You don't even get one sentence in.

"Don't 'hi dad' me— get inside right now." Your dad snaps, opening the door wider so you could step in. You head straight to the kitchen knowing that you were going to get the lecture of a lifetime and to even attempt to go anywhere else in the house would result in more snapped words and glares.

"Have you been out all night?" 

You shake your head, "I was just on a run, decided to get it down before the sun came up and it got too hot."

Your dad looks you up and down and gives you a raised brow, "In those?"

You look down at yourself and sigh at the jeans you wore. When you chose them yesterday it was because it matched the cute top you were wearing but now they were exposing your lies.

"Okay, yes. I was out all night." You admit.

"When was the last time you were home? Did you even go to school yesterday?"

"Yesterday morning before school, and yes I did go to school."

It wasn't rare to not see your dad at all for a day, when he was working, sometimes even longer. His twelve hour night shifts overlap with your school schedule but you text each other frequently, keeping updated with everything going on. By the time he arrives home from work you've already left for school and your after school clubs keep you behind long enough to miss him when he leaves for work.

You didn't stay out all night often, usually you just went home and did your evening routine, especially on school nights but when your friend who recently got their own car suggested a night of driving around the city, you couldn't refuse. 

"Where did you go? Who were you with? Did you drink alcohol?" Your dad asks in rapid succession, leaning close to see if he could smell any alcohol on you.

"Aaron recently got a car so we went driving around with Lucy. No alcohol, we didn't  do anything like that," You answered all of his questions, "I was good."

You saw your dads shoulders relax a fraction but he was still annoyed at your actions. He takes a deep breath before he sits opposite you at the table.

"Listen, I know you're sixteen now and you're growing up and you want to do all these new things and push boundaries but for me, your safety is paramount," Your dad sighs, "You want to hang out with your friends? Sure, go ahead but let me know first. You want to spend the night driving around? Sure but your curfew is one am. This isn't me punishing you but I go to work comforted by the fact that you're safe at home and I don't want to be caught off guard if you're brought in suddenly."

You suddenly feel very guilty. You initially saw no harm in what you were doing, only focused on the fun you were having with your friends but your dad's perspective gave you a better understanding that your actions don't exist in a bubble. Your dad wasn't being unreasonable either, he was letting you do things you wanted to do and all you had to do was keep him updated.

"I'm sorry." You apologize, "I didn't really think about my actions and what could come from it. I was being selfish."

Your dad lets out a huffed laugh as he stands up, "You're sixteen, of course you are. That's what being a teenager is all about."

You stand up as well and quickly stretch forward and hug him, tucking your head in his neck as you wrap your arms around his torso.

"I'm sorry."

Your dad returned your hug, squeezing you tight as he pressed a kiss to your head, "It's okay."

"Why are you home now anyway?" You asked, "You don't usually get home until gone eight."

"We're short staffed this week, most people are pulling an extra half shift just so we have enough cover. Last night was quiet enough plus there was me, Shen, Parker and Henderson, we didn't need all of us."

You nod in understanding as you finally pull away from him, scooping down to pick up your bag that you haphazardly dumped on the ground, "I'm going to take a shower then go to bed, I'm exhausted."

You were rapidly approaching a full twenty-fours of being awake.

"Ah ah ah,  not so fast young lady—" Your dad reaches out and grabs you before you can walk past him, pulling you back slightly so you are back in your original position, "Once you've showered and gotten changed, you're coming back down here."

"What?" You gape at him, confused.

Your dad checks his watch, "You've got thirty minutes. I'll make you breakfast."

Your shoulders are slumped as you follow your dad into the ED, the bright lights already burning your eyes. You had no idea what his plan was when he ushered you into his truck after breakfast earlier that morning and you were so exhausted that you fell asleep only moments after getting in, only waking once you arrived in the parking lot.

At first you thought he just brought you here so he could keep an eye on you whilst you slept in one of the unused rooms the hospital had but then you saw your hefty backpack, filled with a whole weekend's worth of homework sitting on his shoulder. You had thought you had left it at home but he must have picked up when you weren't looking.

"What's happening here?" Dana asks curiously as you walk past the nurse station. Her words catch the attention of Robby, Langdon, Santos and Javadi. All of their eyes flicked to you.

Your dad grasps your shoulder, giving you a wiggle as he smiled at his colleagues, "Someone decided it was a good idea to spend all night out on the streets with her friends without telling her dad and she wouldn't have told me at all if I didn't catch her coming back home this morning."

A series of 'oohs' echoed around from everyone that was close enough to overhear making you roll your eyes.

"She sent me a text at eleven saying she was going to bed and she's a light sleeper so I didn't check on her when I got home at twelve, because as a wonderful, loving father, I didn't want to wake her up. Little did I know that she wasn't even in bed or even the house!"

"Roll your eyes any harder and they'll get stuck like that," Robby teased as he watched you roll your eyes once again at your dads words.

"She also tried to lie and say she was out for an early morning jog, of course forgetting that she was wearing jeans." Your dad revealed, making your shoulders hunch in embarrassment.

Santos lets out a whistle of disbelief, shaking her head as a small grin appeared on her lips, "Damn girl…"

"So what's the punishment?" Langdon asks.

"Homework in the break room," Your dad says, passing you your bag which you take with an unamused grunt.

"Go on," Your dad grabs your shoulders again but this time he turns you around and pushes you towards the staff room, "And don't you dare think about asking anyone for help!"

"Are you really gonna make her do homework for the next twelve hours?" Javadi asks, slightly concerned.

Jack shakes his head, "Maybe for an hour or two. Wake her up when she drifts but I'll let her sleep properly afterwards."

"You're evil," Santos grins.

Jack simply smirks as he heads to the lockers.

Every time you drifted off, even for a second, someone barged into the room to wake you. It wasn't just your dad, you had Santos, Princess, Whitaker and Langdon doing his dirty work too. Mel also woke you up once but you believed that was a genuine mistake based on how apologetic she was once she realised she woke you up.

Five minutes after Princess left, your dad entered with his arms crossed across his chest but his eyes were soft as he looked at you.

"I'm up," You tell him, "Doing my homework, just like you told me to do."

"Pack it away, I want to take you somewhere."

"Home?" You ask as you pack away your books.

"Not quite."

You follow him out from the staff room and to the elevator that takes you a few up a few floors to one of the empty floors.

"This is a part of your punishment. You don't get to sleep in your nice comfortable bed, you get the uncomfortable hospital bed to sleep in." Your dad says as he opens a door to a room empty of everything bar a bed.

"Is..is it clean?" You ask hesitantly.

Your dad rolls his eyes, "Yes it's clean. Fresh sheets and everything."

It won't be comfortable but at least it'll be quiet.

"If you wake up before my shift ends, you come straight downstairs, You understand?"

"Sir yes sir," You nod, just about holding back on saluting him.

"Go to sleep," Your dad huffs fondly, kissing your forehead before he leaves you alone. 

"Dr. Robinavitch." The vaguely familiar woman greets Robby.

"Nurse Hastings." Robby greets back, his expression lifting in the presence of the woman, "You can call me Robby."

"You can call me Noelle." The woman smiles back at him.

You watch them in confusion. There was something clearly going on between them, that brief interaction they had put them in their own little bubble before they looked back at you. There was something you were explicitly missing —oh.

They were flirting.

It was subtle sure, if you weren't so close to overhear them then you probably wouldn't have noticed it but it wasn't just their voices. Noelle's cheeks flushed slightly and Robby's eyes crinkled in the way they do when people look at something they love and it felt like you were intruding on something intimate and private.

Your heart twists at the realisation. For the past five years, ever since you arrived at the PMTC to begin your residency, you had been in love with Robby. It had started as a mere crush like it always did and it wasn't a unique story in the slightest, you simply fell in love with your boss and when you spend twelve hours a day with them, it was easy to do so. You had debated on whether to tell him or not, and initially you had been scared of rejection and then the prospect of having to suffer working under someone who outright rejected you for next five years or go through the hassle of finding somewhere else in the country to complete your residency. 

Deep down you were looking for an excuse, a solid reason to not tell him that you loved him and you found it in the employee handbook. Relationships between senior members of staff were not permitted with junior ones. You were a first year resident and he was the chief of emergency medicine, it would never work and even if you attempted something and the hospital found out, it would be you getting the boot. You loved working as a doctor, you loved your colleagues and you loved Pittsburgh and you weren't willing to give any of it up just because you had a crush on your boss.

So you buried it deep and tried to forget about it. You dated around and even had a couple of short-term boyfriends over the years in an attempt to get over him and you thought it worked until right now. As you watched him flirt with Noelle, you realised you hadn't stopped loving him at all.

They turn back to your unimpressed face, your eyes flicking between the both of them, "Uh, you could just tell me what the hell’s going on here."

"This is Noelle." Robby motions towards the woman next to him, "She’s our, um…"

"Bed control manager." You cut in, "No, we met."

"Case manager." They both correct you before Noelle continues on, "And this guy won’t be staying."

"Oh, he needs surgery." You tell her, looking back over at the man just feet away.

"Which his insurance will pay for at Westbridge Memorial, not here." She tells you.

You look over at Robby in disbelief, "Wait, so we have to transfer?"

"If… if he’s stable." Noelle clarifies, prompting Robby for the answer she wants. 

"I believe that he is." Robby admits after a moment, "Look on the bright side. We’re gonna free up a bed, discharge a patient."

You raise your brows in surprise at his words. You had never heard him say that before. Sure getting a bed free was always a problem but whenever Gloria harped about it to him, Robby always fought back but maybe this new girlfriend of his is making him softer.

It sparks irritation and anger in you. You didn't take it personally, you knew it was Noelle's job but you hated all of it. Patients are brought in with traumatic injuries only to get transferred out because their insurance doesn't cover you.

"Until the next patient brought in by EMT's also has insurance that doesn't cover us and we have a carousel of patients we can't treat." You snark back, unable to help yourself.

"He will get great care at Westbridge." Noelle fiddles with her tablet before she turns to Robby, "Don’t you agree, Robby?"

Robby nods along, "I’m sure that he will."

"What am I missing?" You ask, watching them have another moment, speaking before you think. You quickly added another question to save yourself, "Is there something else happening with Allen Billings that I don’t know about?

"Not medically." Robby shakes his head.

"This is just a simple insurance transfer." Noelle adds.

"Mm, yeah, okay." You scoff, turning to Robby, "In that case, you can tell him. I have other patients to treat."

Robby eyebrows raise to his hairline, "Excuse me?"

You know you're pushing your luck now. You may be a good doctor but you were still a resident and he was still the chief of the department and your boss.

"Well it's just a simple insurance transfer," You parrot their words back at them, "I'm sure he'll understand. Especially if you tell him to look at the brightside and see how it frees a bed for a new patient."

With that your spin around and disappear around the corner, leaving them to watch you leave in stunned silence.

