Title: Her Glee Encounter
Author: slacker_d
Crossover: Scrubs/Glee
Pairing/Characters: Patti Miller, cast of Scrubs, Santana/Brittany, New Directions
Rating: PG
Summary: The glee kids really like singing
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Word Count: around 2,400
Spoilers: Scrubs 6x06, none really for Glee
Patti Miller spends every lunch hour she can at the park. When the weather's particularly beautiful, she can almost pretend she's on vacation and doesn't have to return to a cubicle flooded with fluorescent lights in less than an hour.
However, today as she's marching across the grass towards her usual bench, she collapses. Almost immediately there are two people kneeling over her. She's feeling a bit dizzy, but isn't too concerned.
"Are you all right, ma'am?" the blonde woman asks.
She's about to answer when the dark haired man holds up four fingers.
How many fingers do you see?
A crowd of people have started to gather and so the blonde turns to someone behind her.
Call 9-1-1, emergency.
Patti is very confused.
Why are you singing?
Wait...why am I singing?
They both look at her, the concern shining in their eyes.
Is there someone here with you?
Someone that we could talk to?
Patti shakes her head no.
Both the doctors, she assumes they're doctors, and the onlookers close in on her as they sing.
Are you okay?
Are you all right?
Are you okay?
Are you all right?
Are you okay?
Are you all right?
Thankfully, an ambulance pulls up rather quickly and she's put on a stretcher.
…
Patti spends the entire ride worrying. It begins to dawn on her that she might be crazy. But she always heard crazy people don't know they're crazy, so maybe she's not going insane. Although she can't think of another reason for people singing around her, so she's not really comforted.
She's pulled from her thoughts by the opening of the ambulance doors which reveals dozens of people apparently waiting to greet her.
…
She's now very concerned because she just experienced a full out musical number with what looks like the entire hospital staff that seemed extremely choreographed. Sure, it was nice to meet everyone and hear that they do know what they're doing. Their reassuring song makes her feel better while amid all the joyous singing and dancing, but once it's just a memory, her brain returns to fretting.
It's odd being wheeled around the hospital as she's being checked in. She gets to hear snippets of conversation, sung and it's taking some getting used to. She's just glad she's not thinkingin song as well.
Most songs have been about mundane, every day things and so she's very surprised when while waiting for someone to take her to her room, she hears what sounds like a choir.
In 525,600 minutes,
How do you measure a year in the life?
How about love?
How about love?
How about love?
Measure in love
Seasons of love
She looks around, trying to find the source.
525,600 minutes
525,000 journeys to plan
525,600 minutes,
How can you measure the life of a woman or man?
In truths that she learned
Or in times that he cried
After some looking around, it seems to be coming from a small lounge area around the corner.
In bridges he burned.
Or the way that she died...
Whoever they are, they definitely can sing.
It's time now to sing out
The story never ends
Let's celebrate and remember a year in the life of friends.
How about love?
How about love?
How about love?
Measure in love
Seasons of love. Seasons of love
She briefly wonders why they're singing a song from a musical as opposed to a song about their day as she's being wheeled to her room.
…
Patti sits in the room she's been assigned, waiting. They've already done an audiological and neurological test, but so far, nothing. Nor has the singing stopped like she was hoping.
She's speculating whether or not she can live with being constantly surrounded by singing when there's a knock on the door.
…
After giving her stool sample to the nurse, Patti decides to become pro active. She's fairly confident that her tests revealed nothing and that the options are now leaning towards insanity. Patti decides she needs to find Dr. Cox and make sure she isn't just pushed into the psych ward.
Patti decides the best place to check is the front desk. Hopefully they'll know where the doctor is at the moment. Or maybe they can page him.
However, walking back to the admin desk is easier said than done. She thought she'd been paying attention when she came in, but apparently not.
She's still catching bits and pieces of people's songs, but she finds she's almost used to it.
Hakuna Matata!
What a wonderful phrase
Hakuna Matata!
