Rough Waters @mulleringmckay - Tumblr Blog

FLYNN MCKAY

recovering pro surfer, attending a strict physical therapy regimen at Seattle Grace Hospital full bio here

sofxrst:

“Do whatever you want, you’re not my patient, and I’m not a snitch,” Sofia teased. She could’ve bodied some team playing skills there, fully lecturing Flynn on why what he was doing wasn’t wise on his doctors’ behalf. And maybe she would’ve a few months ago, but Sofia was too tired lately.

Sofia laughed softly, “that’s the spirit.” She fell silent for a few minutes before taking a long breath, turning to him with narrowed eyes. “What’re you working on in therapy right now?”

“Glad to hear it. Chloe likes to lecture.” Not that he blamed her, especially since he had stubbornly pushed the limits lay out to him as he got more secure in his recovery, that he wouldn’t re-break anything with a simple slip up. Once he no longer needed to follow up with any of the surgeons he had gotten a little greedy.

“They say aquatic therapy is good because of putting less weight on your legs, but I doubt beach waves count. Real ones, I mean. The water’s very calm around Seattle.” Mostly because the actual ocean was mostly unreachable. “Mostly strengthening. I got range of motion back pretty quick, but I set it all back when I tore my muscle a few weeks ago trying too hard.”

#❮❮ interactions ❯❯#❮❮ interactions ft sofia ❯❯

carlindb:

“Honestly, I think that the thought process of ‘It could have been worse’ is absolute bullshit. Yes, each experience of pain or suffering or anger or the like that we have could be worse. But that doesn’t change the situation that we’re in. You’re allowed to be in pain. You’re allowed to suffer. You’re allowed to be angry. Those feelings aren’t bad in and of themselves. What’s bad is not letting yourself work through them.” She offered. “Would you believe me if I actually told you that my entire career is based on people trauma dumping on me?” Granted he wasn’t actually one of her clients and she wasn’t actually working, but she hoped that the sentiment was something that he could appreciate. She didn’t mind him talking through what he was feeling, even if she was feeling a little off herself. Carlin would just make it a point to engage in a bit more self-care that night in order to find a necessary equilibrium. “I know that I’ve seen you around the hospital and I think by the physical therapy wing. Is that something that’s been helping?”

“I think most people just don’t know what to say. They want to offer something up other than ‘I’m sorry that blows.’ At least that’s my working theory. But some do it maliciously, like, the fact that other people have it worse than you doesn’t ever dissipate whatever you’re feeling.” He supposed that was what he hated the most. Of course everyone could look around and see nobody was dealt a fair hand and tragedy far worse than most could imagine struck everywhere. Truly, it made him feel worse. There wasn’t much Flynn could do about his own predicament and absolutely nothing he could do for anyone else’s. “That sounds tough... Like you’d really want your days off to have a break from the heaviness. Anything like that I don’t envy the job... It’s kind of increible how much of your time and mental space you donate to others.” While he hadn’t minded the job at the surf shack, it had been an amazing feeling to make money simply doing something he loved -- and surfing was about it for him. Chained to a desk or any of the typical generic jobs sounded nauseating to him. “My physical therapist will tell you it is. I just want to get back on a surfboard and I pushed myself too hard a few weeks ago and tore my muscle.”

#❮❮ interactions ❯❯#❮❮ interactions ft carlin ❯❯

lousloan:

“Everyone’s entitled to those days.” It sounded like a line, something perfunctory that seemed called for - but everyone did need days where they let themselves brood about something. She didn’t know if he was upset over something major or minor, but that didn’t seem like it mattered - all that did matter was that he was letting himself brood - instead of trying to smile through it. “The beach is always a great place for those days.”

“I wasn’t…” She started, pausing as she watched his movements, concern taking over until it no longer looked as though he was likely to fall at any second. “I wasn’t exactly looking for somewhere to be alone, I just wanted to be a little out of the way so I could get a decent spot to look at the water. It’s calming - but less calming when people keep walking past you and disturbing the view.”

