A/N: Hey, guys! Let me start off by saying thank you once again for all the lovely reviews and support. I smile every time I see that someone is enjoying this, so never go thinking your review is overlooked. :) Anyway, before we begin, I think it's only fair to warn you guys that this chapter doesn't start off as light-hearted as they normally do, but Dr. Cox still has some issues to face, and it wouldn't be right if they went neglected, as they are rather important to the plot. Anyway, just thought I'd give you all a heads up before you begin reading. Enjoy, guys!
Disclaimer: I own a very large nothing.
Chapter 7:
Perry rolled out of bed, more than grateful that morning had come. It was a good thing he decided to try and sleep earlier than usual last night; otherwise he'd be running on even less than he was now, due to very persistent dreams.
In the first one, Dr. Cox had been forced to adopt Newbie. He could remember telling people that it wasn't right; that, that would mean JD would be giving up the life that he worked so hard to get at, but everyone had waved a dismissive hand in his face, accusing him of just not wanting to take on the extra responsibility. This had managed to piss him off so much that he punched a wall, the fake pain of the dream stirring him awake.
The next dream had clearly been caused by yesterday's events. Dr. Cox had walked into the kitchen, right as JD had fallen. He ran over to help him, but the kid's knee had been ten times worse than it was in reality, and Newbie hadn't stopped crying. It grew louder and louder until Perry sat up quickly, looking around wildly to confirm that he was still in his room.
The third had been the worst, and yet the calmest of all three. What really bothered him about it was that it was bothering him at all. It started out so simple… Dr. Cox walked into JD's room, telling him to put his toys away. Newbie wouldn't, so Perry told him again. The argument lasted for a good five minutes until JD had finally turned to Perry, shouting in that childish voice that he couldn't tell him what to do; that he wasn't his real dad.
The older man had almost fallen out of bed upon waking up from that one, his face and torso covered in sweat.
That, he thought bitterly, shouldn't have bothered him at all. It shouldn't have bothered him because it was true: he wasn't JD's real dad. God only knew how long the kid's been wishing he was, but he wasn't.
And yet…while it was true that the kid's wishing didn't exactly bother him anymore, at least since their relationship had taken a turn for the better, he still never found his train of thought going there; wishing for it himself. Sure, he'd been more supportive since this whole series of events, and even before all of this mess, he'd played the role of father figure to the kid before. Nothing too unusual there. But even during JD's first hypnotism, when the kid had accidentally slipped up and called him "Daddy," it had really freaked him out. A lot. Actually… Perry thought back, trying to remember if the situation had ever again been brought up. It hadn't. He knew in a second it hadn't.
Was that one of the reasons why Dr. Cox was having trouble getting over JD's five year old self, even before he was re-hypnotized?
Perry combed a frustrated hand through his disarrayed curls, eager to get his morning cup of coffee. He'd think about it later; much later. Right now, he was ready to enjoy the quiet of his apartment as the smell of some much needed caffeine wafted through the air.
After aimlessly flipping through the various channels, a whirring sort of sound alerted Dr. Cox that his coffee was done. He made for the kitchen, still in just his boxers, as he grabbed the closest mug and began to pour the much needed liquid in a hurry. Before going to take his first sip, Perry scrubbed a hand over his face and frowned. He hadn't shaved yesterday, and his five o' clock shadow was most definitely showing.
He looked over his shoulder in the direction of Jack's room, door still closed and absolutely quiet. He knew the minute JD got up he'd be needing breakfast, and then he'd undoubtedly want to play with him, though at this early in the morning, playing would probably just mean the usual gathering in the living room, legos and all.
Dr. Cox grunted. He really wanted to sit down and drink his coffee, but it would be better to shower and shave before the kid woke up, which would probably be pretty soon. He could drink his morning beverage when Newbie was eating his cereal – or whatever it was he'd end up requesting today – and be able to spend time with the kid, rather than leave him alone for an hour and a half while he did what he had to do.
Setting the mug down on the counter without another thought, Dr. Cox dragged himself to the shower, putting the water on as hot as he could stand it. At least showers were good for calming nerves.
