A/N: Classes are starting up again, and I'm working on an application to study abroad next year (plus a couple of scholarship applications to finance my journey), so I'm sorry that the chapter is a bit late. Je vous aime!

This chapter is also a bit short, mostly because I wanted to give you something, and because I have class in fifteen minutes.

Raising a Hand

By LQ Aredhel

Chapter 12

"…usually isn't afraid of getting yelled at; take it easy on him, he's injured."

"Yeah."

"What, no cocky remark? No, 'He's my Newbie and I'll do with him as I please,' today? What were you guys talking about that day, anyway? Turk said JD was pretty panicked."

"Yeah, well maybe you shouldn't listen to everything Gandhi says and ignore me when I say I can handle it, leave."

"Psh, somebody's got their panties in a bunch. No need to get so defensive." Carla's voice faded away as JD's mind caught up with his hearing and returned to consciousness. He felt groggy, but completely without pain; the start to a great day. Now, as long as Dr. Cox had left with Carla….

"Good morning, Sunshine."

No such luck.

JD frowned and pried his eyes open to his brightly lit room and the sunlight reflecting off of Dr. Cox's pristine white lab coat. He felt like he could lay there forever just staring at nothing; it was so nice not to be sick or in pain. But pushing to the front of his mind was the reminder that Dr. Cox would most likely want to talk to him about…everything.

"Since you've been incapacitated," Dr. Cox began, casually falling into the chair next to JD's bed, "your patients were divided amongst the remaining residents and a few attending, so I'm sure you'll have a great 'Welcome Home' party thanks to that." He propped his feet on the side of the bed and sighed, flipping open a chart. "This morning a patient was readmitted and asked specifically for you. Her name is Jenna Foler, age thirteen, admitted two weeks ago with a gash on her forehead and a mild concussion. The attending on call also noted bruising on her upper arms. A Dr. Dorian referred her to an on-call child psychologist when he suspected child abuse, but nothing was determined and she was released a few hours later."

JD closed his eyes, remembering specifically the hard look on the girl's face, and the tear rolling down her cheek.

"Miss Foler was admitted early this morning with a gash on the temple and three broken fingers, all of which have already been treated." He paused in his reading to look at JD. "She's fine," he grunted. For now, JD added in his head. "As are the rest of your patients except the ones we gave to Nervous Guy, if you were curious." He tossed the chart onto the table and put his feet on the floor. "Now, just out of curiosity, what gave you the idea that that patient was being abused, hm? Maybe it was your Godly-doctor powers that magically know everything about a patient's personal life. Or maybe she had signs of old and new injuries, a nervous tick perhaps. Or maybe you realized that it's just that easy to tell when some people are hiding something."

JD opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off when his mentor continued.

"And when you decided that this patient was possibly being injured on a regular basis by someone close to her, did you just figure, 'Hey, people get angry sometimes and punch something, it's just the way life is,' or did you try to get her help? As, as a doctor, what did you do? As a human being, what did you do?"

It was different with her, she's just a child.

Dr. Cox stood and began pacing the small room. "One person injuring another on a regular basis is considered abuse; in a relationship, it's domestic abuse."

JD couldn't keep quiet any longer. "We're not in a relationship," he spat, his voice rough.

The older doctor stopped and looked squarely at JD. "According to Carla, you've been there almost every night for the last week at least." JD felt his face began to burn with embarrassment and anger. Dr. Cox seemed distraught. "Are you sleeping with him?"

JD's eyes widened in terror, and he finally replied, "I'm not gay!"

Dr. Cox hesitated. "That wasn't what I asked, was it?"

Sputtering, searching frantically for an answer, JD could only look away and say, "I don't know what you're talking about, and I really don't want to be having this conversation right now."

His mentor returned to his bedside seat and told him, "Well that's really too bad, Newbie, because we're having this conversation right now."

"I mean, what do you even care!" JD ranted. "You don't give a shit about my life, my problems. Sorry to disappoint you, but digging up dirt and gossip is not part of the whole doctor-patient relationship. You said so yourself that you weren't going to ask me about it again. So, I'm sorry that some people had to take on more work because of me. But, I mean, this way you won't have to worry about following you around or not being able to read a chart because of a concussion…." His voice became softer and he stared at the ceiling. "I think I got a different job anyway, at the college where Daniel works. It will be better there."

"How will it be better?" His voice had become just as soft as JD's.

"It will be easier, I won't know anyone, just him."

They sat in silence. Through the fog of his pain medication JD felt pure need swelling up in his stomach; he wanted so badly to talk to someone about what had happened –about everything that had happened – but at the same time he knew that Dr. Cox would only mock him and use the information against him.

JD's mind wandered to Jenna; he'd wished so hard that he could help her more, but she was stubborn. His efforts obviously led to nothing if she was back in the hospital. He remembered the night after he'd spoken with her, the night he didn't go see Daniel. He'd never felt so horrible in his life during the three days that followed; his mind was always on Daniel, and all he'd wanted was some comfort….