“I can’t seem to escape them these days.” While he wasn’t a completely positive person in the past, he couldn’t remember a time where his mood dragged this low at all let alone for this long. The victories that had his medical team excited in the hospital and now his physical therapist felt meaningless to him. Empty promises of full recovery. He spent a lot of his free time in the beginning fully researching other surfers that he knew had gotten into terrible accidents -- but most didn’t share the intimate details of their path to recovery.

“Yeah, I get that. The beach is nice -- but not so much when it’s packed with people wanting to enjoy it.” He usually preferred more remote surfing spots, especially when he started to get big. The crowds at competitions were nice and while he couldn’t say he held any disdain for anyone following his career and calling themselves a fan -- he wasn’t accustomed to not having time to himself. “I definitely miss the sound of larger waves, though.”

#❮❮ interactions ❯❯#❮❮ interactions ft lou ❯❯

sofxrst:

Sofia wasn’t super familiar with Flynn’s case, nor had she ever been on it, so she wasn’t going to take the doctor-ly lecture your face off route with him. “Not much that can be done now anyways,” she shrugged, “you’re already here. And the weather’s really nice, so it’d be pretty rude for anyone to ask you to leave.”

Eyes drifted out to watch the waves come in slowly, turning back to Flynn as he spoke again. “Then don’t,” Sofia responded simply. “Maybe you won’t get on one in the same way you used to, but I’m sure that there’s got to be other ways for you to get out there, right?”

“I’ll be sure to take it easy tomorrow, doc.” He didn’t have therapy tomorrow and it was likely that he would wake up sore considering the need to take a break before instantly backtracking on his clearly stellar idea to view the water today. Probably should have stuck to dog watching at Green Lake park. It was harder to be upset when petting a fluffy dog.

“My dog paddle game isn’t so bad.” There was a glint of a smile in his eyes at his attempt at a joke. Truthfully, apart from some begging for a little bit of aquatic therapy he hadn’t been in any body of water more than a couple of times all summer. “Anywhere decent to try is a few hours drive.” And the last thing he wanted was to go somewhere where someone would recognize him and get his hashtag viral again.

#❮❮ interactions ❯❯#❮❮ interactions ft sofia ❯❯

carlindb:

Carlin had finished her shift at work about a half hour before and had been left wondering what to do. She’d almost run into Carina that day, only being saved by having a service user need her assistance urgently. She hadn’t seen or spoken to either of her parents since she’d learned about Carina cheating on Maya with Sofia, not knowing how to talk to either of them. And it was the longest she’d gone without seeing either of her parents since she’d been adopted by them.

“Oh, no. It’s okay. Don’t worry about it. I honestly wasn’t paying attention either. So I’m sorry too.” She expressed, rubbing at her face and letting out a sigh. Everything felt heavy and she so badly wanted to go back to a point in time where she didn’t have the information that she did now. Trying to focus on something other than her own worries, she let her eyes scan over the somewhat familiar gentleman. “Everything okay?” He looked upset, like he was feeling some sort of heavy emotion as well, and perhaps she could lessen some of her own by helping him lessen the weight he was carrying.

It seemed that she wasn’t in the best of spirits either. Misery loves company, they say. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad having a conversation for at least part of the half hour or so he felt he needed to give his body before trekking back through the park to the bus pick up spot. “I’m told the answer to that question is yes because I survived my accident. And don’t get me wrong I know I could have died but --”

Some people spent a lot of their life playing the game and suppressing their true passions because they weren’t feasible or they didn’t have the time. His dreams had been in his grasp due to luck and some natural talent and he’d lost it all with one wave. He had hoped to be back on a board by November, before everything surfing wise picked back up in Australia by December but his goals were quickly falling out of his reach. “It totally blows when a rock takes everything from you.” The words were out of his mouth before he realized it and his negativity and pessimism was something he tried to keep contained... especially in the presence of others. Everyone had their own problems and most people that asked if someone was okay were only looking for a quick yes. “Sorry. I probably shouldn’t trauma dump on you.”

#❮❮ interactions ❯❯#❮❮ interactions ft carlin ❯❯

ellisheps:

Ellis sat on the beach, her headphones on her head as she watched the waves do their thing. Ever since everything had happened, her head had been racing. She knew what it was but the last thing she needed to do was go to the psych department and ask for an eval. Afterall, she was still on her parents insurance and there was no way in hell that she would let people see her as the defective Shepherd or even worse, blame her parents for everything that had happened.

