Work Text:
People were running around, screaming for help. Nurses rushed past, searching for supplies, while doctors moved from one trauma room to another. This was a shift straight from hell.
McKay sprinted from triage to Trauma Room 3, with Jesse close on her heels. Dana was yelling at a woman to sit down in the waiting room and wait her turn, her voice cutting through the noise. Somewhere in the background, she could hear Princess whispering something that sounded like a prayer in Tagalog.
The shift had been doomed from the start. A massive car crash had caused a bridge to collapse, sending more vehicles plunging into the water below. Just one hour in, and Victoria, Mel, and Trinity had already exchanged a look that said it all – this might be the worst shift since PittFest.
“Oh, for God’s sake!” Dana shouted into the emergency room, which had descended into near-apocalyptic chaos. “Where are our attendings?”
“Has anybody checked the roof?” someone called back.
More and more people poured through the doors – far more than those who were leaving. Dana started calling around, trying to find available beds upstairs. There were only a few, scattered across different wards, but they’d have to make it work. They always did.
“I checked the roof!” Langdon came running down the hallway, slightly out of breath, reporting back to Dana. “There was nobody there.”
“Then where are our attendings?” Dana snapped, frustration boiling over. “Where are our sad old men when you need them?””
“Your timing is impeccable, Gloria.”
Jack didn’t even try to hide the edge in his voice. His arms were crossed tightly over his chest, jaw set, fingers tapping impatiently against his sleeve as if every second in this room was a second wasted somewhere more important.
Robby, Jack, and Dennis were crammed into one of the fourth-floor administrative offices, the kind that always felt too polished and too quiet for a hospital in crisis. Jack sat in the middle, his husband on his left and his boyfriend on his right, their knees almost touching under the table. Across from them sat Gloria and three other members of HR, all of them far too calm for what was happening four floors below.
“My husband is right, Gloria,” Robby said, his tone controlled but strained, the tension showing in the tightness around his eyes. “I don’t know if you’ve heard, but there are dozens of people downstairs who actually need us. Instead, two attendings and the Chief of Emergency Medicine are stuck up here in a meeting. So – what is this about?”
“Dr. Robby and Dr. Abbot,” Gloria said, placing her pen neatly on the mahogany desk. She folded her hands together, posture rigid, and glanced between them before briefly looking at Dennis. “It has come to my attention that you two – and Dr. Whitaker – have been involved in a sexual relationship, and –”
“Jesus,” Jack muttered under his breath, dragging a hand down his face. He let out a sharp, humorless exhale, clearly already done with this conversation.
“What I was going to say, before I was interrupted,” Gloria continued, shooting Robby a pointed look that made it clear she didn’t appreciate being cut off, “is that members of my staff observed the three of you together in the ambulance bay the other day and reported it to me. I’m giving you the opportunity to explain yourselves and be honest in this meeting.”
Dennis straightened slightly in his chair, his voice steady despite the situation.
“Dr. Abbot and Dr. Robby found me at the bus stop down the street after a shift. My roommate, Dr. Santos, had already left for an appointment. It was raining heavily, and they offered me a ride home. That’s all that happened that day.
Later, after I turned in my final assignment, I asked them out for a beer after a long shift. They didn’t pressure me, they didn’t use their positions against me – I wanted this. We all did. We waited four months before planning to talk to you, but apparently your… followers were quicker.”
There was a brief silence.
Robby huffed out a quiet laugh, and even Jack smirked despite himself, some of the tension easing from his shoulders. Pride flickered across both their faces – Dennis wasn’t backing down, and he wasn’t letting anyone twist the story.
They had worried, at first. About how it would look. About being seen as older men taking advantage of someone younger. But Dennis had made himself clear, over and over again – he wanted them, both of them, and he didn’t care what anyone else thought.
“What do you say, Gloria?” Jack finally said, leaning forward now, his patience clearly worn thin. His voice was sharper this time, more direct. “We’ll sign whatever forms you need. Right now. But we’re not turning this into a drawn-out HR spectacle while the ER is drowning. So let’s make this quick.”
Gloria dragged a hand over her face, exhaling slowly, the first crack in her composure showing.
