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randomweavingFic: Changeling
Characters: John Dorian/Perry Cox
Rating: NC-17 (eventually)
Chapter Rating: PG-13 for language and m/m kissing (finally!!).
Description: This is a wildly AU story with fantastical elements based on![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
thuri's Nano writing project. It begins late in season three, before Carla and Turk's wedding, and from there follows the characters as they face the Change, a strange, magical phenomenon that is turning ordinary humans into half-human creatures from fantasy.
Chapter listings: Contents Post
Author's Notes: We've decided to begin screening comments to protect from spoilers, since we've discussed a few plot points with some of you, so don't be alarmed if you don't see yours right away. :)
It took six hours instead of four because of the ice on the mountain roads, but once he left the foothills things cleared up, and Perry arrived at JD's apartment with little difficulty.
Once there, he called the cabin as promised, but JD didn't answer; Perry decided he must be out playing in the snow with Jack, or perhaps in the bathroom. He fought down the anxiety that wanted to spring to his throat, wondering when he'd turned into such a worrier, and got out of the car.
It hadn't snowed in town, though it was unseasonably cold, so Perry's attire wasn't completely unreasonable. He removed his hat and gloves, however, along with his overcoat, and left them on the seat of the truck before heading toward the building.
Turk answered when Perry knocked, and Perry barely bit back a startled yelp.
He'd almost completely transformed. There were still patches of his new body that were covered with a light down instead of the thick fur that covered most of him, but other than that, his transformation was basically complete. He was a dog-taur. Or a canitaur, as people were apparently calling them. His change wasn't into a domestic breed, though; he looked more like a wolf: strong, powerful legs, back covered with shaggy fur in alternating patterns of gray, red and white, large paws with thick pads and curved black nails. His fur had hints of brown to it, too, and it suited him oddly well, Perry had to admit.
"Hey, give me a break," Turk groused, stepping back to let Perry in. "I didn't ask for this." Then, frowning suddenly, he added, "Wait. What are you doing here?"
"I'm saving your ass, Gandhi, so try to show a little gratitude," Perry growled, then stepped forward to examine Turk's Change more thoroughly.
The surgeon still stood as tall as he had previously, so the wolf portion of his body was a little bigger than an actual wolf's body would be. And while it was clear there would be a lot of power to him, once he'd completed his transformation, Perry could tell he was wobbly on his feet, not quite used to dealing with the extra pair of legs.
Still, he was proportioned, and the fur blended naturally with his skin at the level of his hips. It looked natural, not some odd splicing experiment gone wrong, and Perry nodded slowly in approval. "Not bad, Gandhi," he admitted. "That look works better on you than I would've expected."
Turk frowned, looking startled. "Um. Thanks?" he said warily. "Uh...Carla's in the other room, and we're holding up okay for the most part, but we're seriously gonna need more food pretty soon. She's eating like she's pregnant with triplets or something, and it doesn't help that I pretty much polished off our supply when I was eating like that."
Perry nodded. "Sounds like JD," he murmured, ignoring the look Turk threw him at the use of the resident's actual name. "Well, I brought the truck; I'll head out and load it up for you." Then, remembering something JD had said, he turned to Turk again. "Has anyone heard from Barbie yet?" he asked softly, a frown on his face.
Turk bit his lip and shook his head. "No," he said, and Perry could hear the worry in his voice. "Not for almost three days. We keep calling her, but she's not answering, and I called the hospital and she's not shown up there either."
Perry nodded again. "I'm going to go check on her first, then," he said, and Turk's face brightened with heartfelt gratitude. "But first I want to have a look at Carla."
Perry stepped into the bedroom, hiding a smile when Carla looked at once surprised, relieved, and ready to begin lecturing him. He held up a hand, cutting her off, and said, "Save it for later, okay? Let me take a look, here..."
Carla, as it happened, was not much further along than Turk had been when JD had flown to them earlier that week. Her spine had elongated, curving backwards sharply yet gracefully, and she'd begun sprouting an extra set of legs perpendicular from her hips. Patches of dark gray downy fuzz were beginning to appear on her lower body, but Perry couldn't tell what color they would ultimately be. Basically, she looked like she belonged in a multi-colored tent with a fat bald man charging admission to see her, and Perry suddenly had no difficulty understanding why so many people rejected something that made them look like... well, like this.
He was just about to replace the covers over Carla's body when suddenly he noticing something else--a small protrusion from the base of her spine, maybe five or six inches long and about the width of a pencil. He lifted his eyebrows, making a small noise of surprise.
"What?" Carla demanded, sounding worried. "What is it?"
He shook his head, replacing the blankets, then commented casually, "Nice tail," trying to bite back a smirk.
Carla glared at him. "Don't even start with me," she said, raising a warning finger. "I mean it."
Perry held up his hands, grinning. "Sorry, sorry," he said, trying to look contrite and mostly failing. Apart from being hungry, Carla was doing fine, and Perry saw none of the signs of rejection JD had warned him about: sweating, shaking, loss of appetite or altered consciousness. "I'm going to go check on Barbie," he continued, folding his arms automatically over his chest. "But I'll be back soon, then I'll do your grocery shopping. Any specific requests?"
Carla shook her head, looking rueful. "Whatever you can find," she said. "Whatever you can stock up on. Right now I'll eat just about anything." Then, glancing up at him and biting her lip, she added, "There's... there's money on the kitchen counter in a coffee jar, and... JD said there was some under his mattress too." She looked down, slightly flushed. "I wouldn't normally use it, but he offered, and we've not exactly been able to work the last few days..."
