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Jack has been asked to speak at a conference in San Francisco on his work with veterans suffering from PTSD. Despite his best efforts, Robby was not able to find someone to cover for him and Gloria said no when he asked for the day off, so he wouldn’t be able to make the trip too. They hadn’t had a date night in who knows how long and Robby felt a weekend away would do them wonders, but of course as luck would have it, that wasn’t going to be possible. Both men were quite upset about it, Jack didn’t want to be presenting, he hates public speaking and if his husband and family weren’t going to be there, who would talk him down if he started to panic and Robby didn’t like the idea of being across the country from each other for even a weekend. What if something happened to Jack and he wasn’t there to support him?
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“Alright, Jack. I’m going to pull up to the departures gate and drop you off real fast.”
“How ‘bout we just turn around and go home. I don’t want to present anyways”
“It’ll be fine, it’s only 3 days”
“Yeah, but what if something happens to the kids?”
“Good thing, I’m a doctor and can take care of them”
“Don’t work yourself into the ground please. Ellie make sure he eats”
“Will do, dad”
“I’m not a child Jack, I can take care of myself”
“I’m not so sure about that, big guy” Jack said as he patted Jack on his shoulder
“Just get out of the car, please. I don’t want to get a ticket”
Jack leans over the center console and presses a kiss to Robby’s lips. “Love you”
“Love you too. See you in a few days. Have fun, brother!”
“Bye kiddos, please take care of your abba for me”
“BYEEEEEE”
With that Jack gets out of the car, grabs his suitcase and heads into the airport, looking back over his shoulder to see his kids and husband waving to him. He waves back before Robby pulls off
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Robby gets the kids dropped off at school, before heading in for his double. He needed to work his normal Friday dayshift and Jack’s Friday nightshift if he wanted to be home with the kids on both Saturday and Sunday. He wishes he could be with Jack, but Gloria was already on him about his patient satisfaction scores and the efficiency of his ED, so he didn’t want to push when she said no to his vacation request. She claimed she was saying no because of “short notice”, but Robby knew that the real reason had to do with her doubts in regard to his ability to lead the ED.
“No California for you Cap?” Dana said looking up from the computer she was working on when Robby reached the counter of the hub, leaning against it
“Unfortunately not Dana. Wish I could be there for Jack, but Gloria denied my time off request, so instead of medical conference food, networking, and alone time with my husband, I get to work a double and host 10 pre-teen girls for a sleepover tomorrow night”
“Sounds like fun” Dana says chuckling
“Yeah, it’s definitely my definition of fun”
“Is Abbot there yet?”
“No, his flight should be landing in about an hour?”
“While how ‘bout instead of constantly checking the flight tracker app, you go put that big brain of yours to good use and treat some patients?”
“You’re the boss! Who do we got up next?”
“Damn right I’m the boss. Go to South 2, 5 year old girl fell off the monkey bars at school and probably has a broken wrist, should be straight forward” Dana says handing Robby a tablet with the little girl’s chart pulled up
“Sounds good, see you in a little bit”
Robby treats the girl, and as predicted she has a broken wrist. Robby put a pink cast on the wrist and was the first to sign it after the little girl asked if the “superhero who made it stop hurting” would. He was a sucker for the peds patients and would never turn down the chance to sign a kid’s cast, hoping to make their day a little better. On this cast he drew a cat and signed Dr. Robby which brought a big smile to the little girl’s face. He left the room and headed back to the central hub where Dana had her arm outstretched towards him with a sandwich in hand.
“I’m good, thanks”
“Eat it” Dana said glaring at him
“Who put you up to this, Jack or Ellie?”
“Both”
Robby just rolled his eye and grabbed the sandwich taking a bite. While chewing his phone dinged with a message. He pulled it out of his pocket to see who it was
“Abbot”
“Yeah, he’s landed and is at the hotel”
“Your smile suggests you’re leaving something out”
“Well, if you must know, he found the notes the kids and I put in his suitcase”
“Dirty notes?” Dana said suggestively
“What, no?! My kids wrote pep talk notes for him to read before his speech”
“Dr. Robby, were your notes dirty?”
“Maybe a little” Robby said blushing
“Knew it, lover boy”
“Dana stop”
“Fine. Finish your sandwich and then head to North 15 where a teenage girl is here with all the symptoms of mono. Also, Cap I’m working a double with you now”
“Dana you don’t need to babysit me. Go home”
“Who said, I’m babysitting you. Not everything is about you Robinavitch”
Robby just rolled his eyes, grabbed the tablet and headed to North 15 to treat the teen.
