elmo-doodle: I'm a bit hesitant to post this chapter... it makes me anxious incase I haven't written Perry properly . Oh well, I present this for your criticism!! And Happy Valentine's day...
Chapter Four
"I hate this!" JD whined as he lay on the couch in his and Turk's apartment.
Carla smiled at him sympathetically. It was a few days after Perry had appeared at the apartment and found out what was really wrong with JD. In a way she was glad that Perry now knew, because he was now helping ("It's nawt called helping, Carla: I'm just trying to stop people from dying.") out with JD's patients and he had taken over the responsibility for JD's interns whom, Carla had to agree with Perry, were "incompetent, uncaring bastards".
"Bambi, we will find out how to fix this," Carla said to him. She leaned over the back of the couch to look at him. He gazed up at her with heartbreakingly sad eyes. "Turk thinks he's found an email address for someone who knew the old magic man very well. He's going to send an email tonight."
JD sighed and nodded. "'Kay," he mumbled before reaching up towards Carla. "Help me up?"
Carla grinned and lifted JD up in to her arms. "Still haven't mastered the art of sitting up?" she asked.
"I have," JD protested and smiled innocently. "I jus' wanted to be held."
Carla scowled at JD and he giggled and gurgled a little. His speech had improved a lot since he had first been transformed, and he had managed to teach himself how to crawl about the apartment. He hadn't even attempted standing up yet.
"I needa sleep," he mumbled, rubbing his eyes.
"Okay, Bambi," Carla said, and she carried him in to his bedroom. "You take nap while I tidy up the apartment. I'll wake you in a couple of hours." JD yawned and nodded and Carla set him on his bed. He snuggled himself onto the blanket and seemed to fall asleep in seconds. Carla smiled at the almost-angelic look of peace that spread across his face as he nodded off.
Carla went out in to the living room and began to pick up bits and pieces of rubbish that had somehow been scattered about. She was cleaning for about half an hour when the phone began to ring.
"Hello?" she answered, cradling the phone between her ear and shoulder as she continued to tidy up.
"Sorry to bother you on your day off, sweetie," Laverne said, "but we need you to come in for a few hours."
"What?" Carla asked, astounded. "Why?"
"Two of the nurses who were meant to be working have caught the flu, and so did the on-call nurse," Laverne told her. "You're the last person I can ask to fill in the spot."
"I can't believe this," Carla sighed. "Are you sure there's no one else who could possibly work?"
"I'm sorry, honey," Laverne said, "but you're our only nurse who can fill in right now."
"It's okay, it's not your fault," Carla said, wondering what she was going to do with JD. She couldn't just leave him in the apartment on his own. "Laverne, is Doctor Cox working today?"
"No - it's his day off."
"Perfect," Carla said, grinning. "I'll be in as soon as I can Laverne; I've got an important errand to run first."
"No problem, sweetie."
* *
"Carla... please tell me that you're joking."
It was a little after 2pm when Carla showed up at the door to Perry's apartment with a small, packed rucksack and a sleeping JD safely nestled against her chest.
"I'm sorry, Dr Cox," Carla said, although she wasn't sounding very sorry at all. "Turk's working late tonight, and I have to fill in for a couple of sick nurses. Besides, you're the only other person who I could trust to look after Bambi."
"What about Barbie?" Perry asked, trying not to sound desperate. "Can't she watch Carol for a couple of hours?"
"Elliot's working," Carla stated. "So, it's on you. Enjoy, and don't be mean to him- he's just a baby."
"Carla..."
She glared at him. "What?"
Perry sighed. "Nothing... nothing."
Carla gave him a more sympathetic look. "I know you care about Bambi more than you let on. Don't you dare try to deny it," she said when Perry opened his mouth to protest. "This is your chance to show him that affection, because he's gonna be looking for it and needing it in his state. So, I can trust you?"
"...sure."
"Good boy," Carla smiled. "I have to go now. Remember- be nice to him when he wakes up." Carla handed the sleeping JD over to Perry without another word. She guestured to the bag which was resting on the floor beside her. "There's some toys in there to keep him entertained, and some food in case he gets hungry. There's also a jacket in case he gets cold."
