Archive of Our Own ^omega

      “Only my brother would pick the fucking Fourth of July to be his last day before sabatical,” Y/N muttered as she wormed her way through her wrecked kitchen. She had been up all night and morning, trying to surprise her brother with a sickly-sweet sendoff. She had made cupcakes, challah bread, three batches of cookies, four loaves of sourdough, hummus, roasted pepper dip, and a pizza bake. She was nothing less than prepared. It was almost noon and she was finally ready to pack up and make her way to the hospital to say goodbye. 

      After three trips, she had her car stacked full of treats as well as some paperwork she needed for Frank’s first day back. Y/N might not have been a doctor, but she had a long career in the medical field. She had watched her older brother, Michael, study away for his MCAT exams and found it all too tedious, but liked seeing the good that came out of helping people. She got her degree in social work and started in a small-town hospital helping new mothers who had been struggling post-partem. After a few years, she switched to working in organ donation, helping families through the process and finding hope in their time of loss. Then, after seeing how many donors died due to overdoses, she focused on rehabilitation for those with addiction. 

      As of three years ago, she found herself working the doctors and nurses rehabilitation program with the medical board, called DNRP, helping her brothers and sisters in medicine beat their addiction. Ten months ago, Frank Langdon walked into her office, where she offered a familiar face during his darkest days. She was grateful knowing that he’d get to have one day back with her brother before he took his three month donor-cycle descent into madness trip; it would be good for them, she thought, to clear the air and allow them both to start off on the right foot. That was the goal, anyway…

      The late morning air was hot and thick as the sun sat high in the holiday sky. Y/N knew that the ER was going to be deadly with this heatwave - so much for my icing looking pretty. At least it will taste the same! She decided to walk in with one tray to start, she didn’t want the overworked crew to pounce on her like animals. Knowing that most nurses and doctors don’t get breaks meant any food without a label was fair game when you have a moment between charting. She had spent many nights bringing food to her brother during his early days of rotations just so she could see his face with what little time he could spare between the never ending sea of patients. 

      “Well well well, look what the cat dragged in,” Dana said, with her signature grin and hands on her hips.

      “Dana…glad to see the ship still has her captain,” Y/N chirped. She placed the tray on the desk and gave her a warm hug. “How are your girls doing?” she asked.

      “Ah, you know - same old, same old. I think Junie is going to have a baby soon. I just feel it,” Dana said, patting her tummy, “a mother’s gut is seldom wrong.”

      Y/N laughed, “You’ve got a hell of a track record to prove it.” She looked around, “Say, where’s that old bag a’ bones around here?”

      “Eh, he’s a…taking a minute. We just lost Louie,” she said.

      “What? Really? I just saw him last week!” Y/N exclaimed.

      “Yeah, well…he hemorrhaged. It was only a matter of time,” Dana said, folding her arms across her chest with a wince on her face. “Such a shame.”

      Y/N threw her head back, “Fuck, man…how are you holding up?” she asked.

      Dana nodded and let her arms fall, letting one pat Y/N’s shoulder. “We carry on.” She pointed to a box, “are there more of those, I’m hoping?” her eyes peering over her glasses. 

      Y/N chuckled, “I’ve got two more boxes in the car. Think I can steal Ahmad for a trip?” 

      “Sure, knock yourself out, kid. But,” she paused, pointing her finger at the guard, “she does not get a free entry into the pool. She pays up like everybody else.” 

      Ahmad threw his hands up as Y/N smiled and started walking to her car. “It’s a good thing you came in when you did, this place is gonna be packed soon. And we can all use the boost.” He told her about what happened at Westbridge and who had bet what so far.

      As she began setting the trays down in the break room, Y/N pitched, “Give me $20 on power outage and 34 patients diverted.” 

      “You got it,” Ahmad said, happily taking the cash she pulled from her wallet. “So uh…I get first dibs, right?” he asked, greedily taking in the spread. 

      Before she could answer, Al-Hashimi walked through the door. “Oh, hello,” she greeted them. “What’s all this?” 

      “A little going away present,” Y/N replied. “For Robby. I’m Y/N - his sister,” she said, extending her hand. 

      “Nice to meet you,” she said, shaking Y/N’s hand. “I’m Baran Al-Hashimi, I’ll be filling in for your brother while he’s gone.”

      “Oh, wow!” she cheered. “Another female doctor? Ahmad, Pittsburgh better watch out - dayshift is gonna be a powersquad. You might be out of a job.”

      “Fine by me, as long as I still get these every once in a while,” he said, grabbing two cookies before making his way to the door. “I’m adding you to the board, Y/N- if you win, I’ll make sure Robby hits you up.”

      “Yeah, right- he’ll throw it all in his gas tank,” she said, rolling her eyes.

      Al-Hashimi inspected the table. “You made all of these?” she asked, scanning all the options. 

      “Oh, yeah- I’ve always been good in the kitchen. Michael always told me I should open a bakery or restaurant or something, but that wasn’t my style.” 

      The doctor took a cookie for herself and looked at her, “What do you do?” 

      “I’m a social worker and counselor with DNRP.”

      “The rehabilitation program?” 

      “Yeah,” Y/N smiled. “As much as I love seeing my brother, I’m also here to see Frank - Dr. Langdon. It’s his first day back and I wanted to check in on him. I’m his case advisor.”

      Dr. Al-Hashimi bit into the cookie and did a double take, “These are so good - raspberry?” she asked. 

      “And lemon,” Y/N added.

      “Thank god your brother is leaving, otherwise I’d worry about my scrub size with you popping in.” She wrapped the rest of her cookie in a napkin and began walking to the door. “I was about to pull Frank from triage to help out back here. I think he’ll be more valuable here than in chairs. I’m glad he’s here, I’m excited to work with him. He’s a good doctor.”

      Y/N smiled, “I’m so glad to hear it. Frank does have an exceptional record. Since you’ll be the lead attending for dayshift, I’ll be stopping by and calling to make check-ins on his progress. But knowing Frank, I’m not worried.”

      Al-Hashimi paused at that. “Did you know him before the program?” 

      Y/N looked down at her feet for a second then back up. She took a small breath before she answered. “Yes, I did. Frank was one of Michael’s best residents. We weren’t close, but we knew each other and had dinner a few times. I wasn’t originally going to be his advisor, but the committee and his doctor thought someone familiar might do him well. And I think it did,” she said confidently. 

      The woman nodded, “I’m glad he has so many people in his corner,” before opening the door. 

      As the two women exited the break room, Y/N spotted Robby talking with Dana. The nurse caught her eye and winked. “So, Robby…you still avoiding your sister?”

      He scoffed, “I’m not avoiding her…I’m selectively replying to all thirty eight of her text messages.” Y/N stood right behind him, patiently waiting. 

      “Oh yeah? How’s that working out?” Dana asked.

      “I haven’t seen smoke signs yet, so I’m taking that as a win,” he chuckled.

      “I thought smoking was prohibited on hospital grounds," Y/N said sarcastically. 

      Robby threw his head back and stunted a groan. “Y/N…why am I not surprised?” He  turned around and wrapped her in a big hug. 

      “Because you’ve known me for my whole life and know that I like to take care of the people I love?” she said mockingly. Her expression softened, “I heard about Louie, I’m so sorry.” 

      Robby shrugged his shoulders, “Sucks. We all knew this day would come eventually.” 

      “Still…” she said. 

      As they were talking, a new trauma rolled in. Al-Hashimi looked at the three of them and said, “I got it. Dr. Mohan and Dr. King, with me.” 

      “Trauma two’s open,” Dana called.

      When they had cleared, Y/N looked at Robby. “She seems nice.”

      “Yeah, I guess,” he said, rubbing his hands against his neck. “I don’t really know.” Robby began walking towards the break room, looking at everything his sister had brought. “Jesus, Y/N - it’s not a repass. I’m not dying,” he laughed. 

      She smiled softly at him, “You haven’t taken a real vacation in eight years. Eight,” she chided. “Besides, you all deserve some treats.”

      “Admin brought us donuts,” he said slyly. 

      Y/N cocked an eyebrow, “With a side of “patient passports”?”

      Her brother laughed and shook his head. “First day and she’s already killing trees with her new agenda. We’ll see how long it lasts.” 

      Y/N pointed her head down the hall, signaling to her brother to step further away from the Pitt. “Have you talked to Frank today?” she asked, softly.

      Robby grimaced. He took a shaky breath and flatly said, “No.”

      “Michael, you can’t ignore him,” she began.

      “I’m not ignoring him, I’m…processing,” he corrected. 

      “You’ve had ten months to process…have you talked to Caleb about finding a new doc to talk to?”

      “Yeah, yeah. I have.”

      Y/N looked her brother up and down - he was a mess. His beard wasn’t neat and trimmed like normal, his eyes were tired, and his thoughts were cloudy on his face. “Michael…”

      He shook her head at him, “Y/N, I’m fine. I just need to get through the rest of today.”

      She scoffed lightly and sucked in a breath, “Ok. I’m here for you,” she said, her hand finding his, “You know that, right? I’m always here for you.” Her voice was soft and delicate, but it felt wrong to him. It didn’t belong in a hidden corner of this chaos. 

      As if he were saved by the bell, Dana came peering down the hall. “Robby, trauma, 60 seconds out.” 

      “Coming,” he cried, starting to move past Y/N. He turned to her, “You should talk to him,” he said, tilting his head towards chairs, “I’m sure they can spare him while you do your check in.” 

