M

The shout of your name startled you from your thoughts.

“—someone wants ice cream!”

“Coming!” You stuffed your bag into a locker, brushing yourself off.

Rounding the corner, you plastered your signature customer service smile on. “Hi, welcome to Scoop-a-Doodle, what can I…”

The greeting all but died on your tongue, words catching in your throat. The man in front of the counter was wearing plain black scrubs. Plain black scrubs that were more flattering than they should have been. Maybe it was the way his bicep was flexed, slinging a backpack over his shoulder effortlessly. Or maybe it was the bed of grey curls, unkempt from a hard day’s (night’s?) work. And don’t think you missed the stubble peppering his jaw.

You walked up to the register, and to your horror, he was even more handsome up close. Hazel eyes that were now trained on you, crinkling with crows feet as he grinned. Curse your perpetual attraction to older men.

You felt your face heat up—a warmth that crawled up from your chest to the tips of your ears—realizing you were gawking like an idiot. You coughed, gripping onto the counter. “Sorry, Tuesday morning, you know how it is. What can I get for you?”

The man let out a dry chuckle, low and raspy as you fought with every ounce of your being to be normal about it.

“All good, I’ve had a hell of a night myself.”

“The Pitt?” You squinted at his badge, just barely visible along his waistband.

“You know us by name?”

“More ice cream related accidents happen than you think, Dr.Abbot.”

He huffed, “Must make for some stories.”

“Like you wouldn’t believe…Anyways, what will you be having?”

“What do you recommend?”

“If you’re looking for something on the go, I’d get a milkshake. But if you really want to let loose, I’d get a banana split.”

Dr.Abbot sighed, glancing up at the menu. “Let loose,” he echoed. “Go big or go home. I’m already here, right? Can I get a banana split to go?”

“You sure can.”

“Then I’ll get one of those.”

“Wonderful, I’ll get started on that for you.”

You glided behind the counter, muscle memory kicking it. Grab the box. Slice the banana. Scoop. Scoop. Scoop. Sauce. Whip and cherry.

You set bag on the counter, ringing him up on the kiosk. “That’ll be $15.99”

He fished out a fifty dollar bill from his wallet. “Keep the change.”

“What.”

“I said keep the change. Do you guys tip out here?”

“Oh, yeah, we do.”

You stared as he tucked the money away, instead pulling out a couple handful of twenties. There had to be at least three hundred in his palm right now.

You flipped through the stack, going lightheaded as the number climbed higher and higher. You’d never seen this much cash in person, let alone hold it. And this guy was just carrying it around like lint in his pocket.

“Dr.Abbot—”

“Jack.”

“What?”

“We’re not in a hospital, are we?” He glanced around the empty shop.

“No. No, we’re not.”

“Then you can call me Jack.”

Your stomach flipped.

“Jack, this is five hundred dollars,” you held up the wad in disbelief.

He shrugged like it was nothing, “I thought the spare forty would do, but if you guys get tipped out this should be better.”

Sure, there’d been the occasional generous tip. A gracious thirty-percent. But nothing like this. This was accounted for so that you and the rest of your coworkers would get a decent cut off of it.

For a moment you thought about protesting, even opened your mouth to do so, but a firm look from him shut that down real quickly.

You input the cash into the kiosk, placing the remainder (a whopping four hundred eighty dollars) into the tip jar.

You’re still gobsmacked, something Jack took amusement in as he grabbed his ice cream. He turned to leave, snapping you from your trance.

“Have a doodley day!”

He stopped in his tracks, now facing you with a shit eating grin. “They make you say that?”

“If I want to get paid, yeah.”

He shook his head, chuckling to himself. “Have a doodley day yourself,” now it was his turn to squint at your name tag, the syllables of your name running smoothly off his tongue.

You rolled your eyes, pushing down that warm feeling in your chest, “Thanks.”

He gave you a salute before walking out the door. You were glued to the floor, staring at where Jack had just stood. You replayed the interaction over and over, eyes glancing to the tip jar.

“Fuck.”

To your delight, and dismay, Jack became a regular. Minutes after you clocked in and the store opened, he would stroll through the doors with the same scrubs and backpack over his shoulder. He mixed up his order, always asking for your opinion. He had sampled the entire array of ice cream by now, toasted almond and caramel praline being his favorites. He also ordered more than enough scoops of bubble gum to be considered a casual fan. Anytime you brought it up, his cheeks would tinge pink, firmly denying any claims you made.

Every time he paid, he made sure to leave a substantial tip. Always in cash. You wondered if that was intentional or if he really was old school like that. You couldn’t complain, not when the extra money was keeping you up to date on rent and actual food that didn’t come prepackaged.

He would linger after, practically finishing his sundae as he made conversation with you. You’d busy yourself behind the counter, restocking the sauces, cleaning the freezers, prepping the display of waffle cones. Meanwhile, he asked you questions. About yourself. About your classes. What it was like to work here. He’d share bits and pieces of himself as well. He was a night shift attending at PTMC, which is why he always came in during the morning. He was an avid tennis player and did yoga. There was one particular day where he showed up in a SWAT vest, leaving no doubt just how active he was outside of the hospital.

You also learned that Jack Abbot was a major flirt. You would hand him his icecream, his warm hand brushing against yours so intentionally it was hard not to notice. You’d stammer out his total, a glint in his eyes as he listened. Often he’d allude to taking you someplace ‘nice’—somewhere that smells less like sugar and dairy, sweetheart. He’d tell you that you made the Scoop-a-Doodle uniform work, a suggestive eyebrow raised.

You were in the middle of prepping his milkshake. You glanced over your shoulder to where he was standing. The bastard winked at you, your brain totally malfunctioning. You forgot to slide down the protective shield on the shake machine. Milk and pistachio nut went flying out of the cup; ice cream splattering against your apron, cold chunks spraying your face and getting in your hair.

There was an undignified laugh from behind you.

“Not a word, Abbot.”

“I’d never dream of it, sweets.”

You cleaned yourself up, wiping down the machine and grabbing the spare apron you always packed (this happened more often than you wanted to admit). You set the new milkshake onto the counter.

“That’ll be—”

“$10.99, I know.”

“Why do I even bother? You’ve been here, what, almost a month now?"

“Someone’s been keeping track?” There was that glint again.

“Maybe.”

“I’m flattered,” he gave you a handful of twenties. You counted through them, barely fazed.

“Someone needs to check your ego, Abbot.”

“Maybe a dinner together would humble me.”

Your hand hovered over the tip jar. You knew Jack was a flirt, sure. You thought that was just him. That the magnetized tension between you was part of his natural charisma. But it wasn’t like you had a whole lot of other men lining up at the door for you. None who stuck around like Jack did, milking every second he got to spend with you before he had to go home. Who sincerely listened as you prattled on about how your ice cream was made and the percentage of buttermilk in your whip cream. Who gave you a sympathetic nod as you complained about your uptight professors and their tedious syllabuses.

You really, really liked Jack. And you were pretty sure he liked you, too.

“I would—“

A beeping from his pocket interrupted you. It was his pager. He held it up, an apologetic expression already on his face.

“I have to go. I'm—"

“It's okay. They need you.” You nodded, trying to keep the disappointment from your tone, the moment gone.

It didn’t matter. The door chimed as he left, his milkshake still on the counter.

The week had been shit. You hadn’t seen Jack since he had to flee back to the hospital. You tried not to dwell on it. You thought he would be back the next day, putting extra effort into yourself as you got ready for work. But the door never chimed. There were no familiar heavy steps, or the rustling of cargo pants. No deep gravelly voice calling you sweetheart or honey. No smug grins or sly winks. No Jack.

Your manager was on maternity leave, one from a different location taking her place. In the midst of the transfer, there was a schedule mixup. You worked mornings specifically to accommodate your afternoon classes, leaving the rest of your day free.

Imagine your surprise when you saw your upcoming shifts scheduled during evening hours. You had no choice but to speed down the highway from campus, a pencil still tucked behind your ear. The crowds that came in at night were rowdier than you were used to. They piled against the counter, smudging their fingerprints all over the glass as they read the different flavors. They snapped their fingers at you when you weren’t fast enough. They asked stupid questions and made ridiculous requests you couldn’t deny. There were always more staff on duty to accommodate the rush. Apologize spilled from your lips as you bumped into them, unused to so many bodies behind the counter.

You were exhausted, your body still adjusting to its new internal clock. Your mood was already soured, pretty certain you flunked the test you just took. Being greeted by an unruly group of customers didn’t make you feel any better.

You were fighting to keep your eyes open, barely processing the order being spoken to you.

“I’ll get right on it, sir.”

You fumbled around for the right container. A triple scoop? No, they asked for a banana split. You grabbed the right box, reaching for the tub of bananas. You threw the peel away before letting muscle memory kick in. Slice the banana—

“Shit!” You hissed, drawing your hand back as crimson spilled between your fingers. The knife you were cutting with clattered to the ground, drawing the attention of your coworkers. They gasped, ushering over to you. You were on autopilot, body complicit as you were rushed out the back door into a car. You didn't hear a lick of what they were saying, didn't hear their frantic voice as they called out directions to the hospital. The whole time your eyes stayed glued to the rivulets of red running down your palm.

“Looking a little soft there, Abbot. Someone’s been stealing too many cookies from the cookie jar?”

Abbot only shook his head, pointing at Shen’s coffee, “You’re one to talk.”

Though he had to admit, there was some truth to the man’s word. Visiting an ice cream shop essentially everyday couldn’t be healthy for you, no matter how fit you were. He was a doctor, he should know. Don’t get him wrong, the shakes and sundaes were delicious but that’s not what kept him coming back.

It was you.

Sweet, precious you. You who returned his banter but piped down the second he winked at you. Who didn’t prod about his shifts but understood the weight of them regardless. Who, for some reason, never questioned why he was getting ice cream at eight in the god damn morning. Well. He suspected you were catching on by the third week. He was starting to lay his interest in you pretty thick by then. Not that you seemed to mind. Hesitant to his advances, sure. But Jack could fix that.

He decided he would be outright with it and ask you on a date. The opportunity had been so perfect.

And then his pager went off, whisking him away from you.

Jack couldn’t bring himself to go back. Maybe it was a sign. That the possibility of you two was just a dream. A fantasy he built in his head. He hardly knew you, really. You were probably just being nice to him, confined to corporate manners. He would drive past the parlor, spotting your obscured figure through the window. He forced himself to look away, testing the speed limit as he pressed on the gas pedal a little harder. You were so young, working there as a means to put yourself through college. And he was so…old. He already had one marriage behind him, a service that left him scarred, and a job that evidently was demanding of him. There was no way a relationship could have been feasible.

At least that’s what he told himself.

There was a new batch of med students gifted to the night crawlers. They were a witty group, sharp and observant. They were open to his critiques, asking questions when he had to correct them.

Jack spotted one of them flipping through a chart, approaching from the west corridor.

“Ms.Dedroe. What do we have here?” He fell into stride with the student doctor.

“Oh! Dr.Abbot. Nothing major, seven centimetre laceration to the center of their palm, half a centimetre deep. Work related accident with a knife during food prep. Mateo’s already cleaned the wound, there was no debris in it.”

“Mateo can teach you how to sew it up. Good stuff, but you’re missing a few things.”

Her face screwed up, “Hm?”

“Personal details. Our patients aren’t just cases. Not to mention age and gender can play a factor in their symptoms. Hospitals are one of the worst places a person can be. Knowing their name can be a big deal.”

Dedroe nodded, turning the page on her clipboard, “Patient’s name is—”

You sat with your wounded hand outstretched, your other arm tossed over your eyes. The harsh fluorescent lights were giving you a headache, a dull throbbing pain behind your temples. Your body was stiff, stress and fatigue keeping you wound tight with tension. You couldn’t even recall the drive here. All you could focus on was the burning in your hand, a red hot reminder to the shit show your week had been.

Your coworker had been hesitant to leave you. But you knew how crowded the store had been. Just because you couldn’t get a grip (literally) didn’t mean business would slow down. They were needed. You were a big kid, you could handle a few stitches by yourself.

The curtain flying open grabbed your attention, “Ms.Dedroe?” Or maybe it was your nurse.

“Nah, just me, sweetheart.”

You sat up, blinking straight ahead. “Jack?”

And there he stood. Gone was his backpack hugging his shoulder, replaced by a stethoscope. The bags under his eyes were darker, more lived in.

He approached your bedside, gently taking your hand into his. He inspected the cut, eyes equally focused and concerned. It had stopped bleeding by now, the pink tissue beneath it exposed.

“Ice cream related accident?” he murmured.

You deflated, “What’d I tell you?”

He set your hand back down, padding around the room to clean his own and grab a pair of gloves. You shut your eyes, listening to the clinking and clattering of surgical instruments.

“This is going to sting,” he warned.

“Can’t be worse than a knife.”

That pulled a chuckle out of him.

He worked quickly and methodically, pausing every time you hissed. He would whisper and apology, the low gravel of his voice a soothing balm to your nerves.

“Doing so good.” “Almost done, I promise.” “Just a few more.” “Breathe for me, honey. Yeah, just like that.”

You were grateful you weren’t hooked up to a heart monitor. It would have caught the way your chest fluttered with every encouragement and praise.

Jack finished by wrapping your hand up, “All done.”

You opened your eyes, raising and flexing your fingers as you checked out the dressing. “Not bad.”

When you set your hand back down, he reached for it and you don’t pull away. He rubbed his thumb over your knuckles. Gentle sweeps that went back and forth, back and forth.

“I didn’t know you worked nights.”

You shook your head, “I don’t. New manager messed up scheduling. Everyone’s pissed. It’ll be fixed in a couple of weeks.”

“Mm.”

“Where have you been?”

“What?”

You pursed your lips, contemplating your boldness. “Looks like your schedule hasn’t changed. So where have you been?

Jack shrugged, gesturing vaguely, “Here and there.”

“You lost your mysterious charm after you got whip cream on your nose.”

He laughed, something humorless as he leaned in, “Promise you won’t make fun of me?”

“I think I’m well within my rights.”

“Yeah, okay.” He continued to toy with your fingers, averting your gaze. “I got scared.”

He licked his lips and you didn't interject.

“You know, I actually practiced asking you out. I would stand in front of the mirror, telling myself, ‘today’s the day’. And then it finally happened. Those few seconds, I felt so...alive. It felt so right. But then my pager went off and... The whole drive to the hospital I told myself it was a sign. Some cosmic intervention.”

“Jack,” you squeeze his hand, pushing past the sting.

He unfurled your fingers, soothing over the bandage.

“I know, I know. I got into my head, convinced myself this wouldn’t work. You’ve never seen me…well, like this.”

“Because you never let me.” You pushed yourself up properly. “I’m more than the person behind the counter, just like how you’re more than the guy who’s favorite flavor is actually bubblegum. That’s the whole point of going on a date. To get to know the person, to see if you’re compatible. Yes, it’s scary. Terrifying. Because maybe we’re not. But at least we would know. Because we tried. Aren’t we worth that much—trying?”

There was that glint again. “Yeah. We are.”

He brought up his free hand, cupping your cheek. His touch was careful, gentle as he admired you. Even run down and ragged he looked at you as if you were the most precious jewel in the whole wide world.

He said your name softly, “You’re free tomorrow morning, aren’t you?”

“Sure am.”

“Would you let me take you out? I can pick you up after my shift.”

“Someplace real nice?”

He chuckled, “Yeah, sweetheart. Where it doesn’t smell like sugar and dairy.”

“You got yourself a date, Dr.Abbot.”

He can't explain it, but he gets a premonition, a feeling like something bad is about to happen. Something bad involving you. A cold chill passes through him and he shivers, his stomach sinking even further and heart rate picking up. Something's wrong. Something related to you. He can just feel it.

But that's absurd.

You're fine. You texted him just before he got to work about thirty minutes ago that you were finally leaving the office and heading home. You mentioned it had been a long day and you wanted to slip into a hot bath since him slipping into you wasn't an option given that he was working.

Jack tells himself it's not that odd for you not to have texted him that you made it home, especially with you saying it had been a long day. It just slipped your mind, he's sure.

Still, he sends you a text. A single, simple text to reassure himself.

J - How's your night going sweetheart? Did you end up taking a bath?

He slides his phone into his pocket and tunes back into the conversation somewhat, but Jack really can't shake the fucking feeling. Once they've finished hand off Jack goes to check on a patient. Thirty or so minutes have passed since he sent you a text when he steps out of a patient room and checks his phone. You haven't responded to his message.

That would make sense if you were in the bath, right? Jack tries to get himself to believe it but he can't because it wouldn't really make sense. Normally you have your phone next to the tub somewhere for a podcast or music or whatever. Maybe you didn't hear your phone go off. Or maybe it's still on silent from work.

Jack calls you. The phone rings and rings and rings and rings until it clicks over to your voicemail. He doesn't leave a message, his chest growing a little tighter with worry as he hangs up. He shoots you another text.

J - I know you probably are, but can you just shoot me a text to let me know that you're okay as soon as you can? Thanks baby. I love you 

He forces himself into another patient's room. Still nothing from you when he walks out of the room ten minutes later. Jack calls you again. You don't answer. He's nauseous now, trying to tell himself he can't just feel things like that and that it's just anxiety because he misses you.

When he heads back to the hub he's surprised to see Dana and Robby still there.

"Don't ask," Robby sighs as Jack starts to ask why they're both still here.

Before Jack can ignore Robby and ask anyway Lena interrupts the three and lets them know they've got two MVC patients five minutes out courtesy of a drunk driver, one stable enough and one barely holding on who they almost called at the scene before they were able to get a weak pulse back.

"Can you stay?" Jack looks at Robby. He's sure his anxiety and distress must be on his face because Robby looks at him and doesn’t give him any shit about staying, just nods in agreement. "Thanks."

Jack turns and walks out to the ambulance bay. He knows it's a waste of five minutes but he just needs to pace. Pace and keep calling you.

And so he does. Jack walks up and down the ambulance bay alternating holding his phone to his ear and staring at it willing you to call or text him back apologizing and saying you're fine, you accidentally left your phone in the other room, or you let yourself sit on the bed when you got home and fell asleep and your phone was still on silent from work or something, anything.

But his phone never rings. A text never comes through. Jack's anxiety just continues to build and he promises himself if he's still like this after these two traumas he'll beg Robby to cover for him just long enough so that he can run home and check on you and then come back.

"Jack." He's vaguely aware of Robby's voice calling his name behind him as he paces away from the doors. "Jack." Robby calls again.

"Jack!" Robby finally gets his attention when he paces his way back to the doors. "Hey, man, what is going on? Did something happen? You look like you're about to have a panic attack."

"I can't get in touch with her." Jack doesn't give Robby any further specifics. He knows Robby will know who he's talking about.

"Okay," Robby draws the word out. "Do you have a reason to think something happened?"

"No, I… I don't, I just. I don't know," Jack mutters distractedly. "I just feel like something bad has happened… like something's wrong with her. I feel it. Like a premonition."

"Maybe this is just going to be a shit show and that's what you're feeling." Robby nods his head in the direction of the sirens that have just become audible. "Or maybe this is the start of a long night of traumas and you won't get out on time tomorrow and will miss seeing her before she goes to work."

Jack nods slowly. "Yeah, maybe." He tries to force his brain to accept the options but it won't. His thumb hits your photo on his favorites and he calls you again. Still nothing. He's going to be sick, has to walk away from Robby and choke back a couple of dry heaves because the feeling that something is wrong with you has gotten so strong that Robby's right. He's getting panicky.

"You okay, Hon?" Dana asks Jack as she walks by him, resting her hand on his back and rubbing it as she pauses next to him.

"Can I ask you a favor you're going to hate me for?" Jack can barely recognize the sound of his own voice with how strained and raw it is. He feels and watches Dana stiffen at it, can feel Robby's eyes on him.

"I'm not gonna hate you for anything," Dana reassures him with a gentle squeeze to his shoulder. "What do you need?"

Jack takes a deep breath. This is fucking insane. He needs to get a goddamn grip. He shakes his head as he goes to tell Dana to forget it, but that's not even close to what comes out. "Can you just stay for a couple of minutes and keep calling her until she picks up?" Jack holds his phone out to her with your contact brought up. "Your phone, my phone, both. I don't, it doesn't matter. Maybe yours, maybe she doesn't want to talk to me."

"Of course." She takes his phone and steps in front of him to look at him. "Is everything okay Jack?"

"I just," he swallows hard, "it's so stupid but I just have this feeling that something's wrong or happened to her and I can't shake it." As Jack thinks more about it his mind at least supplies something concrete, something that he's now so worried about his breathing picks up. "She said she might take a bath so I don't know. I'm worried she hit her head and fell in and drowned or something."

"You ready, Jack?" Robby calls to him.

"Go," Dana nods. "I'll call and let you know the second I hear from her."

