Moony
a hucklerobby fic in which dennis's positivity throws a jaded robby for a loop. tw for harassment on a medical professional by a drunk person. also harrassment on dennis by robby but that is more than consensual lol. like over 4k words, sorry, dudes.
It doesn’t take long for everyone to notice Dennis’s sunny disposition. He was happy to walk in at 6:30 most mornings, he was nice to Myrna no matter how many times she sexually harassed him, and he had a way of turning Dr. Robby’s mood around with just his proximity.
The last one was the most important to the functioning of the ER, however.
It wasn’t noticeable the first day, with everything that happened. Nobody had the bandwidth to even learn the new student’s first name. He had spent a couple of weeks being known as Bloodhound or Huckleberry before he had gained enough respect to be called by his last name by the nurses.
But pretty soon, everyone on the floor had learned that Whitaker was a favorite. Of Robby’s, that is. And Dana. And Santos. And McKay. And, ok, everybody liked the kid a lot after he’d stuck around long enough, but Robby liked him more than everyone else combined. He touched the kid more than everybody else combined, too.
When Robby had gotten chewed out by Gloria a week after Pittfest (the hero worship had died off, the sympathy had too), Robby had been on a war path. He was back to overcorrecting Mohan on her patient times. Santos was finally facing the cold shoulder she had been waiting for. Javadi’s status, which she insisted she didn’t want, couldn’t save her from the cutting critiques and overall lack of faith Robby had seemed to fall back to once everything had set in.
Robby was getting snippy with Dana the twentieth morning since Pittfest (just her second day back since the assault). Very out of character for him, and also, frankly, a very bad idea.
He placed his hands on the desk and sighed, “I can’t deal with it today. I just need everyone to be competent and quit piling shit back on my plate. I’m eating plenty of it upstairs, and I didn’t even get to brush my teeth after.”
“He’s your resident and your friend.” She looked up over her reading glasses. “I can’t believe you won’t even visit him. He’s more anxious about you being mad at him than his wife for Christ's sake.” Dana knew Robby was disappointed, betrayed on a level he probably had no right to feel, but he was better than this. Or at least he used to be.
Robby knew he was being callous. He knew what it was like to be powerless. He understood addiction more than he’d like to admit. But all that rationality he had clung to for so long had evaporated sometime between COVID and that day he’d rather not think about. He was different now, having resisted the change for so long. This place had made him darker.
Robby clenched his fists, something probably offensive to the woman who had gotten sucker punched recently, but again, his rationality had left him. “He’s probably anxious because he’s detoxing from benzos. That would be stressful for anybody. I’m anxious about how much paperwork I’m having to do about all the medication he’s stolen. So I would guess it’s kinda even.” His voice was terse and patronizing in a way he never let it be with Dana. He regretted it immediately. He always took shit too far.
“Robby, I’m going to tell you this once.” She was talking to him like an unruly patient. “If I hear you say something like that about anybody else here, I have a lot of stories about you that could get you relegated to a pencil puncher, no matter how necessary you are. I don’t relish reminding you of this, but you’re a fuck up too.”
Robby practically sighed in relief that someone was pushing back on him. He was out of control these past couple of days. Meaner than he had any right to be. Weaker too. He gave Dana a contrite look. Dana took pity on him and patted his clenched fist while putting her eyes back on the computer. She couldn’t waste time this early. Certainly not on a grouchy Robby. Especially when a certain MS4 was supposed to come in soon. Good thing Robby would have his favorite stress ball. Dana had heard some things about when she was gone.
Dennis had not been scheduled the last couple of days between his CAPSTONE and exams, but he was happy to be back. Emergency medicine had snuck up on him in the most peculiar of ways. He felt like his fucked up parts were finally compatible with somewhere.
Dennis walked in with Trinity, whistling a tune and practically tap dancing. He had stable housing, he did well on his presentation, and Trinity had bought him a donut that morning! He could have to change his scrubs five times today and not lose his smile. Trinity, on the other hand, looked like she had been dragged through a hedge backwards. Switching back to the day shift after a little on nights was rough on her.