“You’re on thin ice, Dr. Abbot,” she said, though the fight had mostly left her voice. “But… fine. Sign the paperwork, and you can return downstairs.”
Dr. Abbot and Robby had taken the elevator down together, while Dennis had insisted on catching the next one. The three men knew that if they all stepped out at once – after being gone that long – it would raise questions. Questions led to assumptions, and assumptions led to rumors they really didn’t have time for.
“There you are,” Dana said, striding up to them without missing a beat. She shoved an iPad into each of their hands, already pulling up patient charts. She didn’t wait for a response before continuing, her tone brisk and all business.
“Where have you two been, anyway?”
“Gloria was on our asses about patient satisfaction scores,” Jack replied, not even bothering to soften his tone.
Dana snorted quietly but didn’t press further. She turned and headed back to the nurse’s station, where controlled chaos was still in full swing. Santos was perched on the edge of a desk, rapidly typing as she tried to catch up on charts before the next trauma rolled in. A few feet away, Princess was at the last station, speaking quickly in Tagalog – low, fast, and definitely sounding like gossip.
Robby glanced over briefly. He didn’t understand the words, but he could guess the topic. Him. Jack. Maybe both of them. Maybe why they’d disappeared for so long.
“Before I lose you,” Jack said, turning slightly to catch Robby’s attention before they split off again. “We need to get more cheese for the mouse. He asked for some this morning, and we’re completely out.”
Robby blinked, the tension of the day easing just a fraction. “Yeah, okay. We’ll swing by the store after our shift and pick some up for our mouse.”
Dana, halfway through reviewing a chart, paused just long enough to glance up as the two men split off and disappeared into separate trauma rooms.
She frowned slightly.
Cheese? Mouse?
She had always thought of them as controlled, put-together—borderline uptight. So… what changed? Did they get a cat? No…wait. A mouse?
Dana shook her head, already overthinking it as she went back to work.
Do they have a mouse problem?
Dennis, Santos, Mel, and Shen had all ended up on break at the same time. They only had ten minutes before switching out with the second half of the team – Javadi, Ellis, Langdon, and Jesse – so the break room buzzed with quick conversations and half-finished thoughts.
Dennis and Mel sat across from each other at the table, picking at what was left of Mel’s salad from the day before, sharing it absentmindedly between them.
Across the room, Santos and Shen paced in loose circles, too restless to sit. The conversation had, naturally, drifted to last night’s episode of Love Island. Santos and Dennis had spent most of their free weekend catching up on the episodes they’d missed, just so they could watch the newest one and actually keep up with Mel and Shen without getting spoiled.
“Oh my God, no, because the way she just switched up on him – ” Mel started, leaning forward dramatically.
“Right?” Santos cut in, spinning around mid-step. “Like, zero loyalty. None. I would’ve – ”
“Wait, wait – speaking of drama,” Shen interrupted, lowering his voice slightly as he tossed his empty Dunkin’ cup into the trash. His eyes flicked between them, clearly enjoying this. “Did you guys hear about Dr. Robby and Dr. Abbot?”
That got everyone’s attention.
Dennis stilled.
Mel immediately leaned in. “No. What about them?”
“Don’t tell me – ” Santos gasped, already halfway to a conclusion. “Are they fighting? Oh my God, they’re so intense, I knew it – what kind of problems?”
“Apparently they’re having issues,” Shen said, dragging out the suspense just enough to make it painful.
Dennis’s stomach dropped.
Issues?
His mind started racing. Had something happened between Jack and Robby that he didn’t know about? Had he done something wrong? Was he the problem? Was this about the meeting earlier?
“No way,” Santos said, dropping into a chair beside Mel, fully invested now. “What kind of issues? Marriage problems? Relationship drama? Is this, like, serious?”
“I heard Dana telling Princess,” Shen continued, pulling out the chair next to Dennis and lowering his voice even more, “that she overheard Jack telling Robby they needed to buy cheese for the mouse.”
There was a beat of silence.
Mel blinked. “...What?”
