Work Text:
April 5th, 2025
PTMC ED - 7:12 am
Fuck it if it was technically spring already, winter clearly still had something to say. You were working a night shift when a snow storm evolved into a blizzard having most people stuck in the hospital. The streets were filled with snow, power lines affected and roads closed, the winds kept only emergency vehicles authorized to circulate.
So there you were, stuck at PTMC again for an unknown amount of time. Day shift was going to be understaffed with few people being able to come in, so most of the night crew would stay to work as the rest went on to find a place to sleep and come back to the pitt later on to help out.
Dana and Robby still came in, obviously. Both suffering from a chronic case of workaholism. Robby went on to find Abbot for hand offs and Dana just gave you tired look at the hub.
"Another day in paradise?" Why not annoy her further.
"Yeah, right." She removes her coat shoving it under the counter already eyeing the messy board left for the day. Lena went to the nurse's station on north so they would probably catch up in a minute.
"How did you two still manage to come in with the new ice age happening out there?"
"You think you're the only one that takes ambulance rides? I know people."
"You're never gonna let me live that down, are you?" I was a fun time, come on.
"You know I won't. Okay, here's the deal." She's ready for business already.
"You're gonna ask me to stay longer aren't you?" Like you could leave.
"You're a fast learner, kid. You can go sleep a little now and then I'll wake you up in a couple of hours and you work the rest of the shift. We're still severely understaffed and I don’t have many doctors to spare."
"It's that the best you can do?"
"You can work twenty four hours if you’d like."
"I wouldn't like that, no. Thank you."
"Then go take your nap, nighty night."
PTMC On Call Room - 7:29 am
Stopping by your locker to get your bag you find your usual on call room still empty, opting to set up camp in there while you can. That is until a knock followed by the door opening interrupts you as you take inventory of your snack options.
"Not you again." Of course it's him.
Jack comes in and locks the door after himself like the owns the room. Setting his backpack on the floor next to yours, he then sits beside you with his back against the bed, removing his stethoscope leaving it on the side table.
"Told you to lock the door, what if it was someone else?" He doesn’t look very affected by your frown, perhaps even happy with it. This infuriating man.
"Someone else would apologize for intruding and leave me alone."
"Did you have anything to eat?"
"I think I've been NPO for longer then the patients waiting on surgery, so no."
"What do you have?" He eyes you shoving your hand in your bag looking for whatever food you could find.
"Raided my locker stash, I have granola bars and dry as fuck choking hazard crackers. You?" You push the sad looking snacks between you on the floor.
"Raided the vending machine." The then proceeds to shake his bag onto the previously sad looking pile adding different kinds of chocolate bars and a bottle of gatorade. "Oh and this."
"Girl Scout cookies? Where did you manage to find these?" You grab the box from his hand impressed at his inventory.
"Courtesy of the little group taking shelter in triage. They're making bank." Huh, look at that. "You still wanna kick me out?" He smirks at you now knowing you won't.
"You can stay, but that's just cause the other rooms are probably full by now and your old man spine would give out if you slept on the floor."
"Right, no other reason?" Nope, no reason at all, Abbot.
You don't respond, too busy eating chocolate covered cookies as a pre nap snack.
It's a few hours later when you wake up hearing a knock on the door again, this time followed by Dana's voice as you get up to open it.
"You kids decent?" She tries to look at what she can in the room but the light is still off and Abbot stayed in the bed, taking the wall this time.
"Dana, for the love of god."
"You had your fun, kid. Time to get back to work, we're getting busy."
"We had a vending machine picnic and took a nap, no fun involved."
"Is that what they’re calling it now?" She smirks looking behind you.
You look back finding Jack now sat by the edge of the bed fixing his prosthetic back in place, hair askew as he lights this phone up to orient himself.
"What time is it?"
"Eleven something, ready to get back to it?"
"Nothing good happens before noon. Let's go."
The weather improved with the passing hours but the cases coming in were still mostly critical traumas brought by the ambulances and most of the staff remained snowed in.
PTMC ED - 6:30 pm
It's many hours later when Langdon offers you a sip of his radioactive looking energy drink can once he realizes your exhausted state and you decide to bite the bullet and try it.
"How does that taste?" You barely swallow your very small sip. Disgusting.
"Like regret. This is awful and why I don't drink energy drinks." You return the ungrateful liquid to him.
"How do you work doubles?" He seems impressed.
"On pure spite."
"And coffee." Abbot interrupts you placing a cup in front of you with your name on it on the counter.
"Thank you?" You open the lid realizing it's your usual order from the hospital cafeteria. "Is this poisoned?"
He smiles at your question. "Sure is, take a big sip for me." He leaves after that for an incoming trauma and Langdon follows along, leaving you with your coffee.
PTMC ED Trauma 1 - 7:15 pm
It's past the day shift time now and Jack has been on his feet for the better part of the last twenty four hours. He can’t wait to go home and sleep. Still this case has Robby and him stuck at what to do next.
They try to voice things out again at the corner of the trauma room as the patient remains in a comatose state while intubated, still not stable enough for the ICU.
