's called in for her shift today. I thought I'd come down, check everything's alright and if you know whether I need to cover her for tomorrow too."

Robby was both relieved and unnerved to hear that.

So she hadn't said a word to anyone, that was good news. Robby didn't want anyone in the hospital to start gossiping, God knows this ER would be all the chatter when people eventually found out what Frank had been doing.

But he hadn't known that (Y/n) had called in sick for her shift this morning; did that mean she was ill, or was she too upset and uneasy to go in today? The thought of her being home alone worried Robby in case she was in a state like she had been last week when she brought herself down to the ER. And after how that had ended, Robby was sure his daughter wouldn't willingly come down here whether she was in need or not.

He nodded, trying to kepe his calm smile plastered across his face so Val wouldn't know that he had no idea his daughter had called in today. So no one would figure there was anything amiss between him and her.

"Oh, yeah she's been down with bad sickness, go ahead and find cover for tomorrow. I'll check in with her and let you know when she'll be back."

"Thanks Dr Robby."

He nodded, a sickly smile on his face as Val gave his elbow a squeeze before making her way out. Clearly that had been all she came down here for, just a check in. Robby knew it was good of her to come and ask him, to check if (Y/n) was okay and if she needed any more time off.

But inside, Robby was fuming. He was a volcano that was on the brink of erupting and taking down everyone with him.

He grabbed a chart and started to look through it, though he wasn't too sure what he was looking for or what he was doing, really. The words blurred before his eyes as his mind kept revolving back to (Y/n). He wanted to call her to make sure she was alright, but he knew she wasn't going to answer him. She'd only answered his texts the last two days because he threatened to come round to her flat and not leave until he knew she was okay.

A horrible sense of dread suddenly washed over Robby like a tidal wave and his fingers clenched around the chart in his hands until the paper wrinkled and started to crease and tear beneath his grip.

Where was Frank?

When Dana walked past him, Robby reached out and grabbed her arm so she couldn't walk away without talking to him first.

"Langdon, where is he? I haven't seen him today."

For the last week Robby had been making a point of ignoring Frank, of going about talking to everyone but him. Whenever Frank asked him something or wanted a consult, Robby took the chart from his hands and walked away. He turned his back to Frank, wouldn't answer him, got Dana to give him messages, he'd even sent him to triage to get Frank out of his sight that first shift back.

He hadn't had to avoid him this morning, and that thought was only just dawning on him now. He hadn't had to turn his back or hold his head high and look away. Robby hadn't had to pretend Frank was a mirage that no one could see. Was it a coincidence? Or did him not being here have something to do with (Y/n) calling in sick?

"He called in this morning, took a sick day so I drafted Garcia for the shift." Dana shrugged before biting the inside of her cheek and adding "Didn't think you two were speaking."

She hadn't thought anything of it this morning when Frank rang and said he couldn't make it in. It wasn't like him to use his sick days, he barely took his annual leave either last year, Dana remembered him getting paid those holiday days because he hadn't used them. So she figured he had to be feeling ill or not himself for him to call in today.

Not that she thought Robby would notice or even care though, since things had been strange between them lately. She was about to tentatively tell Robby that he couldn't keep being like this with Frank, that it was going to disrupt everything within the ER, when he suddenly spoke up.

"I've got a personal emergency to handle, I'll be an hour- two at most. You need anything patch through to Abbot, he's on call."

Robby couldn't handle any more of this. He was going to see (Y/n) and make sure she was okay; and if Frank was there, he was going to rip him apart.

A sigh rumbled past Frank's lips and his head drooped to the left until it was practically leant against his shoulder.

His left arm was stretched across the back of the sofa, fingers tapping idly on the back of the cushion. While his right arm was curved across his middle so his fingers could tangle in (Y/n)'s hair.

Sympathy and sorrow battled their way through his eyes that were focused on on her as she laid across his lap. Her knees were brought up towards her chest and the way she laid quite reminded Frank of a child seeking comfort and reassurance. Her cheek was imbedded against his thigh, head on his lap with one hand clutching at his knee like she was trying to make sure he wasn't about to disappear or try to leave her.

There was a plastic bowl resting on the floor by their feet, there just in case (Y/n) felt the urge to be sick. Again. And there was a glass of water on the coffee table, along with an empty glass that had held soluble paracetamol, a pack of opened diuretics to add to drinks to try and boost electrolytes and minerals. The table was littered with everything that was supposed to help (Y/n), but none of it seemed to be making a difference.

Frank stopped his hand that had been combing through (Y/n)'s hair and instead moved to press the back of his hand against her temple before he sighed and rose his hand to run across his face.

"You're still burning up," His voice was soft as if afraid to disrupt the atmosphere surrounding them. (Y/n) gave a quiet hum and a squeeze of his thigh to show that she was listening, while Frank glanced at his watch. "Give it 'til lunch, but then I'll have to take you in."

(Y/n) gave another hum but Frank wasn't sure whether she was agreeing with him or simply showing that she was still conscious and somewhat coherent of what he was saying.

When she called him this morning saying she could barely get out of bed and felt horrid, Frank diverted from his journey to work and came here instead. He'd promptly called in sick when he got here because there was no way he was leaving (Y/n) home alone in this state.

He'd said when he arrived that if she didn't get or feel any better within a few hours, then he would make a call to the maternity ward and get her an appointment with a midwife. It would be better than going back down to the ER, at least the maternity unit would get (Y/n) an appointment straight away and she could be admitted there with an exam and fluids and meds. The ER took time and it wasn't where she needed to be.

So far Frank hadn't managed to get (Y/n) to have more than a few mouthfuls of juice and she was still running a temperature which was beginning to worry him.

(Y/n) closed her eyes and nuzzled her cheek further into Frank's thigh, wishing to feel better so they wouldn't have to go anywhere. She was supposed to be making herself an appointment with a midwife soon anyway, but not an emergency one like Frank was suggesting. She would need her first scan soon and to set up her regular check ups she would need.

The feeling of Frank's fingers running through her hair was calming and it distracted (Y/n) from the churning in her stomach and the headache pulsing behind her eyes from dehydration.

She was minutes away from dozing off right there on the sofa, when a harsh knock started to pound on the front door.

Her body jolted, head aching as she lifted it up from Frank's lap, their eyes locking in confusion. Before (Y/n) could try and say anything, Frank was already pushing up from the sofa to go and open the door. As he walked, he turned and glanced back over his shoulder in her direction.

"You expecting anyone?" He commented quietly although he was sure he already knew the answer.

He was the first person (Y/n) called this morning when she didn't feel well- something he was happy about, to be the one to come over and help her- and she hadn't called anyone since. He couldn't imagine her expecting anyone today either when she should have been at work.

He watched (Y/n) shake her head, having no clue who was at the door, and Frank tried not to wince when he watched her. (Y/n) could barely sit herself up on the sofa and when she did, she flagged back against the cushions like her limbs were too heavy and no longer under her own control.

Frank barely unlocked the door before it was given a harsh shove and he had to step back before it collided with his chest.

His teeth sank down into his lower lip until blood speckled across his teeth and with a sigh, Frank held his hands up at his sides in surrender. He stepped back towards the wall, letting Robby barge into the apartment and slam the door behind him.

Utter rage seemed to be the only thing recognisable within Robby's eyes when they set on Frank, zoning in like a predator gaining tunnel vision to see its prey.

Within a second, his hands were gripping Frank's shirt and forcing him back another step until his shoulders hit the wall and spasms were shooting throughout his nervous system. But Frank didn't fight back. He didn't lash out or try and push forward. His arms stayed raised at his sides with his palms out, showing he wasn't about to fight him.

"I knew it. I fucking knew I'd find you here-"

"Robby don't, she's not well."

Defeat flooded Frank's voice while he pointed down the hall towards the sofa where (Y/n) was watching them with panicked eyes.

Starting a fight in her home wasn't going to do any of them any favours. Frank didn't want to fight, Robby needed to get everything off his chest and (Y/n) most of all, wasn't well enough for this drama.

Robby's stance faltered, hands losing their grip on Frank's shirt as he looked to his right and locked his eyes on his daughter. He looked from (Y/n)'s drowsy eyes and quivering frame to the coffee table, littered with meds and drinks, and the sick bowl on the floor by her feet.

