Prompt day 3 swap: Wherever You Will Go - The Calling
Summary: space angst
Here's the prompt list if you want to join in
We stan AO3 in this house
Beck honestly knew he was not the biggest asshole on the planet because he wasn't on the planet. He hadn't been for some time and he still had a long time before he'd be back on Earth once they rescued Watney. If they could rescue him. If they could get back safely.
He was admittedly the biggest asshole in space though. All because he decided that the best course of action of your life and his life was to end the relationship of two years. He was logical about it. This whole venture was going to be two years now. That would have been two years of the most extreme long distance relationship. It wasn't fair to you. So, with NASA reading his emails, he ended things. The response was the most professional fuck you he had ever read because again, NASA was reading things.
He didn't know what the future held. He didn't know if they could save Watney. He didn't know if they would come home. At least you could get a goodbye this way. But now in the aftermath and the hurt, because it did hurt him, he remembered the lyrics of an old song his parents played.
‘Who will be there to take my place…’ would you move on? Who would be the next guy? Would they be more successful than him? He was a doctor and an astronaut. How do you compete with that? Well, he figured, they wouldn't leave the damn planet. Would you wait for him to come home and rekindle things? Maybe he could find a way to make it back to you someday. Maybe you'd let him be friends and exist in the periphery of your life.
Lots of maybes. Lots of unknowns. He wished he could go wherever you’d go.
Character: pre-serum Steve Rogers (first time writing him, please don't hurt me)
Prompt day 2: I Wanna Be Bad - Willa Ford
Summary: you help Steve after a fight
Here is the promptlist if you want to participate
This is also on AO3
You and Steve were sitting on the couch in the apartment he shared with Bucky. You were gently trying to clean a cut on his jaw, a remnant of his most recent fight for justice. “You really need to stop finding these fights,” you murmured. It seemed Steve was trying to stand up for some other little guy every week.
Steve shrugged. “Those guys need to pick on someone their own size. I was just making it a fair match.” Steve was nowhere near the size of those other guys.
“I'm glad Bucky came along when he did. At least that gave you the advantage.” Bucky had saved Steve's neck once again. It was an uncanny sixth sense he seemed to possess.
Steve scoffed. “He hates fighting like that. He'd rather be in a ring. He says I'm bad at it, both in the ring and on the street.”
“You make bad look so good then,” you said watching as his ears turned pink.
“If you like bad, I'm bad at everything,” Steve teased.
You couldn't help but let out a small laugh. This was why you enjoyed being around Steve. He made you laugh. Conversing with him came naturally. He even let you look at his sketches. You knew Steve wasn't bad at everything.
“I wouldn't say everything…the couple times we've kissed were nice.”
You weren't sure if his face could go pinker.
“If that was bad then you made bad feel good,” you said and set down the rag you were using to clean his face. “There, the bleeding has stopped. You'll probably have a scar. I'm sorry.”
“It'll just add to my bad boy image is all. That's the thing you go for, right? Bad boys?”
It was your turn to feel warmth spread across your face.
It's Scribbles time again! Here's the prompt list if you want to participate. I'm going to try and do as many as possible but like last time, it probably won't be every day though. Anyway here's day one. This also will not be a series like last time. That was challenging.
This is part of the Goodnight Moon universe
Character: Brendon Park
Prompt day 1: Joy to the World - Three Dog Night
Word Count: 300
Summary: Toddlers can be hard to understand
Guess what this is on AO3 too
“DADDY! BOOFOG!” The exclamation came loudly from the backseat.
“Buddy, I'm in the same car. You don't have to yell,” Brendon said trying to figure out what ‘boofog’ was.
“Boofog!” He said again, jamming away to some tune in his little head.
Brendon racked his brain as he drove along. Was this a Disney song? “Do you want me to play Disney?”
“NO! Boofog!”
“Baby, I don't know what Boofog is.”
The child proceeded to try and hum the tune to a song Brendon was sure did not exist. “Boofog, Daddy.”
Brendon worked a lot of hours. He knew this. But he didn't think he had worked so much during his son's life that he would need a translator to help with this simple request.
Brendon called you up. “Hey B, how's the errands?”
“Nearly done. What's Boofog?” Brendon asked, trying to say it like your son.
A silence followed. Brendon could almost picture a buffering symbol. “What?”
“Sing the song, Bud,” Brendon requested.
“Der Mi Boofog,” he sang. If there was a tune to the song neither of you knew it.
“I got nothing. Maybe it's something he heard with your parents.”
“NANA BOOFOG!” the little boy exclaimed.
Brendon hung up and called his mom. “Hi sweetheart, the kids are fine.”
“What's Boofog?”
“Come again?”
Brendon went through the same exercise with his son again singing the song.
A laugh came through the phone. “Brendon, that's Joy to the World by Three Dog Night.”
Brendon nearly swore. “What?”
“He's singing ‘Jeremiah was a bullfrog’.”
A sigh exited Brendon's body and he ended the call with his mother. He pulled up the song on Spotify and as soon as it started playing his son started dancing in his car seat and singing his version of the song. Brendon sighed again.
Author's Note: Y'all get TWO fics this week because inspiration struck twice yesterday. Please forgive any medical inaccuracies. Also, insurance is a pain in the ass even in the fiction world which is why Brendon goes about the way he does. I'm down to answer any questions. I promise I had a vision and hope it comes across.
Word count: 895
Read this on AO3
There's a saying that doctors made the worst patients and you very much believed it. You believed it three weeks ago when you got a phone call from a man from Brendon's gym saying he'd hurt himself and that he'd been taken by ambulance to PTMC. That had definitely woke you up from your half asleep state. Brendon would not have willingly gone by ambulance if he didn't think it was serious. You asked what the injury was and the man said it was probably a torn hamstring, per Brendon, since he couldn't walk or put weight on it. You grimaced.
You thanked the man and said goodbye and raced to get dressed and to the hospital. This was most definitely not good. The drive to the hospital was a blur. You were let back into the ER quick.
You noticed the hesitant and almost fearful expressions on some of the staff’s faces. You knew Brendon had a reputation. You just didn't think it was this bad. Although you were attributing that to his pain.