"Thank you," Jack nods. The appearance of the first ambulance clears Jack's mind for now. He has to focus on this, on his patient. He closes his eyes and takes in a deep breath and stretches his neck, forces the compartmentalization he needs right now. When he opens his eyes back up he's in fully focused trauma mode, walls built so high he's not feeling anything other than what he needs to in order to do his job. "First or second rig Robby?" he asks as he walks back over to Robby. "You can pick since you're staying to help with this."

Robby hesitates as the first ambulance pulls in. "Second."

"Got it." Jack pulls his gloves on as he walks up to the back of the ambulance as the doors burst open.

"Unrestrained driver, stable most of the way here, but his pulse started getting thready a couple of minutes ago," the paramedic tells Jack as they unload the gurney and start moving toward the trauma room quickly.

"Fuck," Robby mutters just loud enough for Jack to hear. Jack knows Robby must have decided to bet on them getting the most seriously injured patient here first so he chose second in hopes of getting out quickly.

Robby steps up as the next ambulance arrives. "Restrained driver. If it can be broken or fucked up, assume that it is," the paramedic tells Robby with an eerie seriousness as they get the gurney out. The paramedic runs through vitals as they walk into the Pitt and bad would be an understatement.

"What the fuck happened?" Robby asks as they get into the trauma room. "This is the worst MVC vic I've seen in a long time."

"The drunk driver with Dr. Abbot ran a red going at least 60 in a 25. T-boned her car on the driver's side which made it flip and roll into the other lane where she got hit head on favoring the driver's side by a semi going over the limit but at least not fucking 60." The paramedic pauses while they transfer the patient. "You should see the car. I can't believe we got her back and she's still alive. I thought we'd lose her again on the drive over."

"I fucking hate drunk drivers," Robby swears under his breath as the paramedics leave and the Pitt team takes over.

"That was a nice save," Jack tells the team as surgery wheels the patient out of the trauma room and up to surgery. That was almost not a save at all. Jack wasn't sure they were going to get the guy back once he coded but they had managed to, it hadn't even taken that long to get him stabilized and handed off to surgery, only ten or so minutes. The guy wasn't as injured as he looked despite the code.

As he takes off his gloves and gown and comes out of his full trauma focus Jack realizes the bad feeling he had about something happening to you has dwindled significantly, almost completely gone. There's some part of that fact that seems to give him its own anxiety but he's able to ignore it as he steps through the vestibule between the trauma rooms and into Robby's trauma.

Jack steps a bit closer to the bed and looks at Robby's patient, closest to her right side. He obviously can't say for sure since he doesn't know the woman but Jack would bet a lot of money on her being unrecognizable, her face already swollen and darkly bruised, covered in blood from a scalp laceration and her nose. There's dried blood at the corners of her lips and trailing down telling Jack she was coughing up blood or maybe throwing it up at some point. Maybe both. The remnants of dried blood he can just see in her ET tube confirm at least some was coming from her lungs.

He's only looked at her face and it feels wrong to think about right now but Jack can't help but do so. It's patients like this, accidents like this that make him so fucking glad you don't drive to work.

Jack looks up at the monitor. Not a single number is good.

"Those are good comparatively," Robby tells Jack as he continues to work on the woman, tossing out orders and confirming ones given by Parker and Mel.

"Yeah?" Jack moves his eyes to start to take in the rest of the woman, most of her visible skin covered in some amount of blood. She has a visible deformity to her shoulder and wrist on the right, chest tubes on both sides, her abdomen covered in dark bruises, seatbelt sign already visible.

"She desperately needs the OR but we can't get her stable enough for transport." Robby shakes his head as he glances back up at the monitor to see slipping vitals. "Fuck," he mutters. "It would be easier to tell you what's not wrong," Robby tells Jack before Jack can ask.

His eyes continue to move down the woman and he finds a pelvic binder, they must think she broke or dislocated something there, eyes looping back up to check on this side's chest tube output. Jack catches Bridget's eye. "Set up to auto-transfuse her." He's careful not to step too far into Robby's trauma, knows Robby might have a plan, but looking at the number of discarded blood bags and her vitals, it's obvious they're headed there.

"She was removed from the car barely alive, coded at the scene but they got her back. They nearly called her there," Robby explains.

"What happened?"

"Drunk driver t-boned the driver's side at 60 in a 25. Flipped and rolled the car into the other lane, hit head on by a semi over the limit but not 60," Parker explains. She was there when Robby asked.

Jack cringes and clicks his tongue. "She might not ever stabilize, Robby. She might not make it to the OR." He knows Robby knows, but also knows that sometimes it can be helpful to hear it from someone else.

"I know." Robby's tone is a little clipped so Jack backs off.

"Can I do anything?" Jack walks back up towards the patient's head to walk around to her other side, staying as out of the way as possible while still evaluating the patient like Robby will do with his sometimes, just an extra, fresh set of eyes. Her vitals continue to slip. She'll code soon probably, Jack thinks to himself.

The woman has another obvious deformity to her left tibia and fibula about half way up her calf. It's easy to tell with the compound fracture that both bones are involved. Her ankle on that same leg lays against the bed at an unnatural angle that makes Jack wince. He hopes for her sake she was unconscious for most of this.

"What are you thinking neurologically?" he calls to Robby before Robby can answer his first question.

Robby almost huffs a laugh as he steps up to check her pupils again. "Pupils are equal and reactive. All the telling reflexes are normal, no posturing. Portable x-ray shows T-8 to 12 are broken, 11 and 12 look shattered, but she has normal reflexes there too so it looks like no cord damage, knock on wood for her." Robby turns back to Jack and shakes his head. "It's like she's incredibly lucky but also," he gestures to her, "clearly not. She was damn near DOA. She's a fighter though, I thought we were going to lose her within a couple of minutes."

"Yeah," Jack nods slowly. There's something off here but he can't figure out what. Something they're missing. He focuses as he tries to figure out what it is, standing on the patient's left side now and as close to the wall as he can get to let everyone work. He can still hear everything going on and see them working on her but it doesn't really process fully as he tries to figure out what his feeling is.

It hits him just as Ellis moves and the left hand of the patient comes into Jack's view. You drove to work today because you had to run an errand across the city at lunch. So you drove home tonight. You drove.

Time slows and sound fades as Jack steps closer to the patient, takes in the engagement ring the patient's wearing. Even bloodied it's beautiful and bespoke. And Jack knows it's bespoke. Because he's the one that designed it. Because that's your engagement ring.

Which means Robby's patient, Robby's patient who he just said was damn near DOA, who Jack said might not ever stabilize or make it to the OR, that patient is you.

Maybe it's not. Maybe the ring just looks similar or, or maybe someone stole it from you, or maybe, maybe something, anything to make this not true.

Jack moves down to the end of the bed and looks at the patient's right ankle. There's a slightly jagged scar starting just above the medial malleolus that continues about five inches up her inner calf. It's a scar Jack is intimately familiar with, he must have kissed the length of it at least a hundred times while kissing his way from your ankles up to your inner thighs. It's your scar.

All of the air leaves his lungs in some strangled, choked sound he can't hear that gets everyone's attention.

"Jack?" Robby glances over at him.

The bad feeling he had went away because you're here, you're near him. Not because nothing bad happened to you and not because you were okay. Because you're here.

"Michael." It's raw and broken, unrecognizable and absolutely soaked in pain.

"What?" Robby's eyes flash to him. "Jack? What is it?"

It takes Jack a second because he can't pull his eyes from your scar, can't stop thinking about every time he's kissed it, all the sounds from moans to giggles you'd make for him when he did.

"The ring," Jack finally forces out, slowly looking up at Robby, completely helpless and paralyzed. "Her ring, the ring, look at…" he glances at your left hand. He knows Robby will recognize it, he made Robby look at it a million times as he designed it and once he got it. "It's, it's," Jack's already working his way toward hyperventilation as panic starts to course through him because he was and is pretty sure this patient is going to fucking die and this patient is you, "it's, I…"

Robby furrows his brows and steps to look at the ring closely. "Oh my fucking god," he mumbles, face dropping and blood draining from it. He looks up at whoever is standing closest to him. "Go get Dana. Now."

Everyone in the room is confused as things still just a touch for a second while Robby clearly pulls himself back together. "It's Jack's fiancée. We are not fucking losing her," he almost snaps at everyone. “We are not fucking losing her. This is one of our own, this is family.”

There's a small collective gasp or harsh intake of air and then everyone is moving even faster.

"Michael, I can't," Jack pleads with him, voice strained and full of tears he's fighting for some reason.

Dana walks in looking confused. "What's up?" Dana nods at Robby as her attention turns over to Jack.

"It's her." Robby glances at Jack and it's all she needs to know.

"Oh my god," Dana whispers.

Jack's brain is spinning so fast he's close to physically dizzy and almost can't understand any of the emotions he's feeling. But somewhere through it another realization breaks through that has him doubling over in pain, mental and physical, fighting back the urge to be sick and resting his hands on his knees for a few seconds before he straightens back up. 

The drunk driver. He must’ve had the drunk driver. 

"Somebody please, please," his voice cracks and breaks over the word heartbreakingly as tears finally start to stream down his face, "tell me I didn't just save the guy who might've killed my fiancée Tell me I didn't just fucking save him!"

Jack looks to Robby who looks back at him and Jack knows from Robby's face. He did. He treated the drunk driver. He treated the man who did this to you. Who very likely killed you.

"No. No. I'm going to fucking kill him." Jack spins, hellbent on getting to that OR and undoing everything he already did.

Dana's right there to stop him with her hands slightly raised. She shakes her head gently at him. "Let's go." She nods over at the vestibule between the trauma rooms and Jack loses his anger for now, the panic and sorrow and devastation finally overwhelming him as he lets Dana lead him toward the doors.

"Please, Michael," Jack pleads, knees buckling a little because he's ready to get on them at his best friend’s feet to beg. "Please, please save her. Please don't let her die, please don't, please-"

"Get him out Dana!" Robby yells.

"Come on Jack, let them work," Dana says softly.

"Please," Jack begs, unable to say anything else. "Please, please please please. I'll do anything, I'll give anything, whatever you want." It's no longer clear who Jack's pleading with, Robby or a god he doesn't believe in.

"Jack." Dana steps in front of him and grabs his upper arms, gently pushes him so that he walks backward into the vestibule.

"I can't, I c-can't Dana," Jack whimpers between heavy breaths. He can't lose you. He can't fucking lose you.

Jack is barely aware of someone bringing in a chair and Dana pushing him down into it, leaving it pointed toward the trauma room so he can see through the window. Or could if the tears still streaming down his face silently weren't so heavy that his vision is so blurred he can't see his legs as he looks down at them.

He starts to rock himself in the chair a little, feels like he's going out of his mind and needs to crawl out of his fucking skin. Jack curls in on himself and digs his hands into the opposite forearms, squeezing so hard it'll bruise and digging his nails into his skin for the pain, hoping in vain it'll ground him even a little bit.

But you're the only thing that could ground him right now. Your voice. Your touch. Your smell. Your taste. Your soft skin under his hand. He can't have that though because you're bleeding out internally on Robby's table, body so likely broken beyond repair.

Jack doesn't have hope. He can't let himself have hope. It's too cruel. The kindest and best thing the world ever did for him, ever gave him, it's about to take away from him.

That's confirmed for him when three words break through Jack's panic enough to have him flying out of the chair and through the doors back into your trauma room. He doesn’t know who said them and it doesn’t fucking matter. "Asystole, start CPR!"

"No no no," Jack nearly screams. The panic he'd been fighting breaks over him completely, vicious and consuming in its intensity. "No please, does, does she need blood?" he chokes out through sobs. 

"You can just, j-just hook me up, I'm, I'm O neg, I can donate directly." Jack can feel himself getting lightheaded from his hyperventilated breathing in between his sobs but he doesn't care. Part of him almost wants to pass out because then he won't have to do this, but he also can't stomach the thought of you dying without him holding your hand. 

"Just, hook me up, hook me up to her, and and sh-she can have whatever she needs!" Jack sobs. He knows it doesn't work like that, knows that's not an option and he's sure there's something so sad for everyone watching him to see this medical doctor reduced to begging for something like this but he doesn't fucking care. "She can have all of it, all, I don't need, don't need it without her. I don't want it without her." His voice is high pitched and as raw as ever at the end as he watches his best friend give his fiancée CPR, hears him break one of her ribs.

Dana follows Jack just through the doors and grabs his arm, squeezes gently. "Jack, come back and sit down, we don't need you falling, okay?"

"No!" He moves his arm away so it slips from Dana's hand. "She's going to d-die! She's fucking dying! I have to be with her, I have to." Even in this state Jack knows it's a good idea, knows it's what needs to happen, knows there's no good place for him to sit near you in this room while they work on you. Knows that he's hyperventilating now and the lightheadedness taking over is just going to intensify. But it doesn't matter. He can't stop, can't try to control himself. He can only panic about you dying right in front of him and what is he going to do and this can't be real and he needs you.

"I need a PRN lorazepam order for him," Dana calls to the room as she starts walking toward the doors so she can go get it.

Every person in the room who can prescribe it calls out the order and Dana disappears to run and get it. She's quick, comes back through the other trauma room and Jack is so far gone and leaning into the doorframe to keep himself upright when she comes back that he doesn't even fight it when she puts the chair right behind him and pulls him down into it. He has no reaction to Dana cleaning his arm and then sticking him and injecting the lorazepam. He's not even really aware it's happening until it starts forcing him to calm down.

"If we get her back you're taking her up however she is," Robby orders Walsh. Jack hadn't even realized she was here.

"Already my plan, I don't care how weak her pulse is, family's different," she nods at him. "And when. Not if."

Robby holds compressions, everyone's eyes glued to the monitor. "V-fib." Bridget's the first to call it out.

"Fuck yes," Robby mutters. "We can work with that."

Jack watches them shock you three times before they get you back as the meds calm him down at least physically more and more, his sobs reduced to wracking breaths and hiccuped whimpers. He's almost physically numb by the time they're almost running as they wheel you out to get you up and to an OR. But his mind hasn't really shut off much. He's still dying inside.

He forces himself out of the chair and walks into the room, Robby stepping in front of him to block him from leaving and trying to follow you up. "Let them work. Then we can go up, okay?"

"I need to be with her Robby," Jack mumbles, trying to step around Robby.

"Jack, no." Robby steps with Jack and grabs one of his arms without thinking, smearing your blood from the glove Robby hadn't yet removed over Jack's arm.

It works. Not for the reason Robby thought it would. But it gets Jack to stop. It gets Jack to freeze.

Jack brings his opposite hand up and touches it, enough of your blood there to transfer onto the pads of his fingers. The room is silent, or as silent as possible with the Pitt just beyond the doors, as Robby and Dana watch Jack look at the tile floor of the room, watch him fixate on the streaks of your blood and the couple of small pools that had poured from you before they could stop it.

He walks over to one and kneels next to it. It's fresh. Fresh enough that it hasn't started to fully coagulate or dry yet. He leans over it a little and almost scares himself when he watches a drop of something hit it but then he realizes he's crying again and it's one of his tears hitting your blood.

Jack knows it's macabre and unsanitary and probably gross and over-dramatic but he doesn't care, presses his palm of his hand into the small pool of your blood because it's all he's fucking got of you right now. He lifts it up and looks down at his hand, shaking his head and sucking in a strangled breath through his teeth.

"What if this is all I have left of her?" He looks up at Robby and Dana shaking his head, a wave of tears soaking his face as they all finally fall at once. "I have to go. I have to go be with her." Jack is unsteady on his feet as he gets up, Robby and Dana rushing forward to help steady him. "What OR is she?"

"You can't go in Jack," Robby says quietly.

Jack sniffles deeply. "Observation then."

"Don't do that to yourself Jack," Dana whispers.

"I have to be with her. I have to know what's happening so that I can, can go say goodbye before they call it." Jack presses his bloody hand over his heart and holds it there trying to remember how to take a step so that he can start getting to you.

"They will come get you before they call it, I promise." Robby squeezes his best friend's shoulder and cuts Jack off before there can be any arguing. "I spoke with Emery about it. Someone will come."

"Still, I… I should watch, I should, should know what's happening, what she’s going through," Jack mumbles.

"She wouldn't want you to torture yourself by watching and seeing her like that." Dana moves so that she's in Jack's line of sight and can get his eye contact. "She would not want you seeing her like that Jack and I know you know that. She would much rather you be in one of the quiet family rooms up there."

"Maybe if I… Maybe if I go into observation it'll give her something to yell at me about when she wakes up and so, so it'll make her wake up, it'll mean she'll wake up." All of them know that's bullshit but nobody says it. "I just, I want to be on the same floor as her."

Jack's finally able to get himself moving and starts walking toward the doors, Dana and Robby staying next to them and exchanging worried glances. He can feel the eyes of all the Pitt staff on him as he walks to the elevator, Shen long since called in to take care of the night shift. He thinks vaguely that maybe he should be embarrassed, that they have lots of people who don't react to something like this the way he did. But that would require caring and Jack simply doesn't.

He lets Robby and Dana lead him upstairs and into one of the quiet family rooms Dana had said you'd want him in. He knows she's right. He knows he doesn't want his last memories of you to be images of you in surgery. He knows he probably couldn't stomach it.

The three sit in silence for a few minutes, Jack lost in thought as he stares at a spot on the wall across from him. His brain conjures up some of his favorite memories of the two of you just to be a fucking dick and make him remember what he's so sure he's going to lose.

Jack has no idea how long it's been when he stands and starts to pace. His brain is so tired he can't even articulate what he's feeling other than sadness and anger and anxiety and grief. He opens and closes the hand covered in your dried blood. He should rinse it off but he can't, can't bring himself to do more than have the thought that he should. And he's quiet at first. Until he's not.

"They almost called her at the scene," he mutters to himself. He looks up at Robby and Dana as he walks back and forth. "They almost fucking called her at the fucking scene!" It's louder than he wanted but neither Dana nor Robby react.

Jack runs his clean hand through his hair and pulls at it. "And then what do I do? What do I fucking do?" He releases his hair and grinds his jaw so hard that it hurts. "I fucking save the guy that killed her!" Jack stops pacing at one end of the room, chest heaving as he lets it all slam into him again, gives into the panic and lets it take him over because he doesn't fucking care. He deserves to suffer. He bends at the waist and lets himself hang there for a second because it just feels like what he needs to do before he straightens up and looks at Robby and Dana. "I saved him while she's, while she is," he has to force the word out, broken and cracked, "dying in the next room! If I'd have, have…"

"Jack there is nothing you could've done. You know that," Robby says firmly.

"No I don't." Jack almost huffs a laugh as he shakes his head. "No I fucking don't! I could've done so many things! I could've driven her. I, I could've asked her not to go, or to take a different route, or, or… I could've gone to the scene, maybe I could've stabilized her better there. Something! Anything!"

"You had no way of knowing, Hon," Dana tells him. "This shit happens, as awful as it is. We know it happens."

"It's not supposed to happen to her!" Jack snaps, gives back into the urge to hyperventilate as he starts imagining his life without you again. "It's not," he breathes hard but short, "not supposed to happen," another breath, "to her." He continues to hyperventilate. "She," his hyperventilation is even harder and faster than last time, almost like a subconscious attempt to make himself pass out, "she doesn't-"

"Okay, Jack, sit down." Robby walks over to him and grabs his shoulders, directs him toward a chair.

"No, I…" Jack shoves at Robby weakly, "I have to go." Despite his words he slumps into the chair Robby gently pushes him into. "I have to go be with her." He looks up at Robby and shakes his head and it makes everything worse, makes the tunnels invading his vision worse as he starts to shake with the panic. "Need to be."

Dana sits wordlessly in the chair next to Jack and pulls another dose of lorazepam for him, quickly runs an alcohol wipe over his skin and sticks him in his other arm. "Jack breathe," she tells him, takes his hand and puts it on her chest and takes big breaths to show him.

He shakes his head again. "No, I can't." But the lorazepam starts to kick in and forces his breathing to slow. Jack fights it though, he fights the drug hard, tries to keep himself worked up and panicking because he deserves it, he fucking deserves it. It's a losing battle though, the drug easily overpowering him.

"Jack, do you want us to fully sedate you so you can get some sleep?" Robby asks gently.

"No," he mumbles, rubbing his clean hand over his face. "I want my fucking girl. I want to be at home in bed with her." Jack huffs and shakes his head, fights back more tears. "And I need to be awake for when Walsh or whoever comes to get me and take me into that OR. When I have to go figure out how to say goodbye to her." The use of when is deliberate. Because Jack is convinced you're not surviving this and it's going to happen any moment now.

And so Jack returns to sitting and staring at a spot on the wall across from him. He can hear Robby talking to him but he doesn't tune in enough to know what he's saying because as he disassociates this time his brain alternates between his favorite memories of you and playing out imagined scenes of what his life will look like without you in it.

