sickannetired

[sickannetired]

ER Ken and the Bloodhound- Chapter Seven

pairing: Frank Langdon x f!nurse!OC x Dennis Whitaker

word count: 2.3k

masterlist

author's note: I was thinking about starting a taglist for this series. If that is something anyone would be interested in please let me know!

May 13, 2021

7:00pm

After months of working with Frank, the lines between what was and wasn’t HR friendly began to blur. Playful comments turned to discrete flirting at the lockers. Friendly smiles turned into blatant stares across the crowded ED. High fives turned into lingering touches when scooching by. On one of my walks home with Frank, I made the mistake of telling him when my birthday was. So, much to the excitement of Cassie and Samira for the night out, most of the department planned to attend the bar down the street from the hospital on my birthday, after our shift of course. I was fishing my bag out of my locker when Langdon approached me, “Hey, bee, you ready for the birthday of a lifetime?” I chuckled, “I don’t know how good a birthday I can have after a twelve hour shift, but I’m excited to wear something besides these scrubs.” He leaned against the cold metal of the lockers, “I’m ready to finally see you out of your work clothes. It's gonna be like seeing a snail without its shell.” I raised my brow and joked, “I’m sure you’re ready to see me out of these clothes, perv.” I smiled slightly, as I successfully caught Frank off guard. He stuttered as he looked at his feet, a subtle blush on the tips of his ears. I laughed, “I’m kidding, Frank. But, I may actually just change into a different set of scrubs just to piss you off. Maybe my pink ones from college.” “Absolutely not,” he refused, “If you don’t come into that bar dressed like an entirely different person in an hour, you will have to buy all your drinks tonight, birthday girl.” My head cocked slightly, “Why would I not be buying all my drinks tonight?” Frank scoffed in disbelief, “You don’t think I’m actually letting you buy anything tonight right? Especially on that nurse salary, woof.” I cackled in disbelief as he turned to exit the building. I still called out, “Low blow, asshole!”

I had to fan myself on the walk to the bar. My sweat had more to do with my nervousness and the one-too-many shots I took to gain the confidence to wear the dress, rather than the warm and windy weather of May. My black heels clicked on the pavement below me, reminding me that I was quickly approaching Steel City Sips, the bar Dana had apparently picked out. When I entered the bar, it took a couple steps and scans of the area to see everyone at a table in the corner. Robby, Abbott, and Dana all sat next to each other, seemingly engrossed in a conversation over glasses of beer and wine. Samira, Heather, and Cassie were also excitedly chatting to each other with fancy cocktails in hand. I looked to my right to see Frank leaning against the bar and waiting for the bartender to take his order. I approached him, “I finally let go of the scrubs. It was hard. Some tears were shed. Is this worth those drinks you promised?” He turned his head and allowed his icy eyes to scan my body. Frank took everything in, glancing at my curled hair, polished makeup, and the black satin that covered my frame. I was usually never to take down his cocky facade, but for the second time today, I caught him off guard. He attempted to find words, but could only spit out, “It definitely is.” 

“You don’t look too bad yourself, Frank,” I admitted. I dedicated a moment to take him in as well. Coincidentally, he adorned a black button-up with the first few buttons undone and his sleeves rolled up. I noted the dark brown slacks and new, but still overpriced, dress shoes that met the dirty bar floor. He ran his hands through his hair feverishly in an attempt to compose himself, “So, gotta keep to my promise. What will you be drinking?” I leaned on the bar next to him, “Spicy margarita, please.” The bartender conveniently decided to stop by at that moment. “What can I get you two?” Frank slid his card across the bar, “A jack and coke for me and a spicy margarita for her, Don Julio 42, if you have it. And, you can start a tab under Langdon, please.” The bartender took the card and left to mix the drinks. I hit his shoulder, “Are you kidding me? Really trying to show off that doctor salary, huh?” He grinned, “One, it’s your birthday, and two, I’m paying! Live a little.” I finally surrendered, “You’re the worst.” “And you love it,” he teased back.

We made our way to the table after grabbing our drinks. The older crew got up first, ensuring to say happy birthday and give me a brief hug. As I approached Abbott, I noted, “Hey! You’re not at work! Did you take the night off for me?” He shifted in his shoes, slightly uncomfortable at the subtle praise, “Robby's been begging me to see him outside the pitt, so I figured it was a nice excuse.” “Don’t go soft on me now, Abbott,” I teased. Clearly buzzed, Samira, Cassie, and Heather ambushed me in a hug. “We’re so excited you’re here,” Samira gushed, “We’ve been waiting for you! Now that your gorgeous ass is here, we can actually party!” “Samira!” Heather scolded. Cassie giggled softly as she took a sip of her drink, “I mean, she’s right. Did you look at her?” Samira grabbed my hand and began to walk toward the dance floor, “Obviously, I’m right, but who cares? Let’s dance!” I cackled at her drunken state, “Do you not work tomorrow either?”  She took a large gulp from her drink and shouted over the music, “Nope!” Heather followed close behind, “But I do. So, I will be taking care of Samira tonight.” Cassie giggled from behind me, “And, I’m off, but I’m ready to hold some hair back tonight if need be.”

The shots I downed in my apartment quickly caught up to me and left my head slightly spinning. I allowed myself to go with it, swaying and dancing on beat to the blaring music. Promiscuous by Nelly began to play, leaving Samira and I to aggressively sway our hips to the music, only occasionally standing still to take a sip of our drinks. As I ran a hand through my curled hair, I felt a pair of eyes on me. I looked back to the table and saw Langdon staring at me, watered down cocktail in hand. For the first time, I let myself stare back and ogle at the way his shirt stretched over his chest and flexed biceps. Just as I processed the way his gaze was glued to my body, I got an idea. I turned around and playfully danced against Samira, welcoming her to playfully grab my hips and cackle with delight. I made sure to put on a good show for the duration of the song, intentionally swaying my hips and grabbing at my dress. Samira groaned at the conclusion of the song and asked, “Do you want to get another drink? I’m all empty.” I turned around to see Frank now standing next to Samira, both his drink and a full margarita in hand, “Actually, could you take her empty glass up to the bar?”  With a small nod and hum, Samira took the empty glasses and left to the bar. 

Not knowing what to say, I admired the span of his face. I studied the dips and curves under the red lights of the bar. I gave an idiotic smile as I took the drink from his hand, deliberately dragging my pink along the length of his hand. He smiled back in a way I’d never seen before, relaxed, genuine, but coy. “Hey, you. Having fun?” I maintained eye contact as I took a sip of my drink, “I’m having a really good time. Thank you for helping set this up and getting everyone together for me.” Frank  shook his head and looked down, “Don’t mention it.” I softly punched the meat of his bicep, “Don’t mention something good you did? Wow, alcohol really does change you.” Instead of pulling my hand away, I rested my hand and gripped slightly at the soft fabric of his shirt. “You wanna do something for me?” I asked. His eyes found mine again, “Always.” “Come dance with me,” I ordered, “As much as I love them, you do not need to be sitting with the old timers in the corner the whole time.” He chuckled to himself, “If you insist,” before dramatically spinning me around and sporadically dancing with me to the music. We stupidly danced around for a moment, before falling into a genuine rhythm. 

Two drinks turned into five, and every brush of his skin on mine turned into an addicting sensation I kept chasing. I think Frank could notice the way I slightly stumbled every other step, so he asked, “You think you’re ready to head home, bee?” Part of me wanted to refuse, keep his hands on me, but the idea of walking home with him alone quickly became more appealing. “Yeah, I think so. I don't exactly want Robby and Dana to see me sloppy drunk. Walk me home?” I asked. He nodded, “Obviously. Let’s go say goodbye.” Frank wrapped an arm around my shoulders and walked me toward the table. Dana, Robby, and Abbott were still engrossed in conversation, but Heather was now sitting surprisingly close to Robby. I could’ve sworn her leg was resting against his, but I could quite discern it in the dim light. “Aww, you’re heading home, kid? Did you have a good time?” Dana asked, leaning over her glass of wine. I beamed, “Yess, I am. Thank you so much, Dana. This was amazing.” Jack eyed Frank, “Do you need help getting home, Kat?” I leaned into Frank slightly, “No I’ll be alright. Frank’s got me. He’s walked me home before.” Frank quickly started to lead me out, clearly embarrassed of my drunken statement, “Alright, time to go!”

After a couple of moments of walking in silence, I laughed, “Okay, what the fuck is going on with Robby and Heather.” I could feel his chest on my shoulder, convulsing with laughter, “You haven’t noticed? They’re always flirting during work.” I scoffed, “No, I haven’t noticed! I’m usually too busy following you around, if you don’t remember.” Frank sighed, "Yeah, you're right. But, they'd be good together. Robby needs someone." I manually steadied my voice, "You think it would work? With them working together and everything?" He paused, carefully selecting his words, "Yeah, I think so." A heavy silence filled the air for a moment. “Frank,” I said, “Can I ask you something?” “Of course, what’s up?” he asked. I looked down and stared at my stumbling feet, “Why are you so nice to me?” I could hear his breath hitch, “What are you talking about?” “I mean, everyone always acts like you were the big bad resident… like you still are. But, you’re always nice to me. You make sure I always get to help on the best cases, you buy me energy drinks, walk me home, and you’re the one who told Dana when my birthday was and help set this all up! I just don't get it.”

By the time he spoke, we were approaching my apartment, “It’s that, the way you think. You don’t expect kindness or love, but you give it anyway. Most people in medicine for glory or status, but you do it because you love it, because you love loving.” As we reached the building door, I pushed away from his hold and leaned against the rough concrete so I could look at Frank head-on. I quickly regretted my decision. I felt insecure under the full weight of his gaze. My nervousness eased when I noticed the look in his eyes. It was kind, loving, and slightly hungry. “Why do you look at me like that?” I asked. “Like what?” he asked. “You’re smart… you know. You look at me like you want more than this, to be more than friends.” I now whispered, my breath caught in my throat. “Because I do, Kat,” he whispered as his face moved closer to mine. I could feel his breath against my lips. Breathing in his air felt intimate, dangerous. The liquor controlled my movements for a moment. As if I had done it a million times before, I let my lips reach for his, “Did you want to come up?” Our lips were millimeters apart when he retreated slightly. “Fuck,” I cursed, “I’m sorry. You’re married, I shouldn’t-” “It’s not that,” Frank spat out.

I paused, “What is it then?” He sighed before resting his forehead against mine, “What I feel for you, what this is, it isn’t drunkenly making out and fucking you in your apartment. You deserve better than that. I can give you better than that.” I let both of my hands venture to his hair and the nape of his neck, “And what if I better and this?” He pulled back, allowing his eyes to find mine again. I was drowning in the silence and blue depths of his eyes when a loud ringtone rang through the air. He scrambled to pull his phone out of his back pocket. Frank murmured, “Shit,” when he read the name plastered across the screen. Abby. He held the phone to his ear, “Hey, babe, what’s up?” He listened for a moment before speaking again, “Yeah, I’m on my way home… You need me to stop at the store now? Can I just grab it tomorrow?” He groaned and pinched the tip of his nose, “No, yeah, alright. I’ll get it. Love you, bye.” His last words rang through my head as he spewed out apologies for having to leave. ‘Love you, bye.’ I shut him up by giving him a quick kiss on the cheek and stumbling up my apartment stairs, “Thanks for the party. I’ll see you at work, Frank.” I refused to look back at him, most likely standing at the base of the stairs with a look on his face I wouldn’t be able to be angry with, a look that I could only fall more in love with.

