My Finale

JD is sitting at the lunch table across from Dr. Cox. They’re staring at each other while the red-haired woman from before sits with her head down eating her food.

I had just told Dr. Cox I was quitting Sacred Heart and by the look on his face I could tell he was very upset.

Dr. Cox has a blank look on his face for a minute before whistling.

“Red, go eat with the Sorority Sisters.” He says rather than asks.

The red head pops a tomato in her mouth and starts talking with her mouth full.

“But I don’t-“

Dr. Cox bangs his fist on the table angrily.

“NOW!” he shouts.

She grabs her tray and rockets over to a table full of women.

JD takes a deep breath. “I want you to-“

“Now Carol I just want you to know that I don’t give a rats ass what you do with your career. I just sent Jean Grey away because this was frankly none of her business. If you want a hug or a “congratulations! You escaped from this dump” speech, then you’re not going to get it. I’ve put up with you for eight years now, I guess it’s time for you to move on and drive someone else insane.” Dr. Cox says as he picks up his fork.

“Now if you could just excuse yourself and go tell the rest of your fan club about your new job that’d be swell.” He said, smiling in that ignorant way. “But Dr. Cox-“ JD starts.

“You have ten seconds to leave before I knock you out and give you to the Janitor as a late wedding gift. Ten… Nine…” Dr. Cox says, counting on his fingers.

JD sits still with his hands folded on the table.

“Don’t get up and don’t leave. You have to talk to him.”

“Eight… Seven… Six… Five…” Dr. Cox continues.

“I wonder what the Janitor will do to me.”

He takes a deep breath.

“Listen, Dr. Cox-“

“Four…”

“I really need-“

“Three…”

“To give you-“

“Two...”

“The reason why-“

“ONE!” Dr. Cox shoots up from his chair and leans across the table reaching for JD who backs up in his chair and falls backwards. The entire cafeteria stops and stares at the both of them. Dr. Cox hops over the table and stands over JD. He reaches down and pulls him to his feet and gets nose to nose with him.

“This is your last chance to run.” Dr. Cox says through gritted teeth.

With that JD backs up and runs out of the cafeteria.

“I can’t believe he- Well actually I can. He’s ticked off at me.”

The annoying, jingly music of the radio by the Nurse’s Station starts up.

“And tonight’s winning lotto numbers are brought to you by our friends-“

Ted comes sprinting down the hall.

“Turn it up! Turn it up!” he screams.

As soon as he reaches the counter a hand grabs the radio.

It’s Dr. Powell who turns it off.

“Ted, did you find that file yet?” she asks stubbornly.

“Workin’ on it Ma’am.” Ted adjusts his tie. “Could you please turn that back on?” he asks.

She looks at the radio.

“Oh this? I was turning it off at the request of Mr. Billings in room 432 there.” She points back into a room where an old man is glaring out into the hallway.

“He wasn’t able to take his afternoon nap because of the noise.” She states, smiling at Ted menacingly.

The old man coughs so loud he is heard out in the hallway.

“Darn kids and their hip hop music!” he cries.

“I know Kelso put this constant fear cloud over your head but it was for a reason Ted. You don’t find that Policazc file we could get sued big time. It has a list of every patient who came through this hospital that was prescribed that drug. And now there’s a serious side effect. SO FIND IT!” Dr. Powell demands.

Ted shoves the lottery ticket into his pants and backs up slowly.

“Yes Dr. Powell.” He mutters, turning round and speed walking down the hall.

JD is in a patient’s room sitting in the chair while the patient sleeps.

I needed some time to be alone and think. Thankfully Mr. Hopps was so doped up on pain meds I could secretly hang in his room for a little while. How was I going to tell everyone I was leaving? It was hard enough telling Dr. Cox and that almost got me killed. But to be honest, what was I expecting?

JD looks up at the ceiling and goes off into a fantasy.

JD is standing at night in the rain with two large suitcases in his hand. Everything is in black and white. Behind him is an old airplane getting ready to start up. His scrubs are soaked, as is his hair. JD wipes rain out of his face.

“You’re only acting this way so it’ll be easier for me to leave.” JD says.

Dr. Cox is wearing a trench coat and a black fedora.