A nurse stopped you as you headed for Brendon's room. Her badge said her name was Dana and she was the charge nurse. You'd heard about Dana. Brendon liked her. She didn't mince words most of the time. “Are you here to see that patient?” She pointed to the room that the front desk staff had said was Brendon's.
“Brendon Park, yes? He's my husband. Why?” This made you nervous. Has something happened to him between the time you got the call and now?
Dana nodded that Brendon was who she was talking about. “He's been…interesting…this morning. He's not used to being on the patient side of things so he's been a bit of a challenge.”
“Yeah I heard he can be an asshole.”
You could almost see the relief flood Dana’s face. “That is most definitely the case here. He and I have had a little chat about his attitude but I wanted to let you know he's not in the best mood for visitors right now.”
You nodded. “Duly noted. I'll keep it brief.” You then heard rather than saw Brendon.
“I don't need a fucking CT scan, Abbot. I need an MRI. This isn't a damn fracture.” The MRI would show the tear better, you agreed with Brendon there, assuming it was a tear. Brendon had explained the differences a few years ago when you needed an MRI for your shoulder. MRIs showed tissue damage better than a CT scan.
“We're covering all our bases, that's all. You'll still get the MRI.”
You walked in and heard Brendon growl. You could tell he was in a lot of pain and that whatever medicine they had given him hadn't fully kicked in yet. “Hey sweetheart.”
His face relaxed a little bit. “How did you find out?”
“One of your gym bros called.”
He looked momentarily confused. “Oh. I guess I did tell him to call.”
Abbot looked between the two of you. “Still ordering the CT.”
“It's a tear. CT won't be much help.”
Abbot sighed. “We don't know that.”
“I'm in Ortho. I see three of these a month. It's a tear if the knot on the back of my leg is any indication.”
Abbot just put his hands up and walked out.
“You should be nicer. They are doing their best.”
He scoffed but waved for you to move closer. Once you were close he opened up, quietly. “It feels awful. I can't even put it into words. I can't walk on it. I know it's a tear though.”
You hugged him and nodded. “I don't doubt your expertise.”
Brendon had been both right and wrong. It was a tear but it wasn't muscle like he thought. It had been a tendon and that would set him back more than he'd liked. He had surgery a week later, trusting his office partner to do the job. The surgery was a success but there was only so much they could do.
He was now going stir crazy. Is this what he did to his patients? He was non-weight bearing for the next 6 weeks. His leg was in a brace and he hobbled around on crutches.
“This is ridiculous,” he said.
You sighed. This conversation happened at least once a week. “I know, but you're the doctor. You know why you're supposed to be this way.”
“It's bullshit. I need to research ways to avoid this ‘can’t do shit’ period.”
“You've got 6 more weeks minimum.” The reality was he had more than that to research. While he might be able to see patients in office in a couple more months, it would still be a while before he could operate.
He sighed. “This sucks,” he said pathetically.
You sat next to him on the sofa. “I know. But you know these precautions are so you heal correctly. If your patients can do this, so can you. And it just gives more encouragement to your patients because you've been through it. You aren't just talking out your Ortho ass.”
He gave a half hearted glare. “You're so kind. What would I do without such words?”
You rolled your eyes. “Thank me when I haven't taken a pillow to you in a few more months.”
He groaned. It would be a long several month recovery indeed.
Author's Note: this isn't set in any particular universe that I've wrote for so far. The title is blah because my mind automatically goes to the musical and starts singing it 😂
Summary: You and Brendon have differing opinions on how he styles his hair
Word count: 527
Read on AO3
"…what are you doing?"
The question caused Brendon to jump in his spot in front of the bathroom mirror. "Uh…"
"Did you straighten your hair?"
"What? No."
You had gone looking for Brendon after he got home from the hospital. He had a regular routine once he came home but you hadn't heard the usual noises so a part of you wondered if he had fallen asleep. He had done so a few times since starting his intern year at PTMC; what he had told himself was a quick sit-down on the bed before a shower ended up with you waking him up twenty minutes later.
This time you found him in the bathroom - he rarely shut the door anymore - combing back his hair.
"I'm trying something new with my hair. It keeps poking out from under my scrub cap and irritates my forehead so I figured maybe gelling it will help. Keep it off my face."
You scrunched up your face at the combed back hair. You loved his curls. You loved running your hands through his soft hair. "It looks awful."
He glowered at you.
"It's not going to be an all the time thing is it?"
"No, I'll just do it when I know I have surgeries."
"Good."
"I thought you were supposed to encourage my decisions and all that with the vows."
"I encourage your good decisions and maybe talk you down from bad ones."
"This is a bad decision?"
"This is…just not you. Makes you look sharper. It makes your resting bitch face worse."
"Hmm…" That didn't necessarily sound awful to him. He wasn't a ray of sunshine resident like some were but he was proficient and his patients loved him. He didn't care what others thought, truth be told. Well. Except maybe the one judging him now.
"That wasn't a compliment, Brendon."
"It'll be just at the hospital. Or if you annoy me too much here," he gently teased.
"Please don't weaponize your curls," you said as you walked over to him and put your arms around him from behind, head resting on his back.
"Does it really make me look mean?"
"Eh…kind of. Just very no nonsense. Definitely not the type of guy who would put car keys in jello for April fools."
Brendon chuckled. "Good."
"Don't make your reputation worse."
"My reputation as a doctor is pristine."
"And your personality?"
"Those who need to know me, know me. Everyone in the OR knows I'd help them in a heartbeat if I could."
"It's just the rest of the hospital that gets your worst side?"
"Not the rest…"
"You were a student not too long ago. Be kind. You've got a lot to share in that big brain of yours."
"They've got a lot of ego for being students."
You snorted.
"I'm good at what I do."
"You definitely had ego as a student. Something about doctors that birth ego very early."
Brendon tsked. "Want to hop in the shower with me to get rid of the gel?"
You'd accept the change in conversation if it meant you got to see his curls again and see the man you married.
Author's Note: I currently have the inability to write long fics right now. I know. It saddens me too. Enjoy.
Oh, this is set way before the other fics I have. Same universe. This is their first kid.
Word count: 266
ALSO, this is for @flashfictionfridayofficial "it's so obvious"
Read on AO3
Brendon was lying on his stomach on the floor watching his baby make a scrunchy face while she tried to maneuver a toy. He had to resist the urge to just jump in and help her; he'd wait until she attempted to get his attention for help or get frustrated and cry. Sometimes that happened simultaneously.