He sees himself having to walk into your shared place alone, having to get into bed without you and just stare at your pillow knowing you'll never be there looking back at him with that small smile again. He watches himself having to pack your clothes away and not being able to do it, sinking to the floor instead and holding one of his favorite shirts of yours to his chest and sobbing into it. He sees himself staring at your shampoo and conditioner every time he's in the shower because he can't bring himself to get rid of it, opens the bottles just to smell them to try and remember how you smelled but it's never the same because they didn't mix with your natural scent.

He watches himself cry silently in bed when he realizes your pillow and the sheets have stopped smelling like you. He sees himself keeping the half eaten pint of your favorite ice cream in the freezer, letting it taunt him every time he opens the door. He sees himself planning a funeral instead of a wedding, having to pick out the outfit you'll be buried in, never being able to cook your favorite dish, never being able to move because he can't live somewhere you haven't been. He watches himself grow old without you, sees the spark and light never return to his eyes.

Time passes. Jack isn't fully aware of it, it's like his brain can't recognize it. It's probably the only reason he hasn't asked for an update yet. He doesn't realize Robby and Dana have been in and out of the room, always leaving one of them with him. Because it's been hours now. He's aware of them asking him if he wants something to eat, trying to get him to have some water at least, does he need to go pee, is he sure he doesn't want them to help him sleep.

"Jack." He barely responds to Robby saying his name, raising his chin just slightly.

"Jack."

Jack had prepared for this. He told himself it was going to happen so that when it did he would be ready. But he was fucking kidding himself because it's happening and he is not fucking ready. His entire world has already been pulled out from under him so Jack doesn't understand how he feels it happening again when Emery says his name.

"No," he whispers, refuses to look up at her and shakes his head. "No."

"Jack-"

"No!" he interrupts her. "No! You go back and fix her! Don't come in here and make me, make, don't ask me to come with you to say goodbye!" Jack stands and takes a few steps but then turns around, unable to face any of them, unable to face reality. “Go fix her, please. Please Emery, please go fix her and save her.”

"I need you to come with me Jack, I need you to trust me. I'm not taking you to the OR to say goodbye. I'm taking you to her-"

"I don't believe you," he shakes his head and cuts her off, "I don't believe you. You, you, you just want me to go with you, you’ll take me there once you have me walking."

"Jack," Robby steps in, puts his hand on Jack's shoulder and squeezes. Jack flinches at it because now he's got Robby comforting him for what he's about to have to go do. "Emery is telling the truth. Let's go to her room."

"Why? So you can tell me she's going to die when we're there?" Jack finally turns and looks between Robby and Emery. "Why don't you tell me right here, tell me what's wrong and what happened and what you did? It hasn't even been that long!"

"It's been over eight hours, Jack," Robby tells him.

"I’m not telling you here because I want to take you to her so that you can be with her as soon as possible. I thought you'd prefer to get to her right away and be next to her when I go through everything with you," Emery explains. "She's stable, Jack. It's still touch and go, yes, but right now she's stable."

Jack stands there for a moment with his chest heaving. He has to be with you regardless, as scared as he is. Even if they're lying and they're going to take him to an OR or take him to see you and tell him you're eventually going to die, he has to be with you.

"Okay," he whispers, starts walking toward Emery and the door. He follows her silently, the tiniest bit of relief washing over him when they walk in the opposite direction of the ORs that's quickly nullified by his anxiety and sheer terror about what he's going to be told, about whether you'll recover.

They step into the elevator and head up to the floor the ICU is on, walk for what feels like forever until Emery turns and opens the door to your room. Jack follows her in, head spinning so much he's surprised he's able to walk and stay upright with how dizzy it makes him.

His heart and mind shatter once again when he takes you in, laying so still in a hospital bed. "Oh," he whimpers, shaking his head as tears start to fall, his face breaking. "My girl." His voice shakes as he walks closer to you, goes to stand next to your bed on your left, takes in all of you, every bruised and cut inch, every tube he knows is sticking out of your body under your gown, your ET tube and your PICC line and your casted wrist in a sling because of your shoulder, what he knows to be an external fixators covered by the blanket keeping your broken leg and ankle together. "My love." He looks up at your vitals and sure enough they're all stable. They're good all things considered, all of them except your pulse ox.

Robby brings a chair up behind Jack. "Why don't you sit next to her, Jack?"

"I, I, I…" Jack trails off shaking his head as he sits, takes your uninjured hand in his clean one so, so carefully.

"Her lungs are the biggest problem right now. The contusions are bad. I'm not going to lie Jack, they're some of the worst I've ever seen. And she has some pretty severe pulmonary edema because of how much fluid we had to give her. We're going to keep her medically induced and on the vent and monitor closely." Emery says ‘we’ even though everyone knows she won't technically be involved, isn't really your doctor anymore because that's just not her job. But they all know she'll be involved anyway, that Robby will too. "Like I said, it's still touch and go, she's having some minor events from time to time but we're able to stabilize her. She's not at all out of the woods but she's stable Jack."

Emery continues, outlining everything they did during surgery for your internal bleeding, all the wounds they found, what they found on scans once they were able to get them. She reports what Ortho did for you, who's taking over your care here in the ICU, that Neuro and Ortho are working together on your spine but it's going to have to wait until you're healed enough to handle being prone for surgery. Jack takes it all in and processes it but it's unconscious in a way because he's fixated on you, staring at you and thinking about you and how much pain you'll be in if and when you wake up.

Eventually Emery finishes, asks Jack if he has any questions. He shakes his head, runs his thumb over your knuckles, clearly spaced out and not entirely there. "Emery." Jack pulls his eyes from you to turn and find her when he realizes she's walking out. "Thank you. And I'm sorry for being a dick. Thank you."

"Of course." She gives him a small smile as she nods once and walks out, leaving Jack, Dana and Robby alone in your room.

"Do you want us to stay?" Robby asks.

"No, I…" Jack turns his head back and lets his eyes find you again, stomach churning as this new reality settles over him. "I think I'd like to be alone with her now."

"Alright. But call if you need anything or anything changes," Dana says as she walks over and squeezes Jack's arm. "We'll be back to check on you both."

"Thank you." He makes himself look over at them. "I'm sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry for, brother. See you soon." Robby gives him a small smile and then walks out with Dana, shuts the door behind them.

Jack is quiet for a moment as he just watches you, studies your swollen and bruised and cut up face. He clicks his tongue behind his teeth, and lets tears fall. "Oh Baby," he sighs lowly, the words shaking. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." He sniffles hard. "I should've, I should've done more. I should've driven you and just not slept. I should've… I'm sorry." Jack doesn't know what else to say, just has the overwhelming urge to apologize to you. "I'm so sorry."

He takes in a loud wracked breath as he says it again. "I'm sorry."

Jack stands, keeps your hand in his and leans in and kisses your forehead, the lightest press of his lips against your skin, almost a ghosting more than anything because he's terrified to hurt you, but he just needed to do that. He sits back down and moves the chair closer, looks at you helplessly, as helpless as he feels. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't protect you, I'm sorry I can't fix you, can't make you, make you better. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me." Jack rests his forehead on his arm right below his wrist of the hand holding yours so carefully. "Please come back to me. Please. I'm sorry." He starts to weep in earnest. "I'm so sorry."

Ten days or so pass. Jack's not keeping track of time at this point. That's what he tells himself. He doesn't want to know, prefers to live as unaware as possible of how much time has passed without you. With you in a medically induced coma on a vent. They’d just been able to stop the sedation and take you off the vent. It's a lie though, one designed to make himself feel better. Jack is painfully aware of how much time has passed.

Jack and Robby have been sitting in silence in your room for a few minutes once their general conversation trailed off.

"She's going to wake up Jack."

Jack pushes his lips together and up a touch, shrugs shallowly, doesn’t look over. "You don't know that, Robby."

Robby lets out a deep breath. "True, yeah. But she's only just off sedation and the vent, nobody expected her to wake up immediately. She's a fighter and tenacious and will keep fighting to be with you."

Jack pulls his hand from yours and stands up to pace. "She might hate me if she does."

Robby clicks his tongue. "She's not going to hate you."

"Well guess what Robby, you don't know that either." Jack snaps as he paces. He knows that was shitty of him, knows that Robby is just trying to help in a situation where there's very little to be done. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Robby says softly. "I know you're right Jack, but I really believe I'm right too."

Jack nods in acknowledgment. He doesn't know what to say to that because he still isn't letting himself have hope. Or at least not much of it. "You see her car?"

"I think I saw a photo a few days ago, yeah," Robby nods.

Jack walks over to Robby silently and pulls his phone out, brings up the photos and hands his phone to Robby. "Scroll."

Robby looks at Jack for a moment before taking his phone and looking down at it. "Jesus fucking christ," Robby breathes out as he scrolls through the photos of your car.

"I saved him, Robby." Jack starts pacing again to burn off the anger at himself that boils his blood and makes him want to shatter the window and jump. "I saved the piece of shit that did that," he points at his phone, "I saved the man that did this to her." Jack moves his arm to flourish in the direction of your hospital bed.

"He got released a couple of days ago. Got to just walk the fuck out of here, hardly worse for wear." Jack knows Robby already knows this because they've talked about it at least five times but he still needs to say it all again. "I fucking saved him. And it wasn't fucking easy, it wasn't just treating and stabilizing and getting him off to surgery. It was a fucking save. He was fucking dead and I brought him back to life!" His voice breaks over the last word.

Jack stops pacing and walks back over to the edge of your bed, stands between it and his chair. "How is she ever supposed to forgive me for that if she wakes up? How am I ever supposed to forgive myself?"

"You did your job, Jack. She would never hold that against you or be mad at you for that. We both know she'd be upset if you hadn't treated him." Robby pauses. "And, as for how you forgive yourself, I don't know, honestly. Maybe as she gets better and you see that she's not mad at you for it you'll be able to start forgiving yourself."

Jack shakes his head but doesn't verbally argue. He won't forgive himself. Ever. He knows he won't. Maybe, maybe, if you asked him to he could, or at least could some. "I don't know how to do this, Michael."

Robby doesn't say anything, leaves the silence for Jack to fill.

He carefully settles on the edge of your bed, overly cautious to make sure he isn't pressing against you and potentially causing you pain. "I don't know if it's fair to ask her to fight. Her body is so broken, Michael. It's everything. It's fucking everything. My whole girl." Jack sniffles hard as he tries to keep the tears back. He's so fucking tired of crying. "I'm afraid to touch her most of the time. I swear to god every single inch of her is bruised. And so I don't know if it's fair to ask her to be in all this pain and to fight to come back to me and be exhausted. I know she must be tired." His voice cracks.

Jack brings a hand up to your head and strokes your hair so, so gently, puts no pressure on your head, is almost hovering just above your hair more than anything. "I don't know whether to tell her it's okay to let go. That I know she's tired and in pain and that it's okay for her to rest and let go. Because it's not. Not to me. But I don't want her to suffer and what if she's just exhausted and suffering Michael? What if she's feeling all the pain and unable to do anything about it? What if she's fighting for me, hanging on for me, to be here with me and she's in agony and it’s for no reason because she’s going to die anyway?"

"We would know if she was in pain, her heart rate would be elevated and it's not. It's perfectly normal. And Jack." Robby lets out a breath. "Even if she is exhausted and in pain, even if she's in agony, I know that she would be perfectly okay and even happy with that if it's what's going to get her back to you."

Jack lets out a small sob at that and leans in, presses a delicate kiss to your forehead with trembling lips and then pulls back a little and gives you a trembly smile as tears soak his face and shirt even though you can't see it, talks to you even though he doesn't know if you can hear him. "I love you, Sweetheart. I love you so fucking much."

Another couple of days pass. Jack loses more and more of the small shard of hope he let himself have as they do. He's barely sleeping or eating or drinking. He's only shaved because the facial hair starts to annoy him at a certain length and Robby brought him some stuff from home including a razor.

If someone asked him what he does all day and night he wouldn't know what to say other than he sits by your side, drags the cot they brought him over and lays by your side sometimes. He's always so far in his head and dissociated that time passes without him really realizing it or needing to do something to keep himself entertained.

He hasn't cried since that time with Robby. Maybe he finally settled into a numbness, maybe he ran out of tears. Maybe he doesn't think he deserves the catharsis and that he should have to deal with it all building up inside of him.

Jack scoffs at himself when he hears you say his name just above a whisper. Great, he thinks, now he's adding auditory hallucinations into the mix. But then he swears he feels your hand move in his and his head snaps from the wall he'd been staring at to you. To your eyes. To your beautiful, beautiful eyes that are open and looking at him. "Oh my god," he mumbles.

"Jack," you repeat his name again, just slightly louder. Your throat and mouth feel like sandpaper, have never been dryer.

"Holy shit," Jack breathes. "You, you, you're awake." He laughs in disbelief. "You're awake!" He's on his feet in seconds, looking down at you with glassy eyes. "Hi Sweetheart. Oh, I love you."

Every inch of you hurts. You can tell you're already on pain meds though with the way it's all a dull throbbing ache. And because you look down your body and see all the evidence of injuries, feel the sling, and know that Jack would never let them not have you on strong pain meds.

"Water?" You want to say that you love him too but you're not sure you could get that many words out with how dry your mouth and throat are.

"Of course, yeah." Jack grabs the pitcher your nurse has filled up every day and set on your tray and pours some into the cup next to it. He unwraps and sticks the straw into it as he brings it closer to you. "Small sips, yeah?"

You nod, barely though because as soon as you start to try it fucking hurts. You take a few sips and the relief feels so good you're pretty sure it eclipses the pain for a second. "Thanks," you whisper when you've had enough.

"Better?" Jack asks as he sets the cup back down. "And let me know if you want more."

"Much." You force yourself to say the word at a normal level and make a face at the sound of your own voice. You don't recognize it. Jack laughs softly because it was adorable, because you're adorable and you're awake and you can talk and you recognize him and maybe, just maybe things will be okay. "And I love you too, so much."

He beams at you as you tell him the words he's been dying to hear. "Your voice will get back to normal."

You hum in acknowledgment and are quiet for a few seconds. "Jack, everything hurts."

His smile fades so quickly into a frown that it's like a knife to your heart. You hadn't meant to make him feel bad. It's not his fault. You don't really remember what happened but you remember your car getting hit.

Jack swallows hard. "I know Baby. I'm so sorry," he murmurs. He gently lets go of your hand and reaches behind you and grabs something, brings it down near your hand and rests his nearby. "Do you want a boost of pain meds? Pushing that button gives you one. And if you can't press it just let me know, okay?"

You'd love a boost of pain meds if you're honest. But you'd love time with Jack more because you can tell he's not okay. Can tell he's so, so not okay. He looks gaunt, almost haunted in a way. He looks like he hasn't been eating or sleeping. It makes you realize it might not be the same day or even the day after you got hit. You can worry about that later. "Won't that make me sleepier?"

"Yeah," he nods. "But that's a good thing, you need to rest Sweetheart." Jack smiles at you softly but internally he's starting to lose it. He feels so selfish because he doesn't want you to sleep. He doesn't want you to close your eyes. He wants to keep talking to you, wants that proof that, at least for now, you're okay.

"In a bit, it's not that bad, honestly." You return his smile, though it's smaller than usual. "I wanna talk to you. I, I don't know how to explain it but I feel like I've missed you. Been missing you." You watch the glass return to Jack's eyes, watch the tears accumulate at his lower lash line but refuse to fall. Your smile fades. "Jack, what happened?"

"I missed you too," he murmurs, pausing for a moment because he has no idea what to say. Where to begin or how to explain or how to tell you he saved the guy that came a nanometer away from killing you. He forces himself to just start. "You were t-boned on the driver's by a drunk driver going 60 in a 25. It rolled your car and then you got hit by a semi head on. And I…" It feels wrong and selfish to get this out now instead of telling you more about your injuries but Jack is stuck. He can't move past it without acknowledging it. "I fucking saved him. You were both brought here and I got his ambulance and I fucking saved him. You coded, your heart stopped multiple times, and I, I saved the man who did this to you." A few tears slide down his cheeks the next time he blinks.

"I saved the man who almost killed you. His heart stopped and I brought him back to life." Jack sucks a ragged breath in through his teeth, eyes reflecting a kind of terror as he makes himself hold your eye contact because it's the very fucking least he can do during this. "And if you can never forgive me for that I understand and can go. Because I'll never fucking forgive myself. I'm sorry. I'm really fucking sorry, I’m so sorry."

"Hey," you say gently, inch your fingers as close to his as possible and brush against them so that he'll take your hand back, which he does even though you know he feels like he doesn't deserve it. "You did your job Jack. How could I ever be mad or upset about that or hold it against you? I'm not and I don't, Sweetheart. I'm glad you did your job. I'm proud of you for doing your job." Jack shakes his head at you to tell you that you shouldn't be. "I am. If you need my forgiveness then I forgive you, but know that I don't think I have anything to forgive you for. And I hope one day we can get you to a place where you can forgive yourself."

Jack wants to believe you, and deep down he does, but at surface level he's still terrified that as you go through recovery and are in pain and having to work so hard that you'll come to hate him. Come to be mad about it and upset and resent him. "Maybe, yeah," he whispers. He knows it's not fair to keep the story here, no matter how hard he's struggling. You asked what happened and you deserve to know what happened to you.

Jack's eyes leave yours for the first time since you woke up except for when he was helping you drink and you watch them glaze over a little. "Jack?" He looks back up at you. "Can I have a kiss?"

He lets out a little breath. How could he have gotten so caught up in everything else that he forgot he can kiss you now. That your lips will actually move back against his. "Always." He leans over you carefully and tilts his head, brings his lips to yours in the softest, most achingly sweet and tender and loving kiss. You sigh contentedly into it and so Jack kisses you again. And again and again. He can feel a little piece of him healing with each kiss. "Thank you," he whispers against your lips before pulling away. You raise your eyebrows slightly. "For helping me when I should be the one helping you."

"You are helping me Jack." You can see your reassurance only goes so far but decide to leave it for now, know him well enough to know that it's not the time to push it.

"We um, we didn't know it was you, when you came in. Robby took your ambulance. Even after I came in and looked at your face we didn't know it was you. You were unrecognizable, your face was so swollen and bruised and…" Jack closes his eyes for a second, squeezes them shut hard, trying to get that image out of his mind. You know it.

"Look at me, Sweetheart. Look at me now, Jack." You squeeze his hand lightly.

His eyes slowly flutter back open and flit around your face as Jack lets the image of your face when you first came in fade. "I saw your engagement ring. That's how we realized it was you." Jack starts to tell you all about it then. He knows he should get your nurse and your doctor but he doesn't want to. Doesn't want to share you.

Jack tells you that it's been almost two weeks which is what ends up throwing you the most, not your injuries or Jack saving the guy who hit you, but the loss of time. He promises that he's been here by your side every day, has been sleeping here and showering here, hasn't left your side for a single second. He tells you about the feeling he had, about you coding at the scene and how they almost called you there, how you coded in the trauma room. He explains all of your injuries and what happened during surgery, how your lungs were really bad but have healed well, are still healing, what they think recovery and recovery times are going to look like.

"Well," you breathe a soft laugh once he finishes. Somehow you remember the conversation you and Jack had over text before the accident as you were leaving for work. "Damn. I guess it's going to be a hot minute before I can have you slip inside me or I can slip into a hot bath."

Jack can't help but laugh, it just comes out because it's the most fucking you thing to say in reaction to everything he just told you. He laughs properly for the first time since the morning he spent with you on the day of the accident as you got ready for work, sits back down in the chair and kisses the back of your hand that he's holding as he laughs.

His laughter only lasts so long though. That kind of catharsis triggers another one and Jack slips from laughing properly to sobbing. To sobbing harder than you've ever heard him cry before, harder than he thinks he's ever cried before. Jack lets go completely, every emotion he's been holding onto since he realized it was you in that trauma room pouring out of him through tears and wracked breaths.

He keeps holding your hand, is so careful not to squeeze it tightly, and brings his head down to rest near your thigh where your hands lay intertwined and sobs into the blanket. Jack cries loud and shamelessly, without abandon because it's all his body and mind know how to do right now. That and try to apologize to you as he does so, choking on his words and sobs.

"I'm, I'm, I'm sorry I save-saved him." The words are strained, like he can barely get them out, can barely control his breathing long enough to choke them out. "I'm so-sorry, you, you don't deserve th-this, I, I, I…"

Jack hates this. He fucking hates it and himself for doing this to you, putting you through this when you just woke up. He hates that he's not taking care of you, that you're having to take care of him right now, having to try and calm him down when he should be there for you.

Seeing him like this breaks your heart, is made all the worse by the fact that you can't do anything to comfort him. You can't tell him to get in bed with you or rub his back or kiss him or wipe away his tears because you can't fucking move really. When you pull your hand from his he cries a little harder for a second until he feels your hand in his hair, weaving through his curls to scratch at his scalp how you know calms him.

You start to feel bad yourself because it feels like this is your fault, like Jack is feeling this way because of you. It's obvious how much he's been through, how he's been living here and hasn't been taking care of himself because he's too worried and depressed over you. And that's your fault. If you hadn't driven to work that day, if you had just done that errand another day. Tears start to slide down your face, for the way you start to feel responsible, yes, but also at watching Jack hurt like this, watching him be consumed by it.