[sickannetired]

ER Ken and the Bloodhound- Chapter Six

pairing: Frank Langdon x f!nurse!OC x Dennis Whitaker

word count: 2.3k

masterlist

September 5, 2024

9:00 am

I pushed the last dose of epi, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away from Dennis hunched over the gurney. He watched the screen for a moment before exclaiming, “Oh shit.” Mel asked, “What?” His eyes were as wide as saucers, “I think I broke some ribs.” Langdon stood across the gurney with crossed arms, “That means you’re doing it right.” Dennis still looked to me, eyes frantic. I furrowed my brow and gave a curt nod, “Third epi on board. Three more minutes of compressions.” Frank turned to leave, “Call me if there’s a resurrection.” I could only gawk at him as he left and note to talk to him later. Most people in the room either left or began staring at their feet. 

Robby entered, “Third epi on board?” “Three minutes ago,” I answered. “How long has he been going at it?” questioned Robby. Mel perked up from her continuous squeezing of the ambu bag, “Ten minutes in here. Possible thirty minutes of prior downtime.” Santos moved to Robby’s side, “Don’t suppose you’d let me try a pericardiocentesis?”  I couldn’t stop a scoff of disbelief from leaving my mouth. Robby let her explain, “For what?” “For practice? In case it’s tamponade,” she clarified. “None seen on ultrasound,” Dennis argued. “This is a teaching hospital,” Santos argued back. “Yeah, teaching hospital, not a cadaver lab,” I spat. Robby quickly put his hand up, urging me to let him handle it. “She’s right, Dr Santos. My answer is no,” Robby insisted. “Do you need me to take over?” Mel asked Whitaker. Dennis shook his head, “No, I’m fine.” Instead of facing the gurney, I turned toward him, “You don’t look fine.”

Robby called to hold compressions and check for a pulse. The extended beep of the flatline rang out through the room. Whitaker went back to administering CPR, but Robby spoke up, “Okay, Whitaker. I think that’s enough. “It’s been four minutes since the last epi, please. Just one more minute,” he pleaded. Robby nodded, so we waited once more. My heart faltered when I called out, “Five minutes since the last epi.” Robby nodded, “Okay, that’s it.” I put my hand on Whitaker’s shoulder, holding him steady as he leaned back on his heels, finally letting go. I took a small sterile cloth from the crash cart beside me and handed it to Dennis so he could clean his sweat. He took it from my hand and it across his forehead while he stared down at Milton. I turned off the vitals machine and raised the blanket over the patient’s face. Dennis stuttered, “He took his wife out for dinner last night, for her birthday.” Robby gave me a pointed look, so I nodded, “Give us a second, please.” He nodded back, “Yeah, everyone take a minute and go check on your other patients. We’ll come back and debrief with Kiara.”

Even after the room emptied, Dennis just stared at Milton. I just started rambling, “The second week after I started working at the Pitt, a friend from college came in. I hadn’t seen or talked to her in years. Just a standard food poisoning case, so I left her. Tagged on to a cool respiratory case… and when I came back she was dead.” His eyes finally left the gurney and fell on me. They were wide, watery, and strangely familiar. I continued, “We did the same thing, compressions and epi, but it had just been too long. The point is, I still remember her. You’re gonna remember Milton for a long time after today. The only thing that helps, really helps, is knowing that you don’t have to remember him alone.” He nodded and used the cloth I gave him to wipe a tear from his cheek, “It was just… he was my first patient to die.” “Shit, Whitaker,” I paused for a moment, “Can I give you a hug?” He nodded, “Yes, please.” I reached around his neck and pulled him in, making sure to rub my thumbs where they rested on his warm shoulders. As hard as I attempted to focus on comforting Dennis, I couldn’t help but melt under his touch. His hands rested on back and his fingertips gently pressed into my scrubs. His scent was subtle, but nostalgic. It was earthy, slightly spicy, and authentic. It was him.

I heard someone exclaim from behind us,“Oh!” I turned to see Mel standing at the edge of the room, curtain panel in hand. I tried to brush off the embarrassment of the situation as I left Whitaker’s grasp, “Hey, Mel. Are you doing alright? Did you want to talk before Kiara gets here?” I noted her shuffling on her feet, an uncomfortable grimace plastered on her face. “No, I’m fine, it’s just-” She stuttered as she neared closer toward the gurney, “Occasionally I have an emotional response to death.” “Gotta be kind of tough for a doctor,” Whitaker noted. “I know Robby and Langdon don’t show it, but we all feel something when we lose a patient. Empathy makes good doctors, not apathy,” I assured. 

Soon after, even more doctors than before filled the room and discussed the details of the case, what happened and what could’ve been done. Frank’s stare was heavy from across the room, focused on Dennis and I standing together. “Does anybody have anything that they wish had gone differently?” Robby asked. Whitaker spoke up, “In the hall, he should’ve been on a cardiac monitor. We would’ve caught the arrest right away.” Robby turned, “That’s true, but, there was no indication for monitoring. And we now know that his abdominal pain was not from his gallstones, but from unstable angina due to coronary artery disease.” Dennis continued, “Then, we should’ve admitted to cardiology.” I shook my head, “We did an EKG, troponin. He had a heart score of three.” “Can anyone tell me what that means?” Robby asked. Frank interjected, “One percent chance of an adverse cardiac event in the next thirty days.” Despite him answering his attending, his gaze never left mine. Collins added, “Standard of care is to discharge with outpatient follow up.” “He was your patient, Dr Whitaker. Would you like to say something before we all take a brief moment of silent reflection?” Robby asked. Dennis stuttered for a moment, unsure where to start. I made eye contact with him for a moment, giving him a reassuring nod. “He liked Kentucky bourbon,” Whitaker stated, “I don’t know. I just met him. He seemed nice. He was married. Um, that’s it. That’s all I got.” All of our eyes flew to Mel when she abruptly clapped at Whitaker’s words. As she cringed to herself, I spoke, “No, it was nice. That was good.” “I spoke with his wife. She’s on her way here. If anyone needs to talk about this some more, I’m available," informed Kiara. 

We all took the moment of silence, then dispersed. As Robby grabbed Dennis to talk with him, I took the chance to talk to Frank. I pulled him to a somewhat empty corner of the ED, “Hey, I need to talk to you really quick.” Frank nodded, but I could see worry quickly spread across his face, “What’s up?” “Look,” I crossed arms, “You’re efficient, fast, accurate. You’re a great doctor. You know I respect you for that, right?” “Of course,” he responded. “You’re one of the best residents on the floor, but that can’t come at the expense of your empathy. Do you remember what happened when we were on nights together?” He nodded. I continued, “He was in that, that grief, that disappointment. He needed someone to be with him, be there for him.” Frank’s eyes were glued to his shoes, “When did you become so close?” “Frank, it’s not really about him. You're not going to be one of those cynical doctors that hate the world and come to care less about their patients. I won’t let the ED make you cruel,” I warned. He shook his head and looked up, “Sorry, you’re right. I’ll watch it. Thank you for always keeping me on it, bee.” I laughed bitterly and rubbed his arm, “Don’t worry about it. I kind of like worrying about you. I like my new grey hairs.”

I helped Robby and McKay with their overdose cases before Langdon and Mel ran in front of me, booking it toward the ambulance bay. “Code stemi. Need you on this one, bee!” Langdon called. I couldn’t help but eye Mel slightly, as she copied the movements of Frank and slapped the head of the automatic door. I forced the slight sneer off my face and followed the two outside. We wheeled the older man inside and set him up in trauma two. I gave him chewable aspirin, ordered by Frank, and drew blood. Frank presented when Robby arrived, breaking down his vitals and medical history. The room buzzed as Mel and Robby discussed and Frank gave orders to me and Jesse. Robby talked to the patient, breaking down what was going on and the surgical procedure he would soon be wheeled off to. Just as Robby asked who we could contact, Dana called the small workphone that sat inside my scrubs and informed me that we had his wife’s number. Robby looked to me, “Dana just called. I can give his wife a call.” Robby nodded and turned on his heel, “Perfect, I’ll be right back.”

I lingered outside the room for a moment of silence to call his wife. I attempted to reassure his wife in tandem with analyzing every interaction between Frank and Mel. I watched as his brows lifted with every comment and concern. My chest tightened every time he leaned down to speak to her. I entered the room just in time to help wheel out the patient. Everyone left when Jesse and I took him to the elevators. I stood at the steel doors, patiently waiting to take him up to surgery. Frank approached, “Sorry, Jesse, I’m gonna steal Kat from you.” Before he could respond, Frank put a hand on my back and led me away. “What patient is it?” I questioned, looking around for a possible code or trauma. “I don’t know yet. Just thought I’d relieve you from chauffeur duty,” he admitted. I raised my brow, “Really? You didn’t want to grab your new partner in crime instead?” Frank took a moment to stop and turn to me, “Hey, there's a dozen doctors on this floor, but there’s only one person that can read my mind.” I couldn’t fight the smile from overtaking my face, “Sure, Ken. Let’s go find some lives to save.”

After a few cases with Langdon, I made my way back to the nurses station to check in with Dana. I spotted Dennis, black scrubs stained with a white liquid, fighting with the scrub dispenser. I approached him, “Oh, no. What happened to you, Nebraska? Make the mistake of forgetting to hold the top of the Mylanta before shaking?” A bright, pink blush painted his cheeks. He stuttered, “Uhh, yeah, actually. How did you know?” I laughed, “I think it’s happened to every nurse on the floor at least once. Better than bodily fluids.” I gestured to his hand still on the machine door, “You have to put the dirty ones in before it dispenses the new one.” His eyes widened, “What? That’s so stupid.” I snickered, “I guess they figured our shifts were a little too easy, wanted to make us problem solve. My advice? Use one of the rooms occupied by a passed patient and change into a gown.” Whitaker’s mouth opened in shock, “Really?” I could hear Frank calling me from the ambulance bay, so I turned to say something before I left, “Remember this fun when you pick your speciality!”

I helped get Frank's patient park in north one and get him settled with scans and bloodwork. I was adjusting his EKG leads when he reentered with Robby in tow. As Robby introduced himself to the patient, I discerned a frustrated look on Mel’s face. She was attempting to restick the electrical pads to the patient’s chest, the hair causing them to slide around. “Can I help, Mel?” I asked. She stuttered, “Uh, yes, please.” I quickly cut his hair, cleaned his chest, and restuck the pads as Robby, Mel, and Frank discussed. “You understand we’re gonna have to shock your heart back to normal?” Robby questioned the patient. “Is it gonna hurt?” he asked. I leaned his bed back and prepared his sedation meds. “You’ll be sedated,” Mel reassured. He chuckled, “So, it’s really gonna hurt.” Frank ordered, “Seventy five of propofol, slow IV push.” I pushed the meds I already had in my hands. But, simultaneously, Mel and I spoke, “Got it.” When she turned to see me, IV in hand, she turned and rubbed her neck nervously. I could see a small smile appear on Frank’s face. “How much did you vape last night?” Robby questioned. “A couple pods,” the man answered. 

Frank scanned his bare chest with a small ultrasound as Robby asked, “How much nicotine is in a pod? Does anybody know?” “No idea,” Frank admitted. Mel shook her head. I stood in the silence for a moment before answering, “40 milligrams. Same as a pack of cigarettes.” Frank tutted, “You shouldn’t know that, bee.” I tutted back, “Do not judge my life choices in front of the patient, please.” He motioned to the man, “Thanks to your efficient med administration, he's already fast asleep.” I charged the defibrillator as Robby and Frank made their final studies of his ultrasound. “Sync cardioversion at 200 joules,” Robby ordered. I called back, “Charged.” Robby ordered to clear, so I administered the shock. Moments after his body jerked with the electrical force, the beep of his heartbeat normalized. They discussed long-term care while I took off the array of pads and stickers on his chest. Almost everyone was gone, but Frank lingered. “What was that?” he laughed. I giggled back, “I honestly have no idea. It’s her first day. She’ll get in the groove of things, how everyone works together. I did.” His ocean blue orbs trained on mine, “Well, you had me… have me.” I wanted to tease him for his confidence, but I gave a shy smile, “Yeah, I do.”

