a/n: This is my contribution to the Shuffle Challenge set by Madison Bellows! I've wanted to do one of these forever, and now I finally have. My character was Sid, and I'm not sure if I wrote him well or not, but I can hope. So half an hour later, this happened.


The Shuffle Challenge

Playing God - Paramore
(medical examiner Sid)

There was a reason Sid preferred working with dead bodies. He didn't feel as guilty that some lived and some died, because the were dead already. There was always that lingering note of unfairness that he felt acutely when he did his internship and residency. All it took was a flatline to turn his day into a wreck of 'what ifs', and even if the person in the bed had bad chances, pronouncing the TOD was the hardest thing he'd ever had to do.

Dirty Mind - 3OH!3
(modern Sid)

"He's gone to his creepy place again."

Too far? Too far.

Sheldon was kidding, of course, but underneath his laughing tone there was a bit of seriousness. Sid bit his lip, a little embarrassed. He knew he went too far sometimes, but he couldn't really help it. Sometimes it made his job a little easier to rationalize things, and any scrap of information might help the case.

Sighing, Sid ran a hand over his thinning hair and looked sadly down at the vic lying on the table. He pulled the sheet up a little farther, so it covered the Y-incision. He supposed the least he could do was give her a little dignity. How awkward to get killed while having sex. What a way to go.

Who - Five O'Clock Heroes
(resident doctor Sid)

"Who do you think you're talking to, young man?"

Sid flinched away from the accusatory tone, shrinking back against the cubicle wall. "Sorry. I'm just the doctor, I didn't mean to..." he trailed off, raising his blue eyes up at the angry man glaring daggers at him. Maybe he'd gone a little far with his mouth. "I have to cover all the bases here."

"Cover all the bases? I want another doctor on this case."

Apparently not everybody appreciated all the facts.

I Get Around - Dragonette
(university Sid)

Sid cracked an eye, looking around his unfamiliar surroundings. Where on earth was he, and why wasn't he wearing clothes? He rolled over, feeling the warmth of smooth skin against his, and a vaguely familiar blonde dozing comfortably against him. He couldn't remember her name. Lily? Liane? He wasn't sure. It was time to leave before she woke.

A burst of adrenaline shot through him, and he eased himself slowly from between the sheets, and began to gather his clothes from the floor. Still buttoning his shirt, he slipped through the front door and out into the early morning sunshine.

Chinese - Lily Allen
(happily married Sid)

He felt a pang of guilt as he pulled into the driveway, noticing the light on in the living room. It was way too late to be up, and she didn't have to wait up for him. Sliding his exhausted frame out into the mild spring night, he dragged his briefcase up the walkway. Before he could get out his key, the door opened, and an angel appeared before him, pulling him into hug and a sweet kiss.

"I missed you. Have you eaten yet?"

Shaking his head, Sid shucked off his coat and followed her to the kitchen, hoping not to wake up the kids. The kitchen light was on, and the kettle was boiling. He smelled mint tea and Chinese take-out. It was perfect.

Take It Home - The White Tie Affair
(gentlemanly Sid)

"I'll walk you home," Sid offered, wrapping an arm around the gorgeous brunette beside him. He leaned in for one last kiss, and she pulled away reluctantly, long curls cascading over her cheeks. The lights of the club began to turn on, and some things were better left to the darkness.

They stepped out into the fresh April air, and his hand snaked around her waist, pulling her closer. The club had been fun, but her apartment was even better.

Lily Allen - Not Fair
(mid-life crisis Sid)

Sid was a catch. He was smart, sweet, and unbelievably caring. He was an incredible chef, and knowledgeable about all things useful and useless.

There was just one issue, though, and unfortunately, it was a large one.

She'd tried telling herself she was being ridiculous, that there was more to a relationship than just sex, but it was definitely a component of a healthy relationship. And that component was, well, lacking.

And so she became ex-wife #3.

Daylight Robbery - Imogen Heap
(confused Sid)

"You had better be joking. When I get down there, the body had damn well better be there."

"I wish I were. I left for two minutes - two minutes - and when I came back it was gone!" Sid insisted, tone tinged with panic. He was toying with the hem of his navy scrubs, and gesticulating wildly.

"Okay, Sid, calm down. We'll find this body. It's not like it's easy to just walk out of a police building with a corpse." Mac huffed, pacing back and forth in his office. A body-napping was the last thing he needed right now.

"Two minutes..." Sid repeated forlornly, burying his face in his hands. "Two minutes... Who the hell steals a body?"

Headlock - Imogen Heap
(heartbroken Sid)

"You know you're better than this!" Sid yelled, standing in the open doorway. His fist was clenched around a pair of underwear that were most definitely not his. "Please come back! We can talk about this. We can work through this!"

Helen, wife #2, was storming down the walkway, suitcase in hand. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, and it felt like a knife to his chest, seeing her cry. He had never meant to hurt her. He had never meant for it to turn out this way. "I can't. It's my fault, Sid. I love him. I-I can't be here right now."

The engine of her car rumbled to life, and sped off down the street. He collapsed to the sill. He still loved her, and she was walking away.

I Don't Want to Dance - Hey Monday
(awkward/bitter Sid)

Weddings were so not his thing. For one thing, they reminded him of what he'd had and lost. For another, relatives got obnoxiously drunk on cheap champagne. And they involved dancing.

The orchestra had started up again, and the bride and groom were encouraging other couples to join them on the makeshift dance floor.

He was staying put, thank you very much.

"Do you want to dance?" asked a feminine voice, rousing him from bitter thoughts. She was about his age, dressed immaculately in a green dress and black pumps. "It would be my pleasure."

"I don't dance," he said, feeling like a curmudgeon.

"Come on, I'll teach you," she pressed, coaxingly. She held out an elegantly manicured hand, and he took it. Maybe he did want to dance, just a little.

Bad Romance - Lady GaGa
(drunk Sid)

"One more, please." Sid signalled the bartender for another scotch on the rocks, and downed the amber liquid quickly, ignoring the burn as it went down.

"Last one," the bartender told him. "You're going to have to go home and face the music eventually."

"It'll be easier if I'm drunk," he reasoned, slurring only slightly.

The two of them were unlikely. She'd caught his heart and held it tightly. Every time she strayed, he was grateful to have her back. Every time he missed plans due to work, she wouldn't talk to him for days. They were so dysfunctional, and he wondered why he stayed. Maybe it was because he had some kind of twisted faith that they'd work out like the couples in the bad romances she read.