"What’s that about?" Noelle asks, slightly shocked at your behaviour.

"Nothing." Robby dismisses her question as they begin to walk towards the charge station.

"Didn’t feel like nothing." Noelle doesn't let the topic drop, "She's got a…personality."

"She's young, passionate, not yet broken by the politics of healthcare." Robby spills, "She has a very heightened sense of empathy."

"Meaning?" Noelle prods.

"Meaning she’s good at picking up on stuff."

Noelle's voice drops in volume as she picks up on what Robby was saying, "You didn’t say anything, did you?"

"Nope." Robby shakes his head, "I subscribe to the Falstaff advice. Discretion is the better part of valor."

You were meant to be catching up on your reports, taking advantage of the brief spare time you had between patients when your attention was pulled away by the sight of Robby and Noelle together. Robby was just with Dana moments ago, getting updates when Noelle walked in and now he was kneeling by her side, under the guise of doing up his shoelace as he spoke to her.

A wave of jealousy washed over you at the sight of them. Watching them interact during the morning had sent you into a foul mood and your attempts to pull yourself out of it were flushed away whenever they flirted with each other.

Thankfully you were given an out when a new patient popped up on the board with your name attached to it. You brush past them as head to the patient, paying them no mind and not realising they're both watching you as you leave.

"I've got a question," Noelle begins, "Do you know if she's dating anyone?"

Robby's head whips around so fast, it leaves an ache in his neck, "Excuse me?"

"From what you were telling me earlier about her being passionate and feisty, I know someone who would be great for her," Noelle shrugs.

"Who?" Robby begins to frown and for a reason unknown to him, he didn't like the prospect of you going on a date with someone. Most people keep their loved ones away from the hospital in general and for good reason but over the years Robby has seen peoples partners picking them up from the hospital or even occasionally dropping off lunch for them, but he had never seen that with you. If it wasn't for the fact that the young doctors always spoke loudly whenever they gossiped about their love lives causing Robby to overhear, he would have never known about the people you date.

"Someone from upstairs."

"Someone from upstairs." Robby echoes.

"A lawyer."

"A lawyer." Robby echoes once more causing Noelle to huff at him.

 "Is there an echo in here? Why are you repeating everything I say?"

"Sorry, sorry. So a lawyer?"

"His name is Jonathan. Nice guy."

That makes Robby bark out a laugh, "Well you know how she is. Maybe you should tell him what he would be getting into."

Noelle shakes her head, "I think he could handle her."

Robby frowns and swallows harshly at that, something deep inside of him flickering in discomfort. You had been a constant by his side ever since you arrived five years ago and you were also probably his favourite resident, his protege that he brought in on every major case because he knew and trusted in your skills. He never considered you more than a resident doctor whom he should mentor until you attended a conference together in New Jersey. During the trip, you bonded over shared interests and aligned beliefs and that was where Robby first fell for you. He sought advice from Dana and Jack when he returned only to be taken back at their objection to his suggestion of officially asking you out on a date. Jack reminded him of the rules while Dana cautioned him of the repercussions that would land solely on you; you would be the one kicked from the hospital and out of your program, your career would be the one ruined and not to mention the chance of rumors spreading that you slept your way to the top. So Robby decided to step back and not do anything that would interfere with your career, just waiting for the day when you would finish your residency. He had overheard you talking to Langdon, Shen and Ellis about how much you loved Pittsburgh, so Robby hoped that even if you left PMTC, you'd stay close enough so he could formally ask you out on a date.

"So, is she single?" Noelle repeats her first question.

"Uh, I don't know," Robby rubs his hand over his jaw, "You're better off asking one of the nurses or other residents, they'd know."

Noelle nods as Perlah calls for him, requesting his help on behalf of a med student. He quickly disappears leaving Noelle with Dana who didn't hide the fact she had clearly overheard their conversation.

You hadn't had even a moment's break since then, constantly swept off your feet with patients and helping the med students whenever they called for help. It was the afternoon now and the lack of food and even water was catching up on you.

You crumple into a chair at the nurses station, head tilted back and eyes closed as you try to regulate yourself. Your stomach was so empty that it was making you feel sick and your hands were shaking as well. You doubted you even had enough energy to drag yourself upstairs to the cafeteria.

You don't open your eyes but you can still hear the noise of  the pitt around you. You're left undisturbed for a while, until someone nudges your foot with a soft, "Hey,"

You slowly open your eyes to find Robby standing over you, a concerned look on his face that you don't clock immediately.

"Sorry," You shift to stand, "I'll get back to work."

"No, you won't." Robby holds his hand out, stopping you in your tracks, "You haven't eaten all day. I got you something, go take lunch."

Now you see the bag in his hand, something that he quickly passes over to you.

"Go sit outside. Eat and get your energy back up and then come back to us." Robby orders, helping you up from the chair before he turns and disappears in the blink of an eye.

You catch the eye of Perlah who had been watching the whole thing and you know that at least six more nurses will know what happened by the time you get back.

The park opposite the hospital is empty at this time, the lunch crowd had returned to work leaving the park peaceful and quiet. Once you've settled on a bench, you dig into the bag to see what Robby bought you. He got you both a sandwich and a pasta salad, which would both cure your hunger and also provide you with enough energy to get through the rest of your shift and he also got you a fruit cup and a sugary drink, things to help you get your blood sugar levels up after they had dipped from not eating all day.

You eat in peace with nothing but the sounds of the birds chirping and the occasional person walking by. You keep an eye on the time, not wanting to leave your colleagues shorthanded for too long but you make sure to not rush yourself.

You had just finished dumping your trash in the bin when you were suddenly grabbed and pulled into a small pocket of trees, just off the path. The area was not large but the trees were big enough to obstruct the view of passerbys.

"What the fuck!" You yelp as your ankle twists at the sudden action.

"Give me your money!" A voice growls at you.

You blink in surprise, taken off guard by everything that happened over the last thirty seconds. The man in front of you has a large hood on, hiding most of his face but you could still the bottom half of it.

"Give me your purse and phone!" The man threatens again, arm reaching out as if to grab what he wanted straight from your pockets.

"I don't have my purse or phone on me!" You tell him, patting your empty pockets as proof. You were scared but you hoped you could get out of this situation without harm.

"You're a doctor! You're wearing those hospital clothes and doctors have money, so give me it!" The man suddenly pulls out a knife, brandishing it at you as his anger increases.

"I just came out here to eat," You reply calmly, trying your hardest not to aggravate him any more, "My phone and stuff are still in the hospital. I promise you I don't have anything on me."

The man finally realises you're telling the truth and his posture drops in frustration. You watch him grumble to himself before he knocks his hood off to run his hands through his hair in annoyance, giving you a full view on his face. He realises what he's done too late and you can see the moment he makes the decision that would change your life forever.

"I'm sorry. You can't tell them what happened. I can't go back to prison." He murmurs before he lunges at you, knocking flat on the ground. The wind is knocked out of you, not even giving you a moment to yell out and he is quick to slip his knife back out. His movements are quick, stabbing you multiple times in quick succession before he's jumping off you, leaving you there in a rapidly growing pool of blood, hidden within the trees.

"No victim, no crime." Is the last thing you hear from him before he disappears. 

You lie there in numbness at first, staring up at the trees, resigned to your fate of dying there, hidden away for months until some unfortunate soul stumbles upon your skeletal remains. You can feel the ache of your injuries but it feels numb, far away almost and you realise that's the adrenaline still running through you. It will fade soon and then you'll have to die alone, in pain. 

Robby flashes in your mind. You don't want to die, you want to live and finally tell Robby the truth. Even if he didn't reciprocate your feelings, you no longer want them to weigh on you anymore.

With a sudden boost of energy and motivation, you flip yourself over so you're on your front, letting out a pain groan as you did so. Your body burns and aches as you push yourself up on your hands and knees before slowly crawling out from the trees and back to the main park. It's still empty, in that annoying sweet spot between the adult lunch crowd and the kids being released from school for the day but still you powered through. Maybe you could reach the road. Maybe.

You don't reach the road. You don't get more than a couple of feet before your arms give up and you collapse on the ground. You can't go any further, you're bleeding out too much too fast and you had used the last of your energy to crawl. 

As you pass out from the blood loss, you can hear the sounds of cars and ambulances just on the other side of the park, reminding you of how close you were.

"Hey!" Dana waves Robby over to where she was at the charge station, a frown on her face.

"What's wrong this time?' Robby asks when he reaches her.

Dana says your name as she waves around a tablet, "Have you seen her? No one else has and I've got a list of people she has to see."

"I sent her to lunch," Robby frowns as he checks his watch, it was unusual for you to disappear completely, "...Which was fourty-five minutes ago. Where the hell is she?"

They're interrupted by a frantic teen running through the ambulance bay, yelling for help and covered in blood. He is surrounded by doctors and nurses immediately with Robby pushing his way to the front as he snaps on gloves.

Langdon is trying to get the boy to calm down, checking his body for injuries as someone brings a bed over but the boy keeps batting Langdon's hands away, shaking his head as he tries to explain what was happening but unable to as everyone kept speaking over him.

"Hey!" Robby finally shouts causing everyone to fall silent before he lowers his voice to speak to the man, "What's happened?"

"There's a woman across the street in the park that's been attacked! She's covered in blood and unconscious," The boy explains, twisting around to leave the hospital and lead them to the woman in the park, "She's been stabbed. A lot. My friend is with her but there's so much blood."

Robby is halfway out the doors with him, calling out over his shoulder, "Frank—"

"Got it!" Langdon stays behind collecting items that they would need with Donnie joining him.

Baran, McKay and Mohan join Robby as they rush out of the hospital with Perlah and Jesse right behind them with a stretcher. Princess is calling surgery, telling them to prep an OR while Dana is calling the police, telling them to get down and lock the scene down now.

"I think she's one of you guys!" The teen yells as they run across the street, "She's wearing those scrubs things."

"Oh no," McKay catches on before Robby does.

Robby soon realises when they head deeper into the park and find another teen boy, but this one is leaning over a body, your body, trying their hardest to apply pressure. The boy looks up at them with frantic eyes, blood soaking his clothes and spread across his face from brushing his hands across his face in distress.

"I'm trying to stop the blood but there's so much," The teen sobs, "I checked her pulse but it's barely there."

Mohan sweeps in, gently tugging the boy away as the rest of them swarm in on you. Langdon and Donnie are by their side seconds later, not missing a beat and passing them the medical supplies needed.

Robby's heart dropped to his stomach at the sight of you laying there lifeless in a pool of your blood, assuming the worst. He didn't believe the teenager about your pulse until he felt for it himself and he hated the way he was relieved at the faint pulses beneath his finger, already believing you were long gone. 

He moves automatically, trying not to think about the biggest fear he never knew he had, working with the others to stabilise you enough to transport you back to the hospital. Perlah and Mohan returned to the hospital, Perlah to update everyone on what was actually happening while Mohan treated the poor boys who discovered you.

