Hello :)
Just a quite note to say that, as the summary states, this is a sequel to a story I wrote previously (A Holby City fanfiction called 'Twinkle Twinkle') so you should read that first if you haven't yet so that you can understand the plot. Also the summary includes a notice about a trigger warning surrounding this story, so without giving away the plot of the story, I will always put an individual warning at the start of any chapters which include any of these sensitive topics. Finally, for reference, this story is set quite a few months after it's counterpart, meaning Star is healed after her accident and Colette is now back in Holby permanently. If you enjoy this story please leave a review, because I love to read them and they really help be improved and inspire me when I'm writing further chapters!
The four junior doctors had only arrived home a short while ago, but were already bunched up around the TV with a movie on, and a selection of Indian takeaway food infront of them. They were deep in conversation about the days happenings, as it was the last full day they'd all have on the same ward because the new ward rotations for F1 and F2s began the very next day.
"So where are you all then?" Arthur queried, pushing his glasses up his nose in his usual fashion. He was the only one of the four who would be staying put on Keller.
"Pediatrics," Dominic replied, a grimace on his face, "I did a stint on there when I was at med school and oh my god.." He whinged, which was met my laughs from the rest of the group.
"Neurology," Zosia replied, raising her eyebrows at her half sister, "I'd put anything that having something to do with Dad," She added, which caused Star to nod.
"I never got chance to open my letter actually," Star explained, pulling it out of her bag which was sat next to her. She carefully ripped open the envelope and scanned through the black and white text. "Oh god please no," She mumbled, catching the attention of her friends, "I'm on the E fricking D," She sighed, knowing that it would be very hard and demanding work, and a stark contrast to the quite atmosphere of general surgery on Keller.
"Who's your mentor?" Dom questioned, having heard stories of the clinical lead Mrs Beauchamp and her 'No-nonsense' reputation.
"Connie Beauchamp," She replied, flopping her head on to the shoulder of her boyfriend, Arthur, realising what he was getting at.
"Isn't she the one that made that student nurse cry? Sophie I think she was called?" Zosia quizzed unhelpfully, not passing up the opportunity to wind up her sibling. Dom nodded, and Star sighed,
"Oh yippie!" She remarked sarcastically. Arthur gave her a reassuring smile, which made her feel slightly better but she knew full well it wasn't going to be easy..
A new day was beginning, as the sun began to rise over Holby. Arthur and Star awoke almost simultaneously to the ear piercing sound of their alarm. Star sighed as she turned it off, and sat up in bed to stretch her tired limbs.
"Morning Twinkle Twinkle," Arthur greeted, which was met by a smirk from Star at his use of a nickname given to her months ago by colleague Fleur Fanshawe. She smiled at him in for a short kiss, before getting out of bed. She walked to the wardrobe to pick out some clothes, while Arthur scrolled through his social media.
"How you feeling about today then?" He asked her, as she closed the wardrobe, a pair of light wash skinny jeans and a slogan jumper slung over her arms.
"Alright I guess, I'm sure I'll be fine but I feel like it'll be a bit of a leap from working on Keller," She admitted, before leaving the bedroom to shower. Elsewhere Zosia had already got ready, and was sitting at the small dining table with Dom, eating from a communal pile of toast that he'd made, and they were discussing the day to come and complaining about their new placements to eachother. Arthur then entered the room and joined them at the table.
"Excited for the day?" He upped, knowing by their expressions that they clearly weren't. He grabbed a piece of toast and started to eat it and Star entered the room, her shoes now also on. After a short while of eating, and sufficient moaning from Zosia and Dominic the group were ready to go and walked around to the hospital together. Star departed the group upon entry, no longer having to get in the lift. She turned the corner and entered her new workspace - the E.D. Her eyes widened slightly, as she walked into reception, and she turned to the desk.
"Excuse me?" She began, a young, dark haired, female receptionist looked up to her, "I'm the new F1, I'm supposed to be meeting a Mrs Beauchamp?" She explained, and the receptionist nodded,
"Okay, I'll get someone to take you down," She told her, gesturing to a youngish looking porter who'd just come in the doors. "Max! Can you take Miss..?" She paused, realising she'd forgotten to ask her name,
"Sheward, Star Sheward" Star finished for her.
"Can you take her onto the ward please, she's here for Mrs Beauchamp," The receptionist asked him. The porter nodded, and guided her past the desk,
"Sure, I'm Max, a humble porter," He greeted, giving a mock bow. Star giggled and smiled back at him. They asked in silence until they arrived on the ward floor. "Cal?" Max asked, walking over to someone she presumed was a doctor, as she was leaning at the nurse's station with some files. He span around to face them,
"Max, what can I do for you?" He asked, looking past his shoulder to where Star was standing.
