I'm back!!
10
Usually, when a friend who's never late shows up late to work, you know there's a problem.
"Hey, hon. There you are!" Carla greeted Michael and haphazardly tossed him a chart before walking briskly away to some other patient.
Obviously, I was the only one who knew this rule.
"You're late." J.D. pointed out, following Michael down the hallway.
"So? Who are you, my mom now?" Michael snarled and J.D. paused, startled by this change in normal attitude. Michael took a few steps before stopping and sighing. Turning back around, he sighed again. "He came back. Last night."
"Who came back?"
Michael walked up to J.D. and swallowed before softly speaking.
"My boyfriend."
"Ah… oh." J.D. went completely serious, finally lowering his voice. "Everything… everything okay?"
"He was too tired last night for anything and he just went to bed. But…"
"But what?"
"Nothing." Michael shrugged and turned back around, changing the subject by looking at the chart. "Want to come?"
"Sure."
There's nothing more difficult than knowing that someone needs your help… and not knowing how you can.
(----------------------------------)
"Turk?"
"What's up J.D.?"
"What would you do if someone you cared about needed your help but you didn't know how to help them?" J.D. leaned on the nurse's counter and posed his question to his best friend.
"I don't know. Just trust your instincts." Turk shrugged and checked over his shoulder and saw Carla nodding in approval before walking off. Making sure she was gone, Turk continued talking. "Whew. Truth, I don't have any idea what the hell you should do. I'm trying to convince Carla that I'm wise."
"Why?"
"I forgot. But now, she thinks I am and is all happy and crap."
"Oh." J.D. saw Michael walk by and abandoned his friend to catch up to him. "Michael!"
Slowing down, but not stopping, he waited for J.D. to be right next to him before speeding up again.
"What?"
"Why're you walking so fast?"
"I'm trying to figure out what to do. I just… I've been walking in circles for god knows how long."
Everyone has their way of coping with being scared. Whether it's hiding in a closet, lying to someone you love, picking on someone who cares about you, or walking in circles, certain ways work for different people.
"I'd offer for you to stay with me, but there wouldn't be any room with Turk and Carla there too."
"And if I didn't come home, Jason would freak." Michael unhappily sighed and finally stopped, putting his face in his hands.
"Is there anything I can do?"
"You could…" Michael began but stopped himself and shook his head. "Nevermind. I don't need you arrested for man-slaughter."
"You know if you need anything…" J.D. was still stuck with that question, not sure of what else he could offer that didn't involve what Michael nearly suggested. Putting a hand on Michael's shoulder, he was caught off guard when Michael pulled him into a hug instead.
"Thank you, J.D."
Maybe, sometimes, you don't need to say anything much to help a lot.
(----------------------------------)
A lot of my afternoon, I was distracted, still pondering what I could do to help out Michael.
"Hey, Minnie!" Dr. Cox snapped his fingers in J.D.'s face, waking him from his daydream. "I know your sooo excited about your big mall trip with your new girlfriend, but we've got patient's dying here and now. Don't screw up too much." And just like that, he left the room, leaving J.D. standing next to the bed of a youngish, muscular man who looked positively green.
"Are you my doctor?" The man asked with a gruff voice, clearing his throat and swallowing, apparently to stop himself from throwing up.
"Uh… yes. I'm Doctor Dorian. And you are…" J.D. searched the chart for a name, but the patient answered for him.
"Jason McMillan."
"Oh."
Jason… Jason… why does that name sound familiar? Where have I heard that name before today? Wait! Wasn't Jason the name of Michael's…
"Everything… okay?" Jason interrupted.
"What are you here for?" J.D. questioned the man in the bed.
"I was out and I felt dizzy. I collapsed and they brought me here. I don't feel too good."
"You probably just have the flu." J.D. put down his chart. "But we'll run some tests just to be safe." Turning around, J.D. silently begged that this Jason didn't mention the name Michael. He made it almost to the door safely when Jason finally spoke up.
