He didn t know if it was due to spring fever or if it was because it was an incredibly slow day in ER. Either way, the hospital was not where he wanted to be. Through the windows of admissions, he could see that it was a perfect sunny day. A soft breeze made the trees sway gently, their movements reminding him of the waves that he longed for.
He had been working for two weeks without a day off. He spent many of those days working extended hours. No, the hospital was not where he wanted to be right now. He longed to feel the sun kissing wet skin, the breeze, off of the ocean, fluffing his hair and the feel of his board beneath him. It was almost intimate, his relationship with the California surf, and like any lover, it called to him causing his body to ache down to its core.
****
Three hours later found Jesse, head in hands, elbows on counter at the nurses station. He was sure that the lack of activity in ER had to be a sign of the second coming. Surely Nostradomis had predicted this event. The extended hours were beginning to catch up with him, causing his eyelids to droop. Just as he was starting to feel that wonderful detached feeling that comes just before sleep, a hand came down on his shoulder. Jesse jumped causing his pen to scratch across a patients file and onto the counter. He jerked around to see the familiar face of Mark Sloan, smiling at him. "Oh, Hey Mark." He said sheepishly, closing the file to hide the liquid paper corrections and his newest oops.
Mark studied the younger man closely for a moment. "Weren t you here yesterday when I left?"
"Yeah, Dr. Rosenbalm called in; his wife went into labor and was having a tough time of it. I told him I would cover for him."
"Well that was awfully nice of you."
"Yeah, He s a nice guy, besides it s not everyday you become a first time dad!"
"True." Mark agreed.
"So what brings you in so early?" Jesse asked.
"Actually, my shift, it s five o clock."
"What?" Jess looked disbelievingly at his watch. "Wow, my shift is almost over." He added with a smile and a familiar sparkle replacing the fatigue that had been in his eyes only moments ago.
"Why don t you join Steve and me for dinner before you leave?" Seeing the uncertain look cross young features, Mark added. "That is unless you have something more pressing to attend to."
"Nope, just a date with the bed I m afraid." Then smiling, "Okay, you twisted my arm, but you re buying."
"I wouldn t have it any other way my friend." Wrapping a fatherly arm around Jesse s shoulders, they made their way to the elevator.
*
The elevator came to a stop in the basement. The doors whooshed open allowing the mess dejour s aroma to fill the small space. Jesse pushed himself away from the wall and crinkled his nose. "Chipped beef and mashed potatoes."
Mark frowned too, seeing Steve already in line instructing the attendant on how to properly fill his plate. "Well I m sure they have something else to choose from."
"The lining of my stomach hopes you are right."
Mark patted the younger man on the shoulder and they got in line.
****
While Steve ate his chipped beef as if it were his last meal, Mark and Jesse enjoyed a chef s salad and double chocolate hot fudge shake. Steve seemed to be ignoring their conversation and he practically radiated a bad mood. Jesse cast a concerned glance in Marks direction, but the older man shrugged.
"So, how s work going Steve?" The older man asked.
"No new cases for you to get involved in dad." Steve practically snapped, ignoring the change of his father s expression.
"Your dad just wanted to know how things were going Steve." Jesse challenged.
Mark held up a staying hand when he saw Steve s uncharacteristic glare turn to his young friend. "It s okay Jesse. Obviously Steve is tired and wants to be left alone.
"That s right dad. I am tired...I m tired of you and Jess sticking your noses where they don t belong! I m tired of not being able to do my job without being harassed about my dad helping me!"
"Steve!" Jesse cut in, appalled at the tone that the younger Sloan had taken with his father.
"And you Jesse, why don t you go back to the ER and do something that you are good at. Why don t you get a life of your own, instead of trying to push your way into ours?"
"Steven!" Mark said, his voice loud enough to draw the attention of the stragglers eating a late dinner.
"Shut up dad! You know it s true." Steve growled.
"That s it!" Jess jumped up from his chair, causing it to tip and fall over, the sound of wood hitting the hard floor was incredibly loud and it echoed throughout the basement. "What the hell is your problem Steve?" Jess asked, his voice filled with anger.
Steve stood up as well, leaning across the table to get in Jess face. "I thought that I was making myself clear, you re the problem. You and my dad s inability to let me do my job."
