Ember

“Oh, you've got to be kidding me!” the older man exclaimed, as he removed his glasses from the bridge of his nose and pinched it between two fingers, wanting to be anywhere but there.

“It's a pleasure for me too, Michael. I was hoping not to see you until Friday when you were going to pick up Emma for the weekend, but apparently I'm an unlucky man.”

Dennis finished his speech with a dramatic shrug, still dressed in his scrubs, as he looked at his ex-husband lying in bed, his leg in a cast and his arm in a sling.

After the divorce (or as Trinity liked to call it, “the day Huckleberry pulled his head out of his ass”), a lot had changed: they'd split all their jointly purchased possessions, signed joint custody papers, torn up wedding photos, and cried in secret like kids.

Robby thought he'd completely eliminated Dennis from his life (except for Emma, ​​of course), and yet he always had the feeling that he had forgotten something, and now he had finally discovered what it was:

He had forgotten to remove Dennis's number from his emergency contacts.

“Listen, you don't have to—”

“Try to imagine how happy I was when my boss ran to tell me my ex-husband was in the hospital after an accident on his damn motorcycle. Do you even know how fast I drove to get here at the Pitt? I think I got a few speeding tickets.” He sighed, running a hand through his hair.

“Were you worried about me?” he asked, his tone a mix of sarcasm and amusement.

“Don't you dare to—”

“Gentlemen, I'm sorry to interrupt, but I think I should update you on Mr. Robinavitch's condition.”

Dana entered the room, her clipboard clutched tightly and a small smile on her lips.

Broken leg, dislocated shoulder, bruises on his face and palms.

“—and we're lucky you were wearing a helmet. Anyway, there's no way you're going home alone, so either you get a caregiver for a few weeks, or—” Dana lowered her glasses, looking at Dennis.

They both widened their eyes.

“Absolutely not!” Robby exclaimed, hissing and cursing when he moved his arm too much.

“Don't be such a baby, Robinavitch, it's up to you: a stranger in your house while you're incapable of peeing alone, or your ex-husband, who, I might add, is the only one who can stand you.”

She didn't wait for either of them to say anything, then left the room and gave them some privacy.

They looked at each other, unspoken words lingering in the small room before the silence was broken by Dennis's sigh.

"Don't think I'm happy about this, I'm only doing it because Emma will be happy to have her dad home for a while."

He took his phone from his pocket, calling his boss to let him know he wouldn't be able to return to work.

Robby threw his head back, gently bumping the headboard and biting his tongue to keep from swearing again.

It was going to be a very, very long cohabitation.

‘The Pitt team lock the fuck in’

Something something - a bet being made - bla bla bla- “If Dennis can survive a week with less than 4 scrub changes Robby doesn’t go on his death trip sabbatical”

Cue a week of the staff covering for Whitaker any chance they get.

Dana and Perlah have gotten the art of stripping and redresses him to 30 seconds on the dot to avoid Robby seeing

Jack turns up mid day shift, half asleep, to smuggle in clean scrubs like a special ops mission so the machine doesn’t take note

McKay has taken to hand picking Dennis the ‘cleanest cases’

Both Victoria and Frank have taken the hit of a liquid splash saving Dennis

Donnie and Jesse locked Robby in the bathroom for 10 minutes faking a “stuck lock” when Dennis got covered in who knows what

Caleb has been used as a distraction 7 times already this week. It was his idea.

Trinity has straight up taken Dennis to the floor to avoid a collision and possible mess

Even the night shift got involved with Shen and Ellis hiding spare scrubs and baby wipes in cupboard, little notes included ‘You got this Mouse boy we have money on this bet’ and ‘The boss man will be pissed if Robby leaves don’t make us got through that man’

Dennis has been manhandled, stripped, shoved in no less than 3 separate closets and supported more this week than his whole adult life. He’s never been more stressed. He’s taken to throwing himself to the ground every time anyone so much as shouts his name and can be found muttering “For Robby it’s for Robby” under his breath.

Robby however knows all this. You don’t get to be the head of the ER without being aware and his team are nowhere near a subtle as they think. But as he finds yet another hidden pair of scrubs or sees Dennis get shoved round yet another corner he can’t help but chuckle. Damn they all really do want him here. They really do love him. Why would Robby ever wanna leave this?

He never goes on that trip.

Bonus point

Mary, Dennis beautiful loving mother. The woman who kissed his cuts and tucked him in at night. Teaching him and his brothers how to sew because they shouldn't expect anyone else to do it for them. She taught him love and understanding. Telling Dennis from a young age God doesn't judge so he shouldn't either and truly living by it.

Johnny, the best father Dennis could ask for. Who never made the boy feel small. The man who would kiss his son's cheek and forehead even as he grew older. All his sons knew if you're in trouble you call daddy, because he taught them to.

Even now as Dennis stood in the hospital, his family gathered around his brother's hospital bed, Dennis knew love. Granted his brother had only broken his leg. An injury he acquired after attempting to climb a tree.The absolutely shocked looks he kept getting from the staff was a little confusing though. At least 5 nurses had pulled him aside to ask if he was ok. Of course he was, Dennis got to see his favourite people.

It suddenly clicked when the man was pulled aside by trinity. "Are you like good?" her words were bored but she was shifting on her feet glancing towards Dennis's family.

"Yes i'm fine" huffing slightly and sick of people asking now "why does everyone keep asking that it's just a broken bone"

Trinity furrowed her brows "no Den like are you ok with them being here? cause like you know."

Dennis's brows furrowed slightly in confusion "yes of course why would i be-" his face dropping in shock shuffling closer as he whispered "Jesus christ trinity i wasn't abused." Causing her to blink in shock her brain trying to compute the words. Face going from realisation to confusion to judging.

a visitor on the biodome!!

I swear he’s human he’s just going through something