Hey. Sorry it's taken so long! Third chapter is here now, so enjoy it.

Dinner had always been an awkward time within the Reid household. As far back as Elliot could recall, her parents were- at best- tense with one another. When she was younger, there would be arguments about her mother’s many affairs or her father’s single affair with the butcher. Often, her father would demand her mother stop being such a “damn bitter alcoholic that whines about her freakin’ perfect life”, or her mother would demand he pay her more attention.

Things didn’t exactly improve as she got older. For example, once her mother suspected Barry was gay, there were many discussions about the “sin of homosexuality”. Or when Bradley didn’t make straight A’s the second semester of his Sophomore year in high school; for months, her parents were passive aggressive and mean.

Heck, when she even mentioned missing Consuela when she was twelve, she was lectured at dinnertime for weeks.

Perhaps that was she begged Barry to take her to McDonalds rather than force her to eat with her parents. She had realized about halfway home from the airport that she was starving; she hadn’t eaten a bite since that awful night. It was a lifetime ago. It was just two days. Sometimes, it felt like it had just happened.

“Okay, Ellie, what do you want?” Barry asked.

“Cheeseburger.” She said meekly as she remembered why exactly she hadn’t eaten anything.

As he ordered, she sat down. God she was sore! Everything continued to ache, even when she took the stupid Tylenol Dr. Cox prescribed her. Barry joined her a few minutes later with food and drinks.

“How are you, Ellie?” His eyes searched her own. She wondered if he needed her to comfort him; after all, he had always been the most protective of her. She remembered the time he had tried to beat up her first boyfriend just for copping a feel. She couldn’t imagine how he felt at that point. For all she knew, he felt worse than her.

“Awful.” She said honestly.

“If I ever find out who hurt you like this…” He trailed off, eyes staring somewhere off behind her. She knew that he was angry.

“I’m okay, Barry.” She tried softly. “I mean, I don’t feel so great, but he could have been worse.”

“Elliot, look at you.” He reached out to touch her face, but pulled his hand back as she flinched. “For God’s sake, you flinch away from me when I am both your brother and gay! Whatever he did, it’s really hurt you.”

No kidding, Elliot thought with a scowl. Still, she figured it had to be somewhat serious if her brother used her actual name, rather than his favorite nicknames for her (“Ellie”, “little girl”, “blondie”, and others). She also noted that he had admitted his homosexuality aloud, something she couldn’t recall ever hearing, even when he caught her reading his Playgirl magazines.

In that moment, she knew she would never tell him what exactly had happened to protect his feelings.

“No, no, I’m overreacting.” She said with a small grin. “Barry, come on, you know me. I always freak out about everything, remember?”

It seemed to soothe him enough to concentrate on their food, which she found herself having difficulty eating. Every time she raised a fry to her mouth, let it touch her tongue, she could feel his tongue violating her mouth, feel his-

No, Elliot, she reminded herself, don’t think about it.

“Eat up, Ellie.” Barry stared at her. “Or you’ll end up eating with Mom and Dad.”

So she managed to get through the meal, barely choking down her food. As they finished, she glanced at her clock. About seven; so, her father would be in a hospital meeting and her mother either having sex with someone or in a yoga class by the time she got home.

“So, Bradley’ll be there and so will Brent.” Barry explained as they drove down the highway. “Mom might be- who knows where she is?- and Dad definitely will be.”

“What about Kevin?” Elliot asked.

“He’s flying in tomorrow- he was coming in anyway, don’t get that look.” Barry added with a glance at his scowling sister. “I mean, yeah, what happened to you was bad, but don’t think that you’re the only reason everyone’s here. Not to sound bad, by the way, but just so you don’t feel guilty or anything.”

“Um… Thanks?” Elliot mumbled. Her friends thought she stuck her foot in her mouth a lot? Everyone in her family was far worse. She brushed the thought away, continuing to stare out the window at the familiar terrain from her childhood.

Silence prevailed the rest of the ride home.