“Yeah well, we both know you’ll be better off getting out of this dump. What’s waiting for you here? Nine chances out of ten you’ll end up just like me. Isn’t that right Janitor?” Dr. Cox says, turning to look at the Janitor.

The Janitor is still in his jumpsuit standing dry as a bone underneath an umbrella.

“Why am I even here?” he asks.

JD drops his suitcases.

“I could stay…” JD mutters.

“No. We both know if you don’t go you’ll regret it. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon, and for the rest of your life.” Dr. Cox says.

“What about us?” JD mumbles rather than asks.

“Well, Ilsa we’ll always have-“

“Bambi…” Carla interrupts JD’s daydream.

RECORD SCRATCH

JD jumps up from the chair.

“Shhh! The patient’s sleeping.” JD whispers, blushing slightly at Carla finding him here.

“I’m not here to yell at you. I can do that later.” She gently grabs his hand and pulls him out into the hallway.

“Elliot told me you were leaving. Why didn’t you say anything?” Carla asks seriously.

“I only decided a couple of hours ago. I wanted to tell everyone later on. I gave my two weeks notice to Dr. Powell she told me if I wanted to I could leave in a week.” JD leans up against the wall with his arms crossed.

“I heard about what happened in the cafeteria.” Carla says after a pause.

JD shrugs and looks down at the floor, not wanting to make eye contact.

“It’s no big deal.” He mumbles.

“Oh but I think it is.” Carla contradicts.

“Change the subject! Quick! Then you can avoid her and the emotional pain!”

JD starts walking hurriedly.

“You haven’t told Turk yet have you?” he asks nervously.

“I figured you wanted to tell him.” Carla puts her hand on JD’s shoulder.

“Bambi, listen to me. You know how Dr. Cox feels about private practice doctors. Give him time to cool off.” She says helpfully.

“By the time he cools off I’ll be retiring from private practice.” JD scoffs.

As in on cue Turk showed up.

“What about private practice?” Turk asks.

JD stands frozen in place and seems to think hard about what he’s going to say.

“Chocolate-bear… Uh… I-“

I knew I had to tell Turk, it’s just I wish I’d had more time to prepare for it. I had been planning to do it over an episode of Sanford and Son. The comedy would soften the blow.

Turk looks at JD, a horrified look plastered on his face.

“You’ve got a new best friend don’t you? You’ve been seein’ other bears behind my back!” he accuses.

“No Turk!” JD says, panicking. He doesn’t want Turk to get the wrong end of the stick.

Turk starts shaking his head with a frown on his face.

“You’ve been keepin’ your distance lately. You haven’t been talkin’ to me as much. You’re obviously mad at me!”

“It’s not that Chocolate Bear! It’s not you!” JD cried.

“Hey now don’t try that whole ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ crap on C-bear!” Turk said.

JD puts his arms on Turk’s shoulders.

“Turk! I’m quitting Sacred Heart.” He says loudly.

He gasps and looks at JD like he’s about ready to cry.

“You’re- you’re leavin’?” he asks.

JD just nods.

“But what am I going to do between surgeries and on breaks? Who am I gonna play Find the Saltine or World’s Most Giant Doctor with? And what about Steven and Rowdy? You can’t just split them up!” Turk says hurt laced into his voice.

“I’m just going to Elliot’s private practice office. I’ll still be living in the same apartment I have been. We can still see each other.” JD reassures.

“I know, but I’ll miss you here.” Turk mumbles.

Carla rolls her eyes and sighs.

“Keep telling yourself that and one day he’ll love you like that.”

JD starts to tear up.

“I will too.” He whispers, throwing his arms around Turk. The longer he talks the more hysterical he gets.

“My last day is Saturday. We’ll do everything we normally do and cram it in the rest of the week. Today is Monday we can fit in time playing Find the Saltine here at work and we’ll even do World’s Most Giant BLACK Doctor! And Steven and Rowdy can have a sleepover!” JD exclaims, somehow managing to say all that in one breath.

Carla picks up a file off the desk and starts walking away.

“At least he’s getting back to normal.” She says to herself. When she walks into a patient’s room she spots Dr. Cox dozing in a chair while a Soap Opera plays on the TV.

“If you don’t have the test results for Mrs. Applegate I’m going to ask that you leave.” Dr. Cox says spitefully.

