FIC: By Your Side - Chapter One (Dave/Puck)
Title: By Your Side
Author: kosherrainbow
Beta: with help from both nubianamy and imaginaryglory
Rating: PG13, safe
Word Count: roughly 5,200
Warnings: cancer, minor character death,
Summary: When Noah Puckerman is left to raise Beth on his own, he is surprised to find just who ends up standing by his side. Dave/Puck
Written for gleereversebang. Art Prompt Found Here
Artist; nubianamy
Chapter 1
"...how are you feeling today?....I know, you can role your eyes at me all you want; I still have to ask…"
"Bad news, while Dr. Ketchmeier is...away, you'll be getting a new one. Good news is he's a looker; Bad News is he's more Noah's type...he slept in here all last night…'
"I heard...has a son… How is Beth? Enjoying her vacation?"
The voices began to grow, stirring Noah Puckerman out of his sleep; reluctant to join the world of the awake he kept his eyes closed until he could no longer ignore the pain creeping his back and neck, likely results of having slept in the uncomfortable hospital chair. Reluctantly
he began to stir...stretching every last bone until finally opening his eyes.
Instantly they met with Shelby's eyes and they shared a silently 'good morning' smile. Both were slightly forced, but at least it was another day. Shelby's cancer, diagnosed only six months ago had been progressing steadily, taking its toll on her body and her mental state. It had robbed her of her hair, most of her weight and left her more tired then awake on most days. But not only did if affect her, but those around her. Puck had gone from a once a month visitor to Beth's full time guardian when Shelby was constantly admitted into the hospital. The twelve year old spit fire had been acting out at school, and was now spending some of her summer with her Rachel in New York to give her a break from the stress.
Puck pushed himself out of the chair and made his way to her bedside. "Same?"
She just stilled and he knew it meant, if anything, she was feeling worse. "Well, hopefully the new doctor will bring some good news."
"Miracles exist." Shelby's labored breathing didn't take away all her humor, "You do listen."
"Funny. I'll laugh about it all the way to the cafeteria…”
Her face fell flat, “The doctor will be here…”
“I’ll be quick. If he’s hot and he gets here before me…”
“Stall; I know.”
He made a quick acknowledgement to the nurses still taking their daily stats before he was out of the room. Everyone here had gotten used to them, the odd dynamic their family had become. Puck had always sent cards, and presents to Beth; even a visit or two while she was a toddler. Then after his first project began to take off they made another attempt at a relationship, it lasted a year, until Puck realized that having sex with women always felt more like work, something long associated with his high school pool business. Having sex with a man, he discovered was something he actually enjoyed. But, by the point he and Shelby realized their relationship was more a friendship. And so they fell into the regular routine over the years developing that friendship.
A routine he had relied on for so long, and with Beth hitting puberty, he wasn't sure how he was going to be able to handle it on his own if Shelby didn't make it. He shook the thought out of his head and focused on paying for his-barely-passes -as- real- food breakfast sandwich and coffee before heading back to the oncology ward.
Standing next to Shelby’s bed was a white lab coat covering a surprisingly familiar man. Sure, they were both approaching thirty, but the other man was still recognizable.
Dave Karofsky stood there, Shelby’s medical chart in hand, looking through it. He didn’t even seem to recognized Noah Puckerman, as he kept his eyes on Shelby, “I’m sorry that you have to hear this from someone new to your case; but I’ve been looking at your chart and all the test results. And with the latest results; they show the cancer has spread farther. Now, we can try another round of chemo, but at this point…” He sighed, “Or we can keep you comfortable here or talk about hospice care.”
“Or the third round of chemo?” Noah repeated, “It’d give us more time right? What about surgery?”
“They could possibly…” Dave began to concede, but the men were interrupted by Shelby placing her hand on her friends,
“Noah, “ She took as deep of a breath as she could manage, “It’s time. I’m done.”
“But what about…” He wanted to interject, but once again he was cut off.
“Can you call Rachel, have her bring Beth home as soon as possible? But I want to be the one to tell her what’s going on, okay?”
Xxxx
After making the call Noah couldn't face going back into her room immediately and settled for a bench outside. The thoughts in his mind were getting crazier when a Styrofoam cup appeared in front of him filled with a sludge like substance he recognized as the cafeteria slushie, he looked at the man holding it with a strange glance, “Here to make my day worse or is this some bizarre peace offering.”
Dave smiled softly, “I was actually thinking you might want to throw it at me.” Seeing the expression grow more confused, he went on to explain, “You looked like you wanted to be angry, so I thought since I spent so long on your ‘shit list’ you could focus the anger on me. It’s okay I have a half dozen clothing changes in my locker. I’m a little too used to getting puked on at this point…”
Puck took the cup but shrugged and began to dig at the color corn syrup with the straw. Dave waited a moment or two before he invited himself to take the rest of the space on the bench, “I know it’s not the best time, but I wanted to say sorry…for high school.”
“It’s okay, it not like I wasn't like that for a couple of years...”’
Dave ‘hmmed’ an affirmation, and the silence fell between them for another moment or two before the patience began to wear thin on the Mohawk-haired man, “Was there something else?”
“I just wanted to say, with Shelby…I can see she’s important to you, and if you need anyone to talk to…’
“You can refer me and Beth to some highly recommend therapists? Yeah…no.”
“I was going to say you can come to me….I know-“
Sitting upright, eyes straight ahead, “Look, its cool that you got smart and all, but you don’t know. And I mean she’s my best friend, and she taken the best care of my daughter…but you don’t know…wh..” But he could quite say it yet. ‘’If Shelby doesn’t make it…its just me and Beth…and I don’t know…”
Noah swallowed the rest of the words down before he dropped his head into his hands. He didn’t flinch away when he felt a hand on his back, though it did make him freeze in place.
Dave’s voice carried over him, “Unfortunately, I do know…I met a man right out of undergrad, eleven years older than me, he had a kid, three at the time…I fell in love with them fast forward two years, and I was where you are. So, trust me, on some level I do know.”
Author: kosherrainbow
Beta: with help from both nubianamy and imaginaryglory
Rating: PG13, safe
Word Count: roughly 5,200
Warnings: cancer, minor character death,
Summary: When Noah Puckerman is left to raise Beth on his own, he is surprised to find just who ends up standing by his side. Dave/Puck
Written for gleereversebang. Art Prompt Found Here
Artist; nubianamy
Chapter 1
"...how are you feeling today?....I know, you can role your eyes at me all you want; I still have to ask…"
"Bad news, while Dr. Ketchmeier is...away, you'll be getting a new one. Good news is he's a looker; Bad News is he's more Noah's type...he slept in here all last night…'
"I heard...has a son… How is Beth? Enjoying her vacation?"
The voices began to grow, stirring Noah Puckerman out of his sleep; reluctant to join the world of the awake he kept his eyes closed until he could no longer ignore the pain creeping his back and neck, likely results of having slept in the uncomfortable hospital chair. Reluctantly
he began to stir...stretching every last bone until finally opening his eyes.
Instantly they met with Shelby's eyes and they shared a silently 'good morning' smile. Both were slightly forced, but at least it was another day. Shelby's cancer, diagnosed only six months ago had been progressing steadily, taking its toll on her body and her mental state. It had robbed her of her hair, most of her weight and left her more tired then awake on most days. But not only did if affect her, but those around her. Puck had gone from a once a month visitor to Beth's full time guardian when Shelby was constantly admitted into the hospital. The twelve year old spit fire had been acting out at school, and was now spending some of her summer with her Rachel in New York to give her a break from the stress.
Puck pushed himself out of the chair and made his way to her bedside. "Same?"
She just stilled and he knew it meant, if anything, she was feeling worse. "Well, hopefully the new doctor will bring some good news."
"Miracles exist." Shelby's labored breathing didn't take away all her humor, "You do listen."
