To build a Home. ā Jack Abbot x reader.
Dr. Jack Abbot x Nurse! Reader
Summary: Jack would give you anything in the world if you asked for it, but he never expected you to ask to take an abandoned baby home. (1.8k)
Tags/Warnings: Medical innacurencies, slight canon divergence, established relationship, Fluff, Adoption, Dana is very present in this fic, maybe a spoiler for S2 E15, husband! Jack, Baby Jane Doe, Nurse! Reader but the nurse part is briefly mention.
Note: I really liked the final episode, and I really wanted to post this as soon as the season finished but collage held me up, but anyways, enjoy it!
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The night shift arrived right on time, exactly at 7:00 PM on the Fourth of July.
Your husband Ā Jack, was the attending on the night, starting his shift immediately after resting his long day with his SWAT team. After a few intense situations heād had to handle earlier, he had retreated to an isolated part of the hospital to get some sleep. You hadnāt seen him since that morning when heād left a lingering kiss on your forehead, leaving you alone in the warmth of the bed.
The moment you stepped into the ER, a place that never truly slept, you forced yourself to focus.
āHey Dana, Happy Fourth,ā you said, setting your belongings down at the nurses' station.
āThereās been nothing 'happy' about today, honā Dana responded, approaching you with a weary sigh. She gave your arm a soft, supportive tug. āItās been terrible.ā
āJack sent me a few messages about the situationā¦ something about a being analog and some hackers?ā As you shared the little information you had, your eyes scanned the floor. You saw Mateo and a few other night-shift regulars, but there was still no sign of Jack yet.
āYeah, the system went down, but unfortunately, that wasn't the worst of it.ā She paused, capturing your full attention with a heavy look. āLouie died a few hours ago. Liver failure.ā A soft, pained āOh, noā escaped your lips as she continued the grim rundown of the dayās tragedies. āA baby was abandoned here at seven this morning that Jesse was seeing, and Jesse...ā she hesitated, her voice dropping. āJesse was detained by ICE after intervening for a patient.ā
āFuck, really?ā you whispered. āI hope heās okay, keep me informed and If I can help with anything, just let me know.ā You could only hope your shift wouldn't be as soul-crushing as theirs had been. āYou guys have really seen some stuff today,ā you added. Just then, you heard Shenās voice announcing Jackās arrival.
Dana began relaying the day's news to him just as she had for you. When she finally finished, you finally had the chance to talk to him. You gave him a quick once-over; he looked weary but composed, rested enough to face the night ahead so that calmed you enough. Now that you were together, you felt the tension in your shoulders begin to ease. Everything was going to be okay.
āHi,ā you said, but his hands found you before you could say another word, he pulled you against him by the waist, pressing a soft kiss to your lips and then another to your forehead āI brought snacks for later,ā you murmured.
āGod, I really love you,ā he added softly against your hair before reluctantly letting you go. You both had a job to do, and you could already feel Shenās amused gaze lingering on the two of you. āLetās do thisā
Rounds went smoothly, each "nightcrawler" (as Jack called the team), took a case for themselves. You did your best to help everyone, focusing especially on the day shift patients so they could finally go home, both patients and staff. But the principal focus was on the several others whose charts needed manual updates after the system came back.
Eventually you made your way to Pediatrics to check on the abandoned baby, Baby Jane Doe. The moment you stepped inside, you saw Dana talking softly to the infant, though she stopped once she noticed your presence.
āHow is she?ā you asked, approaching the small medical crib. You looked down at her tiny face, the soft rosiness of her cheeks, and her little smile. You knew logically that newborns didn't smile, that it was just a physical reflex, but you could have sworn it was the most beautiful smile youād ever seen. āAny news from Social Services?ā
āAll is good with this little one. Social Services is backed up, though...ā Dana looked at you, her voice trailing off with a deliberate undertone. āBut someone here could take her. Doctors and nurses qualify as foster parents.ā
The subject was a difficult one. Of course, you and Jack had once wanted something to represent your love, but in all your years of marriage, that dream never manifested. Over time, it had become a faded memory, eclipsed by the demands of the night shift and his work with the SWAT team.
You stared at the baby, for a brief second you pictured Jack as a dad, with this tiny fragile body resting against his freckled skin. It was a beautiful image; one you have had once before. āIāll have to talk to him. I... I donāt know if itās even on the table.ā You reached out to the baby, your hand carefully caressing her soft cheek.
