Splinter of Truth
By Maya Clearwater
D/c: Scrubs belongs to Bill Lawrence, not me. So please don't sue . . . I have no money and suing me would be utterly pointless.
--
The sound of dirty water hitting the tile floor echoed throughout the corridor. He stood there, moping the same spot, over and over again. SMACK, went the mop as it collided with old, worn-out tile. It was the same thing every day.
"Mop this spot and thou shall be enlightened." He would always say. The hospital seemed so hectic, so chaotic. But at about 12:35 time would stop. Every day at around lunchtime, Elliot Reid would walk down this corridor. Completely unaware of the torment she caused in the faithful handyman who was mopping as she passed.
She would usually ignore him completely and walk right past him on her way to lunch. It wasn't until fate brought the two together. Well, maybe it was just a faulty pager sprung loose from its holder. But, whatever it was he was certainly thankful for it.
After that, the time he spent moping randomly was well spent. As she would pass she would nod to acknowledge his presence. Often she would flash her pearly white smile toward him. Sometimes she would stop to talk to him. Usually when she had some free time before lunch. They would talk about mundane things such as the weather, or how Dr. Cox is an asshole. But, it didn't matter to him what was said. As long as he got to hear the symphony that was her voice, and feel the sensation in his stomach he got when he saw her.
In the beginning he tried to squash these unfaithful feelings. He was still married to Angela, the witch who took 9 years of his life away. Although he didn't love her anymore, and she certainly didn't either, he would still feel an immense amount of guilt when he talked to Elliot. After the first few months of his and Elliot's friendship, Angela felt she had enough of him . . .
"I'm leaving you. I can't stand this anymore. You leave me with nothing inside, just emptiness. I've had enough." She said as she gathered her things up.
"Goodbye Angela." He said with little emotion.
"You can see Timmy every-other weekend. I'll be staying at my brother's house." She said while getting in the car. Before she left, she gave him one last kiss on the cheek.
"You're a good man, just not mine," She closed the door, "The papers will come in the mail. Good-bye." And with those final words she drove away, leaving him with a dead-end job and a moldy couch.
One particular visit with Dr. Reid led to dozens of questions and one shocking revelation. One that will change the simple handyman's life forever.
It was a Tuesday in January. He stood there mopping and waiting, as usual. He looked at his watch: 12:25.
"Mop this spot and thou shall be enlightened." He said to himself. He looked down the busy corridor and saw her smiling face heading his way.
"Hey Janitor." She said cheerfully.
"Greetings Dr. Reid." He replied.
She gave a nasally chuckle and said, "Come on now, how many times do I have to tell you? Call me Elliot."
He looked up and into her soft blue eyes. "Good afternoon Elliot."
She smiled and handed him her beeper. "It's broken again."
He smiled and took it from her. "Let's see . . ." He took out a screwdriver and started to fiddle with the pager, making small talk while doing so. "There you go. Good as new."
"Thank you! You are so helpful." She said putting the pager back on her belt.
"Nah, this is my job." He chuckled. His hands met the mop handle and he felt a sharp prick in his finger, "Oow."
She asked concerned, "What's the matter?"
He clutched his finger, wincing in pain. "Nothing."
She wouldn't take that answer. She reached up and grabbed his hand and inspected his finger. "You got a little splinter."
She touched the now swelling finger.
"Oow!" He whined.
"Oh don't be such a baby. Hold on, I'll get it out for you." She said turning down the hall for the supply room. She came back with a very monstrous looking needle in hand. He backed away slowly, but she just came closer. She took his hand and held it in hers. She poised the needle and said, "This might sting a bit."
He was unable to hear her last sentence, for he was overcome by a strange feeling. Her unusually warm hands numbed him from all pain. He closed his eyes and let the feeling take over his body. He opened them and saw her smiling face looking up at him.
"That wasn't so bad now was it?" She said flicking the splinter on the ground.
"Your hands . . ." He started to say.
She caught him quickly, "I'm sorry, they are always cold."
He looked deep into her eyes. "No, they are warm."
She looked at him with disbelief, then down at her hands. "Odd." She was suddenly aware of their closeness. "I better get to lunch. I got so many patients today."
As she was walking away he shouted back to her. "Thank you."
She turned around and flashed him one last smile, "Just doing my job."
It was at this moment when he accepted the fact that he had feelings for her. It was an intense feeling that overwhelmed him, and he no longer denied them. He knew that it would be quite some time before he could act out his feelings. But until then he could still see her everyday. He could still be enlightened by her presence and enlightened by her spirit. He just had to keep going. He just had to keep moping.
Fin
A/N: I would like to thank all my reviewers of My Secret. Thank you for your kind words and constructive criticism. I hope I get the same reaction from this fic as well. Also to answer Moviepoopshootfan's question about the Janitor's wife's name, I made it up. I don't know what it is, but that name kinda stuck to me.