The listless tune had a way of cutting through Robby’s malaise. It was hard to feel self-deprecating when sunshine embodied smiles at you. The older man turned away from the nurses' station to fully engage the younger man’s attention.
If Dana muttered “Predictable,” under her breath, well, Robby was suddenly in a good enough mood to let things go.
“Whitaker! Great to see you again. Glad you came back.” Robby felt himself smiling wide enough that his eyes crinkled.
Santos raised her eyebrow at her attending. “What am I? Chopped liver? I’ve been on nights the past week, and he gets the hero’s welcome?”
“Dr. Santos.” Less enthused was a nice way to put it. “I was getting to you. How were nights? Shen’s a great mentor.”
“It was good. I liked the pacing and level of supervision.” Robby was half-listening, half-watching Dennis. Santos, ever the pusher, added in, “He’s good at letting his resident actually practice instead of oscillating between cold and overbearing.”
Robby should probably be offended by whatever Santos just said, guessing from the put-out look Dennis was giving her, but he simply didn’t care. A snarky resident was the last of his priorities now that his favorite student was back. The kid was just so god damn chipper, it felt like he lit up the whole ER anytime he was scheduled. Everyone felt that way, Robby justified.
“Yeah! I’m glad you enjoyed nights so much. Of course, we’d miss you here on days, but residents are encouraged to find their own preferences.” Robby walked forward and turned Whitaker’s shoulder with his hand, pointing to a closed curtain. “Kid, you ever seen a partial degloving from a wedding ring? This is a great teaching moment.”
Santos watched as her attending squeezed her roommate's shoulder on the way to the examination room. That was annoying but also so interesting. She loved having something new to tease Whitaker about. It almost made up for Robby’s distaste for anybody besides him.
It wasn’t just the gossipy nurses (or Santos) that noticed. Whitaker wasn’t the oblivious farm boy he (sometimes) played as. He didn’t make it through three years of medical school and all his other rotations without knowing his strengths. People liked optimism and Dennis was naturally, oftentimes painfully, hopeful. And if Whitaker played up his aw shucks traits to keep people endeared, that was between him and the god he wasn’t sure was too fond of him.
Dennis was questioning what kind of cosmic punishment he was incurring every time Robby practically scruffed him in front of all his colleagues. It wasn’t even that it felt bad; it felt divine. Divine in a way Dennis knew was inappropriate. He was sure his Gen X, straight boss felt a little listless without his previous favorite and latched on to the nearest protégé willing to have an oddly codependent friendship with him, and Dennis was willing. Agreeable like always.
It was getting him some amazing cases and he’s pretty sure a 5/5 evaluation, but also the most confusing psychosexual thoughts of his life. And he was a gay boy raised by Baptists, so that bar was pretty high.
Dennis was hopeful he could get over it before internship interviews. He was hoping to stick around and he needed to have a clear head if he wanted to keep the community he was just now building.
The degloving was awesome in that nauseating way he’d come to realize he liked. He’d gotten to go over a couple of discharges and hadn’t had to code anyone yet. All in all, a pretty successful couple of hours for an accident magnet like Dennis. He should’ve known that was all the peace he was entitled to.
Within an hour, there was an arterial spray he had barely managed to dodge, a TBI that Dennis had no idea how someone could come back from fully functional, and the patient who mixed their sleeping medication with alcohol “accidentally” was more alert but still delirious. A terrible combination.
She kept calling him cute as a button. Saying he reminded her of her daughter’s boyfriend. Which wouldn’t be all that weird if it wasn’t accompanied by the attempts to reach out and touch his arm, and face, and…ass.
Dennis had been able to shrink away from them in time. He was adept at staying just the right amount out of her admittedly poor reach. She wasn’t threatening in a real physical way so he was sure he could just monitor, record, and then move on before anything went too poorly. Besides, everyone was just so busy and he couldn’t drag a resident over just because he felt a little uncomfortable. He would keep the curtain a touch more open than he usually would, though. He didn’t want her to feel like he was giving them privacy.