"I just wanted someone to talk to."

When JD realized that he'd spoken, he whipped his head around to see Dr. Cox staring back at him from the chair.

The older doctor lowered his hands from his mouth to quietly reply, "After I bugged you about it three times?"

JD just shook his head and looked back at the ceiling. "You didn't care. You were just curious. You were waiting for me to screw up so that you could bite my head off, release some stress, whatever."

Dr. Cox sort of shrugged. "I didn't know."

They sat in silence for a few more minutes before Dr. Cox asked, "Did he…rape you?"

The words made JD even more angry and afraid. He set his face hard and replied, "Of course not." Leave it at that, just leave it at that. But his mentor was waiting patiently for more, and he just kept talking. "The first time I was drunk, it wasn't his fault," he explained hastily. Dr. Cox looked like he was about to throw up. God, why did I say that?

But the older doctor eventually looked back at him and asked, "And after that?"

It was gray after that. Hell, it was all gray. JD honestly didn't know how to answer. "We take care of each other, that's all. I talk to him about everything; he knows me better than anyone."

"Better than Gandhi?"

JD nodded. "Daniel is my best friend."

"And you're, what, his fuck-toy?"

JD stared at him, shocked.

"I won't allow him to be in here anymore," Dr. Cox announced, standing. "You may be just idiotic enough to not realize what's going on here, but I'm not blind, and he's not coming in here."

JD unfroze to proclaim, "But that's not fair! He's my friend!"

"Now, you listen to me," Dr. Cox began, spinning around and getting up close to JD's face, his own red with fury sending panic down JD's spine. "You're lucky I'm not calling the cops on that guy because we could probably put him away for attempted murder. Gandhi is your friend. Barbie is your friend. Carla is your friend. The guy who raped you and put you in the hospital is not your friend! Are we on the same page yet, because I actually have other patients, some of whom are actually smart enough to listen to the things I say."

He stormed out of the room, and JD started to breathe again. He should be used to seeing Dr. Cox so angry, but the way he was screaming and so close to JD's body scared the shit out of him; he kept expecting a punch to the stomach.

Why the hell had he actually talked about those things?! Now Daniel wasn't allowed in his room, probably not even in the hospital. Oh, he would be pissed, especially when he realized that Dr. Cox was the one who gave the orders. What would he do? JD closed his eyes as the ideas raced through his mind. Maybe he could get out tomorrow; all he had to do was be able to walk around a little.

Slightly encouraged by the thought, JD used his arms to prop up his upper body and tried to swing his legs over the side of the bed. After only a few seconds he was completely exhausted; there was no pain, but if he had enough pain killers in him to keep him this dysfunctional, he could only imagine how much it would hurt when they wore off.

Okay, maybe he'd rest a couple more days.

The clock on the wall outside his room told him that it was ten in the morning. Daniel said he'd be back some time during Dr. Cox's shift today, which was probably 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., so he could be there any time. God, he just wanted to see Daniel, to talk to him and tell him that he would be home soon, that he would be happy to take the job at the college; that would make his friend really happy.

JD zoned out in his bed for a while, trying to think of a way to make Daniel less angry about being banned from seeing him. Turk stopped by to visit around noon, and he was carrying gifts.

"It must really suck to be all cooped up in here all day, so I brought some entertainment," Turk explained excitedly; he seemed perfectly fine with the fact that his best friend was stuck in a bed and forced to interact with him.

He brought in Rowdy and sat him awkwardly in the chair next to JD's bed. "Here's someone to talk to." He then put a flat, metal and glass disc onto the bedside table and crawled around on the floor until he found an outlet. "And here's something that can talk back."

"Talk back?" JD asked curiously, intrigued at his friend's gift.

Turk clicked a switch on the side of the disc and emphasized each word when he said, "In. Fact. It. Loves. When. You. Talk." Much to JD's amusement, the disc lit up at each word.

"Wow," JD commented, grinning widely when the disc lit up at his voice. "It. Likes. Noise?" He giggled lightly.

Turk nodded. "Yup, just turn it off when you want to sleep so that it doesn't flash and wake you up every time someone opens the door."

"Trust me, with the pain killers they've got me on, I won't notice a thing." The little device flashed blue as he spoke, filling his heart with joy. "What a great present."

"I also brought…." Turk fished around in his coat pocket for a moment before pulling out a small paper bag. "Goldfish. 'Cuz they smile at you."

JD grinned and laughed out loud. "Turk, this is awesome. This is like, the best hospital stay I've ever had."

"Hey, just trying to keep my boy happy," Turk shrugged, patting JD on the shoulder. "And I would totally stay and hang out with you, but my shift started ten minutes ago."

"Yeah, sure man, go."

Turk gave him a big smile and flew out of the room.

JD turned to look at Rowdy and the glass disc, clutching the bag of Goldfish in one hand. "Hi," he greeted Rowdy, smiling when the disc flashed blue. He opened the bag and munched on the Goldfish crackers for a while, feeling oddly at peace.