Perry waved her off. "Don't worry about it," he said, voice quiet but sincere. "I've got plenty of credit, and some money set aside. I somehow doubt Jack's going to be needing his college fund now." He winked, meaning it as a joke, but when Carla blanched, he knelt taking her hand between both of his. "I'm kidding," he said. "Look, the only thing that matters right now is taking care of you guys. We have to stick together on this. Right?" When she nodded, he pulled her hand to his mouth and kissed it gently. "We'll manage, don't worry," he murmured. "I won't let you guys go hungry."
Her face softened, eyes welling with grateful tears. "Listen to you, Mister Sensitive," she teased, voice a little choked. "I always knew you were just a big teddy bear under all the bustle."
He grimaced, shrugging. "You beat it out of me," he retorted.
"Perry...thank you," she said quietly, looking down; as Perry watched, a tear slipped free, sliding over her nose and dripping onto the pillow beneath her head. "I don't know what we would have done..."
He moved forward and bent to kiss her cheek. "Don't worry about it," he repeated gently. "I mean it."
Then he stood, squeezing her hand and giving her another smile, pleased when she smiled back, visibly calmer. "I'll be back soon," he said, and she nodded.
Perry moved back into the kitchen, waving Turk off when the surgeon tried to hand him a wad of cash. "Save it, Gandhi," he said, holding up his own wallet between his finger and thumb. "Doctor, remember? I got this round."
Turk frowned. "Dude...we don't need charity," he said hotly.
"Then think of it as a loan," Perry returned, unconcerned. "Listen, I need to go check on Barbie; I don't have time to fight with whatever illusions of pride you're harboring. So save it, use it when you need it and I'm not here to bail your ass out, and stop arguing with me."
Turk sighed, but lowered his hand, the scowl never leaving his face. "You're an ass, you know it?" he said. "But... thank you."
Perry grinned impishly. "You're my biotch now," he drawled. "Forever and ever. Now be a good boy and try not to tinkle on the rug while Daddy goes after your kibble." He winked, then backed out of the apartment, closing the door behind him.
If nothing else, he decided, he would bring them some sense of normality. Even if it meant keeping up his old façade.
Not that he minded that much.
* * *
When he knocked on Elliot's apartment door, he was relieved to hear her voice from within. But relief quickly melted into concern at the frightened tremor he heard. "Hello?" she called. "Who--who is it?"
He reached for the knob, rattling it a little, but it was locked. "Barbie?" he called.
A pause, then, "D...Dr. Cox?"
"Yeah, it's me," he answered, frown deepening. "Listen, can you let me in?"
"I..." a panicked sob. "I can't. I can't walk. Please, help me, I..."
"Okay, okay," Perry said quickly, hearing her voice rising a little hysterically.
"It's not okay! I can't move!" She suddenly began to sob, harsh, frightened noises that were almost shrieks. "Help me, help me!"
Perry cringed, knowing he had to calm her down or someone was going to call the police. "Listen, Elliot," he said, voice low and stern, "I'm going to help you, but I need you to stay calm. Just relax, okay?"
It seemed to work; there was a muffled gasp, but the shrieking sobs slowed to the occasional sniffle. "O-okay..." she whimpered. Then, "D-don't leave me, okay? Please?"
"I won't," he promised, voice gentle again. "Just give me a minute, here--I have to figure out how I'm going to get in. I don't suppose you have an extra key hidden out here?"
"N-no," she said, voice rising a little again.
"Don't worry," he assured her quickly. "I'll figure out something else."
He backed up and stared at the door, then leaned on it, testing its strength. It rattled a little, and he nodded grimly to himself.
"Elliot, where are you?" he called.
"I'm... I'm in the kitchen," she replied. "That's as far as I could get...I wanted to stay near the food..."
Definitely Changing, then. "Okay," he said. "Hold tight--I'm going to try to break down the door."
He backed up, eyeing the distance, then hurled himself forward, shouldering into the wood with all his strength.
The door rattled, splintering a little around the hinges. He backed up, wincing a little at the ache in his shoulder, and rammed it again. It gave, crashing to the floor with a mighty clatter.
He stepped into the apartment, careful to avoid the shards of splintered wood, and looked around. It only took him a moment to spot Elliot.
She was lying on her side, clearly on the way to becoming a 'taur as well, though it was too early for him to tell what sort. But her hips had shifted backwards, her spine lengthening about a foot, and it was easy to see why she couldn't walk. She was lying on the tile in her kitchen, a couple blankets and a pillow within reach, and her cabinets were open, boxes and bags and cans of food, most empty or near to it, were spread around her. Despite himself, Perry was impressed at how well she'd managed under the circumstances.
She looked up at him, the tears in her eyes not quite hiding the incredulity. "What... what are you doing here?" she asked.
"Saving your ass," he replied, moving forward and trying to assess the situation. It wouldn't do to leave her here, that was for certain--even if he surrounded her with food. She needed to be looked after, and she couldn't do that alone. With that boyfriend of hers in New Zealand, Perry knew he'd have to somehow get her to Turk and Carla's.
"Listen, Elliot," he said, kneeling beside her and laying a hand on her shoulder. "You can't stay here like this."
She scowled, blowing the bangs out of her eyes. "Don't you think I know that?" she snapped, though her voice was shaky, and a fresh tear slid down her cheek.
He reached out and brushed it away without thinking. "Cool your jets, there, Barbie," he said, voice gentle. "Here's the plan. I'm loading you into my truck and taking you to Turk and Carla's. Turk can move around pretty well; he can look after you."
She bit her lip, expression a mixture of surprise and wariness, but after a moment she nodded. "Okay," she said, and her voice was a little calmer now, wariness slipping away to be replaced by gratitude, though the surprise remained.
He smirked at her. "Atta girl," he murmured. "Hold tight while I figure out the best way to do this."
In the end, he'd discovered the best way to transport the frightened young woman was by pulling her onto the fallen door and using it as a sort of stretcher. He looped a length of bed sheet to the doorknob before settling her on top and using the sheet to pull her along.
It took some doing, but after about half an hour, he managed to get her down to his truck. Though they made a good deal of noise, no one appeared to check on them; when he asked her about it, Elliot just shrugged and said she hadn't heard anyone coming or going in days.
"When I first realized I couldn't move, I tried calling for help," she said. "But... either they're all gone, or they're all in the same situation I am, because no one came."
Perry nodded, too busy to answer, and focused on getting her to the truck. Once there, he lifted her bodily onto the plywood cover, which still had the sleeping bag from when JD used it. She helped him as much as she was able, and between the two of them they eventually got her settled. She'd calmed down a good deal, and had begun to chatter, but he mostly tuned her out.
In another hour and a half, he'd gotten her back to JD's apartment and settled into the bed next to Carla.
Carla and Turk had been giddy with relief to see her. "We wanted to come after you," Turk said, "but I can barely walk and Carla can't at all, and we tried to call you..."
Perry ignored them, settling Elliot into the bed and moving to stretch his back. It popped loudly, and he groaned with relief, then turned and left the room. He needed to go after the food, and soon, much as he would've liked to rest and maybe shower; the stores would all be closing soon, and he'd probably need to rent a trailer, if he had to keep three of them fed, and there was no telling how much they'd eat when they had two stomachs to contend with...
He was halfway to the kitchen, scratching idly at his forearm as he tried to puzzle the logistics of acquiring that much food, when a hand suddenly landed on his shoulder.
It was Turk, who was looking a little misty-eyed. "Look, I..." he said, voice low. "I know you and I haven't always seen eye-to-eye, but... thank you." He glanced toward the bedroom, where Carla and Elliot's relieved chatter could be heard, before looking back at Perry. "You saved her life, and you saved JD's, and now you're saving ours, and I..." he broke off, shrugging a little. "Well, Carla's always said that under all that pain-in-the-ass shit you're always pulling, you really are a decent guy, and... she was right."
Perry was oddly moved by the speech, but there was no way he was going to let Turk know it.
Instead, he gasped theatrically. "Well, gosh, Oprah," he said, reaching up to wipe and an imaginary tear, "that's so moving I just might have to borrow a tissue before I leave."
Turk snorted, dropping his hand from where it still rested on Perry's shoulder, but he was grinning. "Whatever, dude," he said, shaking his head. "Your little secret's out now. Actions speak louder than words and all that. Rant away--you wouldn't be you if you didn't. But I'm onto you now."
Perry grinned, and waggled his eyebrows. "Oooh, you're onto me, eh?" he returned. "That a proposition, Gandhi? Because you know, JD might get jealous."
When the smile slipped from Turk's face, to be replaced with wide-eyed astonishment, Perry realized what he'd just said. They stood staring at one another in frozen silence for a long moment, before Turk said quietly, "He... he does care about you. I hope you're not just jerking his chain, because if you are I will come after you."
Perry discarded the urge to say something sarcastic, shaking his head slowly. "No," he replied, feeling oddly like a suitor asking his intended's father to bless the union. Passing the JD-guarding torch, are we? "I'm not. I promise." His face softened, and he smiled slowly, eyes going distant. "I care about him, too."
Turk was still for another moment, studying him, and Perry looked back up, meeting his gaze steadily.
Suddenly, the younger man's face split into a broad grin. "Excellent," he murmured. "Congratulations. Tell him I said so."
Perry's own smile broadened. "Tell him yourself," he quipped. "What am I, your messenger boy?"
Then he left, leaving Turk to chuckle lightly, before turning at the sound of Carla's voice. "Turk? Do we have any chips?"
"Coming, babe," he replied, thinking Perry was going to need to make more than one trip if he was going to get enough food to keep all of them fed.
* * *
Perry had realized the same thing, fortunately, and had decided to take a page from Jordan's book by renting a U-haul trailer. This he stocked as full as he could with provisions: canned foods, dried fruit, trail mix, nuts, chips, cereal, boxed dinners, cake mixes, and any number of other foods that would keep without aid of a refrigerator or freezer. He also stocked up on paper towels, trash bags, Kleenex, and various other essentials, not knowing what besides food the three 'taurs would need but figuring none of them would be running out to the corner convenience store any time soon.
He'd paused by the aisle with pads and tampons, then snorted, passing by without stopping. No telling exactly what the girls were becoming, but he somehow doubted periods were going to be an issue any longer.
As he loaded food into the cart, he couldn't help but notice the surprisingly small number of people that were out and about. Those who were seemed to have the same idea he did, and were stocking up; he noted many seemed nervous, and he swore at least one or two had oddly-shaped bulges under their jackets. He frowned, wondering just how quickly this thing was spreading, but didn't stop to talk to anyone, focusing instead on getting what the others would need to stay safely holed up on the apartment for a few weeks.
