Aloha kâkou!

[Lisa Cuddy]

(Since I just posted a dramatic RP, I thought I'd go for something a little more light hearted! Anyone can join in. I tried to leave it as open as possible, even dropping some hints towards the Scrubs gang. -shifty eyes- Basically, if you can come up with a half-likely reason to be in Hawaii, it'll work. Hahaha.)

The sun shone gloriously from high in the sky, glistening off the water and heating the pristine, nearly perfectly white sand. The sounds of the ocean were a symphony of relaxation, and even the laughter and voices of the other occupants of the beach could not punctuate the serenity the woman lying on large blanket had let herself fell into.

It was a very rare occasion that Lisa Cuddy found herself relaxing so wholly, her entire body free of tension, her mind humming peacefully rather than buzzing with the constant stress running a hospital created. She breathed deeply and evenly, the air light and fresh, the sterile taste of disinfectant wonderfully missing. Though she had come here for business, she stayed for the mini vacation.

Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital, along with many other hospitals across the nation, had been invited to the tropical, blissful Hawaii to attend a large seminar/conference for the top doctors and institutions the United States had to offer. It was pretty much a reward for not only doing their jobs, but doing them well enough to earn distinction. The honor was there, but Cuddy hardly noticed it. The seminars were taught by their peers, with Gregory House and Lisa Cuddy slated to present their own in the coming week. She gave it very little thought, the day too beautiful, and the warmth of the island too alluring for her to try and work indoors.

The invitations had arrived on her desk and she had been skeptical about the practicality of letting a number of her top physicians leave for a week and a half for some giant pat on the back in Hawaii. Then she had noticed that she had been personally invited, and the doubt trickled away. If she was in need of a break, she rationalized, the rest of her staff were, too. They had more than enough capable hands to keep the hospital running for so short a time, and the timing was perfect. The case load was at the lightest it would be all year, statistically speaking.

Along with the named invitation Cuddy had received, she had also been sent on for House. She was reluctant to give it to him, in a way, hoping to have escaped from him. But Hawaii, she came to understand, was not a limp friendly place, and she was soon confident that the beaches would be House free. Four other invitations had come, asking Cuddy to pick the staffers, from any aspect of the hospital, to join the conference. Instead of doing it herself, she had sent the requests to the heads of each department under her, asking for their top recommendations, and had then picked from that group almost randomly. If she were asked who she had brought along with her, she would have to consult the small list she kept in her purse.

So far, she was not regretting the decision to come. The day they had arrived, a Friday, had been busied with a short meet and greet with the host hospital, as well as a tour of their facilities followed by a much more enjoyable tour of the island. Then they had been let off for the weekend. Monday held the start of the conferences and presentations, including a number of lectures and workshops. They would learn from the best, in an effort to continue their renowned excellence.

For the time, Cuddy had little reason to think about the coming week of work. She was lying comfortably on a blanket, the sand soft and malleable under her back, her head propped up on pillow. The large umbrella that protected her from the sun kept her cool, though, her lithe body was slick from the unfamiliar warmth of the day. She seemed to glisten, an enticing quality that even she was not unaware of. The looks she attracted from the men on the beach, and even some of the women, did not surprise her. Though, on the whole, she would be perfectly content without them.

She was wearing a bikini that only encouraged cat calls and lingering looks, her legs, arms, and stomach on display. Pretending not to notice, she kept a pair of dark sunglasses on, watching those that passed her, most of who were doctors here for the very same reason she was, while pretending to sleep. She was particularly aware of a group of doctors who all seemed to have come from the same hospital. Two of the men, while the third splashed less than gracefully in the ocean, were engaged in an inappropriately competitive game of Frisbee while two women, presumably their wives, looked on.

Cuddy sighed, happily, and closed her eyes. She could definitely see herself getting used to the way this place made her feel.

[Robert Chase]

(You know I can't resist replying to anything with you in it, Wicked. ^^)

The day's sun shone bright and brilliant, the sun filtering in the richly decorated hotel room where one Robert Chase was still in bed. Normally it would have been quite odd for Chase to still be in bed at this time of day, but he was not sleeping. No, he was doing something far less pleasant. So, yes, that also ruled out sex.

Sighing heavily, the Aussie ran a hand through his hair, leaning back against the board of the bed and allowing his eyes to shut for only a moment; setting the huge medical text he was attempting to read down. This was, by far, the most exhausting 'vacation' he had ever taken. When he had gone to his superior to ask for the week off, he had half been hoping that he would refuse it. But no, House didn't seem to care too much, making a comment that he would be away that week anyway, so it didn't matter. Of course that was wrapped up in an insult that it wouldn't matter -anyway- as House was the one who solved the cases, not Chase, but the Australian was too busy hiding his disappointment to notice.