“I wonder why she makes that face,” Brendon said.
You looked down to him from your spot on the couch, putting down a book. “Really?”
Brendon turned his gaze to you. “Really what?”
You let out a small laugh. “It's so obvious, Bren.”
“Apparently not.”
“It's you. You make that face.”
Brendon was quiet for a moment. “I do not. My face doesn't get all scrunchy like that.”
You laughed a bit more. “You do. Maybe her face is a bit softer than yours but you get that same look when you're focused and you get all frowny. I bet if I sent a picture to your team they'd agree.”
“Don't.”
“It's an adorable expression on her, they'd love it. But that child is all you. I see a lot of your expressions on that little squishy face.”
Brendon thought about that. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing. He knew already she had a somber resting face like himself. He didn't care if she was like him and had a serious personality when working as long as she knew how to relax and have fun outside of that. That was years down the road though and right now all he wanted was for her childhood to be a happy one.
Author's Note: I've developed such a love for writing for Dr. Park. Lou Ferrigno Jr did such a great job portraying him but I can't help but want to add some of Lou's personality to Park; it's such a fun contrast. That's essentially what this is. Hope you enjoy.
Summary: the man people see at the hospital is not the same man you see at home.
Find this on AO3
Your mind couldn't wrap itself around the fact that this was the man that seemed to terrify other departments at the hospital. Maybe terrify was too strong of a word but he certainly caused a reaction when called down to the ER. He was The Shark. He was called mean. He didn't tolerate half assed behavior. And maybe that was all true but he did have very high patient satisfaction ratings. He wasn't about to put his patients at risk because someone - either his department or another - did something completely stupid. He worked at a teaching hospital. He was going to teach someone to be the best they could be.
The complaints he received came from other departments, usually. They didn't like how brash he was. They didn't like how he talked down to other employees. He wasn't there to coddle. He was there to help patients and teach his students. He was damn good at what he did. If other departments needed to hold the hands of their students that was their problem. He made sure his students didn't drown; he figured out how they learned best and tried to work that into his methodology. Sure, he received a complaint from the OR occasionally but it was because he finally snapped at them after correcting them numerous times. He couldn't risk errors when someone is open on the operating table.
But that man was not this man. This man was currently participating in a dance party with his kids. This man wasn't afraid to break out such classic moves as the Sprinkler and the Lawnmower if it made his kids laugh more.
Even before the kids came along, Brendon had been silly and goofy. You could think back over the entirety of your relationship and all the selfies he had left when he'd steal your phone. After a while, he started referring to his selfies as ‘thirst traps’.
He'd come walking into the room, handing your phone back to you. “I left you some thirst traps in there.” (Sometimes he didn't tell you, he'd just change your background to a selfie he had just taken).
You'd roll your eyes. “That's not what that means, babe.” But you weren't complaining about the photos as you scrolled through them. Some were just him smiling, others were him making a funny face, some involved The Smolder™, some you had to move to a private file.
At home, Brendon was able to be himself; to be relaxed.
One evening, he came home to you painting your toenails. “You should paint mine so we match,” he said as he passed you headed for the bathroom to wash off the hospital.
You shook your head. “This color wouldn't favor you. You can pick out another color if you want. If you do want this color I won't say any more.”
He paused mid-step., “I'll take you up on that when I'm done.”
Sure enough after his shower he went through the colors you had and kept to his original thought of matching with you. Brendon didn't care. Who was going to see it? Even if someone did see it, he didn't think anyone would be stupid enough to make a comment about it.
A deep voice brought you out of your thoughts. “Where's your head at, baby?” Brendon was now sitting next to you.
You just grinned. “Thinking about you; thinking about how you're this bad ass mean doctor at work and then you come home and suddenly you're back to being you. Mostly happy, kinda silly.”
“That's because I don't have to deal with idiots here like I do there.”
“Daddy!” Your daughter called out. “Can we get a trampoline?”
“After I die you can get one,” he said quite matter of fact. So maybe some of that hard nosed Ortho doctor made an appearance at home occasionally. No trampolines.
Author's Note: this right here is the source material for the fic, otherwise this might not make any sense.
I gave into the shark nickname. Oh well. Same universe as Goodnight Moon.
Also, Sequoia trees are girthier and Redwoods are taller.
Word count: 321
Read it on AO3
The family vacation had been going swimmingly. You couldn't see all of California in just two weeks so the focus had been more on the northern half, kinda. You wouldn't be able to go all the way up to Redwood National Park, but you had seen some on your way to Mendocino. There had been a comment or two made to Brendon about how he was more Sequoia rather than Redwood but he countered saying he thought he was a good mixture of both. Thankfully his parents were out of earshot with the kids.
But now as the trip was winding down, you and Brendon found yourself dissociating in front of a shark tank at the Monterey Bay Aquarium while your in-laws followed your children around like the great grandparents that they were. Movement in the corner of the tank drew your attention and you moved your head off of Brendon's shoulder to watch. One of the Leopard sharks was biting and tugging on the fin of another Leopard shark.
“Don't be worried that there's any bullying happening here folks,” an aquarist said via a microphone. “This is one of the ways that Leopard sharks flirt with each other!” That was the PG version as to what was happening.
You side eyed Brendon and put your head back on his shoulder.
“Don't do it,” Brendon warned quietly.
“It's flirting,” you whispered back.
“We're already married.”
“Married people can flirt with their spouse.”
“Those sharks are about to mate. That's not flirting.”
You rolled your eyes but placed a kiss on his bicep. “No bite. Yet.”
“The male is biting, sweetheart. If you want a shark bite, I'll give you one.” There were times Brendon hated that stupid nickname from work but there were also times when it amused him to no end, like now.
Your response was interrupted by your children wanting to show you more sharks. If only they knew their father's reputation.
A word (or many) from the author: so I decided to make an account for my non-Bucky Barnes fics to live. I am trying to keep @mixedfandomfics and @buckybarnesfic as reblog accounts as much as possible.
Anyways, this is my first fic for Brendon Park. I wrote this when I was supposed to be working. For some background: Brendon and Reader are the same age (about 40) to keep it fairly canon. They do have two additional off-screen children.
I don't know how to write toddler speak without the child sounding dumb so use your imagination there.
