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Hangman: Can I borrow a sock?
Phoenix: a singular sock?
Rooster: you know they make things you can stick your dick in now, right?
Coyote: that’s rich coming from you
Rooster: you wouldn’t dare
Bob: ew it’s too early for this
Fanboy: wait they do?
Phoenix: you can have one of mine Bagman
Hangman: It’s too small
Payback: that’s never happened to you before
Bob: lol
Rooster: lmao
Hangman: :(
Hangman: ur all assholes
Hangman: and actually my laundry came back without one of my socks so fuck y’all
Bob: omg he even texts in Texan
Hangman: guys
Hangman: can I borrow a sock or not??
Coyote: I have a pack I haven’t opened yet
Hangman: I just need one
Coyote: keep the pack bro
Hangman: bro
Rooster: uh
Rooster: in other news
Rooster: Mav’s been reading these texts over my shoulder
Phoenix: BRADLEY
Instead of standing at the podium as he usually did when he lectured, Maverick had taken a seat on the end of the first desk in the row, legs swinging because they didn’t touch the ground. When he glanced over, Hangman was stifling a snort at this fact.
“I will ground you,” Maverick said to him. The smirk fell a little. In the third row, Rooster got up for the third time in half an hour.
“Kid, can you tinkle after class? I’m trying to make a point here.”
No response. Rooster went down the aisle and out the door. Maverick figured he was still trying to live down this morning.
“Ooooookay! I guess the lecture is over. Everyone go and do your preflight checks and we’ll make a start on some flight plans.”
“Can’t he hold it?” Someone muttered in the background. Maverick pointed in the general vicinity of where it had come from.
“Shush. We don’t make potty jokes, we are adults.”
The room laughed. None of them were adult enough not to laugh at potty humour.
Phoenix pulled on her helmet but left the buckle under her chin undone for the time being, leaving the women’s change rooms to find the others. Bob was near the entrance to the hangar, waving at her.
“Ready to go?”
“Yeah, I’m so ready to kick some Hangman ass. Maybe knock him down a peg or many.”
“Jeez; confident much?”
“I feel like if we don’t knock his confidence down a couple notches he might not fit in the jet with the size of his ego.”
“Bagman will be Bagman.”
Bob only looked slightly bothered by their colleague’s antics, used to the bullshit he pulled in the air on a daily basis. It tended to piss Rooster off and he was scary in the air when he was pissed.
Rooster came out of the bathroom with a sigh, knowing he couldn’t fly. He’d been feeling off for a couple of days, starting with side pain then he had a niggling cramp in his stomach, followed by the need to pee every thirty seconds.
Last time he checked, he wasn’t pregnant.
I’ll leave that one there.
He went down the hallway and out into the hangar, pulling his sunglasses over his eyes when the scorching San Diego summer heat hit him like a bus. Maverick was checking over his jet when he saw Rooster approaching and called out to him, waving him over. Rooster joined him near the nose, waiting for Maverick to be done before he turned his attention to his godson.
“Everything okay, Roo?”
“Uh.”
Rooster’s gaze fell to the tarmac. Maverick sighed.
“C’mon, out with it. I love you but I’m not going to force it out of you if you’re not ready to say it.”
Rooster winced.
“I can’t… go up. In the jet.
That had Maverick’s full attention. He felt for a fever instinctively, then chased his godson’s gaze with his own to get any indication of what was going on.
“Okay. Do you want to tell me why?”
“… no?”
“Is this one of those things where if you think you tell me, I’m going to force you to go the doctor-“
Rooster paled.
“Please, don’t.”
“Roo, I wouldn’t unless it was serious. Tell me what’s going on.”
His shoulders relaxed, no longer his I’m overcompensating for how shitty I feel posture but closer to his usual stance.
“Uh, my- my back… hurts.”
“Did you want to elaborate? Kid, I feel like I’m pulling teeth here.”
“Mav, I’m not flying today. Got it?”
Rooster spun on his heel, about to exit stage left. Maverick sighed.
“Bradley! If you can’t fly, you need to go and see the infirmary. Get cleared before you go in the air again.”
His eyebrows knitted together.
“Yeah. You got it, Mav.”
Maverick knew Rooster was not going to the infirmary, but he was a grown adult. It had to be a decision he made on his own.
Phoenix: I thought Rooster was literally gonna pee himself earlier
Bob: isn’t that a sign of an STD?
Phoenix: I’m not touching that with a ten foot pole
Phoenix: also why was that your first concern??
Bob: thought you said you weren’t gonna touch it?
Phoenix: shut up.
