Hi all, I'm trying to add a little lightheartedness to my fic to balance it out and keep it true to the show, so I hope you don't mind or think it's inappropriate:-) Thanks to my reviewers and I'm really sorry it took so long for me to update. This is a really long chapter though, so hopefully it will make up for that.
R&R
Author:MorganaJeffries(Callie)
Rating:PG13ish (for now)
Characters:Most of the Scrubs Crew
Genre:A little of everything, but mostly drama, angst, and horror
Summary: The gang venture off on a vacation together that takes a drastic turn for the worse.
My Vacation From Hell
CH4
"I swear the last time I checked he was perfectly fine... well not perfectly fine, because he does have the whole abdominal injury, but definitely not like "this". And that was right before I went to help Jordan go..."Keith prattled off in his own defense to the others , who were either standing, or kneeling down in Perry's case, in front of the couch the still to awaken JD, occupied.
"Listen, I told you not to leave them alone and by them, I meant, count my fingers here, 2 people, the plural of one. 1 +1 2 which is more than one, so... to summarize... Not. Just. Jordan, but JD too..you... you incompetent idiot."Perry cut the young intern off mid-sentence after rising from where he was knelt, now jabbing a finger at him angrily.
"But he said it was okay to go, and we were only gone for a couple of minutes..."Keith continued trying to explain his actions to Perry.
"But, but, but," Perry mocked him before continuing on with," I don't care what he told you because in case you didn't notice..."
"Oh why don't you get over yourself already Perry."Jordan in turn interrupted his little tirade, knowing that it, if allowed to go further, would most likely develop into something much worse. " If you need to have someone to blame, then blame me. I'm the one who insisted that Cody here help me."
"Keith."said person, corrected her timidly.
"Keith, Cody, who cares. " she said crossly with a dismissive wave of her hand before jumping right back in where she'd left off." Frankly Perry, I really just didn't want to piss on the couch, but... had I known it would result in all this crap of you trying to put the whole fault on Cole's shoulders, then I would have gladly soiled the furniture upholstery in the house we frickin BROKE INTO!"
"It's Keith."he mumbled. Then, now worried once more about the whole "going to jail thing, added to Carla"I thought you said it wasn't considered breaking in if the door was open, because if it is..."
"Oh would you shut up!" Jordan snapped at the very person who she'd just been defending.
At the exact moment Perry said,
"Now i realize what it is about you that appeals so to Barbie. It's the whole, sound of your voice being like nails scraped across a chalkboard, thing. Just like hers. I would rather have the ears torn from my head, drums and all, than hear one more word uttered from that never ending pie hole you call a mouth, but.. since I'd prefer that no-ot happen, might I offer a great solution that wouldn't resort in such drastic measures?" he asked, now on a roll as he continued on without waiting for a reply." Would you mind te-er-rribly just doing us all the favor of not speaking anymore?."
"I-I... y-you.."Keith sputtered indignantly, unable to form a sentence correctly at the moment due to anger.
"I-I...you...why are you here anyway?"
"He's my boyfriend, and JD, Carla and Turk's friend, that's why he's here, and he's also your friend. Many double dates, .remember? So you'd think that you'd try a little harder to make him feel welcome, or at least be civil enough to not jump down his throat over something that isn't his fault!! But noo, Dr. Cock has to try and alienate everyone doesn't he?"Elliot, to everyone's surprise, jumped right in to argue in his defense.
"Dr. Cock?"Jordan asked with a laugh."Oh that's a nice one Per. And she's right, we have gone on several double dates with her and Clayton. So why can't you play nice, widdle fella?"
"Oh come on, like it's the first time anyone's called me that one. Cox, Cock. Where's the originality? "he retorted with a shake of his head, seemingly unfazed by the blond's outburst."And there's no way I could ever forget the torturous hours we've spent together where you and Barbie made me play dress up with Ken, so you'll really have to forgive me if I don't feel a special bond with him over wearing matching outfits for 3 days straight!."
"I'm gonna have to side with Elliot on this one," Carla spoke up.
"There's a shocker."Turk muttered under his breath, but quickly added when his wife, having obviously heard his words, gave him the evil eye,"But hey, me too. Elliot's right. 100, Just like my baby said."
