so, i think i'll keep up the update every 3-4 days thing i'm doing. sound good, my lovely reader/reviewers?

Summary: An accident befalls JD, and though all his basic memories like speaking, counting and even his ability as a doctor remains, all but one personal memory is lost, and only Dr. Cox can help him! Will JD ever be able to function properly again? Will he even ever remember who he is? And what's this rivalry between Cox and Turk[CoxJD

Rating: Um, I think it's rated T for now because of the blood, but since it's a CoxJD fanfic, who knows? Maybe I might have to bump up the rating later ...

Regular text.

"Speaking."

Thinking.

(Author's notes within story.)

Chapter Three: One Word

Perry felt bad as he left the hospital room, JD's blank eyes following him questioningly. He couldn't describe it, but felt as if he were abandoning a puppy in a big crowd. He could almost hear it whimper in his head. Then Perry scowled to himself. I'm thinking like Newbie, dammit! he thought with a characteristic growl.

His shift ended as the evening shift began. Perry weighed whether or not he should check up on Newbie, as Turk, Carla and Elliot had several times already. Then, with a self-hating growl, Perry turned into another hallway and hung by the door of JD's room.

Someone from the psychiatric ward was currently assessing JD. Perry felt an odd flare of anger, whether it was at himself, JD or this new guy, he wasn't sure, and he stomped into the room.

The tall, gangly man seemed to be reviewing his checklist one last time. "And do you recognize anyone?"

JD looked a tad frustrated, as if something were on the tip of his tongue but he couldn't quite grasp it, then he looked up at Perry. "Perry!" JD cried, eyes lighting up. The psychiatric guy looked up, blinking slowly. Perry instantly knew he wouldn't like this guy.

"Hello, Dr. ... Cox," he said, squinting at Perry's tag, then asked in a very professional way, "What is your relationship to John?"

Biting back a remark about how JD preferred to be called JD, Perry gave this stranger a classic 'I-don't-care-about-anything-you-say-or-do' glare as he spoke. "I'm his boss. So, I suppose you must know something about what you're doing. How is the ol' gal, Dr ... I don't care?"

The psychiatric doctor sniffed stiffly at Perry's rough manner before he spoke, "Well, JD seems to be in a partial fugue state. It doesn't seem permanent since he's been remembering bits and pieces all day, but I can't make any promises."

"Why?" Perry said in a dangerous, low tone. He always got straight to the point.

"As with all brain damage cases, we can't be sure as too the extent each patient can recover," he tried to explain, "There are some ways to help him along of course, we just need to locate people willing to devote the time. Does John have any close family or friends who might be willing?"

Perry wondered how this guy didn't know this already and also how he hadn't known who the Dr. Cox was. "Of course he does, though I doubt his brother will be much of a help. That kid's an idiot if there ever was one, but you could probably trust his little girlfriends," Perry said, irritated. Then his tone changed a bit, softened with a little concern. But just a bit. "So, how soon can he start these, uh, methods to help him remember?"

Fortunately, the psychiatric doctor seemed too stiffly formal to notice Perry's discomfort. "As soon as possible. He could even begin tomorrow." He paused, trailing off as he scribbled something down on his clipboard. Perry gave him a confused look, then saw what had triggered the sudden writing.

JD had stopped staring at Perry but rather had turned his attention to the closed window, where two sparrows where perched. They took turns pecking at something, probably a bug or a bit rubbish they'd picked up. JD seemed interested, gazing blankly with a small smile and Perry couldn't find the scorn to think of an insult. In fact, it's a little cu- Perry thought then cut himself off. NO! I did not just think that.

"Anyway," the now extremely annoying psychiatric doctor continued as he headed for the door, "If you could contact someone to talk to me tomorrow, that would be fine." Pushing a business card and a pamphlet on different therapies into Perry's hands, the other doctor left the room.

Sending an agitated glare after him, Perry glanced down at what he'd been given. Dr. Gray? Perry thought with a snort as he turned the business card over in his hand. That's fitting.

"Dr. Cox?" came a feminine voice suddenly, tinged with an accent. It was Carla. "Who was that? And what are you doing here?"

Perry refused to show how embarrassed he was and covered it up by growling and speaking with scorn, not at Carla of course. She'd kick his butt. "That guy? Just some quack from the psychiatric ward. Said Newbie should start therapy or something tomorrow and someone needed to devote a lot of time to help him."