He doesn’t open his eyes but he shifts in the chair. Carla drops the file in his lap and turns to leave.

“Is that it?” Dr. Cox says, breaking his silence.

“What?” Carla asks.

“No sticking your nose into my business? Is that your "Going Away" present to me?” Dr. Cox opens the file and starts looking through it.

“It’s my business because it involves Bambi and I’m not going to have this discussion in a patient’s room because I know you’ll be ranting and raving by the end of it.”

Dr. Cox seems to be pondering something, and then lets out a small laugh. “I guess all I have to do is avoid you for the rest of the day and I won’t have to worry about you going all mother-hen on me about Newbie.” He explains.

Carla starts to leave. “I will find you later, and then we will talk.”

JD is walking down the hallway when he falls into another hole in the floor.

“WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?” he shouts.

The Janitor is sitting Indian style on the ground sipping on a juice box.

“What am I doing? What are you doing? I came down here to be alone on my break!” He tosses the juice box aside.

“I can’t now. Thanks! Why is it whenever I find something that I can have for me, you ruin it? Are you going to try and steal my wife next?” The Janitor says bitterly.

“You’re being paranoid. You left the trap door open so I fell right in!” JD starts to climb out of the hole.

“I am so glad I’m leaving this place.” JD mutters.

The Janitor grabs JD by the legs and pulls him back into the hole.

“So my little Janitor hole isn’t good enough for you?” he asks incredulously.

“That’s not what I meant! I meant leaving Sacred Heart!” JD exclaimed.

The Janitor seems to have not registered what JD was say.

“I spent all week building this secret trap door system and--wait. What was that?”

“I said I’m leaving Sacred Heart. I’m going into private practice.” JD says.

“Leaving? You can’t leave! Who will I torture?” The Janitor says, a gloomy look spreading across his face.

“I’m sure you’ll find someone else. Or you could follow me to my private practice. They might need a Janitor.” JD says a little guiltily.

“Oh so you think that my day is so wrapped around you that I can’t get by without you?”

“I assumed-“

“You assumed that I couldn’t survive without you around here?” Janitor stands up and crosses his hands on over his chest, an evil scowl on his face.

“If that’s how you want to play Dorian, consider us over. I can find other people to torture. Hell, there’s Nurse Mop-head, Shirley, Dr. Cox, the new interns coming in- I’ve got a lot of options here.” He says stubbornly.

JD stands back up to crawl back out of the hole.

“Fine. I don’t care. Have a nice life.” He climbs out of the hole and ends up at Carla’s feet.

“Bambi? What are you doing down there?” she asks curiously. She did just find him in a hole, remember.

He gets up and dusts himself off. “Just saying goodbye to someone.” He says dismissively.

Carla peeks down into the hole and smiles.

Turk catches up to JD as he walks down the hallway.

“JD! I got it all planned out on the schedule.” He consults several pieces of paper he just pulled out of his pocket.

“I’ve got a tonsillectomy at 10:30 AM on Wednesday and another one at 3:30 -we got a lot of kids gettin’ their tonsils out lately- so in between then I have time to play a quick round of basketball, eat lunch and play World’s Most Giant Black Doctor with you. Tomorrow I got an open heart surgery so beforehand I’d like to kind of chill but after that I figure we could bring in Rowdy and Steven and pull some pranks on Dr. Beardface.”

“Sounds like a full week already.” JD says, smiling.

“And I’ve gotten one of the hot blonde surgical interns to agree to play the female lead in Dr. Acula so I figure Thursday we could get a couple of scenes read and shot for your movie.” Turk finishes triumphantly.

JD stops and tears up, he sniffles a little bit.

“Really?” Turk nods and he holds back a small sob. “Thank you Turk!” JD whispers.

“I’ve got a surgery in an hour but I just wanted to stop by and let you know the plan for the week.” Turk pats JD on the shoulder and turns down a hallway.

It was at that moment that I realized just how much I was going to miss it here at Sacred Heart. Was I actually going to miss being tortured by the Janitor everyday? Not really. But I was going to miss the occasional goofing off with Turk. And I was going to miss…Yeah I was going to miss the girls’ names and the constant belittling from Dr. Cox.

JD walks into the Coffee Bucks. “Hey Cabbage.”