Robby runs his hands on his face also done with this day. "Okay, roommate called an ambulance after finding her unconscious, they don't know for how long she’s been out and said she’s a quiet girl that keeps it to herself and stays mostly in her room studying."
He nods along. "Even if it was some kind of accidental OD on something to stay awake and study this is not what that looks like. What are we missing?"
"Tox screen is clean we're still waiting on labs on everything else."
You barge in the door right then, phone in hand and out breath. "It's Toxic Shock Syndrome, I managed to get her mom on the phone, she’s on her period and she uses tampons."
"We're still waiting on labs, they're backed up and she would need a lot of medications that will not help her case if it's not TSS." Robby cuts in.
"Or you could treat her for it before she loses a limb or dies, Robby. You know I'm right."
"It's not your case."
"Well, first step is removing the infection source object." You shove your phone in his hands and they look at each other, not stopping you as you get gloves on and step in to remove the patient's tampon. Just then they get the call from labs he picks up himself from the wall phone.
"They just analyzed her samples, toxin-producing staphylococcal infection."
"Gonna push in the medications now?" Okay, you were right.
"You know there are better ways of helping in a case right?" Robby crosses his arms as Jack puts in the orders with the nurses.
"I didn't mean to disrespect my elders but you were both wrong, so. You're welcome." You give them a double thumbs up on your way out of the trauma room after getting your phone back from his hands.
"She did not just say that." Robby laughs at your remark.
"Worse thing is that she’s right." You usually are.
He finds you charting at a work station not long after that, squinting at the screen as you type.
"Ready to go home?"
"I was ready to go home twelve hours ago. I accepted I just live here now."
"The plows cleared the streets enough by now. I'll give you a ride."
"It's fine, I can manage." You finish the chart losing balance as you get up from the rolling chair.
"You're barely standing."
"I didn't exactly plan working a double today." You give him a tired look.
"I know that. Are you ready to go?"
"I'll just catch the bus like always, it's fine." You're so stubborn.
"Yeah? You're gonna sleep on the bus and wake up in Ohio. That's if they’re back running."
"Then I'll walk home." Not if it depends on him.
"And risk frostbite in this weather?"
"I'll take my chances, you're so dramatic. I'll be fine, just go."
"You're the one being dramatic, it's just a ride. Let me just do this one thing for you, for my own peace of mind okay? You don't even have to thank me."
"No, thank you."
"Yeah, right. Go get your stuff." He's not taking no for an answer.
"You're not the boss of me."
"As off this month I am, actually."
You seem to consider it for a moment, finally giving in. "This is entirely for your benefit, not mine." Yeah, right.
He takes your previous seat, watching you get intercepted by Dana in the hub as you walked off to get your bag and coat. He decides to listen in to your conversation, not his fault he's in earshot.
"Leaving so soon?"
"You should feel lucky I didn't run away in the morning. Jack is giving me a ride."
"Jack, huh?" The charge nurse lowers her glasses smirking at you. "He got upgraded to first name basis?"
"Thought I throw him a bone once in a while so he doesn’t get too sad." Ouch. His fault for listening in.
He doesn’t pay attention to the rest of the interaction, opting to fish out his car keys from his bag to get his car warming up as he waits for you to come back with your things. Once you do, he walks you to the parking lot in silence and closes the passenger door for you then getting in his seat to leave the garage.
You're out by the last ramp before he even gets to the street. Head leaning towards your left shoulder as you hug your backpack close, finally resting the double shift away. Seems like he'll have to take you to his place instead, he’s sure you'll protest when you wake up but not much to do about it now.
Jack Abbot's Apartment - 7:49 pm
The noise of the car unlocking startles you from sleep. You look to Jack as he finishes parking in silence.
"I thought you were taking me home."
"You fell asleep before you could tell me your address." How practical of him.
"So you decided to kidnap me instead of waking me up to ask?"
"You looked like you needed the sleep, probably drooled on the seatbelt. Do you want me to drive you home or do you want to crash on my guest bedroom?" He makes a compelling offer.
"Guest bedroom."
"Good answer."
You leave the car and he leads you to an elevator ride in which you spend about 10 seconds sleeping with your face leaning on the wall.
Once he unlocks his apartment's door you come in after him, trying not no outright stare at his private space. It seems spacious and well organized, black out curtains down on all the windows and very warm, like the thermostat will complain about it soon.
"Do you have any weirdly specific house rules I should know about?
"Not really. Just you know, mind the skeletons in the closet." He drops his backpack by the door.
"Are they at least anatomically correct? Cause I've seen some really bad halloween ones."
"They're fine. You want to take a shower?"
"Can I?"
"Yeah. Listen, I'm gonna black out pretty soon. Guest bedroom through there." The points to a hallway near the kitchen. The only light on right now is by the entrance where you're standing. "There should be a towel in the bathroom in that same hallway. My room is behind that door, if you need anything." He then points to an open door near some shelves in his living room. "We'll eat something once we wake up or you can raid my fridge if you’re hungry. Does that sound good?"