"Tell me Gandhi, do you have any balls left or did they suddenly get cut off, like say..frequent sex, when you got married?" Perry asked Turk who only shrugged.
That is until Carla turned her head. Only after this did he nod his own emphatically while making the whole guillotine chop gesture with his hands.
"I know what you're doing Turk,"Carla said without even turning around before continuing on, choosing to be the voice of reason since no one else was stepping up to bat," It's not helping the situation, or Bambi in any way, shape or form for us to be arguing amongst ourselves."
"Humph, good luck at getting him to listen to anything."Jordan scoffed, pointing at Perry. "I've been trying for years. Using many creative methods as a reward system I might add, and what do I get for my troubles you ask? Nothing, nada, not a thing."
"Hey take a look at this."Turk murmured after having knelt down and pushed up JD's shirt to remove the bandages and check the wound beneath.
Turning their attention towards the surgeon, they looked at JD's now exposed abdomen.
"This isn't right."Elliot said in disbelief after a sharp intake of breath, her eyes widening at the sight of the wound that by all means should not be in such a state as it was."It's only been what? 2 hours since the accident? That looks like a wound that's been..."
"Untreated for over a day. At least."Perry spoke up, nudging Turk out of the way so he could get a closer look himself."Are there no lights at all in this damn place?" he yelled in frustration moments later.
"I...I think I saw a candle back out in the hallway."Keith said quietly, staring at the puckered, inflamed skin, that seemed to stand out even in the darkness, around the discolored gaping gash in JD's stomach.
"Think you could go fetch it for us girl?"Cox asked sarcastically when the young intern had yet to make a move towards doing so.
"Yeah right, sure."he replied, and finally tearing his eyes away, walked from the room.
"He's burning up."Carla said worriedly, a hand on her friends forehead.
"God, we have to do something."Elliot blurted out, instinctively grabbing JD's limp hand.
"Here you go."Keith said after reappearing seconds later, thrusting a tall, fat candle towards Perry.
"I suppose it would be just too much to ask that someone here actually has a lighter or matches on hand, huh big guy?" Perry muttered in question, looking heavenwards.
"Ha, you're in luck."Jordan exclaimed, reaching into her purse, which she'd somehow felt was necessary to have Keith crawl back into the car and get earlier before they'd started towards the house, retrieving a penis shaped zippo, then handing it to Perry.
"I'm not even going to ask.."he said, taking it from her outstretched hand and using it to light the candle.
"What?"Jordan asked after seeing the strange looks the others where giving her."A woman can't have a lighter?"
"You don't think it could be Sepsis already do you?"Keith asked, now bent over JD also as Elliot stood in the background tearfully chewing her nails.
"That is a distinct possibility."Perry replied, gently prodding at the skin around the wound.
Moments later he sighed, rebandaged JD's abdomen, then turned to face the others.
"Obviously there's no phone to be found, and not much more we can do for newbie in our current location, so our only other option at this point is to go back to the highway and hope that someone passes by soon."
"We can't drag him back all the way to the car though, he's in no shape for that."Turk argued.
"I'll go."Keith volunteered, waving his hand in the air. He couldn't help feeling responsible for JD's current state, even though it had been no fault of his own.
"By yourself? I don't think that's a good idea."Elliot protested,chewing at her lower lip.
"I'll be fine, and as soon as a car passes and I call for help, I'll come back."he replied, adding before she could object again,"And anyway JD needs all of you to be here for him."
"Are you sure you don't want me to go with?"she asked, locking eyes with him, not really wanting to go but feeling the need to put up as much of an argument as possible.
"Yeah, I'm sure. Stay here."he answered, then leaned over and gave her a kiss before walking to the front door.
"Hey!"Perry called just as he was preparing to open the door.
"Yeah?"
"Try not to get yourself run over."the older doctor said in reply.
This was the closest he'd come to apologizing for his accusations, but it was enough for Keith.
"No worries there Dr. Cox."he said smugly,". A little known fact about me is that I'm very perceptive. Therefor it would be impossible for my honed senses to miss something as large as a vehicle coming towards me."
No sooner had the words left his mouth when he turned back around and smacked face first into the door he had yet to open.
He recovered quickly, reached out, pulled the door open, and made a quick exit before Perry could release the words that were surely dying to leave his mouth.
