Senior Emergency Attending Physician at the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center aka âThe Pitt,â Pittsburgh, PA; Previously a Resident of Big Charity Hospital, New Orleans
@physiiciian said: â - smack my muse upside the head ( @ Langdon)
~ The sudden, rough CLAP of a palm to the back of his head made him choke for a moment. The REBULL he'd been chugging like a teen shotgunning a beer, going down the wrong pipe. Frank coughing up a storm as he attempted to c h o k e up the carbonated liquid and get his lungs to settle again. Hunching fractionally over the Hub for as he did.
'-the fuck, Robby?? ' he wheezed out. One hand still curled around the can while the other moved to the back of his head to FUSS over the spot that had felt the sudden WRATH of the Attending's hand. ' It's only like...my SECOND one. ' Possibly his third. Definitely not his fourth. ~
you gotta give the people what they want and sometimes what they want is arson. (Physiiciian)
Jack was a night crawler, that much was true, but when he wanted to have time off, he did double shifts, and with his current state of mind. He had taken a couple of hours to nap in the call room before starting the day. After a quick shower and some ordered food, he made his way to the main floor with two coffees and a protein bar. It was an automatic thing he did, feed and hydrate Robby, like the tall plant he was. Jack set the mug with the bar in front of his friend and lifted an eyebrow at the comment.
"Am I going to need bail money ? or to be your alibi? " Jack commented as he came to stand next to Robby. His friend seemed in a mood. The vet took a sip of his coffee, eyes searching for context clues on Robby's face. "Wanna tell me why we want to set things or people on fire today, brother?"
unhinged shit my fiance has said sent by @physiiciian
Amid the chaos, navigating through the flotsam and jetsome of The Pitt, Jack anchors Robby in a way that others have been far less successful.
The man just gets it. Gets him. It's why they work so well together. And like Achilles and Odysseus, they are brothers in arms on the bloody shores of a neverending war as the so called gods remain indifferent to their cause until it serves them otherwise.
He'd made the arson comment sans filter, let his bad mood get the better of him as Donnie attempted to convince him to look on the brighter side of things. Robby, however, can't afford to look at the fucking glass half full. Sadly, he's a fucking realist.
But when Jack chimes in, he can at least permit himself to be more humorous about it.
"Ah, nothing to lose sleep over," he says, taking the second coffee and sustenance with a nod of gratitude. "Sometimes I just think burning this place to the ground and building something more whimsical in its place would be the better option."
Cassie had already been awake when she felt Robby stirring beside her. The sounds of his breathing gave her concern, though it wasn't until he was gasping that she had rested her hand against his arm, giving it a slow rub to try and comfort him in that moment. Seeing him throw his arm over his face, she sat herself up so she could look at him, the other hand moving to gently try and ease his arm down.
"What are you sorry for? You didn't wake me, Robby," she began, "and if you're apologising for this reaction, you don't need to do that. I'm gathering from the way you were breathing and how you look like you've seen a ghost, that it was a nightmare? There's no need for you to apologise for that, it's a completely normal reaction."
She paused, not wanting for it to seem like she was diagnosing him. "Do you want to talk about it? Or would you rather have a cuddle?"
Though heâs well aware of her presence beside him, the sudden contact â however gentle â causes him to flinch as if heâd been struck. The man isnât used to such tender touch no matter how often he loses himself in a lover. Somehow, he never anticipates affection.
At her silent bidding, he slowly moves his arm, opting instead to fix his gaze in the opposite direction as he regains his bearings. He doesnât want her to see him like this: a weak, pathetic mess. In a way, sheâs right. It wasnât a mere nightmare, it was a memory. One thatâs plagued him for far too long.
A deep breath, then another. In, then out. And over again. Robby focuses on composing himself as his heartbeat evens and limbs settle into numbness. Rather than answer, he merely pulls her in closer, hoping itâll be enough of a distraction. Giving light to the skeletons in his closet isnât exactly his specialty. Heâd much prefer that door remain sealed shut.
âDonât worry about it,â he insists, shuddering as he presses a soft kiss to her temple. âItâs fine. Mâfine.â
Born in 1917, P.ittsburgh, P.ennsylvania, Ezra was the child of two J.ewish U.krainian i.mmigrants. After completing medical school and his internship in C.hicago in 1943, he was commissioned into the U.S. A.rmy Medical C.orps at the rank of C.aptain. Serving overseas as a B.attalion S.urgeon for two years, Ezra was stationed in B.elgium as part of the 28th I.nfantry Division.