Word count: 580
Summary: Brendon gets a call in the middle of surgery.
Find it on AO3
Brendon wouldn't say he was 'jamming out' during the surgery but he was enjoying the music playing overhead while he worked. This was not a routine scheduled knee or hip replacement; this was an unfortunate individual who had been trying to get home when someone else decided to drive recklessly and caused a massive accident. Brendon didn't worry about the clock but he knew he'd be here another hour at least.
A voice interrupted Brendon's focus, "Dr. Park, your wife is calling," the circulating nurse, Emily, called to him.
He had texted you before the surgery not to expect him home anytime soon. "Go ahead and answer it," he responded, looking over to the nurse for her nod that he could speak. "Hey sweetheart, you're on speaker phone."
His family was no secret to the staff of the OR. He had photos in his office of his family. The only ones that were ever surprised were the new students or anyone from another department that happened to come into his office.
"Sorry to interrupt but uh … it's time for Goodnight Moon," you said hesitantly.
Brendon paused his movements before letting out a small sigh. "No reasoning with the enemy?"
"I tried, baby. I knew you were tied up. But he's three."
Brendon nodded despite you not being able to see it. Three year olds didn't see reasoning or logic at times. He knew you would have done anything else to have avoided calling while he was working. Texting was different; he'd respond when he could. "Alright, let's go."
As you switched to speaker phone on your end, he heard you say, "Daddy's on the phone. He'll read the story."
Brendon chose to ignore the looks exchanged between the staff. He had read Goodnight Moon every night for a solid year. Other books were often in addition to Goodnight Moon, but it was a mandatory read. He could recite it in his sleep.
"HI DADDY!" a loud voice exclaimed.
"Shh," you said. "Daddy can hear you without yelling."
"Hi, buddy. You got your book?"
"Yeah and Bunny," he said referring to the bunny plush that came with the book.
"Good. In the great green room, there was a telephone and a red balloon, and a picture of -"
"Cow jump over the moon!" His son said happily. Brendon wasn't the only one who had this book memorized.
"Hey, who's reading this story? Me or you?"
"Daddy!"
"That's right," Brendon said. "And there were three little bears sitting on chairs, and two little kittens-"
"And a pair of mittens," the little voice wasn't quite so loud now as he listened to his dad's voice.
Brendon continued on. "And a little toy house, and a young mouse. And a comb and a brush and a bowl full of mush." Brendon paused to see if there would be an interruption. "And a quiet old lady whispering 'hush'," he said the last word in a loud whisper.
"Goodnight room, goodnight moon…" Brendon recited even though the other side of the phone had gone very quiet. Finally he finished and he listened for any stirring.
"He didn't make it past 'goodnight bears'" your whispered voice came over the line. "I'll see you when you get home. I love you."
"Love you too, give the kids a hug for me," he nodded to Emily to end the call. After the phone call ended, it was business as usual. Gone was Brendon the Dad and Dr. Park returned.
Author's Note: So BBF is doing things a little different. As much as I love Bucky and Lee, I've decided to try my hand at Jack Abbot from The Pitt.
This is set about 10 years before the show. Jack and the original character are 40-ish. Name credit for the OC goes to SiriusXM's 70s on 7. Aubrey by Bread played and then a song from the Marshall Tucker Band played.
I tried to keep canon information but very little is given for Jack. He's not a widower in this but maybe this lady is the wife who died. Who knows.
Feedback is welcome. All mistakes are mine. Even if it's shit at least it's not AI. Header is also mine. Graphic design is not my passion and I didn't want to bother people beyond what I had to.
Summary: What's Jack to do when his high school sweetheart comes back into his life?
Characters: Jack Abbot x original female character, Aubrey Tucker
Warnings: Description of wounds but nothing too graphic. You won't find gore here because the author can't handle it. Jack and his girlfriend were horny teenagers who had sex and that's alluded to but not wrote out.
Word count: 3,500 (I'm wordy, sorry) this is just part one
The nightshift at the Pitt had already been steady and it was just 8 o’clock. A steady flow of patients made the hours pass. There had been nothing crazy so far; no multi-vehicle accidents, no freak accidents involving a Ferris wheel, just a steady stream of people with minor injuries in the long run. One of Jack's residents was handling the case of a patient with a broken wrist. The patient's name was familiar. He thought he might know her, but then again, there could be lots of women in the country with the same name. Maybe he could make sure his resident was being thorough.
“What have you got, Dr. Reed?” Jack asked, walking into the room, sanitizing his hands. He clocked the patient's face about the same time she recognized him. God, how he recognized her. His brain brought back memories of her that he didn't ask for. However that was then and this was now. He was all business now.
The patient, Aubrey, let out a quiet gasp when Jack walked in. She hadn't thought about him in a long time and now he was seeing her in one of the most embarrassing moments ever. If she had to run into Jack Abbot why'd it have to be here, now?
Dr. Reed jumped a little as Jack came in. He was quick to introduce Jack. “We just got the results back of the x-ray of the wrist,” he said, pointing to the monitor of his workshop-on-wheels. “This is Ms. Aubrey Tucker. She came in with a potentially broken wrist and laceration below the knee. She's been given Ibuprofen for pain at her request and other than slightly elevated blood pressure, vitals are holding steady. Still waiting on lab results.”
Jack nodded as the doctor spoke. “Have you examined the knee?”
“Not yet. Her main concern was the wrist.”
“Alright, I'll take care of the knee. What's the x-ray show?”
“Non-displaced distal radial fracture. Clean break, no shifting,” Dr. Reed added, looking at Aubrey. “You'll be in a cast for a few weeks; thankfully you won't need surgery. We'll also put in a referral to an orthopedic doctor to monitor your healing.”
Aubrey nodded. “I'm guessing that means nothing wild like sky diving?”
Both Jack and Dr. Reed gave her a Look™. “Probably not until the wrist heals. Even after that, be careful,” Dr. Reed warned. “We'll give you a printout for aftercare and dos and don'ts. I'll leave you in Dr. Abbot’s hands and get supplies for the casts. Any particular color preferences?”
She shook her head. “Dealer's choice.”
“I'll be back shortly,” Dr. Reed said and left.
The atmosphere in the room turned to one of slight awkwardness as the buffer had now gone. Jack moved to grab instruments he'd need. Long gone was the skinny kid she remembered. Of course, she was no longer the same either. She tried to avoid looking at him. She could at least admit to herself that he had aged well.
“Hi Jack,” she finally spoke.
“Hey yourself, it's been a long time,” he said and rolled a stool over to the side of the bed, putting on a pair of gloves. “How attached are you to these leggings?”
“It has been long. I'm not attached to them anymore, not with the rip. You don't have to worry about the knee. It's sore but I think it's just a scrape.”
“Well, let the doctor decide, yeah?” he said, grabbing a pair of scissors and cut off the pant leg on the injured side slightly above the cut. He grimaced. “That's more than just a scrape. What happened?” The gash was a few inches across and deep.
She let out a sigh. “I have a wooden walkway in my backyard. It connects the back porch to a gazebo. It came with the house and I never removed it. It's just a few inches off the ground. I forgot about a loose board as I stepped on it. The board kind of spun and the nail caught my leg. I then fell forward and then that's when the break happened. It was all in the span of like, 15 seconds. If that.”
Jack stared at her. “An old nail in an old board cut your leg and you weren't concerned? Ever hear of tetanus?”
She rolled her eyes. “Yes, which is why I'm up to date on my tetanus shot. Last year.” Since Jack had revealed the wound, she kept her gaze on anything but him and the wound. The signage about wait times was just fascinating.
“You're gonna need stitches.”
She sighed. “Don't you have super glue or something?”
Jack rolled his eyes. “Unfortunately that would not work with this. See this here? That's your tibia.”
“I'm trying not to see anything, actually.”
Aubrey’s nurse, Heather, came in carrying materials for the cast. “Reed got pulled by Dr. Shen. What do you want done first?”
“Leg first,” Jack said, listing items they would need as he examined the wound more once he had a mask on. “What brought you to Pittsburgh?” he asked once the nurse had stepped out.
“Jack, we don't have to talk.” She didn't want him to feel obligated to express fake pleasantries.
“I talk with all my patients. At least the conscious ones.”
“How did you end up a doctor?” Aubrey asked. He wasn't going to ask all the questions.
“I was a combat medic while in the military. Ended up injured so I got out. Med school made sense after that.”
“You were always a science nerd,” Aubrey said as Heather stepped back in, supplies in hand.
Jack started talking with the nurse, the two communicating back and forth about the wound and the best way to stitch it up and what Jack wanted to do. Finally their attention turned back to Aubrey. “Alright, I'm going to numb the area around the wound. You'll feel some sticks. We'll let it take a few minutes before we start. You feel any pain, you let us know, alright?”
Aubrey nodded and Jack soon got to work. Aubrey tried to focus on anything but what he was doing. She couldn't look outside the room because of the privacy curtain, so she looked occasionally at Jack’s and Heather's faces and then different parts of the room.
“I needed a change,” Aubrey spoke up.
“What's that?” Heather asked.
“Dr. Abbot asked what brought me to Pittsburgh. I needed a change.”
“Where were you?” Jack asked.
“Boston.”
“Isn't that where you went to school?” It had been a long time, but Jack was sure he remembered that Aubrey got a scholarship to a school there.
“Yeah, never left after. Decided to come here several years ago. Close to Mom and Dad but still giving them independence.”
Jack nodded, “What did you decide on degree wise? Was it nursing? We could use more nurses.”
Heather watched the volleying between Aubrey and Jack. Clearly there was a deep familiarity. It would be fun to bring this up later once she got with other nurses.
“Hardly. I went for accounting.”
Jack shook his head. “And you had the audacity to call me a nerd.” He never took his eyes off the task at hand, working meticulously to make sure the wound would heal correctly and hopefully minimal scarring.
“How did you end up in Pittsburgh?”
“Did my residency here and it wasn't bad so I stayed.” Jack finished up the sutures and spoke again. “Under normal conditions, I'd give you crutches and let you use them for a couple days to let everything adhere. Obviously you can't with that wrist. Minimal walking. Go home, pick a spot that's closest to the bathroom and kitchen and stay there unless you absolutely have to get up. Keep it elevated. You'll get more information for this when you leave.” Jack took off the mask and gloves and gown and threw them away before coming back to examine the wrist. He began speaking with the nurse about the procedure for the cast. Finally, he looked back at Aubrey. “Unsurprisingly, you'll be rocking a purple cast. Dr. Reed loves purple. He's a graduate of LSU. I've never cared to ask which came first.”
“He liked purple first,” Heather spoke up.
Jack shrugged and got to work on the cast. 30 minutes later and Aubrey was the proud owner of a purple cast. Jack left the room to get instructions and discharge papers while Heather went to check on other patients.
Jack was back 15 minutes later with several papers. “How are you getting home?”
Aubrey held up her keys. “Driving.”
“Christ,” he muttered. “You drove yourself here all messed up?”
“It was 8 at night. I wasn't about to call anyone.”
Jack shook his head. “Look, keep an eye on the wound. That's my biggest concern. If anything happens, you call me. Understand?” he ordered and pointed out his cell phone number he had written on the top page. “Call. Day or night.”
“Alright. Am I good to go?” Aubrey asked. She was ready to get past this moment. She wasn't quite sure what to think about seeing Jack again. She could only imagine he was in a similar situation.
Jack nodded and stepped out of her way once she got off the gurney.
“Thanks for helping,” she said and slowly made her way out.
—
It was nearly 48 hours later when Jack received a text from an unknown number.
hey can I send a picture of my knee
Jack groaned. This wasn't going to be good. He hadn't really anticipated hearing from Aubrey even if he was concerned about her leg. But he took it as a positive sign that she reached out. She had been on his mind a lot since he saw her and not all of it was about the wound.
Sure
A few minutes passed before he received a photo. There was visible swelling and a bright red circle surrounding the wound that extended a couple inches out. There was also what looked like a line drawn in pen on the inside of the bright red circle.
“Fuck,” he murmured to himself before sending a reply. This wasn't going to be an at home fix.
What's your address?
Aubrey responded with her address as well as a front door code because she wasn't about to get up to let him in.
Jack arrived 25 minutes later, medical kit in hand. He expected her to be in the living room, per his instructions when she was in the ER. Instead he made his way through her house feeling like he was going to get ambushed at any moment. He found her in her bedroom, most of her body covered by a blanket while her injured leg was on top of the blanket.
