Disclaimer: Scrubs does not belong to me.
JD grimaced as he experimentally lowered both legs onto the cold tile floor, his brows raised high on his forehead as he found that he could move his right leg to some extent. He leaned back on his hands, bracing himself as he rose to his feet. He shifted all his weight onto his left leg with some wariness, and was about to release his hold from the bed until the door to his room swung open.
Doctor Cox gave a loud whistle. "What the hell are you doing?" he demanded, thumbing his nose in annoyance.
"You have eyes like a hawk," JD remarked incredulously. "And… Didn't your shift just end?"
The older doctor glanced at his wristwatch. "So it did. Which means from here on, I have a legitimate excuse to not care about the stunt that you were just about to pull." He glanced outside the door. "It also means that Bobbo will come and track me down any minute now, seeing as I haven't clocked out yet and his hoard of money is currently dwindling for no good reason."
"Perry! Clock out and get out of my face before I sock my paperwork on you!" a voice boomed down the hall.
"And that's my cue!"
JD snorted as Doctor Cox poked his head out the door and looked both ways before darting out of the room. He sighed and leaned heavily against the pillows, the combination of the painkillers and exhaustion making his eyelids droop.
He awoke to someone shaking him gently. JD groaned, feeling as though he had just closed his eyes a moment ago, but the sun was shining brightly through the window blinds. He opened his eyes to find Carla, Turk, and Elliot standing at his bedside, feeling vaguely like Dorothy Gale.
"There's no place like home," JD murmured languidly.
Turk grinned at him fondly, producing a plastic bag from behind his back. "Don't worry, Dorothy. I've got your Toto right here." He took JD's iPod out of the bag and placed it in his hands. "I also brought your General Grievous and Obi-Wan action figures to keep you company."
"Thanks, SCB," he replied with a grin of his own. JD glanced at his best friend's fiancé, frowning. "I thought your shift ended a while ago, Carla."
She smiled, taking his hand and giving it a soft squeeze. "I was just worried about you, Bambi."
"Oh! The police are here to see you," Elliot spoke up, visibly shrinking when Turk and Carla gave her the stink eye, "but me and Turk will keep 'em at bay for a while," she added quickly.
JD nodded his thanks, still feeling drowsy.
"You're scheduled for a CT scan in a few minutes," Carla told him.
"I have to suit up for an appendectomy, but Carla said she'd take you over to radiology," Turk muttered. "But if the choice were mine, man, you know I'd pick you over an appendectomy any day."
"That means a lot, Chocolate Bear," JD laughed, wincing as a dull ache shot through his ribs and the back of his neck.
Everyone turned their heads as the door opened. Laverne stepped in, pushing a wheelchair.
"I got it, Laverne," Carla said with a smile.
The older nurse nodded, giving JD a sympathetic look and a pat on the knee - the right one - before heading back towards the nurses' station. Carla wheeled the chair over to JD's bed as Turk slipped the dark haired man's arm over his shoulder. The surgical doctor helped JD off the bed, lowering him into the wheelchair while Elliot unplugged his infusion pump.
"When can I expect my sponge bath?" JD asked jokingly, adjusting his right leg onto the footrest. "You think you can have Nurse Tisdale do it?"
"Later, JD!" Elliot said, with Turk waving beside her. They left the room and walked off in separate directions.
Carla patted his shoulder before wheeling him out of the room, donning an mischievous grin. "She's not working tonight, but Doctor Cox is on call…"
JD's eyes widened as he felt his face burn at the notion, and he raised his hands to his head and yanked on the strands of his hair as if to impede the imagery that his mind was beginning to fabricate. "Aieee!" He covered his eyes. "No, no, I'll pass!"
The Latina nurse laughed. "I'm just teasing you, JD," she chuckled, patting his arm as she wheeled him onto the elevator.
"I remain unaffected," he replied sullenly, slouching in the chair.
"Oh, yeah?" Carla countered, giving him a sidelong glance. "You know, Bambi, Doctor Cox really was worried about you. It surprised me."
"Oh?" JD murmured, curiosity peaked.
