The Night Shift One-Shots

What If...

So, I dont know if this will be more than one, but I've come up with this idea of a what if... theme. Like the Tell me you aren't hurt chapter. What if a certain scenario had played out differently. This is another one like that, and if it wasn't requested, I will make sure I specify as much as I can as to what's changing. Send in requests in the comments or message me if you have an idea for a What If...

Enjoy!

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What If...  TC had spiralled before he even went out into the field with Drew (S1E8) and fell further into his flashbacks than the show portrayed?

"I'm fine," Jordan answered, but Drew shot her a sceptical look. "I am, I'm fine." He just agreed with her, knowing she wasn't but also knowing he had to get to TC before he left without him.

"Tee, we good to go?" he asked, shouldering a medi-pack. When he got no reply, he stopped and turned to face him. "Tee?" Still nothing. TC was staring at the ground, a distant – but somehow traumatised – look on his face. "Tee, we gotta go! Tee!" Finally, he looked up, the trauma not leaving his face.

"What? Yeah, let's go."

"I'm coming with you, figured I could use the excitement." Drew ran towards the ambulance waiting to take them to the explosion site, but when a thud filled his ears, instead of TC's familiar footfall, he skidded to a halt and turned around to see TC crumpled on the ground outside the ER doors, head in his hands. "Tee!" He yelled, dropping the rucksack and running to his colleague's side.

"It was my fault; it was all my fault." He repeated over and over again. Drew looked into the ER to see if there was anyone around. Thankfully Jordan chose a great moment to walk past and glance outside. She saw Drew crouched on the floor, then gazed past him to see TC sat fully on the ground.

"Drew, Tee, what happened?" she asked, crouching directly in front of TC. "Tee, baby, what's going on?"

"It was my fault," He repeated, now beginning to rock back and forth, cradling the back of his head.

"He hasn't said anything else since he fell about a minute ago," Drew explained.

"What was your fault, honey?" When she got a shake of his head and a sob in reply, she knew something was up, badly. "Drew, go and see what you get out of the explosion site, I'll get Mollie to call University and see if there's anyone there that can go." Drew nodded and ran to the still waiting ambulance, smoothly picking up the medi-pack as he passed it. 

"Tee, baby, can you stand up for me, we're gonna go inside, find somewhere quiet, yeah?" The slight, barely visible nod was all she needed for consent as she helped him to his feet, ducking under his arm to support his weight when he stumbled.

Once they were inside, Scott ran over to help Jordan, taking her place under TC and leading him to one of the quiet offices while Jordan spoke to Mollie.

"Can you call University, see if anyone there can go. TC's spiralled,"

"On it," Jordan thanked her, then practically ran to the room where Scott was stood guarding the doorway.

"Be careful, Jor. He's unstable, erratic!" He warned.

"Don't talk about my boyfriend like that, I can't even imagine what it's like for him right now. Get out of here, Scott, before I become erratic, and aim my erraticism on you!" Jordan snapped back, barging past him and locking the door behind her, closing the blinds too. She pulled a chair up in front of him and sat on it, placing her hand on his knee. "Tee, talk to me, baby."

"It was my fault."

"What happened to Topher is not your fault, baby."

"I'm not talking about that. When Thad got killed. That's, what I'm talking about. That's what's my fault."

"Baby, no it wasn't. you couldn't have done anything." Jordan soothed.

"The sniper was a kid, maybe - twelve years old. Maybe, and I hesitated. I didn't shoot, and I got my brother killed. It was my fault, I got him killed."

"You've been carrying this around with you the whole time?"

"I thought - I thought I could bury it, but I can't. I can't!" TC was in tears by this point, a fraction of the man everyone was used to seeing - everyone but Jordan. She'd seen him like this before, more times than should be humanly possible, and she was the only person TC would even tolerate being around. "I can't!" He repeated, almost feverishly.

"Shh, shh I've got you. Baby I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere." She reassured him, allowing him to fall into her chest as she cradles his head, pressing kisses into his hair. His breathing never levelled out, still running at inhuman speeds. "Tee, I know it's hard, but I need you to try and slow your breathing down, honey."

They sat for five minutes, TC still hyperventilating, until he relaxed, too much, and collapsed into her completely, passing out. "Jeez, TC." She breathed. Jordan pulled her pager out of her pocket and paged Kenny, asking him to come into the room they were in. She wasn't going to move him, waking up in a new place would just disorientate him even further, but she didn't want to be alone with an unconscious TC. 

Drew or Topher would have been her first options, but as one was currently unconscious and on death's door, and the other was in the field, Kenny was the only other one strong enough to restrain him if he became violent. Granted, he didn't have the same experiences as TC, but after working with Drew, TC and Topher, he knew enough to help her.

When Kenny came in, he swore under his breath and pulled a chair up next to Jordan. She still had TC's head in her lap but had managed to manoeuvre him so he was on his side, almost lay across the chairs he had been sat on previously.

"What happened?" He asked.

"After he crashed out front Scott brought him in here. I managed to get out of him what was getting to him, but he panicked, hyperventilated and passed out. He's been out for about two minutes now." She explained. "I wanted you in here in case he gets violent. He's come round from flashbacks still in his head sometimes, forgetting he's not in Kandahar anymore and tries to go for someone."

"Makes sense. How bad did he get?" Kenny had seen TC bad before when he was over at his and Jordan's place and next door had chosen a bad moment to throw something against the wall.

"Worse than I'd ever seen him before. Not by much, but he was bad. I guess it's not usual for him to get put in a hostage situation in San Antonio though." She noted.

"True." Kenny agreed. The sat in silence for another few minutes, watching TC twitch as fever-dreams plagued him, and both jumped when his eyes suddenly snapped open.

"Thad!" He yelled, sitting up quickly and staring at the two of them.

"TC, baby, you're OK, you're safe," Jordan told him in a soft tone, reaching a hand out to him. He batted it away forcefully and stood up, arms flailing randomly as if he was punching someone. "This is what I mean. He's still too deep in his head." She said to Kenny, who'd jumped up the second TC had.

"Tee, buddy, where are you?" Kenny asked, still serious and business-like, but his composure was slipping, seeing TC like this; he wasn't as used to it as Jordan was.

"I gotta stop the bleeding!" He cried, falling to his knees. Jordan by his side before Kenny had even moved. The trauma-induced glaze vanished from his eyes and he looked around, his stare settling on Jordan, tears welling in his eyes.

He fell sideways into her arms and curled up, relishing in the human contact he knew was safe. Here was safe, he knew that.

Here was safe.

Here was Jordan.

Jordan was safe.

Safe.