My Choices
By: Selim
Summary: J.D. is offered the job of a lifetime, but there's only one thing in the way from his career's future and his personal future: Perry Cox.
Rating: M
Pairings: Perry x J.D., Various Canon
Warnings: Smex, slash, and OMC
Disclaimer: I do not own Scrubs nor am I making any money off this fiction.

"You haven't told him?"

J.D. found himself looking up at, unbelievably, the janitor's concerned face. For a second, the young doctor had lost his grip on his clipboard before he was able to return wide eyed attention to the large man carrying a mop around. "Told who what?" J.D. asked, looking through his charts. It'd be the last time he'd see some of these people before he handed them off to other doctors until his replacement were called up. Generally, he did have an idea of what the janitor was getting at. It'd been a few days since he signed his body away to another man, all to save Perry's job. Truth be told, J.D. couldn't find the courage to tell the man he loved that he was leaving. It wasn't something that just came up over dinner.

He actually did hope that Perry would realize that things that characterized their relationship had disappeared from the apartment. But the man was blissfully unaware that Rowdy was right at that moment on a plane heading to the new apartment, eager to mark his territory before J.D. could.

"That other Head Doctor wants to bend you over his desk." The janitor leaned in. "If you want, I'll tell for you."

"No, it's fine. I'll handle this on my own."

"What?" The Janitor grunted. "Are you saying just because I don't have some fancy degree that the police won't listen to me about how Scooter's getting sexually harassed by a man? I'll even tell on Mean Doctor if it makes you feel better. Saw that too." J.D. rolled his eyes at the old news of being seen being pushed by Dr. Cox into a storage room and leaving much later with bruises. Ted had already given him the domestic violence seminar brochures. Last thing he needed was the Crazy Janitor getting in his business to.

"Yes," J.D. breathed, "that's exactly why I don't want you to say anything." J.D. stormed off in the other direction. If telling on Washington were that easy, then J.D. would have been fast at doing so. So far it was his word against another man's. There was no evidence that the Chief of Medicine had even touched J.D. in a sexual manner. Besides, the older man had made it clear he had prior experience in coercing young doctors into his web of lies. Bonnie was already on her way to Baltimore and it made J.D. nervous if she too was a victim of the man's grabby hands. He at least had to make sure no one else was being raped. He had to find evidence, even with his own body. Elliot even loaned him the rape whistle! He was set.

Down the hall, leaving a patient's room, Dr. Cox was fuming as Kelso stalked him, smug as ever. Nerves shaking, J.D. rushed over between the two to stop all conversation from falling on the information that J.D. hadn't had the time to explain. "Dr. Cox!" Rushing over, J.D. put his chart up in the man's face, "I don't know what's wrong with him and—"

His rude interruption wasn't enough to delay Kelso, who laughed from his belly, "I've been receiving calls all week about you Dr. Dorian. I'm glad you made the right decision this time. I know it's going to be a big change, but you deserve it, but just remember when you're name is big who started you out. Sacred Heart should always be your first interest, no matter where you are and—"

"And Dr. Cox, you promised to meet me up in Kelso's office five minutes ago," J.D. raised his voice over the older man's, regaining Cox's attention. "You said we'd do it just to put Kelso in his place. Remember? You wanted to see if his chair can actually hold his weight and--"

"My god! My desk?" The old man shouted, looking over his shoulder towards his office. "I just got that refinished!" With an extra step, the old man was gone to check on his desk, chair, and anything else he could assume the two had tainted.

Turning back towards the older man, J.D. paused. The clipboard he'd forgotten mid air lowered, his only self conscious drawing it towards his chest. "I guess you know." He turned his head away, knowing that if he looked back at Perry he'd break. The man's disappointed look was worse than when he was angry. "I was going to tell you…before I left, I just couldn't find the words and…"

"Calm down Mary Jane. Of course I knew about you going to Baltimore. Any resident coming or going always goes through me. I've just been waiting for you to grow a pair and come forward without Kelso, but you proved otherwise just as always. Ugh, don't start crying." A rough thumb brushed up J.D.'s cheeks, wiping away wetness that J.D. was unaware had fallen. "Come here." He led the younger doctor into an empty room, the door locking behind him. Without being told, J.D. took a seat on the hospital bed as Cox looked through the cabinets for the tissues the hospital kept for when bad news was given to patients. Sitting on the bed, J.D. waited until he had control of his emotions before looking up at Cox expectantly. "I don't care, J.D. if you stay or go, it's your decision."

