#artificialnocturnc

It's Been Going On So Long

"Some days, I dunno why I bother."

They were presently sprawled out across his couch, his head in Kate's lap while he peered up at the ceiling with an almost sightless detachment. "I didn't do my job today," he mumbled. "Someone died."

A part of Carter knew he was being irrational. Early on, he'd been warned that this was all a part of the job -- we lose them all the time, Carter -- but that didn't make it any easier, and most especially when there could've been something, anything else he might have been able to try. A part of the thrill was solving the mystery of human frailty, but on this day...he'd simply failed. He hadn't caught the internal bleed in time, and everything had spiraled from there.

"She was a mom with two kids under four," Carter murmured. At this point, he was self-flagellating. "I could've saved her, but..."

Kate bent over him then, her hair curtaining around his face as she lowered enough to press a firm, reassuring kiss to his mouth. His grief-stricken words died on his tongue, and eager to move forward, to forget, he found himself leaning up into her touch, snagging a hand through her hair to keep her anchored against his giving lips.

"whoa, that's a big word for Elmo." he snickers, the shock of it having left her catching him completely off guard. that wasn't something that usually came from her. from himself and several others, sure. but he doesn't think he's even heard Mel use words in place of cursing. not a fudge or frig to be heard.

"what's going on?"

The breach is loud enough to rattle his bones. Flash, sound, movement—everything hits at once as the doors give and the team floods in, boots pounding over tile, commands sharp and overlapping. Jack moves with them, weapon up, finger tight along the frame as he tracks the room the way he’s been trained to—fast, controlled, no hesitation. The med kit slung at his back feels heavier than usual, a reminder of what he’s here for… if he gets the chance to do it.

“Clear left—!”

“Moving—!”

Gunfire cracks through the space, too close, too fast. Jack drops slightly on instinct, adjusting his stance as something shatters behind the counter. His grip steadies, eyes sweeping, trying to take in everything at once—threats, exits, casualties—

And then— he sees her.

Under one of the desks, half-hidden, pressed low like she’s trying to disappear. For a split second, everything else drops out—the shouting, the gunfire, the chaos—and it’s just that.

Mel.

Their eyes lock.

Jack stills for half a heartbeat, something sharp cutting through the adrenaline—recognition, relief, and something heavier right behind it. His jaw tightens as he shifts just slightly, angling himself to keep her in his line of sight without breaking formation, weapon still raised but no longer the only thing he’s focused on.

@artificialnocturnc liked for a starter

"Sorry, not to cut you off. But can I at least put my bag up before you present a case to me?"

@artificialnocturnc

Sleipnir unlocked the door, kicking it close behind him as he settled the paper bags on the table. He frowned when Sasha did not come running up to find him. It wasn't often they were apart, afterall.

"Sasha?" He called out, whistling for the dog. His hands found the velvet pouch, slipping it into one of the drawers before whistling again. "Sash?" He reached over the counter, flipping on the light to light up the living room, finding a stranger in his home.

"What - the fuck -" Sleipnir swore out, instinctly grabbing a knife from the cutters block, brandishing it in the direction of the stranger. "You need to leave - now." Sleipnir gestured to the door - how did he...get in?

@artificialnocturnc

Song: One More I Love You by Alex Warren

It was getting late and they were getting settled into the train car for the night, Nox didn't technically need to sleep but he still stayed in the car and pretended because it made dealing with the train attendants easier. There was a speaker tucked into a pocket on the wall so that it didn't roll around. He had been reading a book despite how dark it was in the small room, when the song came on though he paused.

Now Jack doesn’t pretend to know what the deals are with any residents, students, etc unless explicitly told to him. But one thing he is intimately familiar with is anxiety, overstimulation, the feeling of when everything just starts to feel like Too Much, and how quickly you find you’re trying to resist the nasty little things your head’s telling you how to fix it. 

So in those moments of working together when he keeps checking on Mel and insists on going outside for a quick breather after particularly hard patients, he hopes it doesn’t seem like he’s coming off overbearing or infantizing.