The Doctor

When Alec had agreed to come back and settle his beef with that asshole he had no idea what he was getting into. The race itself was insane and it had no rhyme or any reason, every rider was out for themselves, the more confident ones muscling others not so confident off the track.

He'd already watched two guys go down and not get back up and he was trying very hard not to think about it, simply accelerating before braking to handle a sharp turn. The back of the bike swung out and the bike's weight balanced on the front wheel, precariously and dangerously, but Alec shifted his weight and manipulated both gears and brakes to allow the bike to hit tarmac again.

He breathed out and pressed down again, letting the bike handle the road ahead with as much speed as he could pull from its tank, determined not to let the guys behind him overtake and try to muscle him out. Alec's hands tightened around handlebars and pressed down, shifting through the lull that accompanied the next corner, drawing his weight up a few moments later.

A bike shot past him and a curse escaped his lips before Alec merely focused his attention, catching sight of a shorter way around and it was with an abrupt change of direction that he took it. "C'mon, c'mon," he muttered as he played chicken with the lights, seeing a small amount of traffic up ahead. If he didn't hit the road right then there was a good chance he was going to get clipped and he'd seen how high speed crashes on bikes had worked out from past patients so that really wasn't an option.

He pushed the bike that much harder, listening to the purr turn into a steady roar. The seconds that passed were tense, but thankfully Alec timed it right and managed to get through the lights without any hassle. The doctor let out a breath he hadn't been aware of holding and hit the next turn at startling speed, grunting as he fought to control the bike. His risk paid off, he overtook the leader and then simply accelerated away, leaving them trailing in his dust.

He could do this, he just had to stay ahead and think outside of the box.

Just another lap to go.

Alec pulled on the split in his lip and grunted faintly as he spat out a mouthful of blood, hissing in a breath that caused his teeth to rattle in his jaw. Apparently he'd taken a bend too fast, cut somebody off and the brute hadn't taken too well to coming in last. It really wasn't Alec's fault that the dude couldn't ride.

"Look," he began, immediately cut off by a set of hands in his collar and hauled to his feet. Okay, wow, strong. "It's not my fault you lost."

"You cut me off!" He snarled before drawing his hand back.

Thankfully this time Alec saw it coming so he had the good sense to duck and figured fuck it if the guy could try and kick his ass then he might as well give as good as he got. Alec slammed himself into the other man's stomach and took him down to the ground, managing to catch his own knee at the time, not that it mattered. Alec was currently focusing on making sure the other man couldn't and wouldn't get up anytime soon.

There was a struggle, both men vying for dominance, a battle that eventually ended with Alec's hand freezing mid punch when the guy spoke through a mouthful of blood. "Wait!"

Alec's hand flexed restlessly as the other remained fisted in the guy's shirt collar. "What?" He demanded, hair in complete disarray and knuckles split open and raw.

"We can solve this another way 'stead of us just beating up on each other."

The crowd around them immediately started talking and this caused Alec to look up, furrowing his brow at what could have caused such a buzz so quickly. Obviously the guy on the ground knew something he didn't.

"So, what?" Alec demanded, adrenaline in his veins causing his voice to be deeper and patience shorter.

The guy grinned slowly. "Meet me here tomorrow at three in the morning and we'll settle things then."

Alec found himself cocking his head as he attempted to understand, but he didn't have a lot of time to question the other man because his friends were stepping forward, helping him and Alec to their feet.

"Tomorrow," the guy confirmed with a nod of his head before turning on his heel, disappearing back into the crowd.

Alec brushed the back of his hand over his mouth and then stepped back, turning a second later as he slid through the crowd to where his bike was parked. Three tomorrow morning? Here was hoping his shift finished early.

At three in the morning the streets of Chicago were practically empty except for a stray cab here and there, meaning the long stretches of tarmac were free to anybody to roam. Perfect for those adrenaline fueled junkies that got a kick out of pushing themselves to the limit, hitting the gas and seeing how far and how fast they could go.

