Title: The Plunge

Author: Ryo314

Rating: T

Spoilers: None

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters nor the concept of Scrubs.

Summary: An accident brings Perry and JD closer...a lot closer.

Note: Thanks for all the reviews, and I'm glad you're all enjoying my story. Please read and review.

Warning: This is a slash story: JD/Perry. If you do not like these stories, please stop reading because all flames based on the fact this is a slash story will be cruelly mocked along with their flamer in the next chapter.

The Plunge

Chapter IX: The Plunge

"Any emotion, if it is sincere, is involuntary." Mark Twain

"So, V-Bear, are you excited for tonight?" Turk asked, throwing his arms around JD's shoulders; JD was once again going through Max Cannon's chart.

JD put the page he was looking at down and turned toward him friend. "Of course I'm excited, Turk. Three pizzas, beer, and the Beverly Hills Cop movies; tonight is going to be awesome!"

"The first one is so much better than the second," said Turk.

"Yeah, but the second one has some good parts." JD scratched absently at the healing scar on his forehead.

"I'm sorry, V-Bear, but your cut looks really red. Are you sure it's not gonna scar?"

"I hope not." JD thought for a moment. "If it does, do you think I'll look like Harry Potter?"

Turk shook his head. "I'm not even gonna answer that."

JD was hurrying down the hall, carrying a wand when the Janitor leaped out with a giant snake. "I'm going to finish you for sure this time!" shouted the Janitor.

"No, you won't, Volder-Jan-"

Before JD could finish his sentence, Carla came running up to the some, breathing heavily. She grabbed hold of JD's arm to support herself and tried to speak. "JD...Perry...he...he..." Carla swallowed hard in effort to get control of her breathing. "He's in surgery!"

JD's heart leaped to his throat, and the color drained from his face. "Wha-what?"

"He...he stumbled into the hospital, and he-he was all bloody. He's in surgery now!"

Turk must have anticipated his friend's reaction because as JD's knee's buckled, a chair was shoved beneath him, and someone grabbed hold of his arm to help lower him.

"Wha-what happened?" asked JD after a moment of deep breathing.

"I talked to one of the nurses who was in the emergency room with him; she said he'd been shot."

If it was even possible, JD turned any paler. "I gotta..." JD stumbled back to his feet and would have fallen if Carla had not grabbed hold of his arm. "I gotta get down there."

"Bambi, slow down."

JD pulled his arm from Carla's grasp. "I gotta get down there." JD hurried over to the elevator, stumbling a few steps, while Carla and Turk followed closely.

"JD, you need to slow down; you're gonna pass out." Carla grabbed hold of his arm, but JD pulled it out of her grip as he turned around.

"I don't care!" JD practically shouted in Carla's face; she stepped back, shocked. "I gotta get down there."

Both Turk and Carla stopped in their tracks, and JD, who was breathing heavily from his shouting, stared at them for a moment and then got on the elevator. As soon as the elevator doors closed, JD leaned heavily against the elevator wall. The initial shock was wearing off, but the fear that was running through him was still there.

Oh God! I can't believe this! He has to be okay! He has to be! Come on, you stupid elevator! Hurry up! Please be okay, Perry! Please!

The doors opened up, and JD rushed from the elevator. As he was hurrying to the operating room, Elliot stopped him.

"JD, Dr. Cox is in the operating room."

"I know!" shouted JD, hurrying past his friend.

JD was lucky that no one was standing in his way as he ran because there was a good chance that he would have just knocked them out of his way. This couldn't actually be happening; Perry could not have been shot! There had to be another explanation; there had to be!

Reaching the nurse's station, JD gripped the edge of the desk tight and took several deep breaths. "Where is Perry?"

"Who?" asked the nurse obviously startled.

"Dr. Cox! Where is he?"

"Operating room three," replied the nurse. "But, Dr. Dorian, you can't go in there."

JD ignored her and hurried over to the door of operating room three. He stopped dead before the door and just stared. He knew he couldn't go in, but for some reason, standing outside the operating room made him feel better.

Please be okay! Please!

XVIIIIV

Part of Turk was mad...no...scratch that: part of Turk was fuming. JD had yelled in Carla's face. He didn't just yell at her, which still would have made him mad, but JD flat out yelled in Carla's face; no one was allowed to do that to Carla. No one!

The other part of Turk, however, was worried. He didn't exactly like Dr. Cox, and while he wasn't completely surprised to find out that JD liked Dr. Cox, Turk was still a little wary of their relationship. Turk would kick the older doctor's ass if he did anything to hurt his best friend.