--
JD stirred in his bed, the smells and sounds of morning softly telling him it was time to wake up. The hypnotized doctor rubbed at his eyes wearily, tired whimpers escaping him as he did so. After he was satisfied that he had gotten the sleep out of his vision, he turned his head towards the window, smiling as rays of light came shining through.
"'Morning, Sun! Get up, get up! Time to wake up, Mr. Sun!" JD sang softly but cheerily, remembering one of the tunes he had learned in kindergarten.
The brunette lay on the bed just a little bit longer, playing with the hem of his quilt. He didn't like morning's back at home. They were dark and lonely and no one was there to meet him when he woke. Mom usually stayed over at a friend's house the night before. She had assured him that whoever she was with was, "Just her friend," and he didn't get why it was made into such a big deal. Dan was usually still sleeping, as JD was more of an early riser. And then when his older sibling did wake up, he would occasionally grant him a few hours of watching cartoons together, but then he was off to whatever friend's house, and JD wasn't allowed to come.
He really liked mornings at Dr. Cox's apartment though. They were soft and warm, and it made him feel safe. The older man always made him breakfast too, and then they'd sit together in the living room and play, even if Dr. Cox rarely joined in. That was okay though, because he would still often turn to him and ask how he was doing, or ask what he was making. And sometimes he would even smile, and he would sip that stuff that made the apartment smell really, really good.
JD finally stood from his spot on the bed and stretched. After wiggling his toes, getting used to the feel of carpet on his bare feet again, he made his way out to the living room. At first, JD felt sad. Where was Dr. Cox? Normally he was right there on the couch, like he'd been waiting for him. But then his ears perked at the sound of running water and he giggled. He always wondered when Dr. Cox had his bath time. Realizing the older man took them before he even got up somehow made him feel special; like Dr. Cox was getting the stuff he needed to do out of the way. So he could spend time with him, maybe? JD wasn't sure if that was true or not, but he smiled. The idea of it was still nice.
The young doctor walked over to the counter, where the stuff – coffee, he thought he heard him call it – sat steaming in a weird looking machine. He never had coffee before, but it made the apartment smell amazing, and Dr. Cox always seemed a little cheerier after having a glass in the morning.
He was about to go back to the living room, to wait patiently for the older man to finish his bath time, when he noticed the neglected cup on the counter. JD approached it cautiously; hesitation clear on his expression as he peered carefully inside at its contents. The mug made the stuff seem darker; muddier even, but Dr. Cox always seemed to like it just fine.
Very carefully as to not make any messes (spills were hard to clean up) JD took the cup into his hands, slowly bringing it to his lips. The stuff landed on his tongue and slid down his throat, causing the young brunette to jump in startled surprise. He had not been expecting it to taste like that! It wasn't sweet like juice or creamy like milk. He didn't know how to identify it at all! He rolled his tongue around his mouth, sucking the inside of his cheeks as if trying to decide if it was good or not from the taste it left behind. JD decided it wasn't, but it wasn't as bad as other things he'd been forced to drink either. Veggie juice is icky, he thought quietly.
Still, he wanted to drink it. It had that wonderful scent, and if he drank the whole thing like Dr. Cox always did, then maybe by the time he was done, he would start to like it too. Then the older man would pour out a cup for him in the morning, and it would be yet another thing they could do together.
JD took a big boy breath and swallowed another mouthful. At least it wasn't veggie juice.
--
Dr. Cox rubbed a towel through his wet curls, water dripping down his freshly cleaned skin and landing carelessly onto the floor as he stood in the confines of his bathroom. He had dozed off for five minutes or so in the shower, the hot water easing both mind and muscles as he let himself catch up on a few minutes of much needed sleep.
After a quick shave and finding the closest towel to wrap around his waist, Perry made for his bedroom to change. He stopped when he noticed the hypnotized doctor sitting on the living room floor, rocking back and fourth to the song that played on the TV screen. Damn, his hope was to be done before the kid woke up. Though JD seemed to be doing fine, even if he did seem a bit more fidgety than usual… "Newbie?"