[sickannetired]

ER Ken and the Bloodhound- Chapter Five

pairing: Frank Langdon x f!nurse!OC x Dennis Whitaker

word count: 2.9k

masterlist

authors note: sorry this came out later than usual. hope everyone is enjoying this series!

January 21, 2021

7:00 pm

The switch to night shift was practically effortless. One quick talk with Abbott in between shifts and an extra batch of cookies did the trick. After three days of avoiding Langdon in my last days on day shift, I had to discuss the topic with Dana in hushed voices, apologizing to her for making her lose “the only young and hungry” nurse on days. I swore I’d leave a treat just for her to take home after her next shift, so she let me leave with all of my limbs intact. 

Avoiding Frank during shift change was difficult, but I was able to move throughout the ED in a way that only allowed for a quick share of a patient’s vitals and medical history. I walked carefully on the salted ice in the ambulance bay, music blasting through my ears on my short walk to work. I felt the presence of someone next to me and the tug of my wired headphones. “First, you’re running on ice, and now you’re walking in downtown Pittsburgh with both earbuds in? Are you trying to become a patient tonight?” The familiarity of the voice sent a chill down my spine. “Frank, what are you doing out here? You’re about twelve hours late for your shift, if you didn't notice,” I tried to chuckle but it escaped as a baited breath. He walked in tandem with me on the way inside, “I’m gonna be on night shift for a couple days. My wife is out of town visiting her parents and she took Tanner with her, so I figured I’d see what the dark side is all about, have my fun with the night shift crazies.” I gave a real laugh, “Yeah, crazies alright.” Just in my past week on the night shift, I’d dodged spit, punches, and other bodily fluids more than I had in my entire life. 

Abbott stood firm on his post at the nurses station, clipboard in hand and staring at the board of patients. He slowly shifted the tablet to his hip when he noticed who was walking next to me. “Hey, Langdon, what are you doing here? Robby didn’t tell me you were on my shift tonight,” Abbott noted. As if speaking his name summoned him, Robby appeared, “Sorry, brother. Today has been busy. I completely forgot. Is it alright if I let you borrow my best resident?” I was expecting a joking jab to erupt from Abbott’s mouth, but he just examined Frank for a moment. He sighed, “Alright. You were on my shift once, Dr Langdon. You know the drill.” 

As the doctors completed rounds with the day shift, I slipped into the deep hum of the department at night. Even though it was the same place, a certain glow and buzz filled the ED in the early morning and afternoon. It was a loss felt deep in my brain, as it echoed my nervousness back at me. In all honesty, besides the chill company of Abbott and Ellis, I hated the night shift. But, it was the only way to avoid him. I was miraculously able to steer clear of him for the first nine hours of my shift, or at least keep from being assigned to any of his cases. I helped clean fight bites, took a crayon out of a child's nose, and administered some fluids for some college students who got a little too drunk at the bars. But, nothing too crazy. I didn’t want to join an insane case that would catch the attention of Langdon. One of my patients had been released, so I stood at the board for a moment to see who I could take next. A voice from a curtain-covered room caught my attention, “Kat Diaz?” My head snapped toward the sound, now facing a familiar face from my freshman year of college. “Sam? What are you doing here? What happened?” I questioned, picking up a tablet from the nurses station and approaching her.

 I read through her chart as she explained, “It’s been so long! I’m okay, though. I’ve been throwing up non-stop for the past couple hours, my stomach and head have been killing me, and I’ve been sweating like crazy. I had some crazy food truck tacos for dinner, so I think it’s just food poisoning. How have you been? I see you’re working now! That’s so cool.” Her contagious joy was nostalgic. It was so like her, to be acquaintances with the only sixteen-year-old on campus, smile despite having a pan of vomit in her lap, and ask how I’m doing as she sits in a hospital bed. I checked her vitals as I answered, “I’m sorry you feel so awful, I’ll see if I can find a doctor, so I can get you some anti-nausea medication. But, I’ve been doing good! I’ve been working here for a year, but I just moved to the emergency department about a little over a week ago. I’m really loving it. Did you graduate? Your senior year was last year, right?” As I measured her respirations, I noticed her chest rise and fall with a shallow chuckle. “I partied a little too hard last year, paid too much attention to my boyfriend and not organic chemistry,” she smiled, “But, if everything goes well, I’ll be graduating this spring with my bachelors in chemistry!” I beamed back, “That is so cool, Sam. I’m glad everything is working out for you. You can tell me all about what you’re gonna wear to graduation after I go grab a doctor for you, okay?” I turned on my heel and opened the curtain to see Langdon gripping the other panel. 

“Oh, Dr Langdon, I was about to go grab Ellis,” I stuttered, frozen in front of him. “She actually just took on a trauma, so I can take this one. If that’s alright with you, of course,” he assured. His slight confrontation of my clear avoidance painted a blush on my cheeks. “Sure! If you’re free,” I trailed off and turned back to her bedside. I readied a cup of water and nausea medication as Sam explained her symptoms again. I couldn’t help but snicker when I noticed a coy shyness on Sam’s face. Frank asked, “Could you grab her some ondansetron for her, please?” “Already got it,” I called back, handing her two small cups, one filled with the pill and the other with water. She happily took the two and teased, “You know, Dr Langdon, you’ve got a real smarty pants on your hands?” I laughed and scoffed slightly, “Sam!” Frank’s eyebrow raised, his blue orbs glued to mine, “You two know each other?" Sam gulped down the medicine and gasped, “Know? This girl got me through basic chemistry! She walked into our lecture hall, pigtails and all.” I attempted to explain, to no avail, that I did not have pigtails. She continued, “She noticed I was too nervous to raise my hand or go talk to the professor after class, so she asked if I wanted to study with her. She obviously was asking if I needed her to tutor me, but I was too oblivious back then to notice. So, I showed up to the library with a couple snacks I stole from the campus store, she came with her books, and she kept me academically afloat after that. At least, until she decided to leave for nursing school, traitor!” I laughed and took the cups from her hands, “Alright, that’s enough, Sam. Let those meds kick in and let me know how you’re feeling.” She groaned and saluted, “You got it, Nurse Kat.” 

I could sense Frank smiling in the corner of the room, only being whisked away when Abbott called his name from the ambulance bay. Once Frank was out of earshot, Sam practically screamed, “Okay, you have to be sleeping with him, right? He’s gorgeous!” I shushed her immediately, “Enough! One, he is married, two, he has a kid, and three, he’s my coworker! This isn’t Grey’s Anatomy, Sam. We’re too busy getting assaulted with bodily fluids to get busy in one of the on-call rooms." Her hands slapped on her thighs, “Don't 'enough' me! Who cares if he’s married? He’s a doctor and he looks like that. Plus, he’s totally into you.” I shook my head and pretended to look at her vitals on the machine beside her, “That’s insane. Why would you say that?” Sam shot up in the bed, almost spilling the bowl of puke in her lap, “Are you kidding? He was staring at you like you were in a Jane Austen novel the whole time he was in here. I was practically choking on the tension. With the way he was looking at you, I’m actually surprised you haven’t hooked up.” Not knowing how to respond, I turned to leave, “I have to go check on my other patients, but hit the call light if you need something or are feeling strange. Since we wasted all of our graduation dress time on silly doctor talk, you’ll show me when I come back, okay?” I took a moment to look back and watch her smile, “Okay, I’ll see you soon.”

It happened so fast, but also sickeningly slow. After I left Sam, I checked on my patients and was quickly caught up in a respiratory distress case. I think it was thirty minutes after the last time I’d seen her, when I pulled the curtain to see her eyes closed, arms folded, and body curled on its side. Her pulse oximeter that connected her to the vitals machine abandoned on the floor, most likely for the sake of comfort. “Sam,” I scolded, “You have to keep your pulse oximeter on.” I only noticed something was wrong when I attempted to shake her awake. “Sam? Come on. Wake up for me,” I pleaded as I gave her a sternal rub. I checked her pulse and felt nothing, “Can I get some help in here?” I shouted, but my own voice sounded underwater. I moved her onto her back and started compressions. People crowded the room, but I could only look at her face. 

Abbott appeared beside me, “What happened, Kat?” Sweat began to drip down my face, “She was fine! We administered ondansetron for nausea, I was gone for maybe thirty minutes on that respiratory case, and I came back to no palpable pulse. I don’t know how long she was down.” Abbott ordered me to stop compressions for a pulse check. Aystole. Fuck. I started once more, pressing on her chest, feeling the soft crack of her ribs under my palm. Abbot moved to her head and flashed his small flashlight in her eyes. He whispered to Langdon, “Fixed and blown.” “No!” I bellowed, “She was fine! She had no allergies, her labs were normal, she’s not in anaphylaxis. It makes no sense.” I felt Frank appear at my side, “We need to switch out, let me take over compressions.” I could only shake my head and hum in disagreement. “We’re gonna do three rounds of epi and compressions and then we’re gonna call it,” Abbott ordered. Every compression felt like an hour, but when Abbott ordered me to finally stop compressions, it was all too soon. “Kat, she had an MI. There was no way we could’ve known that she was having a heart attack. You need to stop.” My chest ached, breaths causing the convulsion of my chest. My lungs screamed with every breath, becoming heavier when I finally took my hands off her chest. 

The last few hours of my shift were a blur. Vitals taken. Patients charted. Reassurances that I’m good to finish my shift were given. When I left the walls of the emergency department, I couldn’t move far. It felt wrong. I sat on the freezing curb in front of the hospital, staring out into the street in front of me. Every part of my body that touched the cold ground was burning, but I couldn’t bring it upon myself to care. Black scrub pants appeared in front of me, “Frostbite on your ass? I’m blown away by your ability to find another way to end up in the ED." I couldn’t force myself to laugh or smile. I could only stare at the laces of his overpriced shoes. Frank’s voice softened, “I’m serious, bee. You need to get up.” I stayed silent. He grabbed my hands and pulled me to my feet, “We’re getting coffee.” 

I only spoke after we entered the warmth of the coffee shop. We stood next in line and Frank stared intently at the menu. I spoke up, “I don’t drink coffee.” He nodded, still looking ahead at the chalkboard menu, “I know.” The couple in front of us moved to the side, leaving Frank to order a black coffee and ask for an extra cup. He was swiftly handed both cups and led me to a table in a quiet corner of the cafe. Still silent, he opened the empty coffee cup and reached into his backpack for something. He pulled out a green apple celsius, poured it into the cup, snapped on the lid, and slid it over to me. I looked down at it for a moment, “How did you know?” Frank fidgeted with the cup in his hand, “I heard you talking with Cassie and Samira in the staff lounge. I was going to give it to you this morning as a peace offering, but I didn’t exactly get the chance.” The warmth in his voice hinted he wasn’t annoyed and trying to tease, he just knew I couldn’t handle anything other than honesty. “I can’t... I won't make you do anything you don't want to,” he added, “but if you're comfortable, please, talk to me.” 