His mind had been split in two about what would be going on in this apartment when he got here. His gut told him that Frank would be here, it was too much of a coincidence that they both called in sick on the same day for the same reasoning; he just knew he would find Frank here.

But Robby hadn't been sure whether they would be here talking things through or whether (Y/n) would be feeling unwell like when she came to the ER last week. It didn't seem to dawn on him that (Y/n) might be just as unwell and sickly as she had been that day.

When Robby's hands let go of his shoulders, Frank pushed off the wall and tried to side step around Robby.

"I wouldn't leave her on her own, I'm trying to take care of her." He was being honest, and he would talk calmly if Robby would actually speak to him now. This was all that Frank had wanted since their bust up outside the ambulance bay.

He wanted the chance to explain, to talk things through and to get Robby to be civil and calm with him. Robby could still hate him and feel betrayed and angry until the sun fizzled out in the sky, that was perfectly fine with Frank. As long as they could talk and have some kind of truce when they were at work.

The way Robby's head snapped back towards him and his eyes narrowed made Frank's stomach drop. "That's not your job, you already have a wife to dote on, remember her?"

With a grimace, Frank found his hands curling into fists though he wasn't in the mood or about to start laying out punches. Was it always going to be thrown back in his face that he had made so many mistakes? Did no one care how he felt or why he had gone behind Abby's back? Was it always going to be presumed that he was a filthy cheater who felt nothing for (Y/n) but lust?

"Get out. Either go home to Abby or get your ass to work, I don't care which. I've got this from here."

Robby wasn't in the mood for this and he didn't have time. He was here to check on his daughter and take care of her if need be. He needed to know how ill she was, to assess her and decide whether to stay here or take her back to the hospital with him and get her admitted.

There was no need for Frank to be here. He shouldn't be here. He didn't belong here. He had his own home where his wife would be waiting on him because she presumed he was at work for the day. Either he went home where he should have stayed in the first place, or he went to the ER and told them he was feeling better and ready to work. Either was fine with Robby, as long as he didn't hang around (Y/n) any longer.

"No."

"No?" Amusement flooded Robby's eyes and he rose a brow as his head tilted to one side. Was Frank really going to argue with him and not listen to the warning he was being given? Did he really want to do this here, now?

Shock plastered across Frank's face when his shirt collar was suddenly scrunched up in Robby's fist and he was being manhandled towards the door. He was given a rough shove until his hand had to reach out and plaster to the door so he didn't headbutt it.

"I said, get out."

"Stop it!"

Both men froze in their battle against the door, their heads turning to look behind them when (Y/n) slammed her fist so forcefully on the coffee table that the glass of juice toppled over and spilt across the rug.

They watched her lean forward, a grimace flooding her face before her hand was there, covering her features as she breathed sharply through her teeth.

"You both stay. Talk, I- I can't keep doing this, you need to talk, you work together." (Y/n) slumped forward with both elbows now resting on her thighs and her hands smothering her face to block out the light and somehow make herself feel the slightest bit better.

They couldn't carry on like this; none of them could. (Y/n) was tired. She wasn't feeling well enough to play referee and she didn't want either of them to leave. If her dad was going to stick around and play doctor then he had to be civil and let Frank stay too because he was the one that (Y/n) had called, he was the one she wanted here.

With sighs and slumped shoulders, the pair of them hustled away from the door but when Frank saw how (Y/n) was rocking from her heels to her toes, he made a split second decision and turned to the left, aiming for the kitchen. They couldn't talk and possibly argue in front of her when she was feeling like that, it wasn't going to do her any good.

Robby seemed to know this because after a lasting glance in his daughter's direction, he aimed after Frank into the kitchen.

They stood on opposite sides, their backs to the counters with Frank's arms crossed over his chest and Robby's hands clinging to the countertop behind him like he was bracing himself in his corner of the ring anticipating a match.

It took an awkward minute of silence before Robby decided to be the one to break the silence. "You can't play her like this."

"I'm not-"

"Frank, your wife thinks you're at work. I expect that's where she always thinks you are when you're actually here, screwing around with my daughter. What are you expecting to do, lead a double life?"

