Chapter Text
Jack knows his best friend. Know’s him better than he knows himself. He knows the telltale signs in the ER as he enters for his shift where he will inevitably find Robby on the roof. Jack knows the tense shoulders, the scowling expression and the balled up fists that signal that Jack should invite Robby over on his day off and not leave him to his own thoughts. One other thing Jack knows well, is the signs when Robby is falling for someone more than his usual seven week flings. A rare sight but one he has seen before. He knows the symptoms and signs like a disease. Robby was well and truly infected and the cause was MS4 Dennis Whitaker.
1.
It began the week after Pittfest. Every shift when Jack arrived at the hospital he would notice the way the day shift kept their eyes to the floor, desperately finishing up with patients and logging charts so they can leave as soon as possible. Jack chalked it up to trauma, the sights of that horrible day still fresh in everyones find. However the nurses told a different story as they silently directed him up to the roof. Robby had been sharp with everyone all day. Nothing was done quick enough, detailed enough, good enough for his liking. They were all being pressured to see more patients but still make sure they made a good enough impression to get a high satisfaction score. Jack knew as he climbed the stairs that the blame didn’t fully sit with Robby with management breathing down his neck, but it didn’t give him an excuse to be a dick. He pushed open the heavy door, breath caught in his throat as he saw the familiar figure on the wrong side of the railing.
“Get back over the other side mister. I am not giving your smushed body the kiss of life at the beginning of my shift. That would ruin my appetite for the leftovers I brought.” Jack reprimanded, seeing how Robby’s head drops at the familiar voice. He complied and climbed over, only hesitating slightly when he did it. A positive sign to Jack.
“You know I have a DNR. Let my smush rot into the pavement.” Robby joked drily as he put his stethoscope back around his neck and zipped up his jacket.
“Kissing your gross mouth would be heroic measures, at least on my part.” Jack ribbed back, noting a smirk on Robby face raise.
“Didn’t stop you in med school, why stop now?” He jabbed back as he pulled Jack in for a hug. Jack engulfed his friend in his arms, it must have been a rough shift.
“Bad one?” He asked softly as Robby let out a sigh. Jack knew not to let go until Robby made the first move and Robby seemed quite content where he was for now.
“Eighteen wheeler versus a public library and Gloria breathing down my neck about some stupid Pittfest press statement she wants me to make. Talking fucking PR stunt whilst I’m intubating a five year old.” Robby ranted into Jacks shoulder. Jack tutted and rubbed his back. That was a shitty day.
“Why didn’t you call me?” He asked and Robby shook his head.
“We could handle it without the extra hands. They’re a good bunch down there.” Robby sighed as he pulled away. Jack didn’t like the way his friends eyes grew vacant as he looked out over the skyline. He knew this headspace and he needed to get Robby out of it instantly.
“You’re off this weekend right?” He asked and Robby nodded, looking confused. “I’m off too. Why don’t you come over? We will order shitty takeout and drink shitty beer and put on whatever game is on. Just chill.” He suggested. Robby paused for a while but finally agreed much to Jacks relief.
“Okay lets go sort handover and get you home.”
Jack cracked open two beers as he heard the familiar rev of Robby’s bike pull up on his driveway. There was no need to rush to the door when it was Robby, knowing he will let himself in. So instead he settled on the sofa, easing his leg off so he can finally rest. Robby entered the house and much to Jack’s surprised he was happy to hear the thud of Robby’s motorcycle helmet hit his floors. He knew Robby hand’t been wearing it recently, more gossip from the nurses. With a groan, Robby flopped down onto the worn sofa instantly reaching for the beer.
“You’re on door duty tonight. That leg is staying off.” Jack warned, rubbing his sore leg before Robby could get too comfortable. Robby glanced at Jacks knee, noting the red irritation from where it had rubbed with worry. Even though he had slept most of the day, Jack refused to use the crutches around the house and give his leg a proper rest.
