Apparently I lied on the "arrive much sooner" bit. Did I ever mention how bad I was at keeping my promises?
9
"Hey, Michael?"
"Yes, J.D.?"
"Why're you sitting on my lap?"
"I fell?"
"Oh. Okay." J.D. stayed put in his chair, not once thinking of pushing the other man off. Not even when Dr. Cox stumbled past, doing a fast double take and walking backwards. After a second or two curious staring, he finally opened his mouth to speak.
"I'm going to pretend I'm not seeing this and am going to hand you this chart and walk away." And Dr. Cox did just that, though he threw the chart in J.D.'s general direction instead, and it landed in a mess in the floor. The two men looked down at it and Michael finally got off to let J.D. pick it up.
"Do you want me to come with?" he offered bending down to retrieve a paper J.D. missed.
Yes! Yes! YES!
"Nah. I got it." J.D. shrugged and hopped around the other side of the counter, looking left and right as if crossing a busy street. With a small skip, he headed to the left toward whatever patient he had to take care of. Michael sighed and jumped when there was a voice behind him.
"You really like him, huh?"
"How did… what?" Michael faced the Janitor, who was leaning on his mop, staring off in the distance, his head shaking slightly. He looked down at the confused nurse ominously, his brow furrowing.
"Oh, I know everything." He picked the mop up and, with one quick swivel, turned around. He only turned back to whisper: "everything."
"I don't… understand him." Michael said to no one in particular.
"Oh, honey, no one understands him." Laverne responded as she passed by.
(----------------------------------)
I'm exhausted. I can hardly walk. All I need is to go home, sleep and… ooo… cookies!
J.D.'s eyes brightened when he pushed the lounge door open to reveal a tin of seemingly lonely cookies on one of the tables. Taking a cautious look around to make sure that no one was going to jump out and tackle him for taking a cookie for the road, he reached out, as cat-like as possible and was almost touching it when…
"What're you doing?" came a laugh from the couch and Michael's head popped up. J.D. jumped backwards, screaming slightly. Michael laughed again and pulled himself up into a sitting position.
"I was going to… uh… make sure they were clean?"
"Is that so? I see drooling. They do look pretty good don't they? I don't know whose they are though. I took one anyway. Taste as good as they look."
"Have you had coffee?" J.D. abandoned the cookie tin, but not before tucking one into his pocket. He joined the nurse on the couch and sighed.
"Too much."
"I haven't had enough." J.D. admitted, yawning and letting his head fall on Michael's shoulder.
(----------------------------------)
I'm up! I'm up! Wait. Up? I fell asleep! No, no, no, no, no…
J.D. opened one eye and then the other, looking up into the smiling face of Michael, his soft blue eyes appearing almost softer.
"Calm down. We were talking about coffee and when I asked you something, you didn't answer. I looked down and you were asleep. You're pretty cute when you sleep. I think you might have drooled on me a little, though."
"Heh. Sorry." J.D. reluctantly sat up and inspected Michael's shoulder. "Maybe if your shoulder wasn't so comfortable, I wouldn't have drooled. How long was I asleep?"
"Only a few minutes. I couldn't bear to…" he was interrupted by a ring and J.D. watched as Michael pulled out his cellphone.
Isn't it against the rules to have a cellphone on in the hospital? Why was that again::J.D.'s patient's heart just gave out. He pulls out the heart charger. "Charging to 50". At the same time, Michael's cellphone rings and he pulls it out to answer it. The charger explodes.: Oh.
"…know you miss me, but do you really have to call every hour? Four days… three now, sorry. Of course I'm at work. Where else would I be? I am not going to prove it to you again, don't you trust me? Whatever. Fine, fine. Okay! I said… bye." Michael closed his phone before J.D. had a chance to warn him about exploding machines.
"What're you going to do when he comes back?"
"Run off to the circus?" Michael stood, only half joking. "I really don't know. I do know I don't love him anymore."
"So, who do you love?" J.D. walked up behind Michael to get a cup. Michael turned his head to face J.D.'s and gave him a quick kiss, leaving the young doctor frozen for a moment.
"I wonder."
Way to go J.D… you can cross "cheating" off your list of "Things I Hope I Never Do Before I Die".
(----------------------------------)
"…so I walked up to her and said…"
"J.D.!" Turk looked relieved to see J.D. begin to walk wearily by and pause at his name.
"No, that's not what I… hey, man!" Todd smiled, obviously not noticing how tired J.D. seemed to be. "We're going for a drink later, wanna come?"
"Uh…" J.D. saw, out of the corner of his eye, Turk begging him not to leave him with Todd, alone, but he was so tired, he wasn't entirely sure he could make it home safely. "…no. I'll pass."
"That's cool. That's cool." Todd nodded, putting an arm around Turk's shoulder. "Looks like it's just you and me, buddy."
"Great." Was the reaction, sarcasm noticeable to everyone but Todd. Turk threw a "you traitor" glare at J.D. before being directed towards the lounge.
He's so going to get me back later on for that, I know it. But first, how to get home without getting myself into an accident…
"I'll give you a lift."
AAAAAHHHHHH!
"AAAAAHHHHHH!"
"Oh, quiet down. I mean it. I will." The Janitor finished putting on his coat, amused by J.D.'s reaction.
"You have a… nevermind."
"What? You think I'm too poor to own a car? Geez… even though you insulted me, I'll give you a ride anyway."
"You're not going to make me pass out and dump me somewhere? Or make me ride on the roof? Or with the engine? Or hanging out a window?" J.D. was wary, even if it was a tempting offer.
"Nah. I'm too tired. Just a normal car ride."
Yeah, by who's definition of normal?
"Mine." The Janitor cocked an eyebrow. J.D.'s eyes widened and put his hands over his ears.
"How… how did you do that?"
"I know everything. That and any amateur would've said that. Easy stuff."
"I hate you."
"I know." The Janitor headed for the elevator and turned back to see if J.D. was following. "You coming?"
J.D. pouted but went along. As long as he promised…
(----------------------------------)
"So, what's up with you and that nurse?"
"Which nurse?" J.D. took his gaze from out the car window to the Janitor.
"Aw, you know. Michael."
"Nothing. Nothing at all. Why?"
"Well, there's the fact he was sitting on your lap this morning."
"Friends do that." J.D. replied indignantly. "I think." He added as an afterthought. "You're just messing with me. You don't know anything."
"I bet you I know a lot more than you think."
"What do you do, go around stalking me!"
"Pretty much."
"Oh. Why?"
"Cause I love you."
"WHAT!"
"I'm kidding." The Janitor stepped on the brake at a stoplight and J.D. could see the smirk in the red.
"I still hate you."
"I know."
Fifteen minutes later, the Janitor pulled up in front of J.D.'s apartment and turned off the engine. There was a longer silence than necessary, and J.D. didn't understand why he didn't just open the car door and leave.
"I really do love you."
"Would you shut up!" J.D. groaned, finally getting out, slamming the car door shut. The Janitor watched J.D. for a minute before driving away.
"Such an easy target."
(----------------------------------)
Knock. Knock.
"Coming!" Michael called out and threw down the dishtowel. Making his way across his creaky floor, he unlocked the door and pulled it open, his relaxed expression changing to fear. "Jason?"
"Surprise."
(----------------------------------)
Right-o. I'll try my hardest to be quicker with the next chapter. Oh, and I didn't see anywhere before this chapter where I mentioned Michael's boyfriend's name, but if there is, let me know and I'll fix it.