Once the trailer was more or less stuffed with dried foods, he loaded the truck bed with more perishable items: Frozen meats, several gallons of milk, orange juice, eggs and cheeses. He wasn't sure just how much room Carla and Turk had in their fridge, but he rather suspected he'd be starting from basically empty, if they were eating as quickly as JD had been.
It took about eight trips and five different stores (not to mention a few odd looks from the cashiers) but he finally had both the trailer and the truck filled with food. He'd only just settled back into the driver's seat, prepared to head back to Turk and Carla's apartment, when his cell phone rang.
He reached for it, feeling a smile curve his lips when he recognized JD's cell phone number. He flipped the phone open, lifting it to his ear. "Hey, Newbie."
"Perry!" JD's voice ached with relief. "God, you were supposed to call me when you got to town! I--"
"I did call you," Perry interrupted, pulling out of the parking lot. "You didn't answer. I would have called you back, but it's been a little...busy out here."
"We... Jack wanted to play in the snow," JD admitted, and even over the phone Perry could detect the sheepishness in his voice. "We were out there for a while."
"I hope you bundled him up?"
"Oh, come on, give me some credit," JD groused. "I am a doctor."
Perry wanted to laugh at the almost giddy happiness that suddenly rose within him. "You realize we sound like an old married couple?" he said softly.
JD laughed, a free, joyous sound that made Perry's grin grow impossibly wider. "I wasn't lying when I said the Larkins reminded me of us," the younger man replied. "We're a good team."
Perry chuckled softly. "Touché," he said, pulling back onto the freeway.
"So what's happening out there?"
Perry relayed the details of the situation to JD as he drove back, describing Carla and Elliot's changes at the younger doctor's request. He smiled, sensing the shift in gears as JD's curious medical mind took over and began working on the puzzles.
"Sounds like Carla's could be a cat," he said. "From the way you've described the shape of the spine, and the width of the tail. I guess Elliot's really too soon to tell."
"Could be," Perry agreed, fighting the urge to laugh as he turned the truck into the parking lot of the apartment building. "Hey, I've gotta let you go," he said, feeling a little twinge of regret. "I've got to start unloading all this stuff."
"Oh! Yeah, sure, okay," JD said. "I think Jack's hungry anyway. We're going to get some food and watch a movie, I think. Isn't that right, Jack?" Perry did laugh then, hearing Jack's happy giggling in the background, and hearing him cry "Up! Up!"
"Sounds like that's your cue, Daddy," Perry said without thinking.
There was a sharp intake of breath from JD, and for a moment, Perry wondered if he'd somehow offended the younger man. But then JD said, voice soft with wonder, "Daddy. I guess... I guess I kind of am, aren't I?"
"Damn right you are," Perry replied, smirking a little; it was sentimental, sure, but... it was JD all over, and if it made him that happy... "That's what you get when you hitch up with me. Package deal, I'm afraid, Daddy."
JD's breathing hitched a little, but Perry could hear the smile in his voice when he answered, "God, that... that feels really good to hear."
Perry's smirk softened to a smile. "Get used to it," he replied. "I'll talk to you soon."
"Yeah," JD replied, still sounding a little awed. "I...yeah. Bye." Then, shyly, "Love you."
"Love you, too," Perry murmured, wondering why it was so easy to say that. Jordan had practically had to beat it out of him, toward the end... not because it wasn't true, but because he'd never felt that comfortable being so openly emotional. But with JD...
He hung up, shaking his head to cut off his wandering thoughts, then climbed out of the truck and headed upstairs. Best to make sure there'd be somewhere to put the stuff before he began hauling it in.
* * *
It was nearly dark by the time he'd finished, almost five hours later. Despite the dropping temperature, he'd eventually had to remove his jacket, then his sweatshirt. By the time he hauled the last box into the kitchen, he was down to a t-shirt, and even that was soaked with sweat.
"I'm going to have to use your shower," he told Turk, pulling at his shirt before idly scratching at his arm again. "God, I haven't had a workout like that in weeks."
"And we do appreciate it," the surgeon said, then flinched when Perry glared--he'd finally had to implement the no-gratitude rule with the three of them, after they'd said it nearly every time he'd entered the apartment with a new box of groceries.
Turk held up his hands, taking an automatic step backward and chuckling. "Sorry, dude! Habit."
"Yeah, well, break it," Perry growled. "It's getting tedious."
"Fair enough," Turk replied, still grinning. "Shower's through there, dry towels under the sink, and I'll find you something to wear while we wash your clothes. My surgical scrubs should fit you." He lifted an eyebrow. "Unless you'd rather wear something of JD's," he added, then laughed, ducking backwards as Perry aimed a smack at his head.
Half an hour later, Perry walked back out of the bathroom in Turks' borrowed scrubs bottoms and a large t-shirt of JD's, toweling his hair. "Well, I no longer stink to the point of posing any immediate physical danger to myself or others," he commented absently as he walked into the bedroom. "Though given that you're going to have an apartment that reeks of wet dog every time Gandhi here takes a bath, I guess we could call this desensitization..." he trailed off, frowning, when he noticed the others staring at him with wide eyes. He lowered his arms slowly, towel still held between his hands, and turned his head sideways, glancing between their stunned faces. "What?" he asked warily.
"Your... your arms," Carla said softly, voice trembling a little. "Perry, look at your arms."
Perry lowered his gaze, then froze, his heart suddenly plummeting as his stomach gave a sickening lurch.
On the top of both forearms, glittering in the dim light, were identical patches of hardened, silvery red scales.
Oh, no.