Noelle arrives in the emergency department just as you're being transported up to surgery, taken back at the mania that surrounds you. She makes her way to Dana who has an upset expression on her face as she's hanging up the phone.

"Was that who I thought it was? What the hell happened?"

Dana sadly nods, "Some poor kids found her in the park. Stabbed on her lunch break. We don't know what the whole story is. I just got off the phone with her parents, they're going to try to book the next flight out here."

"Oh God…" Noelle gasps, "She's going to pull through though, right?"

Dana gives an uncertain shrug, blinking her tears away, "They're not sure, she lost a lot of blood. They stabilised her but we don't know how long she was like that for."

Noelle slowly nods, taking a moment to take it all in before remembering why she came downstairs in the first place, "Where's Robby?'

"He went up with her." Dana pauses for a minute before she gives Noelle a knowing look, "Listen, I know you and Robby have a thing going on but I have to tell you this. Robby has been in love with her for years and the only reason he didn't do anything was because he didn't want her to lose her job but what happened today changes everything. If she survives this then Robby is going to tell her the truth and he'll try to make it work. I know he should be the one to tell you this but I want to do this so you're not caught by surprise."

Noelle stands in shock at Dana's words. Her relationship with Robby was atypical, it was a traditional relationship but it was more than friends-with-benefits and so where they stood was never exactly clear but Dana's words confirm the truth of it. It was never going to become serious and Robby had been in love with someone else the whole time and it was always going to be you over her for Robby.

It's deep into the evening when Jack finds Robby on the roof, looking over the skyline with a deeply troubled expression.

"Any updates?" Jack asks as he joins him on the edge of the roof.

Robby shakes his head. You had spent hours in surgery before being taken to ICU where not even the chief of emergency medicine could visit you.

"They say it depends on the next fourty-eight hours. If her vitals don't improve then…" Robby can't bring himself to finish the sentence, the prospect of you dying making him sick to his stomach.

Jack doesn't try to comfort him with words, they're both doctors, they know the reality of the situation. All Jack could do was stay by his side, silently reminding him that no matter what, Jack would always be in his corner. 

"If she survives this I'm going to tell her everything." Robby blurts out, "If I need to I quit this job just so she can finish her residency here."

"You'd think she'd want that? Seriously?" Jack frowns at him, "We both know she would never want you to throw what you have here away just for her."

"Just take it one step at a time brother," Jack continues as he pats Robby's shoulder, "Have an open conversation. Let her decide her future otherwise you will be ending the relationship before it even has a chance to start."

"When did you become so knowledgeable about this stuff huh?" Robby attempts to joke, poking fun at the fact that Jack has refused to see anyone since his wife passed away.

"I'll have you know that the kids find me very cool and hip and keep me updated on what dating is like these days," Jack smirks, "They're very knowledgeable, you should ask them for tips."

That makes Robby laugh, his shoulders dropping from the tense hold they were in for the first time in hours. 

When you arrived home the first thing you did was send off an email to your union, briefly lining the details before requesting a proper conversation for the next day. Then you threw your phone somewhere on the couch before you dragged yourself upstairs, peeling off scrubs as you beelined to the bathroom to get started on the bath you so desperately needed. You let the taps run to get up to temperature as you dug around the cupboard for the set of bath bombs that Robby had gotten for you on your last birthday.

Soon you're sitting chest deep in the tub that's filled with bubbles, rose petals from the bath bomb were floating around the tub and the strong artificial smell of berries consumed the whole room. The bathroom was silent aside from the soft ripples of water that sounded whenever you shifted, you weren't in the mood for music or even an audiobook. The only sound you could tolerate hearing was the sound of your breathing.

You try to relax into the bath, try to let the hot water soothe your tense muscles but there is no method to relax your racing thoughts. Ten years of dedication and sacrifice were discarded in mere minutes and while you could go anywhere else in the city, especially with your career history, the PMTC was your home and the pitt was your baby. You wouldn't just be leaving a job, you would also be leaving a family; Dana, Perlah, Princess, Langdon, McKay, Abbot and so many more. Friends and colleagues you were used to seeing everyday and now in a matter of weeks you will no longer have that privilege.

You don't want to continue to think about, to ruin your sudden free day, especially as you knew that you would have to talk about it tomorrow and the day after and the day after that until you've reached something both you and the hospital mutually agree with. The brief glimpse you took of the severance package they had given you had left you feeling insulted, it was non stop slights after slights against you and the sadness you had felt earlier had now bled into irritation. You weren't going to leave without a fuss, you wanted them to regret the choice they made and also pay out more than they wanted to.

By the time Robby finally robby returns home, he finds you napping on the sofa with a random show running on the tv. Robby watches over you from behind the sofa, admiring how peaceful you looked, not burdened by work for the first time in probably years and he hesitates to wake you but he knew that you'd be pissed off at him if he didn't, especially if the Chinese takeout currently in his hand goes cold so he sheds his coat, washes his hands and plates up the food before he returns to your side, gently shaking you awake.

Sleep still has its claws around you as you softly blink away, ready to pull you back to dreamland as soon as you blink for too long but Robby's hand rubbing circles on your back keeps you earthside.

"Hi," Robby grins down at you.

It takes you a moment to gather your bearings, before you return his grin, "Hi."

Robby helps you sit up, large hands supporting you as you rub eyes before you pull him into a proper hug, your arms wrapping around his neck. You two sit there for a couple more minutes, soaking up each other's presence before your nose finally catches on to the stomach rumbling scent of the Chinese take out.

Your stomach makes its desires known with a loud grumble which makes robby laugh as he detaches himself from the hug and stands, pulling you up as well.

"If you wait any longer then the food will get cold, so c'mon."

His words put a pep in your step and you hurry to the kitchen where the food is waiting and dig in. You pause once to thank Robby before you continue to eat, only just remembering that this was the first time you've eaten since breakfast.

Robby doesn't say anything during dinner, instead focusing on the food but you knew he was waiting for the right moment to speak about what had happened. Neither of you were the type of people who liked to go to bed with things undiscussed. Whenever you had an argument you always talked to each other, promising to never go to bed angry. That didn't mean you always resolved things that night but it meant you weren't harbouring anger or untold feelings overnight and allowed for clearer, calmer conversation the next morning.

Robby doesn't say anything until you've both settled back on the couch with one of those long-running crime dramas on the tv which Robby mutes before shifts to face you, tugging your feet onto his lap.

"So," He begins as he begins to massage your feet, "Have you thought about what you are going to do?"

"I've emailed the union, I'll see what they say tomorrow," You sigh, "I don't want to leave what I built there but I'm not going to fight or beg to a place that clearly doesn't want me, it's degrading."

"You can go anywhere," Robby reminds you.

"I know but I love the pitt, and everyone that is there. It won't be the same in another hospital and–"

"And you're getting ahead of yourself," Robby interrupts you, "We don't know what your future holds right now. The board and Gloria insulted you and the work you've done over the years and even if they offer your job back, which by the way I don't think you should ever consider if that happens, they've made their position clear on the subject, there's more out there then just the PTMC or working somewhere else. You could be a travel nurse–"

"At my age?" You laugh, "I don't think I can hack all of that anymore Mikey,"

Robby rolls his eyes at your words. You talk as if you were his age and not the ten-ish years younger you actually were of him.

"You can become an educator, teaching students and nurses or even sales," Robby lists your possible options before pausing to let you think over them.

You immediately dismiss sales and insurance, you had no interest in traveling around the country trying to sell medical devices to out-of-touch administrators. You linger on education though, you already had the appropriate qualifications and you've helped countless of fresh-faced newbie nurses that had come to the pitt over the years so it was a possibility.

Robby wriggles your foot to get your attention, flashing you a knowing smirk, "You thinking about teaching?"

You sigh and shrug, "Maybe, I don't know. It'll be a big change, suddenly going from working in an emergency department to then suddenly switch to teaching nursing students. This career…hiccup wasn't in my plans, it's just been sprung on me and I have to go back to work tomorrow like nothing ever happened."

"Well I've got one more idea if you want to hear it?"

You nod, urging him to speak.

"What about retiring?"

You're stunned into silence at his words, they were the absolute last thing you expected him to suggest. Retiring was something you had suggested to him multiple times in the past, something he had declined multiple times so for him to suddenly suggest it came as a surprise for you.

"Or semi-retiring?" Robby adds on in your silence.

"Michael," You let out a fond huff, "Retiring…? I can't retire. What would I do with all that free time, huh? Pace the halls of the house as I wait for you to finally get home…how dire.”

”Okay, so retiring is off the table.” Robby waves his hand in a dismissing motion, “What about a school nurse? Less hours and calmer days.”

You hum as you think about it for a moment. While being a school nurse does give a better work-life balance, you enjoyed the chaos of working in an emergency department. The rush along with each day being different, fuelled you and it was where you shined.

”I love working in an emergency department and working with middle schoolers won’t fulfill me in the same way but maybe in fifteen years, who knows.” You shrug.

“So it’s either working in a new hospital or going into teaching?” Robby asks and you nod.

”I am totally drained today,” You sigh, rubbing your hands across your face, the day's events weighing heavily on top of you, “Sorry, I don’t want to talk about this anymore. As soon as everyone finds out then I won’t be able to escape from talking about it.”

Robby nods in agreement and gives your feet one last squeeze before he nudges them off his lap, “Head upstairs and I’ll lock up down here.”

You give him a grateful smile before you head up the stairs into your bedroom. You peel off your clothes and opt for one of Robby’s shirts rather than your usual pair of pajamas before you slip underneath the sheets and wait for Robby. It's not long before he joins you and while usually you'd both read for at least an hour before you went to sleep, the day had been hard on both of you and before you know it, you're both fast asleep, tangled up with each other under the duvet.

Dana instantly picks up on your demeanour as soon as you step onto the floor the next morning. She always had the uncanny ability to tell when you were lying or keeping something from her and while she didn't call you out, you could feel her eyes following you whenever you were near each other.

When you dipped out to the ambulance bay when your union finally called you just before lunch, Dana was waiting by the doors when you finished your call. Usually she'd gently prod in a non-pressuring way, just reminding you that she was there to talk and let you speak to her when you were ready . But this was not one of those times.

"What's going on?" Dana asks immediately, almost cornering you.

"Hmm? What do you mean?" You ask, acting dumb.

"Dont try me sweetheart," Dana purses her lips before she runs her eyes up and down your body, "You pregnant or something?"

A bark of a laugh escapes before you could stop it and you slap your hands over your mouth before another could escape, "Pregnant? Really Dana?!"

The charge nurse shrugs, "Can you blame me for guessing? You and Robby are walking around with sad eyes and secret-heavy footsteps."

You roll your eyes at her words but a smile tugs at your lips. Dana was one of your closest friends and this just showed how much she knew you.

