SUNNY DISPOSITION
The Pitt x Reader
Hour Three
Word Count: 3.0k
Authors Note: I'm just gonna let my freak flag fly free and not give damn if my writing is cringe. Also has anybody had valomilk before? I was writing that scene when I was told about and I couldn't think of anything else. I feel like Frank would offer that to someone cause he's weird boy.
Prev/Next
You sit with Dennis until it's time to debrief. Small conversations come and go, silence returning after every attempt. You both avoid eye contact for the most part and after a while you try to figure out if you should just leave him alone. By the time you come to your decision it was already time for the debrief.
One by one, everyone piles into the small area. Robby clears his throat and rubs his hands together. "So," He starts. "What's something positive we can say about what happened?" Nobody speaks, awkward eye contact moving through the group as everyone shuffles on their feet. Robby looks around expectantly before sighing. Sometimes, he really feels like an elementary school teacher. "Sunny?"
Your eyes widen as you look at the man. "Oh, uh..." You glance up at the ceiling as you think of what to say. "I guess we all moved pretty smoothly. Acted promptly." You nod to yourself, feeling satisfied with your answer.
"That's right." Robby agrees, hoping to encourage someone else to speak up. "What else? What else went well?"
Mel decides to take this one. "After the fact, we checked for reversible causes of cardiac arrest on ultrasound."
"Ok, good. Does anybody have anything they wish had gone differently?" Well, duh.
Dennis's eyes never stray from the body as he answers. "In the hall, he should have been on a cardiac monitor. We would have caught the arrest right away."
"That's true, but there was no indication for monitoring." Robby tries to comfort him. "And we now know that his abdominal pain was not from his gallstones but from unstable angina." You try really hard to listen to the conversation, you do, but youâre struggling more to not make eye contact with Langdon, who seems to have a really bad staring problem today.
You can't resist the feeling any longer and meet his eye as he grins at you like a dumbass. His face falls flat as you grimace in response. You have to stop yourself from laughing.
"Who can tell me what that means?" You have no idea what Robby was talking about and silently pray that someone answers before he calls on you again.
Of course, Langdon answers. "One percent chance of an adverse cardiac event in the next thirty days." Ugh, you hate that he's good at his job.
"He was your patient, Dr. Whitaker. Would you like to say something before we take a moment of silence?"
Dennis struggles to find words. "He liked Kentucky bourbon." Everyone chuckles softly, pity swimming in their eyes.
"Robby does too," You add. The laughter gets louder as Robby looks over with faux exasperation. You shrug innocently before the man moves on.
"Anything else?"
"I don't know. I had just met him." Dennis looks around before deciding on his next words. "No, he seemed nice. He was married. Umâ" He shakes his head, words fleeting as guilt stirs in his chest. "That's it. That's all I got."
The room flinches hard when Mel's booming clap comes out of nowhere, though she quickly stops when she realizes that it wasn't exactly appropriate. You let out a breathy laugh and look down once Robby calls for the moment of silence.
Things like this are tough for you. Thoughts are constantly swimming through your mind no matter the time of day. Whether good or bad, they take over and you can't get them to stop. It's something youâve been working on for a while. Since leaving home for college, you've realized that the voice in the back of your head had gotten louder, eerily sounding like your dad, drowning out your own voice of reason completely.
So when forced to sit still and be quiet, all you can hear are those thoughts in the back of your mind calling you worthless. Youâre scared for the day the voice starts sounding like your own.
"Okay, that's it." Robby claps. "Let's go save some lives." Everyone disperses and you decide to go with them, sending a reassuring smile to Dennis when Robby holds him back. You would stay, but youâve had your fill of being in a room with a dead body.
You leisurely walk over to the board and read over all the options. Severe cough. Boring. Constipation. Yeah, right. Migraine. I'm not good at whispering. Pain in abdomen. Okay, sure.
You pick up a tablet and lean against the counter, taking a moment to relax before heading toward the room. Your leg bounces with perpetual restlessness, thumb moving to your mouth as you begin to bite at your nail. All your anxious movement halts when you suddenly feel a shiver run down your spine and as you frown at the feeling of doom creeping into your chest. Are you about to die? What the fuck is going onâoh.
You watch out of the corner of your eye as Langdon strolls up beside you, hands hanging from his stethoscope like he doesn't have a care in the world. Despicable.
"Rough morning, huh?" You continue tapping at the tablet, scratching at your nose like you don't hear anything. Langdon heaves a sigh and you have to bite back a smile.Â
"C'mon, Sunny. I said I was sorry." Langdon turns his body toward you, now looking at you with his sad excuse for puppy dog eyes. You scoff and glower at him, offended that he had the gall to lie to your face.
"No, you did not, you Flat Stanley looking knockoff." You mentally pat yourself on the back for that one. "Not once did I hear you say, 'I'm sorry, Sunny.'" You hit an octave higher than your usual voice when mocking him, only looking to offend at this point. By the way his head rears back, you do a nice job.