So instead, she sat here. She watched the waves, she listened to her playlists over and over until she knew every word by heart. It was a predictable thing and she enjoyed that. The consistency, it was why she loved dance. There was a right and a wrong, no room for error. And even if it was freestyle, it was just that. Free. She began to stand, walking along the shore as her feet sunk into the sand. She was so stuck in her own head that she almost knocked right into someone. After righting herself, she looked up and smiled slightly, tugged her ear buds out of her ear. “Nah, it’s okay…I probably should do the same. You okay?”

Questions about how he was doing were pretty common, mostly due to his own actions. Jumping too far the second he’d gotten permission for further range of motion or trying to do things on his own in the hospital before he had been physically capable of it had gotten plenty of the staff annoyed with him. The feeling of helplessness was all consuming and being so reliant on others made Flynn feel guilty. He probably should have accepted a psych consult then, but now it felt all too late.

“I’m fine. Aching, but, hey, made it all the way out here when just a few months ago I wasn’t allowed to stand. Guess it’s impressive.” While he couldn’t in this moment truly believe it was impressive, he reiterated some of the words of encouragement often tossed his way by the physical therapists at the clinic. Maybe he would believe it when he could stand on a board again.

#❮❮ interactions ❯❯#❮❮ interactions ft ellis ❯❯

The beach was always somewhere she loved, she could lose hours simply watching the waves and falling into a state of relaxation that was rare for her. She’d been caught up in trying to find the perfect spot to spend a couple of hours going over monologues before term started, that she hadn’t noticed someone right in front of her until it was almost too late.

“I am so sorry!” The apology coming simultaneously with his, before raising her shoulders in a shrug. “I think we both could have been watching where we were going a little better, takes two to tango.” The words peppy, seemingly in contrast to his own. “Are you okay?” The tone sent off some flags in her mind, but she figured the question was general enough that if he didn’t want to truly answer, they could simply pretend she was asking if he was okay after the almost-collision.

“Just brooding... Feels like my default setting these days.” She seemed nice, happy even, and Flynn didn’t want to bring her mood down at all. There were times that he felt okay, but largely he was yearning to be anywhere but here. Which had made it hard to really connect with people since he’d finally stopped being inpatient at the hospital.

“This is a nice spot in this park, though. A little less populated since it’s a bit off the path. If you’re looking for some alone time I’ll gladly give it to you in a bit... I just need a few minutes.” While he didn’t want to admit the entire lower portion of his body was aching, it was probably evident in his gait as he took the final couple steps to sit on the driftwood he’d been aiming for in the first place.

#❮❮ interactions ❯❯#❮❮ interactions ft lou ❯❯

soldierhearted:

Given how nice the weather was that afternoon, there was no way Delia could possibly allow herself to stay cooped up inside any longer. The drive down to Discovery Park was almost as relaxing as the activity she was about to enjoy once arriving. Sitting out on the beach and listening to the calming waves lapping against the shore while she lost herself in the world of the latest book she’d been reading felt like the perfect way to spend the next couple of hours. No interruptions and no responsibilities. It was going to be wonderful.

Well, or at least so she thought anyway.

Focused on the perfect spot to claim before anyone else had a chance, Delia barely noticed another person in her direct pathway before it was too late. Mouth opened to apologize almost immediately, only to find the other already doing so. She might’ve come out for some alone time, but that was clearly going to have to wait.

“No harm, no foul.” Neither of them seemed to be any worse for wear, so Delia shrugged the whole thing off. “Are you sure you’re okay, though?”

Flynn gave the best, albeit small smile that he could offer up at the moment at the concern sent his way. “Yeah... I’m okay. I mean -- I will be. You can enjoy your beach day. Or at least what resembles one in Seattle.” While these beaches along with countless movies and tv shows that showcased surfing had all played their part in getting Flynn interested in it, he currently only felt disdain for the entirety of Seattle and the rut he was stuck in with his recovery.