"I'm being let go, made redundant. Some bullshit about a new budget or whatever," You finally tell her.

Dana's mouth drops open and her hands fall from her hips in surprise, "You're fuckin' lying…"

"I wish," You try to joke but the hurt shines through your words.

"This is some bullshit–, what the fuck were they thinking? Letting you go of all people!" Dana begins to pace in front of you as she rants, "They can't do that, you've been here for years, one of the most senior nurses here and they're just letting you go?! I should go up there and ask them who the hell they think they are."

You can't help but smile at your friend as she rants and raves in front of you, it reminds you of how loved and appreciated you were.

"Whilst I'd love to see you go head to head with Gloria, I've accepted it. Kind off anyway. I was just on the phone to my union rep, they think we can argue for a way better pay out plus some additional benefits which gives a bit of time before I think about what's next for me."

"Any ideas?"

"Robby suggested I become a school nurse,"

Dana laughs loudly, catching the attention of the few EMTs that lingered around, "I love you doll but a school nurse? You'd be bored before lunch."

You laugh at her words, "Or maybe go into teaching…"

Dana softens at that, "You'd be good at that. Great, even. You've taught the hundreds of nurses that passed through the pitt, you're a great teacher."

"You think so?"

"If the ones we've got in there won't convince you," Dana motions behind her towards the pitt, "Then I'm sure I'd be able to track down everyone else who ever worked here."

You smile at that. You never really paid much attention to who you had helped over years, nurses came and went every few months but it was easy to drown in the pitt so you tried to offer a helping hand whenever you could.

The wailing of an ambulance cuts off your conversation as it screeches to a stop in the ambulance bay, quickly reminding you that you were still at work. The conversation was shelved for now but you knew that Dana will find a way to have a proper, sit-down conversation with you by the end of the week.

Before you knew it, your last day was upon you. The final severance package was agreed weeks ago giving you peace of mind and by now everyone knew that you were leaving. You told your day shift staff personally and let the gossip spill to everyone else in the hospital.

Perlah and Princess threatened to go strike, insisting that the hospital admin couldn't get rid of all of them but you honestly wouldn't put it past Gloria. The hospital admins would gut the hospital from head to toe and replace everyone with cheap, fresh graduates if they could. Anything to keep lining the owners pockets.

Your fellow nurses had decorated that staff room with balloons and banners and there were a stack of 'sorry you're leaving' cards on the table along with countless bouquets of flowers and bags full of gifts. There were also cupcakes set out and you quickly swiped one each for you and Robby because you knew they would all be gone by nine a.m.

Throughout the day, staff from the emergency department passed by to say goodbyes and you even had doctors from different departments like surgery pop down, highlighting how many different people and departments you had worked with over the years. You had even been given a bottle of champagne from Park the Shark with a note attached describing you as a 'competent enough nurse, which, considering you're from the ed, is a feat'. Robby assured you that it was a compliment and to just accept it and don't ponder over it more than needed.

When your shift ended, you were all huddled in the parking lot with your nurses as Robby directed Frank and Dennis to bring all the gifts and flowers from the staff room to your car.

Princess was teary eyed as she clung onto you, not willing to let you go despite you reminding her that you would of course see her again. You, Princess, Perlah and Dana had a monthly get together and weren't planning on not attending anytime soon.

Soon you were in the car with Robby driving you back home and you watched through the mirrors as the hospital slowly disappeared behind you and it felt like a weight was off your shoulders. You loved your job and the people there but now you didn't have the expectations and judgement of the admins and the board weighing on you anymore.

"You good?" Robby asks, glancing over at you as he stops at a red light, "You're quiet."

"I'm good," You hum, "Happy. Excited for the future, I'd thought I would be working there until I dropped dead."

Robby reaches over and squeezes one of your thighs as the light turns green and he continues driving, "Blessing in disguise. Sometimes it's good for things to change."

You nod in agreement before your attention is drawn by Robby taking the wrong turn. Your brows furrow in confusion as you turn to him, "You've gone the wrong way."

Robby simply smirks and wriggles his brows at you, "This is the right way actually. I've got something planned for us."

"Robby…" You groan, a protest already halfway out of your mouth.

"Don't worry, it's nothing big. It is something just for the two of us, nice and quiet and intimate. Don't worry."

You frown, unconvincingly but you don't question him, watching silently as he drives through the streets of Pittsburgh before he finally pulls to a stop in front of a familiar restaurant.

"Anything to get out of cooking, huh?" You tease Robby.

You were parked outside your favourite Indian restaurant, a place that saw you several times a month, on date nights or after long shifts or any time you craved the comforting food.

"Figured it's just what you need to end the week. C'mon I got us a nice secluded table in the back."

You thought that your Saturday would be free and uninterrupted, the weather was perfect and it made you want to spend the day with Robby relaxing until you both received a text from Jack around midday.

'Weather's nice so we're having a bbq at yours. Robby, dig the grill out from the shed. I'll be there in an hour. I told everyone to be there at 3.'

This wasn't a text proposing the idea or even asking for permission, it was a heads up that they'd be hosting a get together and they had no input. There was no point trying to argue about it, you bet Jack was already in Costco picking up everything he needed anyway.

As Robby set up the grill, you pulled out the table and chairs, cleaning them and setting them up around the garden. You had no clue on how many people were attending so you placed a few blankets on the ground for people to spread out on.

Jack let himself in the house with the key you initially gave him for emergencies but he now uses it whenever he wants. His arms were full with groceries that he dumped on the table to sort through and put in the fridge.

"Hey, I got the drinks and ice in the truck. Can you set up the coolers?" He asks as he throws you his keys, "Got a spear cooler too if you need it."

You leave him and Robby to it as you head to his truck. The amount of stuff that was still in there made you wince and you didn't want to think about how much he spent on this last minute idea. You set up three different coolers; alcohol, soft drinks and water, because you were sure children would be coming along as well.

Frank and his family and Dana with her family arrived first, shortly followed by Cassie and her son. Perlah, Princess, Donnie and Mateo all arrived together and the young doctors didn't arrive until the food was being distributed hours later, already slightly buzzed from the pre-drinks they undoubtedly had. You don't say anything but it makes you laugh as they try their hardest not to look too tipsy. Ellis and Shen also dropped in briefly but couldn't stay long as they had shifts that evening, but they did leave with enough food to get them through the night.

"Hey," Jack makes his way over to you, standing by your side as you watch over the lively yard, "Sorry for not giving you a heads up but I thought it was better to have this over saying your goodbyes at the hospital."

You wrap your arm around his shoulder, giving it a squeeze as you give him a cuddle, "Thank you. This is good, much better than the grotty carpark."

Robby joins you, patting Jack on his shoulder before he pulls you into his arms, tucking you into his hold, "Yeah, thanks Jack. This was a great idea."

You sit in stunned silence for a minute before your mom manages to utter a single shocked 'What?' out.

Your dad heaves a sigh, scrubbing his hands over his face and suddenly appearing five years older, "Remember when I helped my parents move and I was too cheap for movers?"

Your mom nods and you remember it as well, he had taken a week off of work and spent the entirety of it curled up on the couch or in bed, in too much pain to move.

"You tweaked your back. You went to a doctor, though. Got medicine for it."

"I did but the prescription ran out and it hurt so much. I woke up in pain, I worked in pain…every single moment was so painful. I couldn't even carry Penny or Tanner without my back screaming in protest." Your dad confesses, "I did a stupid, stupid  thing. I know that but I was weaning myself off. I was getting better, I was."

You mom continues to stare at him completely dumbfounded, struggling to truly understand what was being said to her and trying to get a grasp on the many repercussions and their ripple effects this could have.

"You were stealing drugs? From the hospital?!" 

Your moms voice was harsh and disbelieving. She already had a lot on her plate; two kids under four and you, a teenager who for the most part was well behaved, also had plenty of rebellious lash outs and arguments with your parents. Your mom was a stay-at-home mom, meaning you relied on your dads salary but that could all go up in smoke depending on what happens with your dad.

"What's going to happen now?" Your mom continues, "Are you going to lose your job? What are we going to do?"

"I don't know. I'm not sure." Your dad sighs, "The hospital has this rehab program I can do, it's discreet. I'll be on reduced pay but it'll be enough for us, we can survive on it."

Your mom just shakes her head and sighs, pushing away from the table and leaving the room, muttering as she leaves, "I can't do this right now."

It was just you and your dad now and you struggled to recognise the man in front of you. For your entire life, you had never seen him falter. Sure he had cried when your younger siblings were born, but he had always managed to juggle his busy job at the hospital along with raising a family pretty well. He always tried to keep everyone happy and maybe his attempts to do so were misguided, the dog snoozing on the couch was proof of that but behind everyone of his actions was sincerity. 

"Maybe you should sleep on the sofa tonight," You suggest with a sympathetic shoulder shrug.

Your dad huffs a laugh as he agrees, "Yeah, that's probably the best idea."

Your dad entered rehab shortly after that day, inpatient at first, away from the family home for a couple of months. Tanner asked questions everyday and night and Penny could clearly feel the absence of her father even if she couldn't verbalise it. Your mom had picked up a part-time job in the evenings even though your dad's capped salary was enough, she wanted something to put into savings, just in case something bad happened.

You're caught in the crossfire by your dads absence, having to quit your afterschool clubs and stop hanging out with your friends since you had to return straight home to babysit your siblings while your mom went to work. 

As the weeks passed, your resentment grew for the whole situation. Your friends had stopped hanging out with you altogether, avoiding you at school and ignoring your text messages turning you into a loner. Now the only people you ever talked to were your brother and sister–one of which couldn't even talk at all and the other was only three years old. You barely spoke to your mom, she was always halfway out of the door when you returned home, only having enough time to tell you to be safe and that she loved you. She messaged you sporadically through the night but they were only check ups on the younger children, making sure they ate their dinner and went to bed on time, never asking how you were doing.

You don't think you were ever asked how you were doing by anyone. You were simply forgotten amongst everything else, left to drift aimlessly.

When your dad finally returned home after two months, you hoped that it meant that things would eventually go back to what it once was. Or at least, somewhat like that. He was still in rehab, though he had transitioned to outpatient which meant he was home every night and most days but his return hadn't changed anything. You were still expected to look after your younger siblings after school and on the weekends when your mom worked and your grades were slipping, between school and babysitting, you were too tired to do your homework and you barely paid enough attention in school anyway.

By the time six months had passed, things had settled back into what it once was. Almost. Your mom had quit her job, she and your dad went to couples counseling and you were no longer the third parent but the damage was already done.

Abandoned by your previous group of friends, you had been pulled into a new group, a group of older kids who skipped class to smoke weed and drink alcohol in the field behind the school.

At first you simply sat with them, not drinking or smoking but as the weeks passed and your home life continued to deteriorate, you slowly indulged yourself.

It started off with just a couple of puffs of weed one of your new friends had, then someone offered you a beer at some point, and that's what you did after school for a couple of weeks. You were lying to your parents, telling them you were at some extra curricular club, guilting them by reminding them that you initially dropped them when your dad went to rehab. 

You even went as far as bringing extra clothes with you so you didn't come back home smelling of weed.

The beers after school slowly turned into vodka in your bottle during the day. Your teachers didn't suspect a thing as you sipped from the bottle throughout the day, always titering on the edge of being buzzed. 

You had been skipping most of your classes for weeks now, only attending enough to keep up the barest of appearances. Letters had been sent home from your teachers that had been concerned by your sudden grade drop but your home life was still chaotic enough that you could intercept them before either of your parents got the chance to.

Weeks of this behaviour developed into months and now here you were, fourth of July. It was your dads first day back at work and your mom was taking your younger siblings to some day festival so they gave you the go-ahead to hang out with your friends.

It was a recipe for disaster honestly, you had been drinking since noon. Downing drink after drink on half empty stomach, you had also been smoking as well, getting high. Being high and drunk weren't a combination you were unfamiliar with but the addition of being out in the sun all day wasn't doing you any favors.

You were playing around with a sparkler. It was still early, the sun still hanging high in the sky but that didn't matter to a bunch of intoxicated teens who just wanted to fool around. 

Your reaction time was skewed so you didn't realise how low the sparkler was burning until it was burning your hand. You flinch in shock, dropping the sparkler but it's too late as your hand throbs in pain. 

"Ah fuck!" You cry out as the pain engulfs your hand, "Oh fuck, oh fuck."

Your friends rush over, all of them wincing as they look at your hand that is beginning to blister.

They all began to speak at once, talking over each other;

"Oh fuck dude"

"You need to go to hospital"

"No she doesn't she's fine"

"They're gonna have to cut the whole hand off man"

"No they're not– hey, don't listen to him"

"Should we call an ambulance or what?"

"It's not like we can drive– someone order a uber and get some ice as well"

"No! No…" Your dad's medical advice about burns rang clear in your alcohol and drug intoxicated head, causing you to finally speak out, "No ice. That will make it worse. Just order an uber."

One of your friends, Alice, gets in the uber with you as the rest of the group goes back to what they were doing. Alice offers to stay by your side throughout the rest of the night but you only ask her to stay until you get to the hospital. You were both underage and under the influence, something that would get you into serious trouble and you saw no point in both of you getting into trouble.

Your heart drops when the uber pulls up outside of the PTMC, you were on the other side of the town and you knew there were at least one other emergency department between here and there.

"Sorry girls," The taxi driver tells you, "Westbridge was closed and Presby was further out."

For a moment, you think about asking them just to take you to Presby but you knew that would just cause questions from Alice and you were a minor anyway so at least one of your parents would have called, so it saves you dad from having to leave work.

"Thank you, I'm fine from here," You thank Alice who is quick to shake her head in refusal,

"I'll help you check in then I'll leave."

You don't argue with her, following her as you thanked the driver and exited the car. You go through the brief security at the entrance, going through the scanners before joining the long line of people already in the waiting room. You initially feared that you would be clocked as soon as you walked in, people would be able to smell the weed and booze on you but instead the stench of sweat and disinfectant cloud the room. The waiting room is hot, overcrowded and unventilated, with no windows or ac unit with only a small wall-mounted fan recirculating the old stale air.

Your hand aches in pain as you wait in line. It grows slowly from a deep throb into deep sharp pangs that zip across the surface. It hurts to even twitch a finger, your skin feeling tight and extra sensitive, the movement sending another wave of pain on top of the existing throbbing one.

Despite the line being long, it moves quickly. You're given a clipboard and a patient passport. You find a free corner with Alice who fills out the clipboard for you before you return it to the clerk. You give Alice a half-hug goodbye, watching as she leaves before you return to the corner, slumping down to the ground and resigning yourself to the wait until you're finally seen.

Cassie McKay lets out a soft sigh as she leaves the beside of her most recently assigned patient, heading towards where Robby was hunched over a computer, rapidly typing something. 

"Hey, you got a moment?" She asks as she reaches him.

"Sure," Robby responds, still typing away, "What's wrong?"

"I've got a sixteen year old with moderate burns to the hand from a sparkler but she smells strongly of cannabis and I can smell alcohol on her breath." Cassie details, "I ordered a blood test and a urinalysis and I gave her something to take the edge off of the pain but she's refusing to give me a number for her parents or any other guardian."

"What is she saying?" Robby asks as he finally looks away from the computer, "Scared of her parents finding out? It's an automatic social services call since she's a minor."

"That's my guess. I told her I would be able to help her with her hand but she can't be discharged without a parent or a legal guardian and if she still refuses then we'll have to get the police involved and I'd really like to avoid that."

Robby nods in agreement before he logs out of the computer and stands up straight, motioning McKay to lead the way.

He stands a few steps back as McKay introduces him, asking you permission to have him there.

"This is Dr Robby, he's the chief attending here. Do you mind if he speaks to you while I treat your hand?"

You eye him apprehensively before eventually slowly nodding. You knew who he was, your dad spent years talking about Dr Robinavitch, every day he would come back after work with a new story to gush about, excitedly talking about whatever miracle Dr Robby had done that day. 

"Do you want to tell me what happened?" Dr Robby asked as he pulled a rolling stool up to your bedside. He's on your left hand side, successfully distracting you as Dr McKay worked on your right hand which was now numb.

"I was with my friends at a bonfire and I was distracted I guess, too busy talking to notice how low the sparkler was burning. My hand was too high up on the stick, burnt my hand," You tell a half truth before looking over at where McKay was working on your hand, "How bad is it?"

"You've got a moderate burn, which is why it was so painful but from the assessment I did earlier shows me it wasn't very deep, plus you've got good movement and circulation in your fingers so all I'll need to do is clean it out and wrap it up."

"Hey, I need you to talk to me for a minute," Robby brings your attention back over to him, "We're taking blood and urine samples, so we'll find out anyway but it's best to tell us the truth now so we can help you."

You softly sigh as you fix your gaze on a loose piece of thread from the blanket that rested over your lap, "I was high and drunk. Too drunk to realise what I was doing with the stupid sparkler."

"Were these friends of yours older? Is that how you got the drugs and alcohol?"

"No, they're friends from school. I don't know how they got the stuff." You tell him before pausing briefly to gather your thoughts, "Are you going to call the police?"

Robby is quick to assure your worries, "No. No police but social services will have to visit, do an assessment with your parents to make sure something like this never happens again."

"My parents?" You flinch, your uninjured hand clenching the blanket into your fist, "I–I…"

Robby interprets your reaction the wrong way, "...Are you safe at home?"

"I'm safe! I'm not getting abused or neglected," You assure, "But things have been difficult at home for a while and I don't want to make things worse."

"They won't be in trouble. The social worker will have a chat with you first, to get a clear full image of what's been happening, then they'll talk to them to figure out a plan that works for all of you."

"I just don't want things to get worse…I don't want my parents to get in trouble."

"I'm sure they would be more concerned that you're injured. No parent wants that." Robby gives your hand a comforting pat and slides a pen out of his pocket and grabs a spare piece of paper lying around, "How about you tell me your mom or dads number and I'll call them as Dr McKay finishes with your hand."

You knew that your dad was dreading coming back today, overhearing the conversations he had with your mom. He was worried about the reactions of his return from his colleagues, more specifically, from Dr Robby and if you dropped the sudden bomb that you were his kid right here, then you knew the rumors would circulate.  

Doctor is caught stealing drugs from the hospital and on his return, his minor daughter is brought in drunk and high.

You scribble down your dad's number, not only was he nearby but it saved your mom from rushing over with Penny and Tanner. 

As Robby leaves you're left with McKay who is just finishing up wrapping your hand. She tucks in the end piece before looking up at you with a soft motherly gaze, "No matter how hard your home life might be right now, I promise you, your parents want nothing more than having you happy and healthy."

Robby collapses into a chair at the charge station, taking the moment to relieve his feet for ten minutes. Dana slides him the results from the tests McKay ordered and he reads over them with a heavy frown before he pages the social worker on call that afternoon.

He picks up the phone and squints at the somewhat familiar number and dials the number the young girl gave him, it takes a few rings before it is picked up and a vaguely familiar voice answers.

"Hello?"

"Hello, I'm Dr Robinavitch and I'm calling–"

The voice interrupts him, "Robby?" 

Robby frowned at the phone, "How do you know–"

"It's me, Frank."

"Frank?!"

Robby's head pops up from behind the desk and he spins around, looking for the senior resident, "Frank, where are you?"

"I'm here. I'm in the ED," Frank says just as he rounds the corner, easily finding Robby. He hangs up the phone as he approaches the attending, "What happened? Why are you calling me instead of paging me?"

Oh hell…

Family members coming into the pitt was the worst thing imaginable for the staff at PMTC, especially if said family member was their child. This wasn't just a mere child in the hospital incident, Robby also had to tell Frank that his daughter was drunk and high which would trigger a social services visit.

Robby suddenly understands what you meant by 'things have been difficult at home'. Langdon had been on leave for the last ten months and Robby had no doubt that their homelife was in a difficult spot. It could possibly even Frank's job on the line.

"I need to talk to you for a moment," Robby stands up and walks to the staff room, automatically expecting Frank to follow him.

"I've got patients-, did I do something wrong?" Frank questions but follows him.

"I called you because someone gave your number as an emergency contact," Robby starts after he closes the door behind him, motioning him to sit at the table with him, "Frank, your eldest daughter came into the ED with burns on her hands from a sparkler."

Frank jolts up and tries to bolt to the door, "My daughter–"

"Frank!" Robby grabs Frank and tugs him back into his seat, "Listen to me, she's fine. She has minor burns and is being treated by McKay but that's not what I brought you in here for."

Frank looks torn between bolting to his daughter and sticking around to listen to what Robby had to say.

"McKay had some suspicions when your daughter came in and ordered a few tests. Your daughter tested positive for weed and had a 0.08 BAC reading."

Frank's eyebrows shoot up, eyes bugging out as he jolts in his seat, his body automatically moving before his brain catches up.

"What are you talking about?! My-my kid doesn't drink or smoke," Frank scoffs, "She's a good kid. The best."

"I'm not saying otherwise Frank but the last ten months have been a lot for your family. Maybe this is her way of coping." Robby suggests.

"You can't be serious?" Frank barks out a laugh, rolling his eyes and shaking his head, "Sure things have been tough but she's been great throughout all of it. She looked after her siblings and helped take care of the house when I wasn't there. She's a good kid."

Robby sighed as he tried to get through to Frank, "Have you spoken to her? Like seriously sat down and talked since you got back from rehab? It sounds like she took a lot on you when you left and she sacrificed a lot. Maybe she got lost along the way."