Carla seemed to remember that she had to work all day for the next two days because a saddened expression passed over her eyes, then she glanced up at Perry. A crafty gleam replaced the gloomy look.

"Dr. Cox, you're off tomorrow, aren't you?" she asked casually. Perry immediately gave a small laugh of disbelief.

"No, no, no! You can't possibly think that I'm going to give up my once-a-century off day where I can do whatever the hell I want just to help Gidget here out?" Perry ranted with a note of hysteria in his voice. Carla merely raised an eyebrow. "Oh no, you can't guilt me into this," he fumed as he stomped out the door, passing the papers into her hands. "You're strong Carla but you can't make me do this.

"I can't believe you got me to do this," Perry muttered in a half-growling, half-groaning tone. Carla gave him an irritated swat.

It was the next morning and, after a long lashing from Carla, Perry had been cowed into

"Well, I'm clocked all day for today and tomorrow, and Dr. Wen needs Turk until Todd recovers." She gave a shudder. "I have no idea how he could possibly eat for that long... And it was you who turned down Elliot's offer!"

Perry groaned as she brought the issue up again. "If I spent all day with Newbie and Barbie, I would have killed myself. But I can only just deal with Newbie now cause-" But Perry cut himself before the rest of that thought could roll off his tongue. Carla was glaring with enough venom to kill and he knew she'd figured out what he was going to say.

After a few moments of silence from him, Carla nodding as she walked off from the nurses' station, "Now that's what I thought. JD should be ready to go by his room so hurry up and head over there, alright?"

She didn't really wait for an answer as Perry pushed from the counter as well and sighed. I don't even know what I'm supposed to do, he thought irately as the door came into sight. There was JD, sitting with his knees to his chest by the door. He'd been redressed into his street clothes, causing to Perry to raise an eyebrow. JD was fiddling idly with his shoelace, that all-too-familiar blank look in his eyes.

Standing over JD, was Dr. Gray, who looked a tad anxious, clutching a clipboard to his chest. Upon seeing Dr. Cox, he gave a little jump then looked slightly relieved.

"Ah, Dr. Cox, I see you're the one who is going to help John today?" The psychiatric doctor asked cordially. Perry merely nodded, glaring. Dr. Gray gave an uncomfortable cough and continued. "Well, first of all I need you to sign a few things. I know I can trust a fellow doctor with a patient but this is required ..."

Perry snatched up the clipboard, plucking a pen from his coat pocket. Knowing better than to sign without reading, he glanced over the papers. It simply said that if JD were to be injured while under the care of Dr. Cox, his current psychiatric physician couldn't be held responsible.

The very notion that they thought he might hurt JD made Perry growl indignantly. He was a doctor for god's sake! And Newbie was his ... his what exactly? Perry thought this over for a second. His apprentice? His friend? A son-like figure? But he shook off his confusion and scribbled his signature down, passing the clipboard back.

Dr. Gray gave an unsure pause before speaking, "Well now, there are several things you can do to help John-"

"JD," Perry finally rasped, "Everyone calls him JD."

"Right," Dr. Gray replied, "There are several ways you can help JD. The first thing most people do is simple go around the patients most frequented places, like their house, a store that they go by often or even a park. Seeing familiar objects and places will help 'spark' his memory, so to speak."

Perry nodded, already irritated, "And then what?"

Once again, Dr. Gray looked miffed by his attitude, but answered anyway. "Then you bring the patient back here so I can assess his progress. Now, before you leave, be sure to take this, and this, just in case. And ... That should do it! Good luck, and take care. Remember, JD will need you to guide him wherever you go.

Giving an inward groan as Dr. Gray sped off toward the psychiatric ward, Perry looked over the paper he now had. It had a short list of symptoms JD might experience and he needed to watch out for. But Perry was already aware of most of them, so he folded up the paper and shoved it into his pocket before looking down at JD. JD looked up slowly to meet Perry's stare and smiled childishly.

"Come on, JD, it's time to go," Perry said as he pulled JD to his feet. "Just, follow ,e, 'kay kid?" He flashed JD a small, comforting smile but JD just blinked and cocked his head to the side. Perry resisted the urge to groan. This is going to be a long day.

i was actually planning to a lot more in this chater but the part with stuffy dr. gray lasted so long ... i suppose the next chapter will be, oh, what do you fanfic people call? fluffy?