Bob: lol
The knock on the front door, frantic and impulsive, was enough for Amelia to fly out of bed and leg it to her mother and Maverick upstairs, knocking quietly on the door before she snuck in and shook her mom’s shoulder.
“Mom,” she whispered, “there’s someone at the door. You gotta check the cameras.”
Penny frowned, untucking herself from Pete’s side to reach for her phone. In a couple of taps she had the front door’s camera feed, frowning.
“Wait, that looks like- is that- oh, it’s Bradley!”
Penny reached over and gently woke Maverick, pressing a kiss to his cheek.
“Your kid’s here.”
“How come he’s my kid between the hours of 9pm to 6am?” Maverick muttered, yawning as he scratched at his face.
“Honey, I’m sorry, but he’s your kid outside of those hours too.”
She watched as Maverick got out of bed, thankfully in sweats and a t-shirt, and padded downstairs.
“I wanna go say hi,” Amelia said. Penny put a hand on her shoulder.
“Maybe give it a minute.”
Maverick winced at the crisp morning air, pulling open the front door.
“Bradley, it’s early- and you’re sick. Okay, you better come in.”
He pulled at Rooster’s bicep, sighing at the way he was hot to the touch.
“Do you want to tell me now?” Maverick asked. Rooster nodded.
“It hurts.”
“Where. Show me.”
Rooster gestured to his back, followed by his side.
“And you have to pee a lot?”
“All the fucking time.”
“Is there something you’re not telling me? Oh my god, I cannot be a grandfather now.”
“I already made that joke.”
“Damn.”
The pair exchanged a look. Maverick reached up to brush a hand through Rooster’s curls, steering him toward the couch.
“I’m going to call ahead to the infirmary, see if we can get you in and out.”
“This is gonna really suck,” Rooster whispered. Maverick helped him lie down, then tucked a throw pillow under his head and tossed a blanket over his body.
“Okay, lie here and I’ll call the infirmary. Is there anything else I can tell them now?”
“My stomach hurts too, but the back pain is more uncomfortable.”
“Alright kid. Thanks for telling me.”
Rooster was already wriggling, blanket pulled off.
“I gotta pee again.”
Maverick rolled his eyes, reaching for his phone and dialling through to the base’s directory before being bounced through to the infirmary.
“Good morning, this is Ella.”
“Hi Ella, it’s Captain Mitchell. I was just wondering how busy the infirmary is today.”
“Oh, um… it’s pretty busy, sir. There was an incident involving some pasta, a fence and a 4x4.”
“How long do you think I should wait before coming in?”
“Is it urgent?”
Maverick glanced over at Bradley when he stumbled from the bathroom, taking in the way he curled up on the couch.
“No, he can wait.”
“Who is this in regards to?”
“Lieutenant Bradley Bradshaw.”
“Not a problem sir, when the wait dies down a little I can give you a call. Are your contact details up to date?”
“Should be. Does Lieutenant Bradshaw need anything other than his base ID and his license?”
“Just himself, sir.”
“Great, thank you so much for that. I guess we’ll see you later.”
“See you then, sir.”
Maverick hung up and turned to the couch, putting a hand on Rooster’s forehead again.
“Does anything else feel out of sorts?”
“Nauseous, but not like I’m gonna be sick. I’m just… uncomfortable. And my back hurts.”
“Okay, try and go back to sleep, me and Penny are just in the kitchen.”
Penny offered a fresh cup of coffee and Maverick sighed in relief.
“You’re a godsend, Penny.”
“I know. What’s going on, how sick is he?”
“I can’t figure it out. He says his back and side hurt. He’s warm to the touch but it’s pretty normal for him to get a fever even when he’s mildly sick.”
“Where on his back?” Penny asked, putting her coffee down as her brows furrowed.
“His lower back. He hurt it playing baseball years ago, but it shouldn’t be still bothering him now-“
“-is he still awake?”
“Probably.”
“Be right back.”
Penny strode back down the hallway to the living room, crouching by where Rooster was definitely not asleep.
“Bradley, I gotta ask you something and it’s kind of personal.”
“At this point, what even is personal,” he whispered. Cracking an eye open he winced at the cramp that shot through his stomach. Penny leaned in close and whispered to him, Maverick standing back to watch. When Rooster nodded her brows furrowed in sympathy.
“Oh honey, you poor thing. How long has this been going on?”
“Couple days…”
“You were in the air yesterday, weren’t you?”
“Mmhmm.”
“Okay, I think I know what’s going on.”
She stood, brushing a hand through Rooster’s curls before moving back into the kitchen. Amelia had come downstairs, no longer interested in waiting, and was drinking her mother’s coffee.