"Yeah," she said with an enthusiastic nod, although she was aware that JD couldn't see it. "He was on call last night, too. They were short-staffed in the ICU, but he was late by almost an hour 'cause he was trying to get into the ER with you."
JD turned his head, narrowing his eyes at her. "This is a cheap thrill for you, isn't it?" He pointed at her. "You gossipmonger!" he hissed. But even as he jokingly reprimanded her, he was dancing. Inside, of course.
She swatted at his finger. "Bambi, you know it's not nice to point!"
He gave a dramatic sigh, nodding solemnly. "Yes, Carla."
JD yawned, resting his head on his pillow as Laverne and one of the male nurses left the room with the wheelchair in tow. He'd had a test-filled morning and was relieved to finally get back into his room. It would have been more convenient if he had been able to get those tests out of the way upon admittance, but considering it'd been a Friday night, Doctor Cox didn't expect any of the radiologists or the medical techs to pull through.
JD lifted his head at the sound of his hospital room door opening, beaming as Turk slid inside with a white paper bag in hand.
"Hey man, how you feeling?" Turk greeted, placing the paper bag on JD's overbed table.
"Mildly violated," JD said with a shiver, wrapping his arms around himself. "They looked at all my insides! I don't even get to look at all my insides."
"No worries, dude," Turk assured him, "I've seen your insides, and they're as bloody and squishy as everybody else's." He tore the paper bag open to reveal a styrofoam carton, flipping open the lid. "Don't disappoint The King now. Eat up!"
JD grinned as Turk handed him a plastic knife and fork, digging into the peanut butter, jelly, and banana waffle laid out before him. "Yessiree, uh huh!" he belted out, strumming his air guitar, using his fork as a pick. "I'm gonna stick like glue!"
Turk danced at his bedside, pointing at their imaginary audience with a sweep of his hand. "Stick, because I'm--"
"Stuck on you!" they sang out together, Turk leaning in and stealing a piece of his waffle.
"Aw man, the peanut butter is sticking in all the wrong places," JD hacked, clearing his throat.
"I'll get you some milk," Turk told him, darting out the door. He returned a moment later with a small carton of milk, handing it to JD.
He took a long sip before heaving a relieved sigh. "Thanks, C-Bear."
"No problem, man," Turk said with a smile, nudging him with his elbow.
The two of them glanced up as the door opened, and Laverne poked her head in before shuffling inside. She shot JD an apologetic look as two men appeared behind her.
"Detectives Mack and Leon are here to speak to you, Doctor Dorian," she informed him.
"Later, man." Turk gave JD a wave before leaving the room, closing the door after Laverne.
"Good afternoon, Doctor Dorian. I'm Detective Charles Mack, and this is my partner, Daniel Leon," Detective Mack greeted him. "We were at the scene of the collision the other night, between you and Mr. Allen Michaels."
JD nodded, closing the lid of the styrofoam carton. "Is… Mr. Michaels alright?"
Leon looked surprised at the inquiry. "He… seems to be faring much better than you are," he said cautiously. "Mr. Michaels was charged for attempted murder, Doctor Dorian. What happened yesterday was… The outcome of an unsuccessful chase."
He frowned, lips pursed as he cocked his head at them in confusion. "I'm sorry… Unsuccessful?"
Mack cleared his throat. "He… seems to have disappeared."
"What?" JD asked, eyes wide in disbelief.
"Mr. Michaels was taken to the ER the same time as you were," Mack explained. "The two paramedics helping him stated that they left him to hand over his paperwork to a charge nurse, as well as turn him in for proper care to an attending physician. When they returned, he'd disappeared…"
"And why are you telling me this?" JD interjected.
"At this point in time, your life may be in danger. In order to help you, you're going to have to help us. If that's the case, we're going to need your full cooperation."
"Uh, but technically, I couldn't be much of a witness, could I?" JD asked. "I didn't see him commit any kind of crime, except maybe running a red light, which, um…"
"Sir, he hit you."
"But I won't need to testify, or anything?" He gave a sheepish grin. "Frankly, the only legal ramifications I as a doctor am aware of is… well… medical malpractice," he explained apologetically.