The brunette turned his head around quickly, beaming when he noticed the older man's presence. He waved excitedly at his mentor, all pearly whites showing. "Hiya, Dr. Cox!"
Perry quirked an eyebrow. "'Morning, Newbie. You alright over, there?"
"Uh-huh! But I'm hungry. Can you make eggs? I'm in the mood for eggs. Eggs are very slimy, but when you cook them, they get fluffy. Did you know that, Dr. Cox? They do. It's true, it's true! I watched mommy cook them once, except she ended up burning them and they were really bad, but I ate them anyway 'cause I didn't want to make her cry, 'cause I think she felt bad. But I really like eggs, Dr. Cox. Can you make 'em?"
Perry's eyes were wide with bemusement as he stared at his happy-go-lucky protégé. He had never seen the kid this hyper this early. It was definitely something else. "Calm down there, Newbie, okay? And sure, I'll make them. Just give me a minute to get changed."
"Kay, kay!"
The older man dressed quickly, but quickly just wasn't enough. By the time he was done and back in the living room, he was met with a bouncy JD, who was now jumping up and down on the couch, giggling and clapping at the show on TV – Sesame Street, Perry final recognized it as – and remained completely unaware that his caretaker had re-entered the room.
"Newbie."
"A is the letter of the day! There's an A in day! Hooray, hooray, hooray!"
"JD."
The young doctor stopped his bouncing long enough to turn and look at his mentor. "Dr. Cox, look what's on! It's Sesame Street! And before – you know what happened? – Before, Big Bird was going to visit Cookie Monster, but then –"
"Newbie – settle down. You've made it va-hary clear that you got enough sleep last night, but my furniture is not a trampoline. Ya' get me?"
JD nodded vigorously as he sat back down on the couch, though it was obvious to the older man that the kid was just itching to get back up and continue his bouncing.
"Now, you wanted eggs, right?"
"Uh-huh! Eggs and toast."
"Alright, Newbie. You wait here and I'll bring you your food, okay?"
"Yup, yup!"
Dr. Cox just shook his head as he made his way into the kitchen. The kid must've slept like the dead to be as hyper as he was right now.
Perry opened the refrigerator, noticing instantly how little they were on food. He'd have to go out later and pick up a few things. He couldn't order out for the both of them every night.
Grabbing two eggs from their place in the fridge, he made his way over to the counter and started to cook. It wasn't until the aroma reached his senses did he suddenly remember the neglected coffee from earlier, and God only knew how much he needed that today.
Perry let the eggs continue to sizzle as he reached out for his mug. He'd been preparing to heat it up in the microwave, but much to his surprise, there was nothing there to heat up.
"Vroom, vroom, vroom! Up, plane, up!"
The curly haired man peered into the living room to find JD running around the couch in circles, imitating the cartoon plane on the television screen.
And then it clicked.
Dr. Cox stared wide eyed at his empty coffee mug, then at the over active Newbie, then at his mug, then at Newbie. JD, coffee, JD, coffee, JD, coffee.
Oh dear God, no!
"Newbie…?" he began slowly, fear of what he already knew to be true widening his eyes as he spoke.
JD stopped his plane imitation to look at his mentor. "Yeah?"
"Did you…did you drink my coffee?"
"Uh-huh!"
"Can I ask why?"
"I woke up and you were taking your bath and the air smelled really good and I knew it was because of the stuff you drink during breakfast so I tried it but I didn't like it but thought if I did we could do more stuff together and it wasn't as bad as veggie juice so I kept on drinkingitandeventually –"
Dr. Cox watched as his young protégé's words blended together, his mouth moving a mile a minute as the caffeine continued to course through his system. "JD," he finally cut in, "breathe!"
JD stopped his rambling to take a big breath, giving Perry sometime to think. What if that hadn't been coffee on the counter? What if he had left an open bottle of beer, or a glass of scotch? "Newbie, listen to me very carefully, okay?"