“What’s the verdict?” She asked. Penny glanced into the living room for a moment.
“I think it’s pyelonephritis.”
Maverick raised an eyebrow.
“In English?”
“Okay, so… here.”
She jabbed Pete in the side and he giggled.
“Stop, that tickles!”
“He’s got pain there, which is around where your kidney should be.”
“Oh, I don’t have one on that side.”
“You don’t- that is a conversation for later. How are you even cleared to fly? Anyway, pyelonephritis is an infection in the kidney. It often starts as a urinary tract infection but if untreated it can go up.”
Maverick grimaced.
“Sounds painful.”
“It’s definitely uncomfortable. It can present closer to a stomach bug sometimes.”
“Should I call the infirmary back? Get him in sooner?”
Penny reached forward, pressing a kiss to Maverick’s lips.
“It’s sweet that you’re worried about him.”
“Ew,” Amelia muttered from behind them. Maverick glanced over at her.
“Aren’t you supposed to be, like, passed out still? I thought teenagers these days were nocturnal.”
“Shut up. I was… worried. It’s not like him to show up at the asscrack of dawn.”
“Language,” Penny and Pete scolded her simultaneously. They glanced at each other and snorted.
“Anyway. The infirmary said they’d probably be okay to take him in a couple hours. If he gets worse I’ll pull strings.”
Maverick put his coffee down.
“I’m going to go and get some more sleep. This could get messy and I’m going to need all the sleep I can get.”
“I’m going to get started on the laundry,” Penny sighed. Pete hesitated.
“Want some help?”
“I want you not to touch my washing machine with a ten foot pole.”
“What? Why?”
Penny raised an eyebrow.
“White socks, Pete. White socks.”
“It was one time- I’m sorry, honey.”
“They were orange!”
Amelia snuck away from the squabbling, into the living room where she found Bradley asleep on the couch. For now he was out but she could see the way he occasionally grimaced in his sleep. She saw the blanket on the back of the couch and pulled it over him, frowning as she went back down the hallway to her room.
Now that she was awake, she had plenty of time to build her mega mansion in the Sims.
Hangman: it’s quiet
Hangman: too quiet
Phoenix: I hate to say it
Bob: he’s right
Coyote: hang on lemme check
Payback: ?
Coyote: nope, it’s not raining cats and dogs
Bob: no Bagman’s right it’s been too quiet since Rooster scampered yesterday
Phoenix: I knocked on his door he’s not there
Fanboy: did you call Mav?
Phoenix: you wanna tell him we lost his godson??
Payback: fuck no
Coyote: how could we have lost him if we didn’t know he was gone in the first place??
Hangman: literally the definition of lost him
Coyote: see if I defend your ass next time
Hangman: love u
Phoenix: does anyone have Penny’s number?
Bob: yeah lemme text her
Fanboy: what
Payback: how?
Hangman: ;)
Phoenix: ew Bagman
Coyote: cool let us know
“Pete, your kids are wondering where Rooster is.”
“What makes you say that?”
Penny passed her phone to Pete, him doing a quick skim before he sighed and reached for his own.
“I got this.”
Maverick: Rooster’s with me
Phoenix: is he okay??
Hangman: what happened??
Coyote: glad to hear it pops we were worried
Fanboy liked Maverick’s message
Payback liked Maverick’s message
Bob: do you need us to do anything?
Maverick: he’s going to the infirmary. No training today unless you want to chase Cyclone down
Coyote: meet you guys at the beach later?
Phoenix: I’m gonna get my tan on
Hangman: I’m sleeping under the AC all day it’s too fucking hot
Coyote: that sounds way better than sand in the asscrack
Maverick: and I’m done
“There, sorted. They can entertain themselves for today. I’m gonna go check on Roo, see if he needs anything. It should only really be another hour or so before the doctor is ready for him.”
Pete got out of bed, then paused when he heard something downstairs. He frowned, tugging on a pair of jeans and his jacket.
“Hey.”
Penny caught him by the hand, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and pressing a kiss to his cheek.
“Be kind to him. He’s really stressed out.”
“Yeah, I know.”
He headed down the stairs, hesitating at the base of the stairs.
“Bradley?”
He rounded the corner and found Rooster sitting up on the couch, scrubbing at his eyes.
“Mav, I’m okay. It’s just a little fever, I can sleep it off.”
“Now, see, I know that’s bullshit. C’mere.”
He put his hand to his godson’s forehead, whistling.
“It’s not a little fever, and you’re shaking.”
“That’s not because of the fever.”