Suddenly time seemed to stand still and Jess felt like he was moving in slow motion as he became airborne, slowly rotating, matrix style, while bringing his left foot up and squarely hitting Steve on the left jaw.
Back in real time, Jesse hit the floor on both feet, with fists up and ready to defend himself from the man now lying on the cold tile floor.
Steve shook off the fuzziness from the blow and his eyes seemed to glow red, catching Jesse off guard. Standing up, Steve pushed the table out of the way, causing Jess to take a step back and raise his fists higher. He stole a quick glance at Mark and noticed, worriedly, that the older man seemed to be detached and not fazed a bit by what was happening between himself and Steve. He became worried that the stress of the situation had caused the older man to have a slight heart attack or stroke.
Movement caught his attention from the corner of his eye just in time to see Steve s left fist connect with his chin in a vicious uppercut. Blackness enveloped him as he fell into its welcoming embrace.
****
He hurt,.everywhere. Far away he heard someone ask for smelling salts. That was a strange thing to ask for on the beach, where he was sure he was. He could hear the roar of the ocean in his ears as he lay on the beach soaking in the sun s glorious rays."
"Jess." A voice called to him. It sounded like Mark. //Maybe lunch is ready.// He thought but he really wasn t hungry, so he decided to doze a bit longer enjoying the solitude that came from a private beach.
"Is he okay dad?" He could hear Steve say. // That was a strange question to ask, can t he see I m enjoying the day?//
Suddenly the most hideous smell hit him, causing him to gasp for breath and his eyes to fly open.
"There you are my friend. Just lay still for a moment." Mark advised as he handed off the salts to a nurse who was standing nearby.
Amanda sat at his head holding each side to keep it immobile, while Mark kept one hand on his young friend s chest to still the younger man while using the other to examine Jess s bruised chin, which suddenly began to hurt with a vengeance. It was then that his senses seemed to comeback on line and his thought process began to hit on all six cylinders. He started noting the hard floor beneath him, the pain from his chin, and the coppery tang of blood in his mouth. His eyes widened when mark drew back a bloody hand. He began to struggle a bit, looking around the room frantically and trying desperately to remember what had happened. He remembered lunch with Steve and Mark and Steve acting like, well not Steve. He saw Steve standing behind his dad, looking worried but they weren t in the cafeteria. What was going on? Jess began to panic.
"Shh...it s okay Jesse, calm down." Amanda whispered softly while gently stroking his hair.
"You re okay Jess." Mark added. "Do you know what day it is?"
"Monday." Jess stated after a thoughtful pause, his eyes still darting nervously around the room.
"Do you know where you are?"
Frowning, Jess said, "Not on the beach."
"Jess?" Amanda grew even more concerned for her young friend.
"Community General."
"Do you know what happened?"
Jesse raised a shaky hand and pointed at Steve. "He hit me." He said softly, his voice tinged with hurt.
"What?" Steve exclaimed in shock. "Dad, I didn t touch him!"
"I know son, I was there too remember?" His father s comments seemed to calm the younger Sloan, but only served to agitate Jesse more.
"What do you mean you didn t touch me?" Jess struggled to sit up only to be forced back down. "You came here in a pissy mood, being disrespectful of your dad and then you went off on me and hit me." He decided to leave out the part where he hit Steve first hoping to gain Amanda s sympathy. It always paid to have her on your side.
"What is he talking about dad?"
"It s probably just the concussion talking." Mark replied, checking the young man s pupils, while Jess tried to bat the pen light away.
"He gave me a concussion?" Jesse squeaked in disbelief.
"Mark the gurney s here." Amanda advised.
Mark got Jess attention. "We re going to send you up for x-rays and you re going to need stitches in your chin."
Stitches and a concussion?" Jess squeaked again, turning accusing eyes to Steve.
"It s okay Jess, we ll talk about it later right now lets just get you patched up."
****
The x-rays came back negative of any fractures. Mark decided to keep the young man over night for proper observation and to insure that his young friend got the rest he needed.
Finally in a semi private room, and settled in bed, Jess looked to his mentor for answers. "Why d he do it Mark? Why did he snap like that?"
Mark looked up from the young man s chart, concerned that Jess still believed that Steve was responsible for his injuries. He decided to find out exactly what the young man believed to have happened. "What do you remember exactly?"
Jess recounted the events of the afternoon, including his awesome spin kick, which he was proud of. When he finished he asked again the question that so troubled him, why?