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ABBOTS + ABBA 🐰
Jack 🐝 : I’ve landed and I am safely in my hotel room. There was a mix up with my handicap accessible room, but I got it figured out. Just unpacked my suitcase and saw your notes. Thank you, I really appreciate you supporting me, even from 11 hours away. I will definitely be putting those notes in my suit pocket while I present. Love and miss you guys! ❤️ Wish you were here with me
Ellie 🎃: Of course dad! You’re gonna kill your speech! Love you too!
Beau 🏒: Abbots never stay down!
*ELLIE EMPHASIZED A MESSAGE*
Robby ⚓️: are my notes also going to make it into your pocket? 😏
Ellie 🎃: Seriously abba
Jack 🐝 : The one where you call me the best doctor you know, will make the cut
Robby ⚓️: Hmm that’s weird, I don’t remember writing that one 🤔
Jack 🐝 : Well, you did and I have the proof
Robby ⚓️: you are the best doctor I know! Wish I could be there, but I know you’ll kill your presentation soldier
Jack 🐝 : Thanks Cap, I’ll make sure to do PTMC and your ED proud
Robby ⚓️: no need to tell me, I know you will. Gloria will really appreciate your commitment to promoting PTMC, Dr. Abbot
Jack 🐝 : Just doing my job
Jack 🐝 : Ellie can you help with Scottie’s sleepover tomorrow. I forgot it was this weekend, before I came, or else I would have skipped the conference
Ellie 🎃: of course I’ll help, but did someone not read the calendar??? Breaking Abbot-Robinavitch house rule #1
Jack 🐝 : thanks, I appreciate you stepping up!
Jack 🐝 : I have been so focused on this conference and my presentation, that I will admit, I did forget to read the calendar
Beau 🏒: Shame
Robby ⚓️: That’s a week on dish duty
Jack 🐝 : I accept my punishment
Robby ⚓️: Also, I’m an adult, I think I can handle 10 girls sleeping over. It can’t be any harder than running an ED
Jack 🐝 : you are going to regret saying that
Ellie 🎃: don’t worry, I’ll be there
Beau 🏒: may the odds be ever in your favor. Praying for you. Glad I’m at Felix’s for the weekend
Robby ⚓️ : I’m sure it will be fine. I need to get back to work now. Love you Jack, enjoy San Francisco. Send pics and have fun
Jack 🐝 : Have a good rest of your shift
———————————————————————
The next 6 hours pass in a blur. Robby has an hour left of dayshift before his usual team heads home and Jack’s team takes over with Robby at the helm of the ship instead of his husband. Robby is charting at the hub when he starts to hear yelling.
“What is going on??” He says looking up
“Huckleberry lost his psych patient” Santos answers
“Huckleberry?”
“Whitaker” Dana says clearing up the confusion
“We have a psych patient on the loose, right now?” Robby says rubbing his hands down his face
“I’m on it Dr. Robby” Whitaker says running past him
Robby goes back to charting, shaking his head. He is too old to be chasing patients through the ED, he’ll leave that to the younger doctors. He assumes that the patient has been controlled since the yelling has stopped and the Pitt is back to its normal level of chaos. He decides this is the best time to take a quick bathroom break and grab a cup of coffee.
“Dana, be right back” he says as he walks backwards towards the break room
“DR. ROBBY WATCH OUT” Mel screams
Before Robby could react he was hit across the back of the head with an IV pole and dropped to the floor, losing all sense of consciousness
“ROBBY” Dana screams running over to him
“SOMEONE GRAB A GURNEY!” Dana yells once she is kneeling down on the floor assessing Robby’s injuries
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Robby comes to momentarily, as he is being hoisted up from the ground onto the gurney
“Mmmmmmmmm Whatttt’ happennnnnned mmmmmmmmm” Robby slurs
“Princess, Perlah, Mel, Langdon get Robby into Central 12. I’m going to call Abbot real fast”
“No, don’t callll himmmmm” Robby says with a groan as he wheeled into the bay and falls unconscious again
————————————————
Robby groans when his phone’s ringtone pierces the silence of his recovery room. The noise is causing his headache to become unbearable, it has gone from a dull aching pain with occasional spikes as if he is being hit with a hammer, to now feeling as if someone is holding a drilling to every part of his skull. He doesn’t need to look to see who’s calling, he can tell just by the ringtone
“Heyyyyy, I’m good”
“Why am I getting a call from Dana that you were admitted for observation because of a concussion that happened 8 HOURS AGO?”