"Oh yes, that man of mine."Elliot started, smiling fondly as she continued,"Sweet, kind, an ass like no tomorrow, but sometimes...
She didn't get out the remainder of her statement due to JD gaining everyone's undivided attention when he suddenly moaned.
"I think he's coming to."Turk said excitedly as they all huddled expectantly around the couch once more, looking at JD closely for any signs of doing just that.
Sure enough, as they watched he did a little smacking of his lip thing, followed by his eyes fluttering.
"Ooh, he is waking up."Turk proclaimed happily, then continued on in explanation," He always does that lip thing when he's..."
Realizing just how odd it was sounding, he quickly stopped himself from finishing the sentence. Instead,clamping his mouth shut, he chose to silently watch his friend as everyone else was at the moment.
"JD?"Elliot prodded encouragingly while trying to urge him into waking by gently putting her hand to his face.
Either his name being spoken or her touch seemed to do the trick because he went from half, to fully conscious in a mere second.
His eyes flew open , a frightened, crazed look crossing his face
He then promptly commenced to yelling, "No! Leave me...alone!", knocking her hand away. Then he sat straight up, and started apparently trying to push himself into the farthest corner of the couch in hopes of escaping from whatever his mind still registered seeing.
"Whoa, calm down dude, nobody's going to hurt you."Turk said, reaching out to give his arm what was intended to be a reassuring squeeze only to have it knocked away as Elliot's hand had been.
"No!" JD yelled at his best friend in protest..
"For gods sake, everyone give him some space and let me handle this!" Perry ordered, then knelt down.
"Snap out of it Jamie Lee." he ordered, then seeing the uncomprehending look of fear and confusion in JD's eyes, realized his request was going to go unheeded, and surprised all present by drawing his hand back and smacking the younger doctor hard in the face.
"Hey!"Turk exclaimed angrily.
"Ow..."JD muttered, putting a hand to his now even redder left cheek.
Seconds later, his bloodshot eyes having cleared up and now trained directly on Perry, he said accusingly."You hit me."
"No Norma , I hit the little screaming girl that was occupying your grown womans body, not you."Perry corrected, taking a step back away from the couch .
Here I am dying and he still calls me women's names, and a little girl on top of it...JD thought sulkily.
A little girl...wait a minute...
"Guys, we have to get out of here now."he croaked, trying to sit up in the process.
"Uh huh, I don't think so Bambi."Carla said with a cluck of her tongue as Turk pushed him gently back down.
"No listen to me..I- I saw the girl again. She was in here..right where...Dr. Cox is standing."he argued.
"The one from outside? That caused the wreck?" Perry asked, stepping forward once more.
"Yes..that's...the one."he replied.
"Well, where is she? Does she live here? What did she say?"Elliot questioned.
"Most importantly my brother, why'd you yell like a little biotch?"Turk spoke up jokingly, getting several dirty looks for his efforts at lightheartedness.
"That's the reason...we have to..get out..."JD replied vehemently, trying hard to ignore the pain in his stomach that had increased by the ten fold during his short time of unconsciousness."She was...dead."he finished after an ominous pause.
"Dead?"Elliot yelped, jumping up and looking around the room."There's a dead body in here?"
"You're around dead bodies everyday Elliot."Carla reminded her friend, who after a thoughtful pause, shrugged, nodded, and sat back down on the edge of the couch.
"So somebody killed this kid, then brought her dead body into the room for a visit within the five minute time span that lapsed between whats-his-name helping me to the bathroom?" Jordan asked sceptically.
"No."JD replied with a firm shake of his head."No one... brought... her anywhere."
"So her body was already here yet myself, whats-his-name, nor any of the others who were all in here at one point or other, saw it?" Jordan continued her cross examination.
"No Jordan."he said with a look of frustration."She walked in...a few minutes..after you left."
"Okay newbie, allow me to step in here."Perry spoke up." What you are saying is she came into the room, then someone killed her?"
"No! She was already dead..when she...walked in...and her eye sockets were bleeding because there were no eyes in them...and then...then she grabbed my throat...and said we were all...goingtodie."he finally got it all out, then feeling like he'd accomplished a great task lay back, taking several deep breaths, to await his friends reactions to the warning of their impending doom.
