#cougar!reader

Jack wasn't ashamed of his limb difference, but it wasn't necessarily something he spoke freely about to his coworkers. He'd lost his leg when he was 20. After he'd recuperated, he pivoted into medicine instead.

"Relax would you," returning your low tone with a grin, "Wall sits are very good for BTK amputees. Gonna rinse these guys out of their money."

It was Shen's idea. On a rare slow night he'd proposed a wall sit competition. And since the outcome would certainly be less catastrophic than his other proposal of janitor cart relay racing, you let him have his fun.

And so, the residents and med students line up against the wall, all eager to win yours and Shen's grand prize of a $100 virtual gift card to a store or restaurant of their choosing.

"Positions everybody!" Shen commands, "...and go!"

You shake your head with a smile. Surprisingly, Langdon falls first, mumbling something about leg day before sulking in the corner. The next one to go is Javadi. Her legs shake with exertion before dropping to the ground. She stands with a smile, accepting your hand to go sit next to Langdon.

3 remain - Ellis, Jack, and Santos. Though, you try desperately to keep your eyes off Jack. Thank god he's wearing full length scrub pants because if you saw his muscles rippling as the hold his body up, you'd almost certainly end up meeting with HR.

Santos legs start to quiver, but Ellis and Jack are steady.

"Doing okay over there?" Ellis teases, "Need a break."

"Shut up," Santos mutters, "Disqualify her for trying to distract me."

"Just don't get distracted by her," Shen giggles.

Eventually, Santos falters, crashing to the floors as her knees give up. She groans, ignoring your extended hand and joining her fellow "losers" (her words).

The showdown between Jack and Ellis lasts much longer than you anticipated until-

"C'mon man," Elllis groans as she pulls herself up from the floor, "You don't even look like you're gonna break a sweat."

"Oh yeah I should have mentioned," Jack says, still comfortabely seated against the wall, "Wall sits were an imperative part of my rehab - i try to do them everynight before bed."

*****

"That was so...sexy," you groan into Jack's mouth, pawing at the bottom of his shirt. You were getting very efficent at undressing him in the backseat of your car. The street behind his appartment building was dark and covered - perfect for climbing into his lap after your shifts together, "Gonna make you do that again. Just for me."

"Gotta get you upstairs in my appartment first," he grins, kissing your jaw.

"What so Santos can walk in on us?"

"I mean we could go to your place," you freeze, pulling away from him, "but you've got the girls, I know. But one of these days you gotta let me get you into a bed. My skills are limited here."

You roll your eyes, "uh huh. your skills are fine."

"Come upstairs," he looks up at you with wide eyes. He rubbs his hand soothingly along your thigh, "Let me show you a proper good time."

"You live with another one of my residents."

In your defense, Dana put Jack on the case. You were instrucing McKay and Santos through a trauma. You had no idea your husband even brought your daughter in until you were out.

"What the hell happened?" you exclaim as you pull back the curtain.

"Mama!" Saina looks at you, looking so small on the gurney, "I was practicing my toeloop and my feet stuck and I fell."

"Are you okay?" You run over to her, grabbing your the flashlight you keep in your pocket to shine into her pupils.

"I'm okay," her tiny eyes look up at you, "Dr. Jack already did this."

"No sign of concussion," Jack pipes up from the other side of her gurney, "Probably no fracture on her ankle either, but I already ordered an x-ray because I thought you'd want to be sure, and a CT because her dad said she hit her head on the ice."

"Does your head hurt, beti?" you ask.

She shakes her head, "Not anymore. My foot still hurts."

"I know, baboo, I'm sorry," you kiss her head. You look around the room, blinking as you realize your husband is nowhere to be found, "Where's daddy?"

"Stepped out," Jack says, "He said your other daughter is at soccer and he was trying to talk to another parent to see if she could go over to their house since he wasn't sure how long he'd be here for."

"Okay, I can bump her in line for her scans. But-"

"Sorry-" Santos voice cuts through, "I know this is your daughter, but the MVA is crashing."

"Shit," you groan, "Are you gonna be okay here till daddy comes back?"

"I like Dr. Jack," Saina grins, "He likes pokemon too."

"Dr Abbot," you shake your head.

"It's fine," Jack waves you off, "she can call me whatever she wants."

Your husband returns soon after, having found accomodations for your other daughter.

"How is she?"

"Neel right? She's doing fine. Mom came in and checked her over, but she got pulled into another trauma. She'll be back when she can."

Neel nods, sitting down on the chair next to his daughter, "Well, I guess I can cancel the babysitter for tomorrow night. Mama's going to want to stay in."

He's looking at his daughter as he says it, for which is Jack is grateful because then he doesn't notice the way Jack freezes at the computer.

"Why? I like Jenny. She said she'd let us paint her nails this time!"

"You know how momma gets when you're sick, peanut," Neel chuckles, "I'll have to beg the restaurant not to charge my card."

And, when Jack looks back at the two he notices something he must have missed before when he was too preoccupied with taking care of your daughter to notice anything else.

A black silicone wedding band on his finger, the kind that blue collar workers wear at work to avoid injury.

Suddenly the air becomes very thin. Is Jack a mistress?

*****

You pull him aside later, in some quieter hallway of the ED after Saina's been discharged.

"Thank you," you say, earnestly, "You did good with her. And I'm sorry but obviously I can't give you a ride home today I need-"

"Are you married?" he interrupts, crossing his arms.

You frown, "Of course I am."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

You scoff, unsure you heard him correctly, "What? You knew that. I talk about Neel a lot."

"You don't wear a ring. You talk about him a lot but you've never called him your husband. I thought you were divorced."

"No, I've been married for 12 years now, Jack. Everyone here knows that," you shake your head.

"So why are you sleeping with me, then? I am not a homewrecker," his voice wavers a bit, undercutting the anger in his stance.

"I never said you were," you groan, pinching your temples, "Listen, we can't talk about this here. I'll call you after-"

"No."

"No?"