They don't talk about it on the show but it was actually really meaningful and clever that they had Dennis look skinny and sickly and pale and also have a harder time focusing in season one, then in season two, after having shelter and food for eight months, his skin is more flushed, he's filled out, the circles under his eyes are much less pronounced, and he's much calmer and steadier, has a better memory and quicker thinking. In season one he drills an IO into a person that doesn't need it, he confidently says "Everyone gets an IO," and then someone says "If unresponsive." When you're sleep and food deprived, your brain moves slower, your memory fails more, you have a harder time paying attention. And they don't talk about it but the difference is so clear and I like that they subtly show that. Say what you will about Trinity but giving him a place to stay and food in the fridge could have saved his career
Summary: After a few days and multiple tense apologies from Santos, Dennis, Trinity, and few other coworkers go out after work to blow off steam. A shot too many leads to a drunk text or two, and everyone learns that Dennis is a sappy drunk.
Don't miss the written blurb! (310 words) 💛
Warnings: Drinking and drunk texting but I think that's it!
After many apologies and at least one in depth conversation with Dennis about Sunny, Trinity only feels worse every day. Every time they come home and she doesn't hear him call her again, she feels like it's her fault. Even when Dennis tells her it's not.
So, in true Santos fashion, she offers to get him drunk. A night out in Pittsburgh with a few of their coworkers turned friends to try and get things off his mind is what leads them to now.
Drunk and sweaty off the edge of the dance floor, Dennis sways with another drink in his hand.
Trinity is buzzed at best, too busy caring for the wasted farmboy to her left, and trying to keep up with the words yelled over the music from Garcia on her right. All of their eyes watching a buzzed Mateo try to dance with a sober, awkward, lovesick eyed Javadi on the dance floor.
Dennis leans into Santos' side, alcohol makes him forget personal space apparently.
"D'you think I should call her?" he slurs out.
"Definitely not, Huckleberry, you're a mess right now. Have you even called her since?"
Dennis gives a small pout at the memory of the night he moved in.
"No, but I misssssssss her. I should call 'er." he says while trying to fish his phone out of his pocket.
"No." she says as firm as she can, pulling his phone from his hand quickly.
Garcia lets out a huff, somewhere between a laugh and a scoff, and sips her drink.
"I didn't realize we were just going to be babysitting Huckleberry all night."
"Wha-" Trinity says, cutting herself off as Dennis manages to grab his phone out of her hand from the brief distraction.
"I dont have to call her, I can text!" he says, like he just solved all her problems.
Trinity gives up, turning to Garcia and pulling her towards the dance floor to make up for the wrangling of Whitaker all night.
trin.santos
♫ Club Can't Handle Me - Flo Rida
liked by d.whitaker and 34 others
trin.santos turns out dennis whitaker is a runner when drunk 🏃
d.whitaker I am not, I’m just a curious soul and you lack spirit.
-> trin.santos we found you giving a random wasted girl a “follow your dreams” speech
-> d.whitaker And I truly hope that Brenna from the bar does become Carrie Bradshaw.
a/n: Please ignore the singular time stamp of 4:30 pm. The phone says 12:09, but I forgot to change the time stamp of the actual text bit. I messed up, my bad. 😅💛
the fact that this was mostly unscripted and Isa and Gerran broke for real makes Gerran trying to keep it at a "jeez" but breaking and dragging it out into a "jesus christ" so funny
Summary: A month into Dennis being in Pittsburgh and it becomes clearer and clearer that he's being avoiding calling you. As much as you argue about it, it becomes abundantly clear that there's more important things to worry about after his first shift in the ED.
Don't miss the written blurb in the middle! (759 words)💛
Warnings: More mentions of Whitaker being broke and living in the hospital, as well as a general warning about Pittfest talk, no gory details though.
It’s around 10:30 pm by the time Dennis hits the call button on Facetime.
There was no competition, this was the worst day of Dennis’ life. From various fluids splashed across his many scrub changes, losing a patient he was so incredibly sure would be fine, to the endless lives he saw come in barely hanging onto a thread due to useless violence.
He was prepared for a lot today, he thought. Fast paced environments, lots of learning, hands on medicine. But there was nothing that could’ve prepared him for what he went through today. What anyone in that emergency department went through.
To wrap up the awful gift that today was with another awful bow, Santos had caught him essentially squatting in the hospital.
She walked right in on him after a quick shower, brushing his teeth, trying to blur out the mess that awaited him in the morning just a few flights of stairs or an elevator ride down.
In an odd twist of fate, Trinity had an extra room at her place. And in an even more odd twist of kindness that Dennis was not expecting, she offered it to him. For free for the most part, minus some chores around the apartment, and he couldn’t turn it down.