I took a long swig from my drink, “She was supposed to show me her graduation dress… I know that’s stupid to be thinking about. But, I can’t. I can’t stop thinking about the fact she’s never gonna put on that dress, get absolutely wasted, and walk the stage. She deserved that. I couldn’t get off that curb because she deserved to have someone there for her. But, I failed at that. I failed her.” Frank pleaded, “Come on, Kat. You can’t blame yourself. She came in for the classic food poisoning case. There’s no way we could’ve-” “Stomach pain,” I interrupted. “What?” He questioned. “I read that chest pain can disguise itself as stomach pain. I should’ve insisted we get an EKG, or just brought it up, but I didn’t.” I rested my pointer finger against my eye, catching a tear that threatened to fall. Frank took a moment to sit back in his seat and take a sip of his coffee, “If you need to blame someone, blame me. I was her doctor. I should’ve caught it. I could’ve checked on her too, made sure she was alright, but I didn’t. I understand wanting to blame yourself. Patients have died under my care before and many will after today. But, if you need somewhere to place that guilt, that fear of losing someone else, give it to me. Don’t bear it all alone.” By the end of his speech, his left hand was outreached, resting on mine. I noted the bare state of his ring finger. 

I laughed grimly, “We didn’t talk about her dress because we were too busy talking about you.” His eyebrow raised and both of his hands flung to fiddle with his cup. Frank chuckled slightly, “Really?” “I knew you’d like that,” I teased, “She said you were cute and asked me if I was seeing you. It’s actually why I’ve kind of been ignoring you.” He grinned, “So, I’ve been driving myself insane wondering what I did wrong, and you’ve been ignoring me because I’m ‘cute’?” I ran a hand through my hair, “You’re unbelievably talented. You’re smart. You genuinely care about what you do. You make people feel important, needed. You’re perfect and you’re married. I just couldn’t be on day shift anymore.” Frank sighed, “Don’t make yourself miserable on night shift just because of me.” “Why do you think I’m miserable?” I argued unconvincingly. He scoffed, “You were miss congeniality on days! Everyone liked you. You were great with patients. You even managed to get Robby to actually like you. You made friends, Kat.” I shot back, “That’s the point! If I’m with you on days I’m going to want to be friends with you, laugh with you, get to know you.” I sighed, “And, we can’t be friends, Frank.” He bore his icy blue eyes into mine, “Why can’t we be friends?” My eyes fluttered, “I think you know why.” Frank leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table and inching his face toward mine. “Well, we’re getting coffee with a side of medical guilt, and I’m about to walk you home. That seems like friendship to me. So, you're going to come back to days and admit we’re friends, and I’m gonna supply as much caffeine as you want. Just short of a caffeine overdose, of course. Alright?” The rational side of me wanted to say no. But, I soon learned that the word disappeared from my vocabulary the moment his breath was felt on my cheeks.

“Alright.”

[sickannetired]

ER Ken and the Bloodhound- Chapter Four

pairing: Frank Langdon x f!nurse!OC x Dennis Whitaker

word count: 3.0k

masterlist

September 5, 2024

8:00 am

College kid, respiratory distress, saved by the bell. I ran out of the lockered area just to see a full team surrounding the gurney, shit. “Do you need me on?” I called to Dana. She turned her head, body still following the patient, “Nope! Whitaker is moving Milton out of his room. You can help with that.” Really, shit. I felt a hand grab my shoulder, “We need to talk about that.” “I have to go help Dennis,” I argued back, turning around to see Frank looking at me with desperate eyes. “Whitaker, can wait,” he spat back, his name falling from Frank’s lips with emphasis. He wouldn’t let this go, and I would only attract more attention by dragging this argument onto the floor. I walked back to the lockers with him and tried to ignore the set of eyes I felt on the back of my head. 

As soon as we were alone again, Frank spoke, “I don’t know where this is coming from. But, yes, of course. I promised that to you. I chose you. I need you. I just have to look out for Tanner, you know that.” Both of his hands found my elbows, holding tight, but rubbing the clothed skin with his thumbs. I sighed, “I’m getting restless, Frank. The guilt… I don’t know if I can feel like this anymore.” He quickly knelt, ensuring his eyes met my fallen gaze, “Hey, don’t think like that. We’re almost there, bee. My mess is my mess. Don’t beat yourself up for it. Anyway, I’m sure Abby couldn’t bring herself to care if I even show up at home these days. Please, don’t make yourself sick for a ‘marriage’ like that.” I couldn’t help but find comfort in his words, melting under his gaze and touch. I was quiet for a moment, before asking, “A dog, Frank?” His eyebrows shot up and his eyes crinkled with laughter, “Oh, the dog… I got that on a website, actually. ‘Best gifts for children dealing with divorce.’” I laughed in tandem, “You are such a dork, Ken.” “Your dork, Kat,” he reassured, before leaning in and whispering, “But, don’t call me that.”

We separated at the lockers, leaving on either side of the enclosed area. When I approached the nurses station, Santos was leaning against the table, staring at me as I neared. “Is everything okay, Kat?” she questioned, making sure to send a glance Frank’s way. I nodded, “Everything’s good. Just had to talk about a patient.” I jogged slightly to Milton’s curtain-enclosed room, where Whitaker and a technician were already unlocking the wheels of his gurney. I waved to the tech, “I got him!” She walked away, leaving me to grab the other side of the rails and push. The patient questioned, “Where are we going now?”  “We can get a little too busy, so we need the room for someone else,” I explained, carefully steering my side of the gurney. “But, you can rest in the hall till we get your labs back,” Dennis added. 

He took a moment to smile at Whitaker, “Your parents must be proud, having a son as a doctor.” We stopped as he answered, “Yeah, I guess. I was the first one in my family to go to college.” He turned to look at me, waiting for my response, “Yeah, same, actually. My parents did a lot to get me here.” Even though he still stared at me, he still managed to show a glimpse of a far away look in his eyes, “Yeah… How’s your pain, Mr. Milton?”  “Uh, I’m fine. Could use a latte though,” he answered, sending a hopeful glance my way. “That could bring back your gallstone pain,” Whitaker warned. “How about a bourbon?” Milton suggested. Dennis guffawed with a smile, “It’s only eight in the morning!” I chuckled, “You’d like my family. Their drink of choice is tequila, though. A hundred percent agave. A lot better for you, Mr. Milton. But, unfortunately, we’re out of tequila and bourbon today. Ice chips?” He laughed at my teasing, “No, I’m alright. I prefer my whiskey neat.” We repositioned him against a wall as Whitaker snickered, “Yeah, that’s not happening.” 

We walked together to check on the respiratory distress case when Dennis turned to me, “So, you’re the golden child of your family too?” I laughed nervously, “I don’t know about golden child, but they’re definitely betting that I’ll make it out here. You from Pittsburg?” His brows raised, “No, definitely not. From nowhere, Nebraska. Population, one. Well, zero after I left. What about you? Are you from here?” “Definitely not,” I giggled, “South Texas. The only schools I liked were hours away, so I figured I'd make the big move anyway. It’s easier to make your parents proud when they’re a hundred miles away.” We finally reached the trauma room, where a young man lied on the table, on the receiving end of a million different tests. I caught the end of what Dr Collins told Robby, ‘braindead.’ I helped Mohan and the rest of the nurses wheel him to one another brain functionality test while Dennis presented the Milton case to Robby. I couldn’t help but take a moment to look at the kid’s face as he was sent off. People died in our care every day, but some cases didn’t make it any easier.

Luckily, I was able to take my mind off of it. I made it to the ambulance bay just in time for a scooter crash trauma. I slipped my gown and goggles on before tying Frank's gown as he helped move the patient onto the trauma bed. I suctioned the blood out of the man’s mouth while Santos, Mel, and Frank listed vitals and orders. Noticing his groaning, I pulled a couple cc’s of morphine. “Four of morphine,” Frank ordered. “On it,” I echoed back, pushing the morphine and prepping for the balloon they were about to stick in the patient’s nose. Once Frank secured the balloon, he stuck his fingers in the man’s nasal cavity, bringing the entire landscape of his face an inch higher. As his bones crackled, I noticed Mel’s eyebrows raise and her face whiten. Robby commented, “You don’t see that everyday.” I pulled Mel to the side, not wanting to embarrass her, I whispered, “Hey, you alright? There’s no shame in tapping out. It can get intense in here.” She nodded curtly, “I’m fine. I’ve just never seen something like that before.” I heard Robby mention securing the airway, so I softly pushed her forward, “You see something new everyday in the ED. Go get em’ tiger.”

I pushed different meds every couple minutes, listening carefully, but also allowing myself to discretely stare at Frank. Seeing him bark orders and confidently fight for his plan of care always left me feeling hypnotized. I watched his neck flex as he looked down the airway, his bright blue eyes looking down intently. I only snapped back to reality when I heard Garcia jab, “The contusion is high at the thyroid cartilage, so you just stand there and look pretty, ER Ken.” I chuckled slightly as Frank exclaimed, “You know you’ve got bee onto that stupid nickname now?”  Garcia shrugged and looked at me smugly, “Only smart people like my jokes. Sorry, you’re out of the loop, Ken.” The two continued to bicker on who would do the crike to secure the airway, Frank dismissing Santos and encouraging Mel to take it. Robby attempted to refocus us, but Garcia continued to gripe, “I’ll assist in case she screws up.” “Yolanda, please, be nice to the girl. It’s her first day,” I begged, setting up the crike tray for Mel to use. 

We all watched for a moment as Mel cut an incision into the man’s throat. I could only watch for a second before going back to pushing meds and prepping for more tests. Once the crike was finished and Robby exited, Frank and Garcia continued to argue. “Does your resident know how to suture or do I need to teach?” Garcia quipped. Frank retorted, “You’re all class, Yoyo.” I groaned, “Jesus, enough you two. I already have to wrangle Langdon on the daily. I don’t get paid enough to break up this cat fight.” I looked over to see Mel’s eyebrows furrowed and eyes wide, “You okay, Mel?” “Only if they’re done fighting,” she whimpered. “We’re not fighting. Langdon’s too soft to fight,” jeered Garcia. “Oh, yeah, I have nothing but respect for Dr Garcia. In fact, I think she would make a great hostess at Applebees,” Frank added. The stress began to build up in Mel’s face again. I leaned over to the girl, “Opposites attract, but these are two identical, over-confident, senior residents in a pod.” Frank’s face lit up with false offense, “Hey! I am the perfect amount of confident.” I turned to Mel once more and mouthed comically, “Overconfident.” 

I brought the college kid back into trauma two; whispers about brain stem death lingered. Once I got him settled, I went back to the board, checking which one of my patients needed me next or see what case Frank would drag me onto. Frank was still hanging back with Mel as she finished suturing the crike and the rest of my patients were rested or in testing. So, I looked around and spotted Dennis standing in front of Earl, presumably being harassed for a sandwich. I walked up to the two, “Hey, Earl, how are you doing this morning?” Earl flung his arms up, “Kat! This guy won’t give me my sandwich!” “Didn’t Perlah give you a sandwich already, Earl?” I questioned. He persisted,  “I haven’t eaten all week!” I laughed and took a couple steps back, stopping at the small food cart we kept near the station, “Here, Earl. Turkey, no egg salad.” “You always do me right, Kat,” he gushed contently as he tore open the sandwich. “You got it,” I reassured, before pulling Dennis to the side. “Remember: if you ever need me, holler. I’m probably around, Nebraska.” He raised his brow, “Nebraska? Is that my new nickname?” “As of right now, yes. I’m working on it,” I added, “Also, if you’re hungry and have a chance to sit, grab one of these sandwiches off the cart around the corner. They’re soggy, but if it’s the only thing you’ve eaten in twelve hours, it tastes great.” I started to walk off when Dennis called from behind me, “Good to know! Thanks!”

