Authors Note:
I want to apologize to everyone who started following and reviewing. It's amazing that people actually liked it enough to want to read more. Work wise, I'm a production coordinator for television shows, and things got a little crazy. I had some busy workloads and severe writers block. But know that I'm back in, and working on the next chapters now so I can update more frequently. And I never stop reading fanfiction on my subway commute! I'm a huge fan.
Doctor Cox turned to her. "I said you need to go!"
Barbara stood shell shocked, open hands turning into fists. She glanced at her son quickly, before making a swing at Doctor Cox. "How dare you treat my son and I this way? How dare you try and take him from me. He's my son, do you hear me? He's my son!" Her face started turning red, body language becoming irate. "You have no right to keep him from me!"
Cox had been ready for her wild behaviour. This wasn't new to him. Not only had he been a doctor a long time, but his parents weren't the best parents either. He didn't say anything as she tried to hit him. As much as he really would've liked to slug her one, he didn't want to be thrown out of the hospital. He needed to be there for Newbie, to at least protect him from this psychotic woman.
Carla turned to see Barbara madly swinging towards Dr. Cox. Thinking quickly she ran to the doorframe and called for security, although the noise must've been loud enough that she could see they were already on their way. Moving aside so they could do their job, they promptly put JD's mom in handcuffs and escorted her out of the room. Carla glanced at Dr. Cox and stormed out of the room, yelling some sort of Spanish at Nurse Carter.
A small smile crept across Dr Cox's face. Carla was going to tear her a new one, and he was so glad it didn't have to be him to do it. He turned to face JD and could see the poor kid refusing to close his eyes. He felt bad for him. The painkillers would be kicked in for sure, but they wouldn't be able to give him anymore sedatives due to the high risk of head injury.
"Isshegone." JD slurred. His eyes closing for longer and longer amounts of time. His hair was matted to his face. Covered in a sheen of sweat.
"Yeah JD, she's gone".
JD tried to turn his head. When that proved too difficult, he just move the direction of his eyes. "Youcalled….meJD". His breathing was becoming a little more laboured. Think JD, your mom was here but she's gone now, you're fine.
Cox replied while slipping an oxygen mask over JD's face. "It's no secret Diana. That is your name." Pulling up a chair, he sat down next to the bed, now out of JD's line of sight. "Now please, if one of us promises to sit right here, will you fall asleep?" He picked up JD's chart to take some notes.
"Itsnicetoseeyou….finallybenicetome" JD nodded on and off for a couple moments, before finally decided, that enough is enough.
When Dan woke up his room was quiet. Visiting hours must be over I guess – I feel like I've lost all track of time in here. Is this how doctors feel all the time? He was startled out of his daydreaming when Carla opened the door, and boy did she look mad.
"Hey favorite lady, how goes it?"
Carla closed the door and came down to sit at the edge of the bed "I need to talk to you Dan." Her eyes came up to meet his.
"JD? Is he okay?" A look of concern written across his face.
"No no, it's nothing like that. JD's fine Dan. He has a fever, we've had to put him back in ICU for a little while, and you won't be able to go see him like we said." She could feel Dan tense at her words. "We've loaded him full of antibiotics. Listen" she stood up and pulled the chair closer to his bedside taking his hand "I found your mom in JD's room. She knows he's here now, and quite honestly I didn't even know it was a secret. She was arrested and thrown out by security for trying to beat up Dr. Cox. She won't be allowed back in." She rubbed the back of his hand with her thumb as he turned away. "I need you to tell me everything Dan. I need you to tell me what happened."
Dan turned back to face her and wanted to throw up.
It was at least several hours later before JD woke up again. It must've been the middle of the night. The lights in his room had been dimmed slightly. He hadn't had the chance to view the hospital from this point of view many times, but he sure didn't want to this time. The pain in his limbs was almost unbearable and he let out of small whimper of pain.
Dr. Cox shot awake. Quickly rubbing his hands across his face. Hopefully wiping away the tiredness he'd built up over the uncomfortable hours of coffee and chair sleep.
"Hey kid, you've been out for quite some time now." Dr. Cox came into his tunnel vision. "I'm going to get rid of this neck brace now if you promise not to move around. Now's not the time for you to decide to play hopscotch."
JD flinched as he felt Dr. Cox's hands around his neck. "Mom?" His voice sounded stressed and overworked. He could feel what felt like a cool washcloth on his forehead.
