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It was Dennis’ first nightshift. He’d only been at his ED rotation for 5 weeks and he decided to pick up a shift, Trinity brought someone back to the apartment (oddly enough to Dennis, it was a woman, he didn’t realize Trinity was gay, not that it’s a bad thing of course) so he didn’t feel like being there to hear the- ew…. Gross- Dennis doesn’t like girls at all, of course he’d never admit that out loud.
Saying Dennis is nervous is an understatement. He’s just starting to feel like he knows where he stands with Dr. Robby and all the other residents and nurses on day shift, now he’s throwing himself into a nightshift? The only doctor he halfway knows is Dr. Abbot, and he only met the man a handful of times. Apparently Dennis is a glutton for punishment, and fuck if he wasn’t gonna be tired after working a double.
“Hey- Whitaker, right? I remember you from your first day, Robby talks about you a lot.” Dr. Abbot’s voice cut off Dennis’ thoughts.
“Uh- yes! Yeah- does he really?” Dennis asked.
“Sometimes, well, let’s put you to work kid.” Abbot handed Dennis a chart and he got to reading.
38 year old male, Franklin Davis, complaining of chest pain and he has a rash on his arms.
Dennis ran off to introduce himself to the patient when he heard a familiar click come from Dr. Abbot.
‘Oh, I wonder what he needs.’ Dennis thought to himself.
Usually it was only Dr. Robby who clicked at him if he needed something, but Dr. Abbot had told Dennis that Robby talks about him, so he must’ve shared the habit they’d formed on day shift. Dennis was at the patients door already but he turned right around.
“Yes Dr. Abbot?” Dennis asked him.
“What?” Dr. Abbot didn’t even look up from where he was charting.
“You called me over, I thought you needed something.” Dennis told him.
“I- no, I don’t need anything, go back to- whatever you were doing.” Abbot looked up at Dennis.
“Oh okay, sorry.” Dennis spoke.
Weird.
He walked back over to the patient and began asking about his symptoms.
“Well that was weird.” Jack spoke to himself.
“What was weird?”
Jack looked up to see Dr. Ellis, she was picking up a chart from the nurses station.
“Nothing, just, Whitaker.”
“Robby’s favorite kid?”
“Yeah. I gave him a patient chart and then before he even got to the door he turned around to ask me if I needed something, I didn’t do anything except-“ Jack cut himself off, a look of realization dawned on his face.
He clicked his tongue.
Surely that wasn’t what it was, it was a coincidence, or maybe Dennis just heard it and assumed it was a scoff? A question?
“Except what?” Ellis asked.
Jack didn’t respond for a moment, “Uh, nothing, I have to check on a patient.” He said, he started walking away before Ellis could even talk.
“- or walk off, thanks Abbot.” Ellis spoke.
Jack pivoted to another patient room, 16 year old boy with a broken arm, they were waiting on X-Rays that just so happened to just come in.
He put hand sanitizer on his hands and walked in the room.
“Thomas, I’m Dr. Abbot, we got your X-Rays back and it looks like it is a break.” He pulled up the chart on the screen.
“If you look right there,” he pointed to the screen, the boy’s Dad ruffled his hair, “there’s a bone fragment, which means you’re gonna have to have surgery.”
“Surgery? Will he be okay?” The dad asked.
“Dr. Abbot, incoming trauma! Five minutes out” A nurse poked her head in the door.
Jack nodded to her and turned back to them.
“All surgeries have risks but it’s a very simple procedure, I’ll have someone come down to talk to you, I’m sorry I have to go.” Jack told them, excusing himself.
He immediately went to assist, it was a messy scene, someone had attempted suicide, a girl, 22. College major.
They worked on her for nearly 45 minutes but it was useless.
When he finally got away from the scene he walked outside the doors, clicking his tongue, “damn.” He whispered under his breath.
“Did you need something Dr. Abbot?” Dennis asked, coming up beside him.
…..
…. Huh? Twice in a row? Purely coincidence of course. Right?
“Hey,” Jack spoke, he decided to just make something up, “uh, yeah…. go help with triage, we’ve got 4 empty beds in here.” He told Dennis smoothly.
“Of course, Dr. Abbot.” Dennis spoke, smiling.
That smile was intoxicating in a way that it shouldn’t be to a married man, a 50 year old married man.
The next time Jack ran into Dennis was almost 2 hours later, he saw him in a patient room, when Dennis came out he started charting and grabbed a granola bar from his jacket to eat.
Jack decided to test a theory, he came about 3 feet away from Dennis and clicked his tongue. “Tch”
Dennis’ head snapped up like he was shot and he looked for Jack.
“Yes Dr. Abbot?” He spoke, standing.