“Hey,” he said in a low voice. “Can I turn on a light?”
“Yeah,” Aubrey said, sounding very tired. She winced when the light came on.
Jack was immediately in doctor mode. “How long has your leg been like this?”
Aubrey struggled to get into a sitting position. She was feeling weak. “So the dark line was yesterday when I cleaned myself. I didn't get the cast or wound wet. I went to bed after and woke up like this.”
Jack tsked. He took a long look at her face. “You got a thermometer?”
“Bathroom,” she said, pointing in the general direction, opting to lie back down.
Jack took a few minutes to find it. “Alright, open up,” he said, sticking the thermometer under her tongue. It chimed less than a minute later at 101°F. “Alright. You're going back to the hospital.”
Aubrey let out a groan.
Jack looked around the room for something he could use as an overnight bag for her. She would not be coming home tonight. “You got a backpack or something?”
Aubrey was quiet. Finally she responded. “Maybe in the closet?”
Jack could work with that and went looking. He found a small bag that looked like it went with some luggage. It would do. “Alright, where do you keep clothes like what you're wearing?” She was wearing a t-shirt and shorts.
Aubrey leaned up on her only usable elbow. “Dresser. Top and middle drawer on the left. What are you doing?”
“You're gonna be admitted at PTMC. You'll want clothes to change into.”
“I don't need to be admitted.”
“Really? Can I see your medical degree?” he asked and grabbed a couple shirts and shorts. “Where do you keep underwear and socks?”
“Jack, you're not going in my underwear drawer.”
“This is no time to be modest. Remember, I've seen you naked. Your underwear is not going to be a surprise.” If Aubrey had been in her right mind she would have remembered what Jack had looked like back then and then contemplated what he looked like currently.
Instead, Aubrey let out a sigh. “That was a long time ago. It's in the top right drawer.”
Jack grabbed the needed items and went to her bathroom to collect toiletries she'd need while Aubrey moved to sit on the edge of her bed. He came back to the room, zipping the bag. “Alright. Let's go.”
“Phone charger,” Aubrey told him, pointing to the phone and cord on the nightstand.
“Right. You wanna call someone to let them know?” he asked as he put the phone and cable into the bag.
She just shook her head and attempted to stand. “Shit that hurts.”
Jack was by her side in an instant. “Slow.”
“Yeah I'm not about to run out here,” Aubrey muttered and took slow careful steps towards the bedroom door.
It took longer than expected to get to the front door and put shoes on followed by an even longer trek to the driveway. Eventually they were on their way to the hospital. Jack called ahead to give them notice as to what to expect.
It took less than an hour for Aubrey to be admitted. Her temperature had gone up half a degree by the time they arrived. It was no time before they had IV antibiotics flowing through her system.
Jack was at a loss once she was moved upstairs. He wasn’t a part of her life. He wasn't family. He wasn't privy to any information. He just brought her here. He leaned against the counter in the Pitt trying to figure out the ‘what now’.
“So,” Robby said, stepping up next to Jack while he was between patients.
“So what?”
“So what was that?”
“Just an old friend,” Jack answered.
Robby raised an eyebrow. “You seemed worried.”
“Well yeah. It hasn't been 48 hours since she got that wound and her leg was nearly double in size. That's a worrisome situation.”
“Was she always just an old friend?”
“No.”
Robby waited.
“Don't you have patients?” Jack asked.
“I have competent residents.”
Jack looked around and lowered his voice. “She was an old girlfriend. Long time ago. I was crazy about her. But I was young and dumb and broke up with her before I went into the military.”
“And?”
“And what?”
“What are you gonna do about it?”
Jack sighed. Why did one of his closest friends have to be the nosiest damn person? “I'm not gonna do anything. She reached out with a concern. She wasn't exactly asking about my life.”
Robby shook his head. “She could have called 911 or another friend to come get her.”
Jack scoffed and looked away. He wasn't about to assume anything. “I'm off tonight so I'm gonna take my leave now.”
Robby chuckled at his friend’s avoidance. “Sure you don't want to stay?”
Jack hesitated a moment before deciding. “No. I'm good. Later.” Jack was more than comfortable to leave his friend standing there. Truthfully, Jack didn't have a plan. He didn't know what would happen.
—
Aubrey was being a coward right now and she knew it. PTMC had kept her for two nights and now she was home, free of infection. The staff had reiterated what Jack had said about resting her leg while it healed. Jack. That was why she was being a coward. He hadn't visited while she was inpatient. She didn't expect him to do so. She was just another patient he saw, even if they had known each other. She was debating whether or not to reach out and thank him for helping her. Would it be too much? He was probably very busy being a doctor and she had no idea if he had a family.
He had responded quickly to her messages but he's also an emergency doctor. It's in his nature to identify an emergency and get it sorted, right?
She decided to take the risk.
Hi Jack. I'm finally home. Thank you for helping me out the other day.
The message was sent and now she wanted to turn her phone off.
Jack was somewhere between being asleep and being awake. His alarm had already gone off but he wasn't quite ready to be human. His phone dinging caught his attention. He was ready to strangle the interns who taught Robby how to send memes.
It was from that same unknown number from a couple days before. He really needed to add it to his contacts. He read the message several times. He responded the way he always did, because he didn't know how else to respond.
Great. Glad to hear you're better.
Aubrey frowned reading his message. It read like a response to a coworker who you had to be cordial to. Had she misread him?
Another message came through.
Get rid of that walkway.
That at least got a laugh out of her.
I don't think I'll be allowed to use pry bars for a while. I had a very stern doctor in the ER.
Jack had to be his own wingman.
I'm sure he was very handsome though.
Aubrey rolled her eyes.
Dr. Reed was handsome but a little young for me.
Jack groaned. She was killing him. Another ding.
I'm kidding. His attending was quite handsome as well.
Aubrey’s face warmed as she sent the message. If Jack was fishing for compliments she'd go ahead and be honest.
Jack's brain stopped working as he read her message. She still found him handsome.
And because Jack didn't know how to follow up, he sent something boring in response.
When you're ready to take up the walkway, let me know.
—
A few nights later after hand off, Robby dared to broach the topic. “Have you heard from your friend?”
