oh, how i torture poor perry but i threw in a fun little twist here. as JD will soon say, what can go wrong?

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?

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 ...

Song of the chapter: none for this chapter. maybe it was a one time thing...

Regular text.

"Speaking."

Thinking.

(Author's notes within story.)

Chapter Five: A Stroll Through the Rain

Perry cursed under his breath, slamming his fist against the steering wheel as he attempted to start the car one last time. The engine didn't even give a sound. With a vicious growl, Perry looked up through the windshield and saw the rain really beginning to pour but, with no car, they had no choice but to walk anyway.

After fishing through the contents on the floor of the backseat, Perry located a jacket with a hood. He glanced from the jacket to JD to the jacket again then sighed and dropped it in the oblivious man's lap. He then climbed out of the car and almost instantly became soaked as he worked his way around to the passenger's side.

JD stared up at Perry with his gray eyes blank as ever and didn't protest when Perry pulled him into the ran. He did, however, shake his head and wipe his face as rain ran down his forehead into his eyes. Perry rolled his eyes and grabbed the jacket that he'd planned to wear but helped JD into instead.

"C'mon, Newbie. It's a long walk," Perry said, holding JD by the wrist and leading him onto the city sidewalk. A roll of thunder boomed overhead and JD jumped in fright, clinging to Perry's arm with a whimper. Surprisingly, Perry couldn't find it in himself to be angry or even annoyed and just continued walking through the silver mist thrown up by the rain.

As they came to an intersection, Perry glanced up at the street signs and growled. It's at least ten blocks to my apartment, and fifteen to the hospital, Perry thought, frowning, I don't know how long JD can hold out. As Perry looked at the younger man shivering and the absolutely deserted street, he resolved to just plow through it and if JD couldn't make it, well, he'd just have to carry him, wouldn't he?

Another blast of thunder roared, this time closer, and immediately afterwards Perry saw a forked streak of white light flash in the dark clouds. JD froze, staring where the lightning had appeared and vanished before blinking water out of his eyes.

"Newbie, you alright?" Perry said, prodding him in the ribs with his elbow. JD then relaxed, as if being released by vision, and blinked at Perry. Perry beat down that flare of hope in his chest that maybe JD had gotten his memory back, vaguely feeling that he shouldn't feel so involved with someone who supposedly bothered him so much.

But countering that hope was an odd fear. Would there ever be another moment where it would be okay for JD to walk down the street holding Perry's arm? Would JD have ever wanted to hold Perry's arm if he'd been in his right mind? Suddenly Perry blinked his eyes wide as these thoughts passed through his head. What? What?! I'm not thinking this. Why am I thinking this? Why should I care whether or not it would be socially acceptable for me and Newbie to hang out without my emotional barrier of anger?

"But it wouldn't matter if I called you Martha or Newbie or even JD right now. You wouldn't remember it when you got your memory back," Perry mused. JD just blinked blankly and Perry noticed how odd JD looked with his hair soaked flat. "So this-" he continued, motioning to how JD clutched his arm, "-never happens again? I mean, your friends wouldn't mind seeing just how much of a girl you are but this would ruin me. And those nurses would just start gossiping away about how Dr. Cox has gone soft." Perry knew that wouldn't be the only things they'd gossip about.

Suddenly there was a brilliant flash of light, effectively blinding Perry for a full three seconds as lightning struck a telephone pole. Thunder crashed in the air around them and sparks rained from the cables. Perry, covering his face with his hands, grabbed JD and pulled him several feet away, onto the street, seeing as he wasn't doing anything thing to protect himself from getting burned. It was all over in a few seconds, though Perry noticed that lights were going out in windows everywhere.

It was just after this that JD was suddenly wrenched from his grasp. The rainwater had gathered like rivers at the sides of the street, effectively knocking the smaller, clumsier JD off his feet.

