RP LOG with randybyname | Chance encounter
[Follows THIS and THIS]
Randy really didn't expect that dropping into Princeton Plainsboro to see Peter and bring him something for dinner to see him through the long shift would explode in a shocking mess the way it did. Of course, she was only peripheral to it all, but that didn't make it any less horrifying. She had been standing there at the nurses' station holding a bag of takeout and waiting for the receptionist to find out where Peter had gotten to when everything seemed to blow up around her. It was subdued one minute, as she stood there watching a mother nursing a baby in her arms in the corridor, and the next nursing and doctors were rushing around, shouting something about casualties from a car crash on the freeway. Someone else was shouting about prepping an OR, and the next thing Randy knew, a team of paramedics came rushing down the hall wheeling a gurney that contained a man covered in blood. Nurses seemed to appear from nowhere - Peter included - and a doctor that looked familiar to Randy started barking orders at everyone. The only thing was, as soon as the guy saw the patient, he balked and the shouting faltered. Randy realised then that this wasn't just any casualty and the familiar faces weren't a coincidence. This was a sector of the bunch from The London, and the patient was one of their own.
All Randy could do was just stand rooted to the floor and watch with morbid curiosity, her mouth hanging open slightly. She had never witnessed anything like this in her life, and she worried that if she did move, she would get in the way. But then a second ambulance arrived with a second patient. This guy was covered in blood too, but he was wrapped in one of those silver blankets for shock. At least she knew that much. His neck was in a brace and one of the female paramedics was holding his hand as he was wheeled in a completely different direction to the other guy. The ER went from a quiet night to utter chaos, and Randy realised Peter might not even make it home at his usual knock off time.
But it wasn't over. Just when she thought it couldn't get anymore distressing, Matt came rushing up the hallway with his ex-covert lay right behind him. Both were in scrubs with surgical masks hanging around their throats and they started having an intense conversation with more people in scrubs that Randy couldn't hear, lots of hand gestures seeming to emphasise whatever was being discussed. It was only then that Matt actually spotted Randy, doing a double take when he realised his little sister was there and what she was witnessing. Some words passed between him and his ex-covert-lay-boss-lady-person, who looked basically like she was close to tears but trying to hold it together. Matt bounded over to where Randy was standing, dumbfounded, and caught his hand in the crook of her elbow. "Randy, go home. Peter's not gonna be able to get dinner with you. The patients brought in, it's my boss and his husband. They were in a really bad crash out on the freeway. Just go home, okay? Go to Mel. It's gonna be a long night. We're about to go into surgery with Aiden."
"Aiden? Who's Aiden? You have to go in there? But he's all... there's blood... is he alive? What surgery?" Randy started to ramble automatically, still holding the takeout bag helplessly.
Matt was already leading her to the ER exit. "Aiden's my boss' husband. I can't tell you what surgery. It's a privacy thing. He's alive but he won't stay that way without the emergency surgery. I've got to go, sis." Matt gave her cheek a brief kiss and pointed to the door. "Go to Mel." And then he was gone again, disappearing back through the heavy double doors of the ER that swung closed behind him.
Randy just blinked, finding herself in an oddly quiet corridor with a connecting waiting room, a surreal contrast to the environment she just left. It was some sort of clinic or something, but out of hours, and it was shut up for the night. She looked down at the bag in her hands, realising after witnessing all that blood, she had no appetite. In fact, she was feeling quite nauseated. She put a hand over her mouth and dumped the untouched food into the nearby trash can. She was really supposed to just go home? It wasn't that she personally knew the people who had been injured, but she sort of felt like she did. It was Matt's boss. She backed up a bit, wondering if she should just follow Matt's orders. Normally she would, he was her big brother afterall. But part of her wanted to just stick around for a bit to make sure Peter was okay. It couldn't be easy when someone you knew or a colleague rocked up as a patient seriously hurt. Then there was Matty. He had to be in a surgery for his boss' husband? What if the guy didn't live? How did you deal with something like that?
She didn't go home. She didn't go to Mel. Instead, she sat down in the deserted waiting room and just... waited. She didn't know how long she waited, and deep down, she knew she wasn't really expecting anyone to come out and let her know what was going on. Peter didn't even know she was there, and as far as Matt was concerned, she had gone home. After awhile, though, she gave up and started to head towards the hospital exit. She was lost in her own thoughts, unsure of why this all was making her gut churn. Maybe because she had heard Matt mention his boss a lot, that the guy didn't have much of the world's luck on his side. It was just natural for Randy to be affected by this, it was an automatic instinct to want to try and help in some way.
Distracted by her swirl of thoughts, Randy wasn't watching where she was going. She followed the now familiar trail towards the exit, having taken it often after meeting Peter for breaks since they started dating. Staff and visitors were littering the halls and she rounded the corner towards the main entrance and promptly slammed into someone hurrying in the direction that she had just come from. She was going to lose her balance, and could feel herself falling, but some strong arms caught her around the shoulders to prevent it. She squeaked in surprised and before she had a chance to even swear in shock, she looked up and realised just who it was she nearly bowled over.
Lachlan Campbell. The Scottish doctor she had been secretly hoping to talk to for some mentoring for... longer than she could remember. She never intended to act like a fangirl when she immediately blushed a deep red and floundered, mouth opening and closing. It was so fucking wrong to be awed by someone for the pure reason he had been shot in a high profile case. But it wasn't that! That was a small part of it. She was way more awed by how well he had managed to get his life back on track, and that he was studying psychology himself. There was also the fact he had a reputation for being extremely wise and she had wanted to pick his brain for her own studies. But every time she had tried to pluck up the courage to get in touch wih him, she had chickened out. Now here he was and she was acting like a dipstick.
"You alright there, lassie?" Lachlan immediately asked, his hands still on her arms to make sure she wouldn't fall anyway. "I'm really sorry. I shouldnae have been rushing like that, nay in this place. You cannae see around the corners and isnae any doubt that someone will be there when you arenae watching where you're going." He was breathless, worry and slight hint of panic edging his tone. Once he knew she was back on her feet, he let go, holding his hands up apologetically. "Easy to be distracted when you have family in this place, though."
Randy didn't think, and she was going to blame the pregnancy she didn't know that was yet. She had been deluded and playing ostriches, burying her head in the sand about the whole thing. She still hadn't taken a test and for the moment, she had convinced herself she wasn't going to either. This from a person training to be a psychologist. May as well waltz completely down the Idiot Road, right? "I know who you are!" she blurted out and then put her fingers up to her lips like they had just betrayed her. "I mean... I'm sorry. I don't mean to sound like a stalk-" Oh shit. he had been shot by a stalker. She was completely fucking this up. "Crazy nutjob?" she ended meekly. "I just... I... I've lived here my whole life, and I-I know... all the stuff. But I'm studying to be a psychologist, and I heard you were doing the same, and I was hoping I could maybe talk to you one day, but I was always too chicken shit, because I hear that you're really quite awesome, and I was slightly intimidated. Okay, a lot intimidated. I've seen your band at The London, and I figured I would just come across as a crazy fangirl stalk- I'm not going to use that word. But I still am, and I know I'm not doing myself any favours here right now and I wouldn't blame you if you called security and had me strip searched. It would be nice to skip that step though because I'm wearing my Bridget Jones undies, even if Nana always warned me to always have nice underwear one." She abruptly snapped her mouth shut, and just looked up at him with wide-eyed apology.
Lachlan wasn't sure he actually had the mental capacity or frame of mind to deal with this right now. He would be lying if he didn't admit it was confronting... and only a stone's throw away from where he really did actually get shot. He had taken a step away from her amidst the ramble, but it was a subconscious reaction, as was folding his arms across his chest. His own eyes were wide as he just looked at her for a few long moments. She reminded him a little of Tara in the very early days of their relationship. Not stalker material, just anxious. "Sorry... I just... wow," he began and cleared his throat, regaining his composure. "It's okay. Dinnae be getting a complex or anything. I just..." He gestured towards the elevators. "Come with me. We can have a wee chat. I just cannae do it here. I have a family member in surgery, so I need to be up there right now. Just chill a wee bit, aye? You arenae going to get too far in your career if you go at a patient like a smack in the face," he said with a small laugh, already heading towards the elevators. Of course he wanted to help her out, even if he was making sure the security cameras were working and aimed in the right direction. He just needed to get to the Surgical waiting room in case Aiden had any complications with the surgery. He was still reeling from hearing what had happened. He had come from Pat's ICU room, his best friend sedated so the shock didn't tax further on his system. He had promised Pat right before he was put out though that he would make sure Aiden was taken care of. Now it was just a matter of waiting, and Lachlan had only left Pat when Cameron was brought to his room, Pat's twin looking white from his own shock. He had pretty much told his doctor's to go fuck themselves in regards to his knee. He was going to sit with his twin whether they liked it or not.
Randy gave a slight nod and followed him without question. Now it was just awkward as she shut up and fell into silence. She was just stunned he really hadn't called security and had her immediately removed from his presence. She really wouldn't have blamed him if he did. She would have her removed if she approached her like a smack in the face, as he put it. That really had been a good metaphor. But then, of course, her mind found some rationality when she put the pieces together to remember Matt's boss was Lachlan's best friend and she noticed now how ragged he looked, perhaps like he had been woken with the news his best friend had been in a car accident. Once they were in the elevator, she figured it was safe to speak again. "I'm sorry for back there. Temporary insanity. I... my boyfriend works in the ER. I was there when I think your family member was brought in, and my brother is a Surgical nurse here. Nurse Preston is his boss. Not that any of that makes me less a dork, but it's partially how I know who you are... and stuff." She cleared her throat and looked up at the numbers above the door.
"Dinnae worry about it, really. I understand. I just dinnae take unexpected onslaughts so well these days. I promise, I'm nay pissed, just distracted." Lachlan scratched the back of his head. He knew he was looking a bit like an unmade bed. The truth was, he had been woken by the phone call of Pat and Aiden's accident. He had been up all night the night before with RJ, whose blood sugar levels had been up and down, causing him to be grizzly and unsettled. It meant he had tried for an early bed that evening while Tara had bathed their son and got him ready for bed. But it wasn't meant to be. Riley had called, having been on shift when Pat and Aiden were brought in. Aiden had a shard of glass stuck in his throat and it was killing him. He had lost a lot of blood, and was going to need surgery to remove the glass and a blood transfusion. Pat, who had been driving, had kept Aiden alive until the paramedics could pull them from the wreckage, but he wasn't in any condition yet to talk about what happened. For now, everyone could only assume it was a freak accident.
The elevator reached their floor and he stood aside when the doors open, letting her go out first. He hadn't even thought to ask her name, even if she did know his. It was confronting for him at any time to find him suddenly face the subject of his shooting. He was dealing with it better these days, but this sort of thing still threw him off guard. Along with everything else, his head felt a little like it was spinning. As expected, he found Tara in the waiting room, pacing back and forth with a sleeping Riley nursed in her arms. He shared some brief words with his wife and then gave her a soft kiss. She was going to head down to make sure Cameron was okay with Pat while Lachlan took vigil for Aiden's surgery. She passed their son over into his arms, both deciding it was less chaotic here for him to stay asleep, and then after another kiss, Tara stroking his cheek soothingly, she headed to the elevators herself. His arms wrapped protectively around his sleep baby son, Lachlan kicked the baby buggy over towards the nearest seats and carefully sat down as he kissed the top of Riley's head. He glanced up at the woman with a tired smile. "So, you're studying to be a psychologist. A lot of work, that." He indulged in letting out a heavy sigh, his eyes moving to glance around the room. The wait was never easy.
The scene between husband and wife hadn't been lost on Randy. In fact, she had been mesmirized by it. She had never considered herself the marrying sort much, but now... maybe she was? They certainly made it look nice, even in the face of adversity. She subconsciously rubbed her hand over her stomach, not even realising she was doing it. Then her eyes had locked on the little blond baby in his arms, nestled contently in dad's arms. He had hardly stirred when he had changed hands. He was beautiful, and no doubt about the fact the man holding him was his daddy. They looked very much alike, and she felt her heart skip a beat of anticipation. Would her kid look like her? Or would they look like Peter? Not that she was pregnant. She swallowed and wet her lips. She couldn't miss the heavy sigh. "Do you... want to talk about it?"
Lachlan smirked faintly at her. "Good start there. Much better than the verbal face slap." But he shook his head. "Nay right just yet. That isnae anything against your psychologist skills. I'm just tired, and it's hard to know how to feel this soon after receiving a shock. Still feeling a wee bit numb. You're right, Pat's my best friend. His husband is in surgery. They were in a bad car accident, but we dinnae know the ins and outs of it yet. Pat isnae in any condition yet to give us info. He was driving, Aiden was the passenger. The window beside him smashed on impact and he's got a severe laceration to his throat fro a large piece of broken glass. They need to remove it, probably do some plastic surgery to take care of any potential bad scarring. It's a danger because he lost a lot of blood..." He felt a shiver creep over his skin. It was impossible for his mind not to return to his own experience with all this. "But the doctors and surgeons here are top class. He's in good hands. I would... trust them with my life. Have done... a few times."
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Randy asked helplessly, wringing her hands in front of her. "I mean, now? It must be really hard, and you have little boy to take care of. This is stupid. You have other things to worry about and I'm just being a pest."
"No, you arenae. Times like this, distractions are welcome. Aye, we could do this over a coffee some days... but I wouldnae, you know," Lachlan had to reveal to her. He started rubbing Riley's back softly and made sure his Elmo blankie was wrapped warmly around him. "I would run you around in circles with the conversation, leading it back to you so I wouldnae have to talk about my own experiences. I didnae profess to be innocent, even if I've had bad times. If I dinnae want to talk, I dinnae. When are you due?"
Randy nearly fell out of her chair, her mouth dropping open as she gaped at him. No one fucking told her he was psychic! What was with all these dudes around her with superpowers? She didn't want anyone reading her mind! She didn't even want to read her mind these days. "I-I-I-," she stammered and gave her head a tiny shake. "I'm not.. I... it's..." She floundered, waving her hand.
"Dinnae be getting a complex on me. I saw you rubbing your belly a wee minute ago. Subconscious actions, you see it a lot in pregnant lassies, especially when you're a doctor. Lots to be said in maternal instinct. Just thought I'd take a stab in the dark. I figured you wouldnae belt me in the face while I was nursing my bairn," Lachlan explained in amusement. "I take it isnae planned then? Dinnae mind, though. This wee one wasnae, either. Didnae know we could plan, see. Willnae go all pro-life on you, but isnae any other life experience will ever touch that of becoming a parent. Wee tiny people, they take over your whole world and make your heart want to burst out of your chest when they smile at you."
Randy's shoulders slumped. Thank god he couldn't read her mind. That would be embarrassing. He didn't need to know that she was wondering why Scotmans didn't like underpants. "It's just a matter of timing and choices..." But then she scrunched her nose up a little and pointed at him. "I see what you did there. Does this mean you don't want to talk?"
Lachlan smirked, holding her gaze. "It means you're the psychologist here. You ask the questions. Bearing in mind, you arenae always going to get cooperative patients. In fact, more often than not, you willnae. Isnae their fault, a lot of people just dinnae know how to really talk. It's a concept thrown around loosely, but often never achieves much at all. I only learned that when it came time for me to try and evaluate my own subconscious. I realised I couldnae do it, ended up panicking every time I tried because I was fearful of what was locked away in there."
Randy was nervous. Had he just given her open season on asking him anything? Or was he telling her he was basically not going to tell her a thing? All the theory and study, she felt a little like she really was suddenly thrust into dealing with her first patient, even if he wasn't. And he really did have this whole Yoda thing going on. She realised she couldn't really read him at all, yet he had this presence, like she really wanted to spill her guts to him and offload her own worries of late. She liked him, and was starting to mentally smack herself for not approaching him sooner. He could have really assisted her with her studies. "Does sitting here, waiting, make you think how your wife felt the time you were hurt and being operated on to save your life," she heard falling from her mouth. Maybe it was going below the belt too quickly, but he had opened the book for her.
"Aye," Lachlan replied quietly without hesitation. "But I cannae ever possibly know how she felt. Nay completely. She talks about it, tries to explain, but there was many different things at play that night. Wasnae just me getting shot. Emotions from prior events, fears of the future, uncertainty. Isnae anyone ever going to know how she felt that night but her. Same as there isnae anyone who is going to understand how I felt in the wake of it. Nay completely. That's a lot of the reason why I chose to study psychology myself. To try and help people who are going through that. As you know, psychology isnae the blacks and whites of a situation, it's the grey areas. The emotions and feelings."
"How about tit for tat?" Randy suggested, finding herself watching the sleeping baby again. He looked so small, so... reliant on everything his mum and dad did. It was unnerving, but she shoved that train of thought away so she wouldn't have to linger on it. The only person she had told was Peter, and even then, he still hadn't been able to convince her to take a pregnancy test. If Lachlan had picked up on it, she was worried about who else might be able to. "I sort of understand how all this feels, only I was young when I experienced it. Early years of high school, and I don't think it would have been on the same level. My brother got messed up in drugs for a short period. He's two years older than me... us... I'm a twin, like Patrick. But, um, yeah. Matty fell in with the wrong crowd, he really changed for a bit there and scared us. Turns out our fears were well-founded. He ended up taking a bad hit of E at a rave one night. He was only sixteen, we were fourteen. It caused him to have a heart attack, he stopped breathing, spent two weeks on life support..." She trailed off, looking at a poster for a nurses union on the wall across from them, her nose scrunching up just a little to try and prevent herself from crying. They really had thought Matt would die. "So, I understand a little bit."
Lachlan nodded, watching her face closely. "More than a wee bit, love." He carefully moved to nurse Riley in one arm, receiving a small snuffle of protest at being disturbed before the baby boy just nuzzled his face in against Lachlan's shoulder and slept on. He held his hand out to her. "I'm Lachlan, by the way. Thought I better introduce myself officially. Havenae ever managed to get used to the title of 'The Scottish bloke who got shot'. I'm sorry you had to experience something like that so young. But I know your brother through Patto, and I havenae any doubt he got his life back on track after it. Still, isnae something I would wish on any family. But it's that empathy right there that you'll be able to draw on to make you a good therapist. There's only so much you can learn from textbooks. And tit for tat... well..." He paused for a moment, thinking what he could offer in return. "Our wee lad here, he's the only one will have. Didnae even think we could have him, but it was one of those unusual medical things. He's our wee miracle. But I cannae have anymore. I had a lot of damage from complications after the shooting. Lots of surgeries. When doctors are trying to save your life, sometimes they cannae help making errors, needing to sacrifice something else to keep you alive. That's what happened. About a year ago, nay too long after Riley was born, my wife got drunk. She's Irish, see. Like to have a drink on St Paddy's Day. She got so drunk, lost her inhibitions, ended up telling me she wanted to have another baby with me. It was a hard thing to swallow after she had been telling me she was okay with just the one. Drink can pull out the deepest, darkest secrets. It hurt. Brought up a lot of guilt I had battled after the shooting."
Randy was listening intently, watching the little flickers of emotions across his face. She had taken his hand and shaken it, but when he stopped talking, she realised she still had a hold of it and released it. "Randy. Uh, Miranda... but I prefer Randy. Sounds less like a stripper's name. Miranda Rose. I have no idea what the hell my parents were thinking." But she dismissed discussion about her name with a tiny wave of her fingers as she held his gaze. "I can't even imagine how that would have felt for you. Does she... is she... I mean, you guys look amazing together. Like, pin ups for us relationship cynics. How did you get over something like that? It must've made you feel like you were failing her all over again."
Lachlan felt tears prick his eyes, but he managed to blink them back, biting on his lips for a moment. "Oh aye. Like you wouldnae believe. I dinnae think that's anything I will ever really get over, though. Sometimes things happen to us that shape us, but they also scar us. Become things we just live with and mould ourselves around. Tara's an amazing mummy. One of the best to walk the earth. One of the best wives, too. She and the bairn are my life. She gave me herself and she gave me him, just when I wasnae sure I wanted to hang on anymore. I had a lot to deal with after everything that happened, physically and mentally. I got to a point where I was just so tired. Too tired. But she held me up through it, gave me a reason to live and keep going. I wanted to give her the world, but I suddenly felt like I couldnae even give her this one thing she wanted the most deep down. Another bairn. I would have given anything to have another with her. Making this wee lad is the best thing I ever did in my life. I got engulfed by that sense of uselessness again. But she was drunk, and I couldnae blame her. We talked about it, talked a lot. She beared her soul to be all over again and truth was, she did want another baby and so did I, but that doesnae mean it was going to happen, or that she blamed me for it. Again, it was just one of those things in life. We were blessed with Riley, and we're just lucky to even have him. Some people cannae even have one..." He closed his eyes tiredly, wetting his lips as his breath left him in a rush. Thoughts of Pat and Aiden came flooding back to him and he felt drained.
Randy wanted to hug him as she felt the little spark that had been maintained in him slipped away. But she wasn't sure it was appropriate, considering she just met him. She had lots of things she wanted to say and ask, but maybe now that he was receptive, she could talk to him again some more over time. She felt a surge of emotion push up inside her and tears welled up, spilling over her cheeks. She gave a slight laugh and brushed them away in embarrassment, clearing her throat. "Sorry. I seem to do that a lot lately. I just... even simply hearing about that is... you awe me. What you survived and got through, I really, really admire you. And I mean that in a completely non-stalker fangirl way. More of a fellow psychology student admiration. I can see how hard this is for you to talk about, and I just wanted you to know I appreciate it. But maybe I can just sit here in silence, keep you company until you get some news on your friend? I-I really don't have any place else to be. Truth is, I could use the distraction too..." she admitted in a mumble, folding her hands in front of her and burying them between her knees.
Lachlan nodded and threw her a tiny smile. "Aye. Cheers. I'd really like that. And it's nice to meet you, Randy. If it's any consolation, before I got hurt, I'd gone through pregnancy scares myself, in a couple of difference scenarios, both leaps and bounds different to each other. If you ever need someone to talk to, you're always welcome to give me a call. I cannae promise you will nay get swept up in some chaos or another, but our life isnane ever quiet. Talking things out, though, might help a wee bit."
Randy was still stunned. All this going on, and he still had the heart to offer her help. "I might take you up on that," she told him with her own hint of a smile. "Are you going to charge me for your services, doctor?" she added jokingly.
"Ach, I wouldane ever do that," Lachlan returned with a tired smirk. "But I might hit you up for some babysitting hours."
- All muses mentioned here used/referenced with permission
Word Count | 5,281
Randy really didn't expect that dropping into Princeton Plainsboro to see Peter and bring him something for dinner to see him through the long shift would explode in a shocking mess the way it did. Of course, she was only peripheral to it all, but that didn't make it any less horrifying. She had been standing there at the nurses' station holding a bag of takeout and waiting for the receptionist to find out where Peter had gotten to when everything seemed to blow up around her. It was subdued one minute, as she stood there watching a mother nursing a baby in her arms in the corridor, and the next nursing and doctors were rushing around, shouting something about casualties from a car crash on the freeway. Someone else was shouting about prepping an OR, and the next thing Randy knew, a team of paramedics came rushing down the hall wheeling a gurney that contained a man covered in blood. Nurses seemed to appear from nowhere - Peter included - and a doctor that looked familiar to Randy started barking orders at everyone. The only thing was, as soon as the guy saw the patient, he balked and the shouting faltered. Randy realised then that this wasn't just any casualty and the familiar faces weren't a coincidence. This was a sector of the bunch from The London, and the patient was one of their own.
All Randy could do was just stand rooted to the floor and watch with morbid curiosity, her mouth hanging open slightly. She had never witnessed anything like this in her life, and she worried that if she did move, she would get in the way. But then a second ambulance arrived with a second patient. This guy was covered in blood too, but he was wrapped in one of those silver blankets for shock. At least she knew that much. His neck was in a brace and one of the female paramedics was holding his hand as he was wheeled in a completely different direction to the other guy. The ER went from a quiet night to utter chaos, and Randy realised Peter might not even make it home at his usual knock off time.
But it wasn't over. Just when she thought it couldn't get anymore distressing, Matt came rushing up the hallway with his ex-covert lay right behind him. Both were in scrubs with surgical masks hanging around their throats and they started having an intense conversation with more people in scrubs that Randy couldn't hear, lots of hand gestures seeming to emphasise whatever was being discussed. It was only then that Matt actually spotted Randy, doing a double take when he realised his little sister was there and what she was witnessing. Some words passed between him and his ex-covert-lay-boss-lady-person, who looked basically like she was close to tears but trying to hold it together. Matt bounded over to where Randy was standing, dumbfounded, and caught his hand in the crook of her elbow. "Randy, go home. Peter's not gonna be able to get dinner with you. The patients brought in, it's my boss and his husband. They were in a really bad crash out on the freeway. Just go home, okay? Go to Mel. It's gonna be a long night. We're about to go into surgery with Aiden."
"Aiden? Who's Aiden? You have to go in there? But he's all... there's blood... is he alive? What surgery?" Randy started to ramble automatically, still holding the takeout bag helplessly.
Matt was already leading her to the ER exit. "Aiden's my boss' husband. I can't tell you what surgery. It's a privacy thing. He's alive but he won't stay that way without the emergency surgery. I've got to go, sis." Matt gave her cheek a brief kiss and pointed to the door. "Go to Mel." And then he was gone again, disappearing back through the heavy double doors of the ER that swung closed behind him.
Randy just blinked, finding herself in an oddly quiet corridor with a connecting waiting room, a surreal contrast to the environment she just left. It was some sort of clinic or something, but out of hours, and it was shut up for the night. She looked down at the bag in her hands, realising after witnessing all that blood, she had no appetite. In fact, she was feeling quite nauseated. She put a hand over her mouth and dumped the untouched food into the nearby trash can. She was really supposed to just go home? It wasn't that she personally knew the people who had been injured, but she sort of felt like she did. It was Matt's boss. She backed up a bit, wondering if she should just follow Matt's orders. Normally she would, he was her big brother afterall. But part of her wanted to just stick around for a bit to make sure Peter was okay. It couldn't be easy when someone you knew or a colleague rocked up as a patient seriously hurt. Then there was Matty. He had to be in a surgery for his boss' husband? What if the guy didn't live? How did you deal with something like that?
She didn't go home. She didn't go to Mel. Instead, she sat down in the deserted waiting room and just... waited. She didn't know how long she waited, and deep down, she knew she wasn't really expecting anyone to come out and let her know what was going on. Peter didn't even know she was there, and as far as Matt was concerned, she had gone home. After awhile, though, she gave up and started to head towards the hospital exit. She was lost in her own thoughts, unsure of why this all was making her gut churn. Maybe because she had heard Matt mention his boss a lot, that the guy didn't have much of the world's luck on his side. It was just natural for Randy to be affected by this, it was an automatic instinct to want to try and help in some way.
Distracted by her swirl of thoughts, Randy wasn't watching where she was going. She followed the now familiar trail towards the exit, having taken it often after meeting Peter for breaks since they started dating. Staff and visitors were littering the halls and she rounded the corner towards the main entrance and promptly slammed into someone hurrying in the direction that she had just come from. She was going to lose her balance, and could feel herself falling, but some strong arms caught her around the shoulders to prevent it. She squeaked in surprised and before she had a chance to even swear in shock, she looked up and realised just who it was she nearly bowled over.
Lachlan Campbell. The Scottish doctor she had been secretly hoping to talk to for some mentoring for... longer than she could remember. She never intended to act like a fangirl when she immediately blushed a deep red and floundered, mouth opening and closing. It was so fucking wrong to be awed by someone for the pure reason he had been shot in a high profile case. But it wasn't that! That was a small part of it. She was way more awed by how well he had managed to get his life back on track, and that he was studying psychology himself. There was also the fact he had a reputation for being extremely wise and she had wanted to pick his brain for her own studies. But every time she had tried to pluck up the courage to get in touch wih him, she had chickened out. Now here he was and she was acting like a dipstick.
"You alright there, lassie?" Lachlan immediately asked, his hands still on her arms to make sure she wouldn't fall anyway. "I'm really sorry. I shouldnae have been rushing like that, nay in this place. You cannae see around the corners and isnae any doubt that someone will be there when you arenae watching where you're going." He was breathless, worry and slight hint of panic edging his tone. Once he knew she was back on her feet, he let go, holding his hands up apologetically. "Easy to be distracted when you have family in this place, though."
Randy didn't think, and she was going to blame the pregnancy she didn't know that was yet. She had been deluded and playing ostriches, burying her head in the sand about the whole thing. She still hadn't taken a test and for the moment, she had convinced herself she wasn't going to either. This from a person training to be a psychologist. May as well waltz completely down the Idiot Road, right? "I know who you are!" she blurted out and then put her fingers up to her lips like they had just betrayed her. "I mean... I'm sorry. I don't mean to sound like a stalk-" Oh shit. he had been shot by a stalker. She was completely fucking this up. "Crazy nutjob?" she ended meekly. "I just... I... I've lived here my whole life, and I-I know... all the stuff. But I'm studying to be a psychologist, and I heard you were doing the same, and I was hoping I could maybe talk to you one day, but I was always too chicken shit, because I hear that you're really quite awesome, and I was slightly intimidated. Okay, a lot intimidated. I've seen your band at The London, and I figured I would just come across as a crazy fangirl stalk- I'm not going to use that word. But I still am, and I know I'm not doing myself any favours here right now and I wouldn't blame you if you called security and had me strip searched. It would be nice to skip that step though because I'm wearing my Bridget Jones undies, even if Nana always warned me to always have nice underwear one." She abruptly snapped her mouth shut, and just looked up at him with wide-eyed apology.
Lachlan wasn't sure he actually had the mental capacity or frame of mind to deal with this right now. He would be lying if he didn't admit it was confronting... and only a stone's throw away from where he really did actually get shot. He had taken a step away from her amidst the ramble, but it was a subconscious reaction, as was folding his arms across his chest. His own eyes were wide as he just looked at her for a few long moments. She reminded him a little of Tara in the very early days of their relationship. Not stalker material, just anxious. "Sorry... I just... wow," he began and cleared his throat, regaining his composure. "It's okay. Dinnae be getting a complex or anything. I just..." He gestured towards the elevators. "Come with me. We can have a wee chat. I just cannae do it here. I have a family member in surgery, so I need to be up there right now. Just chill a wee bit, aye? You arenae going to get too far in your career if you go at a patient like a smack in the face," he said with a small laugh, already heading towards the elevators. Of course he wanted to help her out, even if he was making sure the security cameras were working and aimed in the right direction. He just needed to get to the Surgical waiting room in case Aiden had any complications with the surgery. He was still reeling from hearing what had happened. He had come from Pat's ICU room, his best friend sedated so the shock didn't tax further on his system. He had promised Pat right before he was put out though that he would make sure Aiden was taken care of. Now it was just a matter of waiting, and Lachlan had only left Pat when Cameron was brought to his room, Pat's twin looking white from his own shock. He had pretty much told his doctor's to go fuck themselves in regards to his knee. He was going to sit with his twin whether they liked it or not.
Randy gave a slight nod and followed him without question. Now it was just awkward as she shut up and fell into silence. She was just stunned he really hadn't called security and had her immediately removed from his presence. She really wouldn't have blamed him if he did. She would have her removed if she approached her like a smack in the face, as he put it. That really had been a good metaphor. But then, of course, her mind found some rationality when she put the pieces together to remember Matt's boss was Lachlan's best friend and she noticed now how ragged he looked, perhaps like he had been woken with the news his best friend had been in a car accident. Once they were in the elevator, she figured it was safe to speak again. "I'm sorry for back there. Temporary insanity. I... my boyfriend works in the ER. I was there when I think your family member was brought in, and my brother is a Surgical nurse here. Nurse Preston is his boss. Not that any of that makes me less a dork, but it's partially how I know who you are... and stuff." She cleared her throat and looked up at the numbers above the door.
"Dinnae worry about it, really. I understand. I just dinnae take unexpected onslaughts so well these days. I promise, I'm nay pissed, just distracted." Lachlan scratched the back of his head. He knew he was looking a bit like an unmade bed. The truth was, he had been woken by the phone call of Pat and Aiden's accident. He had been up all night the night before with RJ, whose blood sugar levels had been up and down, causing him to be grizzly and unsettled. It meant he had tried for an early bed that evening while Tara had bathed their son and got him ready for bed. But it wasn't meant to be. Riley had called, having been on shift when Pat and Aiden were brought in. Aiden had a shard of glass stuck in his throat and it was killing him. He had lost a lot of blood, and was going to need surgery to remove the glass and a blood transfusion. Pat, who had been driving, had kept Aiden alive until the paramedics could pull them from the wreckage, but he wasn't in any condition yet to talk about what happened. For now, everyone could only assume it was a freak accident.
The elevator reached their floor and he stood aside when the doors open, letting her go out first. He hadn't even thought to ask her name, even if she did know his. It was confronting for him at any time to find him suddenly face the subject of his shooting. He was dealing with it better these days, but this sort of thing still threw him off guard. Along with everything else, his head felt a little like it was spinning. As expected, he found Tara in the waiting room, pacing back and forth with a sleeping Riley nursed in her arms. He shared some brief words with his wife and then gave her a soft kiss. She was going to head down to make sure Cameron was okay with Pat while Lachlan took vigil for Aiden's surgery. She passed their son over into his arms, both deciding it was less chaotic here for him to stay asleep, and then after another kiss, Tara stroking his cheek soothingly, she headed to the elevators herself. His arms wrapped protectively around his sleep baby son, Lachlan kicked the baby buggy over towards the nearest seats and carefully sat down as he kissed the top of Riley's head. He glanced up at the woman with a tired smile. "So, you're studying to be a psychologist. A lot of work, that." He indulged in letting out a heavy sigh, his eyes moving to glance around the room. The wait was never easy.
The scene between husband and wife hadn't been lost on Randy. In fact, she had been mesmirized by it. She had never considered herself the marrying sort much, but now... maybe she was? They certainly made it look nice, even in the face of adversity. She subconsciously rubbed her hand over her stomach, not even realising she was doing it. Then her eyes had locked on the little blond baby in his arms, nestled contently in dad's arms. He had hardly stirred when he had changed hands. He was beautiful, and no doubt about the fact the man holding him was his daddy. They looked very much alike, and she felt her heart skip a beat of anticipation. Would her kid look like her? Or would they look like Peter? Not that she was pregnant. She swallowed and wet her lips. She couldn't miss the heavy sigh. "Do you... want to talk about it?"
Lachlan smirked faintly at her. "Good start there. Much better than the verbal face slap." But he shook his head. "Nay right just yet. That isnae anything against your psychologist skills. I'm just tired, and it's hard to know how to feel this soon after receiving a shock. Still feeling a wee bit numb. You're right, Pat's my best friend. His husband is in surgery. They were in a bad car accident, but we dinnae know the ins and outs of it yet. Pat isnae in any condition yet to give us info. He was driving, Aiden was the passenger. The window beside him smashed on impact and he's got a severe laceration to his throat fro a large piece of broken glass. They need to remove it, probably do some plastic surgery to take care of any potential bad scarring. It's a danger because he lost a lot of blood..." He felt a shiver creep over his skin. It was impossible for his mind not to return to his own experience with all this. "But the doctors and surgeons here are top class. He's in good hands. I would... trust them with my life. Have done... a few times."
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Randy asked helplessly, wringing her hands in front of her. "I mean, now? It must be really hard, and you have little boy to take care of. This is stupid. You have other things to worry about and I'm just being a pest."
"No, you arenae. Times like this, distractions are welcome. Aye, we could do this over a coffee some days... but I wouldnae, you know," Lachlan had to reveal to her. He started rubbing Riley's back softly and made sure his Elmo blankie was wrapped warmly around him. "I would run you around in circles with the conversation, leading it back to you so I wouldnae have to talk about my own experiences. I didnae profess to be innocent, even if I've had bad times. If I dinnae want to talk, I dinnae. When are you due?"
Randy nearly fell out of her chair, her mouth dropping open as she gaped at him. No one fucking told her he was psychic! What was with all these dudes around her with superpowers? She didn't want anyone reading her mind! She didn't even want to read her mind these days. "I-I-I-," she stammered and gave her head a tiny shake. "I'm not.. I... it's..." She floundered, waving her hand.
"Dinnae be getting a complex on me. I saw you rubbing your belly a wee minute ago. Subconscious actions, you see it a lot in pregnant lassies, especially when you're a doctor. Lots to be said in maternal instinct. Just thought I'd take a stab in the dark. I figured you wouldnae belt me in the face while I was nursing my bairn," Lachlan explained in amusement. "I take it isnae planned then? Dinnae mind, though. This wee one wasnae, either. Didnae know we could plan, see. Willnae go all pro-life on you, but isnae any other life experience will ever touch that of becoming a parent. Wee tiny people, they take over your whole world and make your heart want to burst out of your chest when they smile at you."
Randy's shoulders slumped. Thank god he couldn't read her mind. That would be embarrassing. He didn't need to know that she was wondering why Scotmans didn't like underpants. "It's just a matter of timing and choices..." But then she scrunched her nose up a little and pointed at him. "I see what you did there. Does this mean you don't want to talk?"
Lachlan smirked, holding her gaze. "It means you're the psychologist here. You ask the questions. Bearing in mind, you arenae always going to get cooperative patients. In fact, more often than not, you willnae. Isnae their fault, a lot of people just dinnae know how to really talk. It's a concept thrown around loosely, but often never achieves much at all. I only learned that when it came time for me to try and evaluate my own subconscious. I realised I couldnae do it, ended up panicking every time I tried because I was fearful of what was locked away in there."
Randy was nervous. Had he just given her open season on asking him anything? Or was he telling her he was basically not going to tell her a thing? All the theory and study, she felt a little like she really was suddenly thrust into dealing with her first patient, even if he wasn't. And he really did have this whole Yoda thing going on. She realised she couldn't really read him at all, yet he had this presence, like she really wanted to spill her guts to him and offload her own worries of late. She liked him, and was starting to mentally smack herself for not approaching him sooner. He could have really assisted her with her studies. "Does sitting here, waiting, make you think how your wife felt the time you were hurt and being operated on to save your life," she heard falling from her mouth. Maybe it was going below the belt too quickly, but he had opened the book for her.
"Aye," Lachlan replied quietly without hesitation. "But I cannae ever possibly know how she felt. Nay completely. She talks about it, tries to explain, but there was many different things at play that night. Wasnae just me getting shot. Emotions from prior events, fears of the future, uncertainty. Isnae anyone ever going to know how she felt that night but her. Same as there isnae anyone who is going to understand how I felt in the wake of it. Nay completely. That's a lot of the reason why I chose to study psychology myself. To try and help people who are going through that. As you know, psychology isnae the blacks and whites of a situation, it's the grey areas. The emotions and feelings."