      Y/N watched as her brother left her behind, yet again. She had known this feeling all too well. He was ten years older than her, so it wasn’t a surprise when he went away to college or when he left for residency. It felt like no matter how hard she tried to keep up, he was always jumping away from her. Y/N shook her head and brushed the feelings away. Today was her brother’s last day. The last thing she did was want to add to the drama, so she grabbed her paperwork and headed to chairs while the SWAT team wheeled their man in.

~

      “So, Frank, how’s your first day back going?” Y/N asked. 

      Frank Langdon took a small breath and nodded. “It’s going, you know? Good to be back, but…” he paused, looking for the right word, “it’s…a bit weird. Strange, I mean. Just…a lot that has happened in the last few months and it’s a little odd how some things didn’t change.” 

      Y/N looked at him, her expression soft. When she spoke, she was clear and calm, “You did a very hard thing, Frank. You got yourself the help you needed to change your life and you’re trying to pick up where you left off. It’s going to take a little bit for you, and everyone, to get back in the groove of things. I know you and Dr. Moore talked about the probable resistance you might feel.”

      He nodded, “Yeah, yeah…it’s not been as bad as what we discussed, which is nice.” His eyes darted away and his face was lost for a moment. After a beat, the light in his eyes returned. “Robby has barely said two words to me.”

      “How are you feeling about that?” Y/N asked, her head tilting slightly.

      Frank dropped his head and sighed, then leaned back in his chair and looked at Y/N. “I know he’s your brother, but-”

      “Frank - we’ve been over this. My relation to Robby does not matter. I am here for you. I am in your corner- every step of the way. The last thing that I want you to do is sugar coat your feelings because you’re worried about mine.” She reached out and gently placed her hand on his knee. “It’s literally my job to worry about you, ok? Say whatever you need and whatever you want - it stays between us.” 

      It took a moment for the weight of her words to sink in. Yes, they had discussed this before and yes, he had said it was alright. But having his former mentor, who was actively avoiding him like the plague (whichever one, take your pick), twenty feet away from his sister, who also happened to be his DNRP counselor, made it easy to forget and want to start building his walls. Walls are how he ended up here in the first place - he didn’t want to go back to where he had been. 

      “Honestly? It’s fucking sucked,” he admitted, dropping the pretense and letting his shoulders fall. “I knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but god…I swear he’s trying to avoid even eye contact with me.” 

      Y/N squeezed his knee before abandoning it to begin documenting. “I’ve already talked to him and told him that you two need to have a proper chat. Hopefully you’ll have that opportunity soon.” She offered him a soft smile. “How are you feeling about Dr. Al-Hashimi?” 

      Frank smiled. “She’s been really great so far. I’m excited to work with her. She knew about the program and said she was happy to have me here. So, a good change of pace.”  

      Y/N nodded with a smile. “Great. She and I only spoke briefly, but I got to speak with some of her colleagues at the VA - she’s very patient forward, which I think you’ll appreciate and learn a lot from. Have things been ok with the rest of the staff?”

      Langdon swayed a little, “Mostly. There’s been some tension, but it’s not undeserved. I’m trying to give them and myself grace.”

      “Who have things been awkward with?” 

      “Um…” he stalled.

      “Frank, I know it’s uncomfortable, but I need to document it. That way, if things don’t improve, we have records of who has been giving you issues since your return and corrective action can be taken. You’re not pointing the finger at anybody, you’re telling me your personal observations. Plus, it’ll help us look at reintegration trends to see if we should be doing more team-side for future members going through the program.”

       He took a deep breath and nodded slowly, “Whittaker and I had a moment before with…”

      Y/N saw a pained look wash over him, “...Louie?” she asked, finishing his sentence.

      Frank licked his lips and nodded, “Yeah…”

      “I heard about his passing. I’m sorry, Frank. You did everything you could,” she said, taking his hand in hers.

      His eyes fell to where they were touching and he sat there quietly for a minute. Before he spoke, Langdon cleared his throat, “He was a good guy. He always asked me about my kids…”

      “It’s hard to lose someone like Louie. He was more than a patient - he was a friend.” Y/N held the space for both gentlemen in that moment; in honor of one and respect for the other. 

      “Yeah…he was,” Frank whispered. He looked at Y/N and smiled, his eyes full. “He’s in the family room if you want to say goodbye.” 

      She smiled and squeezed his hand, “Thank you, Frank. I will.” Y/N grabbed a tissue from her purse and offered it to him. He took it with a nod. “So…you said you had a moment with Whittaker. Anyone else?” she asked cautiously. 

      After dabbing his eyes, he said, “And Santos, which isn’t surprising.” 

      “Ok...thank you, Frank. I know it’s not a fun position to be in.” Y/N paused for a moment, tapping her pen on her papers. “Now…the bad news,” she said, taking a breath. “Since you’re back in a clinical setting, you will be pulled randomly during your shifts to take a urine test. Gloria or one of the other admins will come down, take your sample, then test it in the lab. If anything comes up positive, you will be removed from service, sent home, and we’ll have to reevaluate your position in the program.” 

      Frank nodded, “I understand.”

      Y/N smiled. “Good. I know you’ve been attending your N/A meetings. There is a weekly meeting here at PTMC, which…you are allowed to attend, though we do not recommend it.”

      “Not to worry, I’m keeping to my regular meetings,” he said, waving away the notion with his hands. “Don’t shit where you eat, right? Don’t need someone recognizing me as a pill popper while I’m setting their bones in place.”

      “Well, good. That solves that problem. You’ve always been a smart man, Frank,” Y/N said sweetly. He offered her a smile in return. “Ok, well…that’s all that I have on my end. Do you have any questions? About anything?”

      He shook his head no. “I think I’m ok. Thank you, Y/N,” he said, sincerely. “I’m really grateful that you’re my coordinator. It’s definitely been a relief for me and Abby.”

      “It’s my pleasure. I’m happy to see things working out for you. I know it’s not been an easy road, but you deserve good things, Frank Langdon. You’ve earned this. Now,” she said, starting to gather her papers, “you have my cellphone, call or text me anytime and I will be there, ok? Whatever you need, I will get it. And if I can’t, I’ll bug someone who can.”

      He chuckled, “You think you can talk Robby out of his motorcycle trip?” 

      Y/N’s face fell. “Frank, I’m good, but I’m not God,” she replied. They shared a laugh together and stood, taking a moment to hug. “I’m going to stick around for a bit, so if you need me, I’ll be here, ok? Otherwise, call me, beep me. Got it?”

      “Yeah. Thank you, again” he said with a nod. Y/N smiled and nodded in return, packing away her papers and standing to stretch her legs. Langdon was released and pulled into a new admit while Y/N took a moment to take in the beast that was The Pitt. How on earth had her brother ran this place with Dana for so many years? She deposited her belongings behind the front desk and went to pay her respects to Louie while the rest of the world kept on spinning.

~

      After sitting with Louie and talking with his friend, Digby, for a while, Y/N returned to the heart of PTMC. To no one’s surprise, the board was full and more and more bodies kept coming through the doors. She found Robby assessing the damage while Princess flexed her charge nurse muscles. 

      “You ok?” Y/N asked her brother. “You seem…off.”

      He smiled at her, “I’m fine. Peachy.”

      She frowned. “You, Micahel Robinavitch are never ‘peachy,’” she chided.

      “Well, I am today, my darling sister.” He abandoned her piercing gaze and returned his attention to the board, “Princess, how are we looking?” 

      “I’m feeling a little bloated, but I think that’s from the hummus,” she said, absentmindedly. She looked at Y/N and sputtered, “Not that it’s bad, Y/N! It’s really good- I just don’t do well with beans.” Robby stared at her, looked at his sister, then back at the nurse. She frowned, “You meant the board, didn’t you?” 

      “Yeah…” 

      Y/N couldn’t hide her amusement. Princess straightened and started rattling off information, “Our propeller friend is heading up to surgery shortly, so maintenance can clean that and get it ready for the next trauma. We’re still waiting to see if hospice is able to take McKay’s patient upstairs. Dr. Mohan’s DKA fled, but Abbot is cleaning up in there. Give it fifteen and that should be cleared too.”

      “What? Jack’s here?” Y/N asked.

      “He came in with the SWAT team - one of his buddies caught a bullet in the neck. He’s in surgery now, he should be alright. He’s one lucky bastard thanks to Jack,” Robby stated. 

      “Princess, what room is he in?” Y/N asked.

      “Central Eighteen,” she confirmed.

      “Thanks,” Y/N said as she started walking to the room.

      Princess and Robby exchanged a glance. Her expression read Something going on there? Robby threw his hands up and said, “Not my business.”

      Y/N made her way to the room and knocked lightly, “Jack,” she called. She found Dr. Mohan applying something to his back. 

      “Y/N, what on earth are you doing here?” he said with a sweet gruff. 

      “I should be asking you that. What the hell happened?” 

      Jack shrugged, “Eh, it’s nothing. Dr. Mohan is just helping me reach a spot that I couldn't." 

      Y/N smiled at her, “Good to see you again, Samira. Make sure to get something before Ahmad eats everything in the breakroom.” 

      The doctor had just finished applying a dressing and began removing her gloves. “Thank you, Y/N - that’s so sweet. Trying to make us forget that your brother is ditching us for three months?”

      Y/N threw her head back with a snort, “Please, I’ve been trying to get that man to take a break for years. I wish he was a normal person and go to Mexico and drink, but I’m happy he’s at least stepping away. It’s long overdue…”

      Dr. Mohan nodded, “And then some.” She smiled and turned to Jack, “Make sure to change the dressing appropriately and keep applying ointment until it scabs and starts healing.” 