I was finishing up a round when I spotted Frank talking to Mel. Something about the way he went down to her level and looked into her eyes left me feeling breathless. After he sent her off, I approached him, “So… Do you like her?” Frank’s eyes immediately flew to the ceiling, “Please, do not start this now, bee. She just needs some extra help.” My hands flew up in defense, “I was just asking! Can’t a girl ask some questions, Ken?” He was about to fire back, but his eyes fixated on something behind me, “Beto?” I turned quickly, noticing Beto, a dementia-ridden man who had stopped working at the ED years ago. I approached him, “Hey, Beto, what are you doing here? I thought you were off today?” I tried to work with his delusion instead of argue, but he still continued to mop. “No, I got called in today! I have to work,” he argued. “Right,” Frank assured, “Just stay right here. I’ll be back.” I followed Frank on his search for Dana, but was quickly stopped by Earl asking for another sandwich. I sighed, “Earl, I just gave you one! I gotta go deal with something, but I’ll be right back with that sandwich, okay?” I took the lead and walked up to Dana, “Beto’s back, Dana. Want to try and get him home or let him hang out for a bit like usual?” “I called his family, they’ll pick him up in a few hours,” explained Dana. “Really?” Frank questioned. I nodded, “Yeah, he’s here often. I guess you miss a lot when you’re busy being ‘perfectly confident’.” He chuckled and left with a quick, “Sure.” I turned back to Dana, “Can you do me a favor and grab me two turkey sandwiches?” She swiftly grabbed the two and handed them to me, “Here you go, bee.” I handed one back to her, “Take this and eat it for me, please. I know you’ve been skipping breakfast.” She sighed as I forced the sandwich into her hands, “You’re too sweet on me.” “I can’t help it! You have bewitched me, body and soul, Dana!” I called out, walking away and delivering the other sandwich. 

I was back on the trauma side of the floor when I noticed Whitaker being scolded by Mohan, staring hopelessly at the floor. I approached as she left, “You alright, Nebraska?” He attempted to brush off the embarrassment but I could still see a hint of a blush on his cheeks. “Yeah, I’m fine. Made the wrong judgement call. Rightfully, got told off for it,” he explained. I sighed and put a hand on his shoulder, “You’re still a student. You’re gonna make those kinds of mistakes. And, Mohan just cares a lot for her patients. Don’t take it personally.” “Thanks,” he quieted for a moment, “You’re really good at that.” “Good at what?” I questioned. “Figuring out what I’m- what me and the other interns are worried about, and you actually help us. Or, at least push us in the right direction,” rambled Dennis. I beamed, “Thank you. Really, don’t mention it. I was in over my head my first day. It’s nice having someone to count on to guide you through it.” Memories of Frank flashed in my mind. He nodded, his eyes emitting a soft glow, “Yeah, it is.” 

I couldn’t allow myself to get caught up in the intensity of his stare for long, as I overheard Perlah call, “GSW just got dumped by homeboy ambulance!”I quickly adorned my gown and started a blood transfusion. It was only about thirty seconds of questions and prep before he was wheeled off to surgery by Garcia. “So, he didn’t have to wait for an OR?”  Mel asked, barely taking off her gloves and processing what just happened. Robby explained, “We always keep one OR stocked and ready to go.” “The perks of being a trauma center,” I added. “Well that’s awesome!” Mel beamed, she gave both me and Robby a high five before running off to her next case. Robby stared at me for a moment, a laugh caught in his throat. “What?” I questioned. He shook his head, “Nothing. She just reminds me a little of you on your first day.” “I’ve noticed,” I sighed. I gave him a quick high five myself before going off to find another patient.

I was only a couple feet away when my heart dropped into my stomach at the sound of Whitaker yelling for help. I ran toward the sound, finding him standing over Milton and doing compressions. “What happened? What’s the last time someone checked on him?” I questioned as I slipped a fresh pair of gloves on. Robby listened as Dennis explained that he was a gallstone case and we were only waiting on some ‘just in case’ labs. “Crash cart, let’s go!” Robby shouted. I took his gown off the top half of his body as Dennis continued CPR. I took the paddles Robby charged up and warned, “Stop compressions.” I waited for a second as the machine beeped. He was asystole, flatlined, untreatable with shock. Whitaker continued to frantically administer compressions. “Slower rhythm,” I warned, trying to meet his gaze. We locked eyes for a moment, but he seemed miles away in his distraught state. I checked Milton’s eyes and groaned in frustration, “Pupils are fixed and dilated.” Robby finally stated a truth I was dreadfully expecting, “He’s been down a long time.” Whitaker’s eyes fluttered, a ghost of a tear beginning to form in the inner corners. 

We all watched as he continued to do compressions. “We switch out every couple minutes. Let me take over. Take a break,” I suggested, moving to his side of the gurney. “I’m fine,” he argued. Robby ordered to halt compressions, and it only revealed another flatline. Dennis resumed compressions and asked, “Should we shock him?” “You don’t shock asystole,” informed Mel. Whitaker insisted, “It could be fine v-fib.” Gently, Robby shot back, “Not a chance.” Dennis insisted on another round of epi; with a nod from Robby, I obliged. We all watched the sweat begin to form on his forehead with every movement. “Three rounds of epi and then call it,” Robby advised before leaving for another case. We completed two rounds of compressions and epi to no avail. “Try calcium. Could be hyperkalemia,” Dennis ordered. “His potassium levels were completely normal,” I protested. Frank had finally entered; his eyes scanned the room, but they landed on mine. I could only send him a dejected stare. He attempted to send me a comforting glance before going back to Whitaker, “You ready to call this?” “Not yet,” he refused, “Robby said three rounds. It’s time to push another amp. This could be it!” I moved over to the other side of the gurney to push the epi. I stopped to whisper to Frank before administering it, “Give him time, please.”

Just moments ago, Dennis was praising me for my ability to comfort him. He said I could find the reason he was upset and mend it. Now, in a couple seconds, I was going to have to tell him Milton is dead, and there was nothing I could do about it.

[sickannetired]

ER Ken and the Bloodhound- Chapter Three

pairing: Frank Langdon x f!nurse!OC x Dennis Whitaker

word count: 1.5k

masterlist

January 10, 2021

4:00pm

There was a quick moment of silence in the ED. Patients were settled, sent to testing, and waiting for results. I found myself in the staff lounge. I stood, back to the counter, blankly staring at I nursed my water and a cookie. Two women walked in, one with frizzed bangs and the other with dark, kind eyes. "We were actually coming in to get some more of those! They're really good," she complimented. I wracked my mind, attempting to remember an instance where someone said her namel "Thank you so much! Kay, right?" She laughed slightly, "Cassie McKay, but that works too!" The other woman streched her arm out in front of her, "I'm Samira Mohan. How are you liking your first day in the ED?" "I'm loving it!" I beamed, standing straight and shifting on my heels, "It's been busy, but I love it." As I spoke, McKay poured a cup of coffee, "I'm surprised you haven't gotten a cup yet! We go through four pots a day down here." I laughed, "I'm more of a Celsius person. I like coffee, but where else can you get something green apple flavored and with 200mg of caffeine?" I noticed the door of the lounge was open, Frank peering in at us, "Hey, I came in to grab a red bull. But, while I'm in here, Robby was wondering if you already charted for the patient in trauma two, Kat." I emptied my hands, "Oh! I'm on it now."

I was quickly charting the patient while Frank grabbed his drink from the staff lounge when I heard Dana’s voice ring out through the ER, “City bus skidded on the ice, we have 9 traumas from the bus and 4 from other vehicles incoming in the next five.” By the time she finished speaking, Langdon was at my side and was moving me toward the ambulance bay, “No time for charting anymore, busy bee. We got work to do.” In the next moments, I was fully adorned with a gown, gloves, and glasses. As the gurneys started to roll in, we looked ready for a fight, bouncing on our feet and eyes scanning across the bay.

The last three hours of the shift were a blur. I floated around the department, administering meds, packing wounds, drawing blood, and sending patients off for scans. After I sent my last patient up to surgery, I found myself falling into one of the shitty office chairs inside the nurses station. Dana appeared in front of me, juice box in her outreached hand, “Good first day?” Giggles escaped my mouth as I tore the straw off the box, “Actually, probably the best day I’ve had at PTMC since I’ve started working.” She opened her mouth to respond but was whisked away by Robby. I closed my eyes for a moment, letting my head fall back. “Don’t die yet, bee. I’m gonna need you back here tomorrow,” a voice in front of me spoke. Langdon stood there, backpack slung over his shoulders and previously abandoned red bull in hand. “I’m just resting my eyes,” I groaned. He picked up my empty hand and pulled me onto my feet, “If I let you keep resting your eyes, you’re gonna be here by the time I come back for my shift tomorrow.” I rubbed my eyes aggressively, “I don’t want to walk home yet.” Frank laughed slightly, “You live next to the hospital?” I took a long sip of my drink before answering, “Yup, the ambulance sirens lower the property value. So, very cheap apartments. Plus, if you live on the same electric grid as the hospital, your power never goes out!” He laughed incredulously, “Jeez, kid. Well, at least let me walk you home. Wouldn’t want you to fall again.” “Oh, hush,” I cackled, “I just need to get my bag and my container from the staff lounge.” 

“What if I told you,” Frank turned around and picked an item hidden behind his feet, “You don’t have to go to the staff lounge?” I giggled as I took it from his hands, “Wow, being nice to the new girl on her first day? Wouldn’t want to ruin that horrible reputation of yours.” He shook his head and leaned against the station counter, “Of course not. I was going to steal the rest of the cookies, but there was only one left. So, I decided to give it back to you, so you can make some more.” I made my way toward the lockers, “Oh, I’m sure. Come on, let’s leave before the night shift kicks us out.” 

As I neared the exit, my bag slugged over my shoulder and Langdon next to me, I noticed Abbott entering the ED. “Hey, kid. Kat, right? Finally made it down to the Pitt?” He asked, halting in front of me. I nodded slowly, “You know it. Long day, but it was great.” He snickered as he ventured farther into the department, “Just wait until you get on night shift. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Frank and I said our goodbyes to Abbott before finally exiting the building. We walked in silence for a moment before Frank spoke up, “So… How do you know Abbott?" I tuned in on the tone of his voice momentarily. Was that jealousy? “After I graduated, I worked in the ICU during for all of 2020. I wanted to work downstairs, but everyone thought it was for the best. Just ran into Abbott one of the times he was up there.” His brow raised, “Did you always want to be an emergency medicine nurse?” I sighed, staring at the cracked pavement, “Emergency medicine, yes. Nurse… not really.”  

His voice wavered for a moment, “What did you want to do?” “I wanted to go to med school, but it wasn’t really in the cards for me,” I explained. He scoffed, “You’re clearly smart enough. Why didn’t you do it?” I imitated his scoff, “Typical doctor! Not all of us have med school money, Frank.” He defended himself, “I didn’t either when I started out! Why didn’t you get a loan and be in debt for the rest of your life like everybody else?” I started to pick at my fingernails in tandem with my steps, “I was only sixteen when I went to college, and my parents were kind of weird about ‘handouts’. They sacrificed so much moving here, real ‘pull yourself up by your bootstraps’ type, so they wanted me to do the same. But, you weren’t a trust fund kid? I’m surprised.” For the first time, he gave a genuine belly laugh. He hunched over slightly as he walked, “No, I wasn’t! Don’t let my old money charm trick you. Well… my parents did pay for my undergrad.” I hit his shoulder and started to argue before he interrupted me, “But I paid for med school all with loans! I lived like a classic college kid for a whole year in med school.” My eyebrow raised, “Only one year?”  I quickly regretted my question when I noticed his face. Frank’s eyebrows were furrowed and gaze was glued to his shoes. 