It was hard enough for Robby to remain calm when all he wanted to do was rant and rage at Frank, at the person he thought he had been taking under his wing. He felt like he had been played for a fool, when he thought Frank was listening to him and learning from him and being his right hand man at work, he was really betraying that trust. Fooling around with Robby's daughter like it meant nothing.

And now he was here, tending to her like they were in a committed relationship when really, Frank already was, to someone else.

He was here acting her partner when his wife presumed he was hard at work. Robby realised it must have been easy for Frank to go around having an affair under the pretense of staying late in the ER, covering shifts or dealing with emergencies or pulling a double shift.

But he couldn't carry on doing this, it wasn't fair to Abby but (Y/n) was Robby's main concern and it wasn't fair to her either.

She couldn't lead her life being Frank's partner on the side, and she could hardly raise a child with him if he was sneaking around living two separate lives that he didn't want to be intertwined.

Hurt flashed across Frank's darkening blue eyes and his lips curved into a grimace as his muscles tensed up.

"You really think that low of me?"

Is that who Robby truly thought Frank was? All this time, had he thought so horribly of him? Did he really believe that Frank would continue like this, that he would put (Y/n) through that now that she was pregnant and their circumstances had changed?

"I didn't, until you went behind my back-"

"Jesus Robby!" Frank fought the urge to slam his hand against the cupboard, instead unleashing his arms so his hands could raise and tangle in his hair and pull until he felt the sweet burning sensation at his scalp and loose hair catching between his fingers.

"No one's perfect, not me, not even you or (Y/n). It wasn't planned, I didn't expect or mean to fall for her but it happened. I love her and I'm not sorry about that. You want to know my plan? I'm going to leave my wife, but I haven't gotten the courage to talk to her yet. She'll ask who it is and I don't want to cause trouble for (Y/n). Or you. But I'm gonna tell her."

Frank wasn't too sure what kind of a reaction he was expecting after spilling all those words, but he wanted something more than the slight crease in Robby's brow. He wanted a nod of the head, a hum, a look of surprise and an apology for thinking he was some cheating scum who would never do the right thing and only looked out for himself.

No one was perfect, they learnt that every day working in the ER where all walks of life came through those doors.

Frank didn't plan to fall for the boss's daughter, he didn't look at (Y/n) and decide he was going to toy with her heart and get her into his bed. He had stumbled into an affair with her and subsequently fallen in love with her.

He was going to leave Abby, he was adamant about that, but first Frank had to talk to her. He had to tell her everything, be honest with her.

He knew as soon as he did, it would unleash more Hell onto (Y/n) and even Robby. Abby would demand to know who Frank had fallen for and if he told her, he would subject (Y/n) to his wife's wrath. Abby would try and talk to her, argue and shout with her. She might go as far as talking to Robby and causing a stir.

That was the last thing Frank wanted, for this to have repercussions for Robby and (Y/n) and for them to have to deal with the anger and betrayal he had caused in Abby. But he wouldn't have a choice, and Frank needed a little time to prepare for that backlash that they were all going to face at some point in the near future.

"You'd leave Abby, your home, everything, for (Y/n)?" Robby's voice was dubious and it made Frank outwardly flinch.

"I love her."

The honesty in his voice, the clarity in his eyes and the way he held himself told Robby that he wasn't trying to spin a lie. Frank truly loved his daughter, and that put Robby in an inward battle.

"And you know what you've broiled her into? What people will say when they find out? The gossip at work, Abby's reaction; if you get a divorce (Y/n) will be named as the reason why, you'll have a lot of shit to deal with."

Robby still wasn't happy, the look on his face expressed as much and the way he wouldn't meet Frank's eye told him that it was going to take a lot more than a relatively calm conversation to sort the rift now happening between them.

It was Robby's aim to look out for his daughter, he needed to protect her from anything and everything within his power.

He thought he had tried to do that already, amongst other things by trying to ward his staff away from her. Once people found out this situation, it was going to become a gossip mill. (Y/n) would be named as the cause if Frank and Abby got a divorce. People in the hospital would start talking and it could affect all of their work.