      “I figured I’d just rub some mud on it - same difference,” he said in his signature deadpan.

      Samira shook her head, “It’s off the books, so…you get yourself infected all you want. Good luck suing me!” She took a few steps to the door and turned back to both of them, “I’m going to order the uber for my patient’s supplies while I get a bite to eat. I’ll give you two some space.” She grabbed the curtain and pulled it with her, giving them some privacy.

      “Send me a venmo request when you have a total,” Abbot called to her before she closed the door. 

      When it was just them, Y/N quickly abandoned the spot where she stood and found herself between Abbot’s knees. “What the fuck, Jack?” she hissed, her hands hovering over his arms, afraid to touch the wrong spot.

      “I’m fine,” he told her, gently grabbing her hands and placing them on his shoulders. 

      Her face couldn’t hide her concern. “You’re avoiding the question.” 

      He offered her a cheeky smile, “You worried about me?”

      Y/N furrowed her brows, “Of course I’m worried about you! Last time I checked, a shirt was required to work here. Michael said that one of your guys got shot?”

      Abbot hung his head, “Yeah…Hiro. He got cut pretty bad, but Robby and I were able to patch him up. He’s with Garcia now.” 

      “And what about you? Were you shot? Show me,” she prodded, trying to crane her neck to see. 

      “I wasn’t shot,” he argued, rolling his eyes. “I was shot at.”

      “Jack!” Y/N hissed again. “That. Is. The. Same. Fucking. Thing!” she cried. 

      He placed his hands on her hips and pulled her close to him, the force knocking her hands to land on his exposed chest. “Y/N…I promise, I’m fine. I was wearing my vest - I got hit with a ricochet. It’s just a scrape. Mohan patched me up,” he said calmly. 

      She sucked in a breath and shook her head. “Using your body against me to try and win a fight is low, Jack.”

      He cocked his head and leaned his head in close to hers, letting their noses brush against each other, “Is it working?” 

      Y/N swallowed hard and snaked her arms around his neck, “Maybe…” 

      He placed a gentle kiss on her lips, “Good,” he said coyly. “I take it the bakery explosion is why you didn’t stay the night last night?” 

      She nodded, leaning her head back slightly, but not moving her body away from his. “Yeah…”

      “You know you could have done it at my place.”

      “I know…” she started, “but you had to be up early for the mission and I didn’t want to disturb you.”

      “Y/N…” he cooed, running his hands up her spine to wrap around her neck. He thumbed her jaw to better angle her face to him, “I used to sleep in war zones. I think I can manage you slamming my oven shut.”

      “It was one time!” she cried, exacerbated. They laughed and she sat in that space with him for a moment. “You promise you’re really ok?” she asked quietly. 

      He nodded solemnly and said, “Promise. I’ll even pinky promise if you need me to.”

      “Good,” she said, nodding more so to herself than him. “You’re already down a leg, I can’t afford to lose any more of you. Otherwise we’re gonna be screwed the next time we play hangman,” she said with a laugh.

      “I could probably get on America’s Got Talent like that. A wounded war veteran singing parody songs? They’d eat that shit up.”

      “You? Singing? On national television?” she asked in utter disbelief.

     “Yeah, yeah…” he said, straightening his spine. “I got pipes. Ready? My stumps, my stumps, my manly gnarly stumps,” he sang. Y/N laughed so hard she couldn’t stand, so she had to step away from him to fold in onto herself. With her absence, he stood and started to put his shirt on. “Yeah, yeah - laugh it up now, but when I win the million dollars, don’t be mad when I spend it all on useless junk for myself,” he warned. 

      After she composed herself, Y/N managed to ask, “Oh yeah? What are you going to do with a million dollars?”

      He shrugged, “I don’t know…maybe take a vacation of my own.” 

      Y/N stepped closer and adjusted his shirt collar so it lay smoothly. “You don’t need a million dollars for a vacation. But…I think that’s a good idea. Maybe book yourself a yoga retreat in the desert or something.”

      Abbot looked at her softly, “Yeah…or something.” There was something in the way that he had said that that sent butterflies into her stomach. Jack looked towards the door then back at her, “We should probably get out there.”

      She nodded, “Yeah, good call.” Y/N started towards the door, but he grabbed her wrist and kissed her one more time before letting her go. She stood there for a moment while his hand grabbed hold of the curtain. Jack turned slightly, winked at her, then pulled it aside. The two of them walked out just in time to see the hospital’s CEO, Trent, gathering the troops around for an announcement.

~

      The hospital was going analog to prevent a cyber attack. Of fucking course. There was a chorus of questions coming from the team:

      How are we going to chart things? 

      And request labs?

      Get meds? 

      How? How? How?

      Robby, Al-Hashimi, and Abbot made quick work of gathering the charts from the days of olde, wiping decades of dust off them. “Here's the deal, folks- write clearly and legibly. Spelling counts!” Robby warned. 

      Joy started retelling the board assignments as the rest of the team started seeing their patients and building physical charts. Nurse Jesse brought out a ghost of the 80’s.     

      “What on earth is that?” Joy asked. 

      “A fax machine,” Abbot said.

      “I didn't know they still make those…” she mumbled.

      “When was the last time you used it?” Y/N asked.

      “Probably fifteen years ago,” Abbot answered. 

      She looked at him with a smirk then moved behind the desk and started fiddling with it. After a second, a drawer popped open.

      “What are you doing?” Perlah asked.

      “Well, if this has been sitting for as long as half of your team has been in school, you're going to need ink and toner.” Y/N took a picture of the serial number. “Since I'm the only one of you not stuck here, I'll run down the street and see if I can get some and I'll stock up on pens and sticky notes. Anything else you think we need?” she asked, looking at the team.

      “Um…paperclips, rubber bands, expo markers, and whiteout,” Princess ordered.

      “Nope,” Robby called. “No whiteout.”

      Y/N turned to her brother with a smile, “I know- wasn't going to.”

      “Why no whiteout?” Whittaker asked.

      “All errors and corrections need to be scratched out, single line, initiated with a date and time stamp. Otherwise, we're not compliant with our documentation and open to a lawsuit.”

      “Oh god,” Dr. King moaned. 

      Y/N looked at her softly. “Mel, it's going to be ok. Just think of it as a rule of three checkbox,” she said. Mel thought about it for a second and then nodded in agreement. She could do that. “Michael, anything else?” Y/N asked.

      He thought for a moment that shook his head, “Nope. That should be good.” 

      She nodded. “Alright, I'll be back. Call me if you need anything else. And when I'm back, I'll help do lab runs.”

      Princess sighed, “Ugh, pretty, smart, kind, and you cook? How are you still single, girl?”

      Y/N laughed, “What can I say? Us Robinavitch's are talented like that.” Her brother shook his head and turned his attention to his med students and their presentations. As she grabbed her purse, Y/N caught Jack's eyes - he had a look of pride and admiration in them. She scrunched her nose in return and headed out the door.

~

      When she returned, the Pitt was in utter chaos. The fax machine was jammed, the patient whiteboard wasn’t being updated in real time and causing issues, and there was now a psych patient bouncing off the walls in a locked room. 

      “Jesus Christ…” Y/N whispered when she saw the state of things. “Happy fucking Fourth,” she greeted Larry and Antoine. She relinquished Perlah and Emma from fax duties and made quick work of clearing the jam and replacing both the ink and toner carriages. Y/N stacked four reams of paper to the side of the machine and labeled the extra cartridges she had purchased as a safety precaution. 

      Princess came rushing round the corner, “I swear to god, Y/N, you’re a fucking godsend.” 

      Y/N wrapped her in a hug, “Don’t tell the others, I got you a ginger ale while I was out.” 

      Princess took it with an exasperated sigh. “Do you like women? Cause I’m single and I’ll take real good care of you,” she said.

      Y/N laughed, “Careful, honey - you might get upgraded to a Queen if you keep talking like that.” Antoine let out a groan and Princess smacked him. 

      “Manahimik ka,” she chided. Be quiet! She scanned over the order notes, “Guys, are you writing in felt tip pens? The orders aren’t transferring through the carbon copies.” On cue, Y/N pulled out two boxes of black ballpoint pens. Princess turned to her, “Seriously, you and me - dinner.” 

      Y/N blew her a kiss and said, “Let’s start on getting things in here in order before I ultimately break your heart.” 

      The nurse clutched her chest. “Is there someone else? Am I the other woman?” gasped.

      Y/N turned on her heels, extra supplies in hand, “Hate to admit it, but I’ve always had an eye for Perlah.”

      Princess’s face fell as Y/N winked and walked away, leaving the nurse with the two men snickering. Perlah, meanwhile, rounded the corner with four different blood samples ready to go down to the lab and three new patient orders. She looked at the trio in confusion, “What?” 

      Princess shook her head, “Forget about it,” she said, while muttering “asong babae” under her breath. Bitch.

      The two began bickering back and forth while the rest of the ER continued on. After filling up the supply closet with every stationary she managed to get, she saw her brother walking back in. He nodded at her with a soft smile. “Hey there.”

      “Hey…how you holding up?” she asked.

      Robby did his signature head bob, “Just another day in paradise.”

      She lightly elbowed him. “You certainly don’t do boring, Michael.”  

      He let out a genuine laugh, “No…I never really have, have I?” he asked, tenderly looking at his little sister. 