By his return home in 1945, heâd developed a very deep respect for life, believing it should be lived to the fullest. As a physician, he would say that it isnât merely a profession, but a monumental responsibility â and those blessed with such a gift were obligated to do all within their power to heal their fellow man. However, he never liked to speak of his time in the war, preferring to keep the past buried precisely there. Once settled, he took a job at St. Clair Hospital as a surgeon.
Ezra met Odelia Levy in 1946 at a party held by a mutual friend. Those whoâd witnessed their meeting would say the pair were instantly smitten despite their tendency to argue. Ezra greatly admired Odeliaâs wit and tenacity, while she adored his sense of humor and ability to listen so intently. He proposed spontaneously at least six times before she finally said yes. Married in May of 1948, the pair had three children: Abram, Caleb, and Maria.
Due to the incompetency of their only grandchildâs parents, Ezra and Odelia stepped in to raise Michael in the Summer of 1979.
A heavy smoker all his life, Ezra died in 1993 from lung cancer.
Influence on Robby:
While Ezraâs occupation certainly inspired Robby, it was his outlook on it that really solidified the desire to follow in his footsteps. From guiding principles, morals, to handy knowledge like building his own car, household repairs, and the like, Ezra is responsible for teaching Robby everything he knows about being a man, as his own father fell short of the role.
ODELIA ROBINAVITCH (nee LEVY)
Odelia was born in W.estern R.ussia, 1923. When the G.ermans invaded the area in 1941, her parents urged her and her sister to flee. Settling in Pittsburgh, she contributed to the war effort by training in welding and working in the local shipyard. Resilient, resourceful, and quick witted, Odelia was adept at forging the best from her circumstances. Eventually, her sister married and moved away, leaving Odelia to walk her path alone.
In 1946, she met Ezra Robinavitch at a party held by a mutual friend. Those whoâd witnessed their meeting would say the pair were instantly smitten despite their tendency to argue. Ezra was charmed by Odeliaâs cleverness, and she by his ability to challenge her. Odelia took pleasure in torturing Ezra, making him propose six times before finally agreeing to marry him in May of 1948. Together, the pair had three children: Abram, Caleb, and Maria, and Odelia took on the job of defending a new homefront entirely.
Devout in her faith, she and the children attended s.ynagogue regularly. Ezra would attend on major holidays and occasionally when he had time off, using work as his excuse for such sporadic attendance, though he spent most of his post-war life grappling with his faith, having witnessed too many horrific atrocities. Even so, he encouraged each of his children to pursue the spiritual avenue of their culture. Shortly after her eighteenth birthday, Maria decided to hitchhike to California to become an actress, much to her parentsâ chagrin. Though she promised to write, the family never heard from her again.
During the conflict between the U.S. and V.ietnam, Abram was K.IA and Caleb left with severe P.TSD, rivaling that of his fatherâs. This led to a.lcohol a.buse that eventually resulted in Odelia taking on the full time care of her only grandchild in the Summer of 1979.
Odelia passed away in late 2005 of natural causes.
Influence on Robby:
Just as she was with her children, Odelia was heavily involved in the spiritual shaping of Michaelâs adolescence. He would recite prayers with her and attend s.ynagogue regularly. Itâs in honor of her memory that he does so during the holidays. Having basically raised him, Odelia was Robbyâs source of maternal comfort. She instilled in him good moral ethics and freely imparted all the wisdom she had to offer.
Performing his residency in New Orleans, Robby aided several victims during H.urricane K.atrina. Due to the strain of the disaster, he wasnât able to visit Odelia as originally planned. Unfortunately, she passed away soon after, leaving Robby to grieve and blame himself for not being at her side when she needed him most.
"Interestingly enough, I actually do believe that." Because only Robby could find himself in the most unique situations. Well...okay maybe she could too.
"Yeah, I think that would save time and our sanity. Though if you can figure out how to avoid the gossip chain, please let me know. I've been trying for years."
"Honestly, I think the CIA should recruit them as informants." She looked completely serious. "Babette could have your entire medical history, favorite pizza topping, and dating prospects before breakfast."
When Robby asked if she liked Italian, Lorelai stared at him. She raised an eyebrow. "That's not...You're not... That was a rhetorical question, right?" She started.
"Do I like Italian? Robby, unless it's a salad that's trying to convince me it's a meal, the answer is yes."