“Come on… Come on…” Brent Reid twisted the game controller in his hand, muttering encouraging words to himself as he attempted to beat the game. And… So close….

BEEP!

Failure. With an immature sigh, he tossed the remote onto the couch next to him and leaned back to glance at the clock. Where the hell was Barry? He had gone to pick up Elliot over an hour ago. He had never been close to his sister- especially after she had thrown his favorite action figure into the lake when he had called her a crybaby. Even with a lack of closeness within his family, he definitely didn’t hate his sister or think she deserved what she had gotten.

He paused in his thoughts, suddenly very curious as to what she was like these days. She hadn’t visited home in two or three years; as far as he knew, she barely talked to his mother or father. The last he had heard from her was an impersonal wedding invitation for that weekend- undoubtedly cancelled.

This seriously sucked. Usually, he’d have Kevin to help him pass the time until Barry and Elliot got home. They’d probably end up breaking something and ending up with a lecture from their mother (ah, the frequent reminders of youth! Sometimes, he couldn’t figure out if he had more lectures as a child or an adult).

Bradley was somewhere in the house, reading medical books. God, what a bore! Then again, he may have been distracting himself from thoughts of his sister the same way Brent had used video games.

“Brent, are you dead?” Barry’s cheerful voice echoed throughout the large house as the door opened. “Bradley might have killed you by now with his seriousness.”

“Not yet, man!” The young man stood up to go greet his brother and sister. Soon after, Bradley appeared from the study (Brent had to hide a smirk; he had so been right) and grinned at his brothers.

“I come bearing an Elliot, some bags, and leftover McDonald’s!” Barry offered the fast food to his brothers as he dropped a pink bag on the floor. Bradley grabbed the sack, and peered around to look for his sister.

“Yours or hers?” Brent raised an eyebrow. He was perhaps the best in the Reid household at keeping a straight face while joking. Barry rolled his eyes, and gave him a light punch on the shoulder.

“Ellie, come on!” He called out.

“How do you undo the seatbelt?” She cried out from beyond the door. “Ugh! Frick!”

“I’ll go help her.” Brent offered.

“Hey,” Barry put a hand on his chest to stop him, “Don’t comment on her face or anything, okay? She’s still really shaken up. If you have to, think of her like a patient, okay?”

“You act like I’m a complete idiot.” Brent rolled his eyes. “I went through med school too, remember? I know how to act.”

“Conflicting interests!” Barry practically sang as his younger brother walked out to the car. Bradley stood beside him.

“Didn’t want to take the complete idiot crack?” He grinned.

“Nah,” Barry smirked, “Way too easy.”

“Ugh! This is so…” Brent heard his sister moan from within the car. The passenger door was flung open, and he couldn’t help his grin. Classic Elliot; awkward, and yet slightly funny. “I got it undone at McDonald’s!”

“Let me help you.” He offered as he pulled the door open wider- and stopped in his tracks. She didn’t look good, even with the makeup she had caked on her face. Luckily, he covered his slip-up with a fake trip, and grinned at her. “Not that I know how, but whatever.”

After about five minutes, they managed to get it undone, and she stumbled out of the car. He took in the way she tensed as he touched her shoulder to help steady her, the way he could feel that she didn’t want him near her at all.

“Thanks, Brent.” She stood up straighter.

“Sure thing.” He shrugged it off, trying to ignore the nagging feeling in his stomach. A huge part of him- the part that felt detached from this, from his sister- wanted to see her injuries, treat them, understand what was wrong with her. That same part had already diagnosed her with post-traumatic stress disorder.

And then there was the small part of him that didn’t seem to be functioning past remembering her as a small girl, remembering the times they had gotten along well. Like the time when she had woken him up in a storm, terrified by the loud booms of thunder and flashing lightning. Or the time they had teamed up to pelt Barry and Kevin with water balloons, laughing that whole summer day that they spent in the branches of the apple trees.

These memories didn’t match up with the sad girl covering her fear and pain with a smiling façade.

“So, my room where I’ll be staying?”

“What?” Brent stared at her, oblivious to what exactly she had asked.