“Yeah,” Shen nodded, completely serious. “So I’m guessing they’ve got a mouse problem. Honestly, it tracks. Old buildings, you know? I mean, I’ve got traps if they need them.”
Dennis just stared.
A mouse?
Since when did they have a mouse in the house?
And how had he not noticed?
Oh.
Dennis had complained that morning about them being out of cheese. He liked cheese on his sandwiches – what was wrong with that?
The night shift didn’t know. The day shift didn’t know.
No one here knew that Dennis was in a relationship with them.
And they definitely didn’t know that Jack’s nickname for him was Little Mouse… or sometimes just Mouse.
Dennis pressed his lips together, trying – and failing – not to smile.
That made so much more sense.
@JackAbbot posted a new picture to his story: Got the cheese for the little mouse
The throuple had decided – after Dennis came home from his shift and told them about the mouse problem rumor – that they were absolutely going to see how long they could keep it going.
Dennis had barely made it through the story before Jack was already grinning.
“Oh, we’re not correcting this,” Jack had said immediately, leaning back against the kitchen counter, arms crossed, clearly delighted. “Not a chance.”
Robby had tried to look serious for all of two seconds before he broke, a quiet laugh slipping out as he shook his head. “No, no, he’s right. We’ve been handed this. It would be rude not to take advantage.”
Dennis had just stood there, still in his scrubs, watching the two of them spiral into mischief like this was the most natural conclusion in the world.
And honestly?
He wasn’t complaining.
This was exactly Jack’s kind of thing – petty, harmless, and just subtle enough to drive people insane. And Robby loved a good, low-stakes prank, especially if it meant confusing their colleagues during an already chaotic shift.
Dennis himself didn’t really need a reason.
But he supported his boyfriends’ actions like any good boyfriend would.
Also… he had to admit, this was kind of fun.
By the time he’d changed out of his scrubs and joined them properly, the ideas had already started.
“Oh, we should escalate it slowly,” Dennis said, now fully invested, leaning forward as he rested his elbows on the table. “Like – subtle at first. Leave crumbs on purpose. Maybe complain about scratching noises in the walls.”
Robby snorted. “You’re evil.”
Jack pointed at him. “No, no…he’s right. Build the narrative. We need consistency.”
He had always enjoyed playing both sides of a situation – just enough truth to make it believable, just enough chaos to keep things interesting. A little double agent moment never hurt anyone.
“Oh,” he added, eyes lighting up as another idea hit him, “what if someone ‘accidentally’ finds a mousetrap in one of our lockers?”
Jack let out a sharp laugh, already on board. “Absolutely.”
Robby shook his head, but he was smiling. “We’re going to hell.”
“Probably,” Dennis said easily. “But it’ll be funny.”
And really – how often did they get the chance to mess with everyone and get away with it?
The breakroom in the emergency department was unusually lively that morning, filled with bursts of laughter that carried out into the hallway. Jesse, Langdon, and Shen were crowded around the table, clearly mid-story, still riding the high of whatever had happened on the previous shift.
“…I’m telling you, there was water everywhere,” Jesse was saying, barely holding it together. “Like, her couch was floating. Floating.”
Shen shook his head, grinning. “Ellis sounded so calm on the phone, too. Meanwhile, her entire apartment is basically an indoor pool.”
“Yeah, we had to jump in and cover half her shift,” Langdon added, taking a long sip of his coffee. “Worth it, though. I needed the chaos.”
Dennis pushed the breakroom door open quietly, trying not to interrupt as he headed straight for the fridge with his lunch. But the moment he heard them talking, he slowed – just enough to listen in without making it obvious.
Or… at least, not too obvious.
“Morning, Whitaker,” Langdon said, spotting him immediately. He set his empty coffee cup down and leaned back in his chair. “Hey, quick question…do you remember if we ever caught all the rats in the ER? Or whatever happened with that?”
Dennis paused mid-step, like he genuinely had to think about it.
“Uh…” he frowned slightly, shifting his lunch from one hand to the other. “I mean… I took care of one rat? I think? The rest probably just… left?” He gave a small, uncertain shrug, like he hadn’t given it much thought since.
