fandom_muses: Topic 29 - Kindness of Strangers
Jul. 17th, 2006 12:31 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
He hadn’t known Preston Burke from Adam when he was first admitted to Seattle Grace because of heart trouble. The funny little episodes he was having of lightheadedness and arrhythmia were nothing...just a few too many late nights, overworking himself to the point of exhaustion. Still, his co-worker, Jesse, conned him into checking it out.
When Burke walked into the room after his exam instead of the ER doctor on call, Denny didn’t think much of it...just found himself in a rather good-natured argument about the latest baseball scores as he was examined a second time.
The next visit, Preston asked about his latest work with aquatic ecosystems and got him going for nearly an hour. He forgot he was nervous, and he stopped thinking about the fact he was seeing a cardio thoracic surgeon for a little dizziness and funny flutter in his chest.
By the fourth visit, as they started running all the tests, he started striking up the conversations and jokes instead of Burke. His gratitude knew no bounds when the other man obliged him willingly, talking and chattering to keep the fear...the truth at bay.
Above all else, however, when the truth finally did come, Preston gave it to Denny without any window dressing...straight, solid, and real.
It was different by that point, though...because Denny had stopped relying on the kindness of a stranger to make him forget what he was doing there.
By that point, he was relying less on a stranger and more on a friend to deal out bad news with respect.
And the fact that he didn’t disappoint Denny in the least only solidified that bond...one that he was sure would end up saving his life.
Muse: Denny Duquette
Fandom: Grey's Anatomy
Words: 289
When Burke walked into the room after his exam instead of the ER doctor on call, Denny didn’t think much of it...just found himself in a rather good-natured argument about the latest baseball scores as he was examined a second time.
The next visit, Preston asked about his latest work with aquatic ecosystems and got him going for nearly an hour. He forgot he was nervous, and he stopped thinking about the fact he was seeing a cardio thoracic surgeon for a little dizziness and funny flutter in his chest.
By the fourth visit, as they started running all the tests, he started striking up the conversations and jokes instead of Burke. His gratitude knew no bounds when the other man obliged him willingly, talking and chattering to keep the fear...the truth at bay.
Above all else, however, when the truth finally did come, Preston gave it to Denny without any window dressing...straight, solid, and real.
It was different by that point, though...because Denny had stopped relying on the kindness of a stranger to make him forget what he was doing there.
By that point, he was relying less on a stranger and more on a friend to deal out bad news with respect.
And the fact that he didn’t disappoint Denny in the least only solidified that bond...one that he was sure would end up saving his life.
Muse: Denny Duquette
Fandom: Grey's Anatomy
Words: 289