Cabbage turns around and immediately starts making coffee for JD. “Hey Dr. Dorian. I heard you were leaving.”

“Wow. Word travels fast.” JD says, surprised.

He sets the coffee down on the counter and points over to his left. “He was complaining about it.”

JD looks over and sees the Janitor with Doug, Ted and The Todd sitting at a table. The Janitor looks at JD giving him the evil eye while Ted looks at something on the computer.

Ted rubs his bald head and groans.

“I don’t get it. I can’t get on anything. Not the lotto site, Google, Yahoo nothing. It’s all blocked.” He says, frustrated.

The Todd just nods and takes the computer away from Ted.

“That’s because The Todd has blocked all of the lame sites. Here, look at this one.”

Ted looks at the screen and his mouth drops.

“Oh my God…” He looks at The Todd.

“You are a sick, sick man.” He shakes his head in disgust as he gets up from the table.

The Janitor finally looks away from JD and pounds his fist on the table.

“I can’t believe Scooter is leaving.” He says angrily.

Todd looks confused. “Who’s Scooter?”

Doug opens a yellow lollipop and sticks it in his mouth.

“He means JD. I’m glad he’s leaving. He’s gotten scary the past couple of months. I was behind one day a couple of weeks ago because of that big pile up on the highway… It took me over an hour to get to a body and I thought he was going to rip out my liver.” He looks over at JD who narrows his eyes at him.

“Oh God…” Doug turns around and puts his head on the table.

“His eyes burn a hole through my soul.” He says, face deadpan.

“JD’s leaving?” The Todd looks down at the table for a second in thought before bolting from the table.

Doug looks at Janitor.

“You want me to leave don’t you?” Janitor just nods and Doug hurriedly gets up from the table, knocking over his chair, tripping and spilling his coffee in the process.

The Todd comes up JD just before he leaves the Coffee bucks and whispers something into his ear. JD looks absolutely disgusted. “NO!” he yells.

“Just wanted to make sure J-dog.” The Todd raises his hand for a five. “Miss You Five?”

“What the hell.” JD gives him the high five and snaps his finger. “Nice knowin’ you Todd.” He says sincerely.

I figured there would be a few people who would really miss me but The Todd? That’s just odd.

Dr. Powell comes in the Coffee Bucks and looks around. “Where’s Ted?” she asks.

Loud laughter comes from a corner of the café. Everyone stops what they’re doing and turns to the sound. Ted gets up from a table with a nurse sitting at it on the computer. He cockily saunters over to Dr. Powell with a smile on his face.

“Yes Angela?” he says.

“Angela?” Dr. Powell frowns and huffs. “Whatever… Where’s the file Ted?” she asks.

“I don’t know why don’t you look for it yourself?” Ted says bravely.

“You know what happens if you don’t find that file don’t you?”

“Yes I do!” Ted starts walking away backwards still laughing.

“And do you know what has two thumbs and doesn’t give a crap?” He stops and points to himself with his thumbs.

“Ted Buckland! I QUIT!” He shouts, leaving Dr. Powell fixated on the spot with her mouth wide open. Ted stops by the Janitor’s table and slaps the lottery ticket down on the table.

“Dreams do come true Janitor! I’m A MILLIONAIRE! WOOO HOO!” Ted cheers, waving his arms in the air, a massive grin plastered across his face.

He walks towards the doors to the coffee bucks just as Carla walks through them.

“Hey Ted have you-“

Ted stops and grabs Carla sweeping her off her feet and planting a kiss on her lips, interrupting her.

“I’ve wanted to do that for EIGHT YEARS!” He puts her back on her feet.

“Bye Carla.” He says happily.

With that he leaves the Coffeebucks.

Carla seems confused and looks around the café.

“What just happened?”

Over the next few days I said goodbye to everyone I could at the hospital. Other than Elliot and Turk I doubted I see anyone again. Maybe The Todd since he was always hanging out with Turk anyway.

I avoided Dr. Cox like the plague. Every time I got near him I could see this black cloud form around him and if looks could kill then I’d have been dead long ago.

I managed to see Ted one more time as he cleared out a few things from his desk.

JD stands in Ted’s office as he puts his things into a box. A picture of his mother, his nameplate…

“Congratulation’s Ted, I’m glad things worked out for you.” JD says.

