OKAY I WROTE IT HERE YOU GO AHHHH
“You have my heartfelt condolences. Jack Abbot.”
Robby’s words hang softly in the air, grief like heavy snow between him and Raymond Orser’s sister.
She takes a shaking inhale, chin wobbling as she stares at her brother.
No matter how many times Robby does this, it never gets easier. Turns out shattering someone’s world as gently as you can is still smashing it to pieces.
He had sent Jack home with a soft kiss, thumb gently brushing over his exhausted husband’s cheek as he promised to deliver the letter. His heart ached for Jack, knowing he fought with everything he had to save the man now lying still on the gurney. He knows Jack will carry this like a thousand pound weight.
“Will you sit with me,” Fiona asks, voice trembling. “Just - just for a minute.”
Robby nods, wordlessly bringing the rolling stool next to the chair by the gurney.
He tucks the letter carefully back into the envelope, knowing a piece of Jack is going with it. He hands it to Fiona.
“Do you know him?” She sniffs, looking down at the letter. “The doctor who wrote this? Dr. Abbot?”
“I do,” Robby says softly.
“Did he really try?” She asks, voice breaking. She looks at him, eyes red and welling. “Did he really do everything he could?”
Robby nods a little, letting out a breath. He gets why she’s asking - in the throes of grief, people are desperate for a reason. A reason their loved one is gone. Someone to answer for it. Some exception that proves death is not indiscriminate.
“I can promise you there is no one in this or any other hospital who would have tried harder,” he says, voice gentle and steady as he meets her eyes. “There is nothing he wouldn’t have done to save Raymond, Fiona. If there was a way, he would have found it.”
She sniffles, tears rolling heavily down her cheeks.
“It just kills me that he was alone,” she whispers, hand coming to her mouth to stifle a sob.
Robby turns to face her completely, gently taking her hand. It’s what Jack would do.
“He wasn’t alone,” he shakes his head. He can feel his own eyes burn despite his best efforts, knowing Jack gave everything he had to ensure the man in his care knew exactly that. “He wasn’t alone, Fiona.”
She looks at him, hand squeezing his fingers.
“I’ve known Jack Abbot for a very long time,” he says, smiling a little. “And if there’s one thing I can tell you, it’s that once he’s decided you need him, there’s no getting rid of him.”
Fiona huffs a tiny laugh, smiling just a little beneath the tears. “Yeah?”
“Oh yeah,” Robby smiles softly. “It’s why I married him.”
Fiona’s eyebrows shoot up. “He’s your husband?”
Robby nods, knowing his love for his husband is written all over his face. “Luckily for me, he is. And I know he made sure Raymond knew he wasn’t alone. He made sure he wasn’t in any pain and that he knew he had a brother here with him. Someone who understood the parts of him that people like you and me can’t.”
“Because he’s a veteran too,” she nods, sniffling. “Raymond would’ve - he would’ve liked that. Having someone who gets it, you know?”
Robby nods. She’s still holding tight to his hand, and he doesn’t let go.
“I just don’t know what to do,” she confesses quietly.
“You don’t have to,” Robby shakes his head. “Grief is a road with no map. All you can do is take it one step at a time. Minute by minute.”
She swallows, nodding even as her chin trembles.
“Thank you,” she whispers, squeezing his hand. “And please thank Dr. Abbot for me. For doing everything that he could. For - for being here with Raymond. At the end.”
Robby squeezes her hand in return.
“I will,” he nods, standing and squeezing her shoulder. “Take all the time you need, Fiona. May his memory be a blessing.”
He closes the door softly behind him, taking a deep breath. The ED is still moving, the steady thrum of chaos never skipping a beat.
He tugs his phone out of his pocket, quickly pulling up his texts with Jack.
‘I love you and I’m proud of the man you are. Get some sleep and I’ll see you when I get home ❤️.’
He doesn’t even have a chance to put his phone away before Jack replies.
