After the first night of sleeping over he’s so glad he didn’t say anything, because it turns out he loves the feeling of her gentle fingers on his scalp, caressing and massaging the tender skin, combing through his hair affectionately.

Robby doesn’t seem to like him very much though, because when he says “I can start the STEMI with Mel”, Robby says “Collins can start the STEMI with Mel.”

He keeps showing Mel where things are and floats diagnostic suggestions on some patients. She reads his name tag at one point. Dr. Frank Langdon, Senior Resident. How odd, Mel thinks, that he wasn’t introduced like Collins was. Maybe he’s from the night shift and just helping out or pulling a double. She doesn’t really question it. Langdon is so nice though, tells her she’s making a great first impression, sitting with her in the break room and telling her she’s needed here.

“Have you seen Dr. Langdon?” She asks Trinity when she doesn’t see him for a while.

“Who?”

Mel describes him, but Trinity must not have worked with him. Too bad, she hopes to see him again soon. And she does, periodically. His schedule seems to be erratic though. And Mel can’t find his initials on the shift schedule, which is weird. Maybe he’s freelance and just helps out?

When she hears his name from Dana at the hub she zeroes in on the conversation. “What about Dr. Langdon?”

Dana looks at her all sad. “His wife decided to turn off his life support.”

“What? What happened?”

“Nothing. He’s just not getting better and the bills are mounting. Such a shame.”

“No I mean— was he in an accident?”

And Dana tells her kind of. He overdosed about a month before Mel’s first day, had a horrible seizure and hasn’t woken up since.

None of it makes sense. Mel drifts up to the third floor and finds the man who has been teaching her so much since her first day lying in bed, pale, sunken in. It’s undeniably him. She talked to him so much. But now that she’s thinking about it, he never seemed to talk to anyone else much.

“Dr. Langdon?” She sits down at the side of the bed, takes his cold hand in hers.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know what to say.”

She looks up to see him standing there in scrubs.

“What’s happening to you?”

He licks his lips. “I… I can’t go back. I fucked it all up.”

Mel tells him that she’s sure his wife wants him back, tells him about the situation but he shakes his head. Abby hates him, and he probably lost his shot at being a doctor with his overdose. There’s no life for him now. Not after what he put everyone through.

“I really don’t want you to go.” Mel’s eyes are tearing up. “You never let me down. You’re not even really there and you’re still the best part of this hospital. Please can’t we try to find a way? You can always give up later. I can’t believe you’d linger like this if you weren’t meant to be here.”

He’s scared. But a part of him wants to live. He just can’t stand how hard it is.

“If I try this… Mel… I need you.”

“I’ll be there every day.”

And though he looks terrified, he reaches for his own body. A minute later, he starts showing signs of waking up. Mel helps the nurses with his care, stays through all the long phases of semi-wakefulness until Frank is fully back.

“I didn’t dream you,” is the first coherent thing he says.

“I’m right here.”

Mel leaves when Abby Langdon arrives, and she doesn’t see Frank again for a few days, not until the charge desk phone rings and a surprised Dana exclaims “Langdon, as I live and breathe, how are you kid? … that’s good. Oh? Yeah she’s here.” And Dana hands her the phone.

Also pls don’t feel like u have to read it

https://archiveofourown.org/works/86615761?view_adult=true#main

Holy fucking shit!!! This is incredible!

I’m so so happy you wrote this. Thank you!! And you gifted it to me?! That’s so kind of you!

Everyone go read this immediately! It’s Dr. Hagan coming down to the ED, inspired by this post.

Go read it here: