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. Please read and review this chapter too.
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 XII: The Arc
"Anyone can become angry. That is easy. But to be angry with the right person, to the right degree, at the right time, for the right purpose and in the right way-that is not easy." Aristotle
JD was sitting on Perry's couch when the older doctor returned to his apartment; from just one look at the man, JD could tell that his day had not gone well.
"Um...how was the hospital?" asked JD, before coughing into the back of his hand.
Perry grumbled. "Do you know what chai tea is?"
JD stared at him. "What?"
"Do you know what chai tea is?"
JD shook his head. "No, but it's probably on the menu at the coffee shop."
"It is, but I didn't find that out till I was twenty minutes into my lunch break, and it is all one of your patient's fault." Perry didn't notice the slightly guilty look on JD's face as he continued on in his rant. "The Howards girl apparently hadn't eaten in a coupla of days because of discomfort, so Carla told me to try and talk her into eating. The only way she would eat is if I found her chai tea. I didn't even know what the Hell that was until today! By the time I found some and got a nurse to take it back to her, she was asleep! The girl had fallen asleep!" Perry let out a frustrated sigh and collapsed onto the couch.
"Did she eat?" asked JD quietly.
"Oh yeah," replied Perry. "She ate."
"Is she okay?" This time, JD's voice was even quieter. Perry turned toward him and saw that JD was looking down at his hands.
"What?"
"Is Caitlin okay? I knew she hadn't been eating well before I got sick, and I've been trying to get the nurses to get her to eat. It's not really doing her health any good."
Perry suddenly felt like an ass. It wasn't JD's fault that his patients were annoying; it was his fault that he was annoying, but not his patients. "She's okay, Newbie." Perry wasn't looking forward to the next bit of news he had to give the younger doctor. He sat down next to the younger man and let out a groan. "I need to talk to you about something."
JD let out a defeated sigh. "That was fast."
Perry was confused. "What was fast?"
"You're breaking up with me. I mean, it's not like we were going out for very long, but-"
"Melissa, I'm not breaking up with you!" Perry shook his head and rubbed his temple; he felt a headache beginning to form.
"You're not?"
"No. Granted, I'm nuts for dating you in the first place, but I'm not breaking up with you."
"Oh." JD sat up straighter on the couch. "Then what did you need to talk about?" JD seemed perfectly willing to forget about what he had just said, and Perry was all too happy to oblige.
"JD." He felt the younger man tense beside him; he knew that "JD" was associated with something serious...or bad news. "This is about Max Cannon."
JD took a deep breath. "Did you talk to his parents?"
"I never saw his father, but I talked to his mother."
"And?"
Perry sighed. "It was like talking to a brick wall."
"She didn't listen?"
"She wasn't comfortable discussing it without her husband around."
JD groaned and than slapped his knee. "Dammit!"
Perry was actually a little surprised to hear JD swear. "Language, Amita! Language!"
"They have to listen; Max needs that surgery!"
Perry set his hand on JD's shoulder. "I know, Newbie. It's not your fault or the boy's fault that his parents are morons."
JD sighed and leaned his head back on the couch. "I have to convince him to go through with the surgery; Max will...Max will..." It was obvious that the young doctor didn't want to think about what was going to happen if the boy's parents didn't agree to the surgery; no doctor did.
JD leaned forward again and rested his elbows on his knees. "I put him on another antibiotic. Is it doing any good?"
Perry could tell from the pleading look on JD's face that he was praying for good news. His goal used to be to make the goofy smile disappear from JD's face, but at this moment in time, Perry would give anything to put the goofy smile on his face.
"It's not doing any good, Newbie."
JD closed his eyes and let a sigh escape through his nose. "I figured that."
Perry really wasn't looking forward to what he had to say next. "JD, Max had to be moved to the ICU today."
JD turned toward him and shook his head several times. "No! He wasn't that bad the other day! He-He-"
"His fever spiked today, and he had to be moved."
JD shook his head and stood up from the couch. He grabbed hold of his head, began shaking his head, and started pacing the room. "This can't be happening! He's seven!"
Perry stood from the couch and walked over to the young man. He set his arm around JD's shoulders, but JD immediately shoved them off.
"You know this isn't you fault, Newbie." Perry reached out and tried again to set his hand on JD's shoulder.
"I'm his doctor! I'm supposed-"
Before JD could finish his sentence, Perry had cut him off with a hard kiss, wrapping his good arm around the younger man's waist. For a moment, JD stood their completely motionless; apparently, the abrupt kiss had stunned him. JD, however, did not stay motionless for long. He wrapped his arms around Perry's neck and started to return the kiss.
The kiss finally ended, and Perry stared at JD for a moment. "Come on," he said, taking hold of JD's arm and pulling him towards the bedroom.
"What about you shoulder?" asked JD. He didn't put up any resistance however.
"What shoulder?" replied Perry as he pulled JD into the bedroom and closed the door. Apparently Perry had changed his mind about catching what JD had.
XVIIIIV
The next day was rather uneventful, except for both Elliot and Carla managing to figure what had gone on between Perry and JD the night before. They said it was because of the big, goofy smile he had planted on his face. Elliot had spent several minutes just letting out a girly squeal while Carla had promised not to let anything slip to Turk, from either of them. As JD had said, "that would make things really awkward between them."
The following day did not go as well. Perry had come back to work, and he'd agreed to try and speak with Dean Cannon if JD wasn't successful in convincing the man to allow his son to go into surgery. Unfortunately, Max, already having been moved to the ICU, was running short on time for his parents to bicker with his doctors. Even the newest, which was also the strongest, antibiotic was having no effect on the infection.
It was obvious from the expression on JD's face when he walked into the break room that his conversation with Max Cannon's father had not ended in his favor.
"What happened?" asked Perry, turning off the soap opera he'd been watching and standing from the couch.
"He said no, again. He said no to the surgery and accused me of giving up on his son. I'm a doctor, and he accused me of giving up on his son!"
Perry set his hand on JD's shoulder. "You know you're not giving up on Max, Newbie! You're a good doctor."
JD groaned and sat down in a chair. "I know. I know. I just-I just..."
Perry shook his head and grabbed hold of JD's arm. "Come on."
"Right now, Perry?" said JD, a little surprised.
Perry rolled his eyes. "Not that, Haley. We're going to go talk with this kid's dad." Perry paused for a moment. "Where is he?"
"He was going to get coffee in the cafeteria after I spoke with him; his wife was staying with Max."
Perry let out a deep breath. "Come on, Newbie." He'd let go of the younger man's arm, but he hadn't slowed his pace, JD was practically running to keep up with him. Like JD had said, Dean Cannon was sitting at one of the tables in the cafeteria slowly sipping at a cup of coffee. It was obvious to Perry that his son's illness was taking a toll on him, his face was pale and unshaven and there were bags under his eyes, but at the same time, he still wasn't doing all he could for his son. Perry slowed his pace, allowing JD to catch up, but continued toward the man.
"Are you Dean Cannon?" asked Perry, crossing his arms; JD stood to the right of his good shoulder.
"Yes," replied Dean, looking a suspicious of the two men.
"We need to talk to you about your son Max."
Dean squinted his eyes. "Who are you?" He turned toward JD. "What's going Dr. Dorian?"
"I...umm....I called Dr. Cox in as a second opinion....sorta." JD was about to shrug, but that probably wouldn't make him look too sure of himself.
"Okay." Dean turned toward Perry. "What's your opinion, Dr. Cox?"
"That you're a moron."
Dean's jaw dropped, and he slammed his coffee cup down on the table. He jumped to his feet and leaned across the table. "What?!"
"You're a moron," repeated Perry.
"Excuse me? You can't talk to me like that! I want to talk to-"
"Listen to me," said Perry, interrupting the angry man. "You're son is seriously ill. The infection in his knee has begun to spread to the rest of his body, and the antibiotics are doing nothing."
"Why not?"
JD decided it was his turn to jump in. "Some infections are immune to antibiotics." Dean Cannon glared at him, and JD decided it was best not to talk anymore."
"Do something else then," said Dean, turning back toward Perry.
"Dr. Dorian told you what needed to be done, and you refused to give permission."
"I'm not letting some doctor hack off my son's leg!" Dean had practically shouted.
Perry shook his head. "He will die." The three words were spoken quietly and with no emotion, but their meaning was clear none the less.
Dean opened his mouth, and JD was expecting him to shout again. However, a much different sound escaped the distraught father: a sob. At first, it was only one, but another followed and then another. Pretty soon, Dean Cannon was lowering himself back to the table while tears spilled down his face. "I know...I know..." Dean repeated over and over. JD suddenly felt terrible for the man.
It took a few moments for Dean Cannon to calm down and collect himself, and after wiping his eyes several times, he turned back to Perry and spoke. "I can't cut off my son's leg. I can't."
"With the location of the amputation, he can eventually get a prosthetic leg and learn to walk just as well as he does now, but not if he's dead."
Dean Cannon closed his eyes and wiped at a few stray tears that were making their way down his face. The man took a few deep breaths but slowly nodded his head. "Okay. Okay."
JD let out a sigh of relief he didn't know he'd been holding and stepped forward. "We'll make sure your son is stable and prep him for surgery." JD paused for a moment. "Do you want to explain the situation to Max or-"
Before JD could finish, his pager went off. He held up a finger to indicate to Perry and Dead that he needed a moment; his heart nearly stopped when he saw the display of the pager. "Oh God," JD muttered quietly. He took off running without another word, and Dean and Perry were forced to follow.
"What's going on, Newbie?" demanded Perry as they ran up the stairwell; apparently, the elevator was not going to be fast enough.
"Max!" JD shouted as a response. That was enough to get Dean Cannon running in a near sprint.
By the time the three men reached the room in the ICU unit, chaos had erupted in Max's room. Nurses were swarming around the bed, and a doctor had a crash next to the bed.
"OH GOD!" shouted Dean, attempting to rush into the room to his son. JD and Perry had to hold the man back as he cried for his son. He screamed Max's name every time the doctor attempted to revive him; his wife was also being held back on the other side of the room by a couple of nurses. The scene went on for what felt like an eternity before the doctor put down the paddles and called it. Max had died at 1:27.
Both of Max's parents cried as they stood at the side of Max's bed, and JD and Perry quietly left the room to give the two grieving parents some solace. JD couldn't help but notice before he left that there was a completed Rubix Cube on Max's bedside table.
XVIIIIV
JD was leaning against the wall, rubbing his temples. A few hours earlier and they could have saved Max's life. Hell! If he had just convinced Dean Cannon on his own instead of waiting for Perry, Max would still be alive. JD was in the middle of another ridiculing thought when a shadow appeared over his face; he opened his eyes and saw Perry standing in front of him.
"JD, this wasn't your fault."
JD closed his eyes and shook his head. "I don't want to hear it right now, Dr. Cox."
Perry winced when JD used "Dr. Cox" instead of "Perry", even if they were at the hospital. "JD?"
"Not now." JD pushed himself away from the wall and began walking down the hall. "I've got other patients."
Perry grabbed hold of his arm to stop him, but JD yanked it from his grasp and continued on. This did not make Perry happy. "Stop right there, Cindy." JD stopped. "We need to talk." He was practically speaking through clenched teeth.
JD slowly turned around and glared at Perry. "What? You've always told me to distance myself from the patients, so I am trying to do just that. Just let me get back to work."
At this point, Perry was starting to get worried by JD's attitude. "JD, look, I know what happened to Max-"
"What happened to Max? What happened to Max?" JD was fuming. "He died, Dr. Cox. He died because according to his dad, I didn't care enough. Who knows? Maybe I didn't. I certainly wasn't very good at convincing his father to go through with the surgery. Maybe I didn't care!"
"JD," said Perry, stepping forward. "You don't believe that."
"Don't tell me what I believe," said JD, shaking his head several times.
Perry sighed; this was not going well. He took another step toward JD and attempted to set his arm around JD's shoulders. That did not make the younger man happy.
"Don't touch me!" shouted JD.
"Newbie, you're being unreasonable!" Perry was talking through his teeth again. He set his hand on JD's shoulder to try and stop the younger man from walking away, but JD turned around and shoved the older man away. In return, Perry shoved JD back, using his good arm, and the younger man fell hard against the wall. Unfortunately, another person had entered the hall during the altercation.
"What the Hell are you doing?" shouted Turk, running up to help his friend back to his feet.
"Stay out of this, Gandhi," said Perry angrily.
"Don't you dare tell me to stay out of it," retorted Turk, taking a step toward Perry. "You're freaking beating up my best friend! I actually thought you cared about him!"
