Work Text:
You hadn’t expected the hospital to be this busy at seven in the morning. You stood outside the entrance of the emergency department, leaning against the handrail, watching people come and go. Staff in scrubs passed you without a second glance.
Jack had texted you the night before:
Breakfast after shift? 7:15 a.m? x
So here you were. Hovering awkwardly with a paper bag of bagels in your hand. Waiting for - you checked your phone - twenty minutes now. You knew that his work could get stressful and hectic, so you’d decided to be patient.
Every time the sliding doors opened you caught a glimpse of the inside: the buzz of voices, the sharp rhythm of footsteps, the occasional groan from somewhere deeper inside.
It made you a little nervous.
After another ten minutes a nurse with kind eyes stepped outside, scanning the entrance like she was looking for someone. When she saw you, she walked straight over.
“Hey honey, you here for Dr. Abbot?”
You nodded, a little surprised.
“I’m Lena. Night shift charge nurse. I heard him talking earlier about you picking him up.” She smiled warmly. “Figured I’d grab you before you ran off.”
You smiled back. “Thank you.” Then you asked: “Is he busy?”
She glanced at you sympathetically. “Yeah. He’s in a code right now. Could be a while.”
You nodded slowly. Lena gave you a another reassuring smile. “Come on sweetie.”
She led you inside, through the packed waiting room and then through a set of double doors. The noise hit you immediately. Voices overlapping. Monitors beeping. Someone calling for labs. Someone else laughing somewhere down the hall.
You looked around with wide eyes and stopped for a moment.
Lena turned back and grinned. “Welcome to the circus.” She gestured around. “Just more clowns and less entertaining.”
You blinked, still taking everything in. Then you raised the paper bag slightly. “I brought bagels. For… everyone.”
Lena looked at the bag. Then at you. “Well” she said with a nod. “I already like you.”
The two of you passed the nurses station - the obvious epicenter of the ED - with people moving in every direction around the desks and computers.
Lena raised her voice slightly.
“Hey everyone - Jack’s guest brought bagels. I’ll put them in the staff lounge.”
A couple of heads snapped up. People looked at you. You blushed and gave a small wave.
“Come on, sweetie.” Lena said, already turning down a hallway. “Staff lounge is that way.”
The staff room was quieter. You set the bag of bagels on the table and looked around, suddenly feeling extremely out of place. Lena gave you a reassuring smile.
“Sit down. Relax. I’ll send Jack down as soon as he’s free.”
“Thank you” you replied but she was already halfway out the door.
You looked around. The room wasn’t exactly comfortable but practical - a few chairs, a small kitchenette with a coffee machine and a fridge, a staff board covered in notes and schedules.
You let out a long breathe and sat down.
Within five minutes three nurses appeared. Then two residents. Then another nurse.
Every single one of them looked at you, while getting coffee or helping themselves to bagels.
You smiled politely.
You felt shy.
Out of place. Like you’d stepped inside a completely different dimension.
A younger nurse with a wide smile walked in. She grabbed a bagel and looked straight at you. “So. You’re Jacks guest?”
You felt yourself blush. “Yeah it seems like it.”
“Guest as in…” She tilted her head. “…girlfriend?”
You blushed even more. You hesitated for a second, then nodded. “Yes.”
“We didn’t know he had a girlfriend” the nurse continued, eyes sparkling with curiosity. “This is quite the way to find out.”
Before you could answer another woman stepped into the room. She wore scrubs like everyone else, but something about her presence made the room instantly quieter. Silver streaks ran through her blonde hair and she carried the unmistakable aura of someone who ran this entire place.
It took her exactly one look to understand the situation.
“You know this is not a zoo. And she is not an exhibit.”
The younger nurse rolled her eyes. “It is kind of a zoo out there” she muttered.
“Then go and look after your monkeys” the woman shot back without missing a beat. “ I’ll take care of Jacks guest.”
The tone left absolutely no room for discussion. The younger nurse grabbed her bagel and retreated..
The woman stepped closer to you, smiling. “I’m Dana. Charge nurse.”
You smiled back, slightly confused. “But I met the charge nurse earlier. Lena?”
Dana chuckled. “Lena’s charge nurse for the night shift. That circus out there?” She gestured toward the hallway. “That’s mine during the day. Lucky, lucky me.”