A few bottles of pills…

“Thanks JD. It’s nice to see you’re getting out of here before your soul gets sucked out.”

JD looks confused as Ted pulls a gun out of a drawer and drops it in.

“Uh Ted…” JD starts.

“I’m just keeping it because it’s an antique.” Ted says tightly.

“What are you going to do with all of your money?” JD asks conversationally.

Ted smiles and closes all of the drawers on his desk.

“I’m putting mom in the ritziest retirement home I can find. I’m buying myself a house, a new wardrobe and… I’m getting a hair transplant.” He walks out of the office.

“I’m also buying Doug and Todd a small house each. And I’m buying the Janitor a new van with wall to wall squirrel carpet. I’m also going to give Carla and Turk some money for a house so they can save up for college for the kids.” Ted explained.

“Ted… that’s so… nice.” JD says, taken aback at his genuine generosity

He just shrugs as he shuts the door to his old office.

“I also told some of neighborhood kids I’d by them all bikes if they did me a favor.” Ted says, smirking slightly.

Dr. Kelso walks outside of his house to get his morning paper, coffee in hand. He picks up the paper and reads the front of it before scanning the yard. His mouth hangs open as he drops his coffee and paper.

The front yard has been torn to pieces, his mailbox ripped from its post. His convertible has shaving cream all over it. Kelso walks out into his yard to see his house and all the trees around it have been toilet papered.

Ted sighs in content.

“Good luck in private practice JD.” He says, shaking JD’s hand.

With that, he turns on his heel and walks away, whistling to himself quietly. He stops suddenly and whistles loudly.

“Guys come on! Let’s go!” Ted says loudly.

The rest of Worthless Peons fall in behind him and they file into the elevator singing,

“Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey hey, goodbye!”

Seeing that Ted was going to spend a large amount of his lottery winnings on other people made me realize something. When it comes down to it, you have to thank the people that helped you over the years. And in his own way, Dr. Cox helped me out a great deal over the past eight years and for that I have to thank him.

“In fact I think I’ll track him down right now.” JD starts walking towards the elevator when he falls into another hole.

If I make it out of the hospital alive.

Dr. Cox is walking down a hallway with several charts in his hands. He stops by the Nurse’s Station to see Carla in her street clothes sitting behind the counter.

“What are you doing here, about ready to pop out Gandhi Jr.?” he teases.

Carla gets up from her chair and starts following Dr. Cox as he takes off towards a patient room.

“Bambi is getting depressed about leaving. He’s been trying to act like it’s not bothering him but it is. He’s leaving all of his friends behind and he’s leaving you behind to go to a new place where he’ll basically have to start over.” Carla declares.

“Wah, wah, wah, wah.” Dr, Cox growls as he shoves a chart into some nameless intern’s hands.

“You honestly think I care?” he says meanly.

“Yes I do. You care a hell of a lot more than you let on. I think you’re proud of the great doctor JD has become and I think you were worried about him when you started hearing all the rumors and stories from the interns about his behavior.” Carla accuses, raising her eyebrows at Dr. Cox.

“His behavior? What are you talking about?” he says, fiddling with the pen in his hands.

Carla put her hand on his shoulder. “You honestly don’t know what’s been going on with your little protégé the year?”

“I’m not his mentor, he’s not my protégé. I think that’s probably the millionth time I’ve said that. I hope that sometime today you might leave me alone and stop trying to get me to admit that I’m actually upset that Janice is packing up her dollies and going to play somewhere else.”

“Could you at least ATTEMPT to talk to him?” Carla presses.

Dr. Cox crosses his arms.

“Fine, I will at least try to go and wish Trish all the best in her future endeavors.” He shakes his head as the door opens behind him.

“But there will be no hugs, no crying, no declaration of wanting Newbie to be my daughter, no acceptance of me being his mentor, no heart to heart at all.”

He notices Carla smiling.

“What?” he asks.

“Now.” She says simply.

With that a pair of arms drags Dr. Cox into the patient’s room throwing him to the floor. He looks up long enough to The Janitor and Carla standing in the doorway waving at him as they slam the door shut. Dr. Cox gets up and tries to open the door but finds it locked on the outside. He starts shoving the door.

“Carla! Jumpsuit!” he shouts.

Outside the door the Janitor gives the padlock a tug to make sure it’ll hold.