Shen snorted. “Yeah, sure. They just packed up and moved out.”
“Maybe Dr. Abbot and Dr. Robby took them home,” Langdon added, completely straight-faced. “You know. As pets.”
“…That’s – ” he hesitated, like he was genuinely considering it. “That’s actually not the worst idea I’ve ever heard.”
Jesse lost it immediately, turning away to laugh.
Dennis, meanwhile, nodded slowly, like he was connecting very important dots. “Wait – okay, hold on. That would explain a lot.”
Shen leaned forward, fully invested now. “Explain what?”
“Well,” Dennis said, lowering his voice slightly, as if he were letting them in on something, “I heard Dr. Abbot talking about needing to buy cheese for a mouse.”
Langdon raised an eyebrow. “A mouse.”
“Yeah,” Dennis said, completely serious. “So… what if it’s not just a mouse?” He glanced between them. “What if it’s, like… a rat, but they’re just calling it a mouse?”
Jesse wheezed.
Shen slapped the table. “Oh my God.”
Dennis scratched the back of his neck, playing it up just a little more. “I mean, I don’t know, I could be wrong. But I feel like we should ask? Just to make sure everything’s… you know. Safe.”
Langdon pointed at him, grinning. “You’re a genius, Whitaker.”
Dennis smiled, trying to look modest.
“Yeah,” he said. “I try.”
Dennis, Jack, and Robby sat around the kitchen table, surrounded by empty takeout containers and half-finished drinks, unwinding after the day. Jack had the day off, while Dennis and Robby had both worked a full shift, so the conversation naturally drifted between their very different experiences.
Jack, of course, had plenty to say.
“So there I am, right? Completely in the zone,” he said, gesturing with his chopsticks. “Sunrise, perfect stretch, full alignment – ”
“Oh no,” Robby muttered under his breath, already knowing where this was going.
“ – and Mrs. Johnson from across the street just walks past the window,” Jack continued, completely unfazed. “We made eye contact. Full eye contact.”
Dennis nearly choked on his drink, laughing. “What did you do?”
“What could I do?” Jack shrugged. “I held the pose. I’m not breaking form just because she can’t mind her business.”
Robby buried his face in his hands. “We need better curtains.”
Dennis was still laughing as he shook his head, then leaned back in his chair. “Okay, well, that’s not even the best story from today.”
That got both of their attention.
“Oh?” Jack raised an eyebrow.
Dennis grinned. “There’s a whole theory going around the breakroom that you two took home the rats from last year and somehow… domesticated them.”
“They can’t actually believe we’re raising a mouse,” Jack said, staring at him.
“I mean…” Dennis shrugged, clearly entertained. “They’re workshopping it. It started with ‘mouse,’ but now we’re getting into ‘rat’ territory.”
Robby huffed out a laugh, shaking his head. “That’s insane.”
“I’ve already thought about how to handle it,” Dennis said, suddenly more focused. He reached over, grabbed Robby’s phone, and quickly snapped a photo of the table – empty takeout containers, three glasses, the whole scene.
Jack leaned in slightly. “What are you doing?”
Dennis glanced up, a small, satisfied smile forming. “Now they’ll see that ‘Mouse’ is a person, not an actual mouse. And then – ” he set the phone back down, clearly pleased with himself, “they’ll start trying to figure out who.”
Robby’s eyes lit up as he caught on. “Oh, that’s evil.”
“Their brains will be working overtime,” Dennis continued, warming to it. “They’ll overanalyze everything, and we get to sit back and watch.”
Jack stared at him for a second – then broke into a grin.
“God, I love it when you get all mastermind-y.”
“It’s a gift,” Dennis said easily, reaching over to steal a bite from Robby’s takeout without asking.
“Hey – ” Robby protested weakly, though he didn’t actually stop him.
Dennis just smiled, already settling back in his chair. “Now we just sit back… and wait for the chaos to begin.”
@RobbyRobvitch Posted a new photo to his story: Takeout night with @Jackabbot and Mouse
Dennis and his two boyfriends were sprawled across the couch together, some movie playing in the background on one of the streaming channels. None of them were actually paying attention to it. They were far too busy with… other distractions.
