A COMPASSIONATE HEART AT SACRED HEART
PART TWO
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN "SCRUBS" OR THE
CHARACTERS.
SEASON THREE
MY CATALYST
JD:
There was excitement in the air at sacred heart today because we were getting a new visiting doctor named Kevin Casey. He was both a medical attending and a surgeon making him a super doc…with obsessive compulsive disorder. Turk, Carla, Elliott, and I were in the front lobby of the hospital as Dr. Casey arrived. He walked back in and out a few times then gave us a friendly smile as he asked, "Hello everyone I'm Dr. Kevin Casey I look forward to getting to all of you during my month here. Who are all of you"? Turk told him, "Chris Turk I heard you're one of the fastest surgeons around. You should know I just beat the Todd's record".
Dr. Casey smiled, "Well I have no idea who Todd is but good for you". Carla smiled, "I am the head nurse Carla, and this is Dr. JD Dorian. I smiled and told Kevin, "It is nice to meet you we have all heard good things about you". That was when Dr. Cox joined us as he told Kevin, "Dr. Kevin Casey? I have not seen you since we were residents together. Are you able to shake hands now"? Kevin answered, "Years of therapy and now I can properly greet you big guy". As Dr. Casey and Dr. Cox shook hands Dr. Casey added, "I have a three seconds limit". Dr. Cox replied, "Who doesn't? I can tell you what though, I always knew I'll see you again".
COX:
Well, I never thought it would happen that I would cross paths with Kevin Casey again as I told JD as we walked together to go check on a patient, "Well I never thought I would see that guy again. He had to drop out of a residency class because of the awful severity of his condition". JD told me, "Dr. Cox I would love to take you out for beer tonight and you can tell me all about your time as a resident. I want to hear what my mentor was like as a newbie". Newbie then went into his daydream land most likely imagining a younger me as a resident.
Bless my newbie and how his candy bracelets loving mind works as he snapped out of a daydream to ask me, "Was the long hair and earring because you loved pirates"? Fighting a smile, I teased, "Tell me Newbie in your little Lalaland does every pirate get to have a pet unicorn because…oh dear God you are picturing it aren't you? Try to focus would you". Again, JD snapped out of a daydream and answered, "Yes sir".
JD now asked me, "So Dr. Cox I was hoping for some advice. I am always second guessing myself when it comes to autoimmune diseases". Always a believer in trial by fire I advised newbie, "Then what you need to do is get your hands on every autoimmune case you can until you built your confidence. That is what I did when I was a resident and had trouble with metabolic diseases. I got my hands on every case I could until I had it down pact". JD gave me a thankful nod, "Got it…did you really have trouble with metabolic diseases"? I teased, "No…I'm a good doctor".
TURK:
I was excited to be doing surgery with Dr. Casey as I found him in the doctor's lounge practicing some type of hand exercise with a quarter. "What are you doing"? I asked him. He answered, "It's a hand exercise to help improve dexterity". I told him, "So we are doing an appendectomy together this afternoon". Dr. Casey nodded, "I will see you at four". I already knew he had a reputation as a good and fast surgeon but during the appendectomy Dr. Casey would prove his reputation as he finished in record time and teased, "I think the words you're looking for is holy crap".
I could only agree as I repeated to myself, "holy crap". Dr. Wen who had earlier before Dr. Casey's arrival praised me for beating the Todd's record now gave me a teasing smile. He then agreed, "He is way out of our league".
JD:
At rounds Dr. Cox surprised me and the other residents with both Dr. Casey joining us to go over rounds and an idea. Dr. Cox gave his whistle of "I summon thee" like a pirate captain gathering his crew…ok seriously what is with me and pirates today? Dr. Cox gave a sly smile, "As you all see we have Dr. Kevin Casey joining us today. I want you to all to give him the respect he deserves. I was thinking with Dr. Casey joining us today instead of me firing questions at you get to ask us the questions". He turned to Dr. Kevin Casey, "What do you say"? Kevin gave a pretend big yawn, "Is your speech over". He then playfully told Cox, "I am just kidding you frighting bastard".
Dr. Cox now playfully told Kevin, "And don't forget it". He then turned to us residents with, "Go get your books"! We did so and as we took turns asking Dr. Cox and Dr. Casey questions it became a competition between Cox and Kevin as they have both yet to give a wrong answer. Cox told Doug the only resident truly afraid of him because he was afraid of everything, "Nervous Guy I don't care how much your mousey voice squeaks give me the next question". Doug cleared his throat and asked a question Cox of course got right.
Kevin now told Dr. Cox, "I don't want to sound like a child about this, but I have to 'make' and for me that involves going home to use my own bathroom after scrubbing it down. So, let's just call this a tie". Dr. Cox shook his head, "No ties are for sissies, speaking of which Newbie you have been uncharacteristically quiet. Let's hear it". I don't know why it came to me but as I remembered asking Dr. Cox, "Did you really have trouble with metabolic diseases and his reply of "No…I'm a good doctor" I could not help myself as I now told him, "Dr. Cox my question is about metabolic diseases".
The look on Dr. Cox's face as I asked him my question was like he was torn between, "Oh you are so going to regret this" and proud of me for maybe showing him that just maybe I am not a sissy. Dr. Cox started, "Rule of the game is that if I am somehow not able to answer a question and Dr. Casey is also not able to answer…" but Dr. Casey cut him off with the right answer. Kevin now said (After giving the right answer to the question I asked Dr. Cox), "Listen this has been fun, but I really need to go. I will see all of you later".
Later that afternoon Dr. Casey walked up to me and surprised me with, "Hey JD would you like to go out with me for drinks tonight". I smiled in gratitude as I answered, "Sure that would be great". I now wondered if maybe Dr. Casey might turn out to be the mentor that I always wished Dr. Cox would be. I shook my head at the thought remembering Turk's good advice that I had to be careful with how I can be prone to hero worship.
That night as I had some beer with Kevin, I told him, "You know I am always trying to get Dr. Cox to go out for beer with me, but he always says no". Kevin told me, "Don't worry about him. You don't want to be one of those residents who needs a pat on the back to know you're doing a good job any way". I replied, "Yeah…yeah you're right". Even though I could see where Kevin was coming from his words still shook me. It was like when I was eight and my brother Dan teased me for still playing with my teddy bear…you were a good friend Charlie Cuddles.
The next morning, I could see that like me Turk and Dr. Cox did not get any sleep the night before as Dr. Cox snapped at me, "Look at me and die" and Turk shook his head with a "Maybe I don't need things like silly hand exercises to be the best surgeon". So, it seems Dr. Casey had thrown all three of us for a loop and didn't even realized he had done it as he walked in with a friendly, "Good morning gang". At our mumbled responses Dr. Casey raised an eyebrow, "Ok all three of you look like you have been told all of your birthdays and holidays have been canceled. Is someone giving you a hard time because I'll tell them what is what".
Seeing Ted who looked like Dr. Kelso was seeing if he could make Ted go to the roof by lunchtime walking by, I pointed to Ted and told Kevin, "We're upset that the chief of medicine is always giving Ted a hard time. He's a lawyer but Dr. Kelso treats him like a dog…and his dog like a lawyer". Ted nodded, "Baxter is always stealing my chair when Kelso brings him to work". Kevin shook his head in sympathy.
Well as the day went on it seemed that Turk, Dr. Cox and I had an unspoken agreement of what to do: Confront Kevin Casey…only nobody knew where he was. It was now evening but before I would clock out, I went and found Kevin washing his hands in a room next to the OR. I walked in, "Kevin can I talk to you". He replied, "I'm a little busy right now can it wait". I would have normally said of course it can wait and ask him if he was alright, I could hear Dr. Cox mocking his "newbie" in my head and found myself saying, "No I need to talk to you right now".
Kevin now took us both by surprise as he threw soap across the room as he yelled, "DAMN IT". I now gave a startled, "Or later is good too". Kevin gave me an apologetic look, "Sorry it is not you. This is just a weak moment. I been spending the last few days meeting new people and trying to get used to this place. I'm tired and I'm fried, and I just want to go home but here is the kicker even though my last surgery was two hours ago I still can't stop washing my hands. This is just a weak moment nobody is supposed to see this". I nodded in understanding. He told me, "We all have our burdens JD, and I won't be one of those people who lay mine on others. So, what did you need"?
I answered feeling both empathy for Dr. Casey as people needed to understand that a condition like obsessive compulsive disorder is never what someone would choose and guilt, "Oh nothing I think I know now. Good night Dr. Casey". He nodded, "Good night JD and don't worry about the soap I'll clean it up…probably serval thousand times". Turk and Dr. Cox would also both come to talk to Kevin as they also both changed their minds and we realized that none of us needed anything. I think owning your burdens is half the battle.
SEASON FOUR
MY UNICORN
DR. COX:
I suppose it should really come as no surprise to me that my newbie went and got to involved in his need to help people as he came to me about finding a kidney doner for his patient Mr. Parker. Mr. Parker was a charismatic guy who was charming everyone as he played songs on his guitar. Newbie came up to me with a smile, "Dr. Cox good news! Mr. Parker told me he has no family, but I found out he has a grown son who could be a match for a kidney". I sighed, "There are things people keep private for a reason like they have a son or that they keep a journal with a unicorn on the cover". JD replied, "He is not a unicorn he is a horse with a sword, and he uses it to guard my hopes and dreams".
I now told him, "Newbie the best way to guard your hopes and dreams is to avoid people as much as possible because no matter much the staff head shrinker Dr. Molly Clock may claim otherwise people are not candy with a creamy center they are teeth breaking candy canes somehow still around in February bastards with bastard filling". JD raised an eyebrow, "Dr. Cox I know people can be bastards, but I will always believe there is more kindness than cruelty if you just know where to look". I secretly envied the kid's optimism but still told him, "Good luck with that newbs just promise me you won't get too involved".
JD:
After getting more involved I found that Mr. Parker's son Murrey was a pilot at a very small airport. I found him in the hanger where he was sitting at a control panel and watching a kitchen T.V set. He told me about the show he was watching, "I can tell you one thing about 'wings' they really got it right". I told him about his dad, and he came with me to the hospital where we started rehearsing the song, I wanted to sing to Dr. Cox.
Murrey asked, "Why the song again"? I answered, "Because Dr. Cox told me not to find you, but I defied him and now I want to rub his face in it remember as you hide behind the counter I will sing to Cox: 'I was right you were wrong. I found his son I found his son' then you come up and sing, 'It's me'". Murrey agreed but Dr. Cox just smirked as Murrey came out with his, "It's me" too soon. I sighed, "Darn it Murrey we rehearsed this".
We went to Mr. Parker's room and Murrey told him, "Listen Dad if you need a kidney, I want you to know you can have mine". I told Dr. Cox, "See I knew he'll do the right thing". Then Murrey had to go and add like a joke but a joke that comes from bitterness, "For 70,000 dollars". Dr. Cox now gave a wide grin, "I love this moment so much I wonder if Jordon will let me have sex with it".
After that I confronted Murrey as we walked down the hall, "So what is your problem with your father". He told me, "Well to start with he named me Murrey that is an old man name. You don't know what it's like growing up with him as a father. When ever I'm around the guy I'm invisible". I told Murrey, "So your Dad is charming and can sing like a young Joan Boaz, but he is still your father, your flesh and blood and if you don't take this chance to help him then you will always wonder what could have happened if you did". I now thought as I could see Murrey was thinking it over, "Make the flesh and blood argument again but in a different way" as I reminded Murrey, "Blood and flesh". Murrey nodded, "I'll do it".
So, after lunch it looked like Mr. Parker would get the kidney he needed and Murrey might make peace with his dad. That was until Dr. Cox walked up to me in the halls with some news. He gave me a teasing smile, "Good news newbie Murrey is a match to give Mr. Parker a kidney but guess what the test showed Mr. Parker is not Murry's biological father". His teasing smiled now widened, "By the way I now love this moment so much I would cheat on that other moment from before marry this moment and start a family of little, tiny moments". Once Murrey was told he was not Mr. Parker biological son he was ready to leave with a "What! I'm out of here".
DR. COX:
After Murry left the hospital and JD of course went after him to convince him to come back to the hospital and give Mr. Parker an ever- loving kidney already I said with Mr. Parker to keep him company. I asked him about Murrey, "You know he's not yours right". He nodded, "Yeah I kind of figured when his mother was five months pregnant with him when I met her after his real dad turned tail and ran at the word baby". Mr. Parker now told me, "He's a good son but we never understood each other. I knew he felt overlooked at times, but I never thought he resented me this much".
Thinking of my newbie I told Mr. Parker, "I know what you mean I have this kid who is a very good kid, but he goes and gets defensive just because I yell at him or tell him the training bra is going to have to come off soon". Offering me his guitar Mr. Parker asked me, "Do you want to sing a song about him". Fighting a smile as I could imagine a song about JD's goofy and playful appletini drinking and unicorn loving personality I answered, "No…not ever". I then left the room to check on other patients.
I soon found JD's had returned with Murrey who had decided to do the right thing and give a kidney standing in front of Mr. Parker's room. I told Murrey, "Listen no matter what you think of that guy in there he always knew he wasn't your father and he stayed in the game anyway. So, get your selfish butt in there". Murrey replied with a simple, "Ok". As he went in with, "So Dad…I have this kidney I'm not using if you want it". "Are you sure", asked his fake real dad". Murrey smiled, "I am sure". Mr. Parker asked, "You know I love you right". Murrey smiled, "I know. I love you too Dad".
After all that was settled Newbie surprised me as he joined me at the nurses station and told me, "Dr. Cox I understand as a teacher you believe in trail by fire but that doesn't mean you don't care. So, I guess I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for the overall attack on my self-esteem". "My pleasure", I told him thankful to see that JD understood. Of course, JD would walk away in silly slow motion as a joke that he started earlier with his friend Turk who did not care when I called him Gandhi the same way JD was not bothered when I called him Newbie because the two best friends seemed to understand that I may be a jerk, but I am a jerk who believes in them.