      Y/N shrugged, “Boring can be overrated...but it can also be good. I think you find the chaos calming over the thoughts in your head.”

      He tilted his head considering it for a moment then recentered himself, “Well…I think that’s all the time we have for our session, Dr. Robinavitch. I’ll see you in three months?” She jabbed him in the ribs and he let out a feigned yelp followed by a laugh. 

      “Michael…I’m worried about you,” she said, her tone serious. “I mean it.”

      “You don’t have to worry about me. I’m good,” he said, trying to pull himself away from the conversation. Y/N stepped to block his path, forcing him to look at her.

      “I’m serious,” she pleaded. “I feel like you’re punishing me for something by keeping me in the dark like this.” 

      He scoffed, “That’s not what’s happening. I’m just...” he trailed off, his attention being captivated by Whittaker trying to deal with the psych patient’s charts and meds. “...busy. Gotta go,” he said, leaving her there. “Oh, by the way, Jack’s doing a patient transfer, he’ll be back later.” 

      “I’ll be here…like always” she mumbled.

      “You better not be,” a voice called. “I’ve got blood that needs to go down the lab.”

      Y/N turned and found Dana back at her command post. “Yes, ma’am,” she said with a smile. Y/N gathered up the latest samples while Dana started dialing the police station - she was about to rip them a new asshole for not picking up her last rape kit in over two weeks. 

      After returning from her second lab run, she heard a cry coming from down the hall. Santos rolled her eyes and started to tense up. 

      “Not a fan of babies?” Y/N asked.

      Trinity shook her head, “Just not ones that cry all the time.” 

      She nodded. “Anything wrong with her?”

      “Nope. Other than being the wrong baby for her mother. She was left in the bathroom in chairs.” 

      Y/N’s heart bled. There was a time, long ago, where she had dreamt of having a baby in her arms. Those days had long since passed. “I’ll see what I can do,” she said with a soft smile. 

      “Better you than me,” Santos called after her. “I’ve got enough on my plate as it is with this mess,” she said to herself after Y/N had slipped away.

      Waiting in the bassinet was a beautiful, fussing baby girl. Y/N shushed the infant while she gently picked her up. “There there, little one. It’s alright,” she cooed. “I’ve got you now.” Y/N gently rocked her hips to and fro, gently bouncing the baby. As she swayed, she hummed a quiet tune while visions of grandeur played in her head; for a moment, she was transported to another lifetime worlds away. Not long after, the baby calmed and her eyes began to flutter. “That’s it, darling. Rest,” Y/N whispered. She danced around the room, letting the nameless babe sink deeper and deeper into sleep.

      “You’re good at that,” someone said. Y/N turned and found Dr. Al-Hashimi standing there. “Do you have kids?” 

      Y/N shook her head, “No. I, uh…wanted to. Life had other plans,” she said calmly. 

      “There’s always time, you know,” the doctor said evenly. Her voice was plain, stating a simple fact. “If you wanted,” she added. “You’d be a great mom.”

      Y/N offered a sad smile. “Thank you, but…I don’t think I’ll be that lucky.”

      The doctor winced internally, “I’m sorry if I overstepped…” Being a career driven woman, she had been on the receiving end of unsolicited advice before; it never felt good.

      “Oh, no,” Y/N said. “It’s ok. You’re hardly the first to tell me that I’d be a good mom. I, uh…didn’t get the chance to. With my husband, before he…”

      “Oh,” Al-Hashimi said. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.” 

      “How could you,” Y/N offered, with a shake of her head. Her face shifted in realization, “Do you need to look at her?” 

      “No, I just had a free moment and wanted to check in on her. She’s perfectly healthy. We’re just waiting on CPS to get her into a foster home.”

      “Ah…such a shame. I hope her mother is alright,” Y/N said as she gently laid the baby back down to continue sleeping. “I could never imagine the pain of having to give up something like this.”

      Al-Hashimi and her shared a quiet moment together. Two women from very different backgrounds who both, at one point, had spent their lives caring for women and their babies. And now, after all these years, another lay in their path of protection, even if only for a moment. Y/N took a breath, “I should probably go do another lab run.”

      “Thank you for staying and helping out today. You’ve been an incredible support, Y/N.”

      She smiled, “Yeah, of course. It’s my pleasure- if there’s anything else I can do to help, just let me know.” The doctor nodded in response and with that, Y/N headed out the door and returned to the nurses station, leaving Al-Hashimi with their youngest charge.

~

      After a few more lab runs under the direction of both Dana and her ace-in-the-hole Monica, Y/N felt like things were finally calming down. The staff were settling into a new rhythm with the paper charting and both charge nurses ran a tight ship. Meds and imaging times had been reduced and they were able to get the revolving doors back up. Y/N was helping Larry add some patient stickers when Garcia, Whittaker, and Abbot wheeled by. 

      “Thank you, all, for your help,” a robotic voice said.

      “We’re going to do our best to fix this, Howard, ok?” Garcia told him. “We’ll be moving fast, but I don’t want you to be scared.”

      “Easier said than done,” the ipad replied.

      “I know, but she’s the best,” Abbot said. “And the best chance you’ve got. I’d want her if it were me.” 

      The man smiled at them and nodded as they made their way to the elevator. Abbot lingered at the nurses station, watching. 

      “What are his chances?” Y/N asked.

      “Fifty-fifty,” he said solemnly. He turned to face her, “Let’s hope we land on heads.” 

      She offered him a soft smile, gently letting her hand touch his elbow in support before turning back to the chart in her hand. Robby joined them a moment later. 

      “You’re back. I take it our friend is up to surgery?” he asked.

      Abbot nodded, “Yup. Anything else on fire? Or do you think I can go take a nap before I’m back for my shift?”

      Robby chuckled, “At the moment? No, I don’t think so. I think we’re good.” 

      Y/N snorted, “Not unless you count Princess. You could light a match off her today.” Abbot and Robby laughed, chuckling like a pair of teenagers. She turned her attention to her best friend, “Have you eaten anything today?” 

      Jack leaned against the desk, shaking his head, “Nah.”

      Y/N cocked her head, “You should grab something before you take off. No guarantees that anything will be left by the time you get back.” 

      Robby grabbed a new chart, pulling out his glasses to read it. “She’s right - and your fridge is probably only filled with loose leaves of kale and half a grapefruit.”

      “Which is still more than what’s in yours,” he shot back. 

      It was then that they heard a loud crash! Everyone in earshot turned their attention to the room with the psych patient. Al-Hashimi was there with Jivadi and Perlah; the patient was practically fuming.

      “Let’s hope it’s not another Kraken,” Abbot whispered.

      Robby made his way over to the sealed room while the other two watched. He swiped his badge with Ahmad close behind. Perlah ran out, running to Dr. Nord for sedatives to help calm him down. The two quickly drew up a syringe with lorazepam and the nurse ran back to the room. As she swiped her badge to reenter, the patient lunged passed all of the staff and ran full force and out of his room. Y/N had been the closest to the door, gathering the latest samples that needed to be run to the lab. She turned all too late and was struck head on by the brute. Y/N fell forward, her body twisting towards the ground. Her head clipped the desk before she landed, knocking her unconscious.

      Abbot lowered himself and braced for impact, using the runner’s momentum against himself. The man ricocheted off of Jack and fell onto his back. “Y/N,” Aobbt called, but he got no response. Ahmad, Al-Hashimi, and Jack each took a limb while Perlah administered the medication. Robby went to his sister.

      “Y/N,” he called, shaking her shoulders. “Y/N, answer me,” he yelled. 

      Jack switched places with Larry so he could join Robby as they both tended to Y/N. “She’s got a nasty cut - it’s going to need stitches.”

      “Y/N, seriously, I don’t need you adding to my problems today,” Robby begged. 

      Langdon, Mohan, and Whittaker came round to join the fray. “What the hell happened?” Frank asked, kneeling down to join the squad. 

      “Crazy bastard took her down like a freight train,” Robby chided. 

      “How can we help?” Mohan asked. 

      Robby shook his head for a minute, “Ok, ok…Langdon, Abbot, and I can’t treat Y/N. We’re all too close to her. So, Whittaker and Mohan, you guys here. Langdon, help Dr. Al-Hashimi get him back to his room and in restraints.” 

      Jack and Robby swapped places with the two residents and watched. “Come on, Y/N,” Samira beckoned. She had been out cold for over a minute now. Dana came over with gauze and tape to help clean her head. Whittaker was doing sternal rubs when she finally started moving.

      “Y/N,” he called. “Can you hear me?” 

      “Ugh…” she moaned, her eyes still closed. “How long was I out?”

      “You took a nice little cat nap here on the floor,” Mohan said. 

      “Samira…am I having a stroke?” Y/N asked, her eyes fluttering open.

      “No, you’re not having a stroke,” Whittaker told her. 

      Al-Hashimi and her crew got their doped-up patient back onto a gurney and wheeled back into his room. Robby ran to meet Princess who was bringing a bed over for Y/N. 

      “Is it a hematoma? Or a hemorrhage?” Y/N asked. “Jack?” 

      “You probably have a concussion,” he told her. 

      “You’re going to need a head CT to check,” Whittaker said. 

      “No signs of neck injury, we should be good to move her,” Samira noted. 

      “I got it,” Abbot said, crouching down to her. “Y/N, arms around my neck,” he said softly. He gently scooped her up and laid her on the bed. Dr. Mohan came to his side and started placing butterfly bandages to help hold the gash on her head close. 

      “How are you feeling?” Robby asked.