"Jack, Sweetheart, you have nothing to apologize for my love." You say it just loud enough for it to be heard over his sobs. "None of this is your fault and I'm not mad at you for doing your job, Baby."

"S-still!" He's crying so hard now that he's shaking and choking, almost gagging and dry heaving at moments because he's so completely unregulated. "I, I'm sorry for not protect-protecting you, and for being like this." The last word is ragged, he chokes on it, starts coughing.

"Okay Jack, shhh," you soothe him, continuing to run your fingers through his hair and scratch at his scalp. "Don't try to talk, Baby, just let it all out and we can talk later, I promise."

You're relieved when Jack seems to follow your advice and lets himself cry without trying to say anything to you. His anger at himself makes it all worse. This isn't how he wants to be spending this time with you. He knows you're going to get really tired here soon, that you probably already are and are fighting it, and will fall back asleep and he doesn't want to waste moments with you. He can't help it though. Jack cries until he physically can't anymore and is just sniffling and taking in wracked hiccuped breaths as he tries to come down.

He moves his face so that one side is pressed against the mattress, the back of his head to you, in part because he grabs a tissue off the tray and in part because he doesn't want you to see him like this. You keep your hand in his hair as you give him a chance to collect himself, let him blow his nose and wipe away his tears and get his breathing back to normal before you speak.

"Jack?"

"Yeah Sweetheart?" He still can't bring himself to turn and look at you. He feels ashamed and he knows he must look like a mess, he can feel how swollen his eyes and lips are, and he knows it's going to hurt you, be hard for you to see and make you sad.

"Can I have a kiss?" Your ask has the desired effect, you can see some of the tension melt off him at the thought of kissing you, can see him perk up if only a little.

Jack sniffles hard one last time and then lifts his head, grabs your hand as you let it fall from his hair and kisses your palm. You have to work to keep the frown off your face when you see him, see how totally and completely destroyed he looks. You hate that you can feel yourself growing even more tired and everything getting more painful because you don't want to fall asleep on him. You can only hope that crying like he did for as long as he did combined with the clear lack of sleep he's had recently will exhaust him and finally let him get some good sleep now.

He furrows his brows when he sees the dried tear stains on your cheeks. "I'm sorry," he whispers, "I didn't mean to make you cry too."

"You didn't," you whisper back. "The situation did."

Jack grabs a tissue and gently wipes away the salty marks left on your skin by your tears. He shrugs. You know he doesn't believe you and that's okay. You didn't expect him to. That's something that's going to take time and healing.

"I love you," Jack murmurs as he leans in and gives you the kiss you asked for, still so gentle with you but letting this one escalate when you run your tongue over his lip. He doesn't let it last very long though, still concerned about your breathing and lungs even though they're looking much better. You manage to pull the smallest laugh from him when you make a little noise of discontent as he pulls away. "Gotta make sure you can breathe, Sweetheart."

You give a slight teasing grumble but know he's right, could feel yourself getting breathless far quicker than normal. Than before the accident.

"I love you too." You tilt your head at him just a little and smile. It's soft and not that big but it's genuine, it meets your eyes and it is the most beautiful sight to Jack, makes his heart skip a couple of beats and some of the heaviness lift. "We're gonna be okay, Jack. I know you can't believe that right now and I understand why and that's perfectly okay, Baby. But we have each other. You have me and I have you. So I know we're gonna get through this and we're gonna be okay."

A year passes. To say your recovery was difficult would be an understatement. You're not sure whether you even consider yourself fully recovered at this point. You suppose you are. You're back to work and can do pretty much everything you could do before the accident, including Jack. You still have a lot of pain at times which irritates you more than anything but you know it could be much, much worse. You're down to only seeing your physical therapist once a month but you still have exercises and stretches you have to do every day.

Psychologically… things were rough for both you and Jack. Maybe even worse than your physical recovery some days. You didn't have much memory of the actual crash itself until you got in a car for the first time after it and it all came flying back. You'd absolutely fucking lost it in the backseat with Jack, panicking harder than you ever have before, beyond grateful that Robby was driving and Jack was there next to you.

Today is the one year anniversary of the accident. You and Jack have been enjoying each other and the peace and quiet that comes with the extremely remote and unbelievably nice lake house he found to rent for a week. It's your second day here. Jack needed to be way the fuck out of the city on the anniversary, needed to be somewhere he didn't have to see or hear a car or an ambulance. You were more than okay with that, felt the same exact way and told him you wanted to spend the actual day wrapped up in him in bed in a little cocoon of safety.

You and Jack are in the obscenely big tub in the master bathroom. It has built in seats and everything and almost feels more like a hot tub they just put inside than a bathtub. Despite the fact that there's two seats you are, of course, resting on top of Jack with your back to his chest.

He's been treating you like glass all day. It's something he still falls into from time to time and you get it, you truly do. You're not at all surprised it popped back up today, nor do you really care. It means that the sex today has been so incredibly soft and slow and loving. You spent a fair amount of the day just cockwarming in bed, laying on your sides tangled together with Jack inside you as you chatted or made out.

The two of you have been in the bath a while now. It's a post sex bath and it's perfect. You're pretty sure you could fall asleep on Jack if you let yourself. You don't though, want to be present in the moment with him. You play with his wedding ring under the water and occasionally he'll move his hand quickly so that he can get his hand on top of yours and play with your wedding and engagement rings.

You haven't been married long, only two-ish months. After what happened you and Jack were talking one day while you were still in the hospital and you both expressed not wanting to wait. The only reason you waited as long as you did was because you didn't want to get married in the hospital and you wanted to be out of all casts and braces so that they weren't in photos.

It was a small, intimate self-uniting ceremony, the two of you surrounded by your closest friends and family. Instead of a big reception you'd rented a party room at a local restaurant for good food and drinks and a little dancing. It was perfect. It was you and Jack.

Jack breathes a little laugh to himself.

"What are you laughing at Dr. Abbot?" you hum.

"I know it's not the first time this has happened since the accident but I couldn't help thinking to myself right now that you got me slipping inside of you and to slip into a hot bath." He turns his head and kisses your temple, laughs again a bit louder this time. "I can't believe that's how you reacted to me telling you everything that happened and all your injuries."

"Yes you can." He can hear the smirk in your voice.

"Yes I can," he's quick to agree, wraps his arms around your torso and pulls you closer to him. "I don't think I realized it at the time but I think subconsciously that was the moment where I realized you were going to be okay because you'd just woken up after this horrific accident and been told all this awful shit that happened to you and that was your response, that incredibly you answer." He kisses your temple again and lets it linger. "It was just so you and I had missed you," he whispers, trying not to get emotional about it. "I had missed you so fucking much."

"I had missed you too, Baby," you murmur. "I love you Jack. More than you'll ever know."

"I love you more, pretty girl," Jack hums.

You shake your head against him. "That is simply not possible."

"It is indeed possible and true." This time you can hear the smirk in his voice.

You lean up off his chest and move off his lap and Jack whines, pulling a chuckle from you. But you don't go far, just turn yourself over and sit back on his lap perpendicular to him with your back against the tub wall so that you can see him. You shake your head but before you can argue Jack presses one of his thumbs to your lips. "Yes."

You press a kiss to the back of his thumb. "No," you murmur against it. You give it another kiss before quickly taking it into your mouth and nibbling at it gently.

Jack gasps in fake surprise. "Don't bite my thumb!" You smirk around his thumb and then release it, give it another quick kiss. "I think we're going to have to agree to disagree on this one, Sweetheart."

"That's fine," you shrug. "I know I'm right."

Jack rolls his eyes at you affectionately and then wraps his arms around you and pulls you close as you move to get closer to him. Your lips meet in a searing kiss that never quite seems to stop as you start making out. It's sloppy and hot and messy teenager shit almost but that's what makes it so fucking good right now.

It doesn't long for hands to start roaming, for you to get wet and Jack to grow hard again. "Let me take you to bed again. Let me have you again," Jack mumbles against your lips. "Please."

You answer the same way he asked. "Please." You kiss him one more time because his lips are right there and you can't resist. "Please Jack."

Jack nods, looks at you with blown, lust heavy eyes. He gets you out of the tub and both of you dried off, takes you back to bed and finally lets himself kiss every single one of your scars from the accident before he shows you how much he loves you and what you mean to him, the two of you nuzzling noses and breathing against each other’s lips before kissing slowly and swallowing down each other's moans as you climax at nearly the same time.

As you bask in the afterglow together, Jack laying on top of you and you running your hands through his curls and over his shoulders and up and down his back, a thought hits Jack.

"You can say it, you know," he says quietly. "I told you so. You can say it."

"I don't like doing that, it always ends up feeling mean, even when it's teasing." You pause for a couple of seconds. "I also have no idea what I would be saying it about."

"Us being okay and getting through what happened." He can't quite bring himself to say 'the crash' today. "You told me that we were going to be okay and you knew we'd get through it and at the time, I didn't believe you, I couldn't let myself believe you." He lets out a long breath and shrugs. "But you were right."

"Jack," you say softly, "I don't need to say-"

"Please," he cuts you off. "Please say it. I want you to say it. I need you to say it." Jack has no idea why he suddenly needs this now but he does. He knows it's his brain’s way of trying to get himself to accept that when something bad happens and you tell him that you guys will be okay he should believe you. He can believe you in that moment. 

Because while Jack hopes that something as bad as the crash never happens again, he knows that some bad things will happen, that there will be hard times because that's life. And you told him you guys would be okay and you were right. So he just needs to hear it as silly and stupid and dumb as that might be or at the very least feel.

"Do you want me to be like… sassy? Or serious?" you ask, trying to infuse some lightness back into the situation for him.

Jack laughs, kisses your chest. He loves you so much he doesn't know what to do with himself half the time. "Surprise me."

You take a moment to consider and then tug on his hair gently so he'll look up at you and he does. "I told you so." You try so hard to say it with sass and a smirk but it doesn't quite hit because you can't keep the brightest smile off your face because you love him and you guys were and are okay and he's your husband and you have the rest of your lives together. Jack adores that smile, loves it so much and finds it so adorable and beautiful he could bite you with how hard the cuteness aggression hits him. But he doesn't, laughs softly instead.

"Yeah," Jack nods, smiles back at you just as brightly and brings his face closer to yours so he can kiss you once he’s finished his sentence, "you did."

I just love exploring the range of ways I think Jack would react to reader being critically injured and I think it would depend so much on who else was there. I think with Robby he knows that he doesn’t have to do it or keep it together, he can lose it because he trusts Robby so implicitly and there’s nobody else he’d rather have treating reader, not even himself. (Not that he doesn’t trust or think the other Pitt doctors are good doctors, just, you know.). But I can also see it a million other ways where it still feels true to him.

Anyway, thank you so much for taking the time to read and your support! ♥️ As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts and comments, they mean so much to me!

Want more Jack and the Pitt content? Check out my masterlist here. I also write for Pope from Animal Kingdom!

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Divider by @saradika-graphics.

You huffed a laugh as the two of them started bickering just as your phone buzzed in your pocket. You leant against the wall, only half listening as you pulled it out of your scrubs and saw a notification from Jack.

He must have just woken up from his pre-shift nap. The corner of your mouth lifted as you read his reply.

You: Are you coming in early today?

JA ❤️: Always.

You quickly typed out another message.

You: any chance u could bring in a protein bar for me? the ones at work are inedible

The reply came almost instantly.

JA ❤️: I know. I’ve told Robby they are a serious health hazard.

You smiled at that as you watched the three dots blink back at you.

JA ❤️: I’ll be in soon. I already have some in my bag for you.

You: are you psychic?

JA ❤️: Just good at pattern recognition.

Your smile widened as his reply came through.

You: thank u 🩷

JA ❤️: 👍

“What are you smiling at?”

You looked up to find McKay watching you over the fridge door.

“What?”

“That.” She pointed vaguely at your face. “Whatever that was.”

“Nothing.”

Santos and Whitaker paused their arguing to focus on you.

Santos studied you, her face contorting into a grimace. “Gross.”

“What?”

“I just can’t get over the fact that Abott reduces you to…” She trailed off, waving vaguely at you.

“That?” Whitaker supplied.

“Yeah.” Santos nodded gravely. “That.”

You rolled your eyes, sliding your phone back into your scrub pocket.

“I think the two of you are starting to fuse into one brain cell.”

Santos’ expression went still. “….that was genuinely hurtful.”

You turned to Whitaker. “There’s your new button to press.”

Whitaker’s grin widened as he crossed his arms over his chest and turned to Santos. “Oh I cannot wait to bring this up multiple times a day.”

Santos glared at you. "You're a traitor."

You pushed off the wall, shaking your head as you made your way towards the door.

“Never give your triggers away Santos.”

“You’re still a traitor!” She called out.

You waved her off without looking back, escaping before she could start another argument.

You barely made it two steps before nearly colliding with Samira.

“Oh sorry.” She came to an abrupt halt, the usual frazzled expression etched onto her features as she looked up at you.

“You all good?”

“Yeah um- have you seen Joy?”

“Not for a little while.”

“No worries, if you see her can you tell her I need her in Room 3?”

“Sure.” You nodded, tilting your head slightly as you studied her. “Are you sure you’re ok?”

“Yeah fine.” She brushed you off as she tucked a loose curl behind her ear. “Haven’t had lunch so I’m a bit cranky.”

You nodded in understanding. “Word of warning, don’t eat the protein bars.”

Samira’s nose wrinkled as she stepped around you. “Why on earth would I do that?”

You threw your arms up dramatically. “Am I the only one who didn’t know they were inedible?”

“Apparently so.”

You huffed, pulling your hair out from under your collar as you made your way over to the status board which was currently glowing above the chaos that was the ED like a cruel little scoreboard.

Your hands settled on your stethoscope as you scanned the board. Less than an hour till your shift was over, at least officially. Which given your track record of overtime, meant close to nothing.

“Hey.”

You glanced over to see Perlah leaning against one of the desks.

“What?” You asked warily.

Her smirk widened. “Have you seen the hot visitor?”

“The what?”

Princess appeared beside her, equally delighted.

“Absolute smoke show.”

Princess nodded towards the far end of the station. “Follow the sounds of Joy giggling.”

Your brows knitted together.

“Joy? As in our intern, Joy? As in the complete antithesis of her name, Joy?” You queried.

“See for yourself.” Perlah grinned.

You followed their line of sight to the other end of the nurses station where a tall figure stood, leaning an arm on one of the benches.

At first, all you saw was the back of a leather jacket, familiar in a way that made your stomach drop before your brain had fully caught up. The man shifted slightly, turning just enough for a familiar profile to come into view. The same hair coifed to perfection, the same self-satisfied slant of his mouth.

And sure enough standing beside him, blushing furiously as she giggled, actually giggled, at whatever he had just said, was Joy.

“I didn’t even know she was capable of laughter.” Princess remarked.

You closed your eyes for one brief, pained second. “You have got to be kidding me.” You grumbled.

Before either Princess or Perlah could ask what was wrong, you were already moving, making a beeline towards them.

Princess and Perlah exchanged a look behind your back. “What just happened?” Princess asked in Tagalog.

“I don’t know." Perlah muttered. "But I think it’s going to be good.”

By the time you were close enough to hear the familiar deep drawl of his voice, Mark Sloan had inched in just enough to make Joy look like she might pass out.

“So, is that the only piercing you have or...?”

You rolled your eyes.

“Still shamelessly hitting on interns I see.”

Mark turned at the sound of your voice. For half a second, there was nothing but surprise. And then his eyes lit up in recognition.

“Well I’ll be.”

That familiar grin spread slowly across his face as his eyes travelled down your body with the same shameless appreciation he’d had years ago, like he was undressing you from memory.

“Cupid.” He said the nickname lowly, like he’d never stopped saying it. “Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes.”

You shot him a fake smile. “Wish I could say the same.”

Joy looked between the two of you, blinking rapidly, as if she was trying to decipher a complex math problem. You turned your attention to her, offering her a polite smile.

“Dr Mohan's looking for you, something to do with your patient in room 3.”

“Oh right.” Joy nodded, adjusting her glasses as she glanced at Mark. “On it.”

“Bye Joy.” Mark called out lazily, watching her blush as she scurried away, nearly walking into a wall in the process.

He turned to you, looking pleased with himself as he leant forward. “Why do you always have to ruin my fun?” He pouted once she was out of earshot.

"Someone has to."

Meanwhile, McKay, Whitaker and Santos had exited the breakroom, not even bothering to conceal their ogling as they clustered around a monitor.

“Ok who on earth is that?” Santos queried.

"And why does he look like he just walked off a photoshoot?" McKay muttered.

“And how do they know eachother?” Whitaker added.

“He called her Cupid.” Joy casually commented as she walked past them.

Whitaker’s brow furrowed. "....Cupid?"

Santos froze. The faint amusement dropped away, replaced by the sharp, dawning horror of someone remembering a detail they were never supposed to need.

“Oh my god.”

“What?” McKay and Whitaker asked simultaneously.

"Do you guys remember that time at karaoke?"

"....the one where she sang No Scrubs at Abbot?"

"No. The one when she accidentally admitted she had an ex at Seattle Grace that used to call her Cupid."

McKay and Whitaker both slowly turned to stare at Mark, then at you, then back at Mark.

"No." McKay shook her head.

"Yes."

“You don’t seriously think….” Whitaker trailed off.

“Oh I do” Santos nodded. “I really do.”

Back at the nurses’ station, you folded your arms, ignoring Mark's attempts at getting under your skin.

“What are you doing here?”

“Oh some conference.” He waived his hand dismissively. “Thought I’d take the opportunity to come see Robinavitch.”

You blinked. “You know Dr Robby.” You said slowly.

“Since med school.” He answered smoothly. “Why? Hoping I was here to see you?”

You snorted. “Please.”

“Oh c’mon Cupid don’t act like you don’t miss me.” He smirked as he stepped closer. “You wouldn’t have moved across the other side of the country to forget about me if you didn’t.”

You leant in slightly, shooting him a dry smile. “I wouldn’t touch you again even if my life depended on it Sloan.”

He let out a genuine chuckle. “I’ve missed this.” He gestured between the two of you. “Us."

He placed his chin in the palm of his hand, leaning even closer. "Why did it ever end?”

You pretended to think for a moment. "Maybe because you’re physiologically incapable of staying monogamous?”

“Oh yeah right that.” He nodded. “Speaking of monogamous..."

"No."

"... I’ve heard you’ve got a new boy toy right here at PTMC.”

Your eyes narrowed. “Jesus Christ Meredith needs to learn to keep her mouth shut.”

“Well in her defence she told Derek who then told me so….” Mark trailed off, turning his body around to survey the room. “Which one is he?”

"I'm not playing this game." You answered, folding your arms over your chest.

“Wait let me guess.”

Before you could stop him, Mark placed both hands on your shoulders and gently turned you so you were both facing the floor of the pitt.

His eyes landed on Frank first. “Too pretty boy.”

He guided your shoulders slightly towards Whitaker. “Too scrawny.”

From across the room, Whitaker stiffened. “…Why is he looking at me?”

Santos didn’t look away. “Don’t wave.” She murmured.

“I wasn’t going to.”

“You were thinking about it.”

Then the ambulance bay doors opened. Jack walked in with a thermos in one hand, his bicep bulging as he shifted the backpack slung over his other shoulder on full display under his dark fitted shirt.

Your stomach dropped as his eyes scanned the room, no doubt looking for you. It didn't take long for his eyes to find yours. You watched as they shifted to Mark, then dropped to Mark's hands resting on your shoulders.

For a moment, his expression barely changed, only the faintest tightening around his jaw gave him away. Then he kept walking.

Mark smiled slowly. “….bingo.”

Your body stiffened as Mark glanced sideways at you.

“I’m right."

You didn't answer.

"I am."

“I’m not talking about my love life with you of all people.”

“Cupid, don’t be like that.” He nudged your shoulder. "Come on, what’s he like?”

“Well for starters, he volunteers as a medic for the SWAT team.” You said sweetly. “So he’s got at least one gun on him at all times.”

Mark nodded slowly, dropping his hands from your shoulders. "Noted."

"He also has excellent aim."

"Message received." Mark held his hands up. "I'll behave."

And then, for the first time since he had appeared, the teasing faded.

"But seriously..." His face softened slightly as his eyes settled on your face properly, no longer performing for the room.

“You’re happy?”

You exhaled slowly, your defences lowering slightly by the unexpected tone of his voice.

“I am.”

“He good to you?"

You smiled softly despite yourself. “He is.”

Something flickered across Mark’s face then, softening the usual sharp lines of his smirk, scarily close to being something sincere. “Good.”

For a moment, the years between you settled there. It didn’t feel painful or bitter or even sad. In fact, it seemed absurd to think that you'd cried over him once upon a time. Now he was just a story you told after one too many drinks, something you reflected on and shook your head, chalking it up to the foolishness of youth.

