Hello all! Here's chapter 17 for you all. Also, Shadydrmr gets a virtual cookie for catching my mistake. I had completely forgotten about the fact that Perry would still be in hospital clothes when he went to the party. However, you are aloud to wear your own clothes in the hospital and I like to think that Perry had been wearing a loose t-shirt and those ugly pants like the ones he gave to Turk for the baby shower. The situation would've been just a bit too awkward had he only been in a hospital gown. Still, I'm sure it's just another thing he'll hold against JD.

As for Chris Warrender, it's just a name I made up for Perry's new ID. Chris because that's what the 'C' stands for in John C. McGinley.

Lawyers: Our client does not own Scrubs or Dead Like Me, nor is she gaining any profit by writing this story. Don't sue her.

Chapter 17

JD's POV

A distant knocking woke me from my sleep and a drowsy glance at my alarm clock told me it was six in the morning. The knocking continued and I realized that it was someone knocking on the front door. With an annoyed groan, I dragged myself up off my bedroom floor (I still haven't slept in the bed since Dan left), and stumbled through the darkness of the apartment to the front door. Looking through the peep-hole, I saw Dr. Cox standing on the other side, looking rather annoyed himself, and sighed before opening the door.

"What do you want?" I whispered, wary of Carla and Turk who were still asleep and had to get up early for a shift.

"I'm borrowing your credit card." he stated, not even asking.

"What, no 'please'?" I growled irritably.

"I need more clothes than just the ones you let me borrow," he said. "They don't even fit me right."

"I'm not giving you my credit card," I hissed. "Knowing you, you'd by a car with it."

"Well, I do need a car," Dr. Cox pointed out. "A cellphone would be helpful too."

A cellphone would be helpful. I could contact him whenever I needed to for reaps.

"You couldn't have asked me this yesterday?" I asked, wondering why he was even up at this hour. "You couldn't have waited until later on when people are actually awake?"

"I couldn't sleep," he admitted. "Figured I'd get this out of the way."

"Stores won't even be open," I murmured, absentmindedly running a hand through my hair.

"Is that a 'no' on the credit card thing?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

The phone started ringing.

"Hold that thought," I said before walking over to pick up the phone before it could ring again and wake up Carla and Turk.

"Hello?"

"Joey, honey!"

"Hey Mom," I sighed. Since Dan wasn't around to relay the message, she had become the one giving me my reaps. "Hold on, let me get a pen."

As I moved around the apartment with the cordless phone, searching for a pen and some post-its, Mom asked, "So how's the new guy doing?"

"He's doing pretty well considering the situation and all," I said while picking up a pen. "Asking for money."

"Tell him to get a job," she said as if it were the simplest solution in the world.

"That won't exactly help him at the moment with food, clothing, and transportation," I explained.

It was all stuff he'd need before he could pick up his first paycheck. He'd at least need a nice pair of clothes that fit him if he were to go in for a job interview.

"Well, he could do what Dan always did," she suggested.

"He's not gonna rob a bank, Mom," I sighed, picking up a pad of post-its.

"I could wire you some money if you really need it," she sighed. "I just got the inheritance from my latest husband, so I have extra cash to spare."

"You're a life saver mom," I said gratefully.

"He still has to get a job," she said sternly.

"I'll be sure to tell him," I said, then asked, "So what do you have for me today?"

I scribbled all the information down before saying goodbye and hanging up with the promise that I would keep in contact. I had three reaps to take care of today, and Dr. Cox had two. I sighed before walking back over to Dr. Cox and facing the inevitable.

"So about that credit card?" Dr. Cox asked.

"No credit card," I said, shaking my head. "Mom's wiring some money down though. I can get it to you later sometime today."

"When you say 'mom', do you really mean your mom?" he asked curiously.

"No," I said, lowering my voice so that only he could hear me. Turk and Carla may be asleep, but you could never be too careful. "She's the head of our division. She also says you have to get a job."

"I'll be sure to get right on that," he said insincerely.

"I have two jobs for you today," I said as I passed over his post-its. "I'll meet you at the hospital for the first one and I'll give you your money then."

He stared down at the two post-its for a long time, not saying a word, before looking back up at me with weary eyes and saying, "Yeah.. See you then."

He turned and left. I stared down the hall and watched him go, feeling a little worried. Your first reap was always hard.

Perry's POV

It was nine in the morning when I showed up at Sacred Heart for my nine-twenty... appointment. As I walked through the halls on my way to the room listed on the post-it, I wondered how I could possibly come to this hospital for what is likely to be everyday and not see the people I once knew. As much as they have annoyed me and as much as I have avoided them in the past, I just couldn't write them out of my life... afterlife so easily.

I don't care how long Newbie's been doing this, I'm not about to let him pull rank over me and stop me from seeing them. I'll just have to go behind the kid's back when I see them; should be easy enough.

After dragging my feet and delaying the inevitable as much as I possibly could, I finally reached the room of my very first reap. Newbie was already there, standing by the door, and sent me a reassuring smile. I rolled my eyes at him before looking down at the name on the post-it.

D. Morgan

I glanced up at the name tag by the door. Dexter Morgan. Yup, it's a match and I had about five minutes before Dexter here buys the farm.