      Y/N offered a soft smile, “Wish I had ditched you all when I had the chance.” She stiffened for a moment then continued, “My head hurts - no shocker there. But otherwise, I think I’m ok.” 

      Robby patted her leg, “It’s going to be ok. Nothing like sending me off with a bang, huh?” He turned his attention to Dana. “Any word on CT?” 

      “They’ll be ready in five minutes. Whittaker can start to take her down.”

      He turned to his student, “Stay with her, you hear me? The whole time. We’ll handle your patients til your back.” 

      Dennis nodded, “Yeah, of course, Dr. Robby. You got it.” He turned to Y/N, “Alright, you ready?” 

      She turned to Abbot, “Pack yourself a bag before you go. I can’t save you anything now,” she said with a chuckle. 

      “Yeah, I’m not leaving,” he said. “We gotta look at your brain.”

      Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion, “You’re staying?” she asked.

      “Well, Robby can’t babysit you, so someone has to. And you’re older than the kid, so, I win,” he said, elbowing Whittaker slightly. “Come on, let’s get rolling.” He looked at Robby and gave him a firm single nod.

      Y/N and Robby looked at each other. He held her hand and said, “It’s going to be ok. We’re going to take care of you.”

      She squeezed his hand, “I’ll be fine - I’ve got three of the best taking care of me,” she said with a smile. 

      Dr. Mohan chimed in, “Alright, she’s all patched up for now. When she comes back, I’ll suture her up and she’ll be good as new.”

      “See? Like I said - the best,” Y/N said proudly. 

      Robby looked at Whittaker, “Find me as soon as you have the results.”

      He nodded in response. And with that, Y/N was taken to the elevator while her brother stayed and did damage control. 

~

      “Alright, Y/N,” Jack said, standing next to her, “you’re going to lay down and the machine will load you in. Just lay still for about 15 minutes, ok?” She took a breath and nodded. “I’ll be with Whittaker in the observation room the whole time. If you need me, you just talk to me like normal - like I’m standing right here.”

      “Ok,” she said. He patted her leg and joined Dennis. 

      “Y/N, you ready?” he asked, as Jack joined him.

      “Pull the level, Kronk!” she said with a strained laugh. 

      “I know you know the drill, but try not to move too much, ok? Dr. Abbot and I are right here. I’m going to start the machine, so you’re going to feel the bed moving backwards and then stop.” 

      As he said, Y/N felt the machine boot up and felt herself being loaded, like a bullet in a chamber. She took a deep breath and tried to clear her mind. In a few minutes, Whittaker would tell her that she doesn’t have a bleed or a stroke and she can be on her merry way with some pain meds and head home…to clean her kitchen. Fuck…I forgot about that. Damn you, past Y/N!

      The speaker crackled on, making her pause. “Ok, Y/N - the scan is starting. Just hang tight, alright?”

      She tried to smile but knowing he couldn’t see her face made her feel less guilty for not being able to. “Thanks, Whittaker.” She saw why her brother enjoyed working with him so much; he was a good kid - smart, empathetic, and not too bad on the eyes. She had seen him in passing and Robby had talked about him on the rare occasions they got dinner together. Y/N was glad her brother had someone else to mentor like he had Frank. 

      “So…” Whittaker started, “how long have you known Y/N?” he asked, turning to face Abbot. 

      Jack was leaning back in a chair, staring out the window and watching the machine whirl. “I’m not sure…ten years? Maybe fifteen?” he said.

      “Wow, that’s a long time. You must be good friends.” 

      Abbot nodded his head, “Yeah, she’s pretty great. Robby and I are both lucky to have someone that cares about us as much as she does.” 

      Whittaker nodded his head and turned his attention to the screen. The first wave of images were starting to come through. 

      Y/N was trying to keep herself calm, but the longer the machine droned on, the larger a pit formed in her stomach. After some time, she feebly asked, “So…see anything nasty there?” 

      Whittaker turned on the mic, “We’re about halfway through, Y/N. You’re doing great.”

      Though the logical part of her brain knew that they’d need to see the whole scan to be in the clear, the emotional side didn’t care. She was trying to ground herself, but the longer the noise continued on, the more her brain started running its hamster. She was trying so hard to not cry. “Jack…” she called.

      “Fuck…” he whispered. “Turn on the mic, Whittaker.” Dennis did as he was instructed. “I’m right here, Y/N,” he told her. 

      “You don’t see anything, right?” she whimpered. 

      “You’ve got a big, beautiful brain, Y/N,” he said. “All the right lumps and bumps are in the correct spots.” Abbot felt Dennis’s eyes on him, so he turned his head and watched as he cut the mic. 

      “We really aren’t supposed to say anything. Not until the radiologist reads it,” he said sheepishly. 

      Abbot gave him a haunted look. His voice was calm and even when he asked, “What do you know about her?”

      Whittaker shook his head lightly, “Not much, really. Robby has talked about her a little bit, but he never went into much detail.”

      “She’s on the verge of a panic attack,” he said. Whittaker watched as his eyes turned dark. “Turn the mic back on,” he ordered. Dennis didn’t argue. Jack’s voice didn’t match his face - it was might lighter when he spoke, “Y/N…Whittaker here is asking how we met. Why don’t you tell him the story?”

      Despite wanting to, Y/N didn’t shake her head. “Jack, I…” her voice wavered.

      “Oh, come on…you tell it better than I do. You always have,” he egged. 

      Y/N swallowed hard and sucked in a breath. “Ok. Uh…it was a long time ago. Michael had recently moved from the hospital where he did his residency and joined PTMC. I had flown out to visit him for a little bit…”

      “That-a girl,” Jack praised when the mic was off. He looked at Whittaker. “Y/N was married. A long time ago.”

      “Oh…I had no idea,” Whittaker said. 

      “They had been married for a few years and were trying for a baby when he died.” Jack paused for a moment, an undecipherable look on his face. “He had woken up like normal and had a stroke.” He looked out the window, trying to find her face in the limited view. “Their routine was he’d wake up, get dressed and then wake her up, since she used to sleep through her alarms all the time. Since he didn’t wake her up she stayed asleep. And when she finally did…it was too late.” 

      “Fuck…” 

      Abbot turned to face Dennis again. “That’s why she was rattling off head injuries. Her husband, Graham, used to play sports. He got hit in the head a few times as a kid. She blames his death on that.” He turned his attention back to her, “I mean, what else do you cling to when you become a widow at twenty seven?”

      Y/N had no idea of the conversation that was happening on the other side of the glass. “Anyway…I get out of the shower and I start hearing movement, which is crazy cause I know Michael is at work. So, I sneak down the hall and have no idea what to expect. Then, I see this guy! So, I do the only logical thing and I punch him.”

      Abbot unmuted the mic, “Yup. She knocked me flat on my ass. I was still getting used to my prosthetic leg.”

      “It was an accident!” she cried.

      “It was a brutal attack on a wounded war veteran. Wounded!” he teased.

      Y/N let out a giggle and Abbot smiled. “It’s all Michael’s fault. He forgot to leave a note saying that you were coming by.”

      “Maybe he was trying to set us up. I mean, the first time I saw you was in a towel," Jack teased.

      “You’re lucky I didn’t break your nose,” she said.

      “Yeah…you have two minutes left, ok? Then I’m coming in and getting you, Y/N.”

      “Ok…two more minutes,” she repeated.

      “You good?” Whittaker asked.

      “Yeah…thanks, guys,” she said, the relief evident in her voice.

      Jack took a step back and leaned against the wall. Whittaker studied him for a moment but said nothing. When Abbot looked at the boy, his face fell. “When we met, she had gotten out of a voluntary psych hold. Michael didn’t want her to be alone. Their folks…can be a lot. Y/N lost her husband and a week later she miscarried.” He hung his head, “She didn’t even know she was pregnant. She put up a lot of walls back then. That’s why she loves everyone the way she does; she cares about so much and she’s terrified of losing anyone else.”

      The timer went off and the machine started to power down. Abbot was off the wall and out the door without another word. He made his way back to the CT room where Y/N was being unloaded. He smiled at her softly. When their eyes met, the tears she had been holding back finally fell; he wrapped her in a tight hug and held her, letting the fears from her past expel before they made their way upstairs. Whittaker waited in the hall, letting them have a moment. Jack kissed her head softly before gently peeling himself from her so she could breathe. She wiped the tears from her eyes and nodded a silent thank you to him. Whittaker knocked on the door before returning with her bed. 

      “Good news, Y/N - everything looks clear. Dr. Barker did a stat read for us. No bleeding or bumps, but you most likely have a concussion. You’ll have to monitor the rest of your symptoms and take things easy for a few days, but it should be a quick recovery.”

      “See? Then you go back to win MasterChef,” Jack said. “How else are you gonna join me on my crazy-rich AGT vacation?” 

      “Thank you, Whittaker,” she said, smiling up at Jack. “And please thank Dr. Barker. I…really appreciate it.” 

      Dennis nodded. “Yeah, of course. Let’s get you back upstairs so we can get you stitched up and then you can head home.”

      Jack helped her into bed and squeezed her hand. “I need to make a call. I’ll meet you two downstairs, ok?” 

      Y/N nodded. “Yeah, of course.”

      Dennis wheeled her back to the elevator and returned her to the madness she was no longer allowed to help manage. “Dana, what’s open?” he called.

      “North seven - I’ll let Dr. Mohan know she’s back,” she replied.