"Right."
"Behave," she added. She reached out to stroke JD's hair and smiled before she turned and walked away.
Perry stood in the doorway in slight shock. When it finally wore off, he picked up the bag on the floor and carried it in to his apartment, absentmindedly kicking the door closed behind him. He winced as the door slammed, but JD only mumbled, shifted a little bit, and continued to sleep.
He set the bag on the floor beside the couch. He carefully lifted JD away from him and gently put him on top of the couch, with his head resting on one of the cushions. JD sighed and put his thumb in his mouth. Perry half-smiled.
"I can do this," he told himself. "It's only a few hours. I'll be fine."
* *
"Baby?" Turk said when he saw Carla writing on a file at the nurses' station. "What are you doing here? Where's JD?"
"I'm covering for two sick nurses, Turk," Carla explained as she picked up another file and began writing on it, "and I left JD with Doctor Cox."
Turk nodded and then did a double-take. "Doctor Cox?" he repeated, eyes going wide. "Baby... are insane?!"
"Relax, Turk," Carla said, "I made him promise not to hurt JD. He'll be fine; Doctor Cox will look after him." Turk was still looking unsure, so Carla leaned over the counter and placed a kiss on his lips. "Trust me, baby," she said. "I know Doctor Cox. He won't hurt Bambi."
"How can you be sure?" Turk asked.
"Because," Carla said, looking Turk in the eyes, "deep down, Perry really does care a lot for JD. And you know that JD really likes him, too."
"I know," Turk sighed, defeated. "But I don't like the idea of them being alone- especially in the state that JD's in."
"Oh my god, Turk, what do you think Cox is going to do?" Carla said.
"He's gonna be mean to my Vanilla Bear!" Turk whined. "He's gonna call him girl's names and make him cry!"
Carla managed to keep her composure for about a second before burst out laughing.
"Baby!"
"I'm sorry, Turk," she said, honestly. "They'll be fine. Doctor Cox won't make Bambi cry, but if he does, I'll make sure he doesn't get away with it."
Turk grinned and kissed Carla on the cheek. "I love you," he said.
Carla smiled. "I love you, too," she replied. "Now, get outta here - I've got a lot of work to do."
* *
Perry paced about his kitchen, occasionally pausing to take a sip of coffee and resume his action.
Dammit, Carla knows me too well, he said to himself. Of course I care for the kid- probably more than I should - but does she really think I can look after him when he's a baby? Jesus, he sighed and rubbed his hands over his face, this has been a really twisted week.
Perry looked out of the kitchen and over at the couch, where JD was still sleeping peacefully. He had rolled on to his stomach and he had one of his hands resting under his cheek. JD suddenly giggled lightly in his sleep, and it made Perry smile.
Okay... maybe this won't be too hard.
* *
When JD woke up he was more than confused. He opened his eyes to unfamiliar surroundings and found himself lying on something that was definitely not his bed. When he opened his eyes wider to take a good look at the room he was in, he suddenly realized that he did, in fact, look slightly familiar to him.
"What the hell...?" he gurgled as he sat up.
"Bad Newbie," said Perry from the kitchen, making JD squeal and jump in surprise. "Young children should not be saying those kinds of things."
JD dropped his mouth open in astonishment. "What? Where... how? Why...huh?"
Perry rolled his eyes and stepped further in to the room. "Great articulation there, Newbie," he said. "Carla was called in to cover some nurses who couldn't make it in," he explained. "For some reason she left you with me."
"Oh," JD said, wondering just how sane Carla was. She left me alone with Doctor Cox... oh my god! What if he kills me?!
"Sheesh, NewbieBaby, don't look so terrified," Perry said, and JD flushed in embarrassment. "I'm under strict rules from Carla nawt to be mean to you and to "look after" you."
"...Okay," JD replied, uncertainly. He wasn't exactly uncomfortably to have woken up and found out that he was in his mentor's apartment. No, he was more uncomfortable about the whole "man-crush-on-his-mentor" thing and, the cherry on the top, he was currently a baby.