Ain't no passing craze
She passes a tall blonde in a red and white cheerleader's uniform being pushed in a wheelchair by an orderly. She seems happy and upbeat while the orderly seems annoyed and bored.
It means no worries for the rest of your days
It's our problem-free philosophy
Hakuna Matata!
She sees a very familiar looking hallway and heads towards what she hopes is the admin desk.
…
Patti's trip to the admin desk was fruitless for finding Dr. Cox, but she did get to experience another intense and elaborate musical number. It hardens her resolve to convince Dr. Cox she's not crazy. If only she could find him. She stalks around the hospital, searching.
She hears the singing long before it registers that it sounds more like a pop song than the other songs she hears around her.
I can't explain what you can't explain.
You're finding things that you didn't know
I look at you with such disdain
The walls start breathing
My mind's unweaving
Maybe it's best you leave me alone.
A weight is lifted
On this evening
I give the final blow.
She rounds a corner to find a Latina girl in a red and white cheerleading uniform singing to a tall kid with a Mohawk.
When darkness turns to light
It ends tonight,
It ends tonight.
Just a little insight won't make this right
It's too late to fight
It ends tonight,
It ends tonight.
It's one of the more eloquent break ups she's heard, though that's just going off of her own. Still, despite the girl looking concerned and slightly upset while the guy just looks pissed, they don't notice her presence at all. So she just turns on her heel and goes in another direction to find Dr. Cox.
…
Patti's pleased that she got Dr. Cox to relent about the MRI. So even if he still thinks she's crazy, he's willing to indulge her just because she told off Dr. Dorian. She's normally not okay with that, but in this particular case, she'll take whatever she can get; anything to keep her from being labeled crazy.
She changes into the horrific gown they give you and settles into bed. It isn't long before an orderly comes in with a wheelchair.
He sings about taking her down for her test and helps her into the chair.
And I don't know why
But she's changed my mind
Would you look at her
She looks at me
She's got me thinking about her constantly
A few rooms down she sees the same Latina cheerleader singing to the tall blonde cheerleader she had passed earlier.
But she don't know how I feel
And as she carries on without a doubt
I wonder if she's figured out
I'm crazy for this girl
She was the one to hold me
All seems normal to Patti, so she's thrown when the orderly pulls to a complete halt at the end of the hallway. He spins her around so quickly, she practically gets whiplash, and peers down at her with an anxious expression.
Do you hear that girl singing?
Well, of course you do
See, the problem is,
That I do too.
Patti isn't in the mood for jokes.
That's not funny
The orderly just stares back, looking pissed and worried at the same time; quite the feat.
Who's laughing?
Oh my god, you don't think
That it's contagious, do you?
I didn't know you could catch crazy
This annoys Patti to no end. She somewhat understands the orderly's concern, but there's no need to be mean about it.
I'm not crazy!
They stop immediately when a couple doctors walk by. She doesn't know what to say. Maybe it is contagious. She finds this mildly comforting because that means she's notcrazy and that perhaps they can figure out what's wrong with her.
When they finally get to the room that has the MRI, she sees the blonde doctor from the park, Dr. Reid talking to a Latina nurse.
I could tell a bunch of lies.
I could buy him his own place.
I could bring the baby here with me.
Or tell him there's no space!
The rest of the conversation is cut off by the shutting of the door.
…
The MRI isn't as bad as she expected. It's the waiting for the diagnosis that's difficult. And when Dr. Cox tells her that it's an aneurysm and that she needs surgery immediately, she's immensely relieved that she's not crazy. However, now she has the worry of brain surgery. Just because she now knows the truth, doesn't mean she feels any better.
They need to do some prepping for her surgery. And apparently there aren't any open surgery rooms at the moment, so she's scheduled to go in a couple hours later.
Patti finds she doesn't mind. Now that she knowswhat the problem is, she can concentrate on thinking positive.
Her wait is also sprinkled with more musical numbers. She witnesses a fight between one of her surgeons and his wife, the Latina nurse she saw earlier. It's an interesting dynamic and she can see that they really love each other. She's pleased that they seem to work it out.
