Chapter Text
The flashing lights and slamming door awoke, medium sized Greg as he soon realized the lights were not flashing, but passing him by as he was pushed down a hall on a bed “Why am I laying down… moving?”Greg thought as the lights passed by?
“Oh God everything hurts stop moving,” so Greg cannot finish his pleading outburst due to the warm vomit and blood that came rushing out of the depths of his stomach medium size. Greg began convulsing as his consciousness abandoned him, and he was once again left to the intentions of the doctors and nurses ok City Hospital
“well nurse lady I don’t know how I could do it without your steady hands and cool head under pressure”Dr. smiled nurse Jeanie S lady who was by his side for the second major operation of the day.
“Oh doctor you flatter me you know that behind every great man they say there is a great woman. You were just lucky enough to have a lady” nurse lady equipped with a wink at the doctor. She knew how to keep their spirits high during the best and worst of times,
“although how much of a coincidence is it that we had two canine patients be brought in for major operations on the same shift?” nurse lady pondered as they completed the final stitches on their latest patient and began washing up
“a very rare occurrence, indeed nurse lady, but so is the life of a healthcare professional” doctor said with a slight hero pose as nurse lady looked on with an amused and warm smile at the doctor they failed to hear the door open as the head animal care nurse Rose entered the room nurse Rose walked in to the patient, followed by her team, picked up his chart.
“I take it our medium sized friend. Here is ready for his own room now?”nurse Rose asked with a raise of her eyebrow as she be held the scene of the doctor and nurse lady in their natural habitat of course nurse Rose answered doctor as he dropped out of his superhero pose while nurse lady tried Her, tried to hide her blushing face, knowing she had been caught red-handed caulking at her hero. A smile crept its way onto Rose‘s face.
“Perfect. I just need a signature here.”Then Rose paused until the doctor took the clipboard to sign Superman. Dr. froze his eyes wide, and his face flashed red. Meanwhile, the nurse lady tried to hide her laughter by turning away. The same doctor was finished though still frozen. Rose took the chart back.
“Thanks, Doc. I’ll take it from here now. You two should get some rest. Even heroes need that sometimes,”Rose said smoothly, and she turned towards her team who was done prepping the medium-sized patient for transport to a room. The doctor cleared his throat and puffed up his chest, trying and failing to salvage any vestige of his heroic dignity.
“Of course, no, Rose, thank you for the reminder. Nurse lady and I shall be taking a much-needed rest.” The doctor began to walk away, then called back to Rose as he turned to face her with a serious tone.
“Please look after this patient closely. I am sure that you saw on his chart, but upon arriving, his blood alcohol content was 1.6! 20 times the legal limit. It is a miracle. He is even alive at all, even without all the gunshots.”Rose nodded her head in understanding.
“Of course, doctor, leave it in my capable paws.”She said with a smile as she and her team took medium-sized Greg out of the operating room to his own room upstairs.
The next morning, medium-sized Greg awoke to the sound of dishes rattling like someone was setting a table and the smell of bacon, eggs, and sausage. He opened his eyes to see the prettiest calico cat he had ever seen. He watched as he hummed away while setting the bedside table with all types of food for breakfast, but he was drawn the most to her shaking hips and happy demeanor. Rose looked up from her task at hand and noticed her silent audience.
“Well, good morning, Mr. Greg, welcome back to the land of the living!”Rose said with a smile as she stopped what she was doing to start checking medium-sized Greg’s vitals.
“Thanks, I guess…”medium-sized Greg replied with an indifferent tone, but if you don’t mind me asking, he glanced down at the bandages wrapping his body.
“What happened?”
“You really don’t remember anything?”
“no I guess not…” Medium size Greg said, rubbing his head with his bandage hand
“Bad ass! I cannot wait to tell Garcia. I won the bet!”Rose said with a victory fist bump before she removed the blood pressure cuff.
“What? The bet?” Greg asked quickly.
“Oh yeah, you were so drunk and shot up when you came in. I knew there was no way you’d remember anything that happened but Garcia she thought that you would something about how dogs never forget, but I don’t think she realizes that’s about elephants not dogs, especially not dogs with a blood alcohol content high enough to kill an elephant.” Rose explained as she remove the thermometer for medium size Greg‘s mouth and recorded the vital findings on his chart.