It was truly a strange thing. He had, in a way, won, a free vacation to Hawaii...who on earth would be -disappointed-? The answer? Apparently Chase. But not because of the actual vacation part. No, he sorely missed the beaches of Australia and was looking forward to relaxing here...but right now he could not get passed the doom of the week ahead of him. And this was because Chase, -Robert- Chase was due to give a lecture and workshop session. And it got even better...it would be on rheumatology.

Rationally, Chase knew that he could have declined the offer. This hospital had sent the rare invitation to Australia, because Rowan had made several speeches in America before and he was truly the best in his area. They had been hoping to get that name to add to the get list for the renown of it. They had apparently been unaware of Rowan's death. Naturally any -normal- person would have sent the letter back to them, informing them of this fact. But no, Chase's stepmother was not a normal person. She seemed to take a great joy in making Chase feel like shit simply because he was his mother's son...a memory of his father's life before her. The likes of which she could apparently not handle.

Therefore she had redirected them to -Robert- Chase, telling them that, as Rowan's son, he was just as fantastic in that area, even though it was not his specialization. And even though they would not get Rowan that they could still put the name 'Chase' on the list of speakers and that in and of itself should gain them the prestige they so badly wanted. With that put before them, the hospital quickly agreed and sent the invitation and explanation along to Chase himself.

Now Chase -knew- that he knew very little about that area. True, he had a few interesting pieces of knowledge...some things he had picked from his father's lectures...but no where near the same knowledge as anyone else who actually studied specifically. And yet...how could he say no? How could he go to them, shamefaced, and tell them he did not know enough? To just...allow his stepmother to win so easily, to force him into such embarrassment...?

Yeah, because flying here to make a fool of myself in front of them in person is a -much- better idea... Chase thought to himself moodily, opening his eyes with a sigh. Before leaving he had bought every medical text he could on the specialization and had been cramming as much as he could so he wouldn't sound like a -complete- moron. At this point he was hoping on just telling them what they already knew...as opposed to standing up there and not saying anything at all.

And since he was expected to give FIVE lectures, one a day, for two hours each...he had a LOT of studying to do.

Glancing wistfully out the window at the brilliant sunshine, Chase sighed heavily to himself. This wasn't good...he was starting to feel restless...it had been far too long since he had done something physical...and even much longer since he had been on the beach. It looks like perfect weather for surfing... he eyed the waves.

It took only a moment for him to decide that it would be best to just go and get it out of his system for a few hours. And then he would come straight back here and dedicate himself to studying for the rest of the day and all of the next day. Yes, all he needed was a break and then he would be good to go.

Having convinced himself enough, Chase shoved the book to the side and rolled out of bed, getting to his feet. Wincing as he felt his back crack, Chase realized just how long he had been sitting there like that, cramming. Yes, I deserve a break... Even in med school he had found time for other things other than schoolwork.

Jumping in the shower, he cleaned himself quickly, getting dressed in a pair of swim trunks and a plain white T-shirt. Slipping on a pair of flip-flops, Chase brought his wallet and keys...along with one of the texts, a towel, and sunscreen. Tucking them safely under his arm, Chase left his hotel room. Hopefully he would be able to rent a surfboard from one of the places along the beach because he certainly hadn't brought his with him. It was still back in Australia.

Smiling lightly to himself as he opted for the stairs rather than the elevator, Chase could not contain his good mood. Now that the books were out of his sight, it was easier to allow himself to forget about the conference and focus on having a good day in the sun and sand.

By the time Chase actually got to the beach and had a spot all nicely set out, he realized that there were a -lot- of people here. Yeah, probably because of the confer- Quickly, Chase stopped himself from even thinking about it. No, that is -not- what he is here to do. Glancing back out at the ocean he saw quite a few kids playing around on surfboards. Lifting a hand over his eyes to block out the glare of the sun, he turned and also noted that the stand renting surfboards seemed to be out.

Eh, that's okay, no problem, I can wait... Chase thought to himself, privately restarting his inner clock of two hours to start for when he actually got a surfboard. It was only fair, really, considering that was what he was here to do.

Stripping off his shirt, Chase tossed it carelessly on top of his towel, grinning lightly at a few attractive girls who gave him the once over as they walked by. Moving to walk down toward the wetter part of the beach, Chase gracefully got to his knees and then sat back, sighing in bliss as the cool water moved up and over his body, thinning out near his waist before returning to the sea. Just the scent of the water...was so relaxing. It felt a lot like being back home.

Sitting up straight, Chase noticed that there was no one near him...nothing but a stretch of nice, damp sand. The kind that would be perfect for...

No, that's childish. He told himself firmly, though he had to grin at the very idea. It had been so long...and he used to be -really- good at it too. Won competitions for it and everything, back in Australia. Noting that some kid had left a small plastic shovel nearby, Chase gave into his urge. It didn't really matter if it was childish, did it? It wasn't as though there was anyone here who would care or judge him for it. And it had always been so fun...besides he wanted to see if he was still good at it.