"Y, you cared when I did that case study back when I was an intern." J.D. sniveled.

Blue eyes narrowed in confusion before a chuckle escaped Perry's lips. "That's because you were jumping through Kelso's hoops rather than wanting to do it for yourself." Climbing on the bed himself, Perry pulled the younger doctor in his arms, head thrown back as he relaxed comfortably. Curling against Perry's chest, soaking in the accepting behavior, J.D. closed his eyes. "So…what was your reason to head out to Baltimore."

"I'll come back."

"Not what I was asking, Hilda"

"Not much, I guess…My professional future." J.D. turned towards the window, hoping that Cox would avoid the subject, but the man's hold tightened, stopping the younger doctor from rushing out of the room.

"That's nice to know, but how about the truth." Perry's hand brushed across J.D.'s belly, making the man squirm with a cry. "Just relax and tell me why you're really going. If you reached your half-ass decision because of Barbie, I'm hanging you out that window."

J.D. frowned. "Are we through?"

"Are you that eager to get back to that depressing reality?" Perry raised his hand towards the door where the bustle of the hospital was coming in. Beepers, voices, crying – a reality neither wanted to witness at that time.

"Not that." J.D. rolled his eyes, propping his leg around Perry's own. The two basked in the glow of each other, away from the reality that was their work. Just how things were supposed to be, J.D. supposed. He couldn't say he hated his job, by all means he had a lot of fun interacting with so many people on a daily basis, but it was the lack of time to one's self that always got him. "Our relationship, are we through because I'm going?"

Perry frowned. "I…don't know."

And J.D. knew the answer behind that. He knew how hard it was to have a relationship as delicate as his and Perry's, it would be near impossible over such a distance. "I have to go though." The smaller male tried breaking Perry's hold, wanting to run out of the room. But like brushing the older man's shoulder to storm past, it was an impossible task. Six pack abs meant strong, muscled arms and J.D. knew he couldn't break free from the arms that spooned him every night. "Let me go--!"

"Why, Newbie?"

"It doesn't matter!"

"Damn it, Nancy – answer me-!"

"Let go!" J.D. shoved himself back, throwing his hard head into the man's jaw, stunning the older doctor just enough to break his hold. Free, the resident rushed towards the door, his breathing heavy.

Though gruff, fighting back obvious anger, Perry's voice never faulted, "Why are you leaving?"

"Because of you!" J.D. finally shouted. "I have to leave for you! He knows! Kelso doesn't care too much that we're in a relationship as long as we don't do anything around him but Doctor Washington…he threatened your job. You're the attending! I was a fucking intern when we first slept together!"

"We were drunk then."

"We continued, Perry! He brought up your career getting put in front of the board. I don't want to be the reason you never get anywhere. I can't…" J.D. lowered his head.

"God damn it, Janine," Perry groaned. A groan of the hospital bed signaled the older man had stood up. Not jumping, J.D. visibly relaxed in the strong arms of his older lover, enjoying the warmth that emitting. Perry shifted the other man in his arms, turning the brunette to face him. "I. Can. Handle. Myself."

Shivering, J.D. closed his eyes. Why did the man have to be so close? Like an addiction, J.D. wanted more. "I know you can but…He said…"

"Just let them say what they want. Do you think Beelzebob can stay Chief of Medicine forever? Even Satan retires every few centuries." Perry laid his forehead against J.D.'s. The young doctor blushed, the warm breath of his lover smoothly coming across his face. "He's just hot air, kid. Cancel the transfer and stay here."

That would be so nice but… "I can't, I'm sorry and I understand if we're through." He was saved from having to explain himself any further by his pager going off. Unable to stare at the man who actually made him happy, J.D. left the room without looking back. Even the sound of a medical tray hitting the ground didn't detour his step.

He didn't return to Perry's apartment the rest of the week. Truth be told, he couldn't find the courage to approach the man he appointed his mentor, his lover, his (dare he say it?) friend. Instead he filled his remaining time with Turk and Carla, promising to come back anytime something cool happened, like birthdays or births in general. He even told Elliot that he'd be at her side the minute she cried for help. Jordan had also paid a visit, with Jack, to applaud him for making Perry a mess. Jack had made him a going away card anyway, wanting to share the finger painting, not completely aware that by the time J.D. did return, he wouldn't remember the man that kissed his "owies" away.