      Dennis got her comfortable and excused himself so he could show Robby the CT results, just as he promised. Y/N closed her eyes for a moment, trying to let her mind settle. This was not how today was supposed to go. She just wanted things to be normal - and now she was covered in blood and ER floor grime. Y/N wanted a shower, to see Robby off, and get some rest. 

      Not long after she deposited in her room, there was a knock at the door. Dr. Mohan was there with a suture kit in hand. “Hey Y/N…you ready for me?” she asked.

      “Hi, Samira - come on in,” she said.

      The doctor smiled and started setting herself up on Y/N’s right. “How are you feeling?”     

      “Eh, been better. I’ve also been worse, so I’ll take that as a win,” she said with a weak smile. 

      “I don’t today is going how anyone expected.” Mohan started gloving up and said, “Alright. I’m going to clean and sanitize the area and then I’ll give you a dose of lidocaine before I start the sutures, ok?”

      “Do whatever you have to, hon.” 

      Dr. Mohan smiled and went to work as she promised. “Alright, you’re going to feel a pinch and some burning, but that should be the worst of it, though.” Y/N sucked in a breath as the medicine made its way through her skin. “Sorry, I know it sucks.”

      “Still not as bad as the time Michael accidentally killed my fish in front of me,” she said.

      “How’d he do that?” 

      Y/N laughed. “He accidentally poured concentrated tank cleaner instead of the diluted solution I handed him. Poor thing suffocated in front of me.”

      “That must have been traumatic…”

      “He learned. I lived - Po didn’t. But, there are worse things,” Y/N said. Her face fell and her tone shifted to something sad, almost hollow. “He’s always been a good brother. And a good man.” Simra paused her work, only for a moment, then continued on. Y/N pushed her concerned thoughts aside. “So…Jack tells me that you’ve been kicking ass during your residency.”

      “Has he, now?” she said, cocking her eyebrow. “He’s a good teacher. So is Robby.” 

      “He’s proud of you, you know. Robby.” Y/N caught her eye and Mohan stopped for a minute to sit in the praise. “He’s not always the best at expressing emotions, but he thinks you’re a damn good doctor. Jack too.”

      Mohan dropped her head for a second, smiling at the floor, then returned to her normal pose and began working on the final stitches. “Thank you for telling me, Y/N. It means a lot.”

      “Yeah, of course. It’s easy to lose yourself to the Pitt - to medicine in general. Make sure you carve out time for yourself. Have hobbies, date - have a life outside of your scrubs.”

      She laughed, “Easier said than done…but you’re right.”

      “You’re amazing, Samira - you’ve got so much joy and light. Let the world see it,” Y/N said.

      “Are all the Robinavitch’s this inspiring?” she asked.

      “Nah, just the good looking ones.” Samira laughed but stopped when another knock came from the door. It was Langdon. 

      “Hey…” he said.

      “Frank,” Y/N called. “Samira put me back together like Humpty Dumpty. How are things out there?”

      He took a few steps into the room. “Good. The guy that took you down is knocked out. Dana wanted me to ask if you wanted to press charges.”

      Y/N waved her hand at him. “No, I’m fine. He clearly needs help - adding a criminal charge won’t do any good.” 

      Dr. Mohan tied the last suture and knotted it in a swift motion. She cut the excess ligate and started to clear her station. “Alright, don’t get those wet for two days. Babywipes are your friend for around the area, not on them directly. Come back in a few days for us to take them out and you should be good as new. Any questions?”

      Y/N shook her head. “No - thank you, Samira.”

      “Anytime.” She smiled and turned her attention to Langdon, “I’ll let Dana know and give you guys some time to talk."

      “Thanks a lot. Nice work, by the way. That’ll heal nicely,” he praised

      “I know,” she said with a wink before closing the door on her way out.

      Frank took a seat awkwardly, unsure how to navigate a conversation where their roles were flipped. “How are you feeling?” he asked.

      “My head hurts, but that’s what happens when you get tackled by a 300 lbs linebacker. Otherwise, I’m ok.” 

      “Good, that’s good to hear. And your scans came back clean, so no concern there.” 

      “How’s the rest of your day been? Did Robby talk with you?” she asked.

      Frank’s face fell. “Yeah…we did.” 

      Y/N spun her hands round in front of her, signaling him to continue. “And…?”

      “It, uh…didn’t go very well.” 

      Y/N shifted in bed to face him fully. “What happened? What did he say?”

      Frank looked away and rubbed his neck, in a similar fashion to her brother. “I don’t think I should say.” 

      Y/N pinched the bridge of her nose. “Frank, you know I love you, but I am your case worker. I need to know what your boss said, regardless of the fact that he’s my brother.” 

      He hung his head, “I don’t want to say cause I don’t want it on the record.” 

      She froze at that. Y/N gripped the railings of her bed and spoke very cautiously, “Frank…this is between you and me, not the notepad or the paperwork. What exactly did he say?” 

      Langdon took a deep breath and looked in her eyes - they were filled with worry, anxiety, and sadness. He dropped his head for a moment, then sat back in his chair. “He said that he’s happy that I got the help that I needed…,” he paused, afraid to continue. Y/N’s eyes encouraged him to do so. “...but he said ‘I don’t know if I want you working in my ER.’” 

      Y/N’s face shifted from sadness to anger to confusion to pure rage. 

      “Y/N…?” Frank asked timidly.

      She closed her eyes, took in a very deep breath, exhaled, and said, “I’m going to take care of it.”

      “I don’t want to cause any issues, Y/N.”

      “You’re not, Frank.” She climbed over the bed’s railing and stood, straightening her spine. She wasn’t just angry, she was outraged. “Ten months…I’ve been trying to deal with this for ten fucking months,” she turned around. “Frank Langdon, you listen to me,” she said, pointing a finger at him. “You did the right thing. You filed a self-report, thanks to him, you got yourself help. You worked the program and every fricking member on the board approved your re-instation! Al-Hashimi is happy you’re here. If he thinks that he can snake his way out of this, ha ha….he’s got another thing coming.”

      Frank stood, trying to get her to calm down. “Y/N, I really don’t want to lose this job.”

      She grabbed his shoulders. “And you’re not going to. He has no justifiable cause to kick you out. And if he tries, I’m giving you every piece of paper to throw the book at him and this place for wrongful termination.” She shook her head in anger, closed her eyes, and huffed a breath. She balled her fists in front of her then released the tension. “But it’s not going to come to that.” When she opened her eyes again, she didn’t force a smile. “You followed all of his rules, Frank. He doesn’t get to move the finish line from you and then fuck off for three months. I need you to trust me, ok?”

      Frank couldn’t hide his worry, but he had seen nothing but love and support from her during this past year. If anyone could get through to Robby, he hoped it’d be her. “I trust you, Y/N - I’m just…scared.”

      She nodded her head. “I know. I would be, too. But,” she said, taking his shoulders, “I’ve got your back, throughout all of this. You keep doing your job and working the program, ok? Don’t give him any more ammunition.” 

      Langdon let out a sigh and shook his head. “I won’t…I promise.” 

      Y/N smiled, “Good. Very good.” She gave him a strong hug and said, “Why don’t you clean this room and I’ll let Dana know we can put someone else in shortly, hmm?”

      He nodded, “Yeah, ok.” 

      “Good. I need to talk to my brother…” she said, her face soured as she turned her back to Frank. Her brother had just started a war.

      Y/N scanned the ER, searching for Robby. She was laser focused and on a mission. When she didn’t see him, she made a beeline to the nurses’ desk. “Dana…where’s Robby?” she asked.     

      “Uh…I think trauma two. He should be out shortly.” 

      “If you see him, tell him I need to speak to him. Now,” she growled. 

      “Uh oh…” Monica said. “Trouble in paradise?” she asked, cocking an eyebrow. Dana turned to her and gave her the zip it look. Something was rotten in Denmark and she wanted nothing to do with the sibling’s squabble.

      As if on queue, Robby and Al-Hashimi left the trauma bay. Y/N marched straight over. “Michael, we need to talk,” she said.

      “I’m sort of busy at the moment,” he said, reaching for the chart that Dr. McKay was holding out to him. 

      “This cannot wait,” she implored. 

      Al-Hashimi looked between them and knew something was off. “Why don’t I take over with Cassie, hmm?”

      “It’s fine,” Robby said, not looking up. “Y/N knows how an ER works.” 

      “Michael…” she warned. He seemed unbothered, as if this were any other Wednesday. 

      Dr. McKay shared an awkward glance with Al-Hashimi and then to the nurses, who quickly turned away. They did not want to be a part of this.

      “Robby, this seems important,” Al-Hashimi started. 

      “It’s fine, Y/N - “

      “Michael. Robby. Yankel. Robinavitch,” she barked. 

      The ER went silent for a second - all eyes laid on them. Robby stared at his sister, completely bewildered by what just happened. Their eyes stayed locked for a moment before he broke away, looking at Al-Hashimi. “Can you please review this with Dr. McKay while my sister and I have a word in private?” He grabbed her hand and escorted her out of the ER door just as Abbot was walking in.

      “That’s…not good,” he said. He looked at the nurses station who both shook their heads and went back to what they were doing.

      Once in the ambulance bay, Robby let go of Y/N’s hand. “What the fuck was that?” he spat.

      “Oh, are we talking now? Finally?” she shot back.

      “Y/N, this is my job - my place of work. You cannot undermine me like that in front of my staff.”

      “So you get to ignore me, after I got injured helping your team out, and disrespect me in front of your colleagues? Or do you also like to do smack downs in private?”

      Robby shook his head, “What the hell are you going on about?” 