Perry stepped threateningly toward Turk, and the other man step forward too. JD stopped his friend by grabbing hold of Turk's arm.
"Forget it, Turk. I've got rounds." Both Perry and Turk were surprised when JD walked away without another word.
XVIIIIV
Perry was standing at the nurse's station, running a hand over his face when someone shoved him from behind. The person must have been pretty small though because he wasn't even thrown off balance.
"I can't believe you!" shouted an all too familiar voice; he was not in the mood to deal with Elliot.
"Look, Barbie, I don't know what fucked up version of the story you've heard, but I am not in the mood to listen to you bark at me for what I did to Newbie. You got that?" Perry turned around, expecting for Elliot to running in the other direction, but she was still standing there glaring at him. "What?"
"How could you?" she demanded. "I thought you cared about him."
"Don't start with me, Barbie, unless you know the whole story."
Elliot faltered for a moment. "You-You hit him?"
Perry shook his head. "I shoved him."
Elliot's head titled slightly. "Like that makes it better?"
"He shoved me first." Perry shook his head. "Why am I explaining this to you? This is between me and Gail. Not me, Gail, and all her girlfriends. Get out of my face. Go fix your make up or something."
"You know what, Dr. Cox? When you started dating JD, I couldn't really believe it. Mainly because I can't really see you with anyone and I always thought you couldn't stand JD. Also, it was because I thought you were too much of a jerk to deserve someone nice like JD, but I believed him when he said things were going well. You know what? I was right to think you were a jerk."
"That's enough, Elliot."
Perry and Elliot turned around to Carla standing behind them with her arms crossed.
"But...but..." The blond repeated.
"That's enough!"
Elliot groaned and stomped her foot but walked away none the less. She did her best to shoulder check Perry as she left.
"Thanks," said Perry with a sigh.
"I wasn't doing it for you," said Carla angrily. "I was doing it for Elliot and for Bambi. I don't want them to get embarrassed because of gossip. She was right though. You're a jerk. I actually thought Bambi would be good for you, and look what you did."
Perry shook his head and walked away; he couldn't stand listening to anyone anymore.
XVIIIIV
JD was trying his best to push his feelings to the back of his mind and just deal with the rest of his day, but it was obviously from the constant "Are you okay's" he was getting from nearly everyone he'd encountered that he wasn't doing as good a job as he hoped. Taking a deep breath, JD put a smile, which he hoped looked real and not as fake as it felt, and entered Caitlin Howards' room; she was reading another book while the television was on mute. He should have been happy-Caitlin was finally improving-but he couldn't get Max off his mind.
Caitlin set down her book when JD entered the room and gave him a tired smile. "Hey, JD. What's up?" She paused for a moment and studied him. "Are you okay?"
JD wanted to laugh and cry. How did everyone know?! "Um...Yeah...I'm just a little stressed."
"Drink chai tea. I think it does wonders."
JD nodded. "I'll keep that in mind." He looked at her chart. "I've got some good news for you. Your pneumonia is starting to go away, and with any luck we can get you into surgery at the end of the week. We should have you home next week."
Caitlin smiled. "I'll be home for Christmas."
JD was a little surprised; with all the stress from work, he'd practically forgotten that Christmas was coming up. "Yeah."
Caitlin looked at him. "I was starting to get scared."
"Scared? What about when you did that SkyCoaster thing?"
"That was nothing. I had a harness. This...being in the hospital...there's no harness for that." She shook her head. "I yelled at my mom the other day. I feel so bad about it now, but I was just so scared." JD could swear he saw Caitlin wipe away a tear. "She'll be so happy. I don't know what I would have done if I was on my own."
"Aren't you on your own at school though?"
Caitlin shrugged. "Yeah. I guess, but it's different. College isn't tough like these. You need people there for you when things aren't going right. It sucks to have to handle it on your own." Caitlin scoffed and shook her head. "I yelled at my mom when she was only trying to help. I apologized, and she said it was okay. Sometimes it's hard to accept help when you're upset and scared."
JD suddenly felt like an ass. "Yeah.
"Thanks." Caitlin said with a smile. "I can't wait to tell my parents."
"You're welcome," said JD. He swallowed hard when he felt a knot beginning to form in his stomach.
XVIIIIV
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter as much as I am enjoying my winter break. (I am enjoying my break a lot). There are only two chapters left.