"A nurse named Michael doesn't work here, does he?"
"I… um… don't know. Never heard of him. I'll ask around." J.D. commented nervously, refusing to look Jason in the face, and he walked out. Stepping right past Dr. Cox and ignoring him, even when Dr. Cox called him 'Florence'. Walking past everyone who called his name out, J.D. went looking for Michael.
He's screwed. What am I talking about?! We're both screwed. If Jason finds out I've been messing with his boyfriend… ::J.D. is standing in a hospital room. Jason has found out what J.D. and Michael had done. 'You WHAT!' he screams and begins to grow into the Incredible Hulk.:: I have to find Michael!
(----------------------------------)
Why is it whenever you desperately need to find someone you never can?
"Michael!" J.D. yelled for the millionth time that day and practically knocked Dr. Kelso over as he ran.
"What's wrong?" Michael looked genuinely worried and stopped in his tracks.
"It's Jason… he's…"
"Here." Michael finished for J.D. and smiled at the confused look on his face. "Jason always forgets where I work at and if he does remember, he thinks it's at a hospital in another town. As long as I steer clear of his room and warn people, it'll be fine."
"But…"
"Did you tell him?" Nothing but panic spread across Michael's face.
"No. I just told him I never heard of you before."
"Good." Michael looked relieved and in control for a minute until his smile dropped and he let out a shuddered sigh. Pushing J.D. into an empty room, he closed the door behind him and turned the light on.
"What… what…"
"I'm scared, J.D."
For once, J.D. was stunned.
How do you respond to someone who's not a patient who tells you that? Usually you can just comfort the patient and tell them everything will be fine and they'll get better. But Michael's not sick.
"Um. I… well…" J.D. tucked his hands into his pockets and shrugged his shoulders, eyes darting to the floor.
"What?" Michael looked like he was getting angry, but J.D. couldn't figure out why. Looking back up at Michael he shrugged again.
"I don't… know."
"You don't know what?"
"What to say."
"Thanks." Michael replied sarcastically and turned towards the closed door. "I knew I could count on you in my time of need." He swung open the door and continued talking. "I really thought you would be able to help out. I might as well go see Jason now and get it over with. Thanks again." Michael strode off to the right, in the direction of Jason's room.
J.D. stayed where he was, hands still in his pockets. The only difference was the door was open and practically everyone who overheard what Michael said was staring right at J.D.
Nothing is worse than knowing you had every opportunity to help out… and totally blew it.
(----------------------------------)
Luckily, Michael didn't know Jason's room number and no one was telling him. So I did the only thing I could think of to do.
"Sign here." Said the man with a hat on that was too tight. He and his partner wheeled Jason out the hospital and loaded him onto an ambulance.
"What was that all about, Bambi?" Carla stepped up behind J.D..
"I got Jason transferred to County."
"Good idea. Want me to go find Michael?" she offered.
"Nah. I'll find him."
Eventually, J.D. found Michael angrily exiting the doctor's lounge, hands clenched in fists at his sides.
"Oh. It's you." He paused. "Why won't anyone tell me what room Jason's in?"
"He's not here."
"Not here as in not on this floor or… what?"
"He's not in the hospital. I had him transferred to County." J.D. smiled at Michael and watched his fists slowly unclench.
"Really?"
"Yep."
"Wow. Look, I'm sorry I got mad at you. I just wasn't expecting him to come back so soon and now he's sick which means when he comes home he'll make me miss work to take care of him."
"What did you mean when you said you were just going go see Jason and get 'it' over with?" J.D. didn't mean to be nosy, but he was normally a curious type.
"I was going to tell him that I didn't love him anymore."
"Really? You fell in love with someone else?"
"You know, sometimes, J.D., you can be so clueless."
Oh.
"Oh."
(----------------------------------)
I know this wasn't long and wasn't much of an answer to the cliffhanger at the end of Chapter nine, but I wanted to give you guys something to tide you over for a little…