Street racing - it was highly illegal, but exactly what a stressed out overworked doctor with a weakness for adrenaline rushes needed. Alec had his friend from work to thank for having found out about the races, without him he never would have gotten near the place. He'd said something about vouching for Alec.

It was risky, anything could happen, one wrong fall and you could quite easily wipe yourself out, but hell, that was half the fun.

Alec had watched several races, winced at a couple and then talked to the guys involved. Thankfully he could strike up conversation with pretty much anyone so getting to know about the races was easy enough. The circuit was well known amongst the more seasoned riders and they took their time in detailing it to Alec, pausing only long enough to ask about his curiosity. It was then that he admitted he wanted to race, get involved and see how well or badly he did at it.

( Ready... Steady... Go! )

When he'd signed up for the graveyard shift in the emergency room, Alec had been working under the impression that he might actually get a chance to sit down and sift through his paperwork, but it wasn't meant to be.

Apparently every crazy person had taken to the streets this evening.

He'd seen six car crashes, three stabbings, two pregnant teenagers with a higher alcohol to blood ratio and a couple interesting... inanimate objects in... a couple of interesting places.

Alec was finally catching his breath, pushing his hands into his hair and blinking his eyes blearily. He had another three hours left to go and he almost welcomed the next thing to come through those doors, figuring after the guy with the cucumber up his ass then he could handle pretty much anything.

The worse thing?

The guy had somehow managed to slip his number into his file, clearly thinking he had a shot at Alec. It was quite... traumatising to say the least. He was going on a date, very soon. With a woman, a normal woman. Not like the women he'd seen earlier that evening who had preceded to regal him with their tales of fun and debauchery. Alec almost felt sorry for the pole that one of them had wrapped themselves around. It would have made one hell of a YouTube video though.

"Doctor Reed," Nurse Calver said as she spotted him.

Alec took a deep breath and turned his head. "Yes, Sally?"

"We've got another knife wound."

Alec scrubbed at his eyes. "Right, gotcha." He headed over to her and took the information the paramedic had handed over upon arrival, briefly looking over it until something just struck him. Alec turned his head and looked over at the Nurse, "Hey, can I ask you something, Sally?"

She looked up at him expectantly. "Sure?"

"Would you like to go out sometime?" Alec asked, straight out and confidently.

Sally blushed and then offered a smile. "I'd love to, Doctor Reed."

Alec smiled first before he shook his head and winked. "You're gonna have to call me Alec on the date." He disappeared through the nearby doors a second later, leaving a chuckling Sally Calver in his wake.

Alec tapped his pencil against the clipboard in his hand before catching the rubber edge between his lips, worrying the corner of it with the sharp tips of his teeth. He'd been on shift for 8 hours and counting, working through his paperwork and following up on test results. It wasn't the most exciting way to be spending his time, but he knew it needed to be done.

A patient's recovery was in the legwork of the doctor looking after them.

Alec had lost count of how many times he'd run up and down stairs, in and out of rooms, talked to God only knew how many people and chased x-rays. He supposed it just went to prove that not everybody could make a miraculous recovery like his cancer patient, but then if Alec hadn't touched him and hadn't gotten so emotionally involved then maybe he'd be dead?

It made his head hurt, it really did.

He made a couple notes and flipped through the pages of paperwork, narrowing his eyes at the results below and what steps he would need to take. He made another note about the next course of medicine, knowing he'd have to speak to the nurse on night shift to be sure his patient got the doses at the right time throughout the night. That would of course mean staying a little later, but, whatever, he could do that.

Alec put that paperwork to one side and picked up another case, putting a few finishing notes as the patient was due out of the hospital in the morning after having made a good recovery without the aid of his apparently magic hands. He blew out a long breath and put his signature to the dotted line, sliding a couple papers free and gathering them up to staple and file.

A yawn escaped him until it was muffled by the back of his hand. "Hmm, more coffee." He placed his files to one side and got to his feet, stretching his back. "Definitely need more coffee." Alec bid his paperwork a brief adieu as he went in search of caffeine, hopefully somebody had thought to clean the machine so it didn't taste so... bland.