Perry sighed when he noticed the hesitation in JD's face. "Carla left some toys," he said and he went to open up the bag that Carla had packed. He noticed some bottles of formula at the top. "Hungry, NewbieBaby?"
JD shook his head, but his stomach decided to betray him. It growled pretty loudly, indicating its objection to JD's answer. Perry smiled slightly.
"I'll go get some formula ready," he said, and he took and bottle in to the kitchen to prepare it.
JD watched as Perry left the room. He groaned inwardly at the situation that he found himself in. This is so humiliating, he said to himself. Carla is probably having a field-day thinking about this. He sighed and looked over at the back Carla had left. He could see some of the toys at the top, and the one-year-old part of him yearned to get them. He noticed, with disdain, that he was still on the couch. He looked over at the bag again and the longing became greater.
"This is crazy," JD muttered as he found himself gauging the distance between the couch and the floor. It wasn't that high. "I'm completely crazy," he repeated, but he found himself slowly crawling backwards anyway. When he felt that he had reached the edge of the couch, he paused, wondering how to go about the next step. He wasn't sure how strong his arms were, but...
Without really thinking it through, JD slowly slid his legs down over the edge of the couch. His arms weren't that strong, he discovered, when he suddenly lost his grip and slid off the couch, landing rather painfully on his side with a surprised cry.
Perry heard the noise in the kitchen and panicked. He quickly went back in to the sitting room and found JD lying on the floor on his side. "Newbie?" he said, crouching down beside him. "Are you okay?"
"Mmhmm," JD replied, but his eyes were shut tight in pain as he pushed himself up in to a sitting position. He could feel the tears building up, but he refused to let them fall, especially in front of Perry. Besides, he didn't want to cry. The stupid one-year-old did. He finally opened his eyes when he was convinced the tears would not escape.
"Are you hurt?" Perry asked again. He reached out to him but JD flinched at the action.
"'M fine," he said. "Side hurts a little..."
Perry sighed. "Okay... just what the hell do you think you were doing?"
JD winced slightly at Perry's tone and he couldn't stop the tears welling up again as the one-year-old felt the shame of being told off. "I was jus' tryin' to get down..." he mumbled, looking anywhere but at Perry.
"Jesus, Newbie, don't cry," Perry said in a softer voice. He didn't mean to upset the kid so much but... damn, if Carla finds out that he left JD alone and he got hurt... "I'm sorry, okay, kid? I didn't mean to shout."
JD looked up at Perry in shock, tears completely forgotten. Did he just apologize to me?
"For the record, Newbie," Perry continued, glad to see that he wasn't going to cry, "wait for me to help you in the future. Don't try that again."
JD sniffed and nodded. Hang on a second- in the future? He thought. Does he plan on baby-sitting me again? Who is this man, and what has he done with Doctor Cox? Hmm... maybe Carla has something to do with it... JD tilted his head to the side and got stuck in one of his fantasies.
"Oh, boy," Perry muttered.
~ "There we go, Perry," Carla, dressed in black with a white scientist coat and big-rimmed glasses on. "Comfortable?"
Perry, who was strapped in to a chair by chains shook his head and grunted. There was some strange metal bowl with a mass of wires connected to it sitting on his head.
"Don't worry," Carla said, moving away and revealing a kitten sitting on a chair behind her with a similar case on its head, "we'll have Mr Fluffles' mind inside of yours in no time."
Perry tried to pull himself free of the chair when Carla walked over to the wall and pressed a large red button that was on it. There was a giant bang, a flash of light and a little too much fake smoke. When it cleared, Carla looked over and saw Perry cuddling the kitten in his arms.
"Aww, aren't you an adorable little thing?" he cooed. "I just want to eat you with my coffee."~
"Get your feline mind-machine away from me!" JD said as he entered reality again. Perry quirked an eyebrow at him in amusement. "Hiya..." JD mumbled, embarrassed.
