Chapter 1

Mike is a nurse…for now.

Today is his first day at Graceland Medical.

It was one of the newer, elite hospitals in the Long Beach area. A hospital that was so unlike any other… being that its employees were trained FBI agents, DEA and customs with everything in between working as nurses, doctors and everything in between. The place was funded and operated mostly by the government as well private donations from wealthy sponsors, although the patients always weren't wealthy. Getting a job as a nurse here, after especially graduating from the Academy, was a supernatural feat. Even moreso for doctors. Mike originally wanted to follow in the footsteps of being a doctor like his father and also work for the FBI like his grandfather. So this job was the best of both worlds in theory. However, he was led in the direction of nursing instead of being a doctor.

The pay was pretty great, from the rumors he's heard. Health care benefits were through the roof too. This place cost millions of dollars and only let a small handful of people work here. Not only that, the hospital allowed you to live and work here as there were several dorms on the other side of the hospital. Or in one of several condos with other housemates. Mike was hoping for that one. Especially the flophouse that was named after the hospital. He liked the idea of leaving work at work when going home for the day. For now though, he was told had to live in one of the hospital's living quarters.

He was supposed to report to the head doctor, Paul Briggs. But this place was like a huge, expensive sanitary maze he just couldn't find his way around in. Suddenly, a random blond woman, in nurse garb, ran right up to him when he stopped at a nearby door to catch his breath.

"Are you nurse Mike Warren?"

Mike looks around. "Um, yep."

"Please wait here for further instructions! Don't leave."

With that, she buzzed right off, calling over to another nurse further down the hall.

Okay…

How did she know who he was, and where he should have been waiting?

Nevermind. At least it was something better than wandering around aimlessly.

So Mike waited.

And waited for a good hour until he heard laughter slowly creeping up from behind him.

"Mike Warren, right?"

Mike turns around. His eyes takes in a guy with a military cut, about his height and weight, staring right back at him with a semi-serious expression on his face. He wore maroon scrubs, so Mike could guess he was a nurse too.

"Yeah," Mike replies. Hopefully this guy knew where Mike was supposed to go. He seemed friendly. Like a puppy almost-

"You wanna know how I know you're Mike Warren?" The guy asks. Mike tilts his head questioningly at this stranger. The guy had a smile on his face, pretty contagious enough that Mike couldn't help but smile back.

"Because I'm waiting where I was told to wait...And not to move?"

The guy rattles something off about Mike's scores. Rather in an impressed manner too. Mike laughs.

"You're not Paul Briggs are you?"

The guy looks surprised for a split second before looking at Mike with a serious visage. "What makes you think I'm not Briggs?"

"You sounded really impressed and a little envious with my Practicals score. Briggs got a higher score than me." Mike didn't man to boast, but yeah. Not Briggs. He's never seen the man's face before so-

The guy narrows his eyes at him at the accusation, and then his cocky demeanor deflates into a soft smile. He extends a hand and Mike happily shakes it. "I'm Tuturro. Everyone calls me Johnny though."

Mike looks at Johnny's ID pinned on his maroon scrubs. He finds that nowhere on it does it say the name 'Johnny'. It does say Tuturro. As well as having a photo of a serious face of the guy standing across from him-

And said guy is suddenly, literally dragging him off in another direction of the hospital.

"Whoa, wait a minute!" Mike exclaims, almost losing his suitcase after being grabbed.

"We gotta check in a few patients, but first we go to the flophouse to get you settled in," Johnny smiles, herding Mike along by the shoulders. They zigged-zagged through the almost crowded hospital, passing several doctors, nurses and a few regular federal agents. Mike didn't think a private hospital such as this would get crowded at any point and time with so many patients. He tried to stop and look but was tugged in another direction. "C'mon Mikey!" He smirks at the nickname and quickly realizes something.

"Wait, did you say flophouse? I thought I was supposed to stay here with the new-"

"Not anymore. Somebody pulled some strings somewhere to get you in there," Johnny answers, pushing Mike into the sunlight outside. "How's your Spanish?"

"My WHAT?!" Mike questions loudly. What the hell, he was supposed to learn Spanish?! Why did no one tell him?! "No one told me I had to-"

"Damn. That sucks," Johnny comments, leading the way down the steps and even further down the hill. The hospital sat on a grassy hill, surrounded by tall and short marble statues of extremely rich benefactors of the bureau and hospital collectively. Below it were shuttle buses going to wherever patients or doctors needed to go. The two walked past all of it, exiting out of the entrance gate to parts unknown to Mike.

They walked for a while, through a small town area, chatting pleasantly about random things. Johnny promises to lend him some of the Graceland's (the flophouse not the hospital's), language tapes. Apparently learning Spanish was very important while living here. He was instantly nervous about it.

"You're smart. You'll figure it out," Johnny compliments. "I'll help you if you-" He stops and stares at Mike every so often, laughing a little to himself. Mike was pausing where he was walking to scribble notes down in a notepad the entire way here.

"What?" Mike asks, stopping his writing to walk with Johnny again and pull his suitcase along. He decided back at the hospital Johnny was a cool guy. He was glad he had him to show him around and not some jerk or something.

"Nothing man," Johnny says, shaking his head while hiding a smile. Mike wonders what was so funny, but he lets it go.

They finally reach a beachfront. Families were around, shops, a few apartments or condos and basically anything a small beach city in L.A would have. Mike supposed it was nice to have a hospital so close to a beach. It was lovely really. Their walk lasted about twenty minutes when they neared a particularly large building. Mike looked up at it in admiration.

"Is that-?" The place was huge. Beautiful, but also identical to other surrounding condos. Johnny stopped in front of a door, so Mike jogged up to him.

"Yep," Johnny answers. He pulls out a key from his pants pocket to insert in the front door. He opens it, stepping in.

"Welcome to Graceland!"


Shiny new series I've had in mind of starting. Completely different from the "I Put a Spell on You" universe/series I have. Thank you for reading~

Please review and let me know what you guys think~

Bye :)