Interventions for Arrhythmias
Frank Langdon x Melissa King, Melissa King x OMC
Summary - Frank Langdon is completely in love with Melissa King. He will not let himself ruin her. Melās friend with benefits just won't let that slide.
Warnings - mention of drug addiction, mention of vomit, friends with benefits but not Kingdon, jealousy, dirty thoughts
Word count - 3.1 k
CHAPTER 1 - Tachycardia
A slow start never meant anything good in Frank Langdonās opinion.The urgency that was usually present in the ER was lacking. Chairs were half empty and from a quick glance there was nothing critical that hadnāt already been handled. It unsettled him.Frank enjoyed the pressure, the buzz he got when he could save a patients life, the way his brain could narrow down and focus on the procedure and only that.
Maybe Collins had been right and he was an adrenaline junkie. He knows thatās better than the alternative.
Since his stints in rehab and his subsequent divorce 2 years ago, he has become aware of his addictive tendencies, with the help of his hospital mandated therapist of course.
During his first attempt to detox he refused to admit he had a problem, heād hurt his back and the benzos were a way to wean himself of harder painkillers. He knew what he was doing, he was a doctor for gods sake, but if he had to do this to appease Robby he would.Even as he sweat what felt like an entire lake, he thought he was fine.
He went home to his family with the intent to go to NA meetings every week and begin working again as soon as he could.
1 NA meeting attended and he returned to an empty house, Abby had taken the kids to stay at her parents for the night, she thought itād be best for the kids to not have any inkling of their Fatherās struggles. He lay in his empty bed, days after heād been released from rehab, and thought about the twinge in his back every time he tossed.
He went to his bathroom, opened up the tin of Vaseline heād hidden at the top of the cabinet, and took 4 pills.
He admitted himself back into the rehab facility the next morning.
So yes, heād come to realise he was an addict and that carried through to other aspects of his life. He was addicted to the buzz he got in his brain when he performed a critical procedure, when he could take a smoke break while standing near the edge of the hospital roof, when he won one of his co-worker's stupid bets, and when Dr Melissa King smiled at him.
Unfortunately for Frank, heās determined not to trade one addiction for another, he refuses to use Mel like that, even though she is technically the healthiest of his addictions. But with such a slow day, heās got to get his fix somewhere. Sheās standing at the nurses station when he spots her. He stops for a second, takes her in, and contemplates a life where he wasnāt an addict. He would be able to love her, date her, marry her someday and do everything in his power to make her happy. Without the guilt of trapping her with a divorced dad who was addicted to stolen drugs and possibly using her to fuel his addiction. He couldnāt do that to her, he knows how much it would kill Mel if she found out how he felt about her, the buzz he got when she spoke to him in her low tone. āJesus Ken, you keep staring and youāll burn through her plasticā Frank startled and turned his head to see Garcia leaning against the nursing desk.
āHow long have you been there? You shouldnāt sneak up on me you know, Iām fragileā, Frank said with a put-on pout.
Garcia snorted, āNot fragile enough to stop undressing Dr King with your eyes.ā
He tried to protest but Garcia threw him a wry glare, ādonāt even try to deny it Langdon, the only person in this hospital who doesnāt know your head over heels for Mel is Mel.ā
He wondered if that was true or just Yolanda trying to get under his skin, this wasnāt something he wanted to spread around the hospital gossip mill. He thought heād been keeping himself in check.
āYou didnāt have to say it so crasslyā, Frank said slightly flustered, āI wasnāt - I would never speak about her like that.ā
It was Garciaās turn to pout now, āAw, protecting Barbieās honour? How sweet.ā
He hated that, the whole ER Barbie and Ken thing, he didnāt want Mel to overhear. Heās sure sheād be humiliated being referred to as his so-called wife. They were great partners at work but he didnāt want Melās name to be attached to his, for her sake. He wasnāt exactly the hospital's golden boy anymore.
āStop calling her thatā he snapped.
āWhy, scared sheāll overhear? Maybe she will and finally make a move, god knows you wonātā, Garcia huffed, clearly bored with the conversation.
At Langdon's incredulous look, she continued, āYouāre both clearly into each other, you literally blew me off the other day to go watch Lord of the Rings with her and her sister, so just get over whatever you have going on and ask her out. Officially.ā
Frank paused, trying to figure out a comeback but it was hard when, from across the room he caught Melās eye, she gave a little wave and started walking towards them.
Garcia muttered something under her breath but Frank kicked her (lightly) in the shin before she said anything else incriminating.
āHello Dr Garcia, Dr Langdon,ā Mel said with a smile.
āHey Melā, Garcia said, before standing up straight āWell Iāve got to head back up stairs, Iāve got a man whose got a problem with his spine, really weak.ā She walked away with a grin while Frank stared daggers at her back.
Mel looked up at him inquisitively but looking back down again before she spoke. āI was wondering if you had Tanner and Penny tomorrow? Becca has been bugging me all week about watching two towers and I didnāt want to watch it without you because you introduced them to us and theyāre your favourite, but itās the first time sheās shown interest in a movie other than elf in 7 years so I can only hold out so long.ā
She had a tendency to ramble but he loathed to interrupt her, seeing firsthand how many other people did.