“So, Ma’am, we gave you fluids-“
“Ohhh, don’t call me that, honey,” she slurred, “makes me feel old. I’m not much older than you!” She laughed too loudly for the setting and it made the student flinch internally. Also, this lady was older than him. Older than Robby even, and Robby was inappropriately older than him.
“Ok…Miss, we gave you fluids to help flush out your system. You should be through the worst of it. I’m going to remind you that your sleeping medication is contraindicated with alcohol, so you need to make sure not to combine them.” This was the part Dennis was dreading. Everyone who came in drunk to the ER got the talk and they never responded well. “While the effects are wearing off in this next little bit, I’m going to page our social worker, Kiara. She is going to talk to you about your drinking and medication use, just as a precaution, and she can point you to any resources that may help you. Do you understand?”
“What do you mean?” The anger made her words sharper but not any less drunk. “I don’t need a talk from some social worker. That’s for hobos and-and kids. Fuck you.” The last words were almost as loud as her laugh. Jesus Christ, Whitaker could never just catch a break.
“I know, but it’s just policy, Ma’am. If you could please quiet-“
“Shut up! If you’re not going to listen to me, get the fuck out. I don’t even want your gay little ass anyway.” Dennis had inadvertently stepped closer when he was lowering his voice, hoping to coax to volume down. He mistakenly got in her reach and she backhanded him in an attempt to push him out.
Robby was leaving the family room, informing the young guy’s girlfriend of next steps. Neurology consults, surgery, physical and occupational therapy, if he even makes it. How it may never be the same. More than likely won’t. Apparently, he was going to propose soon. He probably wouldn’t have the bilateral function to hold a ring box. Robby banished the thought from his mind.
He was going to go check on chairs with Dana when he heard a commotion. The drunken and disorderly in Bay 2 was louder than it ought to be. His attending senses were tingling.
Robby caught the tail end of the insult and the sound of skin hitting skin. He sped to the partially open curtain and caught Whitaker trying to restrain a woman’s wild hands. His cheek was cut from either her gaudy rings or her long nails. He barely even noticed someone came in until he was having help holding her hand down.
“A little help in here?” Robby called. A couple of people came in to hold the rest of her limbs. “Whitaker, we’ve got her handled. Go to the nurses' station.”
Whitaker almost argued, he could stay through the restraint and sedation. He was sometimes a little too trusting, but he wasn’t naive or a child. Robby looked at him, as if able to anticipate his feelings. Maybe he could. Dennis let that look eclipse any denials he had. He left the bay to go find Dana. Blood drawn meant a specific form.
Dana looked away from her computer and saw the sorriest sight. “Oh, Honey! Come here.” The hug was patronizing but appreciated. His mom was so far away and Trinity wasn’t exactly doting. “What happened?”
“Um, Bay 2 got mad about something and hit me and I think one of the rings caught me weird. It doesn’t even hurt.” His laugh was brittle. “She’s really confused. I don’t think she meant it.” He was looking down at his reflection in his phone now. He hoped it didn’t scar.
Dana clicked her tongue before deciding to ignore the excuses. Poor boy was jerked around enough today and it was hardly 2 o’clock. “Let me clean it up and put some butterfly bandages on it. It’ll close right up.”
“Thanks,” he said sheepishly. “I can fill out the form at home. I have a couple of patients I’m supposed to be monitoring and they all have labs that are coming back soon.”
Dennis felt a big hand on the back of his neck and he flinched but relaxed when he smelled Robby’s cologne. Or aftershave. Or whatever it is that Robby put on himself to smell like the man of his dreams.
Robby laughed, “It’s funny how you think you’re still on the floor. I’m going to do an examination, you’re going to fill out that form sitting down.” Dennis took a breath to interrupt, but Robby did that squeezing thing that halted thoughts. “Then, if I’m feeling generous, I’ll let you stay until the end of your shift after you have a meeting with employee services.”
