Work Text:
Jesse watched helplessly as it started with an unfortunate comment. It had been a peaceful, busy, but peaceful first three hours into the shift when the comment came from the effortlessly charming and still very handsome Pediatrician who had come down for a consult on a patient, his rich baritone voice and his warm brown eyes doing nothing to help the oncoming storm. Frank was sitting, talking to Hailey, keeping the little girl as calm as he could, earning a quiet little giggle here and a silent nod there, when the pediatrician came in with a warm smile. Talking to the little girl with gentle authority, and a wink that made her giggle.
Robby had slipped into the room, intent on grabbing Frank for a check-in with one of his other patients, when the consulting doctor looked up at Frank from where he had taken Frank's spot on the stool, still all smooth charm and smiles.
"It's not too late to switch your fellowship to Pedes, Landon."
He began. Jesse stilled, carefully looking at where Frank was standing on the other side of Hailey's bed from Dr. Taylor, who was fully grinning at Frank, to where Robby was standing just inside the door, who was straightening his posture and crossing his arms over his chest, a look of annoyance starting to settle on his face. "You're clearly a natural, and from what I've seen a pretty good doctor. I would love to have you as part of my team."
He bit back a groan and resisted rubbing his temple, already knowing exactly how this was going to play out. "Thank you."
Jesse froze, eyes widening at the two words. He had been fully prepared for Frank to brush it off with a slight blush at the praise from the older man and tell him he was happy where he was, and that would be it. "I heard there was a fellowship opening in emergency pediatrics."
Oh. Oh no.
Jesse glanced quickly at Robby, who had that cold, pleasant smile on his face, the one he saved for difficult patients and when having to deal with Gloria, the one that didn't meet his eyes. "Trying to steal my Doctors again, Taylor?"
Frank's jaw dropped just a fraction.
"I assure you, just the one." Taylor promised, "You have a good man here, a good doctor."
Jesse's lips pinched together in annoyance, Frank of course picking the worst time to blush slightly. Jesse wasn't the only one who noticed; Robby's smile turned sharper. "Yes, I do. Which is why I think we'll keep him here with us."
Taylor chuckled, half turning to Frank. "Come find me, we can talk about it later."
"Uh...sure."
'Fuuuuuuuuck' Jesse thought to himself as he ran a hand down his face. It was going to be a long shift.
***
"Hey, Doctor Langdon?"
The bright and cheerful voice bounced towards the hub as one of the new MS4 cheerfully made their way over to Frank, and proceeded to ask the doctor her question, getting a nod from the man, who listened with interest before answering, moving slightly towards her with a patient expression while she bounced on her feet stimming slightly while they continued to talk.
"He's good with her."
Dana pointed out serenely, having taken note of the way Kahn had gravitated to the senior resident the same way Mel had, Langdon neatly taking the energetic student under his wing, the fledgling doctor becoming Frank's cheerful and slightly hyperactive shadow. Dennis gave a silent huff in annoyance. It was only one week into her rotation, and Dennis was already for Khan to move to her next rotation, a headache forming every time he saw the hero worship for the resident in her eyes.
"Mmmhmm." Trinity pursed her lips. "A constant little Langdon shadow."
Dennis was well aware.
"Who knows, maybe she'll get matched with emergency medicine and come back." Dana pondered, carefully hiding her amusement at the way Dennis's eyes narrowed, all but glaring at Frank and Khan, Frank's light laughter making its way to the central hub, the young woman beaming at him in return.
"Or no," Dennis muttered. "She seems like she might be better for Pedes."
Trinity rolled her eyes and shared a look with Dana. "Heard Taylor tried to poach Langdon away." Dennis didn't stifle his scoff.
"According to Jesse," Dana jumped in with a deceptively lazy tone, "He might have succeeded."
Dennis ripped his attention away from Frank and his new protégé to look at Dana. "What?"
She shrugged. "There's a fellowship opening with Emergency Paediatrics, and Taylor is right, he is a natural."
Dennis clenched his jaw in irritation. "That would explain why Robby is in such a shit mood." Trinity gleefully pointed out. "Look on the bright side, Langdon might be out of our hair sooner rather than later, and you're probably right, Khan is better suited for-"
"Hey." Frank cut Trinity off, sauntering up to the hub with an easy smile, having sent Khan off to follow Mel for a bit. "Dana, patient in...you okay, Whitaker?"
"I'm fine." Whitaker blew out a breath.
"Heard we might lose you to Pedes." Trinity was smirking now. "That would suck, nice to know you."
Frank's impossibly blue eyes went wide before he chuckled. "You wish. It would mean starting over, but it could be interesting. Dude, are you sure you're okay?" Dennis, for a brief second, felt a twinge of guilt over Frank's obvious concern directly focused on him, for him, because of him, but only for a moment.
"Please, like you could ever leave the Pitt." was what came out of his mouth instead of 'I'm fine' or 'thank you'.
"Ummm," Frank stepped back, his concern morphing into what looked like a brief flicker of self-doubt. Dennis' stomach bottomed out.
"You're too good at what you do here. You belong here, Langdon." He watched as the tips of his ears turned pink, the older man known for not taking praise well since his return.
"Langdon," Robby called out, drawing their attention, his gaze sharp.
"Coming," Frank yelled over his shoulder, tapping the desk hub before running off after Robby, running a hand through his hair and blowing out a breath. Dennis turned and looked at Dana and Trinity and walked off without saying a word.
***
"What's this I heard that Langdon is moving to fucking Pedes?"
Robby didn't look over at his husband. "Hi, honey, how was today? Great, thanks, dear. That's nice, I heard a rumour that Langdon is moving to pedes. Did you? That's interesting."
Jack blinked. "Cut the shit, Robinavitch. Who the fuck told him he could move to Pedes?"
"Taylor." Robby bit out, still irritated from that morning, no longer hiding it by the end of the day. "Apparently, it's not the first time the topic has come up."
"Now that is interesting," Jack muttered, searching for his target, finding Frank listening to a story Mel and Khan were telling the man, nodding here and there and listening with interest, while Dennis watched with narrowed eyes at the trio, as he talked to Shen about a patient.
"Mmhmm, Taylor told him to find him later, for information on the Emergency Paediatrics fellowship."
"It's hard to find Taylor for a free moment if he's on night shift." Jack pointed out darkly, Robby turned to look at Jack, who was smirking. "I'm not wrong."
"No. No, you're not."
"I fucking hate Pedes."
"Taylor can jump off a cliff while he's at it."
"The roof is as good as anything."
"You do realise we're talking about murder, right?"
Jack looked at him with a guileless expression. "I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm talking about keeping Frank exactly where he belongs."
"Uh huh."
"Hey, pretty boy." Parker greeted Frank as he moved towards the central hub for round up. "Heard Taylor finally put a move on you."
"Har har." Frank rolled his eyes. "It's just a possibility."
"A possibility you might be working with a silver fox like that, whose been trying to get his hands on you since your Pedes rotation? Sure, lets call it that."
Dennis' frown was immediate. "I'm sorry he's been trying to do what, since when?"
"Relax." Shen slung a shoulder over Frank's shoulder, the man giving a small huff of amusement. "We will miss you, Frankie, but you have the ability to be codependent with anyone." Frank didn't catch the smirk Shen aimed straight at Parker, who looked directly at Jack and Robby with her own smirk.
Robby leaned closer to Jack, his breath a brush of air against his ear. "I'm good with murder."
"We'll make it look like an accident." Jack smiled, and patted his husband on the back,