He thought it was cute anyway.
āNo, all free tomorrow, lucky weāre both off shift,ā he said with a soft smile, āthereās this amazing bakery on the way to yours, I could bring us some breakfast?ā
She looked up at him again, relieved he had said yes, āSecond breakfast?ā
He laughed, āis that a reference Dr King?ā
He never thought someone quoting LOTR could be so hot, but then again they werenāt Melissa King.
Abby hadnāt enjoyed his nerdy interests. They met when he was on first year of med school, 7 months after his very late growth spurt and subsequent glow up.
Frank went from watching the history channel alone in his room and cooking dishes from his World of Tolkien cookbook to being dragged to frat parties by his roommate. There he met Abby, a beautiful redhead who loved the idea of dating a hot doctor. And Frank lapped up the attention.
Contrary to popular belief, Abby had been his first everything, heād never had anyone else to compare his feelings towards her to.
Until Mel.
He couldnāt tell if Mel felt the same way about him, and he wouldnāt risk the wonderful friendship that had become his lifeline. So if all he could have were movie nights and drive homes in the dark with her, that would be good enough for him.
Hopefully.
Mel smirked at him āI did pay attention Dr Langdon.ā
āI donāt doubt it,ā Frank said.
āSo tomorrow, at 11?ā Mel asked.
āOf course, itās a date.ā It slipped out before Frank could stop himself, it wasnāt a date, Becca was going to be there for gods sake, and he could never have a date when Aragorn was on the screen, he wouldnāt stand a chance.
But he watched as Mel let out a small squeak, and a flush ran from her cheeks, to her collarbone and disappeared under her black scrub shirt.
He didnāt mean to, but his eyes followed it, mouth agape as he wondered how far down it went. He had to stop himself from thinking further before he gave himself a problem he couldnāt deal with in a hospital.
When he found Melās eyes again she was staring at his mouth, before clearing her throat and marching off with purpose.
He waited until she was around the corner before letting out a groan and resting his forehead on the cool desk, urging himself to calm.
The interaction left him with a flutter in his heart instead of the usual buzz in his brain after a conversation with Mel.
He didnāt know what was better.
Before he could let himself imagine (overthink) his ādateā tomorrow, Dana loudly alerted everyone that a male Army sergeant was being airlifted in.
He had an infection caused by an amputation of the left arm. With that being all the information they were given, no one really knew the condition he would be in. At hearing this, Mel rushed out from whatever room sheād been in.
Her movements were frantic, which Frank had only seen her like once before when Becca was at the hospital, in fact she seemed worse this time. āDo we know his name?ā She crowded Dana, āhis regime?ā
āIāve told you everything kid, you okay?ā Dana asked confused while trying to soothe Mel who was getting more agitated by the second.
Frank stepped forward trying to understand what was happening. āMel, sweetheart, whatās going on?ā
He reached a hand out to touch her arm but she flinched away.
His hand hovered above where she was, he knew she didnāt like physical touch with most people but she never minded with him anymore. In fact she would lean into him on the stairwell after a particularly hard case.
She was looking around frantically, as if she was debating what to do. Before Frank could ask again what was happening and before Mel could run up to the roof, the elevator doors opened.
To what looked like a perfectly healthy soldier.
Langdon gave him a quick once-over, he had his arm held at an awkward angle but not in a broken way, and he might have looked slightly pale but nothing that looked fatal (or worthy of being airlifted in).
Before he could take the man for a proper examination, he watched as Mel, hater of physical touch, ran towards the stranger.
āJames!ā she yelled, before practically jumping into his arms.
The stranger reciprocated the hug gladly, letting out a joyful laugh, and scooping Mel up.
āSo much for a fatal arm infection,ā thought Frank.
Santos and Mohan appeared beside him.
All 3 of them staring at the bizarre reunion.
āIs that her brother?ā Mohan asked.
He knew it wasnāt; she didnāt have one, but they looked far too close for Langdon to want to think about anything else.
Frank took the man in again, taking a more detailed look.
Tall, bright blue eyes, dark hair, muscular but in a way that Mel still looked comfortable in his arms. He felt sick. The āstrangerā was cradling Melās face now, she was speaking to him in concerned whispers.
Frank was going to be sick.
āDefinitely not her brother,ā snorted Trinity, turning to whisper to Mohan, āsheās definitely got a type, huh.ā
Frankās heart was thumping not in the exciting way it was before, this felt like he was dying.
His brain was scrambling, he had to know what was happening before he overthought everything. He gave a look to Trinity and Samira before he walked towards Mel, trying to convey that he would get to the bottom of this, everything would be back to normal in a second, Mel would be back to normal, the homeostasis of the Pitt would be restored.
Frank walked over to the pair and cleared his throat, he mustered a polite smile for the stranger and held out his hand, āHello, Iām Dr Langdon, Senior Emergency Resident, what seems to be the issue?ā
The stranger shook Frankās hand, a firm handshake to Frankās dismay, he was hoping it would be a weak, wet thing, something that would boost his own pride a bit.
