Title: Forget The World

Author: Therm

Summary: Dr. Cox is tired and Carla gets him to tell her what's really behind it.

Notes: This is my first Scrubs fan fiction. This is set somewhere in season two, after the birth of Jack but before Dr. Cox knows that Jack is his son. Also, this story was going to be more focused on JD and Dr. Cox, but Carla just sort of stole the show and made it about her and Dr. Cox, and I'm too scared to fight with her. I've also not gone with the traditional title of 'My...' because I feel this is not really a story like that, more like a scene. And the title is taken from the song 'Chasing Cars' by Snow Patrol. Anyway enjoy.

"Coffee?" Carla said as she passed the already made cup across to her friend, Dr. Perry Cox.

"As long as it's hot and sweet I'll take it." He said, taking the cup from her. "Thanks." He added.

"You look tired."

"Well, I did get here an hour before my shift even started on account of the baby having a bad night and Jordan making sure I had a bad night too. And I'm just about ready to get the hell home and hit the sack where, no doubt, Jordan will be busting my balls about how I never help out with the baby. Which is fair enough, I mean, it's not like I need to sleep."

Carla smiled. "You should work something out with Jordan so that when you're here early you don't get disturbed. She'd understand."

Dr. Cox laughed a little, but said nothing else in response, instead taking a sip of the coffee. "Ah, tastes like crap as usual, but it might just pull me through." He winked at Carla as he headed off down the hall, back to check on his patients.

oOo

Elliot, Carla, JD and Turk sat in the cafeteria on their lunch break.

It was one of the few times during their working day that they actually got to relax for a little, although they all knew if someone came in and called for help, they'd all leave in a heartbeat.

"How are you getting on with Mrs. Church, JD?" Elliot asked before taking a bite of her sandwich.
Mrs. Church had been admitted with a high fever and severe stomach cramps and so far all the tests JD had called for had come back negative. It was frustrating not being able to help a person who came to you distressed and in pain.

"No better than when she came in. I may have to call in the cavalry here."

"Me?" Elliot asked, excited.

"Er, no, I was talking about Dr. Cox, actually." JD admitted sheepishly.

"Oh, JD don't, use Elliot." Carla interrupted, "Let the guy get some sleep."

Elliot's face lit up when her friend suggested her, only to realise seconds later that it was so Dr Cox wasn't disturbed. She tried not to look to disappointed though. "Sure, if you need me JD, I'll help you."

"Thanks Elliot, but it's okay, I won't be disturbing Dr. Cox's sleep, Carla, he's still here."

"What? His shift finished hours ago!" She said, angrily.

"C'mon, baby, you know what it's like. If the hospital needs you, you stay." Turk said.

"Turk, we're not that swamped. You wait til I see him next, I'm gonna kick his butt out of here."

"I'm sure that'll work." Elliot said.

"Wait and see." Carla replied.

oOo

Carla made sure she came back a little early from her lunch in order to track down Dr. Cox. She found him in the staff room, slumped across the sofa, blankly staring at the screen and what was on it. She could tell he wasn't actually watching it.

She cleared her throat, making the doctor look round. He blinked slowly as though he was just waking up.

"Aren't you going home?" Carla asked. She had to admit to herself that the butt kicking had gone out the window the minute she'd seen him sitting there alone.

When he didn't answer her, and turned away, she walked into the room and sat down next to him. "Are you okay?"

"I need to speak to JD. His patient died."

"Oh no, he was just talking about her." Carla sympathised, understanding Dr. Cox's melancholy mood a little more now. "Is that why you stayed, because you knew he'd need you?"

"If you mean did I stay because I knew that newbies patient had a damn good chance of dying and wanted to be there for him when it happened, then no, not at all."

"So why are you still here?" Carla asked a little angry with his lack of compassion for JD.

"If I go back to that apartment right now, all I'll be thinking is about when I can leave it again." Dr. Cox looked at Carla, his intense glare making her feel a little uncomfortable. "I did fall for Jordan, but as soon as she showed up, as soon as she had that baby... I felt nothing. I don't want to see her holding and nursing that baby, knowing that it's never going to be my son. And it makes me wonder that if God makes all these things happen then he must be one sick son of a bitch to toy with people like this." Standing up, he headed to the door. "I didn't stay here because I might have been able to save Mrs. Church, or newbie might need me to make sense of this for him, I stayed because the more time I leave Jordan on her own with that baby the more she'll hate me, and that's something I know how to handle."

Before Carla could say anything, he walked away. And before anyone could see, Carla wiped away her tears.

The End

A/N: Hmm, I wasn't sure if that was a good place to leave it, but I just wanted Cox in a bad place, without anything being resolved. At least in my head, things start to improve when he finds out Jack's his son.