Yeah, bland was the polite word for it. Definitely.

Personal Journal Entry of Alec Lee Reed

This whole coughing up cancer thing has... let's just say I'm not in the best place, mentally speaking. My physical health has never been better, which is just weird, considering I felt like I was dying a couple days ago.

So far I haven't actually run into Toby and oddly enough I'm okay with that. Maybe it's lame, but the last thing I want to be doing right now is explaining something I don't even understand myself.

I'm doing that thing that most teenage boys do once they've discovered the internet is for porn (see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNARJPNz2CA for reference) and by that I mean I'm hiding out in my room and only coming out when absolutely necessary.

Spacey's keeping me company, I think she missed me.

Cleaned up the bathroom as well, with bleach, lots and lots of bleach. I don't ever want to look at that sink and see that shit I coughed up ever again. My parents were absolute no help, they just made with the changing of subject and by that I mean they talked about Hilary and how perfect she is for me.

Uh, no, I don't think so.

Feeling... I don't know, weird, I guess. Not myself.

Alec's attending had finally signed off on him being released and whilst he knew he should call home and ask for a lift he didn't think it was necessary so he just called a cab.

Outwardly it didn't look like anything had changed - he was still the same old Alec - but inwardly? Everything had changed. He'd coughed up a massive amount of cancerous tissue for God's sake; there was no ignoring or denying that.

It didn't make sense.

He wasn't special - not in that way - it wasn't possible, and yet the test results were saying the complete opposite. He knew he needed to speak to his parents, but it wasn't exactly something he was looking forward to given their reaction the last time something strange had happened.

( Not Crazy )

To wake or not to wake, that really was the question.

Alec Lee Reed chose the latter and wished that he hadn't. Everything hurt - from his jaw to chest and from his chest to his knees. He licked his lips, hissing in a slight breath as they stung from not having been moved in a while and the skin had dried up quite considerably.

He blinked his eyes, tilted his head and furrowed his brow at the drip attached to the back of his hand. Where was he? He looked up and felt his head spin ever so slightly as the white ceiling blurred in front of him but that just confirmed it.

He was in hospital.

Alec closed his eyes briefly and inhaled a slow breath, backtracking over the events that had happened before. A hand moved to his chest where fingers curled and tips pressed inwards as Alec sought out the pain that had been there before, but it was absent. He didn't have the same ache everytime he breathed in and breathed out, it made no sense.

What happened?

Personal Journal Entry of Alec Lee Reed

It's the same every year without fail.

I'm the new guy so I pulled the short straw as far as working New Years went, a long 12 hour shift that began and ended the same. You'd think for the turning of a New Year people would let things alone, but you'd be wrong.

Arguing couples, car accidents, fights, stupid pranks that somehow (God only knows how) went wrong and the occasional family on the brink.

I spend every New Years Eve hoping that things will be different, that I'll be surprised - I never am. Different city, same bullshit. People always ask me why I don't look forward to the New Year and I always tell them that my job doesn't really lend me to the same excitement as everybody else.

Least this year I have a place of my own and I'm not holed up in some random hotel room because my apartment may or may not have gotten flooded. My parents called just before the clock struck midnight and I proceeded to listen to my mother complain about me still being single. I think she wants grandkids, but she'll be lucky.

Although there was this cute nurse on shift with me, maybe I'll ask her out? Or not, mixing business with pleasure never works out. Been there, done that, never again.

The biggest things about the last year are of course: my move, meeting my first vampire and vampire slayer. Who would have thought it? Not me that's for sure. In spite of everything I do think I made the right choice by moving, I wasn't happy.

Maybe just maybe I'll have a better chance at knowing what happy is like now that I'm here.

One can hope, right?

Alec had settled into his new hospital with relative ease, getting to know the doctors and making friends with the nurses. He was already well liked and welcomed into the hospital, it was a good environment to work within. Even so he couldn't help but notice the plight of patients not so accustomed to the hospital, how they eyed the walls like they might fall down around them and how they poked at the food. There was always a heavy feeling of misery at this time of year and it was always the same: people lost family members, others were struggling for money, some had been unlucky enough to fall ill and others were there because they had nowhere better to be and at least in hospital people paid them attention.