"Okay, one, I don't sound like that. Two, I definitely apologized for freaking out on you." Langdon is about seventy percent sure youâre trying to gaslight him. He swears he said sorry at least two times.
"Freaking out on me? I don't care about that anymore." You shake your head and narrow your eyes at him, starting to wonder if all the hairspray he uses is getting to his head.
"You don't?"
"I don't."
"Then why have you been so pissed at me?"
"My yogurt." There's a bit of silence before Langdon shakes his head and laughs in disbelief.
"Your yogurt?"
"Yeah, my yogurt." You fully turn your body toward him. "The one I put in the breakroom last week." You start walking forward as Langdon starts walking backwards. "My wild berry yogurt that I had been craving all morning." Langdon's back hits the counter of the nurses' station, hands raised as his next line of defense. "The one I had to watch you eat while Robby pulled me into a trauma room. That yogurt, Frank."
Langdon takes a moment to find the right words, wanting to tread lightly due to not being sure if youâre really as serious as you look or if youâre dicking him around. He knows how much you love to do that. "Okay, um." His voice wobbles, scared to fully breathe. It's weird how someone shorter than him can be so terrifying.
"If it makes you feel any better, it was delicious." Why in the fuck did he say that? You scoff and smirk in disbelief, taking a step back to look around as if to say, 'Are you guys hearing this?' Langdon looks around with you, asking the same question but in need of a witness.
Langdon cuts you off as youâre about to speak. "I don't know why I said that."
"I have a few guesses."
"I'm sure you do, and you'd be right. I'm stupid, arrogant," he lists. You nod along to his self-deprecating reasonings, feeling great about how this is turning out. "I'm an asshole, a great doctor, incredibly handsome." He trails off slowly, waving his hands around as if to reset the interaction.
"Look, how about, as a form of retribution, I get you some of this candy I buy for the kids?" He feels safe once her face relaxes a bit. "It's called Valomilk, old fashioned, Robby probably knows about it. Think Reese's but filled with marshmallow cream."
"Chocolate and marshmallow? Never heard of that before." You look unimpressed, arms crossed.
"Look, I'm just trying to sweeten the deal."
"You wouldn't have to sweeten the deal if you hadn't eaten my yogurt."
"I didn't know it was yours!"
"Oh, so you just eat random people's shit? Plus, you watched me put it into the fridge."
"I don't remember that."
"I do. You were looking right at me. Right after you asked me what flavor it was." Okay, he does remember that.
A throat clears from behind Langdon, interrupting the staring contest that you were definitely winning. "Are you dumbasses seriously yelling about yogurt in front of me?" Langdon turns to look at Dana as you peer over his shoulder.
"Uh, no." You answer in sync.
"Jesus Christ. You two are like the kids I never asked for." Dana puts her glasses on and walks away. Langdon turns back to you, palms pressed together, a look of pleading dancing across his face.
"I'm sorry, Sunny. Please forgive me."
You stare in silence. Langdon is cocky and a smartass, but he's a great doctor and you respect him immensely for that. You were never truly mad at him. Forgiving him for that one time he berated you is proof that it would take something extreme for you to hold a grudge. You just loved fucking with people. "That's all you had to say."
Langdon stares at you in slight annoyance before letting it go. "Great." He spins to the counter and takes the tablet you were looking at. "Mysterious abdominal pain? Sounds like a job for Crocket and Tubbs."
"Are they new residents?"
"What? No. James and Ricardo?" You continue to stare in confusion. "Miami Vice? Don Johnson?"
"Yeah, no. Not ringing any bells."
"Okay." Langdon tries not to act too excited. "Add that to the list of things we need to watch."
"I'll agree as long as you take Face/Off off the list." You start walking toward the patient's room, shoulders bumping as a sign of restored solidarity.
"Oh, come on. It's a great movie."
"I'll take your word for it. Nicholas Cage scares me as it is. I don't need to see him swap faces with John Travolta, who also scares me."
"I'll supply wild berry yogurt."
"You're on thin ice, Frank."
"Heard."
You walk through the door after Langdon opens it, moving to put on a fresh pair of gloves. You grin at the grimacing patient in an attempt at pacification. "Hello, Mr. Nelson." He attempts a smile. "How are you feeling?"
"I've been better."
"Well, that's what we're here for." Langdon replies, taking a seat as you start a physical exam. "How long has this pain been going, Mr. Nelson?" You listen to his heart and lungs and notice a fast heart rate. You silently reach for the thermometer.
"Since about five a.m."
"Has the pain gotten worse or stayed the same?" Langdon asks, nodding as you show him a fever of 101°F.
"The same."
"Okay, Mr. Nelson. I'm going to press on your stomach, and I want you to tell me if there's any pain, okay?" He nods, and you begin prodding at his belly. Left to right, slowly.
"Ow, fuck!" He jolts. You quickly apologize, locking eyes with Langdon as you come to the same conclusion.