"Funny. I'll laugh about it all the way to the cafeteria…”
Her face fell flat, “The doctor will be here…”
“I’ll be quick. If he’s hot and he gets here before me…”
“Stall; I know.”
He made a quick acknowledgement to the nurses still taking their daily stats before he was out of the room. Everyone here had gotten used to them, the odd dynamic their family had become. Puck had always sent cards, and presents to Beth; even a visit or two while she was a toddler. Then after his first project began to take off they made another attempt at a relationship, it lasted a year, until Puck realized that having sex with women always felt more like work, something long associated with his high school pool business. Having sex with a man, he discovered was something he actually enjoyed. But, by the point he and Shelby realized their relationship was more a friendship. And so they fell into the regular routine over the years developing that friendship.
A routine he had relied on for so long, and with Beth hitting puberty, he wasn't sure how he was going to be able to handle it on his own if Shelby didn't make it. He shook the thought out of his head and focused on paying for his-barely-passes -as- real- food breakfast sandwich and coffee before heading back to the oncology ward.
Standing next to Shelby’s bed was a white lab coat covering a surprisingly familiar man. Sure, they were both approaching thirty, but the other man was still recognizable.
Dave Karofsky stood there, Shelby’s medical chart in hand, looking through it. He didn’t even seem to recognized Noah Puckerman, as he kept his eyes on Shelby, “I’m sorry that you have to hear this from someone new to your case; but I’ve been looking at your chart and all the test results. And with the latest results; they show the cancer has spread farther. Now, we can try another round of chemo, but at this point…” He sighed, “Or we can keep you comfortable here or talk about hospice care.”
“Or the third round of chemo?” Noah repeated, “It’d give us more time right? What about surgery?”
“They could possibly…” Dave began to concede, but the men were interrupted by Shelby placing her hand on her friends,
“Noah, “ She took as deep of a breath as she could manage, “It’s time. I’m done.”
“But what about…” He wanted to interject, but once again he was cut off.
“Can you call Rachel, have her bring Beth home as soon as possible? But I want to be the one to tell her what’s going on, okay?”
Xxxx
After making the call Noah couldn't face going back into her room immediately and settled for a bench outside. The thoughts in his mind were getting crazier when a Styrofoam cup appeared in front of him filled with a sludge like substance he recognized as the cafeteria slushie, he looked at the man holding it with a strange glance, “Here to make my day worse or is this some bizarre peace offering.”
Dave smiled softly, “I was actually thinking you might want to throw it at me.” Seeing the expression grow more confused, he went on to explain, “You looked like you wanted to be angry, so I thought since I spent so long on your ‘shit list’ you could focus the anger on me. It’s okay I have a half dozen clothing changes in my locker. I’m a little too used to getting puked on at this point…”
Puck took the cup but shrugged and began to dig at the color corn syrup with the straw. Dave waited a moment or two before he invited himself to take the rest of the space on the bench, “I know it’s not the best time, but I wanted to say sorry…for high school.”
“It’s okay, it not like I wasn't like that for a couple of years...”’
Dave ‘hmmed’ an affirmation, and the silence fell between them for another moment or two before the patience began to wear thin on the Mohawk-haired man, “Was there something else?”
“I just wanted to say, with Shelby…I can see she’s important to you, and if you need anyone to talk to…’
“You can refer me and Beth to some highly recommend therapists? Yeah…no.”
“I was going to say you can come to me….I know-“
Sitting upright, eyes straight ahead, “Look, its cool that you got smart and all, but you don’t know. And I mean she’s my best friend, and she taken the best care of my daughter…but you don’t know…wh..” But he could quite say it yet. ‘’If Shelby doesn’t make it…its just me and Beth…and I don’t know…”
Noah swallowed the rest of the words down before he dropped his head into his hands. He didn’t flinch away when he felt a hand on his back, though it did make him freeze in place.
Dave’s voice carried over him, “Unfortunately, I do know…I met a man right out of undergrad, eleven years older than me, he had a kid, three at the time…I fell in love with them fast forward two years, and I was where you are. So, trust me, on some level I do know.”