RP Log with rhythmictherapy | Sibling Catch-Up

[cutandlearn]

[Set before THIS & THIS]

Serena was feeling better now that Chris was not only awake, but starting to eat. She also knew that he was safe sharing a room with his brother so she felt safe doing things like sharing lunch with her brother. At least this way Drew could be sure that she was eating properly. Serena took another bite out of the giant chicken burger he'd bought her as they sat at one of the outside cafeteria tables. The tell-tale takeout bag was sitting out and proud for all to see, but Serena didn't care.

She had found herself starving, and her brother still knew her well enough to know that she needed a junk fix. There was even a big box of fries all for her, onion rings, and a chocolate thickshake. She gave her brother an appreciative smile as she licked some sauce from her lips. "You really do know just how to take care of me, big brother."


Drew just watched her uncertainly, raising his eyebrows a little. "Way to go with the girlfriendly sympathy there. I suggest you don't go anywhere near him for at least two days, or he'll smell burger on you from all angles while he's up there being offered porridge and soup that looks like dishwater." He had nothing in front of him, really not feeling all that hungry after visiting a patient in rehab who managed to bleed all over himself and totally turn Drew's stomach. No wonder he wasn't the medical doctor of the family. It was one thing to see it on his sister's boyfriend, who was family, but strangers Drew just couldn't do.

Serena hadn't even taken in the fact that Drew wasn't eating right then and she frowned a little as she looked at the empty space in front of him. "You okay? And hey, I am all with the sympathy. I fed him jello and yoghurt. But I need something a little less liquidy in my stomach. I'll make sure I shower and eat mints. He's at least over food envy when it comes to his brother's meals. I wouldn't ever eat this in front of him. I'm only indulging in a little culinary cheating..."

"Yay, jello and yoghurt. I'm practically having an orgasm just thinking about it," Drew said sarcastically, waving his hands like he was holding invisible pom-poms. "I'm fine. I just hate medical shit. No offence. You know, those staff in that unit could really use some tact. There was this nurse that just walked in while I was sitting with your other half and blatantly asked if he felt any urges to go to the bathroom. I would have told her to go walk off the nearest cliff at a fast pace. I was there, his brother was there with the knocked up doctor. Please tell me you have more tact as a medical professional? I have my faith in you, sis. If I am ever in hospital, please never let me have an audience when it comes to discussing anything that is expected to come out of me in any capacity."

Serena frowned a little at his sarcasm and tried to work out if something else was getting to him other than jello and yoghurt. "Hey, have you talked to Lisa lately? Didn't you say you two were supposed to have a date when things quietened down? Or a drink? Or a drink and a date? She just... asked? I don't remember ever doing that. Most conversations tend to take place with just the patient. Or sometimes just the doctors because the patient's unconscious. I'd like to think I have more tact. I only lose my tact when it comes to The Talk. And trying to console the patients. Should I ask all your doctors and nurses if they're about to ask about bodily fluids before they enter your room?"

Drew waved his hand. "Would you quit trying to set me up? I can manage my own love life, you know. I don't know if it's a good idea. It feels a bit awkward with everything going on. There's C, and then there is her brother. It's just... stop pushing it, alright? Let things just take a natural course. She just outright asked, but she looked like she was a student or something. Chris wasn't unconcious, he just turned an interesting shade of red and chewed her out. He was very professional about it. I was impressed. No, just bring your boyfriend in to bitch them out for me."

Serena held her hands up defensively. "Okay, okay. I asked once, but hey, I'm done pushing. Consider it dropped. So Chris revealed his Dr C side for a moment, huh? I wish I'd seen it. It's been a while since he got his professionalism out. He has been working up some anger, so maybe it just gave him an outlet. He cried in front of me. I don't think I'm supposed to tell people, but you're my brother and I need to talk to someone about it."

"I don't know whether it was a fact he was actually embarrassed, or just projecting from worry that maybe things aren't..." Drew waved his hand a little, "functioning as they should be. It was hard to tell, but he wasn't a happy camper. When it coincided with them bringing him more porridge, it was like medical World War Three, but in saying that, the guy had a point on the whole thing. He was fine with the dinner, so why keep pissing him off bringing him crap breakfasts? Then, maybe he's just transitioning into the anger phase which was going to come. So, he cried. Which is a good thing, but you need to talk about it, so shoot. Did he upset you?"

Serena pulled her mouth to the side before she sighed. "He's sick of the tube, he's sick of being trapped. He hates porridge about on the same level as salmon. I told you about cooking him that, right? Such a mistake. I'm still embarrassed about it. No wonder he wanted to bitch out the poor girl. I'm just glad he did manage to eat dinner. I've been getting more and more worried that he won't eat. He's been through depression, right? Denial... Anger. Was there even bargaining? He's grieving for his kidney, isn't he? He didn't upset me. It was hard, but I knew he had to let it out. Of course he had to let it out. My heart's just breaking for him, and he keeps apologising for putting me through this."

"No, but please tell me he was at least sort of a gentleman and rolled with it? See, I don't know all that medical side of things, not in much detail, but if he doesn't eat, won't they start feeding him artificially? Won't it lead to more surgery to make sure his gut is working? This is the part I don't understand. If it is so important he eats, why not give the poor dude something he doesn't mind putting in his mouth? There's nothing worse than when you're feeling a bit shitty to be faced with eating something you're not keen on. The guy is dealing with the fact he has given up a kidney, his brother has cancer, he has a huge wound in his stomach, he nearly died on the operating table. Give the poor dude ice cream for every meal if he wants it." Drew snorted and shook his head. "But I'm an alternative therapist. Most doctors think I just talk out my ass anyway. It's about happiness too, though. Why feed the depression? It makes no sense. He's grieving for something. He knows nothing is going to be the same now. I've heard about the transplant thing, though. Psychologically, the person does have a sensation they are missing part of them."

Serena put down her burger again as she hid her face in her hands and shook her head. "Nope. Well, to start with he did but once he put the salmon in his mouth it was all over. See, I have a fear of lobsters, but he has a severe hatred of salmon. And I cooked it! I was supposed to be making him this awesome romantic dinner, and I picked the one stupid thing he hated. Still, at least he didn't break up with me over it, or anything. And we can kind of laugh about it now. I guess the doctors just assume that anything that's not solid is a good move. Plus it's a hospital. They're supposed to provide a balanced diet... Still, I'm about this far from going in there and demanding they give him ice cream all the time. He even seemed to prefer the yoghurt." She reached over across the table to hold his hand. "Hey, hey... Don't talk like that. I know you don't talk out of your ass. You're amazing. You do actually know what's better for people from a therapeutic sense. Doctors will still always be thinking about the body parts, and dieticians are only thinking about what might get his stomach pumping. Do you think he'll be okay?"

Drew laughed. "How were you supposed to know he hated it if he hadn't said? I'm sure he doesn't hold it against you. It's all part of the process of getting to know someone. The good, the bad, and the ugly. It would be boring if it was all perfect all the time. It would be like having sex in the one same boring position for the rest of your life." He thought on the situation for a moment and then pointed. "You know what everyone's biggest mistake is here? Not necessarily yours, just everyone else's? They are forgetting he is a doctor. He knows he isn't going to spontaneously combust if he doesn't eat the porridge. He's a surgeon, he knows what it takes to get a gut working after gut surgery. It's frustrating him being a patient, when really they should just be letting him deal with this side of things himself. Let the specialists hold the reigns on the transplant and the stabbed aorta and the blood loss, but with his own gut and his own food, give him a bit more damn control. Just because he's sick, doesn't mean he's useless. No wonder he's depressed. You have to admit, he's already perked up a bit sharing a room with his brother. It's the little things that will get him through this. Three months down the track, no one is going to be saying 'Hey, that porridge really saved his life'."

Serena lifted her head up as she started to laugh and shrugged. "I don't know! But I just felt so awful when I realised. I found some leftovers after that he could eat instead. And hey, there's nothing wrong with having sex in the not boring same position for the rest of your life, so maybe there's still something to be said for people dating to at least say straight up that they will never ever eat blah. And then you don't have to worry about accidentally cooking them blah and turning them off for life. That's all I'm saying." She tilted her head as she considered her brother quietly before gesturing at him with a fry. "You know what? You might actually be onto something there. I wonder just how much I can utilise my Alpha Team rep to make that happen. Or maybe I should ask Proctor to organise it. I mean, he is the head of the team. They'd have to listen to him. See? You're not just a pretty face."

"And now you're just wishing something like leftovers were a quick fix all over again. I know none of this is easy for you, sis. Far from it. He's been seriously ill, and he's having a rough time. You want to fix that for him, but you know you can't right now. It'll get better. He will get better. He needs time." Drew smiled at her and then it turned into a smirk. "Maybe he should have said straight up, but you don't think he was just totally distracted by you and the whole freshness of the relationship for him to stop and think, hey, better tell her I hate salmon? Of course he's not thinking about that. Without that, you would never have the salmon story to talk about, tell your kids. And of course I'm not just a pretty face. Your other half, you can tell when something is bothering him. He mocks it, pulls the piss. Like the nurse that tried to feed him. What a kick to the nads. Sure, he couldn't exactly get the food into him without help, but at least let him be able to stop and say that. He's a lad, we like a bit more control on the ego, you know?"

"I can't help it," Serena replied helplessly before she bit down on her fry. "I see him hurting and I just want nothing more than to be able to take the pain away. Why wouldn't I? Seeing him so frustrated, so stuck... He can't even feel sexy. And I know that's kind of stating the obvious but he's Dr C and he's all about sex. Well, not just sex, but you see my point don't you? This is the most vulnerable he could ever be, and he doesn't feel like there's even anything he can do to protect himself just a little bit. Maybe that's another reason for him to have been put in Rick's room. At least this way his big brother's there."

Drew nodded. "Yes, I see the point. And the reason he is feeling like that is because he doesn't feel like he has any control over his own care, which he really should. The only time he probably had hope of that was when Dave was his proxy, but Dave was only there because Chris was unconscious. But he had someone who cared about all aspects, not just the clinical. You're a doctor, Dave's a doctor, and isn't Aimee technically officially one of his doctors anyway? Get together, gang up on the bastards. Get the catheter out, let him put his own clothes on. I even heard his Mom trying to ask one of the nurses about that. She's worried Chris will feel worse knowing Rick's in his own clothes and he's still stuck in a hospital gown. There's nothing going on for him right now that feels normal."

Serena had opened her mouth to reply before she stopped and fell quiet for a moment. "He feels like he's already lost Dave. Apparently he was trying to tell Chris something when Chris lapsed with the bleed, and now Dave's just not trying again. I think Chris is just in a serious funk right now, and you know what? Ganging up on the doctors sounds like a really good idea right now. I want that catheter out of him more than anything. Just like I want him out and home. I just know it'll take a little more time. At least his mom's still here. I was worried she was literally going to disappear the moment he was awake."

It was Drew's turn to nearly say something and then he hesitated. "I might know what that is. I was talking to Aimee and she mentioned something in passing," he admitted. "Dave's apparently all good at being the cool collected dude, but he's having some issues himself. Just, I would think they would be things he's thinking Chris doesn't need to bother with right now. But yeah, definitely what you would think you sould confide in your BFF about. I don't think it's something Dave would freely talk to his sister about. No offense, sisters are awesome, but this is... a different level. So, get the cath out and sit with him until he pees. He might appreciate the moral support. You're about the only one he can get that from without needing to be embarrassed. Hey, Mrs D is cool. She just thinks she's not needed, that's all. We bonded over Bono," he explain with a smirk. "U2 for the win."

Serena leaned forward when her brother hesitated, ready to pry it out of him if she needed to but then she slumped. "Crap. Double, triple crap. Now Chris just thinks Dave will never talk to him, and I don't know how to make Dave talk to him. It's not like I can really guarantee that everything will be peachy keen and nothing will happen, is it? I thought the op would go fine, and Chris flatlined. He might not be getting embarrassed but I keep feeling like he might be feeling emasculated or something. What if he doesn't feel like he wears the pants anymore?" Serena's eyebrows went up. "Of course she's needed! Why wouldn't she be? Nice. Trust you to find a band to bond over."

"Dave's having... intimacy issues... for lack of any other subtle way to say it. From the chemo. Not just a whole not sure he can have kids things. Like, intimacy intimacy issues. So, it would explain why he wanted to talk to his best mate about it. It's not really something you want to bring up with anyone random, is it? I can't see Dave sitting and having a heart-to-heart with Proctor about it, even if the dude would have some cool phallus metaphors, no doubt." Drew looked at her in amusement. "Doesn't wear the pants? It's not that. That's not him. He doesn't need to feel masuline, he needs to feel less weak, like there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Hey, I'm all about the music, and she doesn't feel wanted because she hasn't been wanted. Up until now, C and the Big R haven't really needed her so much. They've all been off having their own lives, so she just let them at it."

"Oh. Ohhhhh!" Serena said as her eyes went a little wide. "But that doesn't matter. Aimee doesn't care about that. She told me about that stuff. She knows that kids might not be a thing in the future." She frowned a little as she looked at her brother and then down at her burger. "I thought they'd talked about it, but maybe they haven't. Maybe they've been dancing around it this whole time. But I was sure... Oh, crap. Dave needs to get in to see Chris. We've got to pull it off somehow." She gave him a shrug and a sheepish smile. "I didn't know how else to say it! I just want him to get that light. Well, she's needed. She should stick around. They'll all be better for it."

Drew shook his head and held up his hand. "It goes above and beyond a girlfriend understanding thing. It's a cock not working, and that's a huge damn thing for a dude. Trust me, it is. It's like the ultimate failure. And Dave might be all zen and chilled externally about being a cancer survivor, all happy he has his life and that, but I can guarantee that now he has Aimee and things are getting serious, this will be bothering him. It can't not be. Satisfying your chick and making love to her is the ultimate. Maybe he just needed to offload onto his best mate. And look, every time he tries that, something happens and it goes ass up. No wonder he's hesitant. Come on, it's easier said than done just saying she should be here, end of story. Don't forget that your other half and his brother didn't bother telling her her eldest had cancer."

Serena reached for her thickshake and started to suck on it as she watched her brother and contemplated what he was saying. She wasn't underestimating how important it was for a guy to be able to make love to his girl, but she also knew she wasn't underestimating the fact that Aimee did understand. Still, a boy and his ego were never to be trifled with. "Then we really do just need to make sure that Dave and Chris get a chance for some guy talk with no possible interruptions. Chris really should be safe this time from any sort of medical emergency. Well, bar a sudden urge to use the toilet. But even then, I guess Dave could help him with that. Or is that one step too far on the BFF mate chain? I know, I know... I haven't forgotten. She didn't even know about me. It's still something that needs to come from them."

"Nah, there is nothing that is a step too far on the BFF mate chain. Dave and Chris went to college together. They've probably seen each other piss and more. There would have been nursing through hangovers, depression over girls, more than puke tests. I'm telling you. The BFF chain is unbreakable. Unless one of you fuck the other's girlfriend or an ex-girlfriend. That's the no-go on the BFF code. Dave already agreed to call life-depending shots as C's proxy, he'll help him pee if he needs it. Which is just why this is kind of a sucky situation. Dave's worried he's a jinx, C is upset that Dave isn't talking to him. There needs to be intervention," Drew insisted knowingly. "And Rick will be going home soon, too. That's going to sting for Chris. He'll be in a room alone again. Of course it's something that needs to come from them. But look at the world through her eyes for a moment, and it really had to have stung. I guess it's something none of us would really understand without being parents."

"Which is what I've been saying. We have to get Dave in a room with Chris and make sure they actually talk. They can't lose their friendship. Not now. I mean, I know they might not stop being friends, but if Dave just feels like he can never talk to Chris properly then what's going to happen? The BFF code and chain and whatever might be strong, but will it really survive? Dave's not a jinx. Of course he's not a jinx, but now Chris is worried he's the jinx." Serena started to play with the edge of her burger wrapper as her appetite got zapped now she was worrying about Chris and Dave. She made a mental note to have a word with Aimee, see if maybe they couldn't lock the two BFFs in a room somewhere together. "They can't lose their mom. Not now."

"They're not going to lose their mom. Jesus, drama queen much? She's here, isn't she? They're still her kids, she still loves them endlessly and unconditionally. She's just hurting. She probably doesn't completely understand why they've been keeping their distance, probably wondering what she did wrong as a mom to have things come to this, but they aren't going to lose her," Drew insisted, pointing for emphasis. "As for Dave and C... you can lock them in a room all you like, but it still might not change anything. That's not going to automatically make Dave start talking about his dodgy willy. That takes building up to, confidence to actually bring it up in conversation. Just like when he had to tell Chris about his own cancer."

Serena rest her head in her hand as she looked at her brother. "So what do we do?"

"I dunno," Drew snorted. "You're the one dating him. You know him better than I do. I could talk to Dave. If you think it would help. I don't think it will do much good me talking to Chris. He doesn't need me giving him a lecture. Beyond singing a Queen duet with him, my sort of therapy isn't what he needs."

Serena raised her eyebrows. "You and Chris sang a duet together? Or you would sing a duet with him? You know he plays guitar, right? Maybe he does need your sort of therapy. Okay, I'll tackle Chris and you take Dave."

"More like I sung to him when he was in pain and asked me to distract him. So I asked him what he wanted me to sing, and he picked Queen. 'I Want It All'. Poignant. I got a feeling he picked it for a reason, but anyway, I still don't think I'm the one to help your other half. But sure, I'll have a chat to Dave. All he might need is just someone to bitch to. Sometimes, that's all it takes to help when things are going shitty." Drew shrugged, pulling his lips to the side in thought. "He's doing okay at work, right? Didn't you mention something about being given a hard time for not being Chris? Which you aren't going to know because you're not at work. Crap."

She shrugged as she felt suddenly very unhelpful. "I think he's still working hard. He'd have to be. There's no Dr C, no me and Eva's still looking to leave. She's probably waiting for one of us to come back off leave. Dave's gotta be feeling under pressure. Plus he did have the whole not being Dr C bullshit. Which is bullshit. He's still an awesome surgeon in his own right. He just needs to feel... appreciated."

Drew was frowning in thought now. "What if it's not the dodgy cock he has to talk to C about? Don't cancer people have to be really careful to take care of themself in their recovery, and you've gotta admit, he's spreading himself thin to help Chris. Taking his spot on the team, being his medical proxy..." He rubbed his fingers across his jaw, realising he needed a shave. "Then he has really just been stepping back to let others be there to take care of Chris. You, Rick... it's just, I don't know. I feel sorry for the guy."

Serena sucked on her bottom lip as she nodded slowly. "Me too. Of course I do. And now I just feel like the biggest selfish bitch for wanting as much time with Chris as I could get, but I would never purposefully step on Dave's toes. It's the last thing I want."

"The only problem there, is neither would Dave. He doesn't want to step on anyone's toes, so he's stepping right back. And I think he's doing it for Rick," Drew finally deduced, connected the dots.

It took a moment for Serena's brain to catch up before the dots connected for her as well. "Oh no... Shit. He's stepping back because he thinks Chris might not need him as much, might have been using him as some kinda pseudo big brother."

Drew nodded, pressing his lips together, but then shook his head. "No, no. I don't think Dave would have thought Chris was using him. They're too tight. He's just trying to step back to give Rick the room he needs to be Chris' big brother."

"But that doesn't mean he still can't talk to Chris about BFF stuff. Right? Brother code, and BFF code should have some kind of overlapping code where that's allowed," Serena argued.

"I dunno. Chris has been going through a lot. The whole breaching the brother gap has been high on the menu. Dave stepped up when he needed to, but I don't think he's going to get in the way of any of that. At least, that's how I would be thinking if it was my best mate. But seriously, he's been scarce since Chris was moved from the ICU. I've hardly seen him. But he was here every day when Chris was unconscious. I think he's just stepping back to let everyone else do what they need to," Drew said. "And I'm only a bystander looking in."

Serena nodded as she poked at her burger before she picked it up for another bite. Appetite or not, she needed to get back into the habit of eating again. No more meal skipping. "Maybe it's just everyone else's turn to step back to let Dave in. Also, for the record, I'm just really glad you are here to be a bystander. I couldn't imagine trying to get through any of this without my big brother."

"Maybe. But I still say that won't make Dave come to the party. I have no idea how I am going to convince him to, either. I mean, I only know the guy from what you guys introduced to me, and bits and pieces Chris has said in passing about their friendship. But I'll give it a shot. You still have to tackle Chris about it, though. Maybe even ask Rick's opinion. Keep him involved so he doesn't feel like we're trying to shaft him and make out he's failing Chris," Drew advised with a nod.

"I'll tackle both brothers while Rick's still here. Might as well make use of the fact they're still sharing a room." Serena pushed her fries towards Drew as she raised her eyebrows. "Are you still not going to eat anything? I'm a doctor, you know. Food helps your body keep going. Frying it just makes it taste better."

Drew gave a shrug. "Just don't discount the fact you might piss Chris off, if he is touchy lately. And no, I'm not hungry. I still have vivid images of blood dripping onto white sheets and it will keep me going most of the day."

Serena fell quiet, not really sure how she was actually supposed to broach the topic without pissing Chris off. Maybe not so much because he was touchy lately, but maybe just because she was about to overstep the girlfriend boundaries by interfering.