* * *
Next Chapter
* * *
Characters: John Dorian/Perry Cox
Rating: NC-17 (eventually)
Chapter Rating: PG-13 for language and m/m kissing (finally!!).
Description: This is a wildly AU story with fantastical elements based on
thuri's Nano writing project. It begins late in season three, before Carla and Turk's wedding, and from there follows the characters as they face the Change, a strange, magical phenomenon that is turning ordinary humans into half-human creatures from fantasy.Chapter listings: Contents Post
Author's Notes: We've decided to begin screening comments to protect from spoilers, since we've discussed a few plot points with some of you, so don't be alarmed if you don't see yours right away. :)
It took six hours instead of four because of the ice on the mountain roads, but once he left the foothills things cleared up, and Perry arrived at JD's apartment with little difficulty.
Once there, he called the cabin as promised, but JD didn't answer; Perry decided he must be out playing in the snow with Jack, or perhaps in the bathroom. He fought down the anxiety that wanted to spring to his throat, wondering when he'd turned into such a worrier, and got out of the car.
It hadn't snowed in town, though it was unseasonably cold, so Perry's attire wasn't completely unreasonable. He removed his hat and gloves, however, along with his overcoat, and left them on the seat of the truck before heading toward the building.
Turk answered when Perry knocked, and Perry barely bit back a startled yelp.
He'd almost completely transformed. There were still patches of his new body that were covered with a light down instead of the thick fur that covered most of him, but other than that, his transformation was basically complete. He was a dog-taur. Or a canitaur, as people were apparently calling them. His change wasn't into a domestic breed, though; he looked more like a wolf: strong, powerful legs, back covered with shaggy fur in alternating patterns of gray, red and white, large paws with thick pads and curved black nails. His fur had hints of brown to it, too, and it suited him oddly well, Perry had to admit.
"Hey, give me a break," Turk groused, stepping back to let Perry in. "I didn't ask for this." Then, frowning suddenly, he added, "Wait. What are you doing here?"
"I'm saving your ass, Gandhi, so try to show a little gratitude," Perry growled, then stepped forward to examine Turk's Change more thoroughly.
The surgeon still stood as tall as he had previously, so the wolf portion of his body was a little bigger than an actual wolf's body would be. And while it was clear there would be a lot of power to him, once he'd completed his transformation, Perry could tell he was wobbly on his feet, not quite used to dealing with the extra pair of legs.
Still, he was proportioned, and the fur blended naturally with his skin at the level of his hips. It looked natural, not some odd splicing experiment gone wrong, and Perry nodded slowly in approval. "Not bad, Gandhi," he admitted. "That look works better on you than I would've expected."
Turk frowned, looking startled. "Um. Thanks?" he said warily. "Uh...Carla's in the other room, and we're holding up okay for the most part, but we're seriously gonna need more food pretty soon. She's eating like she's pregnant with triplets or something, and it doesn't help that I pretty much polished off our supply when I was eating like that."
Perry nodded. "Sounds like JD," he murmured, ignoring the look Turk threw him at the use of the resident's actual name. "Well, I brought the truck; I'll head out and load it up for you." Then, remembering something JD had said, he turned to Turk again. "Has anyone heard from Barbie yet?" he asked softly, a frown on his face.
Turk bit his lip and shook his head. "No," he said, and Perry could hear the worry in his voice. "Not for almost three days. We keep calling her, but she's not answering, and I called the hospital and she's not shown up there either."
Perry nodded again. "I'm going to go check on her first, then," he said, and Turk's face brightened with heartfelt gratitude. "But first I want to have a look at Carla."
Perry stepped into the bedroom, hiding a smile when Carla looked at once surprised, relieved, and ready to begin lecturing him. He held up a hand, cutting her off, and said, "Save it for later, okay? Let me take a look, here..."
Carla, as it happened, was not much further along than Turk had been when JD had flown to them earlier that week. Her spine had elongated, curving backwards sharply yet gracefully, and she'd begun sprouting an extra set of legs perpendicular from her hips. Patches of dark gray downy fuzz were beginning to appear on her lower body, but Perry couldn't tell what color they would ultimately be. Basically, she looked like she belonged in a multi-colored tent with a fat bald man charging admission to see her, and Perry suddenly had no difficulty understanding why so many people rejected something that made them look like... well, like this.
He was just about to replace the covers over Carla's body when suddenly he noticing something else--a small protrusion from the base of her spine, maybe five or six inches long and about the width of a pencil. He lifted his eyebrows, making a small noise of surprise.
"What?" Carla demanded, sounding worried. "What is it?"
He shook his head, replacing the blankets, then commented casually, "Nice tail," trying to bite back a smirk.
Carla glared at him. "Don't even start with me," she said, raising a warning finger. "I mean it."
Perry held up his hands, grinning. "Sorry, sorry," he said, trying to look contrite and mostly failing. Apart from being hungry, Carla was doing fine, and Perry saw none of the signs of rejection JD had warned him about: sweating, shaking, loss of appetite or altered consciousness. "I'm going to go check on Barbie," he continued, folding his arms automatically over his chest. "But I'll be back soon, then I'll do your grocery shopping. Any specific requests?"
Carla shook her head, looking rueful. "Whatever you can find," she said. "Whatever you can stock up on. Right now I'll eat just about anything." Then, glancing up at him and biting her lip, she added, "There's... there's money on the kitchen counter in a coffee jar, and... JD said there was some under his mattress too." She looked down, slightly flushed. "I wouldn't normally use it, but he offered, and we've not exactly been able to work the last few days..."