Not after a month of sleeping on an abandoned hospital bed, in a wing of the hospital that probably wasn’t even safe to be in in the first place. So he took it.
The drive to her place was a little awkward, Santos asking more questions than Dennis wanted to answer, but he answered them anyway.
It was nice after feeling like he couldn’t tell anyone anything for the last month, not even Sunny.
Santos gave him a quick tour of the small apartment, showing him his new room. It was nice, even if it was just a small guest room with only just a bed.
He sets his suitcase and bag down, taking a moment to just sit and breathe before finally calling Sunny.
It has to be a facetime. After a month of blowing it off, not wanting her to know about his living situation, he has no reason to hide his place now. He can just play it off like he has been, right? Like this has been this apartment the whole time.
Sure, he’s called her a few times, but it’s never a video chat. Hearing his voice is usually enough to get her to not worry so much about him, but not always.
More than that, he needs to see her face. To physically see that she’s alive and breathing and real. After everything today, he just keeps picturing his family and his friends in these terrifying circumstances that he witnessed the aftermath of.
He leans back against the headboard of his new bed, nervously chewing his thumb nail as it rings. It doesn’t take long for her to pick up.
It barely takes a full two rings before her face fills his screen. Her eyes are soft with worry, and her brows knitted together.
“Jesus, hi.” She breathes out the words, like she’d been holding her breath waiting for his call.
“Hey.” Dennis says, just as soft.
“Are you okay? How’re you feeling? I can’t- I don’t even know what else to say.”
Dennis lets out a soft huff that could almost be a laugh all things considered.
“I’m as okay as I can be. Today was just… a lot.”
“I think that’s an understatement. Do you need anything? Can I do anything?” She asks, genuinely unsure of what she could do from Nebraska, but always trying to help anyway.
“You’re here. That’s more than enough, Sunny.”
She softens at that, just looking at him through her little phone screen. For a moment, neither of them say anything. Just taking in the other, digital faces they hadn’t seen in a month.
“I miss you, Sun-”
He’s cut off by Santos walking in, speaking before she realizes he has anyone on the phone.
“I ordered pizza. Figured we both needed to eat and you probably haven’t been eating anything worthwhile since playing house in an abandoned hospital room.”
Dennis’ eyes widen at her, hers doing the same as she realizes she’s interrupted some kind of call.
Sunny’s voice cuts through, more concerned than before.
“Abandoned hospital room? What-”
Dennis cuts her off, words coming out a mile a minute.
“Uh- It’s nothing, she’s just messing with me. IgottagoSunnyilloveyoucallyouagainsoon, bye.”
He hangs up quickly.
What’s one more thing to go wrong tonight, right?
a/n: I'm not entirely in love with it but I re-wrote it 800 times until I hated it the least. Hopefully you enjoy. 😂💛
taglist: @moonjellyfishie @moonsunandstars-marie @axelpudim @kaldurahms-lover @my-whole-brain-is-crying (let me know if you want to be added!)
imagine being forged in the hellfire of the PittFest MCI on your first shift as a 20 yr old MS3 and some prehistoric cunt who refused to learn windows 98 calls you a snowflake
Summary: Dennis' plane lands, he's ready for the new future ahead of him. Although, the less Sunny knows is probably the better right?
Don't miss the written blurb at the end! (112 words) 💛
Warnings: Mentions of Whitaker being broke and unsure of where he'll live, but I think that's it????
d.whitaker
♫ You're Gonna Go Far - Noah Kahan
liked by sunnysideup and 21 others
d.whitaker So, pack up your car, put a hand on your heart 🧳📍 Officially a resident of Pittsburgh, PA!
sunnysideup using my photo without photo creds is rude (and ew i miss you)
-> d.whitaker My bad, photo creds to @sunnysideup! (Ew I miss you too 💛)
Dennis takes a deep breath, dropping his phone softly beside him on the hotel bed. Rubbing his hands over this face, he feels bad. He feels genuinely bad about lying to her, but the idea of her worrying about him being broke and nearly homeless in a new city he's never been before, that's worse. That leaves a heavy weight on his chest that he's not sure he'd be able to come out from under.
It's only a little white lie, right? A half truth that he can rectify later. He will facetime her eventually. She will see his apartment at some point. It's just a matter of... well, getting one first.
a/n: This, and a time jump in chapter 2, may be a little slow but I really wanted to show him leaving and maybe the slight angsty-ness (if you squint) of him worrying about her finding out his plan is doctor and he figured nothing else out before moving. 💛
taglist: @moonjellyfishie @moonsunandstars-marie @axelpudim @kaldurahms-lover @my-whole-brain-is-crying (let me know if you want to be added!)
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