Jack narrowed his eyes. “Yes. She said thank you for helping her.”
“And?”
“Damnit, Robby. There isn't always an ‘and’,” Jack hissed.
“So you didn't respond? You just left her on read?”
“I…I told her I was glad to hear she was better. And she needed to get rid of the walkway that caused her to fall.”
Robby just waited with an amused look on his face.
“What?” Jack glowered at his friend.
“You're awful at this. I know you've had dates over the years. I don't know how.”
“You're not exactly the best either. Besides it's been 20 years since I talked to her.”
“You could have said anything but get rid of the walkway. You could have invited yourself over to remove it yourself.”
Jack shrugged. “Well, I kind of did. Eventually. I told her to let me know when she wanted it gone.”
Robby let out a laugh and shook his head.
Jack glared at his friend and walked away. “Good night, Michael.”
Jack hated that Robby was right. He was awful at this. He had told Aubrey not to be shy because they had known each other before and yet here he was hiding behind text messages. So he shot off a text when he had a spare moment
Hey, do you want to get a coffee or something sometime and catch up?
Jack then realized it was nearly two in the morning.
Shit, sorry. Didn't mean to send it so early. Hopefully you can sleep through texts.
Jack went back to work and forgot about his blunder for the time being.
Aubrey was good at sleeping through texts and the occasional alarm. She was pleased to see the messages from Jack though. She wasn't sure if he'd be awake at 6:30 in the morning.
Coffee or something sounds good. When?
Jack felt the vibration in his pocket as he relayed information about patients to Robby. He was not about to add fuel to Robby's nosiness.
It took another 15 minutes before Jack could respond and he looked over his shoulder before answering to make sure he had some privacy.
I've got Thursday off. I sleep until 1 or 2. So anytime after that.
Summary: the day you've both been waiting for is here! Your wedding day!
Prompt swap for day 31: "I'll be stronger in your eyes than I'll ever be in my own."
A/N: I can't believe January has come to an end and so has my scribbles and little series 🥺 thank you all for reading 🧡
Read it on AO3
Masterlist of Everything
---
Thinking back about the day you'd had was magical. You and Lee were finally married. It wasn't an over-the-top affair like the now Princess Grace Kelly, but it was magical for you.
The wedding was an early afternoon affair, so you didn't have to get up too early to prepare. Instead of a church wedding, you'd rented a local place so you wouldn't have to travel between wedding and reception. It seemed the whole county had turned out so you were thankful for that decision.
You had chosen a simple wedding gown with cap sleeves instead of the more fashionable long sleeved gowns. Ohio had been proving to be too warm for long sleeves. The dress ended right below your knees and had definitely been the right choice.
You had a brief moment of panic when you were going over the good luck pieces: your mother had given you your grandmother's wedding hair comb (your something old and something borrowed), your aunt had bought your shoes (your something new), but you didn't have something blue. Your maid of honor came up with a sly grin on her face. “Lee made me promise not to tell you,” she said and showed your bouquet which had Sergeant Blue hidden in the middle of it. You could have cried. In fact, you did.
The ceremony itself was just lovely. You and Lee had chosen to write your own vows and one line from Lee's vows stuck out to you. “I'll be stronger in your eyes than I could ever be in my own.” You thought he was the strongest person ever, you didn't understand how he couldn't see it.
The kiss exchanged after felt like the sweetest kiss ever. Perhaps it was because this one made things “official”. You thought Lee looked extra handsome in his tuxedo. It gave him such a dapper look.
The reception had been loads of fun. There was lots of dancing and a three-tiered wedding cake. The meal that was served was absolutely divine. The little fruit cake favors for guests were just too cute. You were amazed at how it all came together when you remembered all the stress leading up to it.
That was behind you and now you were looking forward to the honeymoon. Lee had made those arrangements so you looked forward to the surprise in the morning. But now that Lee was out of the shower after freshening up, it was time to start the next phase of your life. You wouldn't have it any other way.
⚠️ Warnings: there is talk of death and dying but it's not actively happening. It's more of the "If I died would you move on" type of talk. No one is dying.
Read on AO3
Masterlist of Everything
---
One evening after dinner, you were feeling particularly inquisitive about life and everything the world had to offer. Perhaps even feeling philosophical. Lee would probably disagree with that thought. It felt more like a trap.
"Lee, do you believe in life after love?”
Lee gave a side eye, “what?” This isn't the first time you had asked him something off the wall but it didn't mean he enjoyed it.
“If something happened to me; maybe I died or we broke up, would you just move on or would you be like. Bereft.”
Lee narrowed his eyes. He didn't like this conversation already. It didn't seem there would be a right answer. “Something inside me says I don't think I'd be strong enough to move on or live without you. So I guess bereft.”
You pouted a little at the thought of Lee so sad without you. You leaned over to give him a hug. “I apologize now in case I die.”
“Well, you're not planning on it any time soon are you?” he asked, hugging you back, maybe holding you a bit tighter than normal.
“No, but it hurt me to hear you say you'd be that sad.”
“I guess but I love that the take away from all this is that you'd die and we're not breaking up anytime soon.”
“Oh no, you're stuck with me until you die.” You were quiet for a few moments. “Would you still marry me if I was a worm?”
Lee let out a long groan and shut his eyes. He had chose this life.
Summary: Lee tries to bake a cake but needs assistance from his number one woman.
Prompt 29: “You’re going to do exactly what I tell you… slowly.”
Society made the banner
Read this on AO3
Masterlist of Everything
---
Lee was grumbling yet again. This time it had nothing to do with work or men making crude comments about his beloved. No, this had to do with cake. Specifically, a cake that failed. Again. The cake was supposed to have been for your birthday last week but due to schedule and a cake that wouldn't cooperate, Lee was trying now for the third time.
You watched as he pulled the pan out of the oven, a grimace on his face. “What the hell did I do wrong? I followed the recipe,” he told you, handing you the card with the recipe. You got up from your seat at the kitchen table and peeked at the pan and flinched. It really was that bad. Angel food cake should not look like that.
He sighed. “Maybe I'm not cut out for baking.”
You shook your head. “Cooking and baking are very similar. You cook well.”