Perry waved her off. "Don't worry about it," he said, voice quiet but sincere. "I've got plenty of credit, and some money set aside. I somehow doubt Jack's going to be needing his college fund now." He winked, meaning it as a joke, but when Carla blanched, he knelt taking her hand between both of his. "I'm kidding," he said. "Look, the only thing that matters right now is taking care of you guys. We have to stick together on this. Right?" When she nodded, he pulled her hand to his mouth and kissed it gently. "We'll manage, don't worry," he murmured. "I won't let you guys go hungry."
Her face softened, eyes welling with grateful tears. "Listen to you, Mister Sensitive," she teased, voice a little choked. "I always knew you were just a big teddy bear under all the bustle."
He grimaced, shrugging. "You beat it out of me," he retorted.
"Perry...thank you," she said quietly, looking down; as Perry watched, a tear slipped free, sliding over her nose and dripping onto the pillow beneath her head. "I don't know what we would have done..."
He moved forward and bent to kiss her cheek. "Don't worry about it," he repeated gently. "I mean it."
Then he stood, squeezing her hand and giving her another smile, pleased when she smiled back, visibly calmer. "I'll be back soon," he said, and she nodded.
Perry moved back into the kitchen, waving Turk off when the surgeon tried to hand him a wad of cash. "Save it, Gandhi," he said, holding up his own wallet between his finger and thumb. "Doctor, remember? I got this round."
Turk frowned. "Dude...we don't need charity," he said hotly.
"Then think of it as a loan," Perry returned, unconcerned. "Listen, I need to go check on Barbie; I don't have time to fight with whatever illusions of pride you're harboring. So save it, use it when you need it and I'm not here to bail your ass out, and stop arguing with me."
Turk sighed, but lowered his hand, the scowl never leaving his face. "You're an ass, you know it?" he said. "But... thank you."
Perry grinned impishly. "You're my biotch now," he drawled. "Forever and ever. Now be a good boy and try not to tinkle on the rug while Daddy goes after your kibble." He winked, then backed out of the apartment, closing the door behind him.
If nothing else, he decided, he would bring them some sense of normality. Even if it meant keeping up his old façade.
Not that he minded that much.
* * *
When he knocked on Elliot's apartment door, he was relieved to hear her voice from within. But relief quickly melted into concern at the frightened tremor he heard. "Hello?" she called. "Who--who is it?"
He reached for the knob, rattling it a little, but it was locked. "Barbie?" he called.
A pause, then, "D...Dr. Cox?"
"Yeah, it's me," he answered, frown deepening. "Listen, can you let me in?"
"I..." a panicked sob. "I can't. I can't walk. Please, help me, I..."
"Okay, okay," Perry said quickly, hearing her voice rising a little hysterically.
"It's not okay! I can't move!" She suddenly began to sob, harsh, frightened noises that were almost shrieks. "Help me, help me!"
Perry cringed, knowing he had to calm her down or someone was going to call the police. "Listen, Elliot," he said, voice low and stern, "I'm going to help you, but I need you to stay calm. Just relax, okay?"
It seemed to work; there was a muffled gasp, but the shrieking sobs slowed to the occasional sniffle. "O-okay..." she whimpered. Then, "D-don't leave me, okay? Please?"
"I won't," he promised, voice gentle again. "Just give me a minute, here--I have to figure out how I'm going to get in. I don't suppose you have an extra key hidden out here?"
"N-no," she said, voice rising a little again.
"Don't worry," he assured her quickly. "I'll figure out something else."
He backed up and stared at the door, then leaned on it, testing its strength. It rattled a little, and he nodded grimly to himself.
"Elliot, where are you?" he called.
"I'm... I'm in the kitchen," she replied. "That's as far as I could get...I wanted to stay near the food..."
Definitely Changing, then. "Okay," he said. "Hold tight--I'm going to try to break down the door."
He backed up, eyeing the distance, then hurled himself forward, shouldering into the wood with all his strength.
The door rattled, splintering a little around the hinges. He backed up, wincing a little at the ache in his shoulder, and rammed it again. It gave, crashing to the floor with a mighty clatter.
He stepped into the apartment, careful to avoid the shards of splintered wood, and looked around. It only took him a moment to spot Elliot.
She was lying on her side, clearly on the way to becoming a 'taur as well, though it was too early for him to tell what sort. But her hips had shifted backwards, her spine lengthening about a foot, and it was easy to see why she couldn't walk. She was lying on the tile in her kitchen, a couple blankets and a pillow within reach, and her cabinets were open, boxes and bags and cans of food, most empty or near to it, were spread around her. Despite himself, Perry was impressed at how well she'd managed under the circumstances.
She looked up at him, the tears in her eyes not quite hiding the incredulity. "What... what are you doing here?" she asked.
"Saving your ass," he replied, moving forward and trying to assess the situation. It wouldn't do to leave her here, that was for certain--even if he surrounded her with food. She needed to be looked after, and she couldn't do that alone. With that boyfriend of hers in New Zealand, Perry knew he'd have to somehow get her to Turk and Carla's.
"Listen, Elliot," he said, kneeling beside her and laying a hand on her shoulder. "You can't stay here like this."
She scowled, blowing the bangs out of her eyes. "Don't you think I know that?" she snapped, though her voice was shaky, and a fresh tear slid down her cheek.
He reached out and brushed it away without thinking. "Cool your jets, there, Barbie," he said, voice gentle. "Here's the plan. I'm loading you into my truck and taking you to Turk and Carla's. Turk can move around pretty well; he can look after you."