"Oh JD."Elliot finally said, looking at him with big watery eyes.
Carla's reaction was similar, only she looked at Turk and said as if JD wasn't even in the room,"Oh Turk, poor Bambi."
"Delusional....Sepsis...."Perry muttered under his breath as he started pacing the room, while Jordan just looked down at her hands, finding herself, for one of the few occasions ever, unable to come up with anything, appropriate or inappropriate alike, to say to his statement.
What? Why don't they believe me? JD wondered, shocked by their reactions and obvious disbelief.
"It's okay JD."Turk proclaimed to his now even more distressed friend. Mistaking the cause of it, he continued on, really trying to convince himself with his words as much, if not more, than his best bud."Our boy Keith went back out to the road to flag down some help. He'll be back soon, we'll get you to the hospital and everything will be fine vanilla bear."
"No, I really saw the damn girl!" JD argued angrily."We have to...leave now...She was...right there! I'm not...delusional or...Arghh!" his sentence was cut short by a stab of pain in his gut so intense it made him cry out, bringing tears to his eyes as he tried to roll into a ball."Gah!"
"It's okay Bambi. Just calm down and take deep breaths."Carla said in what she hoped was her most comforting tone of voice, holding his hand while Perry pushed his shoulders down to restrain him and Turk, doing the best he could with his one good hand, pulled his shirt up again, finding to his shock and alarm that blood had seeped through the bandages and was making a quickly spreading stain beneath his friends body.
"Chill JD, you making it worse!"Turk yelled at him as he, using the balled up coat, a very expensive one at that, Jordan had just removed and thrown into his face, to put pressure on the wound in a attempt to stop the bleeding again.
Gasping, wheezing, and crying unabashedly like a little biotch, JD did his best to try and follow the surgeons instructions, and was soon rewarded for his efforts as the pain ebbed away into a dull throb again.
Note to self number 2, getting wound up torture in the tummy. JD thought as his breathing became less labored. Torture in the tummybad..
"There now, see? It's getting better isn't it?"Carla asked, running comforting fingers through his hair.
"Y-yeah."he replied truthfully.
The others all let out audible sighs of relief, though Elliot continued chewing nervously at her nails, a helpless feeling overtaking her as she silently prayed for his pain , which she almost seemed to feel herself, to end.
"Bleedings stopped."Turk announced, locking eyes with Perry.
"I'm going to move my hands now, but do not, I repeat, do not move newbie."Perry ordered, lifting the pressure from his shoulders.
Like I could even if I wanted , JD thought, his energy reserve, having now depleted, leaving him weak as a baby.
An uncomfortable silence hung over the room while everyone stared at JD, making him feel like the prize exhibit in a freak show as a image popped into his head...
Perry is a ring announcer standing outside of an enormous cage draped with a black covering. Tipping his top hat at the crowd, which includes Elliot wearing overalls, a yellow balloon in one hand, a vanilla cone that was dripping onto her clothing in the other, Turk wearing a clown costume with a big alarm clock draped around his neck, Carla standing one cage over wearing belly dancing attire with a huge snake draped across her shoulders, and Keith wearing a pink dress shirt with a white sweater tied around his shoulders, flirting with an old lady who was leaning heavily on a walker beside him, he raises the big megaphone to his mouth and says,
"Gather round close ladies and gents, for you are all in for an extra special treat. On this night, and this night only, we have flown in from the farthest reaches of the US the most horrendous terrifying freak ever to grace our stage."
"It can't be worse than...than that can it?"Elliot asked with a gasp, pointing her finger at the next exhibit over."Surely nothing can even start to compare to that."
"Oh that's right baby."Todd, who was in the cage wearing nothing but a leopard print speedo said, pointing his finger at Elliot and winking as he added,"Nothing can compare to this." thrusting his hips forward in a most sickening manner.
The crowd gasped in shock, and Keith actually squealed at his actions.
From the shadows Jordan appeared suddenly, wearing a lion tamers uniform and carrying a whip, which after walking over to Todd's cage, she cackled gleefully and used on him. When he finally stopped his perverted motions and cowered in the corner, all attention turned back towards Perry.
