John Dorian's Final Realization

Chapter 13: My Big Day

The dusty surface of the full length mirror reflected the image of a stranger. His thin hands tightened the stiff fabric of his tie about his neck and regarded the man in the mirror with disdain. "Turk?"

His best friend popped his head inside the bedroom's doorway while he tucked in his own shirt. "What's up? Something wrong?" Dorian could already see worry forming in the crease of the surgeon's brow.

"No, everything's fine. It's just-," the wheels of his chair creaked as he twisted around. "Should I really be going? I mean think about it. I dated the bride, then tried to win her back after Keith asked her out more than once and I swear her mother never really forgave me for the coleslaw incident.. Maybe it's best I just hang back here." His already inflamed cheek grew a darker shade of red as he scratched at the ragged gashes along it. Some of the more superficial scraps had long since sealed themselves, same with his lighter bruising, but the more severe divots remained more prominent than ever.

"Stop picking at that." Christopher was crouched in front of him now, his narrowed eyes suddenly widening as if he had solved a puzzle. "This isn't about Elliot or Keith feeling uncomfortable is it? You're worried about what people are going to think when they see you, right? JD.. It will be fine. I promise. Elliot really wants you there and everyone will be so focused on the ceremony they probably won't even notice us. We will just hang out on the sidelines and if it's an issue we can leave anytime okay?"

Dorian's skin crawled as Turk grabbed him gently by both of his shoulders, seemingly trying to steal his attention away from his reflection and back onto him. "If you really don't want to go we can stay back here instead. I have the new episodes of Gilmore Girls TiVoed already and Elliot will understand. What do you want to do?" Fighting the urge to pull away from his grasp he lifted his shaky hands and flattened his hair.

"L-let's go. I'm ready." 'If it is too much I can leave anytime. So stop worrying.' He reassured himself, 'And Turk and Cox will be there if he ..'

The small car around him now shuddered as the trunk was closed and his friend slid into the driver's seat. "The girls just texted me. Said they just finished getting it all ready. I guess they even convinced Cox to help with the chairs. Not sure how that was possible. Must have some real dirt on him or something." He joked and the engine turned over.

"Maybe they found him in one of the bridesmaid dresses." He smiled. Turk was caught off guard by the small reappearance of his friend's old humor at first but then grinned widely himself and chuckled.

"What if it was Carla's? Oooh that image is going to haunt my nightmares for a while." JD cringed.

"How would his arms even-?" Dorian lifted his own up and tried to wrap his mind around the idea. "Maybe he was trying to zip it up when Elliot found him?"

"Ahhhahah..! I did not need to picture that, man!" He was thoroughly disturbed at the thought, as was JD, but they both also couldn't help but laugh as well at the idea. There was a small chime and Turk glanced down at his phone as he drove. "Could you answer that for me? Might be important."

"Yea- Yeah sure." He was out of breath and his ribs hurt from laughing so much but he didn't regret it in the slightest. "Hello?"