JD nodded as he exhaled his mouth full of air.
"If you see something on the counter that I usually drink, do not, under any circumstances, drink it. Are we clear? Never – do that – again."
He was too hyper to look sad, but Perry noticed the kids shoulders deflate a little. "Are you mad at me?"
"No. No, Newbie, I'm not mad at you. I can already feel today's headache swelling at the base of my skull from your current caffeine high, but no. Just…don't do that again, alright?"
JD nodded, but the kid was already moving again, jumping up and down where he stood. Perry rubbed his forehead as he made his way back into the kitchen. He couldn't wait for the end of this sugar high.
--
"This is the song that never ends! Yes, it goes on and on my friends! Some people started singing it not knowing what it was! But then they kept on singing it forever just because! This is the song that never ends! Yes it goes on and on my friends! Some people –"
Dr. Cox closed his eyes in quiet restraint. Twelve in the afternoon and the kid showed absolutely no signs of coming down from his caffeine intake. JD wasn't even in the living room with him at the moment, but his voice penetrated through as he remained in his room, playing with whatever toy had caught his interest. And by God…if he heard that song one more time…
"But then they kept on singing it forever just because! This is the song that never ends! Yes it goes on and on my friends!"
Okay, he had to put a stop to those damn lyrics. Dr. Cox stood from his position on the couch and marched over to the door. "Newbie? I'm coming in."
"Kay!"
Dr. Cox opened the door, ready to tell JD to either pick another song or sing a lot quieter, but his protégé's current position had his eyebrows shoot up in question, a grin threatening to peek through his features.
JD was on the floor and lying on his back, legs up in the air. His arms were extended towards his feet; his fingers stretched out as he appeared to be reaching for his toes.
"Newbie…what are you doing?"
"Counting my toes!"
"Is there a special reason you're counting them? Because I'm pretty sure there's ten of 'em, kid.
JD shrugged. "I just wanted to. Oh! Dr. Cox! Look what I can do!" The hypnotized doctor brought his legs to his chest as he suddenly rocked forward, doing a small tumble in the center of the room. "I did a somersault!"
Perry spared a grin as he stepped fully inside, taking a seat on the edge of the kid's bed. "Yeah, Newbie. Good job."
And then the most amazing thing happened. JD yawned.
Now it was Perry's turn to feel as though he could jump up and down in excitement, but he refrained. No offense to Newbie, but the kid's over active nature was really taking its toll on the older doctor, plus with the little amount of sleep he received last night… "Tired, Newbie?"
"Nuh-uh."
"I think you are."
"But I was so," JD stopped mid sentence, another yawn escaping him as he went to rub his eyes. "I wasn't tired a minute ago…"
"That's what happens when you drink a lot of caffeine. You end up crashing."
The brunette's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Crashing? Crashes go boom, Dr. Cox. I'm not going to go boom."
Perry actually chuckled at this. "No, Newbie, you're not 'going to go boom.' It's a different kind of crash."
JD didn't respond. Instead, he stood up from his spot on the floor as he wobbly made his way over to where Dr. Cox sat on the bed. Perry inwardly startled as Newbie laid down, knees tucked up to his chest as he decided the older man's lap made for a good pillow.
Perry knew it would probably be best to have the kid lay out on the bed properly before he completely conked out, but he suddenly found his fingers combing through JD's dark hair instead. "Thought you weren't tired there, kiddo."
"'M not…"
"Okay, Newbie…"
Dr. Cox continued to run his fingers through JD's hair. It wasn't long at all before Newbie brought his thumb to his mouth, his breaths becoming deep and even as he completely relaxed under Perry's touch, head still nestled in his caretaker's lap.
"Atta boy, Newbie," Dr. Cox whispered as he quietly stood from his spot, gently adjusting JD so that he lay on the bed properly.
As was appearing to be custom, the older man stared down at him for a moment before exiting the room. It seemed crazy to think that just moments ago, the kid had been doing somersaults, while now he was lying so peacefully beneath the baby blue quilt. Perry managed a grin before flicking off the light.