"One last warning, no one must touch or provoke the creature in any manner. It is very dangerous and has been known to kill for no reason at all. So now, without further ado, I give you...
With a flourish he tears the covering from the cage, screams are heard throughout the crowd.
"The Hideous Doctor." Perry finished in an ominous voice, pointing at JD, who was sitting in a recliner inside the cage watching "Flavor of Love" on the TV that was hooked up, sporting the mullet do he had during college and wearing a long white doctors coat.
Noticing the eyes of the crowd on him, he looks up from the TV and smiles, revealing a set of crooked hillbilly teeth, and says,"I love VH1"
Everyone screams except clown Turk, who takes a step closer to the cage, holding up the clock hanging around his neck.
He and JD make eye contact, open their mouths and say simultaneously,
"Flavor Flave"
"JD, hey, are you hearing me here?"Turk's voice breaks into his daydream.
"I do..so love that... crazy little man..."JD rasped out, then turned his attention fully to his friend, who was staring at him worriedly, saying with a sorry attempt at a smile,"Yeah...I hear you...
"Good..Now listen to your Dr. and believe in him when he says that in just a little while Keith is going to come back with help, we're going to take and get you sewed up, and then we gonna go pan for some gold and forget all this crazy shit happened. Got that?" Turk said, taking his hand into his good one and giving it a squeeze, not caring in the least that everyone else was watching.
JD was his boy, his family, and family took care of family.
"Yeah, I got that."JD replied, returning the hand squeeze with a weak one of his own, adding as he looked at him,"Gotta get...your hand fixed...too."
"Aw this ain't nothing.."Turk replied dismissively."My baby done did worse to me before while we were getting our groove..."
"Christopher."Carla said in a warning tone, and he turned around smiling innocently at her, then turned to face JD again, mouthing the words, "Tell you later."
"Excuse me ladies, but I really must interrupt this nauseating moment before you two finally profess your love for one another and share a kiss, which I'm willing to bet won't be your first, at which point I will be forced into soiling my clothing with the vast amounts of vomit that are just battling to escape from within."Perry spoke up.
Simultaneously Turk and JD think to themselves, That doesn't count. We were in college, and Betty and Veronica said they'd make out if we kissed. Of course they still didn't do it, but...
"Oh my god..do you hear that?"Elliot asked in a hushed tone at that point.
"No Barbie, the only thing I hear is..."
"Shh Perry!! Listen!"Jordan's words silenced him, and he was about to retort when he finally heard what they were speaking of.
"What is that?"Turk whispered in question.
"It sounds like a music box that momma gave me when I was a little girl."Carla whispered in reply, her eyes getting a faraway look as the memory of herself as a child winding up the box with a little ballerina inside and placing it on her dresser as she started mimicking the figurines movements in a clumsy fashion.
"Where's it coming from?"Elliot whispered, eyes widening comically as she reached and grabbed JD's hand, which he would have found flattering were it not for the fact she was squeezing it with the iron grip of a 500 lb wrestler.
"Sounds like it's upstairs."Turk offered up as Carla unconsciously started humming along with the eerie tinkling strains of "Swan Lake" that echoed throughout the house.
"We should check it out."she said, stopping suddenly.
"What ? Woman, are you crazy?"Turk exclaimed in his normal toned voice."We've done seen more than enough movies where some spooky ass music starts playing and the people go rushing to look for the source just to end up getting ate by a zombie or having their heads chopped off by some crazy ax wielding maniac, to do something like that!"
"I agree with Carla. We should go see where it's coming from."Perry spoke up.
"No.."JD opened his mouth to voice his own protests, but snapped it back closed quickly when, as soon as the word no left his mouth, the pain in his stomach started to intensify once more.
It was like something was stabbing him with a knife and twisting it anytime he started to suggest they leave, he thought, remembering that, though it had been hurting badly, the real pain hadn't started earlier until he'd did just that.
"I said no Carla."Turk protested as she stood up and started towards the stairway."If Dr. Cox wants to take his crazy ass up there he can, but you're my wife and I ain't letting it happen."
"That's it, use the sweet talking method. Works every time."Jordan said sarcastically with a big thumbs up as Carla glared at him.
"I will do as I please Christopher Turk."Carla snapped venomously at him.