She bit her lip, expression a mixture of surprise and wariness, but after a moment she nodded. "Okay," she said, and her voice was a little calmer now, wariness slipping away to be replaced by gratitude, though the surprise remained.
He smirked at her. "Atta girl," he murmured. "Hold tight while I figure out the best way to do this."
In the end, he'd discovered the best way to transport the frightened young woman was by pulling her onto the fallen door and using it as a sort of stretcher. He looped a length of bed sheet to the doorknob before settling her on top and using the sheet to pull her along.
It took some doing, but after about half an hour, he managed to get her down to his truck. Though they made a good deal of noise, no one appeared to check on them; when he asked her about it, Elliot just shrugged and said she hadn't heard anyone coming or going in days.
"When I first realized I couldn't move, I tried calling for help," she said. "But... either they're all gone, or they're all in the same situation I am, because no one came."
Perry nodded, too busy to answer, and focused on getting her to the truck. Once there, he lifted her bodily onto the plywood cover, which still had the sleeping bag from when JD used it. She helped him as much as she was able, and between the two of them they eventually got her settled. She'd calmed down a good deal, and had begun to chatter, but he mostly tuned her out.
In another hour and a half, he'd gotten her back to JD's apartment and settled into the bed next to Carla.
Carla and Turk had been giddy with relief to see her. "We wanted to come after you," Turk said, "but I can barely walk and Carla can't at all, and we tried to call you..."
Perry ignored them, settling Elliot into the bed and moving to stretch his back. It popped loudly, and he groaned with relief, then turned and left the room. He needed to go after the food, and soon, much as he would've liked to rest and maybe shower; the stores would all be closing soon, and he'd probably need to rent a trailer, if he had to keep three of them fed, and there was no telling how much they'd eat when they had two stomachs to contend with...
He was halfway to the kitchen, scratching idly at his forearm as he tried to puzzle the logistics of acquiring that much food, when a hand suddenly landed on his shoulder.
It was Turk, who was looking a little misty-eyed. "Look, I..." he said, voice low. "I know you and I haven't always seen eye-to-eye, but... thank you." He glanced toward the bedroom, where Carla and Elliot's relieved chatter could be heard, before looking back at Perry. "You saved her life, and you saved JD's, and now you're saving ours, and I..." he broke off, shrugging a little. "Well, Carla's always said that under all that pain-in-the-ass shit you're always pulling, you really are a decent guy, and... she was right."
Perry was oddly moved by the speech, but there was no way he was going to let Turk know it.
Instead, he gasped theatrically. "Well, gosh, Oprah," he said, reaching up to wipe and an imaginary tear, "that's so moving I just might have to borrow a tissue before I leave."
Turk snorted, dropping his hand from where it still rested on Perry's shoulder, but he was grinning. "Whatever, dude," he said, shaking his head. "Your little secret's out now. Actions speak louder than words and all that. Rant away--you wouldn't be you if you didn't. But I'm onto you now."
Perry grinned, and waggled his eyebrows. "Oooh, you're onto me, eh?" he returned. "That a proposition, Gandhi? Because you know, JD might get jealous."
When the smile slipped from Turk's face, to be replaced with wide-eyed astonishment, Perry realized what he'd just said. They stood staring at one another in frozen silence for a long moment, before Turk said quietly, "He... he does care about you. I hope you're not just jerking his chain, because if you are I will come after you."
Perry discarded the urge to say something sarcastic, shaking his head slowly. "No," he replied, feeling oddly like a suitor asking his intended's father to bless the union. Passing the JD-guarding torch, are we? "I'm not. I promise." His face softened, and he smiled slowly, eyes going distant. "I care about him, too."
Turk was still for another moment, studying him, and Perry looked back up, meeting his gaze steadily.
Suddenly, the younger man's face split into a broad grin. "Excellent," he murmured. "Congratulations. Tell him I said so."
Perry's own smile broadened. "Tell him yourself," he quipped. "What am I, your messenger boy?"
Then he left, leaving Turk to chuckle lightly, before turning at the sound of Carla's voice. "Turk? Do we have any chips?"
"Coming, babe," he replied, thinking Perry was going to need to make more than one trip if he was going to get enough food to keep all of them fed.
* * *
Perry had realized the same thing, fortunately, and had decided to take a page from Jordan's book by renting a U-haul trailer. This he stocked as full as he could with provisions: canned foods, dried fruit, trail mix, nuts, chips, cereal, boxed dinners, cake mixes, and any number of other foods that would keep without aid of a refrigerator or freezer. He also stocked up on paper towels, trash bags, Kleenex, and various other essentials, not knowing what besides food the three 'taurs would need but figuring none of them would be running out to the corner convenience store any time soon.
He'd paused by the aisle with pads and tampons, then snorted, passing by without stopping. No telling exactly what the girls were becoming, but he somehow doubted periods were going to be an issue any longer.
As he loaded food into the cart, he couldn't help but notice the surprisingly small number of people that were out and about. Those who were seemed to have the same idea he did, and were stocking up; he noted many seemed nervous, and he swore at least one or two had oddly-shaped bulges under their jackets. He frowned, wondering just how quickly this thing was spreading, but didn't stop to talk to anyone, focusing instead on getting what the others would need to stay safely holed up on the apartment for a few weeks.