It wasn't hard to find JD; Turk had gone down to the operating rooms, and he found JD sitting in a chair outside operating room three. JD's elbows were on his knees, and he was supporting his head with his hands. To Turk, JD almost looked defeated. The angry part of Turk suddenly wasn't so angry anymore. Letting out a deep breath, Turk grabbed a chair and set it by JD. He placed his hand on his best friend's shoulder. They both sat in silence for several minutes before JD spoke.

"I'm sorry."

"You should be."

"I was just panicked."

"I understand that, man, but Carla and I were only trying to help."

"I need to apologize to her."

"Yes. Don't ever yell at her like that again. You're my best friend, but I will not hesitate to take you down."

JD laughed slightly. The laughter slowly got louder, but Turk happened to notice that in addition to the laughter, JD was struggling to wipe his eyes. Turk put his arm around JD's shoulders in effort to comfort his friend, and JD placed his hand against his eyes.

"I can't believe this," JD murmured, wiping his eyes again.

"He's gonna be okay, V-Bear. Dr. Cox still has a bunch interns to scare the Hell out of it. He'll be okay."

"Thanks, Turk."

"No problem, man."

XVIIIIV

JD sat outside the operating room for an hour and a half; Elliot had taken his patients while he waited for news on Dr. Cox. Turk had left after sitting with him for a half an hour, and Carla had taken his place; her shift had gotten over a little while before.

Carla's arm was draped about JD's shoulders, and she was beginning to wonder if the younger man had fallen asleep when the doors of the operating room opened. JD leaped from the chair he'd been sitting in for the past hour and a half, knocking off Carla's arm; she knew this time it was unintentionally.

"How is Dr. Cox?" JD demanded of the surgeon before he even managed five steps from the operating room.

"Dr. Dorian?" The surgeon studied JD carefully.

"Yes!" JD was getting frustrated; he'd just waited over an hour for any news. "Now how is Dr. Cox?"

"I'm sorry, Dr. Dorian, but I can't really tell you that," replied the surgeon.

"Urrgghhhh...." JD groaned and stomped his foot, looking very much like a five year old. Carla stood up and set her hand on JD's arm. She pulled him off to the side as the surgeon walked away; Carla struggled to hold his attention when Dr. Cox was wheeled out of the operating room. The only positive thing about it was that it seemed like Dr. Cox was okay; he only had an IV attached to him.

"Carla, I have to go with him." The nurse could tell that JD wanted to take off down the hall after the injured doctor.

"Bambi, are you or Perry ready for the entire hospital to know you're together?"

"No. Not really, but what does that have to do-"

Carla sighed. "If you go chasing after Perry right now, the entire hospital is going to start to wonder what is going on. I know Perry doesn't want that yet, and I'm pretty sure you don't want that either."

"But...I have to make sure he's okay..."

"All you have to do is go down to his room after they get him all settled in. Okay?"

JD nodded, but he was still glancing down the hall after Dr. Cox's gurney. "He's gonna be okay, right?"

Carla gave him a reassuring smile. "Of course he will be, Bambi. I'm sure he hasn't used all his girl names for you, so he has to be okay."

JD laughed a little. "Thanks, Carla."

"You're welcome, Bambi."

There was a pause between them. "I'm sorry I yelled at you."

"You should be, but I forgive you."

"I have to apologize to Elliot too."

"You really can do some damage when you're upset, Bambi," Carla murmured with a sigh.

"I didn't really mean to freak out like that. It's just-"

"I know. If Turk had been hurt, I probably could have taken down the entire hospital to get to him."

"Thanks, Carla."

Carla smiled and pulled JD into a tight hug. "You're welcome, Bambi." She rubbed his back gently as they stood there for a moment. About a minute later, Carla released him. "Now, let's go find out which room they're putting Dr. Cox in."

"Can we find Elliot on the way?"

"We should probably do that."

XVIIIIV

Even in the haze that surrounded his mind, Perry couldn't help but wonder if being unconscious was going to become a weekly occurrence. His head was killing him, nausea was barely being controlled, and there was a dull ache radiating from his shoulder. He slowly opened his eyes, but immediately shut them when the florescent lights above him assaulted his eyes. Only seconds after opening his eyes, Perry heard a worried voice from somewhere to his left.

"Perry? Perry, are you okay?" a very nervous sounding JD asked.