Maverick ran a hand through Rooster’s curls.
“Go and get your shoes for me kid, I think we should take you now. Did you take the ibuprofen Penny gave you?”
“Yeah.”
Bradley started getting ready and Maverick pulled a couple of bottles of water out of the fridge.
“Right, let’s go. Do you need anything else?”
“I don’t want to go, Mav.”
Maverick watched the way Bradley avoided his gaze, hesitant and shaking.
“Kid… it’s not the same as your mom-“
“-Pete.”
Penny appeared from upstairs, dressed as well.
“Let’s go, Bradley,” she said softly. His eyebrows shot up, but he followed obediently. Penny collected her purse from the table near the door and they all went out to Maverick’s Jeep. Rooster bundled into the backseat and Maverick heard him whimper. He turned from the driver’s seat, frowning.
“Roo?”
“Mav, please don’t make me go.”
“You’re really sick, honey, it’s not safe to leave you like this,” Penny said softly.
He was quiet for a minute.
“Mav.”
“No, she’s right, Roo, I’m sorry. I’m staying with you the whole time, okay?”
Rooster seemed to accept that, turning his gaze toward the open road. Hopefully he’d be quiet for the rest of the trip- it was making Maverick and Penny’s hearts hurt.
“Lieutenant Bradley Bradshaw?”
Rooster’s eyes snapped to the nurse who had just come out of an exam room, her eyes finding him in the sea of people waiting to be checked out. He glanced over at Maverick who put a hand on his back.
“That’s your cue, kid. Off you go.”
When Rooster didn’t move despite the firm hand on his back, Maverick sighed and got up himself.
“Okay Roo, c’mon, come with me. Let’s go.”
He led the way confidently to the doctor, feeling the way Rooster’s hand grasped on to the back of his jacket as he practically cowered behind his godfather. Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw was confident, charming, kind and mostly outgoing- he never acted like he was going to shit himself if someone said boo.
Yet here he was, clinging to Maverick in the same way he used to as a kid going to get shots. If he could’ve, he probably would have jumped into Maverick’s arms and refused to go anywhere. Maverick sent a look to Penny who waved from her seat in the waiting room.
“Call me when you want to be picked up.”
“Thanks, Pen.”
The doctor opened the exam room and Maverick walked through but Rooster paused at the doorway.
“Mav, I- I’m okay. We can go- we can go home-“
“-no, Rooster.”
“You heard him. Last I checked, he’s an adult.”
Maverick glared at the doctor. That was not helpful.
“Just a minute.”
He stepped back closer to his godson, frowning.
“Listen to me- hey, stop for a sec. I know your anxiety is going through the fucking roof right now, but I need you to keep your eyes on me. This is really important, Bradley. I don’t want to scare you but we need to nip this in the bud now. It’s not something you can sleep off or sweat out.”
Rooster’s eyes darted around the room, breathing going a million miles an hour.
“Does he come on your deployments too? Hold your hand in the jet? Rock you to sleep at night?”
Maverick’s eyebrows shot up but Rooster was already moving, yanking himself out of Maverick’s grasp.
“I can’t- I gotta- Mav-“
“-you’re okay, you’re safe-“
“-oh jesus, the daddy problems are strong, huh? A grown man sobbing at the thought of coming into a doctor’s office; last time I checked even my five year old doesn’t do that.”
“Bradley you gotta breathe kid, I need you to breathe. Don’t listen to him, he’s full of shit. You’re scared, it’s okay.”
Maverick reached out to touch him, but Rooster span on his heel and he was gone in seconds. Maverick facepalmed, turning to the doctor who had just made everything so much worse in a matter of seconds.
“Did you read his fucking file?”
“Why would I read his file?”
Maverick stared blankly. He wished he’d recorded everything that happened.
“Do you even know his first name?”
The doctor went to glance toward his booking tool but Maverick snapped his fingers.
“Eyes on me. What’s his fucking name?”
“Why does it matter to you? I can’t disclose that information. HIPAA and all that.”
Maverick took a deep breath.
“His name is Bradley Bradshaw,” he began slowly, “and everything you just blurted, the second you opened your mouth, you scared the living shit out of him.”
“What? Scared of the doctor? He’s in the Navy-“
“-and his- his mother- I don’t have to explain to you. How dare you say what you did?”
“He was not worth my time. I don’t have to see people like that.”
“What do you mean… people like that?”
“People who don’t give me what I want. Why should I waste it trying to get through to them? If they want to tell me, great. If not, don’t waste my fucking time.”
Maverick waved him off, slamming the door shut behind him as he exited the room. The other patrons in the waiting room all jumped up in alarm. Maverick pointed at the door he’d just slammed.
“Fair warning, that doctor is a waste of your time.”
He glanced around, realising he couldn’t see Rooster.
“Fuck.”
As much as he wanted to go after Bradley, Maverick knew he wouldn’t be willing to accept help until he was ready. He’d been humiliated and he needed time to cool off before Maverick tried again.
The problem was that he didn’t have a lot of time; Maverick had done some googling, and untreated pyelonephritis could lead to nerve damage. If Bradley didn’t get help he wouldn’t be able to fly. Nerve damage was pretty serious.
He called Penny without really thinking about it.
“That was quick; did he get antibiotics?”
“Uh, no. No, didn’t even get into the exam room. The doctor- the doctor said these awful things, sent Bradley flying out of the room before he could even get his temperature checked.”
Penny was silent for a moment.
“Where is he now?”
“I’ll text Phoenix to check on him. The doctor- he totally humiliated him. I’d be surprised if I could get him into the infirmary ever again.”
“I’m sorry, Pete. What are you going to do now?”
“Nothing. There is nothing I can do unless he lets me in and even then, by the amount of people I saw walk out of that waiting room, I have a feeling that doctor will be the only one available for the rest of the day.”
“I’m coming to get you now. Call Phoenix, someone has to make sure Bradley’s conscious.”
Maverick hesitated.
“Pen?”
“Yeah?”
“You don’t think… did I do this?”
“No, Pete, you didn’t. You knew Bradley was stressed out, you did everything you could. He needs help, but you can’t force it on him.”
“What if he gets worse? Because I forced him?”
“That’s not what I said. Look, I’m on my way. Hold tight.”
Penny hung up and Maverick flicked into his texts.
Maverick: can you please go and knock on Rooster’s door?
Phoenix: ??
Maverick: it’s not my story to tell. Just make sure he’s breathing
Phoenix: of course sir
Phoenix: do I need to know anything?
Phoenix: he’s not going to, like, projectile vomit on me or something is he??
Maverick: what?
Maverick: no
Maverick: probably not
Maverick: look please just check on him
Phoenix: I’ll call you if I need anything
Maverick: I’m going to meet Cyclone but Penny has her cell and the others are still on base right?
Phoenix: I think so
Phoenix: you’re willingly going to meet Cyclone??
Maverick: I gotta go
Maverick was on a mission. Barrelling into the office building, Cyclone’s receptionist managed to stop him at the last minute.
“Captain Mitchell, sir-“
“-is he here? I need to see him.”
“Admiral Simpson is in a meeting, sir, and he won’t be-“
“-Maverick? What’s wrong?”
Warlock had appeared from his office and made his way to the administration desk, eyebrows furrowed in concern.
“I just took Rooster to the infirmary and there was an altercation.”
“What? Between you and Lieutenant Bradshaw?”
“No. The doctor humiliated him.”
“What was the doctor’s name?”
Maverick squinted, trying to remember before his eyebrows shot up.
“Useless. Doctor Fucking Useless.”
“Maverick.”
“Fine. It was Doctor Tate.”
Warlock’s gaze drifted to Cyclone’s door.
“Come with me. He just tells his assistant to say he’s busy so no one barrels into his office without warning. I think he’s just doing emails right now.”
Warlock knocked once, twice, followed by two short taps- some kind of code.
“Come in.”
Warlock stepped into the room, grinning.
“Cyclone, I think I’ve got something to brighten your day.”
“It can’t get much worse than- Captain Mitchell. What, you blew up another jet? Warlock, I thought you said better, not substantially worse.”
“Sir, I had an altercation with a doctor this morning.”
“I still don’t get it.”
“It was about Rooster. He’s sick, sir, and the doctor pretty much humiliated him out of feeling safe.”
Cyclone put down his pen.
“Sit. Tell me what happened.”
Only an hour later, Doctor Tate had been giving his marching orders. When Cyclone had approached the Head of Medical about deploying the doctor elsewhere, the Head had pretty much beamed and asked if he had grounds for a firing. Cyclone shrugged and signed the paperwork whilst whistling and admiring the warm air outside.
“It’s really nice outside,” he said as he wrote his name on the discharge forms, “too bad it’s so hot or it would be a good day for the beach. Right, Captain Mitchell?”
“Absolutely, sir, maybe once it hits the afternoon it’ll be a good idea to head on to the sand,” Maverick said, also looking out the window. The Head of Medical practically giggled with glee the second the paperwork was complete.
“Sir, you have made my day.”