When Robby stepped into the room, it was your signal to head back to the nurses' station. Jack was already there, likely preparing for his cases. You sneaked up behind him, resting your hand on the small of his back to catch his attention.
āHey,ā you murmured. Once he settled his gaze at you, you took a breath āSoā¦you know, thereās a baby in peds, a perfect little girl and I was thinkingā¦ maybe we could foster her? Just for a while, until she finds a permanent home.ā
Jack stood motionless for a second, his gaze still fixed on the charts on the table. You felt the muscles of his lower back tense beneath your hand before he let out a long, heavy sigh. It wasnāt a sigh of annoyance, but rather the sound of someone trying to process an idea far too big for such a complicated night.
Finally, he turned toward you. His eyes, weary but always softening the moment they found yours, searched your face. āFoster?ā he repeated in a whisper, testing the weight of the word. He searched your eyes, his hand lingering over yours on the counter. āYou know Iād give you the moon and the stars if you asked. But this... this is a life, sweetheart. Iām just worried about whether we can actually do this. I mean, are you sure you're ready for your heart to break when they finally find her a permanent home?ā
āJack, just look at her before you say no,ā you pleaded, your voice barely a whisper. āShe has no one. It would only be for a little while just until Social Services finds a placement. I canāt let her get lost in the system, not today.ā
He watched you in silence, studying the determination in your eyes. You knew his protective instinct and even if he wanted things just as badly as you did, you were his priority.
āJust a look,ā he finally conceded, though a small tired smile at the corner of his lips. āI canāt promise you anythingā
He gave your hand a quick, reassuring squeeze before squaring his shoulders and turning to address patients. You wondered if that small spark of hope youād just lit would be enough to change the course of your lives. The weight of the subject, heavy on your shoulders. He was right; fostering wasn't just about the hello; it was about the inevitable goodbye. But then you thought of the quiet stillness in Peds and that tiny, reflexive smile.
"I'd rather have my heart broken knowing she was loved for a while, than keep it whole while she stays here alone," you replied softly.
Jack stared at you for a long beat, his expression unreadable, before a look of pure admiration crossed his face. He leaned in, pressing his forehead against yours for a fleeting second.
"Okay," he breathed.
The rest of the hour was a blur of trauma protocols and hurried handovers. But true to his word, the moment there was peace in the ER, Jack found you. He didnāt say a word, just nodded towards the room.
The walk to Pediatrics was short but it felt unusually long. When you reached the glass doors of the nursery, you saw the tiny "Jane Doe" crib in the corner. She was awake now, her small arms waving aimlessly in the air, out of the blanket the other nurses tugged her in.
Jack stopped a few feet away. He looked out of place, this tall, broad-shouldered man still wearing his tactical boots and the exhaustion of a SWAT morning call-out, standing in a room meant for such fragile things. He approached the crib slowly, as if he were afraid his mere presence might break the silence.
āSheās so small,ā he whispered, his voice thick with a sudden unexpected vulnerability.
āSheās a fighter,ā you murmured, standing beside him. āDana said she didn't cry once when they brought her in. She kinda just... waited.ā
Jack reached out the same way you did. You held your breath as he carefully hovered over the crib. Slowly, the babyās tiny hand brushed against his index finger, by reflex, she curled her minuscule fingers around his, gripping him with surprising strength for such a tiny human.
The air in the room seemed to shift. You watched Jackās face; the weary lines around his eyes softened, and his jaw, usually so tight with the stress of the job, finally relaxed. He looked at her with the same fierce protection he usually reserved for you.
āShe has your eyes,ā he joked softly, though his voice wavered. āOr maybe she just has that same look... like sheās already deciding what she wants from the world.ā
He looked up at you, and in that moment, the fear of the "inevitable goodbye" was still there, but it was overshadowed by something much stronger.
āWeāre going to need a car seatā he said, his thumb gently stroking the back of the baby's hand āand we definitely donāt have enough supplies at the house.ā
A tear finally escaped, rolling down your cheek as a laugh bubbled up in your throat. āWe can figure that out, Jack. Weāre fast learners.ā
āYeah,ā he smiled, a real, radiant smile that reached his eyes for the first time all day. He leaned in and kissed your temple, his gaze returning to the little girl who had just claimed a piece of his heart. āI guess we areā¦let's take her home.ā
