๐'๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ญ๐๐๐ญ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐๐ซ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ .
Summary: Reader has a peds case, it was a car accident with a mom, dad and daughter. She suspects the mother of being under the influence which drives her into her childhood flash back
CW: Murder, Child death, panic attack, blood mention, Alcoholism, Angst and Fluff. Lmk if I missed one
You were in the ER dayshift handing off to the night shift. During briefing Dana calls out an incoming trauma, 5 minutes out. There was a 4 car pile up on the freeway and a family of 3 was coming to PTMC. You followed Robby out, putting on gloves and preparing for the worst. Dana had always told you โAlways assume the worse for traumas no matter if its a scrape or a fucking knife in a headโ yeah.. She was intense.
The ambulance pulled up, 2 adults stepped out, the woman with a laceration on her arm, the man had small scrapes and bruises, but when a paramedic guided the woman behind you, who you assume was driving, you could smell a bit of alcohol on her clothes. Then, a paramedic wheels out the gurney, a kid, no older than 7, multiple lacerations coated her leg, her neck was put into a brace and she looked scared.
You helped transfer the daughter onto a bed in trauma 1, her mother getting checked out in a normal room since it was a small stitches operation any med student could do. The father was taking a statement with the police. After a bit the father came back. He was holding his daughter's hand, you excused yourself as Jesse came in to take Vitals.
You walked to the mothers room, used hand sanitizer, and put on new gloves. โHi Maโam, Iโm here to take some blood. Is that okay?โ You had ordered it when you were in the girls room, you couldn't knock the fact that she smelled like alcohol. The woman begrudgingly let you take the blood. You put a fast track on the results. You also talked to a police officer who confirmed the mother was the one driving.
A few minutes later, you look into the trauma room, seeing the girl code, shocks being sent to her heart trying to make more signs of life. Then.. Robby called it. The father broke down, sobs echoing throughout the entire ER. You stopped for a minute, giving a moment of silence for the girl who you learned her name was Tara. Your pager beeps, the blood work comes back. You sat at the nurses station, bringing your badge to the scanner to log in. You check the results. It shows a heavy blood alcohol content level, .23. The mother was drunk if not tipsy but in some way intoxicated with no need to be behind the wheel.
You let out a shaky breath, give the result to the officer who came with the family. You feel your heart start to race, head spinning, nausea building in your gut. You tell Dana you are going to get air, you stumble into the staircase where it leads up to the abandoned wing of the medical center, and the roof. You barely make it up the first set before sliding down the wall hyperventilating.
โโโโเญจเงโโโโ
You sat in the living room of the home you lived in with your mother and father. It was 9:14 am on a saturday, you were watching TV, Cocoa puffs in a bowl of milk, excitement on your face as you watched your favorite show.
You hear your fathers car pull up, your mother who sat on the couch behind you was embroidering. She looked up as your father walked in, holding a beer bottle in one hand, obviously inebriated. You donโt exactly remember what your mother yelled at your father, just a string of curses and insults. Maybe it was.. โYou bastard! I bet you were out with another womanโฆโ or maybe just scream โfuck you!โ over and over again.
Then, you were shoved aside by your fathers foot, your cereal falling onto the carpet, you scrambled up as you watched your father yell and threaten your mother. You tried to stop him as he took hold of your mother. You were tooโฆ weak.
Your fathers leg shoved you aside as he shoved your mother into the couch, grabbing a pillow andโฆ
You would rather not think about it.
This was normal in your houseโฆ well not the part where he suffocated her.
Next thing you knew, you were sitting on your porch, cop cars galore. Your mothers body being wheeled away, your father being arrested. You heard your name get called, looking up you see a nice paramedic. She took you to your grandmother's house.
โโโโเญจเงโโโโ
You were pushed out of whatever was going on in your head by muscular hands you recognized and a voice so soft it was like butter.
โHey, Hey Darling you okay?โ Jack spoke, trying to get your attention as you hyperventilated and cried trying to tell him what happened.
He knew about your childhood, hell heโd seen it on the news. So when you said โAlcohol in the mothers systemโ and that the girl was now deceased? He immediately wrapped his arms around you. Whispering sweet nothings in your ear, making sure your ear was by his chest to feel his heartbeat or by his mouth to feel his breathing.
It took 20 minutes, 3 turns of 5 things of what you see, 4 things you hear, 3 things you feel, 2 things you smell, and 1 thing you taste, and prayers that even Jack didnโt believe would work
He wrapped his PTMC zip up around you, he had just gotten in for his shift but he would gladly let Shen take over so he could take you home and care for you. And he did just that.
After loading you into his car, he sent a text to Shen.
Hey, Can you cover for me? I need to be with my girl tonight.
Yeah man I got you, get me dunkin tomorrow?
The second you two got home he planted you with kisses as he bundled you up on the couch, with 2 blankets and made tea. He then put on a quiet movie handing you your mug, he placed a kiss on your temple and lulled you to sleep.
Heโd always protect you.