Dana was a passive observer. She could handle slapping on a few stickers and wiping the kid's face, but if the senior attending would rather do basic first aid, she would let him. Dennis was wide-eyed and his mouth was still open for that sentence he never got off the tips of his tongue. It would be cute if Dana wasn’t repulsed by the old man Robby of it all. This was so much worse than him and Collin’s when he was a resident. But also so much more entertaining.
“Sir, I’m not gravely wounded or anything! I can just take care of this in the bathroom if I have to. You don’t need to bench me for however long that is.”
God don’t call me sir, Robby thought. He squeezed Dennis’s shoulder this time. Stop thinking about Whitaker taking care of himself in the bathroom. The kid phrased things in the most naive way sometimes.
Dennis tried to turn his head, but Robby was standing just behind him, orbiting, protecting.
“Get up, I’ll meet you in Examination 3, I’ll be quick.”
Chagrinned, Dennis left. The entire nurses' station just watched him be put in time-out. He hopes the trauma of being hit makes them go easy on him. Probably won’t.
Dana was trying to look at Robby in a neutral way. It annoyed him.
“What?”
“Oh, nothing. Just that when I was punched, you didn’t react this strongly.”
“Come on! I did.”
“I’m not jealous or anything. Lord knows I don’t need your hovering. I’m just pointing out that you’re all moony for the kid.” She looked back at her computer, feigning disinterest.
Robby scoffed. It rang false. “I’m not moony for the kid, whatever that means. I’m concerned as a boss for a subordinate.” He crossed his arms, shielding himself from the insinuation.
“I’m sure you’d love him to be subordinate to you or whatever it is, just don’t bring it up with me.”
Robby had no response to that. And Dennis was waiting. He left the nurses' station, praying they were all dutifully charting the way they looked like they were.
Dennis was on the examination table, kicking his feet and humming. Assault couldn’t even bring down his mood. What’s this kid's problem?
“Come on, let me look at your face.” Robby sanitized his hands and grabbed his chin while stepping in closer than he had to. Usually, he would make sure to angle his body to the side for an examination like this, but something made him press forward between Whittaker’s legs.
Dennis was in heaven…or hell. Maybe purgatory, but he doesn’t even believe in that. He was somewhere he’s certainly thought a lot about. He was damn near under Robby, the way the larger man was looming over him.
Robby took his ungloved hand and skimmed the younger man’s cheek. Dennis probably didn’t need a thorough exam like this, but it assuaged Robby’s nerves.
After letting go of his cheek, Robby stayed between Dennis’s legs. He put both hands on Dennis’s knees to keep them apart. This had to be sexual harassment at this point, Dennis thought. It’s a good thing he doesn’t mind.
Robby was doing that intense eye contact thing he did. “Ok, I think you can get away with some butterfly bandages.” Robby was still making no moves to leave. He started squeezing Dennis’s knees like he wanted to massage him for his troubles.
“That’s what Dana said.” Dennis gave a pointed look. It was less effective at this proximity somehow.
“She’s a smart lady.”
“Then why did you not trust her assessment?”
“Policy states that any employee injury bad enough to report mandates an examination by a physician.”
“Not the senior attending during a rush. What is this Robby?” Dennis looked more put off by Robby’s conduct than getting bitch slapped. “I know I seem a little helpless. Fuck, Trin calls me Wet Cat Whitaker, but I’ve taken hits before. I don’t need any special treatment or kid gloves. I’m a capable student.” Dennis's big eyes were looking up at him in the sad cat way. Jeez, Dr. Santos was right.
“I never meant to imply you weren’t!” Robby should probably take his hands off the kid's legs if it upsets him like this. Probably. “I just-I’ll work better if I know you’re ok, so just humor me a little.”
Robby looked embarrassed. Chagrinned.
“You don't need to fix anything for me. I got through med school and all my other rotations without you looking out for me.” Dennis was getting mad at the perception that he was weaker than anyone else on the floor. He had worked hard to get here. He had slept in bus terminals with a box cutter under his jacket he was using as a pillow, he left his family and religion, he chose to be completely alone for just the chance at his dream. He could handle some wine mom without Robby’s help. Of course, he couldn’t say all that. That wasn’t very glass-half-full of him.