“Not as much as Captain Mitchell made mine. I was in the mood to fire someone.”
Then he leaned forward.
“Let this be my first and only warning. Vet your staff or I will.”
“Y-yes… yes sir.”
Suddenly the Head of Medical wasn’t smiling or giggling. They suddenly disappeared into their office and Cyclone turned to Maverick.
“How is Rooster?”
“He won’t speak to me. He’s… embarrassed. Humiliated.”
“Hm. Is someone going to check on him?”
“Phoenix- Lieutenant Trace, sir.”
Cyclone nodded.
“Keep me in the loop. No one should be humiliated by a doctor.”
Cyclone walked away, leaving Maverick standing in the office of the infirmary. His phone buzzed insistently.
“Tash?”
“Mav, I’m not sure what he was like this morning, but Roo- Roo isn’t good. He’s burning.”
“Has he said anything?”
“He keeps saying his back hurts? I don’t- I dunno, Mav, it’s not good. I can try and get him into the shower but I think he might lose his shit if I try.”
“Leave it to me, I gotta make some phone calls. Hang tight Tash, thank you for watching him.”
“Yeah, you got it. I hope you’ve got some good ideas, Mav, he’s really sick.”
“I know, Phoenix. I know.”
Maverick: you remember that doctor in Chicago??
Maverick: the one who called you when Roo was in that car accident
Hangman: Choi? Yeah
Hangman: why?
Maverick: would he have contact with Dr Halstead or Dr Rhodes?
Hangman: yeah both of them actually considering they all work together
Hangman: ur making me nervous Mav
Maverick: it’s a long story
Maverick: can you please just send through their contact details
Hangman: uh okay? Hold on a minute
Five minutes later, Maverick’s phone buzzed right as he was leaving the infirmary.
Hangman sent a contact: Connor Rhodes
Hangman sent a contact: Will Halstead
Hangman: I have Detective Halstead too btw
Maverick: of course you do
Hangman: he is a MARRIED man, Maverick!
Hangman: I would never
Maverick: well I’m glad we clarified that
Maverick: anyway I gotta get Rooster to a hospital talk later
Hangman: WHAT
Phoenix dialled the number Maverick had sent her and the facetime call immediately picked up.
“Trace, how can I help?”
“Doctor Rhodes, hey. Uh, listen, I’m not sure if you remember… you helped a friend of mine almost a year ago, after a car accident-“
“-how could I forget? You and your team ran our hospital for the week. It was the highlight, we talked about it at the Christmas party.”
Phoenix burst out laughing.
“Glad to hear it. Dr Rhodes, it’s Rooster- Bradley. Bradley Bradshaw. Your patient.”
“Is everything okay?”
Connor’s eyebrows furrowed and Phoenix shook her head.
“Rooster’s really sick, and when he went to the infirmary he was already pretty wound up.”
“He’s got a thing about doctors-“
“-yeah, well, it’s probably gotten a hundred times worse now.”
Connor seemed confused through the shitty video. Phoenix winced.
“From what I could get out of Rooster and Mav, apparently the doctor said some really shitty things. The doctor, he- uh. He humiliated Rooster and he is refusing to talk to Mav or go to the hospital.”
“Are you fucking kidding me? He really- shit. Okay, if you want, I can try and talk to him, but there’s only so much I can do from Chicago and once I leave, technically I’m no longer board certified.”
“We understand, it’s just- you and Doctor Halstead showed him what good doctors are supposed to do. I know you can’t do a lot but technically you’re not leaving Chicago and you’re not providing medical advice.”
“The AMA doesn’t love the word technically,” Doctor Rhodes replied. He sighed.
“Can I talk to him?”
“Let me see.”
Phoenix made her way to Rooster’s room, knocking on the door. When he didn’t answer she poked her head in; his eyes were darting around the room, wide-eyed and scared out of his mind.
“Okay, passing it over. Hey, Roo, you remember Doctor Rhodes?”
“Yeah. I don’t want to talk to him.”
“Five minutes, Bradley. Give me five minutes, you can time me.”
Phoenix passed the phone over and quietly backed out of the room, closing the door behind her.
“Hey, Bradley. I can still call you Bradley, right?”
“Sure.”
“Great. Bradley, I want to let you know now that I’m going to do as much as I can, but if it requires antibiotics you’ll need to go and see a doctor in San Diego. Do you understand?”
Rooster nodded.
“Okay. Now, you and I both know you are scared shitless of doctors, but do you think you can tell me what’s going on?”
“Um. I- I don’t know. I think… my back hurts.”
“Can you tell me where it hurts? Your shoulders, neck, middle back or lower back?”