Dennis’s phone started ringing from the coffee table.
He groaned softly, breaking away from where he’d been pressing kisses along Jack’s neck, and leaned over to check the screen.
“What now…” he muttered, glancing at the caller ID. Trinity.
He sighed, pushing himself up and moving to the other side of the couch to answer. “Hey, Trin. Is something wrong?”
Robby immediately shifted closer on one side of him, and Jack followed on the other, boxing him in again.
Dennis shot them both a warning look that very clearly said: don’t you dare.
They both just smiled.
“Did you see Dr. Robby’s post?” Trinity asked.
Dennis glanced sideways at Robby, who was already watching him with a very amused expression.
“No, I haven’t seen Dr. Robby’s latest post yet,” Dennis said carefully. “I haven’t really checked my phone for the last hour.”
Jack leaned in closer, resting his chin briefly on Dennis’s shoulder, his lips brushing just a little too close to his ear.
“Shame,” Jack murmured quietly, just loud enough to distract him.
Dennis elbowed him lightly without looking. Behave.
“I forgot – you’re on some mystery date with a secret man,” Trinity went on, her tone dry and teasing. “Anyway, Dr. Robby and Abbott don’t have a mouse problem. ‘Mouse’ is apparently the name of their third?”
Dennis froze for half a second.
“A third? Are you sure?” he said, trying to sound normal – very normal – while Robby leaned in on his other side, fingers tracing lazily along his arm.
Jack, clearly not helping, pressed a slow kiss just below Dennis’s jaw.
Dennis inhaled sharply.
“I don’t think Dr. Abbot and Robby are the types to – ” he started, only to cut himself off as Robby’s lips brushed his neck this time.
Jack smirked. “Careful,” he whispered. “You almost said my name.”
Dennis shot him a glare, even as he tried to keep his voice steady. “ …to invite a third into their marriage,” he finished quickly. “That seems… unlikely.”
“Dennis,” Trinity said, suddenly more alert, “are you okay? You sound weird. Are you hurt? Do I need to come pick you up from your fancy date?”
Both Jack and Robby went very still for a split second – then immediately doubled down.
Robby leaned in again, clearly aiming to make him react, while Jack’s hand slid just enough to be distracting without being obvious.
Dennis bit the inside of his cheek.
“No…no, I’m good,” he said quickly, voice a little tighter than before. He shoved Jack’s shoulder lightly, trying to create some space while Robby just looked far too pleased with himself. “Everything’s fine.”
Jack grinned. “Tell her who you’re with,” he whispered.
Dennis glared at him.
“I have to go, Trin,” Dennis said quickly. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Wait, Dennis – ”
He hung up before she could finish.
Then Dennis turned his head slowly, looking between the two of them.
“You’re both the worst,” he said.
Jack just smiled.
Robby laughed.
And neither of them looked even a little bit sorry.
Jack and Robby walked into the ER together the next day. They had dropped Dennis off a block down the street to buy themselves a little time before he came in – anything to avoid the three of them arriving together and looking suspicious.
“Okay,” Dana said as she met them at the nurses’ station. Jesse and Princess were already there, checking charts and reviewing patients. She looked the two men up and down. “What’s going on with you two? You’re walking in here like you’ve got the sun shining out of your asses.”
“We had a good evening yesterday,” Jack said casually. “Ordered takeout, watched some movie that was airing on Channel 69 –”
“We didn’t do much watching, if you know what I mean –”
“Jack.”
“I really don’t need to know everything about you two,” Dana said, pulling off her glasses and rubbing the bridge of her nose with a long-suffering expression.
“Dr. Abbot, Dr. Robby – we need to know,” Javadi cut in, stepping up to the counter beside them. “Who is this ‘Mouse’ person?”
Jack and Robby exchanged a quick glance.
“Mouse is…” Robby started, clearly trying not to smile. “Mouse was very cuddly yesterday.”
“He’s also very needy,” Jack added, a smirk tugging at his lips. “Kept us up all night.”
“Usually we take turns taking care of him,” Robby said, just as serious.