      Y/N crossed her arms. “Did you talk to Frank?” 

      He threw his head back with a sigh, “Yeah, I did. Like you asked me to.”

      “And what did you say to him?”

      Robby was silent for a minute, thinking of how to answer. “I told him the truth,” he finally admitted.

      “Which is what, Michael?" she screamed.

      “Fine!” he yelled back at her. “Fine, you want to do this,” he said, his voice low. He took a step closer to her, “I told him I don’t want him here in my ER.” 

      She let her arms fall to the side as she shook her head, “I cannot believe you, Michael!”

    “You can’t believe me? Me! Your own brother?” 

      “You told him to self-report so you didn’t have to do it and smudge his record. You told him to get help and he did. You helped save his medical license, his whole medical career, and his marriage! And after all that, you’re what? Going to kick him out after he did everything that you told him?” 

      He anxiously shook his head, “It’s not that simple, Y/N. He stole pills, he violated all of our trust, he-”

      “He knows what he did! He’s clean, Michael. He’s working the program, and with flying colors I might add.” She furrowed her brows. “I know that he hurt you, but he’s put in the work to try and move past this. Why haven’t you?” she asked.

      He frowned and pointed at her, “Don’t do that,” he said. “Don’t you put this back on me.”

      “Why shouldn’t I? You’ve been avoiding me and Mom for months, you’ve barely seen or spoken to Jack, you’ve been acting reckless lately, Michael.”

      “Reckless?” he repeated. He anxiously ran his hands through his hair. “Wow…” 

      Y/N closed her eyes and sucked in a breath. “This is not the point of this conversation, Michael.”

      “Isn’t it, though?” he argued. 

      She leaned her shoulders back and spoke clearly, “The point is - you’re going on your sabbatical for three months. You have no right to kick Frank out on his first day back. In fact, you have no right to kick him out at all. The committee is all in agreement that he’s ready to be back, the board is in agreement he’s ready to be back, fucking Al-Hashimi is happy he’s here,” she threw hands up at that. “So…while you’re on the road, get your shit together. Because if you come back and try to fire him, I will supply everything he needs to win a wrongful termination lawsuit against you and PTMC. And believe me, he’ll win.”

      Robby stuffed his hands in his pockets and shook his head, “Is that it?” 

      Y/N licked her teeth in anger. “No…it’s not.”

      “Oh, good,” he said sarcastically. 

      “Michael, I am terrified," she said, her voice breaking. He looked at her, her eyes red and filled with tears. “...that you’re going to do something stupid on that stupid bike of yours.” 

      “Y/N…” he sighed. 

      “No, wait- I’m not done,” she said, the tears falling on your face. “I am scared shitless that you’re going to hop on that bike and disappear and I cannot handle that, Mikey.” She shook her head, “I can’t lose you too.”

      Robby took a minute before he moved and wrapped her in a tight hug. “I’m not going anywhere,” he said softly. 

      “I feel like I’ve already lost you,” she cried into him, her whole body shaking. 

      They stayed there like that for a few minutes, the two of them each holding each other, trying to find what they had lost along the way. Neither had heard the ER door open. 

      “Y/N…” Robby finally said, pulled back from her so she could see his face. “I’m sorry I’ve been keeping you at an arm’s length. The truth is…” he turned his face away from her, the shame weighing heavy on his shoulders. “The truth is I’ve been struggling. That’s why I’m going on this trip…to try and find some answers.” Y/N’s lip quivered with the realization that she had been correct. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand as he continued, “I promise you I’m not going to do anything stupid.”

      She sniffled, “I know this is selfish, but I couldn’t live with myself if you did, Mikey. I…I felt like I was watching you morph into a version of me after I had lost Graham. I saw the light in you get dark. I know what that’s like…that’s why I had to…”

      He nodded and pulled her back into his arms. “I know…” In the distance, a siren started blaring and Robby knew that they couldn’t stay like this. He looked around and saw a familiar face watching; he stepped back, and looked at Y/N lovingly. “I promise, I’m not going anywhere, ok?” She nodded as she wiped away more tears. “Now, I do have to get back there, cause that ambulance is coming to us. And I can’t be crying over top of a patient.” 

      She sniffled as she answered, “Yeah, I get it.”

      Robby turned and beckoned the figure forward to join them. “I think you should head home and get some rest. I promise to text you and keep you updated, ok?”

      “Uh, yeah…ok,” she said, still feeling a bit uneasy. Her mind was swimming with too many thoughts. She looked up at her brother, “I probably can’t drive, can I?”

      “That’s why I’m taking you home,” Abbot said.

      “Jack?” she asked.

      He smiled softly at her, “The one and only.” 

      The ambulance roared louder, getting closer with each second. Y/N’s head started to ache. “I, uh…don’t really want to go back inside looking like…this,” she said, gesturing to her face. 

      “I’ll grab your bags,” Jack said. “Anything else you need?”

      Y/N shook her head no. “Thank you.”

      He turned to Robby and placed a hand on his shoulder, “You take care of yourself, ok?” 

      Robby nodded in return, “I will. You take care of her,” he said, leaning his head towards Y/N. “Come here,” he beckoned, wrapping Abbot in a hug. It was then that the ambulance pulled up. “I gotta run,” he said to both of them. “I love you, Y/N,” he said as he started to walk away.

      “I love you too, Robby,” she said.

      “That’s Michael to you!” he corrected.

      She watched Jack sneak into the ER while Michael got gloved up and started assessing the new admit. Life doesn’t stop for the big moments or small - you have to roll with the punches and somehow keep moving. 

      Jack returned a moment later, bags in hand. He offered her a small smile. “You ready to go?”

      Y/N wrapped her arms around her and watched her brother go back to doing what he does best. “Yeah,” she said somberly. “I am.” 

      The two drove in silence for most of the journey home. It had been a long, emotional day for both of them. When they arrived, Abbot parked the car and started to get out.

      “You don’t have to do that,” Y/N said.

      He looked at her confused. “Do what?”

      “Walk me in,” she said. “I know you rode in with the SWAT team and you have to work tonight. You can take my car and come here when you’re done. It’s not like I’ll be going anywhere these next few days.” Abbot just stared at her for a moment then got out of the car silently and grabbed her bags. She rolled her eyes and followed him into the house. 

      He used his key to open the door and was careful to not let her cat, Fig, out. Jack carefully pushed him aside and walked in, bringing her bags to their usual spot on the dining room table. He turned and assessed the damage she had left behind. “Wow…maybe it is a good thing that you didn’t do this at my place.”

      Y/N groaned, "Past me was a bitch.” She rubbed her head for a second then surveyed the mess. “I’m throwing this all in the sink and dealing with it tomorrow. It’s a future me problem.” Jack chucked while he watched Fig weave through her legs. “Ugh, I want a shower,” she moaned.

      “So take one,” he said calmly.

      “Samira said I can’t get my stitches wet.”

      “You have a shower cap, right?” he asked.

      She fought the urge to roll her eyes again, “Yeah, but I want to wash my hair. It’s probably covered in MRSA from being on the floor for so long.” 

      He walked towards her and wrapped his arms around her waist. “So…take a shower with the cap on and when you’re done, I’ll wash your hair.”

      She looked up at him, her eyes still a bit puffy from crying. “You’d do that?” she asked.

      “Of course I would,” he said while leaning in to kiss her forehead.

      Y/N shook her head, “Wait, no…you have to work tonight. You need to sleep, and to eat, and-”

      “Y/N,” he said sweetly. “Shen is working for me tonight. I called in a favor.” 

      “What…” 

      “You spent all morning baking, running labs, and getting thrown around like a rag doll. It’s about time someone takes care of you. The Pitt will be fine without me for one night,” he said. 

      She wrapped her arms around him and released a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. Tears formed in her eyes yet again as she whispered, “Thank you.”

      He held her for a while longer then beckoned her, “Come on - you stink.” She laughed and followed him to the bathroom where he started the shower for her. “If you need me, I’ll be right out here. Otherwise, I’ll wait for you to tell me you’re ready, ok?”

      She nodded and smiled as he walked out the door, leaving her alone with her thoughts. Y/N shook away the clouds and tried to focus on the good. She was home safely, Robby said he wasn’t going to do anything stupid, and Jack was staying the night. The world wasn’t on fire for now. So, she donned her rubber duck shower cap and stepped into the hot water, letting it wash away the hurt, pain, and dirt from the day. 

      When she was done, Y/N dried herself off and put on her robe. She realized how thirsty she was - had she drank anything since this morning? Rather than call Jack, she figured it’d be easier to get him when she got herself some water. To her surprise, he wasn’t on the couch, but in the kitchen washing her dishes. “Jack, what are you doing?” she asked.

      “I’ve decided to become an autoclave.”

      She swatted his arm, “You didn’t have to do all this,” she said.

      “I know,” he replied, turning his head to look in her the eye. “I wanted to take something off of your plate.”

      Y/N snaked her arms around his chest and pressed herself against his back, mumbling, “You are something else, Jack Abbot.” He turned around in her grip, so he could face her. She smiled at him and leaned in for a kiss, but instead of meeting her lips, he dipped down and hoisted her up around his hips. “Jack!” she cried.

      He just laughed at her as he carried her back to the bathroom; he placed her down gently and allowed her to position herself on the edge of the tub. He instructed her to lean back so he could rinse her hair. Jack played with the water pressure a bit before starting to soak her hair, mindful of her wound. Once it was saturated, he got a dollop of shampoo and started gently massaging her scalp. Y/N had to fight the urge to lean back, cause she would have hit her head on the tile. It would have been worth it. Jack’s fingers were strong and calculated as he made tiny circles across her head.