You cleared your throat, looking away first. “How’s work?”

“Busy, chaotic, dramatic.” Mark shrugged.

"So the usual then?"

“The usual.”

He glanced around the emergency department, frowing slightly as he took in the noise, the movement, the organised disaster of it all. “How’s the ED?”

“Busy, chaotic.” You echoed. “Somehow still much less dramatic than Seattle Grace."

Mark barked out a laugh. “Yeah that checks out.”

“Sloan.”

The two of you turned to see Robby making his way towards you, Jack beside him.

Mark's grin returned instantly.

“Robinavitch.” He broke away from you and pulled Robby into a hug with the force of someone who had never respected personal space in his life.

"A lot less hair since I last saw you."

Robby snorted, clapping him on the back. "The Pitt will do that to you.”

Jack caught your eye over Robby’s shoulder, his expression running a fine line between faint amusement and annoyance.

Robby stepped back, shaking his head before gesturing to Jack.

“This is Jack Abbot, night attending.”

“Nice to meet you. Mark Sloan.” Mark stuck his hand out. “Head of Plastic Surgery at Seattle Grace.”

“Plastic surgery?” Jack's brow lifted slightly as he shook Mark’s hand. “Explains the soft hands.”

Mark laughed loudly enough that several people looked over.

“Oh my god.” Whitaker mumbled as he watched Jack and Mark shake hands. “It’s like I’m seeing double.”

Santos shook her head. “She’s got some serious issues.”

McKay folded her arms over her chest as she studied the two men. “Or just good taste.”

“I second the good taste thing.” Princess murmured as she appeared beside McKay.

Perlah took a sip of her drink and nodded. “I third that.”

The handshake lasted just a fraction longer than necessary as Mark glanced over at you. “I get it."

Robby’s eyes narrowed as he gestured between you and Mark.

“You two know eachother?”

“I was an intern at Seattle Grace." You supplied quickly.

“Oh yes, Cupid and I go wayyy back.” Mark smirked.

Robby's confusion only deepened. “Cupid…?”

You shot Mark a warning glare, which he very intentionally ignored.

“Yeah Cupid.” He answered smoothly. “'cause you know she’s got these little angel wings tattooed right above her-“

“Okayyy you know what.” Robby clapped his hands letting out a bark of awkward laughter. “I think a hospital tour sounds like a great idea right about now."

Mark's eyes gleamed as he shoved his hands into his pockets. "I was going to say shoulder blade."

“You are going to walk with me." Robby said, already steering him away, “And tell me absolutely none of the rest of that story.”

Mark let himself be guided down the hall, still grinning smugly as he glanced back over his shoulder at you and winked, making you roll your eyes once more.

You dragged your eyes away from him to look at Jack who was yet to move. He watched Mark disappear down the corridor, then looked back at you.

He slowly stepped forward, eyes scanning your figure as he placed his hands casually behind his back.

"Ex?"

You sighed. "...Ex."

Jack nodded curtly. “Got it.”

“Abbot.” You looked over to see Dana studying both of you. “Dr King needs an attending in Room 8.”

Jack's eyes never left you. You watched him intently, waiting to see if he would say anything further. Instead he simply reached into his pocket and produced a protein bar.

You swallowed as he slid it into the front pocket of your scrub top, his fingers lightly against your side subtly.

“Eat.” Was all he said, unable to hide the affection in his voice.

Your throat tightened around a smile as you nodded. He held your gaze for one more second, then turned and headed in the direction of Room 8.

You watched him go, your hand subconsciously brushing over the side that he’d just touched.

When you looked back, Dana was still standing there, one hand on her hip as she watched you over her glasses with an expression far too knowing for your liking.

“Don’t you dare say a word.”

She raised her hands up in mock surrender. “Wasn’t gonna.”

You huffed as you turned, suddenly desperate to busy yourself in order to keep your mind off the cluster fuck that was your two worlds colliding.

For the next twenty minutes, you threw yourself back into work. Every few minutes though, your gaze betrayed you, either drifting towards the corridor where Robby had taken Mark or towards Room 8, where Jack had disappeared. The protein bar sat heavily in your pocket, your appetite now completely non-existent.

By the time you ended up at a computer to finish off your charting, your shift was close enough to ending that you had started to believe you might actually survive it.

“Oh damn, the patient in room 7 died.”

You glanced up to see Whitaker staring at a chart from the workstation beside you.

“The old lady with the chest pain?”

“Yeah.” Whitaker sighed.

You frowned. "That sucks."

“She had a husband right?” Santos chimed in from across from you, not bothering to look up from her own computer.

“Yeah she did, married nearly fifty years."

Without missing a beat, Santos glanced up at you. “Abbot better watch out.”

Your eyes narrowed.

"Nice. Very respectful." Whitaker shook his head, although you could see he was trying not to laugh.

"What?" Santos shrugged. "Our girl clearly has a type."

"Silver foxes?" McKay suggested as she walked past grinning like a cheshire cat.

"I hate all of you."

Whitaker looked over at you like he was genuinely offended. "What did I do?!"

Across the hallway, Jack had just emerged from Room 8. Your eyes met his. He didn’t react beyond the faintest lift of one eyebrow, but you could tell he'd heard every word.

You tipped your head slightly towards the supply closet. Jack looked at you for half a beat, then gave the smallest nod.

You waited a couple minutes before moving.

The supply closet was narrow, overstocked, and smelled faintly of antiseptic and cardboard. You shut the door behind you and leaned against a shelf, exhaling slowly for what felt like the first time in an hour.

A few minutes later, the handle turned. Jack stepped inside and closed the door quietly behind him. He leaned back against the opposite shelf, folding his arms loosely across his chest as the two of you studied eachother.

“Hi.”

“Hi.”

“So… that’s your ex.”

“That’s my ex.”

He nodded. "You left out a few details."

"Such as?"

His gaze dropped briefly, then returned to your face.

“Well first of all I wasn’t expecting Mark Sloan.”

Your brows lifted in surprise. “You know who he is?”

“I’ve heard of him.”

“Of course you have.” You paused for a moment before your voice dropped slightly, unable to hide the insecurity in your tone. "Do you think less of me because I dated someone like him?"

Jack's brows knitted together. "Absolutely not." He said immediately. "It's just that I wasn't expecting your ex to be..."

Your brow furrowed. “Be what?”

“…old.” Was what Jack settled on.

You let out a disbelieving laugh. “He’s not old, he’s like your age.”

“Exactly.” Jack nodded. “I'm practically from the stone age compared to you.”

“You’re not.” You insisted.

Jack’s mouth twitched, but the smile didn’t quite hold as he looked down at the floor.

You studied him for a moment, admiring the lines etched deep into his face that you’d had memorised for as long as you’d known him. “Does it bother you that he’s older?”

“No it doesn’t bother me it’s just...” He sighed. “I thought I was the exception.” He confessed.

Your face softened instantly as you pushed off the wall and took a step towards him.

"Jack."

"I know it’s irrational.” He said, giving a small, self-deprecating shrug. “I just thought I was the first older doctor you’d made questionable life choices over.”

You huffed a small laugh as you closed the gap between the two of you, reaching up to cradle his jaw.

“Hey.” You said gently, guiding his eyes up to meet yours.

“When I met Mark I was young and overwhelmed and had just moved to a new city and he was…” You trailed off, glancing at the door like Mark might somehow materialise on cue.

“…well you’ve seen what he’s like.”

You brushed a thumb over his stubble that lined his jaw. “It barely even qualified as a relationship. And then it ended and we worked together for months. And then I moved.”

Jack leant into your touch slightly, his eyes never leaving your face as you spoke, attentive in the way that always made your heart ache a little.

“And then on my first day here I met a grumpy doctor up on the roof while I was mid meltdown.”

His brows drew together in feigned disbelief. “I don’t think he was grumpy.”

“He told me if I was thinking of jumping I shouldn’t because it’d be a shame to ruin a face like mine.”

The frown that had a hold on his face loosened just a fraction. “Why on earth would he think that line would work.”

“In his defence, I think he was a little out of practice.”

His hands settled at your waist, warm and steady through the thin fabric of your scrubs. “Or his brain short circuited when he saw you.”

Your smile widened as you slid your arms around the back of his neck, entwining your fingers absentmindedly around the silver curls at the nape of his neck.

“Well, lucky for him it worked.”

The reluctant smile finally reached his eyes. “Very lucky.” He corrected.

He glanced down, playing with the tie of your scrub pants.

“I just can’t believe you dated a plastic surgeon.”

You snorted softly. “Is that seriously what’s bothering you the most?”

“Yes.” He answered plainly.

You shook your head, a wry smile on your lips. “Not the stupid nickname?”

Jack glanced down at you, his grip on your hips tightening ever so slightly.

“If he calls you that again I may have no choice but to punch him.” He conceded casually as he brushed a strand of hair behind your ear.

His head tilted slightly as he studied you for a moment. “But at least he can fix his own nose up after.”

You let out a laugh, running a hand over his chest. “Don’t worry.” You soothed. “I already told him you volunteer with the SWAT team.”

Jack smirked down at you proudly. “Atta girl.”

Then he leant down and finally pressed his lips to yours in a slow, reverent kiss. When he pulled back, his eyes narrowed immediately.

“Did you eat?”

You winced slightly. “Not yet.” You patted the pocket that contained the protein bar. “I’ll eat this and then go.”

Jack frowned, clearly unsatisfied with your solution. “Go home and eat something more substantial.”

“I will.”

“There’s pasta in the fridge for you, all you have to do is chuck it in the microwave.”

Your interest piqued immediately. “The pesto one I love?”

“Of course.”

You grinned, pressing your forehead against his. “You’re very good to me Dr Abbot.”

His smile softened into something private, something reserved just for you. “Anything for my girl.”

You kissed him again, deeper this time, enjoying the feeling of his warmth seeping into you.

“Alright.” He muttered reluctantly against your lips as he pulled away. “Get going before I end up locking you in here.”

You smirked. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

He shot you a warning glare with absolutely no bite to it.

You huffed dramatically, “alright alright.”

You reached for the door, then paused, glancing back at him.

“And for the record, if you’re worried about feeling old…”

Jack raised a brow.

“You should meet my other ex, he checked into the nursing home down the road last week.”

“Very funny.” He muttered, trying but failing to look unamused.

“I know I am.”

“Go.” He urged as he tapped your backside affectionately.

You raised your hands in mock defeat, slipping back into the pitt without another word.

Jack shook his head as the door shut softly behind you, a lovesick smile spreading across his face.

You clock into the reality, realizing the dig he made at your “boy.”

“Yeah, she didn't wanna come, I kinda dragged her here. I was like, ‘babe, it may just be a light concussion but you're a nurse, not a doctor’ so, like, thanks, doc. We needed the big guns,” proudly speaks Noah standing against the wall, checking time on his phone for the 5th time since you've been in this room.

Jack's jaw tightens and he shoots him a look so dirty, Noah actually takes a step back.

“Watch it, kid, if it wasn't for nurses, American healthcare would be even fuckin’ worse.”

Abbot looks back at you, and raises an eyebrow as if to say “really? him?”

You should speak up in your boyfriend's defense, something — anything — to wipe that perceptive look on Jack's face, the smugness he isn't trying hard enough to hide. You might as well be in your birthday suit right now, for how bare you feel. How bare you always feel in his presence.

God knows how much you'd actually like to be — no, you have a boyfriend. A perfectly handsome, competent, and a caring one.

Handsome. Not rugged.

Competent. Doubtful.

Caring. Well, caring enough.

“Doctor Abbot…” you begin, voice stripped raw, breath coming uneasy, when his index brushes right over your thrumming pulse.

“Focus on the examination. Tsk, thought we taught you better here. Well, I at least did. Don't you agree, nurse?” 

The air leaves your mouth in a little puff, leaving your throat dry, your lips soon following. You need a glass of —

“Need some water? You've been here a while,” Jack asks, tone becoming gravelly and intimate, eyebrows drawing closer seeing how pale you look.

He immediately turns to Noah — hands leaving your neck — without waiting for a response from you. His voice takes on its normal cadence. “Hey, son, grab her a bottle, would you? Vending machine is at the end of the corridor. Thanks.”

His ‘Thanks’ comes out in a slow drawl that makes you squirm in your seat. 

Your attending has not even fully turned back to you yet, when your partner speaks up, “Uh, bottle of what?”

“A Pinot Noir, perhaps. Which one do you prefer?” His eyes find yours again, brows raising in deep amusement. Is he getting a kick out of humiliating your boyfriend — and by extension, you?

“Uh…” noah looks utterly confused. You feel almost bad for him. Almost. 

“Water, son. Get your girl a bottle.” Noah makes a move to leave, complying immediately to the doctor. Has he ever even listened to you so quickly? God, men are such dicksuckers for each-other.

“A chapstick while you're at it, maybe,” Jack mutters, trying to keep the humour out of his voice. Noah stops in his tracks again, clearly deaf to the sarcasm.

Jack huffs. “Just go.”

You honestly don't understand why he dislikes Noah so much. You've only been dating him for 3 weeks.

Well.

Noah did try to make a “romantic” gesture by coming to pick you up from your shift. Except, he arrived an hour early as a “surprise” and cribbed because you couldn't leave early. And he did just undervalue your job as a nurse. And…of course, an hour ago, he accidentally hit you your head with a football while he was showing attempting a trick.

As Noah leaves, Jack lets out a long-suffering sigh. “Don't worry, I'll get you a chapstick,” he says, staring shamelessly at your trembling bottom-lip before making a slow way up again.

“Penlight. Incoming.”

You've barely had time to react when a sudden light shone in your eyes. Your face instinctively tries to move back, only to be stopped by a feather-light touch on your jaw. Jack's finger retracts as soon as it comes, leaving you starved for more. More than just the pad of his index.

You hold still for him, letting him sway the torch alternatively between your eyes. When the light is kept back with a soft clink, there are no more distractions as he stands up straight again.

The creases in his scrubs only increase when he folds his arms over his chest.

Don't objectify him. Don't objectify him. Don't objectify him.

Fuck it. Too late for that. 

“So…” the man begins.

“So.” You mutter, your gaze trying to find something interesting on the floor.

“Nick seems like a good guy.”

“Noah.”

“Right. We should thank Nick for bringing you here right on time. Wouldn't wanna lose one of our best nurses.”

You scoff at his words. Your feet are moving in a slow back and forth rhythm, your eyes fixated on them.

“Let's not say things we don't mean for good staff satisfaction scores.”

“If you're trying to insult me by implying I care about that shit, good job. I'm slightly more offended than the time you implied I am too old for karaoke." He's slightly rocking himself back and forth on the balls of his feet.

“Didn't imply, actually. I think I was pretty direct.”

A huff of laughter leaves his lips. You don't want huffs or sarcastic laughs. You want his full belly-laugh. His happy laugh that you've only seen Robby drag out of him.

“I don't care about staff satisfaction scores,” he lightly shakes his head for a moment.

“Yes, you just sai —”

“Only care about yours.”

That makes you look up at him again with widened eyes and parted lips. Little shit, off-handedly throwing around words that gives you butterflies.

Dead butterflies, of course, just like your affections on him. Former crush. Yes.

You quickly regain your senses to retort.

“Satisfaction with your services? If so, thank you for checking me for a concussion.” The formality in your words completely betray the flush creeping up your cheeks.

“Of course, what else?” You hate the way he says your last name. The way it rolls off his tongue. The way it reeks of intent, and not casualty.

The sharp noise of metal rings dragging across a rod brings you out of your trance. Nic — Noah emerges from behind the privacy curtain, a bottle of water clutched in his right hand, and a simmering cup of black coffee in left. “Got you choices, babe.”

You smile thankfully at him, perhaps more grateful for the distraction. You extend your hand, your pointer gesturing at the water. You don't feel the same electricity when Noah's fingers brush against yours in the hand-off.

Jack takes a step back. He nods at you. “Rest. Hydrate. You know it.”

"Mhm, no big brain activity, limited screen time, don't avoid if symptoms worsen."

"Impressive. How does a civvie like you know the drill?" he asks, eyes widening in mock-surprise.

"Oh, I'm very smart. Could've easily been a nurse at your hospital," you can't help but smile.

"Shame. I'm sure you would've been terrific."

He nods at your boyfriend next, “Nick.”

“Uh, it's actually Noa —” but Jack's right hand has already caught the edge of the curtain, swiftly pulling it out of his way, and disappearing shortly after. 

“She prefers lattes, by the way.”

2

Bzzzzzzz 

“Doctor Ellis, I didn't know you allowed your staff to bring phones in a trauma bay. I would've brought mine to play some music while we inserted a chest tube inside this man.”

Ellis only grunts, too focused on work at hand.

Your cheeks heat at Doctor Garcia's comment, feeling the loud buzz against your thigh for the nth time today. 

“I'm sorry — ” you had only just begun when Dr. Abbot's voice cut in, deadpan and dry.

“Yolanda, you listen to music?”

“Doesn't everyone?”

“Yeah, well, normal people do. Why?”

Garcia's sharp glare to the attending does nothing to his demeanor. His hands — controlled, precise, and so fucking practiced — don't stop for even a fraction of a second. 

“Not everyone can have eccentric hobbies like nude yoga, Dr. Rabbit.”

Nude yoga? Nude? You force your mind to not conjure up an image of that. Especially not with your attending — who you have used to have a schoolgirl crush on — as the main character. Or, you'll be the one on the operation table instead of observing, breaking out in hives.

“I'm sorry, Dr. Garcia,” you complete.

“Apologise to the man on the table; It's not my life on line. No matter how much I wish whenever I work with you boy scouts.” You always cringe at the bluntness in her tone, but it's worse when directly aimed at you.

“Easy, Garcia,” Jack commanded, tone instantly gaining its authority, pausing a moment to shoot her a look. Yolanda doesn't deter, and two of your most-respected, highly-competent seniors seem to engage in a silent eye-conversation. It ends with a twitch of Garcia's lips as she glances at you, and your attending muttering, “shut it.”

Huh, Strange. 

***

The biohazard bin shuts with a snap, and you rub your clammy hands, trying to get the feel of rubber gloves off them. Trauma bays are always stress-inducing, no matter —

Bzzzzzzzzz.

You're about to kill someone tonight. It's gonna be your boyfriend. And you're gonna enjoy it. And you're gonna go online, talk about it, and watch a number of supportive women tell you, “I support your rights, but also your wrongs. You go, bitch.”

The constant vibration against your thigh, the baby crying in pedes, and looking like a fool in a trauma bay…you heave a sigh. Has the ED always been so bright? It's like the lights are directly in your eyes.

You hate loud. So much.

You un-pocket your phone, letting it unlock before you start typing furiously, your mouth instinctively murmuring everything you're typing. Your feet carry you forward, muscle memory taking you to a quiet corner, where you can peacefully argue. And bang your head against the wall, if you're lucky. But you're not sure if there's a staff discount at The Pitt. And frankly, you're already struggling with rent and groceries.

Look at you being fiscally responsible. 

“Fuck, sorry,” leaves your mouth as soon as you accidentally collide with someone. A single calloused palm settles on your hip, steadying you. 

Your lips part to say something, but no words come out. It seems the entirety of blood in your body has rushed towards your hip to greet Dr. Abbot's hand, before it retracts.

“Been apologising a lot today. Forgot your training or have you rejoined pre-school?” His body moves to your front, effectively blocking the view of rapid-paced staff, and people in wheelchairs and gurneys. 

“Just…one rookie mistake after another.” Your body sags sideways, taking support of the wall. As if on instinct, his posture mirrors yours, his entire side leaning against the wall as well. You deposit your phone back in your pocket.

“For what it's worth, you started out not too long ago. You are, technically, still a rookie,” he speaks. 

In this slow corner, the lights seem dimmer and noise quieter. Your shoulders drop just a bit. You're not sure if it's the location or him. Your bet is on location.

You wonder how you must look to the others, a junior nurse and the person with the most seniority on this floor, tucked away in a hushed hallway. What would they think of you? Certainly not co-workers.

Your lips curl in a tired, soft smile. “Trying to make me feel better again, sir?”

“Trying to tell you trauma surgeons have a permanent stick up their ass. Shen and I have bets on whether she lives in an ice castle or a secluded cave.”

Your smile grows bigger, and his eyes crinkle. “It's not just her. In fact, I admire women with a mean mouth.”

“Only women?”

“Men already are. I can't think of any situations where they'd need to be more mean.”

“I can think of a few,” his voice dips even lower, rocks coated in honey. Your eyes find the fluttering pulse on his throat, and travel up his face, to find his gaze fixated on your lips. He looks up again. Slowly. Not in a rush. 

In this low-lit corner and his head tilted down to adjust to your height, his curls — salt and pepper and presumably soft — brushed his forehead, creating shadows across his face. 

You clear your throat, trying to erase some of the tension. “It's Noah. You met him the other day, if you haven't forgotten."

“Oh, I tried.” 

You click your jaw, “He's a nice guy, sir.”