“Fine but you’re letting me pick the game we watch.” He bargained. Jack handed over the remote to show his compliance. Robby picked a hockey game, Montreal versus Boston, two teams neither man followed but it was easy watching. They fell into a familiar lull of comfort with Robby quickly getting up to replenish their beers as they watched the game. They ordered wings and pizza from a restaurant stroke bar with a dubious three star rating. Any food poisoning would give them longer off work which neither man would mind. Much to Jack’s joy, Robby seemed to relax. He was properly lounging on the couch now, shouting at the game as two of the lead players scrapped on the ice, pointing his pizza slice at the screen. At one point Robby had began a game of fuck marry kill with the players from the screen. Jack held back a laugh at the sight. If only the entire ER staff could see Robby like Jack see’s him. Relaxed, laughing and enjoying himself. That was something the ER had not seen since before covid, back when he was just an attending like others. Back when it was fun to work a shift with Robby who was often cracking jokes and rushing to help teach the residents. When the sound of his loud laughter alongside Dana’s was common. Not this angry, sad, tired man that moped around now.
“How you finding the newbies?” Jack asked once Robby had stopped his rant. “Anyone giving night crawler vibes I should know about?” Robby tensed up slightly at the mention of work but considered the question anyway.
“They’re all great to be honest.” He sighed as he leant back on the couch and took a long gulp of his beer. “I mean Santos, the R1, I think you sat in on her residency interview?” Jack nodded, remembering how boring he found the whole interviewing process. He couldn’t care about what these budding doctors filled their spare time with, he just wanted to know whether they were cut out for the ER. He remembered she mentioned something about competitive gymnastics though which he found interesting.
“She seems like she may fledge to night shift at some point. She gives me young you vibes. That’s if surgery doesn’t nab her first.” Robby considered. Jack remembered when Santos did some night shifts with him on her ER rotation a year ago. He liked her, reminiscing on her dry humour and clear skill. He also can see how she is like a younger him, very headstrong. Apart from the Pittfest shift, he hadn’t had much crossover with her the last week but had noticed the way she cares for her patients with a fiery attitude. He wouldn’t mind if she joined the team.
“Why do you think she’ll go to surgery?” Jack asked disappointed. She had the attitude of a surgeon but she took charge in a trauma and took risks like an ER doctor. It was like she belonged already. That would be wasted in surgery, which in Jack’s view is very monotonous. Only so many ways you can remove an appendix.
“Yolanda has been buzzing around her a lot recently and has been singing her praise despite Santos literally dropping a scalpel through her foot.” Robby dismissed. Jack smirked, he had heard about this from Ellis who regularly is seen chatting to the surgeon on shift.
“Mike, you do know they’re hooking up.” Robby’s jaw dropped. Clearly he did not know. Robby’s face lit up as if Jack had just shared with him the winning lottery numbers.
“What? How do you know?” He exclaimed causing Jack to laugh. He friend was so oblivious it was hilarious.
“Ellis told me that Yolanda invited Santo’s to hers I think on Wednesday after their shift and they were also seen arriving together on Thursday. Turns out dropping a scalpel on someone’s foot isn’t a complete turn off.” Jack laughed. Robby stared at him for a minute in complete shock and ran his hand through his beard.
“Guess I will need to speak to Yolanda about that.” Robby added to his mental list. Jack cringed, not wanting to stress Robby out further about work. Work relationships weren’t exactly uncommon nor frowned upon but there were measures to ensure the patient comes first if things turn sour and if a resident was involved that their education wasn’t affected. Jack had unknowingly added a visit to HR to Robby’s to do list.
“Anyway to further my theory, I’ve seen Santos trying to be very friendly with Shamsi’s daughter which is another headache. The girls like twenty years old. Clearly pushed into medicine by her doctor parents. Very smart of course but clearly puts way too much pressure on herself. I almost want to send her on a gap year or something to give her a break. Now I am gonna have her parents on my back to make sure she has top class education. I don’t need that.” Robby sighs. Jack has seen Javardi around the ER and heard she is a bit of a kid genius. He also heard about how she passed out in her first trauma but Pittfest quickly got her over any issues she had with blood.