Huh. That was strange. That was….. not a coincidence. That was intentional. Fuck.
“Nothing, I’ve got a patient to check on, keep up the good work, Whitaker.” Jack spoke, patting Dennis’ shoulder.
Jack tested his theory 5 more times over the course of the shift. Everytime he needed Whitaker he clicked his tongue and the boy was there.
Honestly Jack was having way more fun with it than he should have been having. Watching the sound register and the intern hop up and turn to Jack in a way that reminded him of a solider on the battle field shouldn’t make him smile but it did.
“Tch.” He clicked.
“Yes Dr. Abbot?” Dennis asked.
“You’ve done great work today Kid, I wouldn’t mind having you on night rotation more often.”
“Oh-! Uh, thank you sir!”
Fuck. That did it. Jack’s immediate thoughts were inappropriate. He cleared his throat, willing the blood to drop threatening to rush where it shouldn’t for his student.
“No problem, go home kid, your shift is over in 20 minutes anyways, Robby will be here for handover soon.”
“Oh, are you sure?”
Is he sure? No, he wanted to take that pretty boy right- nope. Nope. No, he was not going to think about it. Jack Abbot is not a weak man and he has a husband. He is NOT going to continue down this train of thought
“Yeah, see you later kid.” He ruffled Dennis’ hair, watching as the younger man smiled sweetly.
Jack was so incredibly fucked.
He watched Dennis go off to the locker rooms in a daze.
“Are you ever going to tell me what that was about earlier?” It was Dr. Ellis’ voice.
“Probably not.” Jack told her, a cheeky smile on his face.
“Whatever.” Dr. Ellis walked off right as Robby came in.
“Hey Brother.” Robby told Jack.
“Hey.” Jack’s eyes met Robby’s, Robby’s fingertips ghosting over Jack’s as he picked up a chart, “the board is busy, we have a broken arm waiting for surgery, pregnant woman waiting for a bed upstairs, we’re waiting on an interpreter for Central 7, and South 17 is waiting to be cleaned but it’s open.” Jack told Robby.
“Great. Triage is already filling up and the ER is packed like sardines.” Robby spoke.
Robby took a big sip out of his black tumbler, taking another glance at the crowded board.
“Yeah, oh, and why is our intern clicker trained?” Jack asked nonchalantly, looking Robby in the eye.
Robby spit his drink everywhere. Coughing, sputtering, Jack immediately brought a hand to his mouth, holding back a laugh.
“I-“ Robby started
“Sweet baby Jesus what is this mess?”
Both men snapped up to Dana, she had just walked in, purse still in hand, looking at the absolute disaster the spray of coffee had been on the papers.
“I-“ Robby started, he stopped, looking pointedly at Jack. “Dr. Abbot, follow me.” Robby’s voice had a fake calmness to it.
He grabbed Jack’s arm and led him to an empty patient room, he turned on the lights, shutting the curtains.
Jack gave Robby a look. “So, why is Whitaker clicker trained?”
“….. it’s not what it looks like?”
“Rob.”
“It didn’t start out like that, I sigh…. Sometimes…. when I’m stressed…….. he started to realized and checked up on me whenever I would sigh, then it turned into whenever I made a noise- and………… it devolved.” He smiled nervously.
“…… you accidentally trained our intern to snap his head to attention like a solider when you click your tongue.” It wasn’t a question, it was a statement.
“…… yes?”
“Fuck Rob you’re helpless.”
“You married me.” Robby told him.
“I cannot believe you.”
“It was an accident.” Robby reasoned.
“It’s fucking hot.” Jack admit, immediately turning red.
“Fuck.” Robby cursed under his breath.
Double fuck.
“You know we’re perverts right?” Jack told him.
“And an HR nightmare.”
“Mm, that too…. Dana is gonna kill us.”
“Big time.” Robby sighed.
Jack intertwined his hand with Robby, he brought the hand up to his lips and left a peck on Robby’s knuckles.
“He’s only been here for like a month, you move fast.” Jack told Robby with a smirk.
“Fuck Jack, he’s like a puppy.”
“I’m getting that idea.” Jack began, “I’m mad you kept him from me for so long.”
Jack finally let go of Robby’s hand.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
A moment passed before Robby touched Jack’s hand again, his lips met Jack’s.
“I love you, okay? What Dennis and I- what we do, it’s perverted on my end and probably several HR violations, but it’s just- fun, if it’s him or you I choose you, every time.”
“I never thought you wouldn’t.”
“I choose you anyways.”
“I know.” Jack said.
“But he is fun to play with.” Robby spoke.
Jack smiled. “We should probably get back out there.”
“Definitely.”
“Does anyone have that bloodwork on Baby Jane Doe?” They heard Dana call from the hall.