His throat cleared, painfully almost, “I got married sophomore year. She was really a trust fund baby, so I only got to live the authentic student experience for one year.” I tried to swallow my surprise, I began to ramble,  “Oh! You’re married. That’s great! Marriage is great. Do you have kids? Kids are great. Unless you don’t want them! They can be a handful especially when you’re a doctor-” “You’re shocked someone married me. Do I really seem that awful?” he asked. His tone was playful, but I could sense the genuine curiosity lacing the question. “No! I just didn’t notice a ring,” I answered, nervously. “You were looking for a ring?” he questioned, his head entirely turned to me, eyes boring into mine. I didn’t know how to answer; I chose to stare at the pavement. We were about to reach my apartment, so I silently prayed I could hold on until then. He bumped his shoulder into mine, “I’m just kidding. I accidentally left it at home on my bathroom counter… and I do have a kid. He turned one in July.” I tried not to choke on my disappointment until we reached the steps of my apartment building, “This is me. You can get home now. Your family is probably waiting for you. Thanks for walking me home. I’ll see you tomorrow.” I rushed inside and slammed the door, running up to my apartment without looking back.

I could only rest when I melted into the entryway of my apartment, leaning my head back against the drywall. “Fuck,” I groaned to myself, ripping out my ponytail and running my fingers through my hair. My first day in the ED and the only friend I actually made was a suspiciously hot, married resident. I could only ask myself one thing:

How many cookies would I have to make for Dana and Abbott to get on the night shift?

[sickannetired]

ER Ken and the Bloodhound- Chapter Two

pairing: Frank Langdon x f!nurse!OC x Dennis Whitaker

word count: 3.5k

masterlist

authors note: if some parts seem a little confusing, the prologue is what happens right before this shift. tysm for reading!

September 5, 2024

7:00am

When I made my way to the nurse’s station, cold celsius in hand, Perlah and Princess were speaking hurriedly in Tagalog. “What’s going on, my favorite chismosas? You two looked stressed,” I asked, leaning on the counter beside them. “Apparently the hospital is up for sale,” shared Perlah. Princess asked, “Do you know if it is?” I pinched the bridge of my nose, “That feels like a Robby question. He should be coming in soon.” Like clockwork, Robby walked onto the floor and the two nurses flocked to him. I chuckled to myself and took a second to crack open my drink and finish it before the shift started. As I took a long sip, I noticed a nervous, blonde woman looking around the ED. She was dressed in the classic black scrubs, so she had to be a new intern. 

I walked up to her, “You lost?” Her eyebrows raised comically and she began to smile, “Oh, no. Well, I’m looking for Dr Robinavitch. Is he around?” I took a scan of the ED and noticed him exiting toward the stairwell, most likely to discuss with Abbott. I smiled back at the woman, “You actually just missed him, but he should be back in a couple minutes. Is there anything I can do for you?” I stuck out my hand for her to shake, “I’m Kat Diaz, I’m a nurse here at the pitt.” She shook my hand sporadically, “I’m Melissa King, but everyone calls me Mel. I just came from two months at the VA. I’m really excited to be here.” I couldn’t help but smile back, mostly because of how much she reminded me of myself on my first day. Add a container of cookies in her arms and it would be a spitting image. “That’s great. It gets busy, but it’s a lot of fun here. I love it,” I reassured her. “Have you been here long? When did you graduate?” Mel questioned, noting my age. I shifted the drink in my hand, “Well, I was up in the ICU for a year after graduating. But, in total, I’ve been at the pitt for three years, as of last January.” Recognizing her confused gaze, I continued, “I graduated early, so I started working at PTMC when I was 20.” Her eyes widened, “Wow, that’s really cool. I heard one of the med students today graduated early as well.” I looked around and noticed a young-looking girl in black scrubs, talking to McKay and a man who I could only see the back of. I chuckled slightly, “Well, she’s definitely more ahead of the curve than I was.” 

Frank’s voice could be heard from behind me, “Staying humble, bee?” I followed his movements to the board and next to Collins, “You know it. But, seriously, have you seen one of the new med students? She looks 16.” He opened his mouth to answer, but was silenced by a naked man running through the department and screaming, “They’re gonna hurt me!” We all watched Perlah and Princess ran after him, spewing comforts as they chased him up the stairs. Langdon scoffed, “You want to go help with that?” I turned back to him, “Noo, it should be fine. Perlah used to be a runner, she’s got this. What I need to do is finish my drink and get to work.” Looking back at the board, Collins groaned, “Who left this mess?” Langdon snickered, “Good morning to you, sunshine.” “You obviously haven’t seen this board,” she retorted. I used my free hand to pat her arm, “We’ve seen worse. We’ll make it through it.” “Nothing like a little challenge to keep everyone on their toes,” Langdon added, moving from beside me to the other side of Heather. As he moved he momentarily put a hand on my lower back, acting as an anchor as he moved. I wanted to scream at him, scold him for his carelessness, but it would only draw more attention to it. Plus, a part of me did want to lean into it, take his hand and rest it on my hip. I gave him a warning look, but Dana’s voice tore my attention away from my annoyance. 

“Bee, McKay is taking the newbies to a hand burn in central 6, be a dear and go check in on them for me?” Dana asked, eyes locked on her tablet. “You got it,” I smiled curtly and headed over. I peered into the room for a moment, noticed the state of the mother and two kids sitting inside, and grabbed a couple of juice boxes and crackers off the cart. “Hey, good morning, Kat,” McKay greeted, a hub of students behind her. “Morning, Kay. Grabbed these for the kids,” I motioned to the drinks. She nodded, “Good thinking,” before heading in and introducing herself. McKay questioned the mother about the burn, revealing it was from a sterno. After securing permission and handing the snacks off to the children, I took a look at the burn. I started pulling some meds and dressing from the cabinets. As I readied the materials, I could sense an intense stare from behind me. After asking if she received any pain meds yet, McKay turned to me. I held out the array of gauze and medication in my hands, “1,000 tylenol, 400 ibuprofen, and saline dressing?” My eyes finally met the ones that had been burning a hole into the back of my head. A student, a man with mousy brown hair and wide eyes examined me from his side of the room. McKay smiled, “You got it. It’s so unfair Langdon gets to steal you all of the time.” As if speaking his name had summoned him, he peered through the doorway, “We’re going to round.”  He made sure to give me an intense glance before walking off, supposedly telling other doctors to make their way to the nurses station. I quickly administered the medication and followed everyone out of the room. 

I stood by Langdon inside the station, watching as Robby introduced Mel and the students that were just in the room with me. I learned the young girl was Javadi, a third year med student, and Santos, an intern. Finally, the man who’d been staring at me before spoke up, “Uh, Dennis Whitaker. MS4.” He stuttered and blushed slightly when his gaze met mine. Frank bumped my hip and whispered, “You’ve known them for five seconds and you already have one of them crushing on you.” I elbowed his side and whispered back, “Oh shut up! Leave the poor guy alone.” Dana called out, “We got two traumas from the T, five minutes out.” Robby gestured to her, “Actually this is the most important person you will meet today. This is Dana, our charge nurse.” As he continued to introduce Dana, she turned to me and discussed the details of the incoming traumas. Robby motioned to me as well, “Hell, let me also introduce Kat. She is Dana’s unofficial right hand man. If you need Dana and she's not around, Kat is a good second.” I gave a small wave to everyone, making eye contact with Whitaker once more, and gave my attention back to Dana. 

The area quickly cleared as most of the doctors left to check around the ER. I helped Dana set up two trauma rooms for the incoming patients. As soon as we heard the buzz of voices from the ambulance bay, she sent me to assess. When I noticed Princess bagging and following what looked like the fall, I moved onto the second trauma. Frank lingered beside me, waiting for the harsher trauma. The paramedic debriefed with us: elderly women, good vitals, no head injuries. The word “degloved” caught my attention, causing the magnetization of my eyes to Robby lifting the sheet off her muscle-exposed leg. Robby turned to me, waiting for me to say what room was prepped. “Trauma two,” I answered swiftly. He echoed me, “Trauma two, let’s go!” Robby departed while we pushed the still wailing woman into the room. In tandem, Frank and I began working. Him, calling out vitals and scanning her abdomen, while I pushed pain meds with antibiotics. Robby came back in, discussing with the senior residents and teaching the med students. I listened intently as they discussed potential conditions while also attempting to speak to the women, asking if she was okay and if she spoke English over her screams. As Robby asked about potential heart attack, I drew for Troponin. “So she needs head CT and troponin!” Whitaker finally called out with coaxing from Collins. “Already drawn!” I called back, handing it to another nurse to be sent off. 

Garcia entered, being debriefed while she put on her gloves. I pulled a dose of anesthetic onthe degloving side for a popliteal block, and waited for official say from Collins or Frank. Garcia snipped, “Can we push the damn morphine?” I could see Langdon sneer slightly at her, offended on my behalf for the barked order. Collins and Garcia argued for a moment. Collins demanded a popliteal block for her mental status, and Robby cleared it. Garcia and Robby  both left as we continued to stabilize the woman and numb her leg. 

Robby reentered with Princess as her screams quieted. He looked at the both of us, “Do either of you know what language she’s speaking?” We both shook our heads. Princess added, “I think we both know 12 languages combined, but I have no idea what that is.” Frank quipped, “And I thought Collins was smart.” “Enough,” I warned. Robby questioned how the patient was doing. “She’s stable,” I called out. “Unlike these two,” Princess continued, gesturing to Frank and Collins. Frank was about to argue back, but I gave him a stern look. “You’re lucky bee has me on my best behavior, Princess,” he sighed. As they continued to discuss what caused the woman to fall with a newly entered police officer, I focused on her dressing. I moved back as more people entered the room, Collins and Frank began to reset the pile of flesh that was her leg while the students watched closely. When I noticed Javadi’s eyes began to slowly glaze over, I quickly moved behind her and caught her before she crashed to the floor. “Med student down,” remarked Santos. “You alright?” Langdon asked, the patient's leg still in hand. I set her down in the corner of the room, “Yeah, I got her. I’ll tap out and get her settled.” “I can go with you!” Whitaker offered excitedly. I could sense Frank sending him a glare from across the trauma room, a small vein appearing on his forehead and the flexing of his neck. “Great. Wanna help me get her in a chair?”

She woke up moments later, standing up and dusting herself off. “Hey, you took a little fall. Come on to the station with me. We gotta go let Robby know.” Much to her dismay, Javadi walked up to Robby and informed him of her fall, swearing she was completely fine. Robby sent me a glance; leaving me to shake my head and make a drinking motion. “How about you let Kat show you where the staff lounge is, so you can get yourself a cold drink,” he suggested. Before she could I argue, I put a soft hand on her shoulder and led her to the break room. I didn’t realize Whitaker was still following me until I left the small room. “Oh, hi, I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced. Whitaker MS4, right?” I asked. He seemed flustered at my remembrance of his name, “Yeah, but you can call me Dennis. Kat?” I nodded and he continued to ask, “Sorry if this seems rude, but why do people call you bee? I’ve just heard it a couple times around the ED.” I laughed and looked over to Dana where she sat at the nurses station, “Dana called me it on my first day. Always managed to keep busy running around the department. Now that I’m looking after you newbies today, it’s definitely going to be my easiest day of the year.” He blushed and looked down at his feet, “You don’t have to do that… look out for me.” I put my hand on his shoulder, “Hey, it’s my job. Plus, Dana said I have to, and that’s the law around here.” His eyes met mine again as he laughed. I rubbed his shoulder before removing my hand, “But, really. If you need anything or if anyone is giving you any problems, just give a holler and I’ll come running. Alright? I didn’t earn the name busy bee for nothing.” He continued to chuckle softly, “Alright. I will.” A sense of deja vu overcame my body at the burning of my hands and the tips of my ears. There was a familiarity in the warm feeling that followed looking in his blue eyes. I physically shook off the feeling. 

Before I could think about it, I noticed the women from trauma being wheeled back from CT. Whitaker followed close behind. We entered the room as Garcia exited. I could see annoyance reappear on Frank’s face at the sight of us together. Dennis questioned “Have we found out what she’s speaking yet?” “Last interpreter said she might be from Pakistan,” Langdon answered.  Phone in hand, Santos spoke, “Well there’s-” “Over 70 languages spoken in Pakistan. That’s still too broad, even if that is correct. Her inflection has me thinking more in the Chinese area,” I interrupted. Santos sent me an irritated side eye. “I minored in linguistics,” I defended with a shrug. “I will buy lunch for whoever figures it out,” promised Frank as he exited, “I have lives to save.” Santos exclaimed, “She minored in linguistics, how is that fair?” Chuckling as I left, I snickered, “I’m a nurse. I don’t get paid enough for that.”

I followed the gurney of an older man with a LUKAS on his chest, an arrival from assisted living. I stood next to Dennis and across from Frank as we transferred him from the gurney onto the bed. Frank counted off, “One, two, three.” When we set the gurney down, Whitaker yelped from beside me, pulling his finger free from under the patient. “Shit, are you okay?” I questioned and instinctively went to both deglove his hand and inspect the newly formed blood blister. “We’ll need to relieve the pressure,” I noted. “Kat, can we focus on the actual patient? Please,” Frank barked. I sent him a look of exasperation, before regloving and advising Dennis to ice his finger. During their discussion of the patient’s advanced directive status, I drew the epi they’d inevitably ask for. “One more round of epi, one shock, and then call it?” Mohan asked, standing behind the LUKAS. Robby approved and left swiftly. I pushed the epi and Frank charged the defibrillator. He was ready to shock when Dana ran in, “Stop! Call it. The nursing home just faxed us a DNR.” Mohan groaned and ordered everything to be turned off. Frank grumbled as he tore off his gloves, “What a complete waste of time and money. Who works at that place?” I found myself holding onto his arm, “A nurse who has sixty other patients to take care of.” “She called 911 so she could help the others,” Dana added. 

Still angry, Frank attempted to rush out of the room. I tried to pull him back before Robby stuck his arm in the doorway, blocking his path. Robby swiftly transitioned into a speech about our routine in taking time to honor patients who passed. Frank was still shifting on his feet and bouncing around restlessly. I discretely mouthed, “Calm down, please.” There was a few seconds of silence before a song began to blare throughout the room, some sort of loud funk. Whitaker’s soul left his body as he rushed to turn off his phone with his injured finger. I couldn’t help but turn and smile into my hand. He let out a string of apologies before Robby advised him to keep it on vibrate. Just as the last person left the room, I rubbed his shoulder, “It happens to the best of us.”

I was discussing with Perlah about a triathlete who coded when I overheard Frank talking to Robby about his latest purchase, a dog for his family. There was an powerful strain in my chest. Was it a tool for Tanner to feel better about his parents’ soon separation? Or was it just another emotional string to tie all of them together? “Are you alright, Kat?” Perlah questioned, resting her hand on my arm. I quickly moved away, “I’m alright. I think I just need to use the restroom. I’ll be back.” The walk to the restroom was short, leaving me soon crouched in the small stall. I ran my hands over my hair, loosening my bun in the process. I groaned, leaving the stall and looking at the mirror. By the time I exited, Dana was waiting at the sinks. “You okay, kid?” I put on a smile and answered, “Yeah. Great. I just needed to redo my hair.” No doubt recognizing my lie, she nodded curtly, “Alright. Let me know if there’s anything I can do for you, bee.” Before she could walk out the door, I called out, “Wait. Can I ask you something?” She nodded and leaned against the tile wall, waiting for my response. “Do you think cheating is ever okay?” Dana gave her signature smirk, “Got a boyfriend whose heart you’re breaking?” I smiled and shook my head, “No, I don’t.” I began to look into the mirror and redo my hair to avoid eye contact, “Just saw something on this show… wanted your opinion.” She shifted from her spot on the wall to the sink beside mine, “No, I don’t think it’s okay. Not exactly because I think it’s entirely unforgivable. It’s because whoever is cheating, or wanting to, should be with one of the two people. They either need to break it off or realize they’re content with who they’re with. It’s wrong for them to string both of them along… Does that answer your question?” By the end of her speech, my hands were out of my hair and I was heading out the door, “It did. Thank you, Dana.”

I bounced around in the department, case to case. I joined all the cases I could find, aside from Frank’s. Dennis entered as I was taking the vitals of a man named Milton. He introduced himself as one of the student doctors who would be seeing him. I read him Milton’s slightly elevated blood pressure. The patient explained he hadn’t taken his daily medication, so I grabbed that as Dennis continued to talk to the patient. I was on autopilot during my scan of his stomach, only paying attention when he walked off. I approached him before he could walk too far, “I would suggest a EKG to rule out MI. Chest pain can mask as upper stomach pain.” His brows raised in surprise, “Yeah, sure, good idea.” Noticing my curt response, he continued, “Are you okay, Kat?’ I stumbled slightly, “I’m okay. Don’t worry about me. I can take care of myself.” He smiled slightly, “You sound like someone I know… Hey, you take care of me. I take care of you. Okay?” Meeting his eyes, I smiled, “Okay.” I glanced over his shoulder to the nurses station, noticing Frank looking down at Mel intently, discussing a patient. I felt a familiar tightening sensation. “Let me tag along to your next case?”

We were leaving a UTI case when I found Frank at my feet, “Hey, can we talk, Kat?” I stopped in my tracks. Slightly embarrassed, I looked to Dennis, “I’ll be right back.” Once we were out of hearing distance and parked at the lockers, I hissed, “Can you not do whatever this is right now? I’m busy.” He was taken aback, “Busy babysitting a MS4? What’s wrong? I overheard Dana telling Robby you were upset about something and to keep an eye out and check on you.” I groaned and rested my face in my hands, “Jesus christ. I’m fine! Just a little out of it today.” “I know it’s never just that. Bee, what is wrong?” He argued back in a hushed voice. Giving up, I burst out, but still whispering, “Are you ever actually going to leave her?” His icy blue eyes widened in utter shock, standing and staring helplessly. Before he could bother to answer, I heard Dana shout out, “College kid, respiratory distress, coming in hot!”

[sickannetired]

ER Ken and the Bloodhound- Masterlist

pairing: Frank Langdon x f!nurse!OC x Dennis Whitaker

Kat Diaz grapples with her life and the choices that have led to her working as an ED nurse at PTMC on the day of the PittFest shooting. Throughout the grueling shift, she begins to ask herself other questions. Did she choose the right profession? Is her affair with Dr Langdon slowly tainting her morality? Is Frank not who he claims to be? Is the new MS4 more her speed? Has her past made her better off alone? Is she destined for more?

Fic Playlist

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

[sickannetired]

ER Ken and the Bloodhound: Chapter One

pairing: Frank Langdon x f!nurse!OC x Dennis Whitaker

word count: 2.0k

masterlist

authors note: for convenience sake, Langdon and Mohan are both residents and McKay is an intern at the time of this chapter. sorry for the inaccuracies.

January 10th, 2021

6:35 am

It was one year after being hired at PTMC, but it was my first day working at the emergency department. I graduated high school at 16, making me the only 20 year old nurse at the hospital. When deciding my specialty, I found emergency medicine fascinating. Something about being one of the first people on a case seemed exhilarating. I was itching to enter the ED, but everyone advised me to do my first year in ICU before transferring. It was somehow the longest and shortest year of my life. The first two months were agony; I was often fighting to get a moment to talk to any nurses or doctors from downstairs. But, when covid hit, everything was a blur. “Baptism by fire,” as Dr Abbott called it during one of our short interactions. Even though I can still remember the names and stories of every patient of mine that didn’t make it home, a part of me was grateful for the timing. 

Being the youngest person in nursing school, it was hard to make any sort of friend. Most assumed I was a know-it-all, limiting their interactions with me to asking whether or not I made a study guide for the upcoming exam. In the quiet of a classroom or cafeteria, I had too much time to think, unable to start a semblance of a normal conversation. So, I studied medical textbooks that had more information that I needed and dreamed of a day in which it all changed. In the hustle and bustle of the covid wrecked hospital, I found my groove. I realized that jumping patient to patient and encompassing myself in the material I’d spent years studying was my element. So, when the covid cases began to slow down, I knew it was time to push to get into the ED. Considering Gloria was constantly hounding the department for better scores, she was happy to get a new, excited face on the scene. 

In the cold Pittsburg morning, I walked to work. Actually, due to my inability to be less than fifteen minutes early to work, I was jogging on the icy pavement. I was only ten feet away from the doors when I felt my heart sink into my stomach, my worn tennis shoes had slipped on the slick snow. In an effort to save my wrists from the impact, I held onto my hips and slid onto my knees, similar to the way I’d seen baseball players do. I exclaimed a string of curses as I hit the floor and came to a halt. In the quick moment I took to stay on the ground and compose myself, I heard a deep voice from behind me exclaim, “Oh shit, are you okay?” On top of the winter wind, I felt a chill go down my spine. Before I bothered to look where the voice originated, I held my hand up and choked out, “I’m a nurse. I work here. I’m fine!” Black scrub pants appeared in front of me, “Well, I’m a doctor, so let me check you out.” He took my hand that was still in the air and my other arm, hoisting me up. When my gaze met his piercing blue eyes, my face began to flush. 

His touch seemed to warm my entire body, working better than the old leather jacket I had on. “Jesus, kid, you’re freezing,” he remarked, more to himself than anything. I finally processed the color of his scrubs and pulled my hands away to fix my hair, “Oh shit, please don’t tell me you work in the ED.” He chuckled, “I heard we were taking in a new nurse today. First day?” I rubbed my red hands together and laughed nervously, “Unfortunately, yes.” I immediately shook my head and began to ramble, “Wait, no, not unfortunately. I am so excited to be working in the emergency- ""I’m Frank Langdon. I’m a senior resident here in the pitt. I’m gonna take you inside before our shift starts and check out your knee. You wanna tell me your name and come with me or keep talking out here in the cold?” I nodded quickly and started to walk toward the doors once more, “Kat Diaz, registered nurse. Nice to meet you Dr Langdon.”

I sat on a secluded bed in the corner of the floor, “I swear, Dr Langdon. I’m fine.” He turned around to put on a pair of blue gloves, “Please, just call me Frank, and I’m the doctor. Please let me assess-” I hiked up my pant legs, “There was no snap, pop, or shooting pain. My pain level is relatively low. There is no discoloration or deformation on par with a patella dislocation. I’m fine.” By the end of my outburst, I was out of breath and Langdon stood there, mouth slightly agape and with widened eyes. He went silent, taking a moment to actually peer down at my knees. “Yeah…. I agree, but I’m a doctor. How do you know that?” I pushed myself off the bed, repositioning my scrub bottoms and grabbing my things. “I was a nerd in nursing school. I just turned twenty one a couple months ago. So, while everyone else was having fun drinking after an exam, I was reading the same books you did,” I explained. He tore off his gloves and exhaled in disbelief, “Alright, consider me impressed. Find me after you talk to Dana.”

I walked over to the nurses station; an older woman with platinum blonde hair and a taller man with tired eyes stood in front of the large televisions hung near the ceiling of the station. The blonde woman noticed me first, “Hey, sweetheart, are you our new nurse from upstairs? I’m Dana.” I shook her hand, “Yes, I am! It’s an honor to be here. Kat Diaz.” The older man reached out to reach my hand as well, scanning my form, “Welcome, I’m Dr. Robby, usually the only attending on dayshift. You have wet spots on your knees. Did you fall? Are you alright?” I nodded my head furiously, “Yes, I’m okay! Don’t worry, Dr Landgon already checked me out.” The two shared a shocked expression. Robby hummed, “Not like Langdon to be helpful.” Dana interrupted, “Enough, Robby! Let me take you to the lockers so you can put your things away, sweetheart.”

I dug through my bag, finding my small food container at the bottom. Luckily, the off-brand tupperware wasn’t crushed or cracked in the fall. I fished it out, closed my locker, and joined the small crowd of nurses and doctors ready for the pre-shift debrief. Robby quickly discussed some key patients and the status of certain rooms on the floor. He was finishing up when he made eye contact with me, “Oh, and forgive me. This is our new nurse on the floor, Kat.” I waved nervously at the team surrounding me, notably making eye contact with Dr Langdon and a girl with mousy brown bangs. “What’s that?” she asked, gesturing toward the container tucked under my arm. My palm made contact with my forehead, “Oh! Sorry, this is Pan de Polvo. Just some cookies, if anyone wants some. I tried to avoid the common allergies but if anyone needs to know what’s in them just ask!” I cringed slightly at my second outburst of the day. I needed to get busy. Dana clapped her hands together, “Perfect! Langdon, I heard you two have been introduced. Could you lead Kat to the staff room so she could set those out?” Langdon nodded swiftly and began walking, “You got it, boss. Let’s go, newbie.”

Frank held open the door for me as I set down the cookies on the small table in the middle of the room, his eyes were set on me when I turned around. “Really going all out, huh?” he quipped. “What do you mean?” I questioned back. He gestured his head toward the table, “The cookies. The clearly unnecessary medical knowledge.” I placed my hand on my hip, “First, I’m still a nurse. I don’t consider it ‘unnecessary’. Plus, I just work better when I’m busy. Don’t have to think. Just dive into my work. Had some extra time last night, read up on new emergency medicine finding and made some cookies.” Frank seemed almost shocked at my rebuttal, probably expecting a rushed mumble of words trying to defend myself. His mouth lifted in a sly smirk, “Well, let’s get you busy.” I followed him out the door, trailing closely behind him. For some reason, it felt natural.

We stood in front of the board and I listened as Frank ran through what the most exciting cases were. “Ooo we’re getting on this case. Fight bite. Let’s go.” I followed him into a curtained room, a visibly angry middle-aged man sat in the bed, yelling into his phone. “I don’t care about the ice! He rammed into my car, so I punched that motherfucker in the face. As simple as that! Hold on, babe. The doctor is here. I gotta go,” He shouted, before hanging up the phone. Frank glanced down at the patient’s chart before introducing himself, “Hello, Mr Smith, I’m Dr Langdon. I’m here to take care of your hand. Can you tell me about how it happened?” I took a quick assessment of the hand; he would have to do a test with a sterile saline injection. As Frank looked at his hand closely and listened to the man drone on about the other driver, I set up the tray with everything needed for the test. Still looking at the hand, Langdon asked, “Can you set up a tray for a fight bite saline tray, if you need me to read off what I need I can-” “Got it here, Dr Langdon.” I interrupted, holding out the trey in front of me. He took a double take, his icy eyes gawking at the already stocked tray in my hands. “Alright, good job, newbie.” 

My mind began to race again while he finished treating the patient. Did I embarrass him in front of the patient by handing him the tray like that? Even though he seemed to like me, the last thing I needed was a complaint on my first day. The moment we stepped out of the patient’s room, words began to spew out of my mouth, “I’m sorry if that seemed disrespectful, Dr Langdon. During covid, sometimes the doctors would be gone and they would need me to get stuff started before they got there and they trusted me to know what they wanted to do, but sometimes I set up a different tray than they were thinking of needing so sometimes they would get annoyed. If you don’t want me to do that I can totally-” “Can you do that every time?” Frank interjected. “What?” I guffawed. He chuckled and rubbed his face, “First, again, call me Frank, please. About that, feel free to keep doing that. It’s like having a nurse who can read my mind, makes my life a lot easier. If I push to keep you on my cases, can you keep up?” I gave a shy smile, “Only if you keep me busy.”

I followed Frank from case to case, aiding him during primary care and following up patients while he charts. I ran around the department like a speeding bullet, leaving happy patients and sandwiches for the unhoused visitors in my path. I was at the board with Frank again when Dana called out, “Langdon, stop bossing my nurse around.” He turned his head slightly, eyes still on the board, “Come on, she likes hanging with me. Right?” I coughed slightly, “Right! If that’s okay with you, Dana.” Langdon finally broke his concentration from the board and gave Dana an obnoxious smile, “See, Dana? I promise she’s getting a wide variety of ED cases on her first day with me. Aren’t you always asking me to play nice? I’ll even hand her over once in a while if you need her that badly.” I could see the cogs turning in the older woman's mind, a dusting of confusion and surprise on her expression. She sighed in defeat, “Alright, but only if you give the poor busy bee time to chart and eat at least one of those delicious cookies she brought. I would hurry too, sweetheart, they’re going fast.” I followed Frank as he began to walk off. He twirled back to look at me for a moment as he moved, “Newbie... busy bee… I like that.”

[sickannetired]

ER Ken and the Bloodhound- Prologue

pairing: Frank Langdon x f!nurse!OC x Dennis Whitaker

word count: 950

masterlist

September 5, 2024

6:25 am

I focused on the rise and fall of my chest as I stared at myself in the mirror, every exhalation felt like a soft hand on my back, pushing me forward, forcing me down to my bathroom floor, where my body yearned to lay. Some mornings are harder than others. I had only managed to slip on my scrub pants and bra before becoming magnetized to the mirror. The gentle buzz of my phone shifted my gaze, a text from ‘ER Ken’ caused my heart to flutter. “Stopping at the store before work. In desperate need of a redbull. Want one of your nasty celsius drinks?” I smiled at the message and responded, “green apple and cherry, as always. pretty please.” I watched the screen for a moment, watching his text bubble jump on the screen. “You got it, bee.” I chuckled, “careful, langdon. wouldn’t want to seem kind or thoughtful… or anything of that nature.” He responded immediately, “Watch it, Diaz. Keep making fun of me and you’ll be late AND out of caffeine.” I quickly noticed the time, 6:30. It was only a five minute walk to work, but if I left my apartment in my current state, I’d probably be taken in as a psych case.

I moved swiftly throughout my apartment, a thin layer of sweat on my forehead had formed after slipping on a tight, black henley, my scrub top, brown leather jacket, and shoes. I pulled my hair into a bun that would probably have to be redone on my brisk walk to work. I swung my crossbody bag over my shoulder, in the process, clipping off my keys and badge that read, ‘Kate Diaz, RN’.  I clipped the badge on my top and walked out the door of my cluttered apartment. 

I neared toward the hospital, only a small section of the building separating me from the ER doors. My fingers tapped on my water bottle in tune to the song blaring through my headphones when a hand gripped my shoulder.  My hands flew to the disembodied hand, ready to fight off the attacker, before I recognized the familiarity of the feeling. He yanked one of the wired earbuds out of my ear, “Bee! Are you trying to get kidnapped? We talked about this.” I shoved his shoulder, “Frank! How about not creeping up on unsuspecting young women?” He raised his eyebrow and glanced behind me. Frank pulled me into the secluded loading dock next to us and pressed me against one of the stone walls, pulling me into a desperate kiss. 

His large hands covered my cheeks, pinkies resting on the nape of my neck. It was quick, but I could still recognize his tongue swiping across my lips and the feel of his stubble on my chin. My hands pushed against his chest as we pulled away, “Are you crazy? Someone could see us.” My eyes scanned the area around us, thankfully, not finding anyone. His hands removed mine from his chest and held them tightly. “Calm down,” Frank assured, “You know the delivery guys don’t bother to show up until 10 after.” “We still have to be careful. If Robby or Dana saw us…” I trailed off. He pressed a kiss to my forehead, “They would tell Abby and HR, I know, love. But, no one’s here, and I’ve been missing you too much recently. Had to stop myself from calling you after I went home last night.” I melted under his grasp, “Hey, we’re almost there. Tanner starts school in a month, doesn’t he?” His bright blue eyes bore hopelessly into mine, “Yeah… Just one more month before I tell Abby, before we get to be together, for real. I promise.” He undid my bun and redid it as he spoke up once more, “We’ve been seeing each other for three years in december.” When his hands left my hair, I giggled and shoved him slightly, “You remembered?” “I’m the best, if you didn’t remember,” Frank retorted. Scoffing, I grabbed the celsius from his backpack’s side pocket and turned on my heel, “Speaking of the best, we need to get our asses to work, Ken.” 

Frank followed close behind as we neared the ED doors, “I’m glad my glowing confidence is rubbing off on you. But, for the love of god, please stop using Garcia’s little nickname for me.” My eyes fell back over my shoulder as we entered, “It’s a compliment! Never thought you were one to reject those. So, please, get off my back, Langdon.” My tone shifted from flirtation to platonically playful, a skill I’ve had to perfect over the years. Dana’s voice rang out through the ED, “Langdon! Please stop bothering my favorite nurse.” Frank held his hands up in defeat, as he finally broke off from me and headed toward the lockers. “Hey!” Princess exclaimed, offense radiating from her. Her and Perla shared some hushed curses in tagalog. I leaned over the nurse station counter, “I work holidays, Princess, hard to beat that.”  Dana snickered as she left the station and began leading me toward the lockers, “Don’t get too cocky, kid.”

The older woman lingered by my locker, watching me shove my belongings inside. “What’s up?” I asked, “We short staffed today?” She crossed her arms, tablet in hand, “Nope, the opposite actually. The new interns and med students are in today.” I shut my locker and smiled knowingly, “You need me to keep an eye out for them? Make sure they’re doing alright?” She nodded and put a soft hand on my shoulder, “That’s why you’re the best, busy bee.”

It wasn’t the summer solstice or the month long Alaskan sunlight, but it was about to be the longest day of the year.

[sickannetired]

ER Ken and the Bloodhound: Fic Playlist

Made this as a companion playlist for the upcoming fic! Hope y'all enjoy it :)

[sickannetired]

'Er Ken and the Bloodhound'- Fic Teaser

pairing: Frank Langdon x f!nurse!OC x Dennis Whitaker

Kat Diaz grapples with her life and the choices that have led to her working as an ED nurse at PTMC on the day of the PittFest shooting. Throughout the grueling shift, she begins to ask herself other questions. Did she choose the right profession? Is her affair with Dr Langdon slowly tainting her morality? Is Frank not who he claims to be? Is the new M4 more her speed? Has her past made her better off alone? Is she destined for more?

Authors note: This will be my first fic but I'm so excited to share it with everyone! I don't have a set schedule yet but I will try to update as often as possible. Any tips would be so appreciated. Love you all! <3