“I told her not to call you” Robby tried, hoping to call Jack down a little
“MICHAEL JOSPEH ROBINAVITCH, AGAIN I ASK, WHY AM I JUST NOW HEARING ABOUT THIS, IT HAPPENED 8 HOURS AGO AND WHY IS DANA THE ONE TELLING ME?”
“Shhhhh, you’re hurting my head. Maybe because I was unconscious for the first few hours and then I had to get a bunch of scans done and had to get fixed up. You’re a doctor, I would have thought you knew phones aren’t allowed in the scanners”
“Do not try to get cute with me right now Robinavitch”
“I also didn’t want to bother you” Robby whispers
“You’re always bothering me, why stop now?”
“Thanks, jackass”
“You’re my husband, so I want you to bother me, but I also want to know when you are lying on a gurney while I’m across the country. I’m switching this to FaceTime so I can see with my own eyes that you’re okay”
“Jack, that’s not necessary”
“Stop. Talking. And answer my FaceTime”
“Ugh fine”
Robby accepts the video invite and is immediately met with Jack’s face that has concern written all over it
“Oof Mike, you look rough”
“Thanks” Robby says as he adjusts the phone, so Jack can see his entire face
“NOOO, not your pretty face. Well at least it’s only like 5 stitches in your eyebrow”
“Yeah, not bad at all” Robby says with a slight uptick in his voice and looking anywhere, but at Jack
“Michael, what are you not telling me”
“Nothing, I have 8 stitches in my eyebrow”
“Fine, I’ll just call Dana, she’ll tell me everything”
“No, no, don’t call her”
“Then start talking”
“I have the 8 stitches in my eyebrow, plus the 32 in the back of my head” Robby says the last part a little quieter, hoping Jack missed the exact number
“Holy shit brother, I’m coming home”
“No, I will be fine. You have a presentation”
“Screw the presentation you have 40 stitches in your head, you could have a brain bleed”
“They already checked for that Jack”
“At least tell me that you let a plastic surgeon or Collins suture you”
“No, since Dana wouldn’t let me do it myself, I had Javadi do it”
“A MED STUDENT”
“Yeah, good teaching moment. Hey, thanks for calling, but I better go, I should be getting back to the Pitt to finish my shift”
“You better not fucking go back on your shift. If you even attempt, I will have someone put you in restraints”
“I’m just kidding, Dana won’t let me leave this bed. She is making me stay here overnight for observation and hourly concussion checks. The kids are spending the night at her house.”
“Thank god someone has some sense over there. Was there tension in the sutures? Risk of scarring mitigated?”
“Jack, I’m a doctor too”
“No, you’re an idiot who doesn’t know what’s best for him”
“Who are you texting right now? I can see your lips moving as you type out the message”
“I’m texting the parents that the sleepover is cancelled”
“No, don’t do that!” Robby almost shouts as he flies up, only causing him to feel extremely dizzy
“Lay back down”
“Scottie will be upset. I’ll be upset. I can handle the sleepover”
“You can’t even look at the phone. Your eyes have been closed the entire time because it’s too bright and is giving you a migraine”
“I’ll manage”
“Either I cancel it for tomorrow and move it to another day when I can be there to help and you don’t feel like someone is jackhammering your skull or I fly home right now and you explain to Gloria why I am missing the conference”
“Fine, we move it”
“Good. Now get some rest. I’m going to call you in the morning to make sure you didn’t die from a brain bleed overnight”
“Good night Jack”
“Night”
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JACK + ROBBY
*CHIME*
Jack 🐝 : Good morning, still alive?
Robby ⚓️ : Yes
Jack 🐝 : phew, too young to be a widower….again
Robby ⚓️ : shouldn’t you be practicing for your presentation later?
Jack 🐝: Sorry that I wanted to make sure my husband didn’t die
Robby ⚓️ : I appreciate that, really. Did you talk to Scottie, I feel bad?
Jack 🐝: I did last night, she understands, she just wants you to feel better
Robby ⚓️ : Ugh, I’ll make it up to her. I suck as a parent sometimes
Jack 🐝: Robby, stop. You’re a great dad! We are all lucky to have you in our lives. I need to go, they are about to teach me how to run the slides and stuff
Robby ⚓️ : Alright, good luck! You’re going to do amazing
*Jack 🐝 liked a messaged*
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ELLIE + JACK
Ellie 🎃: Hey dad! On my way to pick abba up with Aunt Dana from the hospital, but wanted to wish you wish you good luck with your presentation! Not that you need it
Jack 🕶️ : thanks pumpkin! Please just get abba into bed ASAP when you get home and try your best to keep him there
Ellie 🎃: I’ll try my best, but you know better than me that he is pretty stubborn
Jack 🕶️ : yeah, I do. I’m going to come home tonight, can you pick me up with Beau or Aunt Dana?