She's certainly not wrong. Babette alone would likely become a senior ranking agent. Robby's certain no one could dig up dirt like her. He recalls how she, Miss Patty, and his Safta used to sit on the porch and dish over iced tea every Sunday afternoon while grandpa Ezra retreated inside, often entertaining himself with horology.
Oh, the ladies always got a real kick out of that, the licentious play on words utilized to the point of exhaustion.
Seeing as she's more than affirmed her affinity for Italian, Robby makes a mental note to call about a reservation.
"Friday, then." Here, he glances back toward the exam room where Langdon is finishing up Rory's cast. "Can I pick you up around six? Unless...you'd like to make a different arrangement.
Lorelai and Rory are inseparable. Everyone knows that. Robby doesn't want to overstep, should the former wish to take things slower.
as predicted, dangling her safety and a boring day in front of him has him munching through the protein bar in seconds. christine lifts her head and presses a kiss to his cheek, nuzzling into the hair of his beard before settling back against him, more relaxed than before, the soft drag of his fingers through her scalp lulling her into a rare moment of peace.
â ecstatic, â she says. in truth, she isn't sure that word has any meaning anymore; there are moments of happiness here, moments of pleasure with him, stolen and few and far between as they are, they still exist, anchoring her to her own body. without it, she is not sure what would be left of her, and if that shell would have the strength to survive.
but it feels nice to say it. to pretend words like that still have any place in this universe.
she smiles into his chest as he starts ranting, a rare giggle shaking her frame. â she was speaking about cake the other day. going on and on about how much she misses it, the smell, and i... and i almost slipped and used some morphine to shut her up. â the few other older survivors were right up there with her, torn between joining mrs. audrey in memory lane and stuffing her mouth with something to stop tempting their stomachs with something out of reach.
â i didn't do it! i didn't. but it was right there aaand i thought i was gonna have a riot on my hands. it seemed like the thing to do. but i didn't do it. â
"Ohoho, too bad we can no longer have our cake and fucking eat it, too!" He chuckles hoarsely, recalling the terribly decorated break room of The Pitt any time they happened to have a holiday or birthday.
He never liked it when people made a big deal out of the latter -- at least in his case --but dammit, what he wouldn't give for a good slice of ice cream cake. Mint chocolate chip...
Ooh, don't go there, Robinavitch. Lest your stomach start retaliating.
At the very least, hearing Christine's little anecdotes make everything seem semi-normal for a moment.
With every passing minute, he's losing daylight, but considering every run could be his last, he's in no particular hurry to leave her. Like everyone else here, she depends on him. It's his reason for surviving this long.
She's his reason.
"Any special requests?" He asks, brushing his thumb over her ivory cheek.
Robby always seizes the opportunity to bring back books, toys for the kids, and other accouterments that might otherwise be deemed useless in such a life. But hey, it's the little things that keep everyone hopeful.
She was grateful that Robby seemed so on board with this and eager to help, but found herself fighting the urge to turn him down. Accepting help had never been her strength, so her first reflex was to tell him that she had it covered and didn't need him to pay for anything. But the truth was, her insurance would most likely only provide her with half of the care she wanted and needed, so she would have to pay out of pocket for the rest and nurses didn't earn nearly as much as Robby did in his position. So it was just logical to accept his offer, right?
"That's very kind of you. So far everything had been going smooth, but I have an appointment tomorrow for the first official ultrasound and check up. You can come along if you want. You don't have to, though." This was probably exactly what she would repeat in the upcoming months: he was welcome to participate as much as he wanted or didn't want. She wasn't going to make him do anything he wasn't willing or able to give, knowing very well that Robby had a lot of issues and demons he fought with.
"Well - I guess that leaves us with nothing but going back to work now", she mused, grinning crookedly over at him. They still had two hours left in their shift and even though Wanda was exhausted to the point of delirious, the show had to go on. Luckily it had been fairly quiet today and nothing crazy had happend - yet. Hopefully it would stay that way, because she had no intention of staying longer to catch up on charts or patients after nightshift had already come in.
âYeah. Yeah, Iâll come with you. Whoâs the OB? Anyone I know?â
Maybe itâll be of some comfort if he does know them. He can trust them, fully aware of their capabilities and competence. This is Wandaâs endeavor to control, but that nagging little voice in the back of his head canât help but attempt to stir the pot and have a hand in whatâs to come. Their child should have the most optimal care possible.
Back to workâŠ
The voice is getting louder, now.