He took a step back at the ferocity behind her words, and raised his hands in defeat, saying,"Okay, sorry baby..you wanna go look for the eyeless ghostie girl then we'll go look for the eyeless ghostie girl."
"There is no ghost girl. Someone besides us is in the house, and we need to find them because it could be that poor little girl, who's just scared to death due to almost being run over."
"I said okay..so lets go."
At this point JD really wanted to yell out, warning them not to go because the bleedy eyed girl would kill them, but found he couldn't even open his mouth to utter a single word, much less a whole sentence.
He physically could not open his mouth. It was as if someone had control over his bodies motor skills and would not allow the order to reach his brain. So all he could do was lay there and mentally scream at them not to go.
They can't hear you JD, he was shocked when a child's voice spoke within his mind.
"I'm staying here with JD and Jordan."Elliot announced as Carla, Turk, and Perry stood up in preparation to start searching for the source of the music.
"That..."Perry started and she steeled herself for the rude words that she thought were to follow, but instead heard."Is a great idea Barbie."
"Really? You think that?"
"Yes really, hopefully you can do a better job at it than Ken did."
She found herself at a loss for words as he and the others said by to a quiet, but strangely smiling, JD, who only nodded his head at them in reply.
"Oh and Barbie, if the shrew should have to relieve herself once more, there's a bucket over there."he stopped to say, pointing at a galvanized bucket sitting on the hearth of the fireplace.
A sentiment to which Jordan responded to by sticking him a bird.
As a last minute preparation, Turk jogged over to where he'd pointed and picked up the fire poker that was beside the bucket, then ran to catch up with Perry and Carla who were already halfway up the staircase.
NO! Don't go! JD pleaded mentally as the tinkling sound of a child's laughter filled his mind.
"Well, looks like its just us."Elliot remarked, smiling sweetly at first Jordan, then him as she sat down on the floor beside the couch.
"Hehe, she's pretty JD. She won't be when he kills her though." the voice stated as his mouth formed a return smile.
He? What do you want? Leave me alone!
"Let me show you something." she said in reply, followed by his mouth opening and the words,"I think I'm going to try and get some rest Elliot."emerged.
"You go right ahead JD. I'll be right here the whole time."she said, patting his hand.
Seconds later, a smile still playing at the corner of his lips, his eyes closed and a horrifying memory not his own started replaying itself for him...
Upstairs
"So, you think he really saw that girl?"Turk asked as he held the poker like a sword in preparation of handling anyone or anything that might jump out at them.
"Don't be ridiculous baby."Carla replied distractedly as they moved slowly down the second floor hallway."He's sick and that was just something he imagined."
"But we did almost hit the kid, so where'd she go afterwards?" he continued on as the music grew louder.
"If we were psychic's maybe we would be able to answer that Gandhi, but we're not, so we can't."Perry replied this time.
"I think it's coming from in there."Carla announced in a whisper, stopping to stand in front of a closed door at the end of the hall.
"Maybe.."he replied hesitantly, a very bad feeling forming in the pit of his stomach.
"Hey! Stop!"Perry exclaimed suddenly, resulting in Turk jumping in surprise.
"What? What is it?"he asked as the other man took off running in the opposite direction.
"Somebody's down there!" Perry said over his shoulder as he continued on, finally disappearing from sight.
His attention on the other doctors retreating back, Turk jumped once more when the sound of the door that Carla was standing before slamming rang throughout the hallway.
Whipping around, he gasped when he saw his wife was gone.
"Carla! Open the door baby!"he ordered after reaching out to twist the knob and finding it was locked.
He received no reply and commenced to beating on the door.
Inside bedroom
Carla stood motionless, her gaze transfixed on the jewelry box, an exact replica of the one she used to own, and the ballerina dancing across its top, once again humming along with the song.
"It was my daughters"an unfamiliar female voice said from behind her.
Carla turned slowly around, too shocked to even utter a sound.
A dark haired woman with ghostly pale skin and a bleeding gash across her neck stood directly behind her.
"Wha...? Who are..."Carla was able to get out in a high pitched, frightened voice.
Instead of answering, the woman floated quickly towards her.
A moment later all went black as Carla fell to the floor.
TBC
Hope you liked this installment and I will update again asap.