The frustration that insidiously invaded almost every day, regardless of how well it was going might have been the hardest adjustment for him. Once he had been a cliché, someone that didn’t let anything get to him... that was generally happy and happiest when he was out on the water. Now he was ready to punch something anytime his body couldn’t cooperate with simple tasks that nearly everyone took for granted, like he once had.

“But I’ll probably be here brooding until my leg stops throbbing.”

#❮❮ interactions ❯❯#❮❮ interactions ft delia ❯❯

sofxrst:

“Are you allowed to be out here?” Her tone was light, and there was a smile on her face to accompany it. Sofia was finding different ways to cope with the mess she’d left back in Maryland, ways that didn’t involve home-wrecking. Which, was how she found herself at the beach, taking a walk while listening to the sounds to attempt to drown out the thoughts in her own head.

Walking on sand, however, was exhausting after a while. The uneven levels, the hills — it was just tiring enough. Taking a seat next to Flynn, she offered him another smile, “you look glum.”

“I mean, going to Discovery Park isn’t on Chloe’s list of banned activities. But I also probably shouldn’t mention that I trudged all the way out here either. ” Flynn shrugged it off as if the entirety of his lower body wasn’t sore from over-exerting himself to get a view of the water that couldn’t hold a flame to what he was used to in Australia.

Opening up to anyone about his emotions wasn’t something Flynn was used to. Not that he really had ever felt the need. Apart from general teenage angst, he knew he had lived an easier life than most up until the accident. “I just don’t want to accept that I may never get back out there on a board... but maybe it’s true.”

#❮❮ interactions ❯❯#❮❮ interactions ft sofia ❯❯

It was truly sad how well he had gotten to know the halls of the hospital. Any chance he’d gotten to get out of bed and out of his room during his hospital stay had been eagerly taken... and without much else to do between check ups and physical therapy appointments he had done more than his fair share of exploring. Safe to say as his torn muscle was starting to heal, he was looking for any change of scenery. Making his way to Discovery Park, he thought perhaps the sight and sounds of a beach would give him a few moments to relish in memories of what he loved most. Something that he still wasn’t sure he’d lost forever.

However, it seemed to have the opposing effect as the heaviness he often felt when physical therapy wasn’t going incredibly soon settled back into his chest. Dejectedly, he turned around to find a spot to sit on the driftwood, his leg and pelvis needing a break from the long trek out here to begin with... only to nearly smack into another beach-goer. “Shit, sorry. I should watch where I’m going.” The apology was sincere though it may not seem it given his despondent tone.

#sghqstarter #this is trash #but if anyone wants in on sadboi hours

annabellesloan:

His voice was incredibly soothing, though she could still feel the panic rising inside of her. She let him lead the way over to the bench, feeling as though she was floating outside of herself. It didn’t seem like she was making any conscious decisions to move her body; it just got from where they were standing to the bench all on its own. Her breaths were coming quicker now, and the image of what she’d seen was replaying through her mind and not helping things. Then the thought of any of her family being in the diner when the crash happened occurred to her, and at Flynn’s question, she nearly let out a soft yelp.

“I, yeah, I should…” Her breath hitched as she tried to find her phone, which she felt buzzing in her pocket. Pulling it out with shaky hands, she spied the name on her screen and quickly opened it up, typing out a misspelled reply to her dad that she wasn’t hurt and wasn’t alone, then inquiring into how everyone else was.

“My dad says everyone’s okay,” she finally noted, her voice somewhat steady, though her body still felt drenched in a cold sweat. “That - that’s good. Do you think we should go h - help.. or something?” She didn’t know what to do, and sitting here felt like they were doing too little.

They had just met the other week and while he did have a good time around the fair with her tonight -- he didn’t want to overstep his mostly stranger status. Despite that, his mind was racing to find ways to help calm her down a bit more but it was coming up with nothing. When she was settled on the bench, he placed the huge stuffed animal he had left from his fair game skills down beside her, choosing to remain standing in front of Annabelle just in case she felt a temptation to look over across the street again.

“See? That’s great. You’re safe and so is your family.” While he still couldn’t say the same for the people across the street because he hadn’t given too much of a glance after he noticed that Anna had started panicking, he could only hope that everyone was alright. Many often forgot how dangerous cars could be considering they were a part of most people’s daily travel and thinking about sitting in a diner before heading home from the fair one moment and the next watching a car plow through the building was an honestly terrifying thought.