"I've got the new F1 here, Dr Star Sheward, she's to report to Mrs B," He explained to him. Cal nodded,
"Thanks, leave her with me," He replied, and before leaving Max turned to star,
"Watch out for this one - he's what they call a player..!" He remarked with a laugh, just loud enough for him to here. He disappeared, and Cal rolled her eyes,
"Ignore him. I'm Dr Cole Knight, but call me Cal," He introduced, reaching out to shake her hand. She smiled at him as she shook his hand. "I'm afraid Mr Beauchamp's in a meeting right now, but I'm on a break so I could show you around and get you scrubbed in and suchlike if you want?" He offered, his blue eyes sparkling ever so slightly. Star nodded graciously,
"Thanks, I'd really appreciate that!" She replied, slightly charmed by his pleasant nature.
He guided her briefly around areas such as the cubicles and resus, before showing her to the staff room. He nodded to his brother, Ethan and Nurse Robyn.
"This is my brother Ethan Hardy, a registrar like myself, and Robin Miller, she's a nurse," He introduced. "Guys this is Star, she's the new F1," He added. Robyn grinned at her, and Ethan gave a smile also,
"Nice to meet you," Star greeted, perching on one of the stools at a breakfast bar style table by some lockers, while Cal went to grab her some sea blue scrubs.
"Here," He said, passing them over to her, "Robyn, could you show her where she can change?" Cal then asked, sitting down next his brother. Robyn nodded, getting up and guiding down the hall to the changing room. Star nodded a thank you, before going in and putting her scrubs and name badge on. She folded her clothes into her bag and put her stethoscope around her neck. She exited the room and was met by a waiting Robyn,
"So what ward have you come down from?" She asked, as they walked back to the staff room.
"Keller," She answered. The two girls then sat back down with Ethan and Cal, and exchanged in some small talk, and Star made the conscious decision not to mention her family too much for now incase the treated her differently; she wanted them to build judgements of herself first, without the fact that she was the CEO's daughter getting in the way. Cal then glanced at the clock,
"My break's over, and I think Mrs Beauchamp will be around by now," He stated getting up and heading to the door. Star waved a goodbye to her two new colleagues and followed Cal to the clinical lad's office. Star knocked on the door, and Cal turned to walk away,
"See you later?" He asked hopefully, to which Star nodded, before being called to enter the office.
"Morning Mrs Beauchamp," She greeted, remembering the advice Cal had given her about talking to the clinical lead.
"You're the new F1 I presume?" Connie questioned, a slight smile creeping across her face at the way the young doctor had addressed her. She glanced down to a file infront of her, "Dr Star Sheward?" She the added swiftly. Star nodded simply. "Right. Well, I'm sorry I wasn't here this morning, but I was held up in a meeting. I see you found your way around ok?" She quizzed, noting the fact she'd already got scrubs on, which pleased her as it showed initiative.
"Yeah, I did. Dr Knight showed me around," She explained, pushing a loose hair out of her face which had fallen out of her smooth ponytail.
"Good," Connie continued plainly, "Okay, so I've taken aof brief look through your portfolio, which was pretty good," She complimented with a small smile, causing Star to glow inwardly with pride, "And I'd like you to shadow me for this morning, and I'll then have you work with one of the registrars in the cubical after lunch," She explained, as Star nodded. Connie stood up, "If you have no further questions we can get going," Star shook head and followed her out of the office.
The morning ending quite quickly, and it had been an interesting experience for Star as she'd had to adjust to the altered pace of working, however she was taking it in her stride and was beginning to enjoy herself. She was sitting at a table waiting for Zosia, as they'd agreed to meet since they had the same lunch break that day. Her sister arrived at the table with two sandwiches and two coffees.
"Oh, thanks," Star, taking a sandwich and a coffee from her. Zosia shrugged,
"Anything to get away from Dad breathing down my neck," she complained, taking a sip of her coffee. "He's been doing my head in all morning because he doesn't seem to have anything bloody better to do than pester me" She continued, sighing. Star laughed,
"Are you're surprised why?" She quipped. Zosia smirked,
"Very true! What about you, is Mrs Beauchamp as bad as we've heard?" Zosia asked her, as Star took a few bites of her sandwich.
"Not so far," Star admitted, "It seems like so long as I keep on her good side and don't mess up too horrifically, that I'll be out of the firing line," She mused, drinking some of her coffee. Zosia nodded, surprise at her reply, considering what people had said about Connie before. "She does get pretty pissed of if you don't call her Mrs or Dr Beauchamp though.." Star added, smirking at the memory of watching Max being scolded for referring to her as 'Mrs B'. The two girls proceeded to spend the remainder of their lunch break gossiping about new colleagues and what their wards were like.