“Lower- lower back, and my side. Penny, Mav’s girlfriend, she said it could be… pyelonephritis? Is that how you say it?”
“I couldn’t confirm that without a urine sample, but tell me a little more. Are you hot, cold?”
“I feel like my skin is on fire.”
Bradley and Doctor Rhodes spent a couple of minutes chatting, then Doctor Rhodes cleared his throat.
“I think Penny is right. From what you’ve told me, from your pain and your fever, pyelonephritis would make sense. Uh, the problem is, however, that-“
“-I have to go to a… yeah.”
“Correct. Look, I want to give you some breathing exercises and we’re going to come up with a strategy to work with your fear of hospitals. It’s okay, Bradley, to be scared, but it can’t rule your life. When you’re this sick, you need to go to the hospital.”
Connor scooted forward on his chair.
“Now Bradley, these only work if you want them to work, so I need you to try really hard to focus. I know you feel like shit and sometimes kidney infections can make your stomach kind of funny, but this is really important.”
Rooster knew exactly what Connor was doing- redirecting his focus- but his mind was racing and he was panicking-
“Bradley! Bradley, hey. Look at me.”
Connor’s voice was echoing through the shitty video feed and Rooster’s gaze snapped to the phone in his hand.
“You with me?”
“Yeah.”
“Alright, good job, let’s see how we go. And Bradley, one last thing before we start; I’m not going to call Captain Mitchell. This stays between you and me.”
Rooster’s eyes welled. He sniffed, scrubbing at his face.
“Um, thank you. Thank you so much.”
The bedroom door opened and Phoenix whipped around, eyes widening when she saw Rooster come out of his room.
“Hey, Roo. How are you feeling, do you need anything?”
“Could you… take me to the hospital? Not the infirmary?”
She leapt up, grabbing her car keys.
“Let’s go.”
Within minutes they were in the car, Phoenix trying not to show just how glad she was that Doctor Rhodes had talked some sense into her friend. Sometimes having another party was useful.
“And, uh, Tash?”
“Yeah?”
Rooster’s eyes fell to the dash.
“Do you think you could call Maverick? When we get there?”
“Of course.”
She reached over, her hand on the back of his neck.
“I’m sure Doctor Rhodes would tell me off so hard right now, but I need you to know I’m really proud of you for asking to go to the hospital even when it’s probably the last thing you want to do. It’s really brave, Roo.”
“Now I just gotta get in the door. He said it’s important to break it down into smaller pieces.”
“Okay, then let’s go smaller. All you have to do right now is get to the hospital.”
Rooster glanced at her.
“Yeah. Thanks.”
“Maverick.”
“Hey, Mav. Good news; Rhodes managed to talk some sense into Roo.”
Maverick raised an eyebrow.
“Talk some sense into him?”
“Yeah. Despite his scary high fever, Rooster’s been pretty chatty so far.”
“Wait, you’re at the hospital? Right now?”
“We just got here, he’s talking to the nurse. But Mav; it’s looking good, and he made me promise to call you when we got there.”
“Did he say anything else? Can I talk to him?”
“Uh, not yet, but I think you should make your way over. Despite his sudden burst of energy there is still something nasty going on in his kidney and he could use you by his bedside.”
“Okay, I will. Tash, well done, and thank you.”
“No need to thank me, Cap, it was that Doctor in Chicago. Can we get him on the payroll?”
“Fuck no.”
Maverick chuckled, immensely proud of Phoenix and Rooster.
“I’ll be there soon. Keep me updated.”
“You got it, sir.”
Rooster stirred a little over an hour after he’d seen the nurse to a hand on his shoulder gently shaking him awake.
“Bradley.”
“Mav?”
“Hey, kid.”
“Mav.”
Bradley threw himself off his chair and Maverick barely stabilised the two of them, wrapping his arms around Rooster’s neck.
“I’m so proud of you,” he whispered softly, sighing as he pressed a kiss to his godson’s hair, “so proud.”
They separated and Phoenix, who had been reading a magazine, cleared her throat.
“Good from here, Mav?”
“Thanks, Tash, for everything.”
“Bradley Bradshaw?”
The nurse called his name and Rooster glanced first at Maverick, then at the exit.
“You’re okay,” Maverick said softly from behind him, “you’re not alone.”
When the doctor came into the room the hand Rooster’d had resting on the arm of the chair shot to Maverick’s. Maverick glanced over at him, catching his eyes.
“You’re good. Doctor Rhodes wouldn’t have sent you here if he didn’t think you needed it.”
“My name is Doctor Locke, I’m one of the ER doctors on today.”