“Well maybe folks are right and baking is a woman's work,” he teased. He didn't truly believe that. He enjoyed cooking with you and learning different things from you and with you. The first dish he had prepared for you was a green bean hamburger casserole. You had enjoyed the meal but could tell Lee was a bit nervous cooking for you. You decided to take the initiative to cook a meal with him when opportunity presented. Together, you made a roasted chicken and vegetables dish. It was a fun time.
You gave Lee a dirty look. “Keep talking and that mess will be your dinner.” You read over the card yet again. “Let that monstrosity cool and we'll start over. You’re going to do exactly what I tell you… slowly.” Step by step you and Lee made the cake and finally it came out right.
Prompt: I actually watch her back and not her backside
Society made the banner
⚠️ Warnings: objectification of a woman (I really don't know how to phrase this one; maybe mild crude discussion of a woman?), threats of violence (not toward reader)
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Masterlist of Everything
---
Lee tried to time his day around when you would be closing shop. Yes, it was mid-shift for him, but he wanted to make sure you were safe. When he was on duty, he'd park down the street and keep an eye out. If he was off-duty, like now, he’d plan his day around you. Tonight he’d just finished shopping.
No one batted an eye when they saw Deputy Bodecker casually leaning against his car with a line of sight to the donut shop. He watched as you locked up, greeting a passing woman before heading towards the parking lot adjacent to your car.
“Man, I’d hate to say goodbye to a pretty thing like that, but it sure is nice to watch her leave.” Lee heard a voice nearby.
Lee's head whipped around. “The fuck you just say?” he snarled. No one was allowed to make such comments about his girl.
The man nodded to where you’d disappeared. “The one you were looking at. Right looker. That's some backside. Heard she was seeing some deputy, but I could show her what it's like to be with a real man.”
Lee saw red, grabbing the man by the collar, he slammed him against the side of the car. “Listen here, you fucker,” he hissed. “Don't you ever let me catch you talking about her again. I watch her back, not her backside. One more word and I'll make sure you disappear.”
The man's eyes flew open, connecting the dots. “Didn't mean anything by it. I-I’ll report you. I'll call your supervisor. He'll have your badge” he whined.
“I fuckin' dare you. Get the hell outta my face. Don't even look in her direction again! I make myself clear?” Lee said, eyes filled with fury as he let go.
The man coughed, straightening his shirt and nodding. “Right. Right,” he muttered as he backed away.
Lee didn't spare the threats another thought. He never had valid complaints. The county liked him. He protected his own.
Prompt 27: I'm open to that in a safer environment
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Masterlist of Everything
---
Lee was being an absolute menace when he really should have been patrolling somewhere. He claimed he was watching the downtown area and waiting on calls. Instead he was bothering you at the donut shop since there were no customers around.
The things coming out of his mouth were absolutely wild and caused your face to grow warm. “Lee. I am open to all that but in a safer environment.”
Lee got a smug grin, “there's no one to overhear us, darling.”
You shrugged, “it still makes me uncomfortable to discuss things, like that, here…y’know?”
Lee's grin faltered, he didn't mean to make you uncomfortable and voiced that thought. “I'm sorry sweetheart. Do you want me to go?”
"No," You shook your head, “not unless you need to, I just want to talk about…something else...anything else.”
Lee agreed, turning the conversation to something more civilised for you, but that only lasted a short while before the radio crackled to life and he got called away.
Lee came to your home later that evening with a bouquet of flowers. “I'm sorry I made you uncomfortable earlier. I truly am. I don't ever want you feeling that way with me.”
“Well, now you know. We don't have to keep lingering on it now. But also, we're now in a safer environment,” you said and walked away to put the flowers in water.
“That mean I can rile you up?” there was a slight tone in his voice; he knew what you meant but wanted permission to be a menace.
Prompt 26: the sounds you're making are making this worse
Word count: 290
Society made the banner
Read this on AO3
Masterlist of Everything
---
You had always told yourself you'd support Lee with any endeavor he wanted to try. You were one hundred percent behind him in his race for sheriff of Ross County. You thought he'd do amazing things for the county. He was such a good man.
But an election was nothing compared to…this. The squeak of a harmonica pierced the air and you thought you were going to lose your mind.
Lee had said he wanted a new hobby and music was always a good choice. He was trying, sure, but he was not good. He had just started and no one was ever good at the beginning but this was rough.
“Lee, maybe you need a break,” you gently encouraged.
“I really think I got the hang of this chord this time,” he truly believed in himself. Honestly, he did not have the hang of the chord yet.
“It’s giving me a headache,” you told him straight-out. You hoped you didn't hurt his feelings.
He let out one sad squeak.
“Every sound you're making is making this worse.” Perhaps you could have been a little nicer.
Lee set the harmonica down. “I'm sorry sweetheart. Didn't mean to hurt your head. I'll work on it when I'm home.”
You went over to where he was sitting and moved to sit in his lap, “I know you'll get it soon enough.”
“Maybe I should have started with something else,” he said, putting his arms around you.
You shook your head, “maybe they should make quieter harmonicas,” you teased.
Lee would get better. He did practice when he wasn't at your house and ultimately he did play a song for you that sounded really good and didn't give you a headache.
Lee's love of space tickled you. He had been an avid subscriber of Popular Mechanics since you had known him and he had watched the launch of Explorer 1 with rapt attention.
He couldn't get enough, even so far as to going to the movie theater when a space flick was featured or watching Men into Space when it aired on television. You trusted the news better when it came to the Space Race.
Lee had grumbled when the USSR launched satellites first but it just made you nervous. World War 2 may have ended over a decade ago but knowing other countries had missiles that could reach across the globe was scary.
“You know, I bet we'll get to the moon in the next decade,” Lee told you while reading yet another article in the newspaper. “It's only a matter of time. Can you imagine people walking on the moon? Hell, by the millennium we could be living on the moon!”
“You gonna volunteer to be a space man?” you teased.
“You never know. I could be what they look for,” Lee said a bit defensively.
“I would think they would want a scientist, not a sheriff,” you were anticipating Lee's win in the upcoming election.
“Well, some people could call me a space cowboy. Keeping the law up there. We don't know what all is up there.”
You shrugged. “If you become a space man, I'm not moving to Florida. You'll just have to commute from here.”
Lee chuckled and rolled his eyes. “Somehow I doubt they'll want anyone from Ohio anyways,” he murmured and went back to reading.
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