“Uh-huh. Is he blowing up your phone? What's wrong?” His brows furrow in concern, and you find his worry comforting. You're about to open your mouth to explain —

“Did he forget his Roblox password?”

You slightly shake your head, looking down at his shoes. “You…Dr. Abbot,” you trail off, looking up at him again to see the corner of his mouth twitching, eyes wide as if he's seriously expecting an answer.

“How do you even know what that is? And no, that's not it. He…sprained his ankle, hewasdoingaparkourjump,” you mumble the last part as quickly as you can, cheeks heating and eyes wandering.

Jack pauses, expression caught somewhere between humour and exasperation, “Wow, didn't know your boy was still in middle school. Tell me, were you trying to find a boyfriend or a son?”

You throw your head back, a light groan escaping your mouth. While you rub your eyes, you feel your attending move. After a second, he has a bottle of water in his hand.

You give him a look of gratitude and hold your fingers out. But before passing it to you, he twists off the cap with ease. For a moment, you let yourself enjoy the sight of his biceps straining against his scrub top.

You empty almost half the bottle, throat working the liquid down, flushed under the heavy gaze of the man standing in front of you who is currently shamelessly oggling your neck. He's quick to take the bottle off your hands once you're done.

You mutter a quiet “Thanks.” He holds out his free hand forward. You shoot him a confused look, your fingers come up, hovering centimeters away from his palm.

Does he want you to hold…?

“Your phone, nurse.”

Your eyes blink, realisation creeping with a smudge of cringe, “Oh, that makes more sense. Yeah.” But the embarrassment is quick to vanish when you think about what he said.

“What? No. I feel naked without my phone on me.”

His eyes drop to your chest the moment the word “naked” leaves your mouth. You're not sure you've stopped blushing in the last 2 minutes.

“You're not a teenager.”

“Well, I love my phone like one,” you defensively say, standing up straighter. Your right hand moves towards your pocket to protect your mobile.

Abbot rumbles your last name like a warning, his husky voice settling low in your belly, and your traitorous hand is fishing the phone out without a conscious thought.

Before you can even hand it to him, he slightly bends, prying it out of your fingers.

“Now, I feel like a teenager,” you pout.

He uses her corner of your phone to tap against your nose, “Then don't make me go all authoritative on you again, kid.”

With that, he pockets your phone and walks away. You watch him twist the cap off the bottle again and drink directly from the mouth of it. The mouth you just had your own lips wrapped around.

Kid. 

You need a chair. 

3

“Okay, instead of using this job as an excuse for a sad dating life, how about you guys just admit…y'all got no game,” Mateo knocks back the last sip of his drink, making this very, very bold claim.

“First of all, nobody was talking about dating life. We were talking about sex. Forget dates, when was the last time any of you got laid?” Ellis asks, using her glass to gesture vaguely around the table, a few droplets falling on the wood.

Your shift was hell. Well, everyone's was. Really, every shift is hell, so this one was no different. The only thing was that today, everyone decided to grab a drink. Not in the nearest park, no. Instead, they're all here, the nearest bar that's open at a time when a person should be doing a morning walk, not shots.

You're tucked between Mateo on your left and Jack on your right, in a worn-out brown leather booth, with Shen and Ellis across the table.

“I don't feel comfortable talking about the personal details of my married life with my colleagues,” replied Shen, sadly nodding his head.

Jack's voice, raspy from his whiskey, cuts in, “Oh, shut it, Shen.”

“I'd say 6 weeks since we slept together,” Shen gave up quickly. A series of sympathetic groans and nods went around the table.

Mateo juts his chin towards Ellis, raising his brows. “Hooked up with someone last week. Left before she woke up,” replied the woman.

“Didn't know you were a player, doc,” laughs your fellow nurse, before his head turns to you. “And you? Come on, we're the youngest and hottest, we gotta rub it in their faces. Besides, you have, uh, what's his name...”

You laugh nervously, tracing the rim of your glass with your index. While everyone’s lazy and heavy-lidded all around, you feel Abbot's fervent gaze burning a hole into the side of your head.

“Noah. And hate to disappoint, but it's been some while,” you admit. Not being able to hold back any longer, you finally turn your head to the right. Not taking his eyes off you, your attending takes a long sip of his whiskey.

“How much is a while?”

This is inappropriate. Your attending physician shouldn't be asking you this, you're sure of it. But nobody but you looks alarmed.

“I would say…none of your business, doc,” you softly murmur, the liquid courage making your tongue sharper.

“And what about you Dr. Abbot?” Mateo jumps in again.

It's your turn to look at Jack with the same intense gaze. He doesn't take his eyes off you, “been a while for me too,” he mutters so low, like he's only referring to you.

You lose. You lose the staring contest and let your eyes fall back to your glass. Thank god, you have some of your drink still left. 

“Why, is it…old man stuff?” Mateo asks, and your eyes widen at his question. You bite the inside of your cheek to hold back your laugh. Ellis's rich chuckle fills the quiet bar. You finally bring your cup to your lips.

“I'm an attending, Mateo. We're always at the very top of our performance. Here to serve well. In or out of trauma bays.”

Your drink goes down the wrong pipe, and you break out into a violent cough. Why would he say it like that? You're pretty sure you look like a tomato.

You feel a strong hand on your back, beginning to rub small circles through the thin fabric of your shirt. “Easy,” Jack whispers into your right ear. 

Is nobody watching this?

You look around to see Shen, Ellis, and Mateo have deeply engrossed themselves in a completely different conversation. You wonder for a second if it's intentional.

His heavy hand stops rubbing, instead patting the small of your back softly and rhythmically. Your coughs start dying down, and you wipe the underside of your watery eyes with your knuckle.

“Have trouble swallowing, kiddo?” His voice is right next to your ear, every breath rustling a tiny bit of your hair. 

Oh. Oh. OH.

“Think I need some air, sir,” you mutter, voice dried. You feel floaty, and it has nothing to do with alcohol.

Jack rises from his seat with a low grunt, “Think we're gonna step outside for a moment,” he announces.

You quickly follow suit and walk out after him before you can see anyone's expressions. You're pretty sure you hear Shen's giggle.

***

You welcome the morning chill that greets your face as soon as you step out, double doors falling shut behind you. You close your eyes, tilting your head upwards, and take a deep breath, easing the night's tension out of your body.

“Hot date yesterday?” You're quickly brought back to reality, turning sideways. Abbot has his hands in pocket and hair ruffled from the wind.

“Oh, uh, yes. How'd you guess?”

“You clocked in yesterday wearing something…different.” His eyes drop to your chest, before lingering on your lips, and then meeting your eyes again.

Your cheeks burn. You didn't realise he saw you in your fancy clothes. It was bad enough that you were running late, and worse that you didn't get to change before clocking in with your date outfit still on.

“Yeah. Noah took me to dinner. I just signed a new lease. I'm moving out of my current dumphole to another dumphole, but it's nearer to work. So.”

“Congratulations, glad to have you close.”

“Thanks, sir.”

A comfortable silence falls over for a minute before he speaks again, “was the place nice and quiet?”

“Hm?”

“Where he took you. Nick.”

“Ah. No. It's kinda trendy right now, so, super loud…” you trail off with a sigh. Jack keeps looking at you, as if wanting you to say more, as if finally expecting you to spill the truth out: Noah doesn't know you.

“Hm. Didn't peg you for a gold person, either.”

“What?”

He gestures with his chin towards your neck, where a sliver of chain is peeking out from under your shirt. A new one, gold colored, gifted by your boyfriend yesterday.

“I'm an anything person, really.”

Jack doesn't say anything, only waits. And this time, it works.

“Well, silver, if I had to pick. I like silver,” you speak, your voice bordering on a whisper.

Jack finally stops looking at you, and with that, you finally breathe. He casts his gaze towards the sky.

“I know.”

He says your name.

Your first name that he rarely says. Your heart stutters. Every bit of fresh air you inhaled seems to leave your lungs all at once. Instead, a family of butterflies — so fucking alive — have swarmed in there, rendering you speechless.

Please say my name again.

“I know, kid.”

“I'm not a kid, Jack.” For a second, you watch his eyes get darker. He takes a step closer to you. Then another. 

You crane your neck to look up at him. Suddenly, he turns his back to you. One of his hands peeks from his side, and tugs at the lower back of his shirt, pushing it down by an inch or two.

You stand confused, until you notice faint black ink — now visible — just below his neck. You suck in a sharp breath.

By the time Jack turns towards you again, you're barely holding yourself up. He leans forward, his nose only inches away from yours.

“I've got tattoos older than you,” he breathes, “kiddo.”

Your knees turn to jelly. A sharp heat travels straight into your belly, increasing the buzz between your legs. Your lips part, teeth sinking into your plush lower lip.

You can only numbly turn your body towards the door as he holds it open for you. There's not a hint of teasing or smugness in his expression. There is something else, though. 

Desperation.

You walk in through the gate, mind already trying to think of a reason to break up with Noah. Unfortunately, or fortunately, it finds plenty.

+1

“Oh, honey, just take this right now. The doctor has told your mom the rest. You're gonna be just fine!” You give your brightest smile to the 6 year-old girl, looking all sad and tiny on the gurney.

You stand up straight again, your back protesting. For someone still “young”, you definitely have an old-person back.

The mom gives you a thankful smile that still doesn't hide her tiredness, “Thank you so much.”

“She's gonna be alright, mom.” You flash one last smile and turn to pull the privacy curtain. When you step out, you see Lena, your charge nurse, and Jack in a conversation at the charge nurse station.

Lena calls out to you, “All done in there, hun?” You nod and give a thumbs-up. You expect your attending to say something, a joke, or even glance at you, but he doesn't.

Your heart sinks. After the morning at the bar, you went home and planned how to break-up with your boyfriend. On the other hand, Jack apparently went home and came up with, “10 ways on how I will ignore my co-worker who I occasionally flirt with on purpose.” 

For the past week, there have been no lingering looks, no cornering you to check in, and no making fun of you.

No point in dwelling. You start going on about your usual business, entering through another curtain, all while the back of your mind still calculates how to leave Noah.

You had prepared your speech and your reasons. But then, Noah lost his job the same day you were planning to have the talk. And 2 days later, he was leaving to visit his parents in California. Shouldn't you just wait until after the trip? It will be so much easier. 

Yes, you're definitely delaying it because it makes sense, and not because you're scared that Noah will absolutely take it the wrong way. He's been miserable lately as is, and while you were trying to be sympathetic, you couldn't find it in yourself.

Noah had always been unobservant and insensitive to your needs, not doing anything till he's told. All while, he expected it all from you — emotional support, moral support, and now, financial support. You saw nothing wrong with being “needy” but didn't you deserve the same treatment from him?

As you leave another exam room, still conflicted, you see Lena waving you over, the telephone receiver pressed against her ear. You quickly walk over.

Lena brings down the handset, palming the mouthpiece so the other person can't hear. “Sweets, it's your boyfriend, he's all panicking over something. Do you wanna take this, or should I make an excuse?”

The color from your face drains. This is humiliating, Noah calling at your work because he can't take care of himself. You quickly un-pocket your phone, tapping the screen awake.

9 missed calls from Noah.

“Uh, I'll take it. Thank you, Lena. Sorry too.” She gives you a sympathetic smile and hands you the handset.

“Noah, you can't be calling me at work.” You whisper into the mouthpiece.

“Babe, did you think I wanted to? I called your phone like 3 times, but you didn't pick it up. It feels like you're ignoring me.”

“It's because I am ignoring you. I am at a fucking hospital, working the emergency department,” your voice is straining with the effort to keep it low.

“Oh, I knew you'd throw your job in my face because I'm unemployed. You're a nurse, not a doctor, babe. See, I remember things.”

You take a deep breath.

“What do you want?”

“I locked myself out of my house. The locksmith will come by in the morning. Can you swing by and drop your keys? You know, I lost my license recently, and my ankle is still not good enough to take the subway.”

“No.”

“Jesus, I'm stranded, just be a good girlfriend for once.”

That sends you over the edge. You put the telephone down with more than necessary force, cringing when a few people turn to look at you.

“Fuck,” you mutter under your breath, tears of frustration welling up in your eyes.

“You okay, kid?” Lena asks sweetly, coming to stand closer to you. You're only able to nod at her. If you open your mouth, your voice will break. When your charge nurse finally steps away, you clear your throat, and blink back your tears. 

When you look up with clear eyes, there's Dr. Abbot standing about 20 feet away from you, in a conversation with a nurse that he's not listening to. Because he's looking directly at you.

You quickly move your head, “Lena, mind if I take 5?”

“Take 10, hun.” You flash her a grateful smile and start walking towards the supply closet.

You twist the doorknob and walk into what must be a 6×6 feet room, and close the door behind you. Your phone is still in your hand, clutched tightly enough to be used as a weapon. You open Noah's chat.

This isn't working out. When the locksmith figures out your door, pack my things in a box and leave them outside my door. Have fun folding your own bedsheets. I'm changing my Netflix password!

Your thumb hovers over the send button. Is the message too unkind? Too cruel for you? You drop the phone in your pocket, with the text still sitting there.

You force yourself to take deep breaths, pressing the heel of your hands against your eyes, turning around to face the organized racks.

“Fuck, fuck, fuc —”

The door slams open, and then shuts behind you, making you jump around, your hands falling to your chest.

“Jesus, Jack.”

“Did you forget your manners?” His voice comes out stern, low enough to drop the temperature of the room.

Your hands fall to your side. You're not in the mood for this. You don't want him in here, no matter how quickly your body is gaining color in his presence.

“What do you want, sir?” your question comes out breathless.

“You know, we pay you to work, not to hide in supply closets when you have fights with your childish boyfriend.”

“I asked Lena first, and I should be out in 5.”

“A patient can need you in 1,” he deadpans.

“Good thing there's Mateo and a bunch of fucking nurses already out there! I'm not the only one, sir,” you frantically wave your hands around, voice rising in pitch.

“Yeah, you're the only one yelling at your attending,” he leans back against the door, looking like he's enjoying a goddamn show. His calm pisses you off even more.

In your frazzled state, the true words spill out before you can filter them.

“Yes, my attending who has spent the last couple of days icing me out, keeping his distance, like I broke into his house and stole his leg.”

He's eyeing your motioning hands cutting through the air. You must look like the crazy one, while he stands there all frickin’ composed, his lips twitching.

“That's dark. And I'm your attending, nurse, as you mentioned. I'm not your boyfriend,” he shakes his head slowly like he's talking to a dog.

“I know that. Do you?”

“Oh, I know I'm not Nick,” he snickers.

“FOR THE LAST —” your voice booms throughout the small room before you stop yourself. You pinch your nose, chest heaving up and down.

Deep breaths. In and out. You're not the only two people in the hospital, no matter how much it feels like that.

Nurse, there's people that are dying.

“For the last time, his name is Noah,” you calmly say, voice shaking with the effort of controlling your pitch.

“Right, sorry. I just forgot because he forgot to fill his name out on your discharge papers when he brought you in. It's okay, children make mistakes like that all the time. Even when the forms are very easy to navigate, and the font size is very large,” Jack mocks, laughing sardonically. 

“Why do you care so much?” 

“Don't flatter yourself, sweetheart. I care about all my staff.”

Sweetheart.

“You're killing me.” 

“Trauma bay 1 is empty,” he deadpans, shrugging his shoulders. 

A humorless laugh escapes you. Oh, he thinks he's so funny.

“Staff. Is that what I am? Then why do you look at me differently than you look at others? Why do you catch me in the hallways? Why are you always seeking me out? Why have you not walked out of this —”

You flinch at the sudden motion, hand moving towards your temple where something just knocked against it. You look down, where a box maybe twice the size of your hand, lies on the ground.

The rack behind you is still vibrating from when your right arm collided with it 2 seconds ago. You shouldn't have been waving your arms around so much.

“Ow,” you mutter, the heel of your impacted hand rubbing your temple, and eyes downcasted at the box, looking at it like it personally wronged you. Which it did.

Jack quickly moves towards you, his left hand shooting up to take hold of your fingers that are kneading your head — same fingers that smashed against the rack — and brings your conjoined hands down.

“Careful. Are you hurt?” With only inches between you, he bends his head down to examine where you took the hit. His free palm brushes your hair back gently, and you shiver at the touch of his warm skin.

Trapped between your torsos, your hands are still joined, his thumb stroking against your knuckles to soothe any pain you felt on the impact.

“I asked you something, kid.” 

You've lost your voice. You look from your connected fingers to his eyes. 

And, oh.

His eyes have softened, looking at you with concern. This man sees lacerations, head traumas, hematomas, and fractures every single day. You've never seen him look this worried, and all for a pathetic clash that didn't even leave a bruise behind.

He switches positions with you, and suddenly, his back faces the shaky rack, his form protectively towering over yours. All of your body protests when he moves back, his hands dropping to his own sides.

“You can continue yelling at me now.”

In and out. Deep breath.

“Why have you not walked out of this room yet? And why have you kept me at an arm's distance?” you say but your voice is anything but loud, it's small and quiet, breaking at the end.

“As I said —”

“Stop, stop, stop. Stop, Dr. Abbot, and don't lie to me.” You instinctively take a step forward, closing all the distance again.

A pause.

“I really thought you were gonna break up with him. That morning, I thought you finally regained your senses, and were gonna cut off the dead weight,” he admits, running a hand through his hair.

“Jac —”

“Shut up and let me speak. I thought you were gonna end it with him, and you would come to the next shift looking happy and bright again. Just like you used to before you let that boy date you. You.”

His eyes are boring into yours, and he looks breathless and affected, so opposite to how he was just a minute ago.

“Me? What about me?”

He laughs humourlessly, “let's not fish for compliments. You know what you are. And if you don't, it makes me wonder what kind of limpdicks you have been with.”

You suck in a sharp breath, at a loss of words. Your cheeks burn, and your heart does a backflip. 

He thinks that?

Jack turns around, so his back is facing you. Both his hands brush his hair back, and you can see the expansion and contraction of his back as he takes deep breaths.

“What if I had broken up? Nothing would've changed. It's not like you would've done anything. You would've continued to eye-fuck me across gurneys, and flash a smile once a day,” you speak up, voice rising in pitch again.

He turns back sharply, walking even closer to you, his chest colliding with yours.

“Oh, you know it's more complicated than that,” he retorts, eyes narrowing.

“What? You're my senior, you're older —”

He says your name. Low. Authoritative. You feel a traitorous sensation between your thighs.

“I'm not just older, I am old. Period. And I know just how old I am, because I feel it everyday when I strap my leg, and wake up with a new pain every day."

You don't know how to respond. Your gaze falls to his lips, and before you know what you're doing, you're withdrawing your phone from your pocket.

You take a tiny step back to make space, and tap your screen awake. It directly opens to Noah's chat, your message still sitting there in the type box.

You turn your screen towards Jack. His eyes move back and forth, reading your draft. When his eyes meet you again, they're intense, frantic, and what do you know…excited.

“Why haven't you sent it?”

“Because he's already going through a lot. He doesn't have a job, or a car, or…okay, I get it.”

Jack's fingers come up to grab your chin, holding it up. He looks like he's just had a shot of espresso and topped it off with another 3.

“Do it. Do it right now, in front of me, or you'll chicken out. He lost his job, his car, the next thing he loses is you. The one that's worth the most.”

With his breathless voice, taking the edge of desperation as every second ticks, you know you've lost. You bite your bottom lip.

His thumb moves from your chin, to your lower lip, freeing it from your teeth, “don't worry yourself over him.”

Deep breath. In and out.

You slowly look down at your screen, your thumb hovering over the little arrow. 

Send. 

You put the mobile back in your pocket and look up at Jack with hope, like a kid waiting for approval. Jack flashes you the biggest smile you've ever seen on him. 

You did that. You.

“You did so good, sweetheart,” his thumb strokes your cheekbone, and you can't help but lean into his palm. You're high watching him smile, a similar one takes form on your lips.

He's so beautiful. He's the most beautiful man you've ever seen. He should be on TV, winning Emmy's for his grin.

But then you falter, “My…my minutes are up.”

“You can take another 5,” his face leans closer, and the tip of your nose kisses his.

“Patient might need me in 1,” you helplessly whisper, your breaths mingling.

“Well, consider me a patient, then. Your patient.”

You gulp. Your knees are growing weaker by the second and you can't stop staring at his soft lips. You let out a little pathetic whimper before lifting your chin, brushing your lips against his softly.

Fuck.

Your heart tries to escape your ribcage, palm operating with a brain of its own and landing right over his heart. His fluttering, excited, nervous heartbeat greets you, and your lips curve upwards.

Just as you try to move your lips against his —

“Not like this,” he murmurs against your mouth.

You let out an entirely pathetic whine, forehead crashing against his neck with a soft thunk. Your affectionate graze on his sternum turns into a punch — also, pathetic — and it makes him chuckle. 

“How, then?” your mutter into his neck.

His arm comes around your waist, holding you up for him so you can let your weight go. His arm tightens as soon as he feels you melt. 