"Yeah, good. Can you get me another towel so I can lay my hair on the pillow?"
"You don't want to dry it?"
"I don't think I can stay awake to do it, honestly."
"I can do it for you." You'd think he's joking but he is actually offering by the honest look on his face. Would he quit being nice and offering to do things for you? What is this man doing. If you’re scary when sleep deprived he was too nice.
"It's okay I usually let it dry on its own." You hesitate a little before asking for something else. "I actually don't have anything to wear. I didn't have my overnight bag with me."
He nods walking away to his room. "Follow me."
You stop by the door and he signals with his head for you to walk in once he realizes you're still outside.
"Second drawer, just grab whatever. I'll get your towel." He disappears into what you believe is his bathroom door, leaving you to freely snoop at his sleep clothes that are all so terribly soft and worn and nice smelling.
"You get these in two packs?" You lift up the gray shirt at him once he comes out the bathroom hanging a fluffy towel on your shoulder. He has multiples of different color variations of at least four shirts.
"Three for the price of two, you can have one." Poor Jack, too tired and kind to notice you are making fun of him. You'd gotta bake him some cookies or something to apologize.
After your shower in the hallway bathroom you go into the guest room to finally get some sleep. You toss and turn for a bit until you give up on sleeping alone. Your hair is dry enough not to soak the pillow case so the towel stays behind hanging on the back of a side chair.
When you get to Jack's bedroom door you're not surprised to see it open. He’s sitting on the side of the bed massaging something into his leg. He's in boxers and his hair is wet, looking as tired as you feel. He sees you and a moment passes before he decides to say something.
"Turn the light off and close the door." And you do, no protests this time. You get in his room and walk to the other side of the bed getting under the covers. He does the same and turns to his side to look at you.
"That smells nice."
"It's supposed to help with pain and circulation."
"That's good. Does it?"
"Jury is still out." He waits for his eyes to adjust to the dark of the room and once they do he can see you turned on your side to face him. "You're sure you're gonna sleep with me?"
"Do you not want me to?" You're still looking at him.
That small bed in the hospital was one thing, his bed in his room in his home was a completely different one. He knows it and he knows you do too. But now you're sleepy, tired and honest for once. Not fighting him every step of the way.
"I do."
"Okay, good night." That simple, huh?
He doesn’t dare kissing your forehead opting to touch his nose to your temple instead as you get closer to him. Bad idea, that makes him smell his shampoo on your damp hair, complicating things further.
He wishes you good night back, falling asleep holding his very own dose of melatonin in his arms.
Waking up to the blackout curtains in Jack's room fighting the morning sun wasn’t so bad. It still felt early, the light still cool and the street quiet. The bed was warm but you were alone in it.
He sat by his laptop in the living room. Naked back to you until he heard your steps. Stupid always alert man, he managed to remove his glasses before you could see them enough to make fun of his age for needing them.
"Good morning." He continues to work on something on the dimmed screen as you stand by his bedroom door.
"Morning. What time is it? I left my phone charging in the other room."
"It's 6:37 am."
Fuck. "I slept for 10 hours?"
"Pretty much. Sorry, you looked like you needed the rest."
"You don't have to apologize, it's fine. Did you sleep enough too or?"
"Oh yeah, I got up about half an hour ago." He continues to type.
"What are you working on?" You decide to approach to see if you can get a peak but he closes the screen. Rude.
"An article." Don't be so mysterious.
"What's it about?"
"Redacted technique applied as a treatment for redacted cases."
"Publishing secret?"
"Maybe."
"Interesting."
"I'll let you read it once I get the go ahead."
"Okay." He got up from his chair, putting on a pair or sweatpants he grabbed from the back of his couch. Damn him.
"I'm making breakfast. Any special requests?"
"Something savory and something sweet."
"Demanding. I like it."
"I'm a guest."
"Thought you said you were a hostage." He smiles as steps into the kitchen and you sit on the back of his couch to watch him work. In his stupid gray sweatpants and no shirt.
"Touche." Don't ask me how I like my eggs if you don't want me to jump your bones right now.
He holds the string by the curtains in the kitchen looking back at you. "You ready to see daylight?"
"Go easy on me, old man."
Once he pulls the blackout curtains back and your see the outside world a chill runs down your spine. He must realize your panicking state cause the turns down the stove, looking at you all confused.
"You haven't seen the sun in that long?" If only it was just that.
Just when Jack got used to seeing you standing in his living room wearing his shirt and underwear looking rested, hungry and with a strangely low guard, things seemed to take a turn. Too good to be true, it's his guess. You run off to the guest room coming back with your bag and phone in hand.
"It's not that, I uh, I gotta go."
"I'll give you a ride home, what are you doing running out like this. Let me drive you." He follows you to the entrance wondering what could he have done wrong this time.
So much for being relaxed for once, you were now back to being alert, closed off, and startled even.
He doesn’t even get another word out as you take his keys from the key holder to the door unlocking it yourself. Ready to leave once you get it open, facing him before you speak again.
"No need. I live in the building."