“Yeah don’t send her to night shift. I am sure she’s amazing but I do not want Shamsi up my ass about ruining her precious daughters circadian rhythm or whatever.” Jack replied. “Don’t send King either. She is way too much of a ray of sunshine for my lot. They’d eat her alive.” Now it was Robby’s turn to laugh.
“What are you the Mafia?” He laughed at his friends dramatics. “I think she’d get on well with Shen.” He added with a shrug. Jack took a sip of his beer and considered it. He think Mel is an amazing doctor. He had some connections at the VA who gave her a glowing review. However, he wasn’t sure if that bubbly version of her would still be the same at three am.
“They’re a good bunch. Crazy first day but they seem to be settling in well.” Robby added after a while as he focused back on the game. Jack furrowed his eyebrows and did a mental count.
“You’ve missed one. The med student who killed the rat. Whit-something.” He replied, trying for the life of him to remember his name. Robby suddenly seemed very interested in his drink, peeling the damp label off as a flush coated his cheeks.
“Oh yeah Whitaker. He’s a good med student.” Robby said quickly, not looking up at Jack who raised his eyebrows in surprise.
“That’s it?” He asked. “I’ve heard he’s your new golden boy!” Robby tutted at this comment.
“You’ve really gotta stop gossiping with the nurses Jack.” He scolded causing Jack to roll his eyes. What else was Jack supposed to do at four am when the ER hits a usual lull?
“Tell me about him.” He ordered causing Robby to blush even further. He had now picked off the whole wrapper from the glass bottle, leaving a sopping paper pile on his coffee table. If Jack wasn’t so interested in this conversation, he would’ve told him off for that. Robby had moved on to picking at the sleeves of his jumper where some of the wing sauce stained. Jack waited patiently, noting the long pause where Robby doesn’t speak. He was able to talk about all the others with no problem so why was Whitaker different? The nurses had told Jack that Robby had taken a liking to this particular med student, letting him sit at his work station, praising him often and not to mention the touching. Apparently it was becoming common to see Robby’s hands on the younger mans shoulders. It was also said that Whitaker was the only member of staff Robby hadn’t snapped at all week. People thought Whitaker was like a stress ball to Robby, often sending the student Robby’s way if Robby seemed stressed or likely to snap to cheer him up like he had some instant calming affect on the attending. Clearly he was more than just your average med student to Robby.
“I don’t know. He had a hard first day, lost his first patient and then the whole Pittfest thing. He has really come out of his shell though this last week and clearly has a knack for this. He will make a fine ER doctor if he choses to go into this.” Jack noted the smile that had cracked on his friends face, like he was talking about his favourite thing. Maybe this was his new favourite thing? Jack knew Robby’s habits and he had seen that look on his face before when discussing another med student that developed into something more.
“He seemed to be very close to Santos, I thought maybe something was happening there but clearly I was very wrong.” Robby giggled. Jack couldn’t believe his friend was giggling over someone like a bashful school girl. He had to admit Whitaker was Robby’s type. He had seen the men Robby was dragged home when they shared an apartment during residency. They were always small, thin and submissive to him (apart from Jack who clearly didn’t fit that image but they were nothing serious. Just a distraction when bored). To his knowledge, Robby’s hadn’t brought home a man in some time but if his type hadn’t changed, Whitaker would fit perfectly.
“You like the guy then?” Jack probed after another prolonged silence. Robby choked on his beer.
“What? He’s my med student Jack no- what the fuck?” He spluttered, banging his chest to remove the beer from his lungs. Jack tried to hide his knowing smile as he took a sip of his own drink.
“I meant as a coworker.” He added. Robby rubbed his hand through his hair as if he was distressed from this conversation. Jack had struck a nerve and he loved it.
“Oh.” Was all Robby could mutter. “Yeah sure he’s a good asset to the team.” He replied like a HR robot. Jack rolled his eyes, bored at how Robby was being so dense. It was clear as anything Robby had developed a little high school crush. Yes the dynamics were a bit concerning but its not like they hadn’t been in this position before. Jack wasn’t management so as long as both parties were okay with it, he didn’t care less.
“So good I can steal him to night-“
“No!” Robby thundered, making Jack jump. He couldn’t even finish his sentence. His friend was screwed.