Without preamble, Chase sat up a bit more, drying his damp hand on the top of his navy swim shorts. Grabbing the shovel he turned to his knees and began to build the foundation for the best sandcastle Hawaii had ever seen.

[John Dorian]

The conference invites had come two weeks before the trip was scheduled to take place, allowing a decent amount of space for those in charge to deal with whom to bring in their own time and fashions. At the teaching hospital Scared Heart that meant Bob Kelso, the chief of medicine, forcing the normally unnoticed hospital lawyer Ted to draw together a crowd of over-worked, angry doctors to whimper off a brief, undetailed account of the event before slipping back into oblivion. All they knew from said announcement was that there was a trip to Hawaii being planned, and only four staff members would be allowed to attend.

Suddenly the place was a battlefield, with no one on the same team and the weapon of choice a fat kiss to Kelso’s ass whenever possible. It was a known fact that Kelso tended to take the people he hated least.

Dr. John Dorian, one of the hospital’s attendings and an all-around Hawaii lover, was sucked easily into this attention war along with all his friends. Suddenly no one liked one another, glaring from across the hall and offering Kelso bits of information about their enemies to make them look bad. Someone even went as far as to tell another doctor’s patient about the one time he went out with a coma victim’s wife while the man was still alive.

If only he knew who it had been.

To make up lost ground for that little slip from his past, J.D. essentially became Kelso’s bitch, taking care of not only hospital issues for the old man –taking his patients, handling extra paperwork, offering to cover extra shifts- but running silly errands for him like a secretary without the desk and good pay. He found himself constantly waiting in line at the coffee stand during the wee hours of the morning, getting Kelso that first cup of coffee he loved so much.

But hey, it gave Ted a vacation.

It didn’t matter what disgusting or horrible thing he was forced to do for the man, J.D. was more than willing to put his pride on the line in order to go to Hawaii. And it seemed to be paying off for him too, as Kelso would often look for him to do things over the others and even smile once in a while. He was totally scoring points.

Then, about a week later, it all changed.

Kelso, bored with everyone being so loving towards him, passed the buck of choosing who to go on the trip to the only person he had on the roster, Perry Cox. Perry was the best damn attending the hospital had to offer, and was already chosen by the conference committee over in Hawaii to go there and give a lecture on some internal medicine topic J.D. couldn’t even pronounce, much less hope to understand as well as his mentor.

The same mentor who happened to hate his guts.

Several of the doctors simply gave up after hearing that Perry had become the one to choose who would go, well aware of his general dislikes towards them. They knew they no longer had a snowball’s chance in hell. And for those who remained the attempts to kiss ass proved useless, the experienced doctor apparently immune to all manner of bribery. But J.D. wasn’t about to lose hope. While the others doubted Perry would let anyone go to the conference, J.D. persevered. His goal was just within reach. He worked hard for the remainder of that week, doing everything for Perry and trying his very best to impress the man he considered very openly as a second father.

And when that didn’t seem to work he pleaded like a baby for hours after Perry’s last shift before the trip, until the older attending finally relented and allowed him to tag along.

Of course, J.D. remained blissfully unaware that Perry had already picked him to go along with him far prior to his screaming session, a little oblivious to the fact that Dr. Cox saw him as a competent and worthy doctor. As far as J.D. was concerned, he would always be the idiot intern looking for help from his attending, no matter how many cases he solved on his own or happened to win over Perry. It always seemed to bite him in the butt when he started to think he was better than Perry anyway, so he just decided to admit defeat and live with it.

The rest of his last shift went with rainbows before his eyes, the birds singing and little elves dancing in the corner of the waiting room. He didn’t care that those not slated to go were giving him the stink eye and wishing his death so they could take his spot, his mind on what he was going to do when he got there. Did they have appletinis in Hawaii? Packing, waiting, and the flight all zoomed by for him, though the hours stuck on a plane with him probably didn’t go by so slowly for the others, and soon enough he and his fellow qualified doctors landed in the most beautiful place on earth. They were in Hawaii; land of hot girls and awesome beaches.

It had been a long road getting there, but he was glad to have won the war in the long run.

And it had totally been worth it.

That was the only summation the young doctor could bring into his usually thought-crammed mind as he splashed like an idiot through the tides that rode back and forth long the beach, jumping into the water each time it came to meet him like a four-year-old just experiencing the wonders of a beach for the first time. He laughed with every encounter to boot, completing the childishly gleeful look radiating about his beaming face and bright eyes. Once the water moved out once more, J.D. gave the glorious beach a look around, waving to the two women on the beach as his eyes passed them. One waved back happily, the other giving him a threatening scowl before returning her eyes to her man. He shuddered slightly, but followed her gaze to the two playing Frisbee.