At that exact moment, Dennis came rushing into the ER like he’d barely made it, slightly out of breath as he slowed near the nurses’ station. His eyes flicked over the small group gathered there—Jack, Robby, Jesse, Dana, and Javadi.
“I missed my bus,” Dennis said quickly, catching his breath. “Sorry – I’ll go change. What are you guys talking about?”
“Mouse –” Javadi started.
“Who?” Dennis asked immediately, blinking like he had no idea what they meant.
“Mouse,” Jack said, completely straight-faced. “Try to keep up, kid.”
Before Dennis could respond, Trinity stepped out from Trauma Bay 3 and walked straight over to him.
“There you are, Huckleberry,” Santos said, squeezing his shoulder. “First of all, you need to tell me where you slept last night, because it definitely wasn’t in your bed at the apartment. Second, you don’t need to answer the phone if you and your date are… busy.”
Dennis froze. “What –”
“Oh, cut it out,” she said, giving him a look. “I know you weren’t just watching a movie when I called.”
Jack coughed to hide a laugh. Robby very deliberately looked away.
“That’s my cue to leave this conversation,” Dennis said quickly, glancing around at the group staring at him. “Don’t you have charts to catch up on, Trin?”
Santos just smirked.
The group slowly broke apart, everyone heading back to their duties. Javadi and Jesse moved off to check on a patient who had, unfortunately, gotten a cucumber stuck where it definitely didn’t belong.
Jack wasn’t due to start his shift for another few hours, but he grabbed a few things from his locker before heading out. On his way, he said a quick goodbye to Dana and sent a message to Robby.
A second later, Robby’s phone buzzed.
Don’t forget to keep an eye on Mouse. He gets clingy if he doesn’t get attention every few hours.
Robby huffed out a quiet laugh as he slipped his phone back into his pocket, already heading toward his next patient – a woman who had managed to dislocate her shoulder during morning yoga.
“Clingy,” he muttered to himself, still smiling.
The Pittlings had decided on a game night at Dennis and Trinity’s place after their shift. Takeout menus were scattered across the coffee table, and the TV played something no one was really watching. Javadi and Mel were sprawled out on the floor, half in blankets, while Trin and Dennis sat shoulder-to-shoulder on the couch, scrolling through DoorDash and arguing over delivery fees.
“Why is the delivery fee more expensive than the food?” Trinity groaned. “I’m not paying eight dollars for someone to bring me cold fries.”
“Filter it,” Dennis muttered, squinting at the screen. “There has to be something with free delivery.”
“Okay – guys. Guys.” Mel suddenly sat up straighter, her phone held like she’d just uncovered classified information. “We need to talk about this.”
Dennis didn’t even look up. “If this is about you ordering without us again –”
“It’s not,” she cut in, eyes wide. “It’s about Mouse.”
That got everyone’s attention.
“Mouse?” Mel echoed, pushing herself up onto her elbows. “Robby’s Mouse?”
“Yes,” Victoria said, lowering her voice like the walls might be listening. “Who do you think Mouse is? As in – who is Robby and Abbot’s third?”
Dennis finally looked up from the phone, already tense. “Is this really something we should be talking about?” he asked carefully. “Isn’t that, I don’t know… their private business?”
“Private, yes,” Mel said, sitting up cross-legged now, fully invested. “But also – he posted takeout with three glasses, Dennis. Three. Glasses.”
“And the ‘rat problem’ thing?” Trinity added, eyes narrowing. “That was not subtle.”
“Exactly!” Victoria pointed at her like she’d just proven a thesis. “So. Who is he?”
“Do you think it’s someone from the hospital?” Santos asked.
“It has to be,” Mel said immediately. “I cannot imagine a civilian willingly signing up to juggle a day-shift attending and a night-shift attending. That’s not a relationship, that’s a hostage situation.”
“True…” Victoria hummed. “Okay, we make a list. Both Robby and Jack used he/him pronouns, so we’re looking for a guy.”
Dennis shifted uncomfortably. “You guys are really doing this.”
“Yes, Dennis,” Trinity said flatly, not even looking at him. “We are.”
