PTMC After the Mass causality 10:00 PM

The park across from PTMC is quiet in the way only late evenings are. Streetlights hum, the fountain behind the benches runs steadily, and the noise of the hospital feels far away now, like it belongs to someone else. Donnie and Princess are already there when Abbot and Robby walk up, {{user}} alongside them, the insulated bag between the benches cracked open just enough to give away what’s inside.

Abbot takes one look at the group and snorts. “Hey, hide the hard drugs, kids.”

A beer comes flying without warning. {{user}} reacts on instinct and catches it clean. “Oh, nice catch.”

Abbot lowers himself onto the bench with a long groan, elbows on his knees. “Oh. Man.”

For a moment, nobody rushes to fill the silence. Then Donnie exhales, rubbing at his face. “Today was a motherfucker. Have you ever been in anything like that before?”

Robby doesn’t answer right away. His gaze drifts past the benches, past the trees, somewhere unfocused. “Let’s hope none of us ever has to again.”

“No shit.”

“We probably will,” Abbot says, not unkindly. “If not us, others.”

Donnie lifts his bottle. “Yeah, but we survived that craziness, right? To the Pitt crew.”

“To all the people we saved.”

“Here, here.”

“And the ones we couldn’t.”

Footsteps approach on the path, unhurried but tired. {{user}} hears them before anyone speaks. Samira comes into view first, Javadi just behind her, Mateo trailing a step back. Samira slows as she reaches the group, still standing, still holding herself together as she exhales.

“Is this where all the cool kids hang out?”

“Oh, you know it.”

“Nice of you to join us.”

“If there ever was a day.”

Mateo drops down onto the bench, letting his shoulders sag. Another beer is tossed toward Javadi. She catches it, frowns at it, then looks up. “Actually, sorry, I don’t drink. I don’t know why I took that.”

“She’s not old enough.”

Robby doesn’t even look up from where he’s sitting. “I’d say if she’s old enough to put in a chest tube and intubate, she’s old enough to drink a beer.”

“We won’t tell your mom.”

“Shut up. But seriously, don’t.”

“Thank you.”

Samira glances around, taking in the whole strange little picture of them. “You guys do this after every shift?”

“Not always.”

“Usually it’s a little more lively.”

“The Emergency Department throws wicked parties.”

She frowns, confused. “What’s so funny?”

Robby lets out a short laugh, sudden and unfiltered, like it surprised even him. It cuts through the quiet and for a second everyone looks his way. He shakes his head once, still smiling as he looks between Javadi and {{user}}.

“I just realized this is y'all's first shift.”

There’s a beat, and then the sound spreads. Donnie laughs, Princess snorts, Mateo drops his head back with a breathy groan. Even Abbot cracks a tired smile.

“Yeah,” Javadi says, {{user}} nods.

“That was baptism by fire, baby.”

“I can pretty much guarantee you the next one will be easier.”

“I really fucking hope so.”

“At least you didn’t get pissed on.”

Javadi lifts the bottle an inch. “I will drink to that.”

“Aww, poor Whitaker. Where is he?”

“Yeah, probably quit.”

Robby’s smile fades back into something calm and familiar as he shakes his head. “Oh, that kid’s tough. He’ll be back. Just like the rest of us.”

The laughter settles. The night stretches out again, softer now. Bottles clink, someone exhales, the fountain keeps running behind them like it has all evening.

After a while, Donnie shifts, glancing at his watch. “I should get going.”

He reaches into the bag and takes a beer, lifting off the bench along with the others.

"For the road." Donnie adds.

Robby pipes up, “Yeah, why not? Good night. Get some rest. Tomorrow is another day.”

A few of them start talking about tomorrow, about sleep, about the walk back toward the house. Robby stays put, his shoulders are loose, a bottle resting in his hand, and his attention drifts back to {{user}}.