Perry's eyes widened, heart racing from the adrenaline rush that wanted him to save JD. JD was sprawled, eyes sealed, on the street, shivering thoroughly, as the stream parted around him. Perry pulled him to into a sitting position, keeping a firm grip on him this time, and crouched beside him. He shook his shoulder with his teeth grinding in worry. You gotta be kidding me. He already hit his head once and now he's cracked his skull on the street! JD, c'mon JD, don't do this-

His eyelids fluttered and a rasping groan left his throat. For a moment, he looked around, brow knitted in confusion, then he looked up at Perry and his eyes blinked wide. "Did you-" he stuttered, "Did you just call me by my name?"

What? Is he losing his mind? Perry thought, still kneeling in the water on the curb. "No, why?"

JD stood up shakily, still obviously confused by his surroundings. "I'm not losing my mind," he said a tad indignantly, then answered his mentor's question, "Because I heard you say, 'JD, c'mon JD, don't do this.'"

By the time they reached the hospital, Perry had filled JD in on the details, such as why he was fifteen blocks from the hospital in the rain with Dr. Cox and why it was Tuesday afternoon rather than Monday morning, which was the last time JD remembered. Occasionally, JD would look at him strangely when he thought worriedly if JD remembered or would later remember what he'd said.

"So you're saying that the Janitor 'accidentally' tripped me," JD said as they approached the front steps, putting quotation marks around accidentally, "And I lost my memory for a day and a half. And it was you who volunteered to help me get it back?"

Perry rolled his eyes with a growl. "If there had been anyone else available, I promise you, I'd have been out of here but there wasn't, and the longer therapy is help off, the less of a chance someone's memory can be recovered. Carla would have killed me if I'd held off and ended up causing damage by not doing anything."

JD's eyes flickered as he sensed something odd from Perry, like he could feel a lie, or hesitation of some sort, but he shook off the sensation and looked down as he climbed the steps. Then he gave a small laugh.

"God, we are soaked!" JD exclaimed and shook his head, sending water drops flying from his hair. Perry raised his hand halfheartedly to block them, already well aware that they were wet by the way his clothes clung to his skin uncomfortably. Suddenly, there was a blur to his left and someone smacked his head. Responding in true Dr. Cox fashion, he whirled around to meet this person with a snarl and one or two swear words.

It was Carla, tight-lipped in anger. "What is the matter with you?" she demanded with a prod in the chest, before Perry could get a word in. "You have been gone for almost five hours with a defenseless JD and not a single return from your pager or cell phone."

Instinctively, Perry felt his back pockets to find both items missing. Must've left the damned things in the car, he thought with a groan. "Sorry Carla, ran out of gas and I forgot'em. Plus, I have more bad news."

"What?" Carla said, eyes wide.

"Our favorite gal got her memory back," Perry said as he pulled JD to stand in front of him. JD smiled with his teeth and blinked.

Carla poked him hard in the chest as well. As JD yelped and rubbed the now-forming bruise, Carla ranted in an odd mix of fury and relief, "How dare you make us to worry so much, JD! I hope you have a very good explanation for causing this much trouble because if you don't, I'm going to hit so hard-"

"Carla, whoa," JD said, holding his hands up in a placating manner, "Does losing all my memory and taking a blow of solid concrete to the head count? I'm sorry I made you worry so much, but you know, the car not working when it's already a forty-five minute drive in the first place really slowed us down." JD gave a slightly sheepish grin. "Plus, I nearly got struck by lightning and I slipped and knocked my noggin on pavement." JD ruffled the hair on the side of his head to show where the skin was broken.

In a heartbeat, Carla's expression changed from furious to concerned. She took JD by the hand and shot Perry a look of pure venom as she led him away. "How could you let JD hit his head again when you were supposed to be helping him with therapy?" she accused and left with JD smiling and giving him a sympathetic look.

Perry stood speechless as the past day went through his mind: letting JD cling to his arm in public, driving like, an hour to the park, running out of gas, walking through the friggin' rain that he despised so, and now Carla was accusing him of not trying?

"It's okay, Dr. Cox," JD called from the hallway, voice fading as Carla pulled him farther and farther away, "I know you tried hard to help me."

Only able to stare in horror as one or two heads turned, Perry realized two unbearable things at once: first of all, JD seemed to be able to read his mind, if not all minds and secondly, he and now several others now thought that he had voluntarily helped him. This day was not going so hot.