“Okay,” Victoria said, already opening a Google Doc. “Men we work with. Go.”
“Jesse,” Javadi said immediately.
“Shen,” Mel added.
“Langdon?” Trinity offered.
“Donnie?” Javadi tossed in.
“The Shark?” Mel said, half-laughing.
“That one doctor from the OR,” Trinity said. “You know – the one with the hair.”
“That narrows it down,” Mel deadpanned.
“I think –” Victoria started, typing quickly, “ – it’s either Jesse or Shen. Jesse because he has the same kind of… energy as Jack. Like, they would absolutely share a playlist.”
“Oh my god, yes,” Trinity said.
“I think,” Mel cut in, grabbing Javadi’s phone and adding her own notes like this was a group project, “Donnie or Celeb. Donnie because he’s quiet, which is suspicious. Celeb because… vibes.”
“That’s actually a solid guess,” Santos said as she leaned over and snatched the phone from Mel, scrolling like a judge reviewing evidence. “Okay, I’m going bold. Mateo or Shen. Mateo flies under the radar too much. Suspicious.”
She glanced up. “What do you think, Huck?”
“I don’t know – ” he started.
“It’s just for fun,” Santos insisted. “Come on. Commit.”
Whittaker hesitated, then shrugged. “Fine. I guess… Ogilvie? Or Jesse.”
“Fuck, Huckleberry,” Santos said, immediately scrolling back up. “Ogilvie is actually a really good guess.”
On the couch, Dennis had gone very, very still, staring down at the DoorDash screen like it might save him.
“Hey,” Trinity nudged him. “Did you even hear anything we just said?”
“Hmm?” Dennis blinked, a little too quickly. “Yeah. No. Totally. Uh – free delivery on Thai food.”
“Dennis,” Mel said slowly, narrowing her eyes. “Why are you sweating?”
“I’m not sweating,” he said immediately.
Victoria looked up from her phone, squinting at him. “You’re acting weird.”
“I am not acting weird,” Dennis insisted, voice just a little too defensive. “Can we please just order food?”
Santos smirked. “Wow. Defensive. Suspicious, even.”
Dennis forced a laugh. “You guys are unbelievable.”
—-
Dennis, Jack, and Robby were standing out in the ambulance bay, having collectively decided to take a break from the chaos inside the hospital. It had been one of those days – where everyone either wanted to smash their head into a wall or cry in the break room.
Jack had been called in early because they needed an extra set of hands. He really needed to learn how to say no more often.
Now the three of them stood in the bay, trying to decompress and make sense of everything.
“And then they started listing people they think you guys are dating,” Dennis said, rubbing the back of his neck.
“Oh, Dennis,” Robby said softly, discreetly squeezing his hand. “It’s okay. We don’t want any of those people. Just you.”
“And they had reasons, too,” Dennis went on. “Jesse came up twice, and it just made me think about how well you guys would fit together. I got insecure for a second. I’m sorry.”
“Hey,” Jack said gently. “Come here.”
He slid a hand to Dennis’s hip and pulled him into a hug.
“As much as we both like Jesse,” Jack murmured, “he’s not you, Mouse.”
“Jack’s right,” Robby added, stepping closer. He gently pulled Dennis out of Jack’s arms just enough to press a quick kiss to his lips.
Dennis huffed a quiet laugh, then leaned over to kiss Jack too.
“Nobody is like you, Mouse,” Robby said, softer this time.
“I’m sorry to interrupt,” a voice cut in.
All three of them froze.
They turned to see Jesse and Javadi standing a few feet away, both of them staring like they’d just witnessed a live medical anomaly.
“You guys are needed in Trauma Bay 1,” Jesse added, a little too casually.
There was a beat of silence.
Then Jack and Robby immediately peeled away and followed Jesse inside without another word.
Dennis, meanwhile, looked like a deer caught in headlights – completely frozen – until Victoria walked up and waved a hand in front of his face.
“Dennis – ”
“You did not see that,” he said quickly. “That was a dream. You’re asleep right now, Victoria.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“Whatever you say, Mouse.”
Dennis groaned, dragging a hand down his face.
“I’m never living this down, am I?