"How about tit for tat?" Randy suggested, finding herself watching the sleeping baby again. He looked so small, so... reliant on everything his mum and dad did. It was unnerving, but she shoved that train of thought away so she wouldn't have to linger on it. The only person she had told was Peter, and even then, he still hadn't been able to convince her to take a pregnancy test. If Lachlan had picked up on it, she was worried about who else might be able to. "I sort of understand how all this feels, only I was young when I experienced it. Early years of high school, and I don't think it would have been on the same level. My brother got messed up in drugs for a short period. He's two years older than me... us... I'm a twin, like Patrick. But, um, yeah. Matty fell in with the wrong crowd, he really changed for a bit there and scared us. Turns out our fears were well-founded. He ended up taking a bad hit of E at a rave one night. He was only sixteen, we were fourteen. It caused him to have a heart attack, he stopped breathing, spent two weeks on life support..." She trailed off, looking at a poster for a nurses union on the wall across from them, her nose scrunching up just a little to try and prevent herself from crying. They really had thought Matt would die. "So, I understand a little bit."
Lachlan nodded, watching her face closely. "More than a wee bit, love." He carefully moved to nurse Riley in one arm, receiving a small snuffle of protest at being disturbed before the baby boy just nuzzled his face in against Lachlan's shoulder and slept on. He held his hand out to her. "I'm Lachlan, by the way. Thought I better introduce myself officially. Havenae ever managed to get used to the title of 'The Scottish bloke who got shot'. I'm sorry you had to experience something like that so young. But I know your brother through Patto, and I havenae any doubt he got his life back on track after it. Still, isnae something I would wish on any family. But it's that empathy right there that you'll be able to draw on to make you a good therapist. There's only so much you can learn from textbooks. And tit for tat... well..." He paused for a moment, thinking what he could offer in return. "Our wee lad here, he's the only one will have. Didnae even think we could have him, but it was one of those unusual medical things. He's our wee miracle. But I cannae have anymore. I had a lot of damage from complications after the shooting. Lots of surgeries. When doctors are trying to save your life, sometimes they cannae help making errors, needing to sacrifice something else to keep you alive. That's what happened. About a year ago, nay too long after Riley was born, my wife got drunk. She's Irish, see. Like to have a drink on St Paddy's Day. She got so drunk, lost her inhibitions, ended up telling me she wanted to have another baby with me. It was a hard thing to swallow after she had been telling me she was okay with just the one. Drink can pull out the deepest, darkest secrets. It hurt. Brought up a lot of guilt I had battled after the shooting."
Randy was listening intently, watching the little flickers of emotions across his face. She had taken his hand and shaken it, but when he stopped talking, she realised she still had a hold of it and released it. "Randy. Uh, Miranda... but I prefer Randy. Sounds less like a stripper's name. Miranda Rose. I have no idea what the hell my parents were thinking." But she dismissed discussion about her name with a tiny wave of her fingers as she held his gaze. "I can't even imagine how that would have felt for you. Does she... is she... I mean, you guys look amazing together. Like, pin ups for us relationship cynics. How did you get over something like that? It must've made you feel like you were failing her all over again."
Lachlan felt tears prick his eyes, but he managed to blink them back, biting on his lips for a moment. "Oh aye. Like you wouldnae believe. I dinnae think that's anything I will ever really get over, though. Sometimes things happen to us that shape us, but they also scar us. Become things we just live with and mould ourselves around. Tara's an amazing mummy. One of the best to walk the earth. One of the best wives, too. She and the bairn are my life. She gave me herself and she gave me him, just when I wasnae sure I wanted to hang on anymore. I had a lot to deal with after everything that happened, physically and mentally. I got to a point where I was just so tired. Too tired. But she held me up through it, gave me a reason to live and keep going. I wanted to give her the world, but I suddenly felt like I couldnae even give her this one thing she wanted the most deep down. Another bairn. I would have given anything to have another with her. Making this wee lad is the best thing I ever did in my life. I got engulfed by that sense of uselessness again. But she was drunk, and I couldnae blame her. We talked about it, talked a lot. She beared her soul to be all over again and truth was, she did want another baby and so did I, but that doesnae mean it was going to happen, or that she blamed me for it. Again, it was just one of those things in life. We were blessed with Riley, and we're just lucky to even have him. Some people cannae even have one..." He closed his eyes tiredly, wetting his lips as his breath left him in a rush. Thoughts of Pat and Aiden came flooding back to him and he felt drained.
Randy wanted to hug him as she felt the little spark that had been maintained in him slipped away. But she wasn't sure it was appropriate, considering she just met him. She had lots of things she wanted to say and ask, but maybe now that he was receptive, she could talk to him again some more over time. She felt a surge of emotion push up inside her and tears welled up, spilling over her cheeks. She gave a slight laugh and brushed them away in embarrassment, clearing her throat. "Sorry. I seem to do that a lot lately. I just... even simply hearing about that is... you awe me. What you survived and got through, I really, really admire you. And I mean that in a completely non-stalker fangirl way. More of a fellow psychology student admiration. I can see how hard this is for you to talk about, and I just wanted you to know I appreciate it. But maybe I can just sit here in silence, keep you company until you get some news on your friend? I-I really don't have any place else to be. Truth is, I could use the distraction too..." she admitted in a mumble, folding her hands in front of her and burying them between her knees.
Lachlan nodded and threw her a tiny smile. "Aye. Cheers. I'd really like that. And it's nice to meet you, Randy. If it's any consolation, before I got hurt, I'd gone through pregnancy scares myself, in a couple of difference scenarios, both leaps and bounds different to each other. If you ever need someone to talk to, you're always welcome to give me a call. I cannae promise you will nay get swept up in some chaos or another, but our life isnane ever quiet. Talking things out, though, might help a wee bit."
Randy was still stunned. All this going on, and he still had the heart to offer her help. "I might take you up on that," she told him with her own hint of a smile. "Are you going to charge me for your services, doctor?" she added jokingly.
"Ach, I wouldane ever do that," Lachlan returned with a tired smirk. "But I might hit you up for some babysitting hours."
- All muses mentioned here used/referenced with permission
Word Count | 5,281