“If he keeps that up it should about twenty minutes max.” he says.

“I don’t know how to thank you.” Carla gushes.

“You or anyone else figured out how to give my first born son gills yet?” he asks seriously.

Carla just shakes her head.

“Never hurts to ask.” He walks away and pats her on her shoulder.

“Think of this as my going away present to you.” Janitor says, smiling.

Inside the room Dr. Cox gives ramming the door down one last try. After he does he stops as his ears pick up a faint moaning sound.

“No Steven it’s too early for me to let you out.”

“Oh dear God.” Dr. Cox looks up at the ceiling.

“I’m dead aren’t I? And this is hell.” He turns around to see JD sprawled out on the bed.

He walks over the bed and stands there with his arms crossed and watches as he keeps sleeping away. A sharp whistle and JD sits right up.

“Okay Sleeping Beauty time to get up.” Dr. Cox says.

JD shakes his head and grabs it moaning and mumbling incoherently, “Janitor… trap door… knife-wrench…”

“I’ll give you a few minutes to rub the sleep from your eyes there Princess and then we’ll talk.”

JD suddenly snaps out of his dazed state and looks over at Dr. Cox with wide eyes.

“Talk? You want to talk?” JD says disbelievingly.

“Only because I’m betting we’re not getting out of here until we do.” He thumbs over towards the door.

“Lurch and Carla have us trapped in here.” He explains.

“Well then, what did you want to talk about?” JD says in a small voice, pulling his knees up, hugging them with his arms and resting his chin on them.

“Absolutely nothing, but Carla thinks that I need to have a little heart to heart with you so I guess that is entirely up to you.”

Dr. Cox sits down in a chair next to the bed JD is sitting on.

“Well Chatty Cathy, go ahead.”

“I wanted to tell you why I decided to leave.” JD waits for something snide remark to come out of Dr. Cox’s mouth.

I had to have waited a while for something…anything to come out of Dr. Cox’s mouth. I waited for the “Sellout” remark, for him to say it was because I couldn’t cut it in the real medical world; I waited for the nasty remark that compared me to a girl. But it never came. Which meant… He actually wanted to talk.

“You can continue at any point there, Newbie.” Dr. Cox says, looking JD straight in the eyes.

JD takes a deep breath before standing up.

“Ever since I was a little kid I wanted to be a doctor. I read everything I could get my hands on about being a doctor, I played doctor… I based most of my life around my future. My first day here I was so overwhelmed with the job I was scared that I wasn’t going to follow through with my dream. I started to enjoy my job and being here with my friends but as the years have gone by…” He pauses and looks over at Dr. Cox who seems to be listening intently.

“I’ve found it harder and harder to want to get out of bed and come here every day. And the past year it’s just gotten worse I’ve started to get angry and I’ve been taking it out on the interns. I didn’t realize it was happening until a few days ago… I went off on an intern for practically no reason and when I went back and thought about it, I realized I needed to get out of here.” JD says, a flit of frustration showing on his face.

Dr. Cox leans forward in his chair.

“So you yell at the interns? Everybody does it!”

“You don’t get it!” JD marches over in front of Dr. Cox and leans down to his level, resting his hands on the arms of the chair.

“This dump is changing me for the worse. Yes, over the years I’ve matured a little bit but I’ve managed to still be JD. The past year for whatever reason, this place has started to get to me. It’s turning me into all of the worse parts of YOU.” JD cries, emphasizing the ‘you’ part.

“For someone who spent their first year gushing about how much they wanted to be like me-“

“That’s not it. You don’t get it. I wanted to be a good doctor like you. I never said I wanted to be Perry Cox. I don’t want to end up making the same bad decisions and spend years paying for it. I don’t want to spend the next twenty years of my life becoming bitter and closed off because I know that’s not me.” JD backs away from the chair and goes over and sits on the bed, once again hugging his legs to his chest, as if he could get comfort from them.

Dr. Cox takes a minute to process what JD has just said.

“So that’s it huh? You’re going to up and leave because things are getting tough?” Before JD can respond he continues.

“You’re just scared because you’re actually acting a little bit like a man and less like the daydreaming little girl that first walked through those doors eight years ago. Everyone ends up becoming somewhat bitter at some point in their lives Newbie.” Dr. Cox says, almost smiling. But not quite.