âYou sure you should be on your feet like this all day?â he questions, brow furrowed skeptically. âHell, youâve done the work of ten people in a matter of hours. Seriously, call it a night and get some rest. I uhâŠâ
Here, he tugs at either side of his stethoscope, pulling it one way, then the other, âI can come over later, if you want.â
Claire let out another gentle laugh along with a sigh of relief once the gentleman reassured her that he wasnât offended. The last thing she needed was for him to actually call her manager over to the tableâ this time to complain about her, rather than complimenting her efforts. Being paid minimum wage was bad enough in a place like this, but the people and workers were friendly, so she couldnât complain too much about working there. It provided a routine and a stable source of income; as little as that may have been.
The smile on Claireâs face grew ten-fold as she heard him introduce himself. Tilting her head to the side, sheâs curious, half teasing him with adding her own last name to the conversation. âLittleton. Claire Littleton.â She seemingly mocked him, but anyone who truly knew Claire knew she was just messing around to lead to her next question, âWhat would you rather be called? Michael, or Robinavitch?â It was an innocent question, after all.
And then she freezes at his answer.
At first she thought it was just an innocent answer about wanting to be shown around by a true local. However, when Michael mentioned her being comfortable with the idea, she couldnât help but feel like there were second intentions behind the question. Was this him asking her out? Thomas had just left her not even a few weeks ago after the baby got to be too much for him to handle, so the fact that someone would be interestedâ it hadnât even crossed her mind, and she had froze.
Or perhaps she was overthinking this and he was simply looking for an innocent guide.
Shaking her head, then nodding, then shaking her head and repeating the process again, Claire laughed nervously. âIs that your way of asking me out on a date where I surprise you with the place?â Claire questioned, ocean blue eyes narrowing in his direction. Sheâd never been afraid to be blunt before, but this time she might have felt a smidge of terror.
And thatâs when she realized she sounded like she might be flat out rejecting him due to her current condition. Clearing her throat, Claire pushed a few strands of hair behind her ear as she hesitated for a moment. ââIâm not saying no, by the way.â
âNice to meet you, Claire. You can call me Robby, if itâs easier.â
Everyone else does.
âAssuming youâre available. Yeah, Iâd like to spend some time with you.â
Brow quirked, he silently studies her, able to see the cogs turning as she considers his proposal. Really, heâs certain sheâll decline him. A woman like her probably has a husband, or at least a steady boyfriend. Whatâs more, they didnât acquiesce to old men tourists and their desire for an escort around the city. Well, not unless that was their occupation, anyway. Thatâs why heâs genuinely surprised when she doesnât immediately decline.
âThen, if youâre not saying no, maybe you need more persuasion to say yes,â he chuckles, sliding aside his half empty iced tea as he folds up his wallet and tucks it away. âSince youâd likely miss work for this, I can compensate you for your time and expertise. What do you make per hour? Iâll double it.â
Send " âââ " for your muse to suddenly and unexpectedly kiss mine.
@physiiciian
It'd been a rough 8 years so far but despite working all the time and burning out every now and then she still smiled. She wanted to just bring some color to a sometimes bleak little place. The night shift was the right amount of chaos for her and she adored them but every now and again she took a day shift and today was one of those days.
There was something interesting about day shift, she didn't really know any of the residents, but she knew Robby. Kinda hard not to, he'd changed a lot over the past few years but there was still familiarity. Himi'd said hi to Dana and caught up on gossip about the residents with Jesse so she knew what to expect with them. Now it was the stash pockets with supplies for when the inevitable dumb fuck hurt themselves by getting up out of the bed or not listening to the nurses.
She heard the footsteps first, looking over to see him, "Hey there you are! I was trying to come say..." Her words are cut off as he has to lean down to kiss her. That really could not be good for his back..
In retrospect, kissing one of his employees probably isnât the smartest whim to entertain. Chalk it up to his self destructive tendencies, the deeply ingrained urge to sabotage himself when things are going a little too well for him. If problems wonât present themselves to him, heâll subconsciously create them.
This, of course, also works in tandem with his need to distract himself from the usual mental ailments. If Robby can make it so he has no time to think, then he can forget his demons lie in wait for him, at least for a small while.
All these things accumulate into an often nonsensical and equally outrageous crescendo. Hence, kissing one of Jackâs nightcrawlers.
âNurse Dao,â he addresses, too prideful to admit his overstep by fumbling through an apology or an explanation. His hands are still clasping either side of her face as he stands there gazing down at her serendipitous expression. âGlad to have you with us today.â
