A/N: Oooooh, sooooo sorry about the empty chapter; I uploaded the wrong file. :( This is the right one!

Fun Fact: LQ stands for Loth Quendi

Raising a Hand

By LQ Aredhel

Chapter 13

JD felt that familiar stab of panic shoot through his stomach when he felt hands moving up his chest. His eyes snapped open, pain killers quickly seeping from his body leaving him entirely lucid. Daniel was straddling him on the bed and slowly pulling the blanket down, touching JD's body through the hospital gown along the way.

"Daniel?" JD muttered; he was sure that Dr. Cox wouldn't have allowed him inside the room. It was dark, probably the middle of the night, but whoever was on-call should have gotten strict orders from Dr. Cox. "What are you doing here?"

Daniel slowly kissed his way down JD's jaw and neck, letting his hands move further down, under the blanket. "I wanted to visit you. I missed you." When his hands reached the edge of the gown, he quickly yanked it up.

"Woah, woah!" JD cried, trying desperately to push his gown back down. "What are you doing!? We're in a public place, we can't be doing thi—"

Daniel backhanded him across the face, something he seemed to be forming a habit of lately, and pinned JD's hands up above his head. JD cried out as pain shot through his ribcage, but Daniel ignored; instead he roughly lifted JD's left leg, practically lifting his entire body off of the bed. JD's panic spiked when he realized what was happening. His thoughts ran frantic: I'm not even drunk, we're in the hospital, anyone could see us, I'm not ready, why won't he stop!

Suddenly Daniel was naked, preparing to enter him...

JD screamed out loud, sitting up quickly and causing distant pain to rock through his ribcage. Someone was beside him, touching his shoulders, trying to hold him down but he resisted and pulled away, ignoring the pain that the movement caused.

"JD, calm down!"

The hands were freezing and the voice was sharp and high. Elliot.

JD relaxed almost instantly when he realized who it was, sinking back onto the hard bed and wincing as his sporadic breathing irritated his aching chest.

"Elliot?" he whispered, finally daring to open his eyes. His blond, neurotic friend was leaning over the bed, obviously terrified.

"Oh my God, you were thrashing and yelling and I didn't know if something was wrong or if you were just having a dream but you really freaked me out, JD!" she squealed, falling into the visitor's chair.

JD breathed for a moment. "It was a dream," he admitted, barely able to separate his current situation with that of the nightmare. It was because of he knew; hearing it said out loud that what Daniel did actually was rape...JD accidentally started thinking of it that way, too.

Elliot was saying something. JD didn't even try to hear her; he was focusing on clearing his head, trying to make the panic and fear of the dream go away before he did something stupid, said something stupid.

It wasn't rape, that's ridiculous, it's no big deal, he cares about me...He repeated the words over and over again randomly in his head until he'd calmed down enough to hear that Elliot was complaining about Dr. Cox.

"...completely switched my schedule around, and probably Carla's too, so that someone could be here at all times to look after you. I mean, it's a nice sentiment coming from someone who is supposed to hate your guts or whatever, but what does he expect is going to happen? You're almost healed. You can probably get out of here within the next couple of days. Plus, he keeps making up random rules like no one being able to visit you unless he's on-call, and now he's decided that the guy who pretty much saved your life isn't allowed to visit you anymore. I mean, come on, he's getting a little possessive if you ask me."

JD breathed slowly and asked, "Did he mention why?"

"Why the guy isn't allowed to see you?" She shrugged, now completely relaxed in her chair. "He just said that no one knows anything about him, and that he's a security risk, which is total bull; he just wants complete control over the whole situation. It's driving me crazy working all of these nights. I don't have a social life anymore, JD!" she whined. "I mean, I have to go into work every day at nine at night; do you have any idea how annoying that is?"

"Sorry," JD told her. He wasn't really; he couldn't work up the energy to feel bad that she had weird work hours because of him. His mind was completely torn between anger that Dr. Cox would try to control his life this way and fear at his dream and what would happen the next time he and Daniel were together...no, Daniel knew that he needed alcohol before they did anything. He would never betray him like that. The idea of it was terrifying.

Elliot stayed in his room chatting amiably (which JD remained mostly silent) for the last hour of her shift. JD saw her talking with Dr. Cox after she left his room; the older doctor did not appear to be in high spirits, and JD thanked his lucky stars when he merely glared at him and did not enter his room.

Turk didn't work that day, but he wheeled in a cart with a television and DVD player around 10 a.m. and they watched several hours of Good Times, sometimes laughing hard enough to make JD's ribs scream in pain. There were happy tears streaming down his cheeks when an alarmed nurse came in to check on him and he found out, to his disappointment, that he had been taken off of morphine earlier that morning. The nurse gave him some strong pills and suggested that Turk cut his visit short.

JD laughed painfully as she left the room. "Man, I feel like my chest is going to cave in, but it was worth it."

His friend looked down at him fondly. "I'm glad," he replied. He packed up the DVD's and was just giving Rowdy a bear-hug goodbye when when yelling from the hall caught the attention of both men.

Through the window, JD could see Dr. Cox – red-faced and glaring –being yelled at by an equally angry-looking Daniel. JD felt as though time slowed; there was a ringing in his ears and his whole body flashed with heat. He knew that Daniel would be pissed about not being able to see him until he got out, but he never thought that he would be in the middle of the hospital screaming down the hall...who knows what? Daniel could be saying anything, revealing anything to get him into the room.

JD's mind returned to real-time when Daniel shoved Dr. Cox, causing him to unfold his arms and take an angry step forward. Turk was looking at JD oddly; he asked him a question, but JD barely heard it. He stood, his mind not registering the shocking pain running through his body, and walked to the door. Turk tried to stop him, confused, without touching him, but JD left the room just as Dr. Cox threw a punch to Daniel's jaw.

Daniel went flying, slamming into the wall and shooting back up to rejoin the fight. A small crowd of staff members had gathered around the two, including Dr. Kelso who was demanding that Dr. Cox desist in his erratic behavior. Neither man took any notice of it.

"Daniel," JD said, finally catching their attention. JD winced when Daniel's eyes met his, images of his nightmare attacking his mind once again. "Daniel stop. What are you doing?"

"I'm doing what I should have done a long time ago," Daniel proclaimed, his jaw dripping blood. "I'm taking care of the asshole that keeps coming in between us, because you obviously can't deal with it on your own!"

"Don't you fucking talk to him." Dr. Cox's voice was dark and quiet. JD couldn't believe what was happening. He looked around at the crowd; they were all looking at him, some with curiosity, others with disdain or disgust.

"What did you say?" JD demanded, stepping toward Daniel and in-between the two men. "What did you say to them? Outloud? In the middle of everyone?" He couldn't believe that he was talking to Daniel this way, but he couldn't stop himself from feeling cold and angry at the idea that everyone knew.

"Newbie, get back in your room," Dr. Cox demanded from behind him. Daniel just looked at him with anger and hatred and a little pity.

"I've called security, so break it up you ingrates!" Dr. Kelso called out. No one moved.

Finally, JD heard Dr. Cox take a step back. "You won't touch him while he's under my care," he said quietly, his voice stiff with anger.

But the same emotion flashed through Daniel's eyes as he took a step forward, fist swinging, and JD closed his eyes and stepped back with him, allowing Daniel's knuckles to aim for and hit his own cheek, knocking him back against Dr. Cox.

JD blacked out for several moments, then groggily opened his eyes to see two large security officers escorting Daniel down the hallway. There were large arms around his chest, holding him a little too tightly. A hand suddenly entered his vision and he flinched away from it, closing his eyes and waiting for another hit to come. Then Turk was looking down at him, confused and concerned, and the strong arms started to make his ribs ache so he groaned and tried to remove the arms, but they were too tight around him and he couldn't lift his own arms. Flashes of the nightmare sent shockwaves of panic through him; he began to hyperventilate, tried to get up, even after the arms went away and nurses swarmed around him, hands on him, lifting him onto a gurney. He finally passed out.

JD awoke several hours later. His groggy mind semi-cleared, he slowly recalled the events of the fight and felt his face blanch at the idea of everyone knowing about his relationship, everyone witnessing him being hit like that, passing out like that... If only he could go to Daniel now; they could help one another, comfort one another, talk until everything was out in the open and there is no more to be said...that was all he wanted.

After taking a few deep breaths, JD slowly sat up, pleased when he was able to manage the pain that racked through his chest; the pills must have been working. He moved his legs to the side of the bed and carefully slid to the edge. And then he stood. There was pain, yes, a lot of pain coursing through him as he stood beside his hospital bed. But he would ignore it if it meant going home to Daniel and forgetting about this place forever. He took a step, and then another. As he stood, regaining his breath, the door to the room opened and closed, and the lock clicked.

"That wasn't too smart back there, Priscilla. Getting in the middle of a fight between two men." Dr. Cox stood by the door, chart under his folded arms, and stared at JD. "But then you never were too bright."

"I'm leaving," JD told him.

Dr. Cox shook his head. "No." He moved into the room, placing the chart at the end of the bed.

"I can stand up. I can walk." He held his arms out at his sides in proof. "There's no reason for me to stay here any longer. I'm leaving."

His former-mentor didn't dispute him this time. "Your boyfriend is at the police station right now." JD stilled, waiting for more without looking at Dr. Cox. "Causing a disturbance in a public place, attacking a physician and assaulting a patient. He'll probably be in for a couple of days until he can post bail. Unless you press charges for the assault. But that's not going to happen is it?"

JD felt his heart sink; Daniel wouldn't be at home, and when he did come home he wouldn't be happy.

"You'd might as well stay here for a few more days, Newbie," Dr. Cox continued, his voice becoming softer. "Spend time with your friends and co-workers. They can help you through this."

JD scoffed. "I don't need help with anything. Certainly nothing that they can help me with."

"Right, because during the last few days you've just been peachy keen even without that girlfriend of yours bringing gifts and giggling with you." He gestured toward the disc on the nightstand, and JD wondered momentarily why it wasn't lighting up. Nurse must have turned it off.The thought made him sad before he gathered his resolve and turned toward the older man.

"You don't get it yet, do you?" he demanded. "I don't care about them anymore. I don't care about you." The words made even his blood run cold, but Dr. Cox just looked at him evenly. "I just want to talk to Daniel. I just want to go home!

"Can't you see that you've ruined everything? It was fine until you started pushing him away from me! I could have seen him every day, and left the hospital with him, and gone home with him! And everything would have been fine if you hadn't screwed it all up!"

Dr. Cox gave him a sad smile. "You can't blame this on me, Newbie."

JD was becoming more frantic; he sat on the edge of the bed to calm himself. "You're right, it's my fault. I'm the one who couldn't keep my mouth shut, couldn't go one day without talking to someone about it, even when he was visiting me all the time. God, I'm such an idiot." He put his head in his hands, ignoring his ribs protesting the position.

"Lay back down, JD."

Dr. Cox had moved to stand in front of him. He was surprised to hear his name coming from that mouth, but it wasn't enough to make him look up or obey.

"Lay back down," Dr. Cox repeated, making no move to force the issue, "and stay another day or two. Spend time with Gandhi and Barbie and Carla. Just...forget about him for a while, then see what happens."

His voice was pleading; he was practically begging in a quiet way. JD finally looked up to see a face of stone looking back at him.

"I don't owe you any favors," JD reminded him, as if he didn't already know.

Dr. Cox's mask never flickered. "I know. Maybe you owe him." He jerked his head and JD turned to see Turk standing outside of his window at the nurse's station; he was leaning against the counter, sending worried glances back at the room every few moments. JD quickly looked away.

"Maybe you owe the doctor who's been sitting next to your bed every chance she gets while you're sleeping at night. Or the nurse who's been visiting all of your patients every day to reassure them that they don't have to worry because you'll be back soon."

His friends actually still cared about him; JD shut his eyes tightly when they began to well up with tears. "I don't know what to do," he muttered to himself. He wanted so badly to go home, to get away from them all. But for the first time in weeks he also wanted to return to his normal life. He loved the time he'd spent with Turk the last few days; that was how it used to be.

"Just stay a few more days."

JD nodded before another thought occurred to him. "They all know," he realized aloud, horrified.

"No," Dr. Cox assured him, understanding exactly what JD was getting at. "Rumors are spreading; no one believes them. He was vague."

JD looked up into Dr. Cox's eyes. "I can leave when he gets out of jail?"

Dr. Cox swallowed thickly; he looked like he wanted to punch something. Then he nodded.