Robby sighed for the hundredth time that week and took a step back. He swiped his hands over his face. He never meant to offend Whitaker. “I’m not trying to fix anything for you. This has more to do with me than anything to do with you.” The admission stopped Dennis in his tracks. He was prepared to defend his skills, his choices.
“What about me is different from the rest of the department?” His voice was louder than it should have been in a non-emergency.
“Because you’re you!” Robby blurted out, turning around to face the door. He couldn’t look at the kid he was about to implode his career for but he didn’t want to gaslight him. He had correctly perceived Robby’s special treatment of him and did not deserve to question his instincts when Robby was the one crossing lines. “I’m sorry, I appear to have...lost my impartiality with you. I have developed an inappropriate attachment and it’s affecting my judgement. I will recuse myself from your evaluations and will fully support you reporting me.”
“What? What does that mean?”
Robby continued on, trying to use words and phrases he’d heard Gloria use. He’d never seen Gloria rub at her face the way he was right now, though. “I understand if you no longer feel comfortable working with me. I can switch to the opposite shifts from you until this rotation is over. I’m sorry to have done this to you and I hope it doesn’t change how you feel about emergency medicine because you are very capable and any ED would be lucky to have you.”
“Whoa, what do you mean by switching shifts? I’m not really mad at you!” He was just so nice. And Robby ruins any nice thing he gets.
Robby faced Dennis to get one last good look at him. He was going to have to avoid him after this embarrassing confession. He was a pervy old man who took advantage of his status. The type of men that made him sick. Robby was sick.
“Dana says I’m moony over you.” He let out a dark chuckle. “She’s not wrong.” Robby should look away but he couldn’t help it. He was going to abuse his position one more time while he and Dennis were in a room alone without HR. Leering was certainly considered harassment, even if it was hard to prove. He had read that in a conflict management training.
“What does that even mean?” Dennis was more confused than he had ever been in his life.
“I…like you. More than your attending should.”
And, huh. Dennis should probably be weirded out, maybe even offended, but he just wasn’t. He had been crushing too. Which he probably should admit to because Robby was looking absolutely pathetic. He was wringing his hands now. Thinking he had ruined his life because he couldn’t take lying to Dennis.
Dennis smiled. But Dennis always smiled. It didn’t mean anything. This kid was nice, kind.
“That’s ok, Dr. Robby. I’m not uncomfortable. I promise.”
“No, don’t try to make me feel better about this. It’s wrong.”
“I like you too. More than a student should.”
“Really?” And, God, Robby should be put off at the reminder of their power dynamics but he was just elated to find out it seemed mutual. He’s still a perv, but less of one than he thought.
Dennis chuckled in that light way he did. It was practically a giggle. Trinity would’ve made one of her babysitter's club jokes if she were here. “Yes! I didn’t know this was even an option. But, yes.”
“Yeah?” Robby let himself feel hopeful in this ER for the first time since Pittfest. Maybe since the world shut down and changed forever. Finally, something not personally devastating would happen in one of these rooms.
“I mean, I didn’t expect you to do a grand confession like that, but I was hoping you would come around.” Dennis got up from the table, the paper crinkled as he did. “Moony?”
“Dana’s word, not mine.” He defended.
Dennis looked up and grinned even more at the look on Robby’s face. God, he was happy. And not in the false, eternally optimistic, fake it till you make it way. “Whatever you want to call it, I feel it too.”
Robby’s genuine smile was rare but so sweet. “I-I’m not going to kiss you for the first time in the ER, but after I have a chat with the boss lady, do you want to get coffee or something?” He was more nervous than he had to be but it was still a delicate situation.
“I’d really like that.”
And if Robby was in a better mood after basking in the light that was Whitaker, well, that wasn’t even unexpected anymore.
please like and comment. they encourage me a lot! thanks for reading my debut into this fandom lol. i feel like i'm still figuring out the voice/perspectives of the characters. i'm sorry for any glaring typos or errors (kinda). have a good night, y'all :)