"I can't– I can't do this right now," Frank shakes his head and stands, heading towards the door, "I want to see my daughter."

"She's in central four with McKay."

Robby groans when the door slams shut behind Frank and runs his hands over his face in exhaustion. Things like this were never easy but something like this stung even more so. 

A social services visit could rock Frank's whole recovery and return to work process. And although Robby was still bitter from the betrayal of trust Frank had committed, when something like this, something involving their personal lives, they all had to put aside their differences.

McKay had left your side not so long ago, after finishing wrapping your hand and promised to return with a sandwich and a drink for you. So you are left alone, waiting for dad's arrival.

The blue privacy curtain around your bed is ripped to the side suddenly, revealing your dad who had about ten different expressions fluttering across his face. 

Fear. Relief. Anger. Shocked. Grateful. Despair. Frightened. Disbelief. Shaken. Sadness.

Your eyes burn with unshed tears and your lips tremble as you look up at your dad. It was hitting you all at once, all of the emotions and secrets that you had been keeping to yourself for the last ten months.

"I'm sorry," You blurt out before your dad can speak, "I'm really sorry dad."

Frank swallows whatever words that had been on the tip of his tongue and kneels on the bed instead, wrapping his arms around you and pulling you into a tight hug. He buries his nose into your head and he instantly smells the stench of weed coming from you. It wasn't the fresh, mild smell he had been expecting, it was deep and stale, dispelling the idea he had of you only smoking it today, he had hoped it was just one bad decision you made on the day where bad decisions happened. 

You had been doing this for months, how could he not realise.

"It's okay, it's okay" Frank comforts you. Getting mad at you doesn't help anyone in this situation, so he turns his focus on what brought you into the ED this afternoon, "What happened to your hand? Robby told me you burned yourself."

You give a pathetic wave with your injured hand, bringing his attention to it, "I burned myself with a sparkler. I wasn't paying any attention."

Your dad takes your hand in his, cradling it gently as he brushes his thumb across the back of your hand, "How are you feeling? Are you in pain?"

"No," You shake your head, "Dr McKay gave me something for the pain."

"Good, good," You dad nods, "Does your mom know?"

"No…I gave your number. I didn't want to make her worry and rush over here with the babies."

There's a moment of silence before your dad speaks again, finally acknowledging the elephant in the room.

"I know the last ten months have been easy for anyone in the family and I apologize for that. I take full responsibility for my actions, I know what I did didn't just affect me but you also and I'm so sorry. I know you helped your mom and siblings when I was away, looking after them when your mom was working and I never acknowledged that or even thanked you–"

"Did you know all my friends abandoned me? That I had to quit the soccer club?" You ask, cutting him off, "Since I had to go home straight from school everyday, my friends slowly stopped hanging out with me. Everytime they'd want to go to the mall on the weekends, I had to decline because I was looking after Tanner and Penny. I had to become this third parent in your absence and I hoped and prayed every night that when you returned things would go back to normal but it never did!"

Your dad stares at you in surprise as you ranted, finally unloading everything upon him.

"Even when you came back, my friends didn't want to hang with me anymore. Do you know how many times I caught them laughing behind my back in the hallways at school? And I couldn't even get back into soccer! Months of not playing got me booted out of the team and you never noticed! Not you or mom!" You don't stop as you continue to rant, "You've been back for months and you never once asked how I did while you were gone, you just focused on mom and the babies, You didn't care about me–"

"That's not true!" Your dad cuts in, "I care about you. I love you so much kid but you don't understand what me and your mother were dealing with."

"I don't understand?! What don't I understand, hmm? If anything, all I've been doing is be understanding. I didn't once complain throughout this, I did everything that was asked of me and now you're saying I don't understand? Last year I was fifteen and making sacrifices and becoming a parent when you could not, did I not understand then?" You begin to get irate, the volume of your voice increasing, "Not once did you check up on me when you returned, all you focused on was mom, Tanner and Penny, you didn't care about me! You didn't notice anything about me, did you think I just jumped in head first into drinking and smoking? It took months and months and you didn't even notice how much I changed in that time."

Your dad stares at you speechless, his shoulders slumped down and his mouth was ajar slightly, shocked at your outburst.

The blue curtain was pulled open once again but it was Robby on the other side with an expression that showed that he had heard everything,

"I think this conversation is probably better held somewhere more private." Robby not so subtly suggests, "The family room is free and Dylan is on their way. Have you called Abby?

Frank takes a moment, still reeling from your outburst before he shakes his head, "Um, no. Not yet."

"You should do that now. Dylan will want to speak to both of you," Robby tells him before he turns to you, "Come I'll take you there. Your dad will meet us there once he's done calling your mom."

Jack's relationship with your mother was unconventional. Still mourning the loss of his wife, Jack had bumped into your mother at a bar after trying to smother his feelings with alcohol and ending going home with her. They had formed a with-benefits pact afterwards, neither wanting a relation but rather a way to blow off steam. Your conception followed a few months later and Jack kept his opinion to himself; he didn't want a child, not while he was still knee deep in grief but he would never ask or tell your mother to get an abortion so he left the decision in her hands, stepping up when she decided to keep the baby.

Their co-parent dynamic didn't last long, your mother left when you were only four weeks old, still in NICU. Traumatised by the c-section and your subsequent stay in the NICU, she bowed out, unable to deal, leaving you with just your dad.

You had your first surgery before you had even hit two weeks, an open heart surgery that Jack spent the duration of stalking the halls of the hospital, unable to physically sit still. When he returns to ward, he finds you in the observation room, hooked up to a ventilator, chest tubes protruding from your tiny little body, machines tracking vitals, ready to blare in alarm when something strays from the perfectly calculated numbers it desired. 

He wasn't allowed into the room, forced to look at you from the other side of the large window, watching as your chest moved with every breath you took. The nurses had assured him that you'd only be in there for a few days, under constant observation to make sure that everything went well post-surgery and then you would be back to your regular room.

Your surgeon, the best in the city–is beside him, telling him that everything went to plan, there were no complications and it was the best outcome they could ever hope for. You weren't totally out of the woods yet, your life would be filled with complex medical issues, but this was the first step of many. 

When you were three years old, you moved to Pittsburgh, your father got a job offer there and that's where you have ever since. 

You were kept firmly away from the hospital, more specifically the ED unless you had a medical emergency. Your weakened immune system paired with the ED waiting room was Jack's worst nightmare, so you were strictly ordered to stay well away. 

Your surgeries and hospital visits hadn't stopped since you were a baby but instead of having you go to PTMC, you go to the closeby children's hospital. It's not that he didn't trust the doctors who worked in PTMC, but he preferred having you in the children's hospital.

Your father loved what he did, he loved the buzz it gave him, the high stress, busy environment is what he excelled in. Despite it being a second home; a place that he secretly loves a lot, it was also a place of too much death and despair and sometimes miracles but it was enough to keep you away.

The people he worked with knew he had a daughter, he was always happy to talk about you, updating Lena and Dana with whatever milestone and accomplishment you had achieved over the years, happily flaunting the homemade keychain you made him; multiple hanging from his backpack in a multitude of colours and his phone wallpaper was one of the first times he got to hold you, when you were still so tiny and fragile, curled up his chest, soaking up his body heat.

Despite your existence being known, only one of his colleagues had ever met you and that was Robby when you were seven. After an extremely rough shift, Robby didn't want to go home to his empty apartment so he reached out to Jack whose day off it was and Jack invited him around for beers, take out and whatever sports game that was on that night. You were meant to be at a friend's house for a sleepover, a rare occasion that Jack only allowed with the few parents he approved but your friend had fallen sick, the first signs appearing after a few hours. Your friend's parents knew of your medical issues and how strict your father is concerning your health so your friend's parents quickly bundled you up and drove you home.

Your dad hadn't answered his phone but you had assured Mrs Myers, your friend's mom, that he would be home. Your dad tended to be more of a homebody, preferring to stay at home on his days off so you knew he would be at home.

You release a sigh as you dump your backpack on the front porch before you incessantly ring the doorbell, knowing that it would irritate your dad. You peer over your shoulder, looking at where Mrs Myers idles in her car parked in front of the car, waiting until she sees your dad open the door before she pulls away.

It's not long before you see the entrance lights flicked on through the window panels of the door before the familiar silhouette of your father appears, beelining towards the door. 

Your dad blinks down at you in surprise before they land on the car idling at the curb. Mrs Myers gives him a one handed wave before she peels off down the street and your father is looking back down at you in confusion. He's quick to crouch down, hands simultaneously checking your body for any scrapes of bruises and checking to see if you had a fever. 

"What's wrong? Why are you here? Are you sick?" The questions spill from your dad in quick succession.

"Anna started to get sick so Mrs Myers took me home," You tell him, letting him fret over you, completely used to it now, "She called and texted you but you didn't answer."

Your dad pats his pockets, searching for his phone before he sighs, remembering where he left it, "Sorry buggie, I left it in the kitchen. I have a friend over, I got distracted."

You raise your arms up at him, wanting to be lifted and though you were too old for it, Jack always indulged you, telling himself that it was because you were still small for your age.

"A friend?" You may be young but you knew your dad didn't hang out with friends that much, "A girl- friend?"

Your dad rolls his eyes at you but a smile tugs on his lips as he lifts you, settling you on his hip before he swings your bag onto his free shoulder and re-enters the house. He pulls your shoes off, throwing them down to the heap of shoes near the door and dumps your bag on the staircase to remind him to bring it upstairs later on. He swings through the kitchen to collect his forgotten phone and a pizza flyer before he enters the living room where you're greeted with a stranger. 

Your hands tighten in your dad's t-shirt, gripping harder when he tries to set you down on the ground, apprehensive of the stranger.

"Lovebug, this Robby. I work with him at the hospital." Jack tells you, "He had a bad day at work so I'm trying to cheer him up."

Robby stands, staying far enough away to give you space and extends his hand out, greeting you, "Hello, I'm Michael. It's nice to meet you."

You giggle at his seriousness, as if he was introducing himself to an adult and not little you. You reach forward, one hand still gripping your dads t-shirt as you shake the extended hand, "I thought your name is Robby?"

"It is, it's my nickname. My last name is Robinavitch, so people call me Robby." Robby explains as he settles back onto the couch. Your dad once again tries to place you down but you protest, looking up at him in confusion.

"I'm just gonna get us some drinks," Your dad tells you, nudging you so that you sit down properly before handing you the pizza flyer, "Here, look at this and choose what pizza you want."

Happily distracted, you hum as you read the options as your dad dips out of the room, returning only moments later with two beer bottles and your water bottle, setting them down on the coffee table before he falls back onto the couch with a sigh, sitting in the middle of the couch.

Your hand automatically rests on his arm, as if to remind yourself that he's right next to you and hasn't disappeared. Robby spies it and flicks his inquisitive gaze over to Jack, "Clingy?"