“When I'll get you all the silver jewelry in the world,” he breathily replies in your ear.

“That's a lot.”

“What can I say? I like paying for things.”

His free fingers travel to the back of your neck, deftly working the hook of your golden chain with a single hand. You catch as the necklace falls down your chest, reluctantly taking your face out from his neck.

Note to self: Ask him what perfume he uses later. 

“One hand, wow.” 

“A lot of things I can unhook with one hand.”

He captures your wrist that you've held against his chest — index hatefully scratching, trying to harm him for not kissing you — and brings it to his lips.

He doesn't break eye-contact when he kisses the inside of your wrist. Then the middle of your palms, and finally the tips of your fingers.

You're grateful for his arm around your middle, otherwise you'd be on the floor, shrieking and screaming.

“Don't want to see that on you again,” he points with his chin towards your fist with the necklace inside it.

“Yes, doctor.”

He nods, heat swimming in his gaze. He finally extracts his arm from around your midriff, using it to pull out your phone from your pants and swiftly slipping it in his. 

“No more worrying, hm? In return…” He empties his other pocket, taking out a set of keys. He brings your palm down from his face and puts them in it.

“Sit in my car at the end of the shift. You know which one. Turn the heating on, and wait for me,” he raises his eyebrows, awaiting confirmation.

“Yes, okay,” you gulp, closing your other fist as well. One holds your past, another, your future. Or, so you hope.

“Yes, what?” he asks, already side-stepping you and moving towards the door.

“Yes, doctor”

“Good girl,” he shoots you a wink, the door falling shut behind him.

Look at that, your 10 minutes are up.

Majorie Deacons, 83. Survived by her husband, Harold, of 62 years, her three children–Mary, Thomas, and Steven–and 10 grandchildren. Worked as a paralegal for 48 years before retiring to the Poconos with Harold. Moved back to Pittsburgh when she got sick. Died from sepsis as a result of her cancer-weakened immune system.  

That was all you knew of the woman laying in front of you, her skin pale and body unnaturally still. You thought about her life as you removed her engagement and wedding ring, the crucifix pendant around her neck, the diamond bracelet around her frail wrist–all logged securely for the family to pick up at their convenience. 

You thought about her life, about the 83 years she spent on this earth. Where did she grow up? Was Harold her high-school sweetheart, or did they meet in college, or a bar? Did they travel? What sights did they see, how many sunsets did they share? Did she remember exactly where she was when Kennedy was assassinated, like most older folks did? Did she like red lipstick or pink? When did her hair turn white–did she hate it or did she embrace it? 

Did she feel welcomed by death, or did she fight it kicking and screaming? 

83 years, such a long life and yet still not long enough for the people who loved her. 

You spent a lot of time grieving people you’d never met before as a morgue technician. It was a tough job–one spent with people on the worst days of their lives. Sure, you weren’t the one responsible for saving lives–didn’t have a relationship with the patient while they were living–but sometimes you thought maybe it was worse in a way. You learned about these people from their families, from the people so deeply grieving their loved one that often all you felt was gut-wrenching sadness for the hole that now lived in these people’s hearts. You didn’t get the benefit of seeing them interact with their loved ones, didn’t get to know their personality or see their quirks. All you experienced was the grief their loss wrought, not the joy their life had created. 

You liked being there for people, though. Death is not something Americans are accustomed to talking about openly, the aftermath of losing a loved one often impersonal and shrouded in mystery. Especially at the hospital, it often felt more clinical than anything else, with procedure and policy often taking center stage over the deceased.  

You liked bringing a sense of humanity to the process; liked to have the families reminisce about their loved ones, liked getting to know them through the people who cherished them the most despite the deep ache it sometimes left in your chest. 

You learned about Marjorie upstairs, from the family as you collected the body, and you’re looking forward to learning more about her when the family comes to collect her effects. You found that getting people to talk about the person they lost made it easier to discuss funeral and transport arrangements. You didn’t want them to feel like they were just another box to check off your to-do list. 

A knock on the door pulled you from your thoughts. 

“Hey, we got another one upstairs. Transport’s been taking forever tonight,” Elise, your boss, said, rolling her eyes. “They have one job: get the body from point A to point B. What gives?” 

You shrugged, sighing as you finished cataloging all of Marjorie's effects. “I’ll be back soon,” you said, squeezing her hand gently before making your way to the elevators, up to the emergency department. 

Transport was supposed to, well, transport the body. But they were often backed up for one reason or another, and delays in moving the body meant a valuable room remained occupied when it could otherwise be used for another patient. So, more often than not, Elise sent you up to grab the body and bring it back down for processing. It was faster that way, and often gave the family some peace knowing that their loved one wasn’t just sitting in the emergency room. 

You didn’t mind, exactly. As much as you enjoyed the quiet and solitude of the mortuary, you liked peaking your head up in the ED and seeing the hustle and bustle there, the way it teemed with life as well as death, even at night.  

And it didn’t hurt that the senior night shift attending was perhaps the most handsome man you’d ever laid eyes on. You’d had a crush on him since you met him, your introduction being maybe one of the most embarrassing moments of your life. 

It was your first time up in the emergency department, the incessant beeping and constant chatter a stark difference to the quiet morgue–if people were talking down there, something was seriously wrong. 

You’d been taken on a brief tour by the charge nurse, Lena, who gave you a rundown of the transport procedure. You met a few of the residents, Dr. Ellis and Dr. Crus, and a handful of nurses, all of whom seemed nice enough.  

But you almost stopped dead in your tracks when you met the kind hazel eyes of the graying, curly-haired man standing at the nurses station. 

“And this is Dr. Abbot, senior night shift attending. You’ll need his or Dr. Shen’s signature whenever you transport a body,” Lena introduced you, “Dr. Abbot, this is the new morgue technician. She graciously offered to help with transport.” 

You held your hand out, brain nearly turning to mush when he shook it. His palm was rough, calloused from many years of working with his hands, and unbelievably warm. His hand also dwarfed yours, which sent a tingle down your spine. 

“New morgue technician?” he asked, “Well, no offense, but I hope we don’t see you too much around here,” he joked with an easy smile on his face.  

“I guess that remains to be seen,” you said, and followed it up with a ‘ba dum tss’ sound effect and finger guns. Yes, you really did that. 

The joke didn’t land; they never did. Jack cocked his head to the side, an almost-smile gracing his lips, and shot you an inquisitive look, like he was trying to figure you out. 

His intense stare made your cheeks heat and your tummy swirl. You weren’t sure if you were aroused or uncomfortable, or some combination of both.  

You couldn’t get out of there sooner. 

It felt like you could never get your foot out of your mouth when Jack Abbot was around. And so the cycle began: get called up to retrieve a body, make an ill-timed joke, embarrass the hell out of yourself, and return back to the safety of the morgue as quickly as possible. 

You never made jokes in front of patients or families; you knew that it was something strictly reserved for your peers, people you thought understood the challenges you all face in healthcare–and deathcare. 

You weren’t sure why it seemed physically impossible for you not to use humor as a defense mechanism. Part of it was the nature of your job–gallows humor was a coping mechanism you latched onto and couldn’t seem to shake off. It was the same way some people laughed when they were nervous or panicked–a reaction to pent up emotions and stress that manifested as humor instead of as tears. 

But you’d also always been like this, trying to diffuse uncomfortable situations with humor instead of meeting them head on, or making a joke at your own expense before someone else could. It hurt less that way, if you could subvert something painful into something lighthearted.

You’d always been admonished for it, by your parents, friends, partners. Had been told that it was inappropriate and that you were too crass, too loud, too much. Which was probably true. It confused you, though, how some people did bond over humor, in the occasional callousness of it, when you were criticized for it. That was something you’d never been able to work out, how it was always wrong when you did it; why you’d never been able to bond with people the same way others did. Well, there was a reason you worked the night shift at a morgue, after all. 

You pushed those thoughts away and instead tried to talk yourself up as you stood in the elevator, willing yourself not to be weird. 

“Hey, Lena, heard you got another customer for me?” you grinned at her, leaning against the nurses station. 

“Sure do, sweets. Her name is Cary West,” she replied with a soft smile. Lena, at least, seemed to like you. Beggars couldn’t be choosers. 

She pointed you to the correct room, where Mateo was cleaning up the body. You stood silently as he finished, taking a moment to honor the person they were and the people they’re leaving behind. These moments always felt weird–liminal, in a way. No longer a patient, but not yet ready for the funeral home–they were entrusted in your care in the meantime. 

There was no family in the room, which wasn’t abnormal for night shift. Folks had gone home, to sleep or cry or do whatever else one does to process the grief. You always hope you’ll meet the family of the deceased, but you’re not holding on hope on this one. It was 4am, the family would likely be back during the day to take care of funeral arrangements and Ms. West would be long gone by then. Still, though, you thought about her life, her wants, her dreams–tried to insert some humanity where it had been lost.  

“Sorry you had to come back up so soon, I know you just got down there with Ms. Deacons,” Mateo said quietly, pulling the sheet over her head. 

“Oh no worries, I don’t mind. It's not like she’s gonna talk my ear off.” 

He just shook his head at your joke, unimpressed and unamused. 

“Looks like Dr. Abbot is at the nurses station. C’mon, and we’ll get the transfer paperwork signed,” he said, holding the door open for you to push the gurney through. 

Dr. Abbot looked worn out. His eyes were tired, and the kind smile he usually sported was replaced by a slight frown and a furrow between his brows. His shoulders were drawn up tight, the tension built up there almost looking painful. It must have been a rough night. 

You greeted him with a soft smile, and handed over the clipboard for his signature, which he promptly filled out. 

He handed you the clipboard before turning his attention back to the gurney. His jaw was clenched tight, a pained look on his face as he squeezed Ms. West’s hand peeking out from the blanket. 

“Treat her well for us, please,” he said, voice hoarse. 

“Always do, I wouldn’t want to know what the reaper-cussions would be if I didn’t,” you joked before you could think better of it, cringing internally at your lack of tact. 

There was a split second of silence, the tension simmering hotly before fully boiling over. 

“Jesus fucking christ, can you be serious for one fucking second? This is a hospital, not a fucking comedy club. There are people grieving here. You need to learn to be an adult and keep your fucknig mouth shut,” he boomed, his face red and chest heaving. 

He was looming over you now as he spit out, “get the fuck out of my ED.” 

Your ears were ringing. You weren’t sure if the department had actually fallen silent or if you’d just temporarily lost the ability to hear.

You couldn’t breathe, oxygen not flowing properly into your lungs. It felt like you’d been punched in the gut, all the air sucked out and replaced with lead.  

“S-sorry,” you stuttered out, cheeks burning and throat closing in on itself. Tears were building up quickly in your eyes, but you weren’t going to cry in front of these people; you weren’t going to give them the satisfaction. 

You gripped the edge of the gurney and pushed ahead, desperate to get out of there as fast as humanly possible. No one stopped you, no one offered any apologies or sympathies, just watched your humiliated form disappear into the elevator. 

The minute the elevator doors closed the tears fell, the hot trails burning your face as you tried to conceal your sobs. 

“I’m s-sorry, Ms. West, I shouldn’t be crying like this. I don’t really have much to be upset about in comparison,” you apologized to the corpse, feeling guilty for being so upset when you were literally transporting a dead woman. 

You managed to calm yourself down before you reached the morgue. You didn’t want to explain what happened to Elise, didn’t want to recount every embarrassing detail that was already replaying in your head. 

You soothed yourself with routine, with the repetitive motions of logging personal effects, filling out reports, and contacting the funeral home to make arrangements. 

By the time 7AM rolled around, you were more than ready to get the hell out of there.

The sun is blinding against your puffy eyes. The past two days were a blur, mostly spent crying and replaying the incident over and over. You called out of work, citing a stomach bug. Which wasn’t all that untrue–the thought of encountering anyone in the hospital did make you feel violently ill. 

You had already put in for a transfer to day shift, feigning some excuse about your school schedule changing. You couldn’t wait to finish your studies and officially become a mortician. You’d leave the hospital and start your own business, helping people through the grieving and burial process in your own way. 

And maybe you’d never have to see Jack Abbot ever again. The thought was as relieving as it was devastating, because you liked him. And you were starting to think maybe he liked you too–at least as a friend or acquaintance. 

It was a slow night, which you were thankful for. It meant there weren’t any bodies in the morgue–that there weren’t any deaths so far tonight. So you weren’t too bent out of shape when you got shipped up to the ED to collect a body. 

You found Dr. Abbot quickly, signed the necessary paperwork, and wheeled the body out to central. 

“Thanks for picking up, I don’t know what the hell’s going on with transpo tonight,” he said.

“Don’t worry about it, we’re actually empty right now. There’s no body there,” you said, a cheeky grin crossing your lips. 

And Jack laughed. A full-on, deep-throated laugh. It was one of the most beautiful sounds you’d ever heard. Your chest swelled with pride, and all you could think about was making him do it again. 

He shook his head at you, smile still lingering on his face, “what makes a girl like you want to work night shift at the morgue?”  

“Girl like me?” you asked coyly, raising your eyebrow at him. 

He assessed you, eyes flitting over your face, “yeah, young, smart… pretty.”

You flushed at that, your body getting all warm and tingly, “well, I’m not a mourning person, for one,” you joked, earning another laugh from Jack. 

“I, uh, I’m in school for mortuary science,” you continued, giving him a real answer, “I want to be a mortician when I’m done.” 

“That’s… admirable,” he said, “you don’t get the glory of saving lives but you do get all the dirty work. Good for you.” 

Jack’s attention made you feel like you were on fire–like a white hot ball of flame that would spread given the littlest bit of ammunition. His stare was brazen, unapologetic–you couldn’t look away if you tried. 

You cleared your throat, breaking some of the tension, “I guess I should probably get him downstairs,” you said, gesturing to the gurney in front of you. 

“I’ll walk you to the elevator,” Jack said, moving to stand by your side. He rested his hand on the small of your back as he guided you to the elevators. The touch was electrifying–you could feel the warmth radiating from him through the layers of scrubs. He was close enough now that you could smell the warm amber of his cologne mixed with his own musky scent. You felt dizzy, and all you wanted to do was press yourself against him, to nestle yourself in the crook of his neck and inhale. 

He pressed the button for the elevator when you arrived and helped you wheel the gurney in. 

“It was good seein’ you, pretty girl,” he said, and just as the elevator doors were closing, he winked at you. 

You were surprised you didn’t turn into a puddle right then and there. 

Your chest twisted at the memory. Maybe that’s why his words hurt so much–why they’d sunk into the marrow of your bones, confirming that he thought as lowly of you as you already thought of yourself. He’d given you hope, shown you kindness where no one else in the ED had. 

It was stupid, anyway. Thinking that a man like Jack Abbot could feel anything other than disdain for someone like you. Of course the hot, older, accomplished attending wouldn’t want anything to do with the awkward morgue technician. 

Every time you thought about it, your heart ached, a dull pang ringing through your chest and reverberating through your body. Tears pooled in your eyes at the mere thought of the incident. It felt like you were back in high school, asking Alex Williams to the school dance just to have him laugh in your face and say he wasn’t going to go with a freak. 

You couldn’t dwell on it, though. You had a job to do, bills to pay. You could only hope that day shift was better, or that you could whip yourself into shape and keep your comments to yourself.

“Jesus, why is the body in north 2 still there?” Jack asked, eyes trained on the board ahead of him. Wait times were astronomical and chairs was full to the brim–the sooner they moved the deceased out, the sooner they could move a new patient in. 

“Not sure, I called transpo an hour ago, but you know how concerned they are with being timely,” Lena responded. 

“What about the morgue? Why haven’t they sent anyone to collect the body?” 

Lena looked at him over the top of her glasses, an unimpressed look on her face. 

“Oh, you mean that sweet girl who helps us out by transporting bodies when transpo is dicking around? The one you screamed at in front of the entire department? Gosh, I can’t think of a reason she’s not chomping at the bit to come up here,” she deadpanned, fixing Jack with a glare. “Last I heard she switched to day shift. Said she had some personal schedule conflicts, but I think we both know that’s not true.”   

Jack winced, guilt coursing through him. He hadn’t meant to make such a scene, to be so cruel. It had just been such a monumentally horrible day, his chest wound so tight and hackles raised that your little joke set him off. It was stupid, too, because Jack had easily made far worse jokes at far more inappropriate times. 

It could have easily been anyone else that he snapped at, would have been, if you weren’t there. But you were, and so you bore the brunt of his wrath. 

He’d be lying if he said he hadn’t been replaying the look on your face, the way it crumpled and tears welled up in your pretty eyes. He remembered how your breath hitched, how you shrunk in on yourself and ran away as fast as you could. 

It made his chest ache to think about. He wanted to find you, to apologize, but he thought he might just make it worse. And selfishly, he wasn’t sure he was ready for the conversation that would ensue. He assumed he’d see you up here at some point, where he could take you aside and beg for forgiveness–he didn’t think you’d rearrange your entire work schedule just to avoid seeing him. 

He wasn’t sure why he acted so indifferently toward you. Or rather, he did–he just didn’t want to acknowledge the way you made him feel. You made him feel giddy–made his face warm and his heart race, like a teenage boy flirting with a pretty girl for the first time. He briefly tried flirting with you, but he was pretty sure you were oblivious to it–either that or you didn’t feel the same. He was hoping for the former.  

He hadn’t felt this way about someone since he started dating his wife. Frankly, it made him uncomfortable to think about, made him feel like he was betraying her in some way. He knew that wasn’t true, knew that his wife would want him to be happy, but he just couldn’t shake the feeling. 

He’d been talking about it with his therapist, trying to cope with these feelings–trying to get up the courage to ask you out.

And the kicker was he was going to, he was getting bolder, complimenting you and finding any excuse to, respectfully, put his hands on you. And now he’s fucked it all up. 

“Shit,” he muttered, scrubbing his hands down his face.  

“Yeah, shit. I suggest you take your ass down there and apologize. Properly.” 

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll handle it,” he said absent-mindedly, already wracking his brain for the right words to say to you.

The change to day shift was brutal. Your body wasn’t used to waking up when you were supposed to be going to bed, and vice versa. You were also working less hours to accommodate your school schedule, which was the reason you were on night shift to begin with. But you took it in stride the best you could. Lemonade out of lemons, and all that. 

You’d been up to the ED a couple times since the incident, feeling as awkward as ever even though most of them weren’t on shift when Dr. Abbot berated you. You covered day shift a few times, so you weren’t completely unfamiliar with the staff. Dr. Robby seemed nice enough, though you never stuck around long enough to build rapport. It was in and out from now on, speaking as little as you could before you retreated back to the morgue. 

You wished you could flat out refuse to go up there, but you didn’t want to punish innocent people just waiting for a bed. The sooner you got the bodies to the morgue, the sooner someone else could be seen by a doctor. 

Right now, though, you were sat at your desk, filling out log reports and finishing up paperwork before you inevitably got another body. It was monotonous work, yes, but calming in a way. The mindless action gave your brain a break between decedents–gave you a chance to mourn the person and compartmentalize it away before it ate away at you. 

You faintly heard the door at the end of the hall open and close, and assumed Elise was taking her lunch break. 

That is, until you heard a painfully familiar voice call out, “Hello? Anybody in here?” 

Oh no, why is he here? Attendings rarely visited the morgue–usually only if there was a particularly complex cause of death that they wanted to further examine. But there were no such cases right now, the only bodies currently in custody being a run of the mill STEMI and a GSW to the head–both pretty self-explanatory. 

And the night shift hadn’t started yet, the clock reading 5:34pm. There’s no plausible reason for Jack Abbot to be down here right now. 

His steps were getting louder–he was almost at your office now. 

You panicked. That is the only explanation you have for scrambling up from your desk and darting into the small storage closet to your left. You pressed yourself against the wall to the side, out of view of the frosted glass window. Was this the mature course of action? Absolutely not. But you weren’t sure you could handle seeing him right now. You hadn’t seen him since the incident, had done everything in your power to avoid any and all interactions. 

He called out again, and you could see his silhouette standing in the doorway of your office. 

Eyes closed, you took deep breaths to try and calm your rapidly beating heart. Hopefully he’d see the empty room and take his leave quickly.  

It was quiet, and for a moment you thought he’d left until–knock knock. 

“I could be crazy, but I’m pretty sure I heard someone stumble into this closet and slam the door shut,” he said, a hint of amusement in his tone. 

You didn’t answer, hoping maybe you could convince him he was crazy. 

The doorknob rattled, and you instinctively grabbed it, pulling it with all the force you could muster to keep it closed. You weren’t sure why–surely he was much stronger than you and could rip the door open if he really wanted to. And god, why was thinking about how strong he was making you flustered?  

It’s not that you were scared of him, you were just… woefully unprepared for this conversation. Despite ruminating over the incident itself, you hadn’t actually pictured a scenario where you’d ever speak to him again. Hadn’t had time to go over it a million times in your head, coming up with the best comeback and constructing the perfect barb to lodge in his soft underbelly, the way he’d done to you. 