“Dr. Cox!” he yelled cheerfully, flailing his arms around merrily, “toss it over here!” He watched with a grin as the Frisbee was thrust high over his head, sailing as though propelled by a jet engine through the air. That didn’t stop him from gracelessly stumbling around and running after it, losing both sandels to the sand as he bolted as fast as he could after the toy. Nothing was going to stop him from catching it and showing the other two he could be just as rad and sporty as they were.

Then he saw this –beautiful- chick.

She was sitting perfectly on a blanket, the sun shining off her body as though it was trying to make her look as wonderful as possible in an attempt to win her over. J.D. stared in dumb awe at her as he passed, his mouth partly open and his eyes locked on a certain portion of her frame that radiated wonderful to him. He had never seen anyone so glorious before. The boy was so captivated by her body that he failed to realize he had not slowed down at all during his little diversion, his feet veering tragically off course from the Frisbee’s before he even noticed. And by the time he had it was much too late. He was heading down towards the water again at an angle, springing much too fast to simply hit the breaks.

But he tried anyway.

He pulled his body back, stumbling awkwardly over the wet, uneven sand as he did his best to bring himself to a stop, watching helplessly as a man and his sand castle drew closer and closer. J.D. couldn’t keep himself up any longer, his equilibrium unable to right itself after such a startling realization. He tripped on the mound of sand with the elegance of a plate of noodles falling off the table, crashing onto the castle with a grunt and a light thudish splash.

Even from so far away he could hear his friends laughing at him.

[Perry Cox]

Perry Cox ran a hand through his thick, curly hair and sighed, debating between pretending he didn’t know the spastic doctor that had just crashed through a sand castle that had barely begun to live, while still shamelessly laughing at him, and going over there to claim his Frisbee and add to the boy’s embarrassment. Smirking confidently, he began the short trek towards the half drowned nuisance. It really hadn’t been a difficult choice.

Bringing John Dorian with him had not been a difficult choice, either. Once Kelso had passed the buck to Perry, even after Perry had kindly requested the Chief of Medicine to blow it out his ass, he had picked his companions within moments. Torturing the staffers with the idea that he could be one over through bribes and promises was simply a perk he had milked for all it was worth.

Of course, he quickly realized what a bad move that had been when JD suddenly forced himself into every spare moment of Perry’s life. The final straw had come early in the stalking, when JD had appeared at the only place that offered Perry some sort of morbid relief from his crazy, hellish personal and professional lives: the bar. Everything after that was a blur of blinding, encompassing rage until finally Perry could not take it any more, and just gave in and told the persistent young doctor he, begrudgingly, was allowed to come.

The plane ride was as close to real physical and mental torture, the kind the bad guys in James Bond movies often tried, that Perry had ever come. It was agonizing, and the only relief came at the end of the flight, when he was finally allowed to escape from JD’s girlish excitement. It was as if he had spent the entire flight with an over-sugared four year old, screaming and giggling at nothing and everything at once. There was nothing that did not excite the Doctor, a term Perry used very loosely. Sitting next to him was akin to sitting in a fully wired, active Electric Chair set on a low voltage. It was not enough to kill him, but he was begging for it before too long.

They had stopped serving him alcohol, fearing he would become too drunk for the flight.

Walking with a powerful, imposing stride, Doctor Cox closed the distance between himself and his Newbie. He moved with purpose, his face devoid of any amusement as he came to a looming halt over the splayed body of John Dorian, who seemed to be having difficulty freeing himself from the ruins of the sandcastle. Perry looked at the blonde haired man who had been building the castle, arching an eyebrow at his age, then shrugging an apology.

“Sorry about that,” he said, reaching down. It looked for a moment like he was finally going to collect the young doctor, his hand extended, but it was not to be. He changed his reaching path and instead grabbed the nearby Frisbee, which had actually rolled back towards JD like there was magnetism between them. Or, since it was Perry’s Frisbee, simply to mock him, “he’s an idiot.”

Turning to the idiot, Perry shook his head, “Now, Carol, when you said ‘toss it over here’ I had been under the, clearly false, impression that you were going to catch it. Not perform a tumbling routine at the expense of this guys sand castle.”

Perry had noted that JD’s attention had been drawn from the Frisbee in his gallant effort to prove himself, and this seemed a good moment to shift his gaze in that direction. There was a woman lying on a blanket nearby, watching them, one hand holding a pair of sunglasses so she could get a better view. He thought about going to her and thanking her graciously for her involvement in Newbie’s tragic fall from grace, but the expression on her face told him she was more than aware of the role she played. Her smile was teasing, though, her eyes shifted from JD to Perry to the blonde guy, lingering on the lattermost.

Nodding towards the woman approvingly, Perry returned his attention to his charge.

“Even in a new state you can’t help but have your reputation proceed you, huh, Newbie?”