“Is my room still open?” She asked again, slowly this time.

“Yeah.” He answered casually. “I’ll take your bag up.” He picked it up, and hurried off.

“So, you didn’t warn him very much?”

“Not really, Ellie. He’s fun to shock.” Barry smirked. Elliot rolled her eyes, almost annoyed with him for using a situation like this to play games with Brent. But- as she hated to admit- Barry was right; Brent was pretty fun to shock. She turned to greet her oldest brother.

“Hey, Brad.” She smiled. “You got a hair cut.”

“So did you.” He pointed out, and ruffled her hair. He felt guilt settle into his stomach as she flinched, and broke eye contact to stare at the ground. From the quick glance exchanged with Barry, it was obvious that his brother hadn’t missed the attitude either.

“So, uh, who wants to watch TV?” Elliot offered as the awkward silence continued.

Both men nodded. TV sounded pretty good right then.

The Janitor rarely missed anything that went on in the hospital. He did miss the occasional occurrence (some janitors just don’t pay attention to the happenings, and a man can’t work every single shift). So, he found himself rather confused that, as he was returning from his first vacation day in six years, when Elliot wasn’t there to greet him with her usual smile and greeting.

However, one can hardly dwell on such things (even though she hadn’t missed a day in two years, to his calculations), and he went on with his day, albeit a little less cheerful.

“Hey, idiot.”

“Janitor?” J.D. glanced up at the tall man in a jumpsuit. He wondered briefly what exactly he had done this time, but found himself a little too preoccupied to give it much thought. Elliot had yet to call him, even though she had promised to do so soon after she landed. As her friend, he was worried. As a doctor, he was very concerned.

Things had been tense throughout the hospital- well, so it felt. Turk had bee distracted all day, occasionally stopping to ask his friend if she had called yet. J.D. briefly wondered if it was harder for him, knowing the man that had raped Elliot was black, but brushed the thought aside. He (and his chocolate bear) knew that Elliot wouldn’t hold it against Turk.

Carla, rather than acting distant and distracted, was a little… cranky with the lack of news of her best friend. She had been agitated all day, and J.D. had actually seen her berating an intern; hardly Carla behavior! Then again, even Dr. Cox was slightly off.

“Hey, idiot, are you listening?” The Janitor waved a hand in front of his face.

“Yes.” He lied.

“Good. Now, where exactly is Blonde Doctor?”

Blonde Doctor? J.D. thought for a moment….

Elliot.

“She’s taking the week to visit her family.” He answered carefully, keeping a wary eye on the man in front of him.

“She doesn’t visit her family.” The Janitor raised an eyebrow.

“How do you know that?” J.D. stared at him, confused.

“Read her file. Shows she never takes time off.” He answered. It was a lie; Elliot had told him so when they had been on that “date”. He held back a smile as he thought about it, and how she still offered him a cheerful smile and greeting each morning, the way she always said hello and asked him about his life.

“Oh.” J.D. paused. “Well, uh, her parents asked her to visit them when she had to postpone the wedding.”

“Why is she postponing the wedding?” The custodian frown. Despite the fact that just a little further into conversation, and he could signal Randall to drop the three buckets of red paint on the unsuspecting doctor, he found himself actually curious as to the reason. Elliot, while generally freaking out about these things, certainly would have told him about it.

Damn day off. A new squirrel army wasn’t worth missing out on hospital gossip.

“It’s not really my place to say.” J.D. frowned, ready to leave the conversation. He didn’t really want to reveal Elliot’s secrets to the Janitor; it wasn’t his place, or his job. Elliot had asked them not to spread it around (even though Dr. Kelso and whoever was in charge of her private practice had undoubtedly found out by this point).

“What’s wrong with Blonde Doctor?” The Janitor demanded, moving his hands to prepare himself for the signal.

“Look, you’d have to talk to her and she won’t be back for a week!” J.D. groaned, glancing at his watch. Why didn’t this guy ever realize he had patients and responsibilities?