"Stage four clinger," The huff that comes out of Jack is fond, "It's my fault though, I'm a bit of an enabler."

"She's your kid, it's understandable," Robby rationalises. 

"Whenever I look at her all I see is that tiny baby who had to fight through every odd to get here today. She's already had three surgeries and she's only seven, she's got a lifetime of surgeries ahead of her plus she gets sick so easily, a simple cold will wipe her out for a week and it'll take another week to get her back to full health." Jack glances down at you, making sure you were properly distracted before he turns back to Robby, "I feel like I'm failing her sometimes, always keeping her by my side, wrapping her up in so much bubblewrap but I'm scared that if I don't then something will happen to her."

Robby watches you for a moment, noting how comfortable you were curled up into your fathers side, still looking over the flyer not bothered by the conversation happening beside you.

"I think you're doing a great job."

Jack looks at Robby in shock, not expecting him to say that.

"Look at her, sure she's a bit clingy but she's seven and you're her whole world. She's in and out of hospitals but she has you and you're always there when she wakes up after a surgery, you're there when she's sick and you help her recover and she knows, more than anything else in the world, that you're there for her." Robby continues, " She has friends and sleepovers and even when they're cancelled she gets to chill at home with you and order pizza."

Jack doesn't respond at first, absorbing Robby's words. He had always doubted his fathering abilities, solo parenting along with working long hours had him harbouring a lot of guilt but Robby's words settled something within him.

"Daddy!" Your chirp, waving the flyer in front of him to grab his attention, "I'm ready. I know what I want!"

"You're ready? Okay, how about we give the flyer to Robby so he can choose his while you tell me what you want." Jack says as he passes the flyer over to Robby.

"I want a cheese pizza."

Robby snorts into the glossy pizza menu. Ten minutes of deliberating only to decide on cheese pizza is something only a seven year old could do.

"Just cheese?" Jack asks, "Are you sure?"

"...And sweetcorn!"

"Okay, okay," Jack laughs as he reaches for his phone, dialling the familiar number that he called at least once a week as he turns to Robby, "You ready?"

Now almost ten years later, you have transformed into a little independent butterfly, often hanging out with friends or at the part-time job you convinced your dad to allow you to get. Your dad still fretted over you; quarantining you whenever you or your friends got sick, not wanting to take the risk and he always checked up throughout the day, especially ever since he moved to the night shift.

Jack still carried the keychains you made when you were younger on his backpack and the background on his phone was still of you but it was no longer the one of you as a baby as Jack had frequently changed it over the years as you grew.

It was the fourth of July, you were hanging with your friends all day while your dad pulled a daytime SWAT shift before working his regular nightshift. You had raised your concerns with him, criticising him for working the whole day with minimal rest in between but he brushed off your concerns and even though you didn't like it, you trusted him to know his limits. 

Your dad had been going along like normal, you woke up feeling fine, you ate breakfast with your dad and the early afternoon you had spent with friends was fun, doing last minute grocery store runs for the barbeque, fighting against everyone else as they did the same thing.

It wasn't until the sun began to set; the sky darkening into a deep orange, the bonfire was burning steadily and the stronger drinks that you were technically too young to drink were getting passed around, did you get hit with a sudden shortness of breath. At first you thought it was your asthma playing because of the fumes and smoke coming from the bonfire so you dug through your bag for the inhaler you always carried with you and took a couple of puffs in hopes it would settle your lungs but to no avail, the heaviness remained.

Then comes the wave of fatigue and you stumble over your feet as your chest begins to feel heavy, like someone was crushing it, putting on so much pressure it felt like you couldn't breath.

Your breath was coming out in panicked pants as one of your friends caught on to what was happening, rushing over to your side as they helped you lay down flat, crying out over her shoulder for someone to call 911. 

You faintly hear someone call out 'Call Mr. Abbot too!', before you pass out completely.

"Ah fuck…"

Robby curses as your unconscious body is wheeled past him by the emt's, straight into Trauma One with Al-Hashimi, Langdon and Javadi quickly following behind.

"Dana?" 

The charge nurse hums in acknowledgement.

"Page Abbot. Tell him it's urgent. Top priority. ASAP."

Dana looks up at him, confused, painting her features as her eyes briefly flutter to the busy trauma room before they return to Robby, "For this patient? How do you know that you will need him?"

"For an emergency contact. That's his daughter." With that, Robby pulls off his hoodie and disappears into trauma one.

Dana stares in shock as Robby disappears into the room before reality slams into her and she's reaching for the phone and dialling Abbot's number. She knew Jack had a daughter, she had even seen photos but Robby's reaction was more than just as simple as his friend's kid coming through, he knew something was seriously wrong before the rest of them did.

Trauma One was heaving with a mess of bodies and energy, Al-Hashimi and Langdon were trying to stabilise your vitals, calling at each other over your body, guessing what could have caused your condition. Javadi was at the computer, eyes wide as she read through your medical history, telling the doctors your chronic conditions, everything that could possibly be contributing towards your current condition.

They had only just managed to stabilise you, with the cardiology consult with them. Your vitals just pushing at the boundaries, ready to dip again at any moment when your father finally storms in, still disheveled as he only had woken up moments ago, the incessant buzzing of his phone waking him from his brief nap, his heart dropping at the notifications from your friends and Dana.

Jack ignores everyone in the room, he heads straight to your side and takes you in, trying to figure out what happened to you. He's quiet as he rubs his thumb across your cheek and only takes his eyes off you to take note of what your monitor displays.

"What happened?" Jack's voice is low and full of emotion.

"She collapsed at a bonfire with her friends," Robby tells him, "Her friends told the EMTs that at first she was struggling to breath and she tried her inhaler but shortly after that she collapsed."

There's a pause before Jack speaks again, "...Is it her heart?"

This time the cardiology consultant speaks up, "Yes. She needs emergency surgery, as soon as possible."

"Here?" Jack looks up at them, panic swimming in his eyes, "It can't be here. She goes to the children's hospital for everything, her doctor is there and every surgery she's ever had since she was three has been there. She has to go there."

The cardiologist exchanges a look with Robby before they speak again, "I understand this is difficult Dr Abbot but we're running out of time here. We don't know if they're affected by hacking either and even if they're not, requesting a transfer and getting transport over there will take time we don't have."

Robby steps forward, clasping Jack on the shoulder as he bends down to whisper to him, giving them a little bit of privacy from everyone else in the room. "I know you trust the team over there more than anyone else but you have to trust the one we have here right now. She needs surgery, Jack."

Jack gazes down at you again, seeing your eyelids flutter as you slowly gain consciousness before he looks back up at Robby and nods, "...She needs the surgery. What do I need to sign?"

The consent form is pushed in front of him and Jack immediately signs it, prompting the room back into motion again. Instructions are being called as they begin to take you upstairs to surgery.

You're half conscious as they move you into the elevator but your eyes remain on your dad. He had taken a hold of your hand at some point but you were gripping as hard as you could.

He tries to pull away once you reach the surgical floor but you cling to him, your eyes watering with tears, "Please stay…"

Jack turns to the cardiologist, ready to beg to stay in some capacity when the surgeon nods before he could even open his mouth, "Sterile scrub and gown up and you can stay during anaesthesia."

Being an attending physician at the hospital had its perks it seemed.

Jack squeezes your hand and presses a kiss to your forehead, "I'll be back soon buggie. I'll be there until you go to sleep, I promise."

Jack, scrubbed up, is by your side as anaesthetic does its job. 

"I love you so much buggie, you're my world." Jack whispers to you, eyes watering as he watches you eyelids slowly flutter closed, "My whole world and I'll do anything for you. I'll be right by your side when you wake up as well, I promise."

Jack continues to whisper to you until he has to leave, reminding you that you were strong and you would get through this unexpected surgery and you would continue to get stronger and stronger.

Your drift in and out of consciousness at first, not having a grasp on where you were or what had happened. You can tell your chest hurts and you can hear solid beeping whenever you're briefly conscious but when you wake properly, the first thing you notice is the tube in your throat, catching you off guard as you choke around it.

"Hey, hey, it's okay." A voice tells you, "Try to breathe normally…that's it, nice and slowly…in and out, that's it."

Wherever you are suddenly gets busier, multiple people are talking over each other and multiple hands on you. It overwhelms you but there's nothing you can do other than sit through it, letting it wash over you. Someone holds your hand through everything, their thumb running over your knuckles repetitively as they whisper something about buggie.

The room slowly quietens again but someone is calling your attention, it was a nurse explaining what was happening. You would remain on the ventilator for a little bit longer as they monitor you to make sure you could breathe comfortably enough on your own, then they would take you off it.

Once they leave you stare absentmindedly into the room, trying to short your racing thoughts out. You can't remember how you got to the hospital but you could guess why you were there judging by the soft ache in your chest. 

"How you doing lovebug?"

The voice startles you and you flinch as you look to your right, blinking in confusion at the man beside you before it suddenly hits you all at once. Tears spill from your eyes as you reach towards your dad, unable to speak but he knows what you want to say.

"I know honey, I know." Your dad comforts you, "I'm here for you."

You squeeze his hand, hoping it conveys what you want to say and when your dad tears up, you know it was.

Finally watched the last episode. I know people were a bit disappointed that nothing big happened but I think people are forgetting what type of show they’re watching, last season didn’t end with a bang either. Like we just got a good lore drop from Robby right at the end

This season, we know more about the characters and we’re watching them develop. I feel like this season was more on the characters rather than the setting like last year, we see Langdon deal with coming back, Robby’s deteriorating mental health, Javadi dealing with the pressure from her parents and figuring herself out and mohan also figuring herself out and making choices for herself.

"Motherfucker-" Your curse as your arms are aggressively pulled back, pulling uncomfortably as they're zip-tied behind you, your ankles getting bound as well.

"Shut up!" A harsh kick to your ribs renders you breathless and speechless, only a harsh groan manages to escape your lips.

You remain silent as the van begins to move, not wanting to give them more reasons to beat the shit out of you just yet. You knew this was connected to whatever bullshit your family had gotten into, there was no other possibility and considering the people they got involved with, you had no doubts that the whole situation was going to get a whole lot uglier.

Pope crosses the front lot of Smurfs house in quick yet tense steps, jaw clenched and hands fisted, anger growing as he hears the sounds of a party. He had been sitting in his house for hours, waiting for your return from school but as the time passed by and you hadn't appeared, he became worried. Every call he made to your phone went unanswered, first it just rang and rang until voicemail and then it immediately went straight to voicemail meaning the phone was purposely turned off or had run out of batteries and died. Pope then rang his brothers, J and Smurf, thinking that perhaps you went over to your grandmother's house and had forgotten to tell him but their calls went unanswered too. Fearing that something had happened to the rest of his family, Pope sped over but now as he heard the clear sounds of a party, his anger bubbled over.

