A/N: I can't recall when the whole living arangements of season four, but for the sake of this story, JD is still living with Carla and Turk. I also had a crappy writing day today with most of the chapter already done and only a little bit more I needed to complete and I was having a real hard time getting it done. Hopefully, it doesn't suck too much.

Falling In At Night

They'd taken him back to their place.

After Perry finally left Jordan's room and they moved the body to the morgue, he seemed to crack. It was if he'd lost the ability to do anything. Carla told Turk to get their car and move it to the steps so they didn't have as far to walk. He went ahead as Carla lead Perry by the arm through the corridors. No one said anything, most people looked away. They knew what had happened. There was nothing to say.

JD followed, walking on the other side of Perry. As they got close to the door, the car was visible as Turk had moved as close as he could to the stairs.

Carla got JD to go round the other side while she directed Perry into the other seat. She passed Perry's seatbelt across for JD to buckle him in, and then she went and sat next to Turk in the front passenger seat.

JD was a little anxious as to what the plan was, what they were going to do with Perry and was relieved when he realised they were heading home. He realised Turk and Carla must have already agreed to let Perry come home with them. There was no way he could go home. Besides being alone, the place was littered with reminders of all that he'd lost that day.

He had to swallow hard when he realised he was loosing his composure. He knew they'd take care of him. They had to. Because he had no one else.

"Dr. Reid, why are you still here?" Dr. Kelso walked up to the blond doctor.

"I just wanted to help." she said. "There's nothing I can do to help Dr Cox by being there, so I thought I may as well cover his patients until things are a little more... sorted."

Dr. Kelso nodded his head slightly. "It's very good of you." Elliot heard sincerity in his voice. "I was going to go to the bar after work. I definitely need something strong after today. If you want to gather anyone else who's interested, along with yourself of course. I think we all need a break."

Elliot nodded. "I best get back to work." she said, walking towards the next patients room.

Dr. Kelso watched her leave. A thought occurring to him suddenly, he called to Elliot, stopping her before she got too far. "Do you know where they've taken Perry?"

"Back to their apartment." Elliot said "Why?"

"I'm just thinking, they may need to make a few changes. I need to take a quick trip out. If anyone asks here I am, tell them I'll be back shortly."

Elliot nodded as she watched the Chief of Medicine walk away.

Perry was sat numbly on the chair, a blanket draped over his shoulders which he'd not touched.

"He can take my room tonight, I'll sleep on the sofa." JD said.

"Well he's not going to sleep, is he." Turk said, knowing that he himself wouldn't be able to sleep that night.

"Just leave him where he is for now." Carla said. She didn't want to move Perry around too much.

A knock at the door made the three of them jump a little. JD went and answered it, surprised to see Dr. Kelso standing there.

"Sir, what are you doing here?" JD asked, unaware he'd been so formal.

"I've come to do a collection." he said. He handed a piece of paper to JD which he read to himself. On it, a number of items were listed. JD nodded and passed it to Carla and Turk.

The list read: alcohol, sharp knives, all pills.

"Okay, I'll do our room, JD you do yours, Turk, do the kitchen. I'll go through the bathroom cupboard in a minute." The all broke apart, each picking up an empty bag to put whatever they found inside.

Kelso watched Perry while he waited, even though the other man was doing nothing. Neither of the bags from the bedroom had much in and the kitchen produced a few sharp knives and a few bottles of beer. Carla emptied all the medicine cabinet out of all pills and ointments and lotions. She made sure that there was nothing dangerous there. Although she didn't think that Perry looked suicidal at the minute, she knew in a few days, this would really hit him and they'd have to watch his every move.

They handed the bags to Kelso. "I'll keep these at my place until you need them back."

"Thanks." Carla said, appreciative that he was doing something to help Perry.

"Right, I best get back to it." Carla showed him the way out.

Closing the door behind him, Carla made her way into the kitchen and poured out a glass of water. She took it into the room where Perry sat and put it on the table next to him.

"Just in case you want a drink, sweetie." She said. She didn't expect him to want it, but felt she was doing what she could. "Lets get some sleep guys."

Perry vaguely realised that he was at Turk, Carla and JD's apartment. He heard them talking but he couldn't make out the words. It took too much effort to listen to what they were saying. He didn't care anyway.

He also heard Bob Kelso for a while, but that didn't warrant looking round.

After a while, Carla placed a glass in front of him, and they all moved away, the noise all went and he was alone. The room was dark, there was a lamp on somewhere because he could still see the table in front of him.

He didn't know how long he sat there. Time had no meaning any more.

He realised he had to pee and he slowly got up. He knew where the bathroom was. He wasn't here often, but on occasion he'd been here he got a rough look at where everything was. He'd been here when Jordan and Jack were still alive. He pushed the thoughts away. He turned the light on and used the toilet, flushing afterwards. Jordan always made him flush because she could never be sure Jack wouldn't play with the toilet water. He closed his eyes at the thought. He tried to take a deep breath, but he felt too choked up to inhale that much. He moved away, catching sight of himself in the mirror. He looked as wrecked as he felt.

He switched the light back off and went into the lounge.

Picking up the blanket he wrapped it around his shoulders. Before he went to the chair he moved over to the lamp and switched it off. He carefully made his way back to the couch and laid down on it. And then he let the darkness of the night comfort him. He let the tears fall, and the sobs he couldn't hold back escaped him. He felt himself falling into despair, but he couldn't stop himself, even if he wanted to. And as he fell, he realised he had no reason not to let go.

Carla laid in bed, close to Turk. She'd heard the flush of the chain.

Turk was dosing, not able to sleep fully, but exhausted enough that his body had to get some rest.

And as she listened for noise she heard him. She heard him cry.

She'd never heard him cry. She'd barely seen him cry. Sometimes he'd get emotional, but he always held it together. He was a man, that's what he thought he should do.

But this wasn't just crying. It was like the cry of a wounded animal. Her own tears threatened to spill again, so she forcefully closed her eyes, wishing sleep would come to her, hoping that JD couldn't hear the same sounds as she could.

When morning came, nothing had really changed.

Carla, Turk and JD were still too awkward to say anything, and Perry stayed on the couch. The water that Carla had poured out for him remained where it was, untouched. She removed the glass, filled it with fresh water and put it back where it was. He'd need it sooner or later.

When midday came, Turk and JD left for work. Carla stayed home, someone needed to be with Perry. Elliot paid Carla a visit on her way home. She looked tired after a long shift.

She'd bought some food for Carla and had bought Perry some new clothes, seeing as he still had yesterday's on. They both knew that was the last thing he cared about.

As the next few days came and went, still nothing changed.

JD cleared his essentials out of his bedroom and into the front room, letting Perry have the privacy of the bedroom. They moved the TV in there for him, kept it on so he had something to look at. Carla had to coax him into drinking as he'd never attempted to do it himself. He only took a small amount, so she started doing it more often, worried that he'd become dehydrated. But she knew that even if she could keep the fluid intake up, he'd eventually end up in hospital as he'd still not eaten anything.

The guilt began to weigh her down as she was at a loss as to how to help her friend.

TBC.