Just… a little longer… The Janitor watched as Randall made the final tweaks from his spot in the open air vent, preparing to let down the staining mess, as Dr. Cox stopped beside him. Damn.

“Nancy, is there any particular reason that you are wasting your time here instead of seeing your patients?”

“The Janitor won’t leave me alone about Elliot!” J.D. grumbled.

“He’s being unreasonable!” Janitor explained with a frown. “He told me Blonde Doctor cancelled her wedding, but won’t tell me why. You better not be lying.” He made a threatening gesture towards the young doctor.

“Dr. Reid was brutally raped.” Dr. Cox deadpanned. “Moving on, Lisa, we need to work on…”

He pulled J.D. away, whom was stunned by his mentor’s bluntness.

And the Janitor stood very still, eyes wide, and realized he had never made the signal. For some reason, it didn’t seem so important anymore.

“Dr. Cox, why don’t you care about what happened to Elliot?” J.D. demanded as they were walking. “I mean, how can you be so casual about it? She’s sort of your friend-”

“Barbie is not my friend.” Dr. Cox raised an eyebrow. “And there is no point in worrying about something that doesn’t concern me.”

“You’re her doctor, and I noticed you didn’t diagnose her with post-traumatic stress disorder. What’s that about?”

“Are you arguing with me, Newbie?”

J.D. paused, and swallowed hard.

“Nope, not at all.” He grabbed a random chart. “And, Mr. Wilson needs me, so…”

“Mr. Wilson is my patient.”

“I should go.” J.D. hurried away.

“Move it.” Carla snapped as she brushed past a terrified intern to place an IV into the frail woman’s arm. How stupid were interns these days? She really didn’t need to coddle them that much! “Didn’t they teach you how to do this in medical school?”

“Y-Yes.” The intern squeaked, confused by the abrupt change of character in the usually kind nurse. She paused, to look at the young man, and her gaze softened. It was easy to forget that very few people would be kind to the interns, and they needed all the help they could get, particularly when her thoughts were divided between her best friend and Isabella’s cold.

“I’m sorry, Robbie.” She smiled, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. “I’m just worried about my daughter- she’s sick-, and I let it get the best of me. It’s fine.”

“Oh…” Robbie sighed, obviously relieved. “Well, alright, Nurse Espinosa.”

As Carla left the room, she pushed the encounter to the back of her thoughts. She was just having an off day; even if it wasn’t an excuse, she had apologized. But it had proved what she had feared all day. She was acting like a bitch, even to the interns. With a sigh, she touched J.D.’s shoulder as she walked back behind the counter.

“Bambi, heard from her yet?” She asked as she busied herself organizing charts.

“No.”

She glanced at him, wondering for a moment if she had projected her own worry onto him and imagined the tone. She could see true concern etched in his features, a strange mask for her husband’s happy-go-lucky best friend.

“She’s with her family.” She leaned against the counter. “It’s not like it’s going to happen again, J.D. She probably doesn’t want to deal with it.”

“I know, I know.” J.D. faked a smile. How could he explain this weird feeling? This protectiveness, this need to make sure she was really okay? How could he explain the guilt? The guilt of refusing the ride home she had offered him that night, simply because he had wanted to hang out with Turk for the hour in between his two shifts? The guilt of letting this happen to her?

“Bambi, are you in there?” Carla touched his shoulder.

“Yeah.” He paused. “This is just so weird. I mean, not like… It shouldn’t have been her.”

“It is weird.” Carla agreed with a frown. “But only because we care about her so much. If it was Jordan, would it be as weird?”

“No.” J.D. admitted. “It’s Elliot, though. So it is weird.”

“And that’s not gonna change.” Carla shoved a chart into his hands. “Mr. Smith needs his doctor to pay him some attention, so I’d get going, Bambi.”

Weird. It was weird. Because Elliot was Elliot, and nothing terrible happened to her. The worst was having that truck of stuff stolen or losing her father’s financial support. She didn’t…

J.D. shook the thoughts from his mind as he entered his patient’s room.

“So, Mr. Smith…”