By Maya Clearwater
D/c: Scrubs belongs to Bill Lawrence, not me. So please don't sue . . . I have no money and suing me would be utterly pointless.
--
The sound of dirty water hitting the tile floor echoed throughout the corridor. He stood there, moping the same spot, over and over again. SMACK, went the mop as it collided with old, worn-out tile. It was the same thing every day.
"Mop this spot and thou shall be enlightened." He would always say. The hospital seemed so hectic, so chaotic. But at about 12:35 time would stop. Every day at around lunchtime, Elliot Reid would walk down this corridor. Completely unaware of the torment she caused in the faithful handyman who was mopping as she passed.
She would usually ignore him completely and walk right past him on her way to lunch. It wasn't until fate brought the two together. Well, maybe it was just a faulty pager sprung loose from its holder. But, whatever it was he was certainly thankful for it.
After that, the time he spent moping randomly was well spent. As she would pass she would nod to acknowledge his presence. Often she would flash her pearly white smile toward him. Sometimes she would stop to talk to him. Usually when she had some free time before lunch. They would talk about mundane things such as the weather, or how Dr. Cox is an asshole. But, it didn't matter to him what was said. As long as he got to hear the symphony that was her voice, and feel the sensation in his stomach he got when he saw her.
In the beginning he tried to squash these unfaithful feelings. He was still married to Angela, the witch who took 9 years of his life away. Although he didn't love her anymore, and she certainly didn't either, he would still feel an immense amount of guilt when he talked to Elliot. After the first few months of his and Elliot's friendship, Angela felt she had enough of him . . .
"I'm leaving you. I can't stand this anymore. You leave me with nothing inside, just emptiness. I've had enough." She said as she gathered her things up.
"Goodbye Angela." He said with little emotion.
"You can see Timmy every-other weekend. I'll be staying at my brother's house." She said while getting in the car. Before she left, she gave him one last kiss on the cheek.
"You're a good man, just not mine," She closed the door, "The papers will come in the mail. Good-bye." And with those final words she drove away, leaving him with a dead-end job and a moldy couch.
One particular visit with Dr. Reid led to dozens of questions and one shocking revelation. One that will change the simple handyman's life forever.
It was a Tuesday in January. He stood there mopping and waiting, as usual. He looked at his watch: 12:25.
"Mop this spot and thou shall be enlightened." He said to himself. He looked down the busy corridor and saw her smiling face heading his way.
"Hey Janitor." She said cheerfully.
"Greetings Dr. Reid." He replied.
She gave a nasally chuckle and said, "Come on now, how many times do I have to tell you? Call me Elliot."
He looked up and into her soft blue eyes. "Good afternoon Elliot."
She smiled and handed him her beeper. "It's broken again."
He smiled and took it from her. "Let's see . . ." He took out a screwdriver and started to fiddle with the pager, making small talk while doing so. "There you go. Good as new."
"Thank you! You are so helpful." She said putting the pager back on her belt.
"Nah, this is my job." He chuckled. His hands met the mop handle and he felt a sharp prick in his finger, "Oow."
She asked concerned, "What's the matter?"
He clutched his finger, wincing in pain. "Nothing."
She wouldn't take that answer. She reached up and grabbed his hand and inspected his finger. "You got a little splinter."
She touched the now swelling finger.
"Oow!" He whined.
"Oh don't be such a baby. Hold on, I'll get it out for you." She said turning down the hall for the supply room. She came back with a very monstrous looking needle in hand. He backed away slowly, but she just came closer. She took his hand and held it in hers. She poised the needle and said, "This might sting a bit."
He was unable to hear her last sentence, for he was overcome by a strange feeling. Her unusually warm hands numbed him from all pain. He closed his eyes and let the feeling take over his body. He opened them and saw her smiling face looking up at him.
"That wasn't so bad now was it?" She said flicking the splinter on the ground.
"Your hands . . ." He started to say.
She caught him quickly, "I'm sorry, they are always cold."
He looked deep into her eyes. "No, they are warm."
She looked at him with disbelief, then down at her hands. "Odd." She was suddenly aware of their closeness. "I better get to lunch. I got so many patients today."
As she was walking away he shouted back to her. "Thank you."
She turned around and flashed him one last smile, "Just doing my job."
It was at this moment when he accepted the fact that he had feelings for her. It was an intense feeling that overwhelmed him, and he no longer denied them. He knew that it would be quite some time before he could act out his feelings. But until then he could still see her everyday. He could still be enlightened by her presence and enlightened by her spirit. He just had to keep going. He just had to keep moping.
Fin
A/N: I would like to thank all my reviewers of My Secret. Thank you for your kind words and constructive criticism. I hope I get the same reaction from this fic as well. Also to answer Moviepoopshootfan's question about the Janitor's wife's name, I made it up. I don't know what it is, but that name kinda stuck to me.