However, the intense friendship between the surgeon, Dr. Turk and the male doctor who was there in the park, Dr. Dorian isn't something she expected. She's not against it, but she'll also admit it's like nothing she's seen before; though that might be due to the singing.
…
She's treated to one more elaborate number before her surgery. It's bright and cheery and makes her feel better, until she remembers what's ahead. However, when she seeks out reassurance about her impending operation, she receives it. This is what convinces her that she shouldn't worry, but instead concentrate on staying strong and surviving.
So as she's lying on the table, the anesthesia flowing through her system, she's not afraid. She knows she's going to be okay.
…
She wakes up back in her hospital bed. Her doctors are crowded around her and she feels something wrapped tightly around her head.
"Did it work?" Patti asks.
"You're gonna have to tell us," Dr. Cox replies.
Patti takes a moment and listens to her surroundings. Unlike before, there is no music or singing, just the hum and chatter of a hospital.
"Thank you," Patti says.
"By the way," Dr. Dorian interjects. "Who was the best singer? You know, like in your head? Don't let the fact that I went to theater camp affect your decision."
Dr. Cox then calls him Kelly and tells him to shut up.
…
It's odd. Although she was only hearing people sing for a day or so, she misses it. Life in musicals always seems so much more lively and fun. And even though there was a real fear of insanity or something worse, she enjoyed the songs and dancing.
Because of this, Patti finds herself humming quietly to herself the next day as she walks around a bit under the pretense of exercise. She's surprised she's allowed to do so, but isn't complaining.
She's drawn back to the room she passed on her way to the MRI. The orderly who was pushing her, swore that the occupants of that room were singing. It apparently wasn't just in Patti's head. And so she's curious if they're still singing.
Apparently they are. She hears them several doors away. Only this time it sounds like a lot more than one or two people.
Ooo you make me live
Ooh I've been wandering round
But I still come back to you
In rain or shine
You've stood by me, girl
I'm happy, happy at home
You're my best friend
Peeking into the room, she sees eleven teenagers singing to the blonde who is in the hospital bed.
Ooo you make me live
Then a very tall young man, not the one with the Mohawk and a rather short brunette step forward.
Ooo you make me live
Whenever this world is cruel to me
I got you to help me forgive
Ooo you make me live now honey
Ooo you make me live
No one's noticed her, so she decides to stay and listen. She watches in wonder as they continue to serenade the blonde.
You're the first one
When things turn out bad
You know I'll never be lonely
You're my only one
And I love the things
I really love the things that you do
You're my best friend
Ooo you make me live
I'm happy at home
You're my best friend
Oh ya
Oh you're my best friend
Ooo you make me live
You you're my best friend.
Without intending to, she begins applauding once they're done. As a group, each teenager's head swivels around to stare at her. It's a bit disconcerting.
"Uh, hi," she says, nervously. "I heard your singing as I was passing by and I couldn't help but stop and listen. You guys are very good."
There's a rumble of thanks.
"I don't mean to be rude, but do you kids sing a lot?"
"Well, we area glee club," the blonde in the bed says.
"Oh. Okay then." That wasn't what she was asking exactly. "But do you guys sometimes sing outsideof glee club?"
This time there's a mumble of words she can't understand, but several members look embarrassed.
"While I myself find singing the perfect outlet for emotional release, I'm not sure what you're asking," the brunette who was singing the lead earlier says.
Scanning the group, Patti's eyes fall on the Latina cheerleader. The look in her eyes tells her that the girl knows exactly what's she asking. There's a minute shake of her head. Combined with the pleading in her expression, Patti decides to just drop it.
"Uh, never mind," Patti says. "Thanks for letting me listening. I enjoyed it. You sound wonderful together."
She receives murmurs of thanks, a huge grin from the short brunette and a grateful grin from the Latina. She backs out and strolls back to her room, still humming to herself.
Songs Used
Rent "Seasons of Love"
The Lion King "Hakuna Matata"
The All-American Rejects "It Ends Tonight"
Evan & Jaron "Crazy for the Girl"
Queen "You're My Best Friend"