Perry winced at the loudness of JD's voice."Of course I'm not okay." He didn't say it aloud though; from the way JD sounded, the kid might have a heart attack if he told him he wasn't okay. "Newbie, could you keep your voice down?" He slowly opened his eyes again, this time ready for the bright florescent lights. Looking to the side of the hospital bed he seemed to be, Perry saw a very pale JD leaning on his bed. "Did a ghost scare you, Michelle? Or did you just see a spider?"

Perry couldn't believe what happened next; JD laughed. The kid never laughed at his insults, at least not a real laugh; sometimes, JD would give those uncomfortable embarrassed laughs. "Do you have this new kink for abuse, Newbie?"

JD shook his head. "I thought you were gonna die."

"I plan on living forever, Newbie. So far, so good."

JD slowly reached over and picked up Perry's hand, which wasn't connected to his bad shoulder. The younger man was almost one hundred percent sure that Perry was immediately going to pull it away, but he didn't. Instead, Perry shook his head and muttered "Girl."

"What happened?" asked JD quietly.

"Some asshole mugged me," replied Perry.

"What?"

"Mugged, Newbie. Took my wallet and phone and was pissed that I didn't have any thing else."

"So he shot you?"

"No," replied Perry; his eyes began to droop shut with the effort of talking to JD. "It was because of a cat."

"You tried to protect a cat?"

Perry groaned. "Can I explain later, Emily? I did just wake up from surgery." Perry opened his eyes and then turned toward JD. "I did have surgery, right?" The older man suddenly realized he hadn't really asked about what had happened to him since collapsing in the hospital entrance.

JD nodded. "They had to extract the bullet from your shoulder." JD laughed slightly. "And to think, that shoulder just healed."

Perry shook his head. "Please don't bring that up, Newbie." For a moment, he contemplated pulling his hand from JD's, but he figured that at the moment, JD needed that comfort. Truth be told, Perry didn't entirely mind holding Newbie's hand.

"You're going to have to talk to the police," said JD.

"This I am aware of, Newbie."

"Sorry." JD looked down a bit.

"Dammit, Newbie. Stop making me feel guilty!"

"I just need a bit more sleep, Newbie." JD nodded and gave him a smile.

"My shift ended awhile ago, and I should probably get going. But...um...I'll be back tomorrow."

"I really can't wait," replied Perry sarcastically.

JD turned red and stood up from the chair he'd been sitting in for over an hour. Before he let go of Perry's hand or even made it a steps from the bed, Perry pulled him back to the bed. JD smiled and leaned down and gave Perry a kiss before leaving the room.

XVIIIIV

JD walked out of Perry's hospital's room with a smile on his face. Sure, their relationship wasn't perfect or even normal, but it seemed to be going relatively well. Of course, most people didn't have to deal with a mugging/shooting only a couple of weeks into a relationship, but JD was thinking that he had handle it pretty well...if his yelling at Carla and Elliot was ignored. JD was glad they had both forgiven him.

As he was walking down the hall toward the elevator, a mop handle was stuck out in front of him to prevent him from going any further.

"What were you doing in Scary Doctor's room for so long?" asked the Janitor suspiciously.

"I wasn't in there for that long," replied JD nervously.

"One hour, twenty-two minutes, and nineteen seconds."

JD's brow furrowed. "You counted how long I was in there?"

The Janitor thought for a moment. "Yeah," he replied with a nod.

"Why?"

"Because it was either keep track of exactly how long you were in Scary Doctor's room or mop the entryway."

JD just stared at him. "Shouldn't you be doing your job?"

An angry look came over the Janitor's face. "Are you accusing me of not doing my job? You know, I get so sick of you doctors-"

"I was not accusing you of not doing your job!" JD nearly shouted.

"Well...you don't have to yell."

JD shook his head and walked away from the Janitor, not really caring anymore if something bad happened while his back was turned. His day had been long even before Perry was brought in, and now, after the four and a half hours added to his day by Perry's mugging, JD was exhausted. He was pretty sure he was the only one left at the hospital (of his friends anyway). Carla and Elliot's shifts ended awhile ago, and Turk's had ended about half an hour ago. He's stopped into Perry's room, which JD could tell had been a little awkward for his friend, and ask JD if he needed a ride; JD had said he was taking the bus. Now, he was starting to wish he had taken Turk's offer; he was completed exhausted, and the thought of taken the bus was not appealing. JD couldn't wait till his wrist healed, and he could bike again.

XVIIIIV

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter.