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Valentine's Day seems to be the most dangerous time. Countless injuries due to the power and dedication of love lingers around that day and most are surgery worthy but not serious. This year, Gloria asked, or more like demanded, that a demonstration was shown of a new type of flower that's been popping up in ERs lately.
"These," Robby—the unwilling demonstrator for the upcoming shift— announced to the small room, "are wild red wine flowers. As you can see, the colors are similar to a drink that I will definitely be having after this shift ends."
"So basically an failed aphrodisiac?" Ellis says, leaning on the table chair that was occupied by the rest of the night shift.
"If only, Dr. Ellis." That didn't sound great. "When you exposed to these lovely things, they have the effect of warming the body followed by arousal which varies by person," Robby sighs out the last part, rubbing at his neck as the day shift attending was now a light shade of pink, "which leads me to why you are in this room."
Robby didn't blush easily. Everyone looked at each other before the second oldest person in the room dared to ask, "So we're being the guinea pigs first?"
Everyone's eyes, including Robby's, was now on Dr Abbott who was also leaning casually like he didn't just hit the nail on the head what the other attending was about to blush his way through.
"Correct." Leave it to Jack to save Robby once again. "Unless someone wants to face the wrath of Gloria and not do it?"
It was a way out no one took, as much as everyone in that room secretly wanted to. The safety of the hospital and the patients was more important for everyone's sake.
Thank goodness, Robby praised in his head. "Any…questions?" He gets a few hands up.
"How long does this last exactly?"
"It's surprisingly short, but it depends. So far, the record's been around 5 hours." That's the record he's been hearing and he hopes that it stays that way and the staff here don't makes the news yet again.
He points to another hand. "Has there been any reactions to it beside horny?"
"For some it might trigger familiar things you would see in the spring. Nose won't stop running, sneezing like crazy, that kind of stuff." He waves one of his hands at the unexplained rest. "Nothing too serious but we do have the usual preventions in case it goes beyond that." Behind him was epipens as well as some antihistamines on the metal stand.
"Do we get any fun stickers after if we're good?"
That gets an eye roll and a few chuckles from everyone. "I'll make sure to save the Batman ones just for you, Jackie. Anyway, onto the fun part."
The fun part was also right behind him, a clipboard that had a single paper on it that Robby begins reading off with enough seriousness to pass off if anyone higher up comes around. "You agree to participate in this demonstration, things can happen and we will take the necessary actions, yada yada you know how it goes around here, please sign anywhere around here, thank you!"
The sheet was passed around and multiple signatures were placed on the board. Once Robby got it back, he glanced up and down the page before putting it right back behind him.
"Alright, now to the actual fun part…" The red flowers were now in his hands. Just like the rest of them, Robby was just in his scrubs and was holding the flowers bare fisted.
Jack couldn't stop the frown that came across. "You gonna be ok?"
"Uh, yeah." He sounded surprised that someone was concerned about him, which was too common. "Like I said, nothing serious. Just gonna be a bit awkward for a bit." And without any other warning, Robby flicked at the stem of the plant and a burst of red came off. He shook the plant and the red started to spread around him.
It stuck onto the scrubs with ease. Some got onto Ellis's lips and by instinct, she rubbed it off the best she could but it smeared onto her fingers. When she rubbed some more, it only spread further onto her skin. She looked towards her right to say something only for the powder to come through her mouth and take whatever she was going to say into a cough. The sound only echoed as more of the doctors and nurses became affected.
Even Robby had to clear his throat before he spoke again. "Forgot about that."
"Is it supposed to be that—strong?" Ellis managed to choke out before going back to coughing into her arm.
"No but it—it'll pass." The voice is now muffled, covered by his own hand as he tries to get some kind of calmness. Jack seemed to already had him beat, his eyes close as if he was meditating with the coughs only breaking that illusion. "You trying to be the next Monk or something?" He gets a glare that had no heat in it.
Eventually, the coughing fits started to quiet down in the room. Everyone got their bearings in, with the people in the room either sitting or still leaning on the desks, now with more weight. Robby felt something first and it didn't take long for his hand to find the back of his neck, gaining a light blush once again.
"And it starts." he says more to himself than anyone in the room. He pulls at the top of his scrubs, trying to distract himself the best he could. His eyes goes towards the rest and quickly, he sees similar reactions. All except for Jack, who eyes were still shut and was still giving off a cough.
Robby scoffs. "Alright, no need to play calm Dr. Abbot," he teased as he fanned himself off. "We're all feeling it."
He got Jack's eyes again. The teasing feeling he had died off.
Robby strides closer towards the other attending. He put his hands on his arms, which were wet with a layer of sweat. His hands went to his stethoscope without a second thought, the metal chest piece landing on Jack's chest with a little pressure. "Take a breath for me?" Eyes closed once again, Jack inhales slowly and does the same when he lets all the air out into another cough, rougher than the ones before.
The chest piece got nothing but a high pitched wheeze. Multiple feet started moving, with Robby leading the charge into a corner he can't believe he still remembers.
The corner was more of a empty remains of a conference room that people quickly abandoned in favor of the one upstairs. No one ever knew what to make of it. Today, it was going to be made as Jack's safe haven as he was brought in, the coughing quickly taking over the room. The door almost slammed the best it could with the useless door stopper up top.
"Where's the inhaler?" Robby asked just when it was handed to him. He took the green cap off the end and held it up to Jack. "Hey, look at me?" He gets wild eyes in return and it was something he didn't want to see on Jack ever again. He made himself push on and exaggerated on breathing like he did all the patients that had a flare up. Hands that were still strong grabbed at the inhaler and Robby could just watch as it was brought to Jack's mouth and the sound of the medicine releasing. Jack inhaled it in, but it wasn't long enough before he coughed it back out.
Shit, Robby cursed inward. The oxygen mask was needed but it wasn't even around here and how did this never be brought up between them all these years? The ringing he's become familiar with was starting to fill in his ears. Someone said something and it was only when he felt rough palms on his arm did his focus shift back to Jack as he had the inhaler by his mouth again.
The ringing was fully in but Robby saw the way Jack inhaled like he was instructed, his eyes squeezing shut once again in concentration. One second, two, three seconds until shoulders fell down as he finally, fully, exhaled. Brown eyes finally looked at him again, less wild and letting exhaustion take over.
He squeezed quickly, once, twice, then held onto his arm. Locked in as Robby wanted to run as far away as he could to break down as much as he could before it destroyed him. He still held on to some bits of professionalism until it was the two of them in that room and even then it was a moment of laying his head on Jack's shoulders as Robby let that pure fear that was driving him shake on out.
An old history of asthma that he and his family thought was gone by the time he was in his 20s, and it came flaring up because of some flower. The inhaler that was still in Jack's hands was his to keep on him at all times now.