"Not unless it's absolutely necessary," Leon said with a shake of his head. "And that's fine. We'll guide you through the entire process. Do you have a lawyer?"
"Ironically, no," JD admitted.
Perry glanced at his wristwatch as he entered the hospital and decided he had enough time to visit Sheryl before starting his shift. He frowned at how misplaced the thought seemed in his mind, shaking his head as he stepped onto the elevator. It arrived at the designated floor and Perry stepped off, heading towards Newbie's room. Unfortunately, his room happened to be right in front of the nurses' station, and the Latina charge nurse grinned at him knowingly and waved. A strained "nnnggh" arose from his throat as he opened the door.
JD tilted his head at him, his eyes glazing over with what could only be another daydream before he abruptly pointed his finger at the older man. "No sponge baths from you, Doctor Cox!"
"I'd give you the benefit of the doubt and blame it all on the drugs, but Newbie, you don't even need the drugs to constitute your insanity."
"Some people call it 'personality'," JD said dolefully.
"I'm afraid 'personality' is just a sugar-coated codename for 'insanity', Sylvia," Perry remarked, sitting on the edge of the bed. "And whoever told you that is a pod person. One of the Sugar Snap Pod People promoting the overall sugar-coating of the entire world, often warranting short but satisfying spurts of patriotism and happiness! Which would inevitably lead to hugs and puppies and rainbows and conclusively… insanity."
JD patted Perry's hand in mock-consolation. "Sounds like you're intimately familiar with that path, Doctor Cox."
"Only by association," he said with his trademark toothy grin, raising his eyebrows at him.
His protégé rolled his eyes. "I'm not crazy," he told him resolutely.
"That's what all crazy people say!"
"This is an inane conversation!"
"Spearheaded by your inane declaration of 'No sponge baths from Doctor Cox!'"
"It's… It's all Carla's fault!" JD yelled, pointing out the door.
The Latina nurse waved genially before her eyes widened in realization and she flounced away.
Perry and JD turned to shoot questioning looks at one another before a knock at the door caught their attention, and Doctor Flannerly walked in, clearing his throat.
"Doctor Dorian, we've found out the reason for the muscle weakness in your leg," he said softly. "You've got a herniated disk, but I'm certain that surgery isn't necessary. However, if you do feel otherwise, I can page for a surgical consultation."
"Oh," JD said softly, his playful attitude going down the drain at the radiologist's findings. "Uh, how bad is it?"
"Not too bad, considering you haven't been complaining of much pain in your neck or lower back," Flannerly replied.
"So I guess having no feeling in his right leg isn't considered to be too bad either, then," Perry barked back cynically.
"That's not what I was implying," the radiologist went on, his voice catching an exasperated tone. "The surgery is very tricky. I think Doctor Dorian should at least explore all the other non-surgical options before even considering it."
"You're talking about physical therapy, right? How long?" JD asked. He pursed his lips.
"Six months, at best," Flannerly replied. "Although, your leg muscles may have been weakened permanently if the nerves have been damaged. We might have to schedule you an EMG before assigning you to a physical therapist."
"You're not sure, are you?" JD accused, suddenly sounding very anxious. "You think, you may, we might… If you're trying to convince me not to go under the knife, you aren't. Not even close."
"Doctor Dorian--" the radiologist piped up defensively, but Perry waved a hand at him warningly.
The older doctor crossed his arms to his chest, clearing his throat. "Flannerly, scoot."
The other man stared at him incredulously. "What? What are you--"
"Scoot. Scram. Leave."
Flannery snorted, leaving the room without another word.
Perry turned his attentions to JD, who was staring absentmindedly at the folds and creases in his blanket. "JD," he sighed.
The younger man's head shot up in surprise.
"Listen, I'm going to get one of the surgeons to convince you to get the surgery," Perry said, voice low. JD's opened his mouth to speak, but the older man silenced him, waving his pointer finger. "And then I'm going to convince you not to, much more elaborately and eloquently than Flannerly e-he-hever could."
A/N: TBC. Reviews, please. :)