      “This…should be illegal,” she moaned. 

      He chuckled, “Not the first time I’ve been told I’ve got the magic touch.” 

      “I could probably cum like this,” she said, only half joking.

      Jack kept one hand on her, to support her head, while the other turned the water back on. He gently rinsed the suds away. When the water ran clean, he repeated the process with her conditioner, minus the scalp massage. 

      “You can sit up while that soaks in,” he told her. 

      “Oh, yeah,” Y/N said. She had been leaning pretty harshly into him. 

      And so they sat there together, resting against the edge of her tub. So much had happened in such a short time. Her mind and her heart were heavy, but the one constant that she had was sitting right beside her. She turned to him and smiled. He smiled back. 

      “I love you,” she said. Though Jack dropped his head, the smile remained. It took her a moment to realize what she had said. “Sorry…I know we try to limit how often we say it, given everything. I just-”

      “Y/N,” he said, cutting her off, “none of that. Not today.” 

      She smiled softly. “I blame it on the concussion.”

      He laughed and looked at her fondly. “It’s a damn good excuse.” He gripped the tub for a moment then said, “I love you, too.” She tapped her knee against his and they enjoyed their quiet sphere together. “I’m sorry if I’ve been…difficult.”

      Her eyebrows knit together in confusion, “About what?”

      “The whole…limiting this,” he said. “I think I’ve been…afraid.” He paused, trying to find the right thing to say. She gave him the time to find the words. “Afraid of letting myself love you.”

      The words sat unnaturally heavy between them. They had been friends for years; they each had seen the other at their lowest low. When Jack kissed her that first night, they agreed to keep things casual - see how they’d go. Y/N had been the one to say those three words first, but Jack had already known them in his heart. 

      Given their respective relationship to Robby, they wanted to make sure that they both felt good about things before telling him. Between that, and the fact they both guarded their hearts, it wasn’t difficult for them to see each other privately and on their own timeline. Y/N had been afraid of letting someone else in and losing them while Jack had dealt with his own self-worth demons. And he was scared shitless of letting her go. 

      After a few minutes, he smiled and gently rutted his shoulder into hers. “Come on, let’s get that out of your hair.”

      When they had successfully rinsed out all of the conditioner, Jack also helped her apply her leave in products and brush her hair. They sat on her bed, Fig nestled next to them both, while he gently combed through her tangled mess. Despite the calm she felt with him, there was a knot of doubt sitting in her belly.

      “On a scale of one to ten, how badly should I be worried?” Y/N asked.

      He stopped brushing her hair and pulled her against his chest, the wet strands staining his shirt. He whispered softly, “It’s going to be ok.”

      “Is it?” she asked, her voice nearly breaking. She turned her head to look into his eyes, hers starting to fill again. “Jack, I’m scared…” she said, the words thick with fear, “I can’t lose him.”

      “I know, “Y/N, but it’s Robby we’re talking about. He isn’t going to do anything stupid like that.” He could see all the hurt and pain on her face. It wouldn’t have been the first time Robby had said one thing but meant another. Jack leaned down and placed a sweet kiss in the center of her forehead where a crease had formed. 

      “Jack…” 

      “Robby is a stubborn son a bitch. He’s dumb, but he’s not stupid,” he said with complete sincerity. “He’s going to come back…probably with a ridiculous haircut or something,” he added with a laugh. Abbot used his hand to gently lift her head ever so lightly, “but he’ll come back. To you. To us. To the Pitt. He’ll be back.”

      Y/N closed her eyes, sucked in a deep breath, and nodded. “You’re right. He’s coming back.”

      Jack laughed, “Of course I’m right!”

      Y/N couldn’t help the smile that spread across her lips. She shifted in his lap so she was facing him and then wrapped her arms around his neck, sighing deeply. “Thak you,” she whispered. 

      “It’s what I’m here for,” he replied, though he wasn’t certain if that answer was more so for himself or for her. “You hungry, Y/N? Cause I’m starving.”

      She let her hands fall from his neck down his shoulder to rest on his chest. “Not really, but I should probably eat something.”

      He pulled his neck back and looked down at her, studying her for a minute, “Have you eaten anything since you left the ED?”

      She shook her head, “Not really- other than ibuprofen. My stomach’s been a little off.”

      Jack took another look at her, “We gotta get some food in you - meds on an empty stomach will only make things worse. How about some chinese, hmm? Get some rice for that belly?”     

      Y/N smiled, “Do the doctor’s orders also include crab rangoons?”

      “Unfortunately, crab rangoons aren’t covered by your insurance, but the alternative medicine includes spring rolls and steamed dumplings.”

      She laughed, “Ugh, damn money mongers. I guess the generic will have to do.” Jack smiled at her endearingly and tapped his fingers along her lower back. Y/N lifted her head and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. She pulled back and stayed there a moment, their noses grazing against each other, like he had done earlier. He kissed her this time, soft at first, but then he deepened it. His hands palmed her cheeks as he breathed her in.

      When they parted, Jack leaned his forehead against hers and kept his eyes closed. They had been doing this for months, yet every time he got to kiss her, his heart jumped light years ahead. She was his best friend’s sister - which basically made her his little sister. And yet, all he wanted was to kiss her again and again. 

      “We should tell your brother about this when he gets back,” he said, breaking the silence. When he opened his eyes, he saw Y/N was already looking at him.

      “Are you sure?” she asked, her tone neutral.

      He frowned, “Am I sure that I want to tell my best friend that I’ve been secretly shacking up with his sister for nearly a year behind his back? No…. Am I sure that I should tell him that I’m in love with you….yes,” he said with a smile.

      “Jack,” Y/N toyed, “are we, like, official now?”

      “Official?” he asked, cocking an eyebrow.

      She laughed, her arms returning to around his neck. “You know what I mean. Do I get to call you my boyfriend now?” 

      He threw his head back, “Ugh,” he feigned. “I think I’m too old to be a boyfriend.” Y/N laughed and kissed his cheek.

      “So…what do I get to call you then, Dr. Abbot?”

      He thought about it for a moment, then asked, “How would you feel about ‘partner’?” 

      A smile spread across Y/N’s face. “Hi, this is my partner, Dr. Jack Abbot…It’s got a nice ring to it. I guess I’m officially your problem, then.”

      He chuckled, “You have been…for a while.” 

      “Oh yeah?” Y/N asked.

      Jack looked away from her for a moment. “Officially, that is. I, uh…may have changed you to my emergency contact a while ago…” 

      “Really?” she asked.

      He looked at her again, a bit sheepishly. “Yeah,” he admitted.

      “When?” 

      Jack took a moment before he answered, “About three months ago.” Y/N tried to think back if anything significant had happened around that time, but nothing rang a bell. “That’s why I asked Mohan to help me off the books. It would have looked pretty awkward if your phone started ringing for them to update my next of kin.”

      Y/N couldn’t help but laugh. This was Jack - a man that loved loudly in small ways. She couldn’t help but ask, “Who’d I beat out?” 

      Abbot rolled his eyes. “Who do you think?”

      Y/N gasped. “No…”

      He nodded, “Yup.”

      "Jack, he’s gonna be pissed when he finds out!” she cackled. Y/N couldn’t help laughing. She, yet again, had usurped the title of “Closet Robinavitch” from her brother yet again. “Good,” she said, kissing him again. 

      He gladly kissed her back, the weight of the last few months of secrecy melting away. Though he was nervous to see how Robby would react, he was glad he listened to his gut and was seeing this through. He couldn’t imagine a life without Y/N by his side. When they parted, he looked at her gingerly and said, “Y/N, I love you. And…” he paused, his voice getting low, “I think I’ve been holding myself back, and you back, because…I was worried one day you might not love me.” He shook his head. “I know you’re scared of being left alone again - which I get,” he said, looking at her, “you don’t ever have to worry about me leaving you. I don’t think I could handle losing you.”   

      She wrapped him in her arms and held him tightly. “You don’t have to worry about that, Jack…I’ve been yours from the moment you kissed me,” she whispered. They held each other and allowed the bonds of their trauma to start to scab over, the first stage of healing. Y/N sniffled and said, “I love you too.”

      They sat there like that a little while longer, enjoying the start of their new chapter together. When they parted, Jack kissed her on the lips, then nose, then forehead. “Now…” he said, “Food! I’m wasting away, Y/N!” 

      She chuckled, “Alright, alright! I’m getting my phone, hold on…” Y/N abandoned his lap - her partner’s lap- and went to get her phone from her purse in the dining room. When she opened the lock scream she froze. It took her a minute before she walked into her bedroom, eyes wide and glossy.

      “What’s wrong?” Abbot asked, already standing. She looked at him as the tears started to fall. “Baby, what happened?” 

      “Michael…” she started, her voice thick. She took a shaky breath and continued, “...he sent me his location. And his entry ticket.” 

      A wave of confusion washed over his face. “His ticket for what?” he asked.

      Y/N took in a shaky breath, “He’s attending a mental health spa in Alberta…one month stay with the option to extend if needed.” 

      Jack wrapped her in his arms and they both sighed with relief. Robby, indeed, was not planning on doing something stupid - rather, the opposite. He was getting himself help.  

      “He meant it,” she whispered. “He really meant it.”

      The one thing that neither of them had noticed was the purchase date - 7/4/25 at 16:24 EDT - right after Abbot drove her home.