“Ah!” You nodded slowly. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m-”
“I know who you are” she interrupted gently.
You blinked.
“Jack doesn’t talk much” she continued. “but these people outside certainly do.”
You raised an eyebrow. “Oh.”
Dana smiled knowingly.
“Gossip and hospital goes together like cookies and cream. Always has. Always will. You’ll get used to it.”
You blinked again. “If you say so.”
She chuckled softly. “I apologize if they made you uncomfortable. Jack’s been here a long time and he doesn’t exactly bring guests around.”
That made your stomach flip a little. You blushed again.
Dana turned toward the coffee machine. “Did anyone offer you coffee yet?”
You hesitated. “No.”
Dana shook her head slowly, almost in disbelief, while grabbing a mug from the shelf. “Of course they didn’t.”
“Everyone has been very nice though” you added quickly.
“Oh I know they’re nice” Dana said dryly. “They’re also extremely nosy.”
She handed you a steaming mug. “There you go.”
“Thank you.”
You took a sip, then added apologetically. “Sorry, I didn’t want to cause a stir up in the department.”
Dana smiled.
“Oh honey.”
She gestured toward the bagels.
“You brought food. That’s apology enough.”
Your mug was empty and you were scrolling through your phone when the door opened again. You looked up.
A tall man in scrubs stepped inside, rubbing the back of his neck like someone who had been carrying too much responsibility for too long. He walked toward the coffee machine - and stopped when he noticed you.
“And you are-?”
You straightened slightly, feeling like you’d been caught doing something illegal.
“Waiting for Jack. I mean - Dr. Abbot” you said quickly. “Lena brought me here.”
He studied you for another second. Then his eyebrows lifted in sudden realization. “Oh.”
A pause.
“So you are real.”
You blinked. “Excuse me?”
He leaned casually against the counter, clearly amused. “Jack canceled brunch with me the other day.”
“Okay” you said slowly.
“Which was odd. He never cancels brunch. Unless it’s an emergency. Or work.” He shrugged. “And then one of the waitresses told me he was there with someone else.”
He looked at you again. “I thought they were messing with me.”
Understanding dawned. “You must be Doctor Robby!”
He grinned. “The very one. Actually it’s Michael Robinavitch, but everyone calls me Dr. Robby. Or just Robby.”
“It’s nice to meet you… Robby.” You smiled. “So Jack didn’t tell you about… me?”
Robby shook his head. “No. But he isn’t much of a talker.”
“I figured” you replied dryly.
He grabbed a bagel from the table. “Good call on the bagels.”
You smiled.
“I’ll go find Jack and see if I can take over for him so you two can get out of here.”
You brightened. “Thanks.”
He waved dismissively and disappeared back into the chaos of the ED.
The trauma bay was still loud.
Monitors beeped rapidly. An unresponsive patient lay in the middle of the room. Nurses and residents worked quickly around the bed.
Jack stood among them, focused and calm. He watched a resident performing a procedure.
“Good.” Jack said evenly. “Now go slowly.”
Robby appeared in the doorway. He leaned against the frame, watching for a moment before stepping closer.
“Jack.”
Jack didn’t look away from the patient.
“Jack.”
Jack glanced over briefly. “What do you want?”
“Should I take over?”
Jack shook his head. “We’ve got this. I’ll find you after we’re done.”
His focus immediately shifted back to the patient.
Robby opened his mouth again.
Jack gave him a look and shook his head without saying a word.
Robby sighed. He knew Jack well enough to recognize the look. So he backed out of the room.
Twenty minutes later the patient was stable.
The room slowly emptied as people returned to the rest of the department. Jack checked in with the nurses and the resident, now responsible for the patient, then stepped out last.
He ran a hand trough his hair, before walking stiffly over to the nurses station, where Robby was sitting at one of the computers.
When Robby noticed him, he grinned.
Jack frowned immediately. “What?”
“Wrong priorities buddy.”
Jack blinked. “We just saved the patient. Sounds like the right priorities to me.”
“Every other day - yes.” Robby leaned back in his chair. “But I could have taken over, you know.”
Jack sighed. “Why on earth would I want you to do this? It was my case. My responsibility.”
Robby folded his arms.
“If my girl was waiting for me for hours in the staff lounge” he said slowly. “I’d gladly give up the case and go home with her.”
Jack froze. “What are you talking about?”