"Good luck," Newbie said as he pushed me through the door. "I'll be waiting in the cafeteria with your money when you're done."

He made it sound like I was a paid assassin.

I closed the door behind me before walking over to the dark haired man laying still in the bed. A touch of my hand was all it would take. It was easy enough, but could I really do it? I didn't know this man, he hadn't been one of my patients. You'd think that'd make it easier. I didn't know him, so I shouldn't feel any remorse for ending his life. Newbie said it wasn't killing, but I couldn't really see a difference between killing and reaping. They stopped living either way, right?

Come on Perry, you can't wuss out now. Man up and get the job done.

Looking away, I dragged my hand over Dexter's arm. He flat-lined as soon as I did. His five minutes were up.

"This is certainly an interesting situation," a voice said thoughtfully from behind me, and I turned around to see the soul of the man I had just reaped. "Am I dead?"

I nodded and Dexter didn't look bothered in the least by the news. Clearing my throat, I said, "We should go."

"Of course," Dexter said, following me out of the room without hesitating. He was taking everything surprisingly well. I wondered if everyone became more carefree when they died. I sure as hell didn't.

I walked down the hall with Dexter beside me keeping my pace. I had no idea where I was going or what I was supposed to do next. All Newbie had said was that we were supposed to watch them until they moved on, but how long was something like that supposed to take? This job should come with an instruction booklet.

Thinking of no better place to go, I brought Dexter to the employee's lounge. There were a couple nurses sitting around watching TV, but they didn't seem to notice us.

"What are you supposed to be?" Dexter asked with mild curiosity as we both sat down on an empty couch.

"A grim reaper, I guess," I said shrugging.

"Interesting," Dexter said. "So what happens next, Grim?"

I mentally winced at the nickname, but brushed it off and answered, "I wait for you to pass on. You know, bright lights and all that crap. There might be a tunnel somewhere along the way, but I'm not exactly sure."

I was bullshitting at this point because honestly, I had no idea what happens when someone passes on. It was a detail Newbie failed to explain to me.

"Bright lights," Dexter said, amused. "Somehow I don't think that's the welcoming I'll be receiving."

"Been naughty in your living years?" I asked with a smirk.

"You could say that. Truthfully, I never thought I'd die this way. I always figured that one day I'd slip up and be found out," Dexter mused. "Then spend the rest of my life on death row. The plague was a surprising twist."

"Death row?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. "Don't you think that's a little harsh?"

"Not for a monster like me," he said without a hint of remorse in his voice. "You and I are a lot alike, Grim. Misunderstood dark creatures of this world. I kill the truly evil people who are too dangerous to be left alive, and you take care of everyone else."

I stood up and stepped away from the man who lowered his mask and revealed to me the monster behind. A small, self-righteous part of me felt it was okay that Dexter Morgan died today, but the rest of me felt defensive. In no way were we alike. I just briefly touch the person who is to die; that's much less personal than whatever it is he had been doing. It also wasn't as if I were the only one. The party was proof that there are lots of other grim reapers in the world.

Besides, Newbie said it wasn't killing. He's been doing this longer than I have, so I'd think he knows what he's talking about. No, grim reapers weren't killing people. We were.. We were... What the hell were we doing?

Suddenly, a dark red glow seeped out of the tiled floor and spread across a good portion of the room at a quick pace, forming a large crimson pool. None of the nurses noticed it was there and continued to watch the television. I stepped away from the dark red light that looked suspiciously like blood, but Dexter's eyes lit up with a childish joy at the sight of it.

"My exit, I take it?" he asked without fear.

Seeing no other explanation for it, I nodded. Without another word, Dexter stepped into the glowing red pool. His body transformed into pink and white lights that sunk down into red pool on the ground. As soon as he was gone, the dark red light evaporated into a light red mist before disappearing completely.

I slumped back down onto the couch and held a hand to my head as I took a moment to compose myself.

"Movies and TV shows sure had the happy, bright light thing wrong," I muttered with a sigh before getting to my feet and heading down to the cafeteria.

"Wow, you had a real creeper for your first one," Newbie said after hearing an edited version of my first reap.

I shrugged in response. Seeing that I had nothing left to say, the kid pulled a bank envelope out of his pocket and handed it over to me. I opened it up to see a good couple thousand dollars in it.

"Make it last," Newbie said. "It's all you're getting from mom and right now you have more money than me. You should probably get a temporary job in the meantime."

I grunted as I folded up the envelope and slipped it into my pocket. I'd get a job when I felt like, not when Cindy over there tells me to.

I got up from the table and turned to leave. As I walked away, Newbie called after me, "Remember, you have one more person you have to take care of today!"

'Take care of'? That's a great way of putting it, kid.

I left the hospital with no intention of returning that day. This whole time, Newbie kept telling me that I have to do this, that I basically don't have a choice in the matter. Apparently he's forgotten about a little thing called 'free will.' No, I will not be a part of this and will not keep doing this.

Let Newbie deal with the person because I quit.

That's the end of chapter 17. The character Dexter Morgan belongs to Jeff Lindsey and also stars on Showtime's Dexter.(another great show that you should all check out).

Next chapter we see the consequences of what happens to a person when their grim reaper doesn't show.

Review please!