"Mr. Nelson, I think what you're experiencing is appendicitis." Langdon reveals.Â
"No shit, asshole." Your lips purse as you try not to laugh. You decide to take over as Langdon falters, dumbfounded.
"Since it hasn't ruptured, we should get labs and a CT scan to rule out any other issues."
"That's fine."
"Good." You turn to remove your gloves and move toward the door. "Asshole here is going to keep an eye on you while I order those labs." Youâre gone before Langdon can retort, giggling as you close the door.
"What's got you so tickled?" You canât help but perk up at the sound of Samira's voice, whipping your head around to see her standing at a nearby medicine cabinet. She's smiling at the sound of your laugh, brows dipped in interest.
"Nothing. I just love life sometimes." You walk up to her and loop your arms together, letting her lead as you stare at the side of her face.
"You always find a reason to love life."
"It's what keeps me going." You stop at the nurses' station as Samira starts to study the board. "Have you been working hard today?" You ask rhetorically, logging into a nearby computer to put in your orders.
The doctor sighs and rolls her eyes. "Yes I have. Especially since Robby's been up my ass about the way I treat my patients."
"What does that mean? You're great with patients."
"He says I spend too much time with them." She's looking at you now, arms crossed in resentment.
You nod and smile ruefully. "Oh, that's Gloria talking. Not him."
"Well, whoever it is, it's really starting to get on my nerves. First getting called Slo-Mo and now being lectured every time I breathe." She takes a deep breath, not usually one to complain.Â
You finish your last order and log out, rounding the desk and casually sling your arms around your friends shoulders. Samira places her hands on your waist in response. "You are a great doctor." You tighten your grip when she tries to get away. "You're generous, you're kind, and you're attentive. Repeat after me."
"Sunnyâ"
"Repeat. After. Me."
She sighs and rolls her head back before locking eyes with you. "I'm generous, I'm kind, and I'm attentive."
"I can't hear you." You sing, smiling at the twitch in the corner of her mouth. She repeats the mantra louder, laughing at the quick swat you give her butt before you shove her towards the board.
"Go get 'em, tiger."
You head back toward the patient's room, hoping Langdon isn't dead, and open the door. "Okay, Mr. Nelson, your labs have been orderedâ" You stop when you notice Langdon is nowhere to be found. The patient notices your confused look.
"He went to get me some water."
"Okay. A nurse will be in here shortly to take you to imagâ" You're cut off once again as he suddenly shouts in pain, the sound more guttural than before. You rush over to the bed and notice his swollen stomach.
"Fuck." You move to the landline and page the OR. A nurse answers and you rapidly explain the situation. Youâre told a room is ready and someone will meet you at the elevator. You hang up, unlock the bed, and move towards the door. "I need some help in here!"
It's a toss-up of who will come in to assist, but relief floods you as Perlah runs in followed by Robby. You waste no time to explain while they help you move the bed. "Appendicitis. Came in with belly pain and fever. Ordered labs before finding him with a distended stomach."
"Let's move it." Robby orders, leading the patient around doctors and nurses toward the elevator. Garcia stands there with hands on her hips, moving to grab the bed and pull it through the doors.
"Thanks for the delivery."
"Anytime." You sigh as the doors close, turning to look at Robby and Perlah with a pained look on your face. "Thanks for the help." Perlah smiles and rubs your back in passing.
"No problem, sunshine." You send her a grateful smile as the nurse walks away before turning to Robby, whoâs staring at you with a weird gleam in his eyes.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Like what?" He knows exactly what you're talking about, the gleam vanishing as quickly as it appeared. You try to place itâhappiness? Pride? No, that can't be it. Plus, you can't remember the last time he was happy enough for it to show.
"Nothing, I guess." You forget about it, scanning the room. "Where the fuck is Langdon? He said he was getting water."
"Woah, language."
"Sorry. Where the hell is Langdon?"
"That's better." Robby nods before shrugging and shaking his head. "Haven't seen him." He starts looking around, but you don't care anymore. You study the side of his head, calculating your next move.
Today's been hard for the man. He can act fine, but his eyes give him away every time. And you know Robby well enough to know that asking a simple, 'Are you okay?' will get you nowhere. Might even piss him off a little.
"Today has been really stressful for me." Robby turns to look at you with wide eyes, caught between concern and discomfort. He cares about your statement but worries why youâre saying it. So many people have bothered him about his feelings today; he really doesn't want to deal with it anymore. "Will you meet me on the roof at the end of the shift? Have a little therapy sesh."
Robby says nothing at first. It feels like a trap, but he cares too much to ignore a possible call for help. "Sure."
"Great."
"Hey there, fruitcake." You can't help but snort when Myrna rolls around the corner, the sound coming out louder than you intended, earning a look of betrayal from Robby.
"Looks like you're needed." You pat the man on his back. "See you later, fruitcake."
"I'm writing you up for that."
"I'll see you in HR, fruitcake."
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