Robby nodded toward the hallway. “Your girlfriend. Staff lounge. Lena parked her there.”
Jack stared. Then it hit him. His eyes widened.
“Oh fuck.”
He covered his face with his hands for a moment. “I totally forgot.”
A faint flush crept up the back of his neck.
Robby noticed immediately and laughed. “Oh that’s beautiful.”
Jack ran a hand through his hair again. “I was busy.”
“Yeah” Robby said cheerfully. “I noticed. Tunnel vision.”
He clapped Jack lightly on the shoulder. “Relax. She’s fine. But you shouldn’t let her wait any longer.”
Jack looked toward the hallway. Then back to Robby.
“You could’ve said something.”
Robby stared at him. “I tried. But we don’t interrupt a code. You know that.”
Jack closed his eyes briefly, clearly mortified. Then he pushed himself away from the counter. “Okay. I’ll go and say hi and then we’ll finish handover.”
Robby nodded. Then he called after him.
“Hey, Jack.”
Jack stopped. “What?”
“You’re scoring high with this one.”
Jack hesitated for a moment. Then a small proud smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
“I know.”
And he headed toward the staff lounge.
Princess and Perlah, standing a few feet away, exchanged looks.
“Did Abbot just blush?” Perlah asked in Tagalog, disbelief clear in her voice.
Princess nodded, secretly delighted. “He did.” she replied in Tagalog. “Already the highlight of my day.”
The door opened and you looked up immediately. Jack stepped inside. His hair was messy, scrubs slightly wrinkled, exhaustion visible in the way he carried himself.
Incredible handsome.
The moment he saw you, something in his face softened.
“Hey.”
Your stomach tingled. “Hey.”
He walked over without hesitation and flopped down on the sofa next to you.
“I’m sorry” he said quietly. “Code ran longer than expected.”
“It’s okay.” you said with a smile, reaching for his hand. “I figured.”
He leaned over and kissed you. Not rushed. Just warm and familiar. Grounding.
Then he leaned back slightly, his hand coming up to your cheek, stroking gently.
You blushed under the touch. He kissed you once more, quick this time, then sighed.
“I still have to finish handover with Robby.”
You nodded. “Go. I’ll survive.”
He hesitated for half a second, like he didn’t quite want to leave again. Then he nodded.
“Twenty minutes. Max.”
You grinned. “I’ve heard that before.”
He frowned immediately. “I’m sorry.”
You chuckled. “I’m just messing with you. Go finish work.”
He stood, straightening with a small groan. When he reached the door, he paused and looked back at you.
“Just for the record -”
You knew that grin.
You laughed.
“Yeah still your girlfriend.”
You pointed toward the hallway.
“Now - go.”
Fifteen minutes later he came back, jacket over his arm and his backpack slung over one shoulder. You stood up immediately.
“Ready?”
“Yeah.”
He gave you a small kiss that made you smile.
He took your empty coffee cup and put it in the dishwasher, then his hand settled naturally at the small of your back as you walked out together.
The nurses station noticed instantly.
You felt like everyone watched as you slowly walked down the hallway toward the exit.
“Come back again. Bring more bagels!” someone shouted behind you.
You laughed and gave a thumbs up.
Dana looked up from the clipboard she had been studying. “Take care of her” she said to Jack. “She’s a good one.”
Jack grinned and squeezed your side lightly.
“Have fun” Robby called with a wave.
Jack just shook his head slightly.
You stepped outside into the morning air. The street was busier now and the sun stood higher in the sky. You squinted against the brightness.
Jack guided you toward the parking lot.
You glanced at him. “Was this how you imagined introducing me to your colleagues?”
He shrugged, like this thought had genuinely never crossed his mind. “I didn’t think about it.”
You laughed softly.
He glanced at you, amused. “What?”
“It’s no big deal for you?”
He looked a little surprised by the question. “No.” he said simply. “Not really.”
You raised an eyebrow.
“It’s not like they have a say.” he added.
The answer was so matter-of-fact you couldn’t help smiling.
He noticed.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
You rested your head briefly against his shoulders as you walked. He nudged your side lightly.
“But good to know you passed the bagel test.”
You laughed quietly. “A little bribery never hurt anyone. One of my better ideas.”
He chuckled and kissed your temple.
Then he asked “So… breakfast?”
“One of your better ideas” you replied.