Ellie 🎃: YAYYYY!!! Yes of course, Aunt Dana said we’ll be there, just send the flight info. We will even try to sneak out so abba doesn’t try to come with
Jack 🕶️ : just sent it
*Ellie liked a message*
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JACK + DANA
Jack🪖: Hey Slugger, I really appreciate you! I know I don’t say it enough, but you are amazing and an irreplaceable part of mine and Robby’s life and family
Dana 🥊: Soldier, I would do anything for you two! I love you guys more than my own brothers
Jack🪖: We owe you big time
Dana 🥊: No you don’t, you’re my family, so never feel like you need to make anything up to me
Jack 🪖: Well, I’ll see you later, please make sure Robby rests when he gets home
Dana 🥊: don’t worry, I’ve got our guy handled, you just kill the presentation and then come home where you will have to deal with stubborn Robby
Jack🪖: looking forward to being back with my family. Will you stay for dinner tonight? Bring your family
Dana 🥊: I will never turn down a dinner with the Abbot-Robinavitch family
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Robby has made it home and is being forced to stay in his bed. Every time he tries to get up Dana or Ellie is there to force him o lay back down. He is going to try one more time. He swings his legs over the side of the bed and stands, immediately getting dizzy, but he wants to persevere and make it to the dresser to grab the remote. He takes one step and hears:
“ROBINAVITCH, GET BACK IN BED RIGHT NOW”
He hears her footsteps getting closer and rushes to get back into bed, but before he can make it there, she storms in
“Ahh you caught me” Robby says slowly turning around with his hands in the air
“Yeah, what do you need?”
“I want to watch TV”
“Not allowed”
“Why?”
“Neurology says no. It will make your head worse”
“So what”
“Get back in bed and take a nap, I’m taking the remote with me”
“Why are you like this?”
“I’m only looking out for you, captain. I’m going to take El and run an errand”
“Where are you going?”
“Girl stuff, don’t worry about it”
“Hey, Aunt Dana! I’m back! Ready to go pick up dad” Ellie yells up the stairs as she walks through the front door assuming Robby is asleep
“You’re picking up Jack? He isn’t suppose to come home till tomorrow? Why is he coming home early?” Robby says glaring at Dana
“For you idiot”
“Well, I’ll put my shoes on and then we can go”
“You aren’t coming”
“The hell I’m not”
“Robinavitch, you barely made it the 5 minute drive from the hospital to here without throwing up, I don’t think you will make it for the 45 minute drive to the airport and then 45 minutes back”
“Well, I’m going to try. I’ll bring a trash bag and wear sunglasses”
“Well, since it doesn’t seem I can talk you out of this, let’s go, but I warned you and will make fun of you if something happens. You better not throw up in my car”
“I promise”
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The three of them arrive at the airport after the longest drive of Robby’s life and are parked in the arrivals pick-up area.
ELLIE + JACK
Ellie 🎃: here at gate 15
Jack 🕶️ : on my way out
*Ellie liked a message*
“Hey, Slugger, pumpkin…Robby why are you here? I thought you were leaving him at home, he should be resting.” Jack says looking around the car at Dana, Ellie, and Robby as he put his suitcase in the trunk
“Yeah, well, we tried, but it’s Cap and he’s stubborn as fuck and wouldn’t take no for an answer”
“Yeah dad, he’s thrown up like 7 times and those sunglasses haven’t come off his face. He should not have come”
“He is sitting right here and can hear you” Robby says annoyed
“Babe, you are more laying than sitting”
“Well, good to see you too. I pushed passed feeling like absolutely garbage to come pick you up and this is how you are treating me”
“I didn’t ask you to come. I would have preferred you stayed at home in bed and let Dana and Ellie come pick me up. I would have seen you at home” Jack says pressing a kiss to Robby’s temple
“Mhmm, I’m going to be sick”
“You better not throw up in my car Robinavitch. I told you this was going to happen”
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The rest of the night was fine, Dana and her family came for dinner with Jack, Robby and the kids. Robby lasted all of 10 minutes at the dinner table before he took his food up to his room to eat wearing headphones and sunglasses. It took 2 weeks for Robby to feel somewhat normal again, and those 2 weeks proved to be the hardest in Jack’s life and he went to war and lost a leg. Somehow Robby with a concussion is worse than an IED blowing off a portion of your leg.