Boarding his flight had been the hardest thing to do. He had hoped that Perry would come in the airport to drag him back to Sacred Heart with the lame excuse that the patients needed him. Of course it wasn't the man's style to be such attention to himself and J.D. had boarded the flight to Baltimore without looking back.

His arrival to his new home wasn't nearly as fun as it could be. No one was there to pick him up, leaving him without Sasha. Forced to call a taxi, he told the driver his unsure directions to an apartment he didn't even set up. If he had, he wouldn't have selected something so…dorm-like. His apartment had four other occupants, each of their own rooms connecting to a living room-dining room center. J.D. was on the off side of the room, where two boxes sat outside, lacking a space for their own homes. Rowdy was somewhere inside, needing to be rescued. "This," J.D. smiled, "would have been a good game of find Rowdy if Turk was here." He looked at his dorm mates, hoping someone would agree to help him, but each returned to their medical journals, the last not even in the building. J.D. assumed that one was at work.

Not even half way through and still no Rowdy, J.D. did find his unmade bed in the wrong corner of his cramped room. Collapsing on it, J.D. remained on his belly as he fumbled with a box he had found of great importance. Inside were pictures of all his friends from Sacred Heart. They were the first things he was going to hang up, right above his bed.

He didn't know when he fell asleep, but he woke up to something crashing in the living room. Climbing out of bed, J.D. ran his fingers through his hair, tugging at a knot, as he made his way to the door. "Hello?" He looked through the dark room. Two figures moved from the couch, a roommate he hadn't met yet, and Washington. Releasing his hold on the drunken resident, Washington approached J.D.

"You made it here safe. Good, good. When do you start working?" Washington leaned against the door frame.

Hand tightening on the door knob, J.D. didn't falter his gaze. "I go in for orientation tomorrow and will be added to the schedule."

"I'll give you Saturdays off, for our date day."

Wait…J.D. looked around. There were five of them in there; did the man only work two day? He'd seen Kelso at the office every day, of course he was running from Enid but that wasn't the issue. "I am not dating Dr. Cox; I did not come here to sleep with you."

"All right then. Pack up your things." Washington crossed his arms.

"What?" J.D. glowered.

"Don't bother coming in tomorrow either. You're fired."

"On what grounds? Because I wouldn't take your sexual harassment?" J.D. stomped his foot. His mind played that someone in his pile of crap, Rowdy was barking up a storm at the man who dare make his owner upset.

"A resident whose resume was filled with lies. Slept with superiors, one Doctor Percival Cox, who put in recommendations. Resident has an inability to take orders. You do know dismissal from the medical field makes it hard to get another career in a hospital." Washington sneered. "We won't house you if—"

"…Saturday then. I'm tired from my trip, sorry." J.D. shut the door, crawling back into bed. In the darkness, he smiled as he saw the silhouette of Rowdy, hidden in a cave of boxes. "There you are buddy, did you find a good home?" Stretching across the small room, J.D. dragged his remaining friend over towards the door, "get him if he comes in." There was no way in hell he was going to spend his Saturdays with some old Chief of Medicine. He'd sooner do Ted's job of following Kelso around then spread his legs for Washington.

Hopkins was just like the pictures he'd always seen. It was too perfect. Having worked at Sacred Heart, J.D. hadn't realized that hospitals actually moved like well oiled machines. The doctors were as detached from their patients, the nurses ran everything from their stations, and the janitors and staff didn't attack lowly interns. In fact, the interns were nervous, fetching coffee for the attending while standing back without permission to even touch the patients unless it was something small such as putting an IV. J.D. felt as if he was doing a nurses job, unable to do a simple round with an attending following him. At least the Sacred Heart gave him room to breathe! Unless his idea was unorthodox, he didn't need to run everything through Kelso or Perry.

He did Bonnie the first day. She was shoving her surgical scrubs in a wash bin, furious with how things were going out. From being the best attending (even Turk couldn't compete) to being the worst, she couldn't stand how things had gone. "It's nice to see someone I know though," she smiled over her soup as the two took lunch, "Tom isn't coming in until next week. I haven't told him about Washington."

"You too?" J.D. clenched the table. He'd hear from the one roommate who'd come back his first night that Washington had two whole dorm floors of sleep mates, all who had a vow of silence. He only selected people who had a personal problem that could hold them back. George, the roommate, had slept with his professors in college whenever his grades dropped too much to lose his scholarships. There had been several others that hadn't come out and said what, but J.D. knew they too were being coerced into this.