* *
For the next few hours, JD sat quietly in the den playing with his toys. Perry would alternate between watching the TV and watching JD. The kid had relaxed when he realised that Perry wasn't going to kill him, but he was still slightly wary around the older man. Perry couldn't blame him- he had spent the last five years tormenting the kid and demeaning him and calling him girls' names whenever he could. It was obviously going to be a shock when Perry was suddenly being nice to him. Perry himself didn't think he could manage it, but being out of the hospital seemed to take the hard-ass-bastard act away from him. And, actually realising that Carla was right in her assumptions about him... "caring" for Newbie, he was trying to be like how the kid had always wanted him to be.
When Perry's eyes flicked back to JD, he witnessed as he stretched his little arms and yawned widely. He lost his balance during the process and fell over backwards with a squeak of surprise. Perry couldn't help chuckling as he walked over to JD.
"You sleepy, kid?" he asked as he stood over JD, who looked up at him from lying on the floor.
"Mmh," JD hummed in answer, his eyes closing slightly.
Perry bent down and carefully picked JD up and settled him in his arms. JD blushed and looked positively embarrassed at being held by the older man. Perry rolled his eyes. "C'mon, Newbie," he said as he carried him out of the den. "You've been wanting a hug for five years, and I'm practically holding you now and you're embarrassed? Give me a break."
"This," JD said, waving one of his arms about for emphasis, "is humiliating. I hafta wear baby clothes an' get carried about! Woodn't you be embarrassed?"
"No," Perry said, casually.
"Lair."
Perry chuckled and set JD down on the bed in the guest room. "Get some sleep, Newbie," he said. "Carla will probably be here to pick you up when you wake."
"M'kay," JD mumbled, already falling asleep. Perry watched him as his breathing became more even and he settled in to a deep sleep.
Sighing, Perry left the room, leaving the door open slightly.
* *
Carla wasn't sure what was going to greet her when Perry opened his apartment door at 10pm. She had been needed at the hospital longer than she thought, and she was worried that Perry might have gotten fed up with JD, despite her earlier reassurances to Turk earlier.
She needn't have worried, since Perry opened the door and revealed himself holding a smiling JD against his chest.
"Carla!" JD said, reaching out towards her.
"Hello, Bambi," Carla responded as she lifted JD out of Perry's arms. "Sorry I took so long," she said to Perry, who had a strange look of peace in his eyes. "They needed me to work until one of the other nurses started the late-shift."
"Don't worry about it," Perry said, and he moved to the side to let Carla in to his apartment. "Newbie slept most of the time anyway."
JD almost scowled. "I can't help it," he said, pouting slightly. To Carla's amazement, Perry smiled at JD.
"Did you know that he snores?" Perry asked her.
"Do not!" JD objected.
Perry actually chuckled this time, and Carla felt like she must have stepped in to a different dimension or something. Did I miss something when I was away?
"Here," Perry said, handing Carla the rucksack that she had brought over earlier. He had re-packed it when JD was sleeping. "I think I put everything back in there, but if not, you can just pick it up next time."
Carla blinked. "Next time? Are you... are you actually volunteering in helping to look after JD?"
Perry frowned. "...yes?"
Carla shook her head slightly and looked at JD, who was smiling up at her. "Bambi," Carla said in lightly admonishing tone, "you broke him."
JD giggled and Perry glared at Carla. "What was that, sister?"
"Ah, thank goodness," Carla smiled. "I thought you had become irreparable." She smiled even wider when Perry growled. "Thank you for watching him today," Carla said, smiling gratefully.
"It was no problem," Perry said, putting his hands in his pockets.
Carla nodded. "Come on, Bambi, let's get you home."
"'Kay," JD said, and he waved at Perry. "Bye, Doctor Cox!"
"Bye, Newbie."
Perry watched as Carla picked up the rucksack and left his apartment. When the door shut, he found himself standing alone and feeling a little hollow inside.
Dear god, he thought, do I actually miss the kid?
elmo-doodle: Mmph, there you go- Perry looks after JD for the first time... ugh, I had fun writing this chapter, but I'm not too sure about it! Please review!! Baby!JD will hug you if you review!