Once the trailer was more or less stuffed with dried foods, he loaded the truck bed with more perishable items: Frozen meats, several gallons of milk, orange juice, eggs and cheeses. He wasn't sure just how much room Carla and Turk had in their fridge, but he rather suspected he'd be starting from basically empty, if they were eating as quickly as JD had been.
It took about eight trips and five different stores (not to mention a few odd looks from the cashiers) but he finally had both the trailer and the truck filled with food. He'd only just settled back into the driver's seat, prepared to head back to Turk and Carla's apartment, when his cell phone rang.
He reached for it, feeling a smile curve his lips when he recognized JD's cell phone number. He flipped the phone open, lifting it to his ear. "Hey, Newbie."
"Perry!" JD's voice ached with relief. "God, you were supposed to call me when you got to town! I--"
"I did call you," Perry interrupted, pulling out of the parking lot. "You didn't answer. I would have called you back, but it's been a little...busy out here."
"We... Jack wanted to play in the snow," JD admitted, and even over the phone Perry could detect the sheepishness in his voice. "We were out there for a while."
"I hope you bundled him up?"
"Oh, come on, give me some credit," JD groused. "I am a doctor."
Perry wanted to laugh at the almost giddy happiness that suddenly rose within him. "You realize we sound like an old married couple?" he said softly.
JD laughed, a free, joyous sound that made Perry's grin grow impossibly wider. "I wasn't lying when I said the Larkins reminded me of us," the younger man replied. "We're a good team."
Perry chuckled softly. "Touché," he said, pulling back onto the freeway.
"So what's happening out there?"
Perry relayed the details of the situation to JD as he drove back, describing Carla and Elliot's changes at the younger doctor's request. He smiled, sensing the shift in gears as JD's curious medical mind took over and began working on the puzzles.
"Sounds like Carla's could be a cat," he said. "From the way you've described the shape of the spine, and the width of the tail. I guess Elliot's really too soon to tell."
"Could be," Perry agreed, fighting the urge to laugh as he turned the truck into the parking lot of the apartment building. "Hey, I've gotta let you go," he said, feeling a little twinge of regret. "I've got to start unloading all this stuff."
"Oh! Yeah, sure, okay," JD said. "I think Jack's hungry anyway. We're going to get some food and watch a movie, I think. Isn't that right, Jack?" Perry did laugh then, hearing Jack's happy giggling in the background, and hearing him cry "Up! Up!"
"Sounds like that's your cue, Daddy," Perry said without thinking.
There was a sharp intake of breath from JD, and for a moment, Perry wondered if he'd somehow offended the younger man. But then JD said, voice soft with wonder, "Daddy. I guess... I guess I kind of am, aren't I?"
"Damn right you are," Perry replied, smirking a little; it was sentimental, sure, but... it was JD all over, and if it made him that happy... "That's what you get when you hitch up with me. Package deal, I'm afraid, Daddy."
JD's breathing hitched a little, but Perry could hear the smile in his voice when he answered, "God, that... that feels really good to hear."
Perry's smirk softened to a smile. "Get used to it," he replied. "I'll talk to you soon."
"Yeah," JD replied, still sounding a little awed. "I...yeah. Bye." Then, shyly, "Love you."
"Love you, too," Perry murmured, wondering why it was so easy to say that. Jordan had practically had to beat it out of him, toward the end... not because it wasn't true, but because he'd never felt that comfortable being so openly emotional. But with JD...
He hung up, shaking his head to cut off his wandering thoughts, then climbed out of the truck and headed upstairs. Best to make sure there'd be somewhere to put the stuff before he began hauling it in.
* * *
It was nearly dark by the time he'd finished, almost five hours later. Despite the dropping temperature, he'd eventually had to remove his jacket, then his sweatshirt. By the time he hauled the last box into the kitchen, he was down to a t-shirt, and even that was soaked with sweat.
"I'm going to have to use your shower," he told Turk, pulling at his shirt before idly scratching at his arm again. "God, I haven't had a workout like that in weeks."
"And we do appreciate it," the surgeon said, then flinched when Perry glared--he'd finally had to implement the no-gratitude rule with the three of them, after they'd said it nearly every time he'd entered the apartment with a new box of groceries.
Turk held up his hands, taking an automatic step backward and chuckling. "Sorry, dude! Habit."
"Yeah, well, break it," Perry growled. "It's getting tedious."
"Fair enough," Turk replied, still grinning. "Shower's through there, dry towels under the sink, and I'll find you something to wear while we wash your clothes. My surgical scrubs should fit you." He lifted an eyebrow. "Unless you'd rather wear something of JD's," he added, then laughed, ducking backwards as Perry aimed a smack at his head.
Half an hour later, Perry walked back out of the bathroom in Turks' borrowed scrubs bottoms and a large t-shirt of JD's, toweling his hair. "Well, I no longer stink to the point of posing any immediate physical danger to myself or others," he commented absently as he walked into the bedroom. "Though given that you're going to have an apartment that reeks of wet dog every time Gandhi here takes a bath, I guess we could call this desensitization..." he trailed off, frowning, when he noticed the others staring at him with wide eyes. He lowered his arms slowly, towel still held between his hands, and turned his head sideways, glancing between their stunned faces. "What?" he asked warily.
"Your... your arms," Carla said softly, voice trembling a little. "Perry, look at your arms."
Perry lowered his gaze, then froze, his heart suddenly plummeting as his stomach gave a sickening lurch.
On the top of both forearms, glittering in the dim light, were identical patches of hardened, silvery red scales.
Oh, no.
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Date: 10 Jan 2007 07:42 (UTC)