“I hate it here, I really do. And in all honesty, I’m starting to hate you.” JD sighs as Dr. Cox is left speechless.

“Did at one point you ever look up to Kelso? You act like you’ve hated Kelso your entire life but I bet if I found someone that knew you from your days as an intern here they’d tell me that you might have idolized him. Is that all this is, one big cycle?” JD says rather than asks, throwing his arms in the air.

“You’re presuming a lot there Sally Jesse.” Dr. Cox retorts.

“You taught me a lot while I was here. If it wasn’t for you I might not have lasted a week here. And I don’t want to end up despising you.” JD says in a quiet voice.

Dr. Cox sighs and gets up from his chair.

“Fine, seeing as how I’ll probably never see you ever again I’m- I’m- gonna straight shoot with you. You want to know how I feel right now? I’ll tell you. I’m pissed off that after all the ranting and raving about sell out private practice jackasses you decided to go and become one yourself. You’re going to go into an office, spend 20 minutes with a patient and BAM out the door. I know you’re not like that; you’re the one always babbling on about the extra mile crap. You think you’re gonna be able to go the extra mile when you see someone for fifteen minutes and then on to the next patient?”

“I’m gonna try-“

“I’m not done.” Dr. Cox places a finger on JD’s mouth to silence him.

“This is the part I’m going to have trouble with so bear with me.” He takes a deep breath before continuing.

“Newbie, all the girl’s name, all the crap I sent your way was to toughen you up for the years of torment and anguish you were going to go through in this hell hole, and maybe you’d be able to deal with it better that I did. You practically pranced through those front doors your first day didn’t you? Don’t answer yet. You were off in your own little fantasy world about playing doctor and when reality hit you couldn’t take it. So I tried to help you in my own screwed up way. I knew you were a smart kid, I knew you had what it takes to be a great doctor and I decided the first time I heard you say you wanted to be like me; that I’d do everything in my power to keep that from happening.” He stops and places his hands on the top of his head.

“Guess I failed to do that huh?” he mutters, smiling finally.

Seeing and hearing Dr. Cox actually be honest and open to me was overwhelming. At least I didn’t cry.

“You’re actually gonna miss me aren’t you?” JD whispers.

The hands leave the head and Dr. Cox turns around.

“Going about my day without constantly being bothered by you for personal advice, medical advice, and a hug might take a little getting used to. But I’ll get by.”

“Can I get that hug?”JD tries to contain his smile and grips the sheets on the bed.

“He’s finally going to break down and give you that hug.”

“Lisa, are you ra-hee-healy that desperate for a hug from me? You are a grown man and if you actually want me to treat you as one for your last remaining days here, you’ll just let it go.” Dr. Cox says, ducking his head down to hide his smile.

JD gets up from the bed.

“Fine.” He walks over to the door and knocks on it a few times.

“You’ll probably try to avoid me for the next two days so…” He looks down at the ground and then up at Dr. Cox.

“Thank you. For everything.”

“You’re welcome Newbie.” Dr. Cox says after a short pause.

Carla opens the door with the Janitor standing next to her.

“Are you two ready to leave?” Dr. Cox rushes past the both of them and into another patient’s room.

“Bambi?” Carla asks.

“It’s okay. We’re cool.” JD says truthfully.

The last two days at Sacred Heart were incredibly emotional. Elliot -even though we were going to be working for the same private practice- was crying constantly.

Elliot is blowing her nose while mascara runs down her face.

“JD, it’s just going to be different around here with you. It’ll be so weird coming into work without seeing you.” She sobs.

Turk was just as bad but he wouldn’t show it. I just knew.

JD and Turk are getting dressed in the locker room.

“It’s not gonna be as fun around here without you man. I tried playing find the saltine with The Todd but it was… creepy.” Turk says, wrinkling his nose.

The Todd jumps up behind him in his banana hammock with a saltine sticking out of the top of it.

“T-Dogg! Find the saltine!” he cries.

JD’s mouth is wide open.

“…That, is disgusting.”

The Janitor was still angry with me… More than usual. I spent most of my last days avoiding the trap doors and the wet floors. I got mopped several times my last day but it was to be expected.