"Jess, that s not what happened."
Jesse sat up. "What do you mean, you were there, you saw it!"
"Yes, I was there and that fight never took place. When we came in, you were at the nurses station desk."
"Yeah, I remember."
"Asleep." There was no accusation in Marks voice, just a friendly and reassuring tone.
"Oh come on Mark, Ok, maybe I was taking a cat nap, but it was slow at that moment. I woke up and you invited me to dinner with you and Steve."
"Yes, I agree it was a slow time in the ER, but you didn't wake up on your own."
"I didn't?"
Mark looked a bit distressed. "No, your injuries are not Steves fault....They're mine." Mark could no longer meet the younger man's gaze, and had to look away.
"Oh that's just crazy Mark. I remember Steve hitting me...and believe me, that's one punch I won't soon forget." Jesse finished the statement by rubbinhg his now bandaged chin.
"Jess, I reached out to wake you....I should have known better, but I didn't think. You were startled and lost your balance. As you fell you hit your chin on the counter and then your head hit the floor pretty hard." Mark had finally found Jesse's eyes again, and noted the confusion that still lingered in their blue depths.
"How long was I out?" Jesse asked, now finding the need to look away, focusing on the hospital issue blanket that covered him. He picked at it as Mark answered.
Mark grinned fondly, "Just long enough to get Amanda upset. She was treating you as if your were Dion or C.J.. You seem to bring out the mothering side of women around here. Even a few of the nurses looked at me like "If he's hurt, you'll regret it". I can't tell you how happy I am that you will pull through." The older doctor faked a shiver.
Jess had to grin at this. "Any sympathy from the younger nurses?" He asked hopefully.
"No, I'm afraid all of them were shooed away by Amanda and your other followers." The older man grinned at the obvious look of disappointment on Jesse's face.
"So, I'm guessing that you are going to want to keep me overnight for observation right?" At Mark's nod, Jesse continued. "We'll then, seeing as you confessed that this is all your fault and all, is there any chance that you can get me something decent to eat? I'm starved."
Mark looked at his watch, "Well, the cafeteria is closed by now..."
"Thank goodness for small miracles." Jess mumbled.
"What was that?" Marked asked, cocking an eyebrow at the young man in front of him.
"Oh nothing...Just my stomach growling. You were saying?"
"I'll be on duty for at least another 2 hours...."
"Mark....I'm really, really hungry here." As if to punctuate the young doctors point, his stomach growled loud enough for Mark to hear it.
"I'll call Steve and see if he can bring something in for you...but nothing too spicy or greasy. We can't have you getting sick." Jesse's face seemed to fall, so Mark decided to add a little incentive for the younger man to folow the doctors orders. "If you do well tonight, I'll release you in the morning. You can spend the day at the beach house and tomorrow night I'll make you a dinner fit for a king.
Jess gave him a knowing glare. It was obvious to Mark that Steve had been talking to the young man about Mark's not so successful attempts in the kitchen.
"Okay, a dinner fit for a young prince." Mark had to grin at the full grin that blossomed on the younger man's face.
****
His chin still hurt, but he didn't dare say anything least he wanted Amanda thrusting yet another ice pack in his face. Instead he suffered silently on the deck of Mark's beach house. The sun was just beginning to set and Jesse was soaking in every last ray it had to offer. In a way he almost dreaded dinner. It had been a painful task just to eat lunch which consisted of a bologna sandwich. His bottom teeth were a bit sore, which he knew was nothing to worry about and the stitches in his chin pulled each time he took a bite or tried to chew. He vowed to himself that he would put on a good show for his mentor tonight, and then tomorrow he would begin to drink his meals until he was up to chewing again. He had learned a long time ago, with a broken jaw, that a little Carnation Instant Breakfast went a long way, especially when your mouth was wired shut. It wasn't such a big thing.....He could handle milkshakes and other soft foods for a while. His biggest concern was making sure Mark didn't find out what he was doing. The older man felt enough guilt over Jess' injuries and the young doctor didn't want to cause any more guilt for the man he considered to be a second father.
As if on que, Mark poked his head through the French doors. "Dinner is about ready Jess, I hope you're hungry."
"I'm always hungry Mark." With that, Jesse followed Mark into the house. He spent the next several hours basking in the warmth and love of his new found family.
End