“Yeah, the drunk part is normal, but shot up? How? Why?”
“Sorry hon I wish I could tell you that, but I’m just a nurse not a detective what I can’t tell you is that you need to eat something now that you’re up” Rose said as she walked to the bedside table she had been setting.
“I mean, normally have a few shots for breakfast with a beer to chase them, but that burrito looks good enough to make an exception” Medium size Greg said while practically drooling on the side of the breakfast she had set out.
“Oh, that’s my breakfast.” Rose said as she grabbed a bowl that was hidden behind the glorious feast
“This is your breakfast.” She smiled as she sat down a bowl of oatmeal and scoop some of it to feed her medium sized patient medium size. Greg looked on an utter shock and disbelief at the measly gruel that this cat was offering him. Did she truly expect him to eat this and and at that let such a beautiful woman like her feed him how embarrassing to consider this outcome Rose smiled, sensing the conflict going within the thick skull of her patient.
“What? Is MG too scared to be fed by a woman?”
“No, I am not scared to be fed!”Medium sized Greg rebutted holding onto his, in question, canine pride,
“but I could feed myself!” Greg said as he attempted to clutch the spoon with food on it being offered to him he did not comprehend how gravely he took his fingers for granted as his bandage paws let the spoon tip and spill the food right onto his snout. Rose cannot help but laugh at his attempt of feeding himself. She picked up the spoon and held it out to him
“Here you go MG I would love to see how a dog with his paws wrapped up in bandages can hold a spoon, let alone eat with!” Rose says. Greg glared at her then he passed the spoon and back at her.
“Who’s this MG you keep talking about my name is Medium-size Greg.” Greg corrected Rose with a valiant attempt at changing the topic
“Oh, MG it’s just what we call you, hon.”Rose said as she left a spoon in the bowl and sat down eating her burrito.
“Garcia wanted to call you MSG and I get it with it being your initials and everything but it sounded well too foodie for me so I insisted that your pet name should be MG well under my care.” Rose explained before she took the cat size bite out of the savory burrito. MG‘s mouth watered as he enviously watch this beautiful calico enjoy her breathtaking food as he chewed on the concept of his new name
“I will allow you to call me MG on the one condition.” Greg said in an alpha tone to try to control the conversation henceforth
“Oh yeah? And what might that condition be?” Rose asked with an ambush screen
“A beer with a straw so I can properly enjoy it.”
“Yeah that’s a big nope.” Rose shot MG down with the matter of fact statement, she went back to eating her breakfast MG watched her with discontent as she ate so
“You’re just gonna let me starve while you sit there stuffing your face?”
“No, I attempted to feed you” Rose said with her mouthful.
“but you refused and you wanted to feed yourself remember?” MG watched as Rose finished chewing and swallowed her latest mouthful.
“Yeah but-“ before he could get the words out, Rose held up her paw signaling him to wait as she took a sip of her favorite soda, then took another bite before motioning for Greg to continue. Medium size Greg looked on an annoyance at this calico who he knew now would not listen to his plea, but he had a burning question of why.
“Tell me why I can’t drink? What does it matter to you what I do? You don’t know what I’ve been through! What demons need to be drowned out…” Medium-size Greg, as with many alcoholics, got defensive when he felt powerless to get his fix. Rose looked at MG with a loving kindness of the angel she is she placed her breakfast down and move the tray in order to sit next to her medium sized patient then took his bandage paws into hers and said
“I know that right now it seems like I’m against you in this and well that’s partially true. I am against your drinking, but I digress because trust me when I say I am for you getting better not just from these physical injuries, but your mental hurt as well. When Doc told me your blood alcohol level I knew something must be hurting you inside, which is why I wanted to be here for you to let you know you’re not alone.”Rose gave him a smile as she softly patted his paw, then stood and took the tray with both their breakfast on it. She began to leave when she turned back to MG and informed him that it was the end of her shift, but she would be back to watch the game with him that evening with a surprise medium-size Greg watched Rose exit and stared at the space she just occupied with a blank expression, never in all his dog years. Has he met someone who could leave him feeling so conflicted he hated her for not supplying the beer, but loved her for the almost motherly love she showed him. He did not know why, but he cannot wait to see that calico again.