JD is laying on the floor after just slipping on a wet floor. The Janitor comes up to him with a mop. He closes his eyes to prepare to be mopped.

“This is the fifth time today. Jeeze!”

“You know Scooter, I’m gonna miss this. And just to show you there’s no hard feelings.” He drops the mop and grabs JD by his arms and pulls him to his feet. He whispers something in his ear.

“Really?” JD’s eyes go wide as Janitor nods.

“That’s cool. Tell you the truth, I’m gonna miss the daily torture as well. It just seems normal now.” JD says, a hint of sadness in his voice.

After almost everyone had said their goodbyes to me I realized I had one thing left to do.

JD quietly enters a room where the blonde intern [“Maria”] is quietly working on a coma patient. He seems very focused on what he’s doing.

“Good IV placement uh…”

The intern whirls around almost dropping his stethoscope.

“Dr. Dorian! I didn’t mean to spend so much time with the coma patient, it’s just is potassium levels were abnormally high and I-“

“Maria calm down. I just wanted to come by and apologize for the way I’ve treated you the entire year. I’m sorry and you and the other interns didn’t deserve that. I wanted to apologize to you personally because I feel that you were the one I rode the hardest. I don’t even know you’re name.” JD says, feeling guilty.

“It’s Martin sir.” Maria--Martin says.

“Is it Dr. Martin or is that a first name?” JD asks.

“It’s both sir.” Martin looks down at the ground, ashamed at his name.

“Your name is Martin Martin?” JD asks incredulously.

“I hate my parents sir.” Dr. Martin says, his smile not quite meeting his eyes.

JD sticks his hand out for the intern to shake.

“Well, it was nice knowing you Dr. Martin… Martin.”

“I’d like to say the same Dr. Dorian, but it’s been mostly… horrifying.” Dr. Martin says, smiling properly this time.

JD laughs and leans into his ear.

“Get out of here while you can.” He leaves the room and starts walking down a hallway waving and nodding at people.

Throughout all the goodbye’s there was one person that I wish-

JD is yanked into a supply closet.

“What the-“ Inside is Dr. Cox, in street clothes looking at him like he wants to say something. “Dr. Cox-“

“Be quiet.” He steps closer to him.

“You tell anyone about this and I mean ANYONE -especially Carla- I will take both of those dead dogs of yours and turn them into a new purse and matching boots for Jordan.” Dr. Cox threatens.

“What- I-“ JD is silenced by a pair of arms around him.

“Oh my god… No way. No way. No way. He’s hugging me!”

Dr. Cox let’s go of him and shoves him lightly away.

“Well, what are you waiting for? Get out while you still can.” Dr. Cox says, a small blush dominating his cheeks.

JD puts his hand on the door and opens it seeing a group of people outside.

“There are a lot of people out there. What do I say? They’re all staring.”

“Tell them you just confessed your undying love for me for all I care.” Dr. Cox mutters.

“I’ll still see you at the bar right?” JD asks.

“If we happen to run into each other at the bar I guess I wouldn’t care if you ordered up an Appletini and blabbed about your problems.” Dr. Cox says, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly.

“See ya Dr. Cox.” JD whispers.

“See ya…” He almost cringes a little bit. “JD.”

JD opens the door with a smile and sees the crowd outside.

“What?” he asks, feigning surprise.

Shirley has her arms crossed.

“What was going on in there?” she inquires.

“I tried to beg Dr. Cox for a hug.” He looked over and saw Elliot. “Never gonna get it.”

He gathers up his things and heads towards the exit.

As I walked towards those doors I couldn’t help but think about everything that I’ve experienced over the years. The heartache, the joy the friends I’d made and lost… It’d make for a great video montage…

Even though I was leaving Sacred Heart I knew that it would still be here, still running.

JD walks out the doors and puts his hands on his hips and takes a deep breath. He spots someone walking towards the door.

“You’re an intern here?” he asks.

And I know that when one story ends…

JD smiles at the red haired girl from the lunchroom earlier in the week.

“Good luck in there, you’re gonna need it.” JD says truthfully.

He pats the girl on the shoulder and time slows down for a second. The voiceover changes from JD’s to the girl’s.

…another story is just beginning.

With that JD walks away from the red head as she stares at the doors.

“I can do this… I’m the… Woman.”

She walks inside the doors with her head held high.