"My parents are here illegally. They worked several jobs to get me into medical school and since then I've been helping them. I'm legally a citizen, but I don't think I could stand living here with just Tom if my parents were deported." Bonnie chewed on her lettuce. "I'm scheduled with him on Thursdays and plan to pull a couple of menstrual cycles to get out of this."

J.D. smirked, "Wish I had an elaborate excuse."

"Is he holding Doctor Cox over you?"

"Yea." Moving his soup around the bowl, J.D. sighed. "I want to go home."

"We won't be residents forever."

"I jump off the roof first."

Bonnie smirked, "Only if you can beat me there."

Saturday had come and gone. To J.D.'s amusement, Washington left because of a call from the board about the recent jump in the number of residents and interns. At the same time, he had a call from Turk, saying that Carla was throwing up and he thought she was pregnant. For extra effect, J.D. remained on the phone with the man until the small object died.

He doubted he would be nearly lucky with his second week visit approaching so fast. Bonnie was working that day, so he couldn't just run off to explore the area and he wasn't comfortable enough heading out on his own, even if it meant he could get away from Washington. Breathing deep, J.D. leaned against the nurse's station to wait for a patient's medical file to be handed over. There was a young African American nurse who he'd nicknamed Laverne (only in his head) as well as a Hispanic nurse in back he called Carla. Though try as he might, none of them wanted anything to do with him. He needed an overbearing Nurse to mother him, was that so much to ask?

"Doctor Dorian!" Washington's joy filled laugh came up towards him. The older man leaned against the counter, closer than he should publically be. J.D. tensed, feeling a smooth shoulder brush against his own. "Have you thought about our date tomorrow? I want to show you Baltimore. I have a sunny cottage we can spend the afternoon to talk about your…up and coming career." He came in closer, his warm breath against J.D.'s neck, as if leaving behind a secret.

Swuuuuu-!

J.D. jerked back as a sharp whistle came down the hall. The hall fell silent as all eyes turned to see who was being loud. Coming down the hall, looking a mess, was a curly haired blond man that made J.D.'s blood turn to ice. "Doctor Cox!"

"What the hell…" Washington whispered. "Doctor Cox, what a pleasure to have you in my hospital! What can I—"

"Put a sock in it. Newbie, come!" Perry waved his hand, fixing his lab coat. Patient files at hand, J.D. took off after the man he hadn't expected to see again in a million. "This is the key to my new apartment on South Fifth Avenue, room sixty-fifty-eight. And do not ruin the carpeting with your make up."

"Doctor Cox…what are you…" J.D. blinked as Perry stopped by an office for a doctor who worked part-time at the hospital, the rest of the time at the university. Said doctor was just leaving the office, his bald head hidden under a hat. The man stopped, his face brightening when he saw both men. "Um…" J.D. stopped.

"So you must be D.J.!" The man laughed. The resident froze. A friend of Jordan's. "Jordan told me so much about you when she forced me to take Percival under my wing. You're just like she described, albeit a little taller than I imagined. I'd go gay for you too, good catch." He patted Perry's arm.

"You went into private practice?" J.D. looked over at Perry, his eyes wider than ever.

"I did nawt go into private practice."

The bald man just laughed, hands leaving his trench coat pockets. "Apparently his little dog went under Timothy Washington and it wasn't enough for me to watch out for this D.J. kid, Percival just had to rush over and beg for a job. Best hour of my life. I'm going to ride him like a two dollar pony."

Perry gave a sarcastic laugh, "I'm only here because this place needed my great skills. The rumor that Washington wanted Beatrice's body meant nothing. I'm going to work." The older doctor stormed into the small office, slamming the door behind him.

Still smiling, the balding man held out his hand, taking J.D.'s. "Doctor Ges Newman, Percival's old professor when he was a student. Hasn't changed much. Don't worry about Washington, he's as corrupt as can be but we'll get him out of office. A lot of people want that spot, most who know of Washington's less than legal antics. He's sharp – condoms, baths, douches – everything is cleaned up to avoid a rape kit. But his luck will fail him some time. We just don't want you to be another victim of his countless. If you want, switch over to my practice. I really don't care what you and Percival do when I'm not looking, but the patients come first, sex second, relationships third, and maybe a good bath fourth. Understand?"

"Yes sir," J.D. nodded, "But I have to stay in the hospital; I want to watch out for Bonnie."

"I see…" Newman brushed his fingers over his chin, thoughtful. "Perry says you have a stuffed dog."

"Rowdy, yes."

"Is he up for a trip to a doctor?"

J.D. just blinked.