The doctor took a seat on her chair, glancing between Maverick and Rooster.
“This your dad?” She asked Bradley after a moment. He hesitated, before nodding.
“May as well be.”
“And you’re okay if he’s with you?”
“Yes ma’am.”
“Okay, then let’s get started. Bradley, what brings you into the ER today?”
“It- it, uh, started a couple days ago…”
The doctor and Rooster spoke for a couple of minutes, the doctor occasionally interrupting to clarify. She was jotting notes, but her full attention was on Bradley, listening intently. When his hands started to shake, anxiety kicking in, she immediately noticed.
“Can I ask, Bradley, is there something that is making you nervous about being here? Is there something I could do to make you more comfortable?”
Maverick reached over, running a hand over Bradley’s back.
“Is it okay for me to tell her?” He asked him softly. Bradley nodded, so Maverick turned to the doctor.
“I’m not Bradley’s biological father, but I knew his parents before he was born. His father was killed when he was four, but what’s doing his head in is his mother’s death when he was seventeen.”
“Mav, I don’t feel good,” Bradley whispered. Maverick glanced at him, frowning.
“You look a little pale again. Do you think you’re gonna be sick?”
“No.”
“How about we get you up on the exam bed, and we can keep talking?”
Doctor Locke helped Rooster up and over to the exam bed, strong despite her smaller stature. As Rooster told the story of the shitty doctor who hadn’t even let him into the exam room, she lifted his shirt. As she carefully poked and prodded, she listened to Rooster and Maverick talking.
“I’m sorry that doctor was so awful, and I’m really glad you came here,” she said after a minute. Maverick watched her wash her hands, and immediately decided he’d be taking Rooster to her if he ever needed anything again. She was incredible.
“Well, from what you’ve told me about today, and the symptoms you’ve been having, I think you’ve got pyelonephritis. It’s-“
“-an infection in the kidney, my girlfriend predicted it with his symptoms.”
The doctor looked impressed.
“Marry her. Pyelonephritis is more common in women, yes, because of the way our reproductive system works, but it’s still relatively normal for men to get them too. I checked your appendix and there’s no inflammation either which is a good sign.”
“So where to from here, Doctor Locke?” Maverick asked softly. She glanced over at Bradley, wincing sympathetically at the way he was going green again.
“Well, first thing’s first, unfortunately I’m going to need a urine sample. Can you do that for me?”
When he nodded she smiled.
“Great. Next we’re going to get you started on a course of antibiotics to curb your infection.”
“Ah, one little problem; he’s a fighter pilot with the US Navy, so we might need a medical certificate… or four.”
“Not a problem, that’s easy. From there, Bradley, you seem to be pretty in tune with your body… keep an eye on your symptoms. Get lots of sleep, and drink water like there’s no tomorrow. If you’re not going to the bathroom every one to two hours, you’re not drinking enough. Do you understand? If you’re not getting better after a week on the antibiotics I want you to come back and we’ll do some more tests.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he agreed. Apparently the wave of nausea was subsiding as he sat up and pulled his shirt back down.
“And one last thing. Bradley, I understand that you have been through a lot, but I want to recommend someone to work with you regarding this anxiety you’ve been having about doctors and hospitals. If you had had appendicitis, it could have been left too late and that is the last thing I want to worry about. You are young, fit and healthy, you have years left of flying still.”
She cleared her throat.
“Let’s get the plan going.”
An hour later Rooster was discharged, antibiotics in hand, and the doctor’s business card with the name of the practice she worked with when she wasn’t in the emergency department. Maverick couldn’t help the smile on his face as they left, heart going a million miles an hour.
“Bradley. Hey, listen, about the doctor on base-“
“-Mav. He was an asshole. I’m not going back there ever again.”
“Ah, actually, I was going to tell you that Cyclone… fired him. Sent him packing.”
Rooster stared blankly for a moment.
“He’s… gone?”
“Yeah, Roo. After the… incident, this morning, I went to him and bam. Asshole’s gone. The Head of Medicine had been waiting for a reason to fire him, and apparently negligence is a pretty solid one.”
Rooster’s eyebrow raised ever so slightly, then he burst out laughing despite the way he knew he was very unwell.
“Damn, Mav, what the fuck?”
“Actually it was all Cyclone. I simply told him what had happened and the second I mentioned you, it was like a switch was flicked.”
Maverick bumped Rooster’s shoulder.
“Congratulations, you’ve got an admiral on your side. Speaking from experience, it’s incredibly handy- just don’t go buzzing any towers, hm?”
“You literally made me do it last week-“