“This place is crawling with the faces of hospital staff that I can remember from my over month long stay. They’re all over there helping and they’re trained to do so. We can stay here for a few more minutes -- or find a way to a coffee shop around the block?” Flynn wasn’t too familiar with the area, but this was Seattle. They were bound to run into a coffee shop if they started heading the opposite way of the crash.

#❮❮ interactions ❯❯#❮❮ interactions ft annabelle ❯❯#❮❮ event; the fair ❯❯

nicholasgalitznes

i’m worried about her.

#❮❮ visage ❯❯

annabellesloan:

@mulleringmckay

It was the sound that did it. One minute, she and Flynn were walking towards the fair entrance, ready to go their separate ways, and the next there was an incredibly loud banging noise. A sound that was unmistakably two things colliding. Eyes that had been focused on her walking partner were quickly shifted to where the sound came from, and as soon as she spied the carnage she wished she wasn’t there.

Staring at the diner across the street - and the car that was now inside the diner with it - she was rooted to the spot. It took her mind some time to grasp what she was looking at, but when it did, she could feel her breath hitching in her throat. Shock? PTSD? A mixture? Whatever it was, it was taking root in her and she could feel herself getting dizzy.

“Flynn?”

His name came out as a whisper, barely audible as she felt the panic rising. “W - what … what’s happening?”

The sound alone was enough to make a few seconds of panic rise in Flynn, but he quickly brushed it off. Whatever had made Anna freak out about the bumper cars was becoming more apparent at her reaction to the accident. With a quick spin on his toes, he placed himself between the carnage across the street and Anna. Neither of them were medical professionals and it was probably for the best they both stayed away so they wouldn’t get hurt themselves.

“I don’t know Anna, but let’s go sit down and take a few minutes, okay?” He gestured to an unoccupied bench back a few feet where the ticket booths would mostly be obstructing their view of whatever had just caused that car to crash right into the side of the building across the street. Out of the way of the hospital staff already rushing across the street and the panicked citizens likely hoping to get out of the immediate area as soon as possible.

“I’m right here and we’re both fine... Do you have anyone you need to get in touch with?”

#❮❮ interactions ❯❯#❮❮ interactions ft annabelle ❯❯#❮❮ event; the fair ❯❯

flynn’s time at the fair

#❮❮ aesthetics ❯❯#❮❮ event; the fair ❯❯#psd by bbysuri

docmarksloan:

Mark didn’t really care about winning prizes at the fair. He was really only engaging in the games because he had nothing else to do after he’d been kicked out of volunteering thanks to Amelia’s shenanigans; story of his life. But when this random kid came over and started offering to help him impress people by winning certain games, he wasn’t going to turn him down; that would just make him a jerk. “Alright, well, show me what you got.”

“You'll have no problem hitting the top bell for the hammer.” He was pretty sure he recognized the man from the hospital, but the blur of faces and names during his month long stay in Seattle Grace Mercy West. “I don’t suppose you’ve ever swung an axe? That’s the trick for getting enough force on the pad.” Flynn explained as he led the way toward the high striker game. Some places had it rigged further that you could hit it too hard, but luckily this fair had the standard game.

#❮❮ interactions ❯❯#❮❮ interactions ft mark ❯❯#❮❮ event; the fair ❯❯

sofxrst:

Sofia had been, admittedly, half-assing her try at winning the games. It was hot out, she was tired, and this was taking longer than she’d anticipated. So when Flynn had approached her with his offer, she nodded her head pretty quickly. “Lead the way, my friend. I’m just trying to hold a promise that I might be regretting right about now.”

“Regretting a promise doesn’t sound like a fun time at the fair.” He started to lead the way toward the milk jugs, which was probably the first carnival game he had learned to master in early high school. “This one’s all about aiming right for the center of the stems of the bottom bottles. They weigh them down to make it harder to knock them over.”

#❮❮ interactions ❯❯#❮❮ interactions ft sophia ❯❯#❮❮ event; the fair ❯❯

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