He'd been assigned to a particular family where the sixteen year old girl had tried to take her life, her parents blamed television and the video games she played, but there was more to it than that. Alec could see it, the way she avoided eye contact and how she would never talk about school. He'd tried, she never wanted to say anything. He suspected she was being bullied, but he couldn't be sure, it was just a feeling he had.

"Hey," he said as he entered the room and offered the girl a smile. "How are you doing today?"

The girl whose name happened to Mariah simply lifted her shoulders into a shrug. "Okay, I guess."

Alec picked up the clipboard at the end of her bed and glanced over the notes taken by nurses doing their regular checkups. "Where are your folks?" For worried parents they were sure absent a lot, talking on their cell phones or blaming one another for their daughter being in the hospital. Alec wouldn't put it past them to blame Mariah for ruining Christmas, they seemed the type.

"Around," Mariah said vaguely.

Alec put the clipboard down and approached the bed, picking up her bandaged wrist to gently unwind the bandage so he could check on the healing cut. It was strange how his fingertips tingled at the contact but he put that down to the sudden change of temperature as he'd been out talking to the paramedics before checking in on Mariah. "They do that a lot, huh? Just disappear?"

Mariah gave an awkward laugh. "Yeah, they do."

Alec tipped his head and once satisfied that the cuts were sufficiently stitched and healing he wrapped another clean bandage around the wound. "My folks were the same. Always had somewhere they needed to be. The wonders of having parents that work, huh?" He glanced up at Mariah and smiled. "Mom always had some case to work on and dad? His pager was always on so invariably it always went off at the most important times." He checked on her other wrist. "Your folks like that?"

Mariah nodded her head. "Yeah, I don't see them a lot."

"But you'd like to," Alec muttered as he filled in the blanks, looking away after Mariah had given a nod of her head. "Yeah, I can imagine you would. Most kids do." Once he was satisfied with his observations Alec returned to the clipboard to write down his thoughts on the paper. "Do you find it easy to talk to them? About stuff at school?"

Mariah's eyes widened. "What do you mean? Nothing's happening at school."

Alec simply tipped his head and lifted an eyebrow. "Something must be going on if the only option you think you have left is to take your own life." He was silent as he let Mariah soak that up, making a few extra notes on the next page. It would be easier for the psychriatrist assigned to Mariah to understand what was going on if they had detailed notes to work off of. "You should try talking to them."

Mariah just shook her head and gave a small sad smile. "They wouldn't listen. They never listen to me."

Alec felt something in his chest twist at the sad accepting look on Mariah's face. He hated when he saw young teenagers ignored by their parents especially when being a teenager was one of the harder things there was to be. Kids were cruel, unfortunately. Mariah was clearly in need of a lot of love and attention. "Well if you can't talk to them I know somebody you can talk to. She's a lovely lady and she'll be introducing herself to you in about an hour or so. Her name's Claudia and she's a good person, I think she'll be able to help if you let her."

Mariah frowned and fiddled with the edges of her bandages as she hid behind long dark hair. "Yeah, maybe." She lifted her shoulders into another shrug and tucked her hair behind her ear.

"Try it," Alec suggested. "It might make you feel a little better. Until then I'm afraid you're stuck with me, but I think I've bugged you enough for one day. I'll check in on you a bit later." Alec smiled and turned to leave the room, pausing only briefly when Mariah called her name.

"Doctor Reed?"

"Yeah?"

"You could do one thing for me."

Alec turned on his heel and waited, wondering what if anything he could do to help.

"Could you maybe tell the nurses that I hate red jello? I feel bad everytime they bring it in and I always feel like I've got to eat it." Mariah bit her lower lip and gave a sheepish smile.

Alec laughed and nodded his head. "Consider it done, Mariah. Consider it done."

( Voicemail for Izzy )