He pushes open the gate and storms in, immediately grabbing the phone that was connected to the speakers and crushed it beneath his feet. Stomping on until it was nothing but debris and the speaker cut off, leaving the backyard of Smurf's house in total silence.

Everyone is there; Smurf, Baz, Craig, Deran and J.

"What the fuck dude?!" Craig jumps up from the lounger he was on and storms over to Pope, "What's your fucking problem?!"

"My problem is that you guys don't answer your fucking phones!" Pope shoves Craig back as he gets in his face, "I've been calling you all for an hour!"

"What's wrong baby?" Smurf asks, standing and making her way over to him.

Craig scoffs at them, rolling his eyes as he returns to his seat.

"We're just celebrating the job we just did, Pope. What's wrong?" Baz, ever the mediator asks.

"My kid, my girl" Pope stresses, his voice cracking,"I don't know where she is. She didn't come back from school and she's not answering her phone. Is she here?!"

"She isn't here, I haven't heard from her," Smurf tells Pope, before turning to the rest of her family, "Have you heard from her? J?"

The men shake their heads and the attention quickly shifts to J who also shakes his head, "I didn't go to school today, so I haven't seen her in a while."

"Okay baby, you sit down and call the school," Smurf guides Pope to sit on one of the lounge chairs before turning her attention to the younger three, "Craig, Deran, J, you three go out and look for her, search every street in town if you have to and don't come back until you do or until you find her."

The boys don't argue, quickly placing their beers to the side and jumping up. They each give Pope a comforting pat on the shoulder before they leave, heading for their trucks and bike, peeling out of the lot without a second glance.

Smurf runs her hands through Pope's hair in an attempt to comfort him, rubbing a thumb across his cheek as he looks up at her, completely broken.

"Can't you track her?"

Smurf hesitates slightly before nodding, "I'll try baby."

Smurf leaves, heading inside, leaving only Pope and Baz by the pool. Pope stares aimlessly into the pool, knees jiggling up and down, a sign of Pope's increasing anxiety.

"Hey, you sure she didn't go to a friend's house or anything? Maybe she forgot to tell you."

Pope shakes his head, his voice cracking, "Not during the week. She always comes straight home after school. She's not even answering her phone, it just keeps ringing and ringing…"

"Okay, okay–" Baz interrupts Pope's spiral, "Did she mention anything suspicious, like uh, a car following her or a guy lingering by the school gates? Anything like that?"

"No. She knows- she knows to keep an eye out, to look over her shoulder," Pope rambles, "Something's wrong Baz."

"Okay, I'll call the boys for an update, you call the school."

Pope calls the school, the pit in his stomach increasing as the receptionist confirms that you had left as usual when school had ended. He ends the call short, cutting off the receptionist's next sentence. He turns to Baz who shakes his head 'no' as he continues the conversation with the other men and Pope feels the pit in his stomach flare into nausea, his tongue feels heavy and he's struggling to swallow, gagging around nothing. 

"Andrew! Baz!" Smurf's voice calls from the kitchen, dread evident.

Pope doesn't spare Baz a glance as he immediately runs into the kitchen, stopping in front of the laptop Smurf had open. The screen shows a map of the city, and a blinking red dot with your name attached was placed in the middle of nowhere.

"Where the hell is that?" Pope asks.

"Industrial park. It's on the other side of the city." Smurf answers before she turns to Baz, "Tell the boys to head there but make them wait until we get there, we don't want any mistakes to happen. We need a plan."

Pope's phone rings before Baz could even move to call the other men, your name flashing on the screen. He doesn't wait a moment before he's picking up the phone, calling your name down the phone.

"It's me honey, tell me you're okay." Pope's words spilled out of him quickly, "Please talk to me."

The first sound that comes through the line is harsh, pain-filled heavy breathing before an unfamiliar voice speaks up. 

"Hello again, Pope Cody," The older, male voice, speaks, causing Pope to frown in confusion.

"Who the hell are you? Where's my daughter?" Pope demands.

"Oh your daughter is fine," The man says nonchalantly, "Well, all things considered, especially since she's a little tied-up right now but I'm sure she can spare a word or two."

The sound of shuffling escapes the phone's speakers before the mysterious man speaks up again, "Go on, sweetheart, say hello to your dad."

There's a brief pause before you speak up, voice low and winded, "Dad?"

A rush of air escapes Pope's lips, relief rushing through him at the sound of your voice, "Yeah honey, it's me…please tell me you're okay"

Pope wants to say more but his throat closes up and his voice begins to crack and he's unable to speak without tripping on his words. His eyes burn with unshed tears and right now he regrets every single job he has done since you were born, he would give up everything in order to have you back, to have you away from the criminal life he had raised you up in. He regretted it all, he wished he said no to Smurf's and Baz's invitations and offers to do jobs with the family, falling into the trap of wanting a better life for you because all the money, the nice house and nice car mean nothing if you don't return alive.

"I'm…I'm okay but I…" Your voice breaks, "I want to go home dad, please help me."

Pope's phone chimes with a message and he opens it to find a picture of you attached. You were tied to a chair, ankles bound by rope to the legs of the chair and your arms were tied behind your back plus a blindfold was placed over your eyes, preventing you from identifying any of the people who had kidnapped you.

"What do you want from us?" Baz asks, taking command of the situation as he usually did.

"Which brother am I speaking to now?" The mysterious man asks.

"Baz,"

"Ah yes, Mr Blackwell. Well if you remember, you and your brother stole a shipment from me last week and well, I really don't like it when people steal from me." The man explains, "What I want is my shipment back. If you've already sold it and that's a very big if then I want the entire worth of the shipment, plus a little interest, so let's just call it a total of two million dollars. How does that sound?"

"Two million dollars?" Baz repeats back, taken aback. 

"That's only if you've sold what you've stolen. Here's what's going to happen,  I'm going to send you details of meet up position but for every hour you fail to turn up, means this precious young girl here gets an extra beating—"

"No!" Pope interrupts, "No! Don't!"

"Then you better hurry up and bring me my shit." With that the man hangs up, preventing Pope from sharing another word with his daughter.

Pope stared aimlessly at the phone, mind and heart racing. He heard Smurf and Buz buzz around behind him, calling the other men back to the house and planning out loud. He lets it buzz in the background until he hears Smurf make a suggestion that pulls him out of his daze.

"We can't return that shipment Baz, we need the money. You should out number them, it'll be you five against what? Three, maybe max five guys."

"No." Pope whips around, glaring at his mother, "We do that and they'll kill her, they won't hesitate."

"We don't have to rush a plan just yet baby, we can think about it some more."

Pope flashes his mother an incredulous look, "Didn't you hear them? The longer we fuck around, the more they beat her."

"They won't really do that, she's a young girl. It's probably just an empty threat."

Pope shakes his head, turning to Baz instead, "Imagine if it was Lena. I'm not waiting around, we're giving that shit back.

Pope stalks out of the house, heading towards his trucking, not waiting to see if Baz or Smurf are following him.

Your whole body ached, one of your wrists and ankles were twisted, bruises littered your body and face and your lip was busted. As the hours crept along, the abuse increased and now you sat, still on the chair, hopelessly waiting for your family to come. 

You had hoped that the threat made earlier was empty; trying to scare your family by threatening you, but you were quickly reminded that you were dealing with criminals, traffickers and they didn't need unnecessary baggage. You were sure that if your family didn't come by sunrise, you would be killed and left in a ditch on the side of the road somewhere. A Jane Doe with no identifying features to make sure nothing leads back to them.

Okay, you were frightening yourself more for no reason. You needed to remain calm and keep believing that they would return whatever they stole.

Your lips were cracked and dry and with the blindfold still over your eyes, you had no clue how much time had passed since you had been kidnapped but you were feeling the effects of being tied up for several hours.

"Can–"You cleared your throat, tongue pathetically running over your lips in an attempt to hydrate them, "Can I get some water?...Please."

 You don't hear a response at first until suddenly you hear the cracking of a lid being unscrewed right beside your ear before a bottle is being pushed on your lips. You tilt your head back, greedily gulping down the water until the bottle is empty.

"Thank you," You murmur, slumping back into the chair, ignoring the burning pain in your shoulders.

You hear a phone go off somewhere, muffled whispers following before someone starts shouting, "Get into position! They're here!"

A relieved breath escapes you, finally your family was here. Hopefully they didn't have stupid plan is use, your life was worth more than whatever the fuck they stole.

Shutters rolled up, guns were loaded and you had two men on either side of you, making sure no one snuck away to save you behind their backs. You could hear the sound of cars driving up a dirt road before they roll to a stop, doors opening and closing in quick succession. Someone speaks but you're too far away to hear what they're actually saying.

You have no concept of time at this point, you don't know if it's been twenty minutes or two hours since your family arrived so when hands suddenly grab your arms that were behind your back, you flinch in shock, body jolting away.

"Stop moving," The man behind you grunts, "I'm cutting your ties."

You still at his words, staying completely motionless as the man cut your wrists and ankles free before you were yanked up off the chair. You stumble, legs numb after hours of being tied to a chair but you're once again grabbed as someone guides you somewhere. You were still blindfolded but that seemed to matter little to the men guiding you who had very little patience and ended up practically dragging you before unceremoniously dumping you somewhere, with a whispered threat in your ear about not taking your blindfold off before you were left alone.

Pope stalked ahead from his family, looking down every pathway between every warehouse in the industrial park. The sun was steadily setting and he didn't have a torch on him which meant his window to find you was rapidly closing. 

After returning the stolen shipment, your kidnappers had told him you had been left somewhere in the industrial park and that whilst they were looking for you, they would get away, preventing any double-crossing. 

Craig was somewhere behind him cursing and complaining to Smurf and Baz and under any other circumstances, Pope would have smacked him silent but his only concern right now was finding you. 

He was calling out your name as paced down between the many warehouses that littered the industrial park but if you were replying, he couldn't hear it over the sound of Craig's whining.

"Craig, shut the fuck up!" Pope snaps over his shoulder, "You're not fucking needed here, go home or shut up."

Pope sends him one last glare before turning back, widening his strides to pull further away from his mother and siblings.

Calling your name again, Pope freezes as he hears something in reply. At first he thinks it's just a random noise being carried by the wind before he steps closer and hears the faint call of 'dad'. He calls your name again and again, following your responses until he finds you curled up into a ball, blindfolded and scared.

"Dad?" You call out desperately, "Please tell me you're here?"

Pope's breath stutters for a moment before he's racing towards you, calling out your name as he crashes to his knees beside you. He rips your blindfold off as he pulls you into a hug, sobbing into your neck as he rocked you side to side.

"Oh honey," Your dad sobs, chest heaving as he cries, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

You don't respond, instead tightening your arms around his neck as you cry yourself. You could hear the rest of your family approaching but the only thing you cared about was your dad.