āSergeant James Kemp, itās nice to meet you. Mellieās told me so much about you.ā Frank found that funny, Mel had never mentioned a James before to him.
The Pitt seemed to fall silent, his coworkers watching the interaction, eyes batting between Langdon, Mel and the stranger.
Mel finally seemed to realise that she was still at work, and sheād just had a very unlike her interaction for all her co-workers to see.
Flushing she continued to introduce the man, āOh, Dr Langdon! James has a prosthetic left arm, which was amputated 5 years ago, so it shouldnāt be infected, we should run all the tests and maybe keep him overnight to watch just in case? Iāll get him settled in 12, yes, 12s open-ā
Frank cut her off before she was finished, āIll take him Dr King, you seem too close to the issue, go check on your patient in 8 and I'll get Sergeant Kemp settled.ā
She looked up at him with a furrow in her brow, maybe he had been slightly harsh. Before he could overthink it, he guided James to room 12, āSantos! With meā he called, he loathed to admit it but if anyone could weasel information out of this man it would be Santos.
Once they had got James settled and Frank started doing a physical examination, Santos started her interrogation. āSo you and Dr King seemā¦ close, how do you know our little Melatonin?.ā
James chuckled, āAh, you must be Trinity, Melās told me about your nicknames. Mellie and I grew up next door to each other, weāve been friends ever since we were kids.ā
Suddenly it clicked for Frank, one time when heād been having dinner at the King sister's apartment, Mel had been talking about her failed prom experience, telling him how sheād been stood up but her āamazing friend Jamieā saved the day. Becca butted in saying Jamie always saved the day, then whispered to Frank about the first kiss sheād watched Mel & Jamie share.
Mel had taken a week off work last year to visit Jamie and came back to work happier than ever, and when he walked past the break room that day, Mohan and Santos were whispering with Mel about her first clubbing experience that Jamie had introduced her too, he almost dropped his red bull when sheād pulled the high neck of her top to her collar bones and he saw beard burn and hickeys. Heād assumed it was a one night stand with a random man (which already made him sick to think about), not that sheād spent a whole week wrapped up in possibly the most handsome man Frank had ever laid eyes onās arms.
āYouāre Jamie?ā frank asked through gritted teeth.
James grinned, showing off his perfect teeth, āyeah thatās me, you must have been speaking to Becca then?ā
Frank nodded, dazed, maybe he was overthinking and this man was not having a friends with benefits relationship with the girl of his dreams, but Frank knew his luck was not that good. āHey, Iām sorry for all the fuss, with me being flown in here just for a small infectionā James said while Frank was getting his injection ready.
āI protested at first but when I found out it was Mellieās hospital I was going to, well that took the fight out of me,ā he chuckled a bit and Frank could feel his heart pound.
āSo are you and Mel dating? You seemed very cosy earlier,ā Frankās tone might have been slightly harsh, judging by Santosā sharp intake of breath.
James chuckled again āSadly not, Iāve tried, trust me, even asked her to marry me a few times. We just see each other on occasion. We have a lot of history together.ā
He looked at Frank, his eyes almost twinkling with challenge.
Before Frank could say something stupid, Mel came through the door, asking a million questions about Jamesā infection. He let Santos take the lead, he didnāt trust himself to speak right now. It felt like his world was falling apart. For the first time in 2 years, Frank actually reached into his pocket for a pill. There was nothing there of course. He was still getting regular locker checks and drug tests much to his dismay. Expect for once he was grateful. He didnāt actually want to relapse, he just didnāt know what he was feeling and he knew drugs would take that away. He felt like he wasnāt in the room with them, so when Santos eventually tapped his arm in a gentle gesture so unknown to him he jolted.
āIs that okay with you Dr Langdon?ā Santos asked him, almost pity in her eyes.
He stammered, unsure of what heād been asked. Mel un-clung herself from James and gently put her hand on Frankās arm, āAre you okay Frank? You can discharge him so I can take him home right?ā He looked at her, taking her in. She was the most beautiful person heād ever seen. She was the kindest and smartest heād ever met. And Frank Langdon was 100% in love with her. His eyes roved over her features. Her hazel eyes and her freckles. Her golden braid and her lips that he wanted nothing more to kiss.
Right there, in front of Santos and the rest of the Pitt who were definitely staring at the room and had probably made a bet by now. But he couldnāt kiss her. She was with her best friend/hookup/man who was also clearly completely in love with her. A man who was definitely better suited for her, who could offer her things he never could.
He looked at her for what felt like the last time, āOf course, sweetheart.ā
Frank Langdon had been caught stealing drugs that he was addicted to from his workplace.
He betrayed his closest friend/mentorās trust and has never earned it back.
His wife, the only woman who ever loved him, left.
Yet right now he feels like his heart is breaking.
He leaves the room, hand clutched to his chest, he canāt breathe, he canāt think of anything other than Mel going home with her clear soulmate, his head pounds.
All he can think is Mel.
Mel.
Mel.
He throws up before he gets to the roof.