--
While JD slept, Dr. Cox contemplated their food situation. They had hardly any bread left, a couple of eggs, and maybe two cups worth of milk. Oh, and a half empty box of cereal. Perry sighed. He hadn't realized how short he'd been on food when he first brought Newbie home. Not that, that would've changed his decision, but he could've stopped on the way back to the apartment like last time.
Dr. Cox turned to the closed door of his son's room, combing a hand through his hair in contemplation. Yeah, he definitely needed to go out and buy some food, but should he take JD with him? Last time, there'd been really no way around it. But this time the kid was already settled into the apartment, and he'd probably get done a lot faster if Newbie didn't come along.
He'd have to get a babysitter though…
Perry reached for the phone, already knowing who he'd call to have come watch JD while he was gone. He was pretty sure her shift was over too, so it'd work out nicely.
"Hello?"
"Carla, hi."
"Dr. Cox? Wow, you never call here."
Perry rolled his eyes. "Listen, I need to go out and grab some food for me and the kid. We're running pretty low, so would you mind babysitting Newbie while I'm gone?"
Carla sighed as if frustrated, but Perry could see right through her to the mother hen that was more than excited about getting a chance to coo and coddle JD; having him all to herself. "Fine, Dr. Cox. But you owe me."
"Oh really? Because I'm pretty sure me taking the kid for a week earns me a couple of favors, don't ya' think?"
The Latina woman let out another small sigh. "Okay, you win. I'll be over there in fifteen minutes."
--
It was only five minutes later when JD woke up from his nap, stretching as he made his way over to the couch to sit next to Dr. Cox.
"Sleep alright, Newbie?"
"Mmhmm…"
A moment of silence passed before JD finally took note of his caretaker's current attire. Besides the usual jeans and t-shirt, he was wearing a light jacket. "Dr. Cox? Are you…are you going somewhere?"
"We're running pretty low on food, kiddo, so I'm gonna go out and get us some."
"C-Can I come…?"
Perry looked over at JD, his face twisted into that of curiosity. Something was definitely wrong. The kid's voice held a wary sort of fear that he seemed desperately trying to hide. "I'm only going to the food store, kid. Trust me, you'd be bored if you came."
"I-I'll be quiet. I won't ask you to buy me candy either, and if I have to go to the bathroom, I'll let you know, 'kay?"
The older man quirked an eyebrow. Something was wrong. "Newbie, it's not about candy or being quiet, alright? It'll just be quicker if I go myself. Besides, I got Carla to come and babysit, and you like her."
JD opened his mouth to speak, a pleading look on his face, but the door bell cut him off from continuing. Dr. Cox stood from his spot on the couch and answered, greeting Carla with a nod and a thanks before turning back to his protégé. He opened his mouth to say something along the lines of, "I'll be back soon," but JD wasn't on the couch any more. A quick survey of the area showed him that the young brunette was currently sitting against the wall across from them, looking up at the two with watery eyes and a quivering lip.
"Newbie, are you oka –?"
"Don't go, please! I'll be good. I'll be really, really good. Don't go, Dr. Cox, please. I don't want you to go!" And suddenly JD was crying, head buried in his knees and shoulders shaking hard. For a second, Perry could only stare, wide eyed. What in God's name was going on?
Carla quietly cleared her throat, actually managing to startle Dr. Cox. He looked at her for only a moment, but she understood instantly. The nurse stepped quietly into the kitchen, giving the two some time alone.
Perry hesitantly made his way over to JD, vaguely reminded of the kid's breakdown when the older man had lost his patience and yelled at him from last time. Dr. Cox swallowed down the memory. That time had been his fault, yeah, but he honestly didn't think getting the kid a babysitter while he made a quick run to the food store was going to be a problem, especially in since Carla was the one doing the babysitting. Still, JD hadn't said anything negative about her being there. All he really said was, "Don't go."
Perry bent down to the hypnotized doctor's level, reaching out to brush away a few loose strands of hair. "JD…look at me."
JD looked up from where he'd hidden his face, blue eyes wide and wet from tears.