"Security let her go, she's not allowed back in the hospital."
He closed his eyes briefly feeling the cool air hit his neck. Then his eyes shot open, heart monitor going wild. "Dan? What about Dan? Where is he?" Forgetting the previous statement he tried to sit up, the pain worsening as he moved his protesting limbs.
"What did I just say?" He forced JD back down into laying position, trying to be as gentle as he could through all the stiches and bandages. "Dan is fine. He's awake, and in a day or so we'll bring him to you. If you haven't noticed yet Newbie, you're in the ICU. I won't be able to get him in here in his condition. You're running a fever and you have a cocktail of antibiotics running through you. We're trying to prevent infection."
JD closed his eyes. "Do you think I could get something for the pain?"
"Scale of 1 to 10?" As he pulled a needle from his lab coat.
"15". Even talking was taking too much out of him.
Pushing the needles fluids into the IV line slowly, he used his free hand to check JD's temperature. "It's a bit cooler there kid. Another couple hours or so and stay stable and you'll be in the clear."
JD's eyes were half closed, biting his lower lip to prevent from screaming.
"Are you even listening to me Newbie?" Dr. Cox looked at him concerned. He pulled out a penlight and flashed each one of JD's eyes. Reaction time is good. Face and head swelling is normal. He grabbed the water and straw from the bedside "Drink."
"No. Hurts." His muscles tightened causing a spasm in his shoulder and jaw line. He moaned in agony. "I can't Dr. Cox." Tears were building up in the corners of his eyes and yet he did as he was told and took a sip of water, before immediately throwing up from the pain. Cox grabbed a basin and slightly turned him on his side, wiping his face and blankets off with a cloth. He'd get them switched out shortly once JD was asleep.
Dry heaving was about the best JD could manage after the stomach bile came up. He would've been slightly embarrassed from crying and shaking if it wasn't for all the pain. It was like he could feel every fracture and stitch being ripped open.
Feeling pity for the kid he took his hand and squeezed. "Just give it a minute okay, it'll pass. Just breathe and it'll pass." He watched as his protégé slowly fell back asleep, and the drugs coursed through his system. Hair matted to his face, blue eyes lay still behind their lids. IV lines and catheters, heart monitors and additional oxygen through a nasal cannula. He looked away, it wasn't supposed to be this way.
Once JD had fallen back into a deep sleep, Dr. Cox made another note on the chart and settled back down in his chair. He'd handed the majority of patients off his to residents, and wasn't taking on any new ones. Kelso had already approved a short term absence from work. Beeper on the side table, he propped his legs up on Newbie's bed as he tried to get just a couple more hours of shut eye.
Carla sat silent in Dan's room. He'd fallen asleep ages ago after a fit of tears. She couldn't believe she didn't know. All those years, the agony, and the fear. It's a wonder the kid could even make it through medical school with those memories eating away at him.
She finally stood up and silently crept from the room, shutting off the light and closing the door behind her. Finding Turk at the nurse's desk she squeezed him into a tight hug.
"Baby?" He pushed her away just enough to be able to look her in the eyes.
"I'm okay." She wiped her eyes. "Really. I'm fine." She stepped away. "Have you seen JD?"
"Not in the last couple hours. Dr. Cox is still in there though. Rumor has it he hasn't come out at all." Turk squeezed her again as his pager went off. He looked down at it. "I managed to get tomorrow off. But the Todd couldn't cover me today. I gotta go. We'll talk after."
Carla just nodded and went to grab her coat from the locker room. Go home, take a shower, sleep. She turned back to wave at Laverne as she left, and she could've sworn she saw her do a silent prayer to Jesus.
Soft daylight was streaming in through the windows. The washcloth was gone and he was actually feeling a little too warm underneath the blankets. There was a foggy haze from the drugs, but he could make sense of most things. "Dr. Cox?"
"Hmm?" He huffed from behind his medical book.
"What time is it?" He strained to try and look at the clock but his vision was a little blurry.
"It's about 8am Delilah."
"Oh." He leaned back and stifled a groan.
"Pain still at a 15 sleeping beauty?" Dr. Cox eyed him.
JD signed. "No. More like a 7 now." He turned his stiff neck towards his friend, he knew better than to ask if he'd been here all night, but by the coffee cup on the nightstand and the tired bags under Dr. Cox's eyes.
"So…"
Dr. Cox put his book entirely down now.