Not to mention what Abby might say or do if she tried to get hold of (Y/n) to talk or argue with her. There was going to be a lot of drama to put up with and whether or not Frank was ready for that, Robby didn't want his daughter to have to suffer through it either.

"And I'll face all that. For the record, I am sorry. You think I'm selfish, that I went against you but I couldn't help falling for her and I won't apologise for that. You can think what you like of me, but can you try and be civil at work? Outside the ER say what you like, don't talk to me do whatever you need to, but not at work."

The sharp nod Robby gave told Frank that while this was far from over, they had reached a truce, an understanding, as far as the ER was concerned.

"I think you should stay away from (Y/n), until you've told Abby. You owe them both that much."

Frank couldn't find an answer for that. It sounded reasonable, it was understandable and part of him wanted to agree. But he wasn't sure he could force himself to stay away from (Y/n), whether it was for the best or not. He couldn't make that kind of agreement or promise when he would likely go back on it and Robby would be in even more of a rage against him than he already had been.

It seemed that he didn't need to come up with a feasible answer or rebuttal for that. Both their heads turned in the direction of the living room when (Y/n)'s voice cut through the air, weak and strained.

"Frank…"

He didn't think twice before his feet were carting him out of the kitchen and he made a beeline for the sofa.

"What's wrong baby?" He sank back down in his previous seat, their knees bumping as he leaned in close to her side. One arm draped over the back of the sofa so he could incline closer to (Y/n) while his other hand gently cupped her chin, tilting her head back so they were level.

"Can we go?" She could barely keep her voice level and the shallow, hitched breaths she took made Frank certain she was fighting the urge to be sick. Not that she had drank enough to throw anything up, anyway.

She had caught him by surprise there. (Y/n) was asking him to go to the hospital. She wanted to; that was how Frank knew she really wasn't well. When he brought up going to the hospital when he arrived early this morning, (Y/n) disagreed. She didn't want to and she didn't think she was bad enough for that. Clearly she was starting to feel worse.

(Y/n) couldn't sit like this any longer and try to keep down fluids only to throw them back up again. Frank said he could call the maternity block and get her an appointment with a midwife today. If they did that then they could check everything was alright with the baby. (Y/n) could be given some more anti-emetics and this situation would be controlled before it spun out of hand.

"Yeah, yeah baby I'll take you." With a lasting kiss to her temple, Frank lifted his head and looked across the other end of the sofa at Robby. "I said I'd take her to the maternity block, she can't keep going on like this she needs an exam."

"I'll make a call, and I'll take her." His voice had lost that sharp edge to it, but he still sounded like a hovering father, not giving room for debate.

"Frankie," (Y/n) found herself shaking her head and she latched her hands around Frank's forearms, trying to cling to him just in case her dad tried to separate them as if they were teenagers.

She didn't want to go on her own and as much as her dad was always a comfort to her, being the main family she had, (Y/n) wanted Frank with her too. He was her partner for all intents and purposes in this strange situation, this was his baby.

"Robby, no one in the maternity block knows me."

It was a completely separate building to the main hospital and the ER rarely had much connection with it.

Frank had never stepped foot in that block and he didn't know anyone who worked over there. It was highly unlikely that they would know him or that he was a married Senior resident from the emergency room. There would be no odd looks or funny questions or rumours flying around if he took (Y/n) over there. Word wouldn't get back to anyone in the Pitt and especially not to Abby.

Robby's jaw set as he leaned over and held onto (Y/n)'s elbows, helping her up from the sofa and stuffing her phone in his pocket so they didn't forget it. But he see from the way she clung to Frank that she didn't want to be parted from him.

And if he tried to make Frank leave, Robby would be causing a rift between himself and his daughter. A week of not seeing her and not hearing her voice had almost killed him, he couldn't risk another rift between them or making her health any worse than it already was.

He sighed and gave the smallest nod of his head. "Fine. But you don't come back here until things are sorted with your wife."

The emphasis on 'wife' made Frank growl low in his chest and had (Y/n) looking down at the floor, as if in shame. Spite clung to Robby's voice because he couldn't rid it from his system. He would continue to refer to Abby in that way because she was indeed his wife and he needed to talk to her before he tried to keep cosying up to (Y/n).