#mwahaha

They walked into the hospital, depositing their belongings in their lockers, and headed to the central hub to greet Dana and get their first patients. They were both surprised to see Robby sitting at the desk in jeans and a hoodie.

"Robby?" Dennis said. "I thought you were off today."

"I was supposed to be. I mean, I am... I am," he replied, briefly glancing up over the rims of his glasses. "I came in to get a couple things done before... I, uh, I'm taking some time off starting tomorrow."

"Why?" Dennis asked.

Robby looked up at him. Then he looked back down at the computer and went back to typing. "Because my father died yesterday."

That set off a chain reaction of everyone in the vicinity snapping their heads over like sleeper agents who just heard their trigger word.

Dennis' heart sunk. "What? Robby, my god... Why didn't you say anything when you came over last night?"

That made everyone snap their heads over at him instead.

His face went red. "Not like that!" he squeaked, knowing how bad that sounded and knowing there wasn't really a way to come back from it, even if it really wasn't like that.

It made Robby chuckle, though, so that was a small win.

"Robby..." Dennis pressed, leaning over the counter to look at him.

Robby huffed and shook his head. "It's fine. It's not like we were close. You know that."

"But you're still taking a week off for him," Jack chimed in as he walked over. He gave Dennis a once-over. "Hey, blondie."

"Cut it out," Robby said in a warning tone.

Jack smirked.

Dennis blushed but tried to ignore it, turning back to Robby. "So, you're doing the, um, shiva for him?"

Robby started to answer, but he stopped in his tracks, fingers halfway to the keyboard. He looked up. "I'm surprised you know what that is."

"Theology major, remember?" Dennis said with a small, awkward chuckle. "I did an entire course on world religions, and then another one just about Judaism."

"Really?" Robby asked, suddenly very intrigued. "I thought you went to a Catholic college?"

"It's... It was Lutheran..." Dennis corrected awkwardly. "Not that it matters."

"Right. Well, unfortunately, yes. I'm hosting it at my house," Robby said plainly. "My fortress of solitude is about to be overrun by relatives I haven't seen or spoken to in years, if not decades. Fan-fucking-tastic, isn't it?"

Dana joined the conversation. "Why is it at your place anyways?"

Robby adjusted his glasses. "I'm the only one who ended up back in Pittsburgh. And I inherited my grandparents' house, where he grew up, so I don't have much of a choice."

"How did he die?" Perlah said.

Robby smiled. A reflexive, demented little smile. He tried to hide it, but he was pretty unsuccessful. "Apparently, he had some sort of aggressive, late-stage cancer that he never told anyone about," he answered, starting to laugh a little. He shook his head. "My sister only found out about it because he fell and hit his head, and his neighbor took him to the hospital."

Dana leaned over with a hand on her hip. "Why exactly is that funny?"

"Grief manifests in different ways, Dana," Robby said sarcastically.

She rolled her eyes and walked away.

"I didn't know you had a sister," Dennis said.

"Half sister, technically," Robby corrected.

Jack looked up from his tablet. "He has a brother too."

"Seriously?" Dennis asked.

"Again, half. A half brother," Robby said annoyedly. "And I don't know why you brought that shithead up. I fucking hate him."

"Is he gonna be at the funeral?" Jack said.

"I don't know. Go ask Kat," Robby huffed. "She's the one organizing it. The only reason I'm doing the shiva at all is because of her. Which I still don't understand. My father hasn't set foot in a synagogue in who-knows-how-long."

"Yeah, but she's pretty devout, isn't she?" Jack said.

Robby simply rolled his eyes.

Dennis looked between them and scratched his head. "Hold on... Kat... That's your sister?"

"Mhm. Yekaterina..." Jack answered for him, putting on a Russian accent to say her name. "Robby took me to her wedding in Florida. She likes me."

"The woman calling you yesterday was just your sister...?" Dennis said. "Telling you your father was dead..."

Robby, Jack, Perlah, and Trinity all gave him a look. As if they were simultaneously thinking, Jeez, you're slow.

Robby looked around at everyone standing there listening to their conversation. "What are you all doing? Go back to work. Go."

Everyone dispersed. Except Dennis. He stuck around.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked quietly.

"You were wasted, Dennis," Robby replied, clicking and typing away at the computer.

Dennis walked around the desk to stand by his side and put a hand on his shoulder. "Robby."

He finally stopped, turning in his chair as he took his glasses off to look up at Dennis. "I'm fine."

"It's okay if you're not," Dennis said. "Even if he was a dickhead. You're not wrong or foolish for mourning."

"I'm not mourning. You can't really lose something you never had," Robby replied apathetically.

Oh. Ouch. That hurt.

Dennis wanted to just climb onto his lap and hug him as tight as he could, acting as a human teddy bear to squeeze until all the pain was gone.

But he couldn't. Not here. Not now.

"Look, honey, don't worry about me, okay?" Robby said with an exasperated sigh as he stood up, hanging his glasses on his collar. "I have a lot to do right now. I have some paperwork to finish, and I gotta get Jack set up to take over, and I have to talk to the senior residents and Gloria, and I have to reschedule my therapy appointment for this week, and then I need to meet with the funeral director and take my sister to the synagogue —she wants to meet with the Rabbi— and then I have to go clean my whole house to prepare for at least a dozen people I barely remember to sit around for a week." He sighed again, and Dennis could see him clenching his jaw. "I will talk to you later, okay?"

As Robby started to walk away, Dennis asked, "Is there anything I can do?"

Robby paused and turned back. "No," he said, but then he scrunched his face in thought. "Unless... I don't suppose you'd want to come tomorrow?"

"To the funeral?" Dennis asked.

"I know it's strange. And maybe a little too soon," Robby said, awkwardly itching at his beard. "But it'd be nice to have people around I actually know and like. Jack and Dana are coming, too, so it's not like you'd be alone either."

"Of course I'll come, Robby," Dennis said, giving him a sympathetic smile. "What time?"

Robby smiled back, just a small smile. "Uh, the service starts at 10. But, um, you should probably stop by my place tonight so I can go over the rules with you. It's kinda complicated."

"Okay," Dennis said. "I'll stop by after shift."

Robby nodded. "I'll text you the address."

masterpost

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big big BIG shoutout to @puppydogdennis for educating me on Jewish mourning customs/traditions and helping me make sure I portray this plotline as respectfully and accurately as possible!! <3