He sighed, resting his forehead against the glass. “Look, I just wanted to apologize for the other day, if you’ll give me the chance.” 

You chewed on the inside of your cheek, considering. You’re not sure that an apology will do much for you, not sure that it’ll quell the pit in your stomach that’s opened and doesn’t show any sign of closing. 

You nodded to yourself anyway, letting out a quiet, “go ahead.” 

He chucked lightly, “face-to-face, if you don’t mind.” 

Damn him, you groaned internally. Taking a deep breath, you slowly opened the door. Jack stood opposite you, hands tucked into the pockets of his scrubs. You crossed your arms and fixed your gaze on your scuffed up shoes, the thought of looking him in the eye daunting and exciting at the same time.  

He let out a deep breath, “I’m really sorry for how I acted the other night. It was an exceptionally shitty night, and it wasn’t your fault but I took it out on you when I shouldn’t have.” 

You nodded, appreciated the effort it took to come down here and apologize. It did little to soothe your bruised heart, though. There was still a painful twinge in your chest, his words having already wormed their way into your brain and confirmed every worst thought you had about yourself. 

“Thank you, Dr. Abbot, apology accepted,” you said curtly, moving past him to get back to your desk. 

He stopped you, his hand resting on the bare skin just above your elbow. Goosebumps prickled against your skin from the roughness of his palm. You hated how your body craved more, how you wanted him to slide his hand up to your neck, tilt your head back and kiss you. Traitor. 

He sighed, rubbing a hand over his jaw, “that woman that night, the one you picked up, she died of ovarian cancer,” he said. He looked conflicted, eyes flinty and mouth twisted to the side like he was warring with himself as he bit out the next words, “that’s how–my wife–she died of ovarian cancer.” 

Oh. You didn’t know that, didn’t even know he had a wife. Your eyes drifted to his left hand and saw the slightly lighter patch of skin there. Your heart ached and your defenses softened just a tad at the revelation. You could only imagine what it would feel like to lose a patient in the same manner you lost the person closest to you, could imagine the ugly emotions it would pull out of you. It didn’t make what he said okay, but you understood the circumstances that led him to say it. 

“And before that we had a kid who died from drowning, and a couple close calls, and a bunch of Dr. Google bullshit. And your joke was just… the straw that broke the camel’s back. But I shouldn’t have taken it out on you, not like that and not in front of everybody. That wasn’t fair to you, and I’m truly sorry,” he said, and you could feel the sincerity dripping from his words. His eyes were soft and pleading as he looked at you, and once again you found yourself unable to look away. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know that–about your wife,” you said softly, not wanting to make it any more painful than it already was, “and I’m sorry about the joke. I know it’s not appropriate, and I’ve been trying to stop, but you know how hard it is to quit unhealthy coping mechanisms,” a small smile lifting the corner of your lips. 

He shook his head, “please don’t, you have nothing to apologize for. Gallows humor is how we all get by; I can’t tell you how many off-color jokes I’ve told in my day. It was really the pot calling the kettle black, if I'm being honest,” he said, “If it wasn’t you who set me off, it would’ve been Ellis or Shen, or some other unsuspecting person. I promise you it had so much more to do with me than it did with you.” 

You nodded, accepting his explanation. You felt a little lighter, a little less burdened by his words.    

“I’d like to make it up to you, if you’ll let me,” he said, “maybe coffee or dinner, if you’re up for it?” 

You shook your head, “That’s really not necessary, Dr. Abbot. I meant it, I accept your apology, you don’t have to do anything else.” 

He nodded at that, looking a little deflated but otherwise satisfied that you’d accepted his apology. 

Jack felt the need to make it up to you anyway. 

It started with coffee after his shift ended. The first time, he brought you the most insane coffee order you’d ever seen–a mocha cappuccino with 5 extra shots of espresso, pistachio syrup, vanilla cold foam,  caramel AND white mocha drizzle, and salted caramel topping–a monstrosity borne from a recommendation from the woman ahead of him in line. You’re not sure how you didn’t immediately get cavities in all of your teeth. 

You couldn’t lie, though, the fact that he made the effort to go out and get coffee after his 12 hour shift was endearing, and once you gave him your coffee order, he got it right each and every time. 

It became routine over the next month for Jack to bring you coffee, and even though you didn’t have much time to talk in the morning, you began looking forward to the 10-15 minutes of conversation you shared with him each morning. You never discussed what this was, if it meant anything or if it was just a kind gesture between friends. You certainly hoped it meant something, but you weren’t going to get your hopes up. 

You were catching up on paperwork when his text came through. 

Jack: Can’t make it for coffee this morning, sweetheart, how about I bring you lunch later? 

Your cheeks heated at the pet name. He hadn’t called you that before, and you hoped you weren’t reading into it. 

You: sounds great, see you later :) 

You spend the morning counting down the minutes until Jack showed up. It only slightly hindered your progress on your paperwork, your mind only occasionally wandering off to think about his pretty pink lips.

It’s noon before you know it, and someone’s rapping their knuckles on the door frame to your office. 

“Knock, knock,” Jack said, shooting you a smile as he walked over to your desk. He set down a truly alarming amount of food. You laughed as he took out container after container, the sack resembling a clown car more than a fast food bag. 

“I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I got a variety,” he said, a little bashfully, “you can take home whatever’s left for dinner or lunch tomorrow.” 

You selected what you wanted from the smorgasbord he presented you with, and settled into the chair next to him. 

It was a little awkward at first. Most of the conversations you’d had with him up to this point were pretty surface level. Even your coffee chats were light-hearted affairs that didn’t really go deeper than what you did over the weekend. 

But Jack didn’t let it stay awkward for long, as if he knew that once you started talking, he’d be hard-pressed to get you to stop. 

“So, I realized that despite our coffee talks, I don’t really know that much about you. How long have you been a mortuary tech?” 

“About a year and a half. I got the job after I started school for mortuary science. Before that I taught for a little bit, but I didn’t really like it and I don’t think I was much good at it. I was a bartender for a long time too.” 

“So what made you make the jump to mortuary school?”

“I studied anthropology in college and death culture always really fascinated me, especially the way different cultures deal with grief and the burial process. America is so sanitized, so averse to looking at death straight on. We think death needs to be palatable, that the deceased need to look exactly as they did in life to avoid accepting the fact that our bodies are fundamentally different after death–that they are on their way to being absorbed back into the earth.

“I think the way we treat people in death is just as important as how we treat them in life. To some people, that person on the table is just an assemblage of bones and flesh, but to others that was a friend, a mother or daughter, father or son. And I figured as a mortician, I’d be in a position to offer families the kind of support that helps them work through their grief, not just hide it behind pretty floral arrangements.” 

You felt a little shy at the rapt expression on Jack’s face. He was giving you his undivided attention, listening intently to every word that came out of your mouth. You’re not sure any man has ever listened to you as attentively as he was now. Yes, the bar was in hell, but it didn’t make it any less hot.  

“Sorry, that was a lot, I didn’t mean to info dump on you,” you said sheepishly. 

He shook his head, “Please info dump, I could listen to you talk all day,” he said honestly, “do you want to continue working at the hospital when you’re done or do you want to start your own practice?” 

“I don’t think I’ll stay here. I mean, I like helping people through the immediate grief, but I think I just want to help grieving families lay their loved ones to rest in a way that honors the life they lived. I don’t care about selling fancy caskets or high-dollar cemetery plots, I just want to narrow it down to what really matters to preserving and celebrating the individual that was lost.”   

Jack nodded, “I don’t remember a lot about planning my wife’s funeral–Robby helped a lot with that–but I do remember it being really… almost commercial, in a way? Like, ‘do you want cedar or oak for the coffin? Do you want the casket lined in silk or velvet?’” he said, laughing bitterly, “like it was a fashion show or something, not the vessel my wife was going to be buried in. I couldn’t give less of a fuck what the damn thing was lined in.” 

You laid your hand on top of his, giving it a comforting squeeze as he continued. It made your heart swell that he felt comfortable enough to talk about his wife with you. 

“I mean, they were very compassionate, but it always felt like a business–which I get, we’re a capitalist society, but that’s not exactly what you want to feel when you’re burying someone,”  

You nodded, “that’s probably the thing that bothers me the most about this industry. Sometimes it seems like profit is the priority, and the real, hurting people come second.” 

Jack just looked at you with soft eyes, the wrinkles around his eyes crinkling as he smiled at you. He turned your hand over in his, tracing the lines of your palm with his thumb.

“I think you’re going to be an amazing mortician,” he said, without an ounce of amusement or teasing, just pure honesty. “I think you’re exactly the kind of person that people want around them when they're going through the worst days of their lives.”  

You couldn’t help the tears that pricked at the corners of your eyes. It was the kindest thing someone had said to you about your career path, except maybe Elise. And it was nice to shed happy tears over something Jack Abbot said instead of embarrassed ones. 

You talked long after your lunch break was over, but Elise was out and you didn’t have any pressing work to get to at the moment, so you figured there was no harm, no foul. 

But eventually he had to leave to get ready for his shift, and you did have work to do, though you’d gladly forsake it for a few more minutes with him. 

You got up to dispose of your trash and walked him to the door. 

“Lunch was really nice,” he murmured, resting his hand on your arm, right above your elbow. 

Your breath hitched at the contact and goosebumps prickled up and down your arms. You gaze was locked on his, unable to look away, “yeah, I really enjoyed it,” you said breathily, your heart already racing. 

He moved closer, settling his hands on your waist, and backed you up slowly until the back of your knees hit your desk. 

You leaned back against your desk, widening your stance to allow Jack to step between your legs. His body was warm against you, his hands running up and down your sides soothingly. 

“Is this okay, sweetheart?” he asked, his hand coming up to cradle your jaw. You could feel his breath against your lips, so close but still so far away. 

You nodded, a pathetic mewl leaving your lips without permission. It was embarrassing how badly you wanted to kiss this man.  

He pressed closer, his lips just barely grazing yours, his nose slightly bumping your cheek. You wrapped your arms loosely around his neck, eyes fluttering shut as you moved to close the miniscule distance between your lips–

CLANG! 

The door down the hall slammed shut, and hurried footsteps approached your office.  

You nearly jumped out of your skin and stumbled back onto the desk, out of Jack’s grasp. He seemed just as shocked, his hand clutching his chest in surprise. 

A second later Elise came rushing into the room, saying something about a mass casualty event and how you needed to make as much room down here as you could to prepare for the inevitable. You nodded, turning to Jack to apologize, but he beat you to it. 

“Shit, I gotta go, sweetheart, they’re probably gonna call all-hands-on-deck,” he said, a genuinely mournful look on his face. 

“Yeah, of course. I hope it’s not too bad,” you said, equally as disappointed, but understanding. Duty calls.  

He wrapped you up in a tight hug, your cheek resting against his firm chest. You closed your eyes and allowed yourself to savor his embrace for a moment before he had to go.

“We’ll finish this later, yeah?” he asked against your hair, his hand rubbing circles on your back. 

You smiled against his chest and nodded, “yes, please.” 

He pulled away and planted a chaste kiss to your cheek before heading out. 

“What was that all about?” Elise questioned, raising her eyebrows at you.  

You didn’t say anything–your hot cheeks and dopey grin were worth a thousand words.

You were called up to the ED several times, each time worse than the last by the looks of the staff. It still felt a little awkward being in the emergency department. Even though most of the people here weren’t on shift when Jack yelled at you, it still felt like the department went still when you walked in, people stopping and staring like you were some sideshow circus freak. 

You were back up here collecting yet another soul, waiting for someone to sign off on the transfer. It seemed like things had calmed down, the worst of it over now. You were lost in thought at the nurses station, picking at the skin around your nails anxiously. 

You hoped Jack would be the one to come over and sign the paperwork–hoped you’d catch another glimpse of him before your shift was over. All you could think about all day was that almost-kiss you shared with him. You couldn’t help the smile that made its way onto your face every time you thought about it, which meant you basically had a permanent grin affixed to your face. 

You’re only pulled out of your thoughts by the sound of hushed voices to your left. You glanced over and saw two nurses you didn’t recognize taking a break and engaging in some friendly workplace gossip. Or so you thought. 

“–so happy about?” a nurse whispered incredulously. 

“Probably daydreaming about Dr. Abbot,” another said, her tone most likely accompanied by an eye roll.  

“God, when is she going to get a grip? Her fawning over him is not cute.” 

“Yeah, I think he just doesn’t know how to let her down… I mean when he yelled at her she changed her whole schedule, he probably feels guilty.” 

“True. Maybe she’ll realize how embarrassing it is to be so down bad for a man she has no chance with.” 

You stopped listening after that, crestfallen and heartbroken all over again. The illusion of the past month shattered and the feelings from before came roaring back full force. 

Your chest twisted painfully–like someone had grabbed ahold of your heart and squeezed, the squishy flesh bulging between their fingers. Your throat ached, tears surely not far behind. 

You knew you shouldn’t put too much stock in what these two random nurses were saying. You knew that they likely had no idea what they were talking about, that they were just mean girls blowing off steam and you seemed to be the target of it–like always. 

But there was the little gremlin in the back of your brain, the one that told you everything they said was true. That Jack just felt guilty, that he was making himself feel better for the way he treated you. Insecurity wrapped itself around you like a vise, squeezing around you like a boa constrictor, until it was the only thing you could feel. 

And that almost-kiss? Well, he was a man, after all. Maybe he was just overcome with the physical urge to kiss you, get in your pants if he could. But he wasn’t that kind of man, was he? You didn’t want to think so, but all rational thought was obscured by the hurt blooming in your chest that you couldn’t be sure. 

You startled at the hand on your shoulder. You looked up to see Dr. Robby standing there, brows furrowed in concern. Squeaking out an apology, you handed him the transfer paperwork. 

“I called your name three times, you okay?” he asked, flipping through the pages and signing where appropriate. 

“Fine,” you smiled, not trusting your voice not to break. 

He looked skeptical, but didn’t push. 

“Alright, all done. Hopefully that’ll be it, at least from the mass cas,” he said, handing back the paperwork. “We have a trauma counsellor available if you need to talk to someone,” he said before backing away to move onto the next patient. 

You chuckled at that. Of course he thought you were troubled by the amount of death that occurred today. But no, here you were, post mass casualty, and you were more concerned about a man than you were about the people that had died tonight. How fucked up were you? 

Jack showed up with coffee the next morning like usual, setting the paper cup down on your desk, “here you go, sweetheart.” 

“Thank you,” you said without looking up from your paperwork. You tasted acid in your throat, the words from the nurses station echoing in your head in an ugly cacophony. You’d memorized them by heart over the past 12 hours, twisting and turning in bed as they invaded your mind against your will. 

He just doesn’t know how to let her down.

He probably feels guilty.

Her fawning over him is not cute.

You cleared your throat, “you really don’t have to do this anymore, you know,” you said nonchalantly, like it wasn’t tearing your heart out to say. 

He was quiet for a moment. “I know… I do it because I want to, because I like spending time with you,” he said, head cocked and brow furrowed.  

“Sure,” you muttered under your breath. 

“What was that?” 

You sighed and set your pen down, shifting your full attention to him, “I’m just saying you don’t have to prostrate yourself in front of me because you feel guilty, Jack. You’ve done your penance, if that’s all this is. You’re forgiven, no hard feelings.” 

Your throat was tight, but your voice didn’t waver. You blinked back tears furiously as he stared at you, mouth agape. He looked a little more disheveled than usual, his eyes tired and the lines on his face a little more pronounced, like he’d been frowning all night. Obviously, he worked like 16 hours last night. You felt another wave of guilt rush over you–he was wasting his much needed rest time to come placate you. 

He crossed his arms, shaking his head in confusion, “What the hell are you talking about? Where is this coming from?” 

You stood up and started behind your desk, feeling restless and hurt and foolish. 

“You just–you don’t have to hang around me because you feel bad or something,” you said, “you’ve more than apologized. I just wish you didn’t make me feel like–like…” you trailed off, ragged breaths tearing through your chest. It was getting harder to force the words out, tears falling down your cheeks in earnest now. 

“Like what?” 

“Like this means something!” you choked out. God, you felt so silly. Aw, is someone upset that their crush doesn’t like them back? 

He looked at you in disbelief, “It does mean something,” he said, rounding your desk and stopping in front of you–effectively ceasing your pacing. 

“Please don’t lie to me,” you hiccuped, your bottom lip trembling violently, “I know I’m too much, I know no one at the Pitt likes me–you don’t have to pretend you do.” You fixed your gaze to the floor–you didn’t think you could handle the pitying look that was undoubtedly in his eyes. 

“Hey, hey, look at me,” he said, cupping your face between his large hands. You tried to wiggle away, but his grip was unwavering–he wasn’t going to let you look away from him. He brushed away your tears, “I don’t know what ideas you’ve gotten into that pretty little head of yours, but if you think I’m anything but smitten with you, you’re dead wrong.” 

You laughed weakly, “who’s making bad jokes now?” 

He didn’t take the bait, didn’t let you deflect from the topic at hand. He pinned you with his eyes, his gaze steady as he delivered his next words. 

“I’m serious. I need you to know that I’m being honest with you when I say this: I’ve been scared for a long time to make a move on you, and I’m not letting anything–not even you–get in the way now, okay?

“I’ve liked you for a while now, pretty girl. You’re the best part of my day, the only thing keepin’ me going some days. I love your smile, your laugh, the way your face lights up when you talk about something you’re passionate about. I love the way you care about people, alive and dead, and I love your jokes, even if they can be a little off color. 

“And I can’t tell you how much I regret how I treated you. The only silver lining is that it kicked my ass into gear, made me realize I’ve been an idiot for waiting so long to make you mine. You’re not too much, and even if you were, I’d want more–I want everything you’re willing to give me.” 

You almost couldn’t comprehend the words coming out of his mouth, but he was nothing but sincere. His eyes pleaded with you to believe him, to give him a chance–and you desperately wanted to. 

“You mean that?” you asked, gnawing at your lip anxiously. You didn’t want to get your hopes up just to have them crushed again. 

“With all my heart,” he said, grabbing your hand and placing it over his heart. It was racing just as fast as yours was. “This is how I feel every time I see you, sweetheart. Feel like I should be hooked up to a monitor sometimes,” he joked. 

“I…I like you too. I have since the day I met you. But I’m scared,” you swallowed thickly, voice small as you finished, “I don’t want to get hurt.” 

“I know, sweetheart, I am too. It’s been a long time since I’ve done this–haven’t since my wife–and I don’t want to fuck it up. We’re in this together, as long as you’ll have me,” 

“I want you,” you whispered, placing your hand on the side of his neck tentatively. 

He grabbed your waist and backed you up against your desk, replicating your previous position from yesterday. 

“Can I kiss you now, sweetheart? Haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since we were interrupted,” he asked, thumb stroking your cheek. 

You nodded, “me either,” you said, heart pounding as he leaned in. 

His lips were soft when they met yours. It was tentative–just a slow, gentle press of his lips against yours, like he was trying to maintain some level of decorum.

He started to pull back, and you whined at the loss of contact. You fisted your hands in his scrub top and pulled him back in, your mouths meeting in an uncoordinated mash of teeth. He chuckled against you, “greedy girl,” he murmured, steadying your head in his hands and deepening the kiss. 

He tamped down your eagerness but didn’t erase any of the heat building between you–just kept you right where he wanted you. His tongue swiped across your bottom lip and you readily opened your mouth for him, desperate to taste him. He licked into your mouth, tongue hot as it tangled with yours. You were greedy, sucking and lapping and nipping at his tongue and lips, getting messy with it and thoroughly forgetting where you were and how inappropriate a setting this was. 

You were like horny teenagers, hands grabbing at whatever bits of flesh they could reach, tangling in each other’s hair, and moaning louder than was appropriate. 

When you finally pulled back, you were both gasping for air, chests heaving against each other. Jack rested his forehead against yours as he caught his breath. You didn’t want to waste another moment not kissing him, though, so you began peppering his face with kisses–to his nose, cheeks, chin, wherever you could reach. 

He laughed at the onslaught, craning his head to the side to give you access to his neck, which you happily latched onto, “you’re insatiable, aren’t you?” 

“I guess you’ll have to find out,” you replied as you pulled away, biting your lip and batting your eyelashes at him. 

He shook his head fondly at you, “Now, as much as I’d like to do very, very inappropriate things to you right now, I came here this morning planning to ask you out to dinner. Would you allow me to ask you out properly now, sweetheart? Let me be a gentleman?” he asked, thumbs stroking your jaw. 

You nodded, still dizzy from his kiss–still reeling from the fact that Jack actually liked you. 

“Would you please make me the happiest man in the world, and accompany me to dinner at Altius tomorrow night at 7?” 

“I’d love to,” you grinned, pulling him in for another kiss. 

“And after, we'll see just how insatiable you are.” 

A/N: shoutout to my fellow anthropology majors lol glad that my degree is coming in handy for something cause its certainly not a job