"Newbie…what's wrong?"
"I don't want you to go…"
"I'm only getting food, okay? It won't take long, and I'll come back right after. Do you just not want a babysitter?"
"I like Bambi Lady," he mumbled quietly.
"Okay, so then what's wrong?"
JD sniffed, his tear stained cheeks turning pinker by the second. "I-If you go…if you go, you won't come b-back."
Perry's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Why would you think tha - ?" Dr. Cox suddenly blanched, the situation hitting him and hitting him hard. JD's dad…JD's real dad… He'd left the kid and his entire family, and didn't come back until quite a while later, and even that was never permanent. But JD's five year old memories were clearly not at the point of his father's return.
Damn it.
"JD, I'm going to come back, okay? JD, look at me. I'm going to come back. I'm not…I'm not going to leave you, alright?"
Dr. Cox suddenly found himself with his arms full of Newbie, the brunette's own arms wrapped tightly around Perry's neck in a shaky embrace. "You promise?" he sniffled into his neck.
"You betchya', kid."
After a full minute of rubbing small circles into JD's back, Newbie finally let go of his hold on Dr. Cox.
"You be good for Carla, alright?"
The nurse heard her name, assuming correctly that it was her cue to re-enter the living room. "We'll be fine," she cut in calmly. "Right, Bambi?"
JD gave another sniffle before nodding his agreement.
"Alright, Newbie. I'll see you soon, you hear me?"
JD nodded, giving a little wave as he did so. Dr. Cox gave another small nod to Carla before leaving the apartment, praying to a God he wasn't even sure he believed in that he'd get what he needed to and come back soon, the image of JD's crying form still playing in his head.
--
Only ten minutes had gone by, and the young doctor was already feeling much more at ease. He brought a puzzle of various Zoo Animals out from his room, asking Carla if she wanted to help him put it together. The nurse eagerly agreed, feeding him tons of praise and approval whenever he got a piece right. A happy smile was plastered to the brunette's expression as he glowed and blushed from all of her cooing and compliments.
It was not just JD that jumped, but Carla too, as the Latina's pager suddenly went off. The nurse frowned in annoyance. Not even two hours after her shift and she was already being paged back to the hospital. Apparently, one of the newer nurse's had found it perfectly acceptable to clock out an hour early, and now they were calling her in to cover.
She was stuck. She couldn't just leave JD alone in the apartment, but she couldn't tell anybody why she was busy. No, she had to answer the page, but who would be able to babysit Bambi while she was gone? Dr. Cox was most likely just now arriving at the food store, so he wasn't close enough to being done where she could just wait. Turk was in surgery all day, otherwise he would definitely be okay with coming over.
Of course, there was always…
No. No – Both Dr. Cox and Turk had made it very clear the last time that she was not allowed to know about JD's situation. But that was last time, and it really was such a silly rule to begin with…
"Carla?"
The nurse smiled at the sound of her name in JD's childish voice. Not that she'd necessarily found being called, "Bambi Lady," bothersome, but it was still nice to hear her actual name every now and then. "Sweetie, I have to go to the hospital, okay?"
"The one that Dr. Cox works at?"
"That's the one. Now, JD, I can't just leave you here alone. Would you be okay with me calling another babysitter?"
JD looked down at his hands, fidgeting anxiously at a piece of loose thread on his shirt. "I don't like meeting strangers…"
Her mouth had been open, prepared to tell him that they'd already met, until she realized that those memories were currently void. "I think you'll like her, Bambi. And I'll even stay here until she comes over, alright?"
Slowly, hesitantly, JD nodded. "Okay…"
Carla gave him an encouraging smile before taking out her phone. The call was answered almost immediately. "Hello?"
"Elliot? Hi. I need a favor."
A/N: I know I took some creative liberties in that JD's parents got divorced when he was seven, not five, but once the idea popped into my mind, I couldn't seem to let it go. Anyway, guys, I know this chapter was rather long, so thanks for hanging in there, and I hope you all enjoyed it. :) Until next time!