the fox on the wall sees all

“It’s fine,” Jack says. He nuzzles against Robby’s covered scent gland. “They’ll yell if they need us.”

“Or they’ll walk right in if they need a piss, which is why I came in here by the way, not to be groped by some alpha.”

“Some alpha isn’t in here, your mate is. And I should be able to grope you when we’re not busy.”

Robby pushes him away. “Are you crazy? Why would you say that?”

Jack looks like he’s going to argue, but decides better of it. “Slip of the tongue, okay? I’m sorry.” He bangs his knuckles against his temple. “Knock on wood.”

Robby scoffs. “I don’t think that’s where your wood is.” He positions himself in front of a urinal, but of course that doesn’t send a message of privacy to Jack.

Instead he hooks his chin over Robby’s shoulder and holds his waist. “You’d know exactly where that is.” He juts his hips into Robby’s ass, and despite it being soft Robby’s cheeks still go up in flames.

“I should report you to HR.”

Jack cackles and separates himself. “Okay, okay. Don’t threaten a good day with admin.”

The halls haven’t caught fire in their time away, so Robby counts that as a win.

“Oooo,” Santos sings when she sees them. “Having a little alone time on the clock?”

Javadi speaks and hides behind her computer. Whitaker’s mouth hangs open before he quietly berates her.

“Oh, come on. Mom and Dad can take a joke,” she grins.

Robby chuffs and Jack points a fake stern finger at her. “That’s doctor Mom and Dad to you.”

She puts her hands up in surrender, and Javadi deems it safe enough to poke her head back out.

They chat for a bit before Robby sends them off to check up on their patients. Jack leans next to him on the hub. “This is nice.”

Robby shakes his head. “You’re pushing your luck.”

“Come on—“ he’s cut off by a shriek echoing through the hall.

They both dart toward the sound. Another echoes through the hall, then more frantic voices join. Each yell creates a deeper haze around the edge of Robby’s vision. Why is this ED so goddamn big?

When they finally turn the corner, some alpha patient has Javadi’s arm tight in his fist. The room is packed with people screaming and yanking them, failing to separate them. Javadi’s large eyes house terrified tears, she pushes herself into Whitaker’s chest as he tries to pry the man’s hand off her. Santos has her own hands hooked in the man’s elbow, but no matter how hard she yanks she can’t free Javadi.

There’s a nurse trying to reach the alpha with some sedative and Jack joins in on the yelling; alpha voice booming through the ED, but for once Robby doesn’t respond to it. It’s nothing but noise.

He dives across room and sinks his fangs into the alpha’s arm. With a pained yelp, he finally frees Javadi. She and Whitaker stumble back and land in a pathetic lump on the linoleum floor.

Robby unlatches his teeth, but when he sees the alpha the instinct comes again. Before he can land another bite, Jack wraps his arms around Robby’s middle and pulls him.

“Whoa, that’s enough. You got him, omega, good job. You got him.”

Robby doesn't care. He tries to reach the man again, but his alpha is too strong. Jack twirls him around, and Robby's eyes lock on Javadi and Whitaker, who are brushing themselves off.

"They're okay. Look, they're okay."

His pups are not okay. They're shaken and trembling. They need to be in a nest. He places gentle hands on Javadi's shoulders and does a quick check. She's okay, but her arm will likely bruise. The need to rip that alpha's head off his shoulders intensifies.

"Good job, Dr. Mom," Santos says. "I've never seen anything like that before; badass."

He whips around and checks her over, too. Everyone is okay, but they're too exposed here. Need a nest. Why doesn't he have a nest here?

Robby pulls himself out of Jack's arms and rounds up his pups. They need to get somewhere safe. He guides them through the halls, head on a swivel for any threats. Thankfully, his alpha is following quickly behind.

"Uh, Dr. Robby--" Whitaker starts. Robby shushes him and crowds all of them into a supply closet.

It's a tight fit. The pups are squashed together, and Robby's frame alone is enough to block the door. Perfect.

"Uh, Robby," Jack says through the door. "Let me just—“ He starts to open the door, but Robby is quick to slam it shut again.

"You out there," Robby says. His voice is gruff.

“But—“

“Safer.”

Jack sighs. “Are you guys alright?” The pups call back assurances, and the soft thud of Jack’s back hitting the door calms Robby a bit. “You’ve got ten minutes but then we have to get doctors back with patients.”

Robby huffs. He’ll keep his pups in here as long as he has to.

He checks each one diligently. Santos is a perfect bill of health, Whitaker is going to have a sore back from the harsh landing on the floor, and he admitted to knocking his head, so they’re ordering a CT no matter how much he argues.

His poor baby Javadi already has a horrible hand shaped bruise blooming on her arm. Robby pulls her into his chest and keeps her there, her thin arms wrap around him and heartbreaking little sniffs muffle against his scrubs.

Tentatively, Whitaker reaches out and strokes a soft hand over Javadi’s shoulder. Robby pulls him into too, then looks at his last pup.

Santos shuffles back and forth on her feet before rolling her eyes and letting out an exaggerated sigh. “Well, if everyone is doing it.”

With all his pups safe in his arms, Robby’s mind begins to come back to him. When Jack opens the door, his instincts have calmed enough to let the pups go, but not enough to forget Whitaker’s CT.

“Tough luck, kid,” Jack tells him. “What Mom says goes.”

Santos salutes them. “Thanks for the break.”

And baby Javadi lingers between them. “Um, thank you… Dr. Robby.”

“You don’t have to thank me,” he says. “We all wanted you to be safe.”

“Yeah, but, the hug.” She looks at her feet and whispers, “my real mom wouldn’t have done that.”

It’s only Jack’s hand on his chest that stops Robby from snatching her up again.

“You can always come to us,” Jack tells her. “Robby always has a good hug in him.”

She nods, thanks them again, and disappears into the ED. Robby’s heart thuds at the sight.

Jack chuffs and kisses his cheek. “Everyone’s okay,” he says. “Good job, Mama.”