Chapter 1

"Good job, doctor." Said Nurse Angie Thompson as Dr. Derek Stiles washed up after a routine appendectomy. "I was worried for a minute there, with the ties snapping and all." Derek Stiles looked a little sheepish, he almost panicked when the tie broke and the patient started to hemorrhage, but he got his head on straight quickly and fixed the problem. It wasn't like him to panic, maybe he had been working too hard... "If you hadn't gotten that spare tie so fast, we may have been in trouble." He said, looking as his medical assistant. Her green eyes flashed as she smiled. "We'll have to send a memo to have our medical equipment checked out." She said, looking concerned. "We haven't had such a serious malfunction since that G.P.S.\Pacemaker the police made us install."

Derek flashed back to the incidents no more then a few weeks ago, concern crossing his features. The GUILT threat was effectivly eradicated, but that's what they thought three years ago... "Doctor?" Asked Angie. Derek started out of his haze, not realizing he had drifted off. "Ah, sorry Angie."

"Yo, Derek, Angie! Come 'ere!" Called Dr. Tyler Chase from the other room, his expression serious. Odd for someone like him. "You gotta see this!" Nurse Thompson and Doctor Stiles exchanged a look of confusion before following their college out into the break room where everyone was gathered around the television. To both Derek and Angie's surprise, even the normally recluse Victor Niguel was in the group. Having to push their way to see, Angie and Derek reached the television, where disastrous events were unfolding.

"It's a madhouse down here, hospital patients are being wheeled off en-mass on anything and everything after part of the St. Peters hospital collapsed due to a hidden sinkhole recently discovered under the hospital's foundation."

Angie couldn't help but gasp in horror, Derek's expression hardened in concern for those on the screen. They continued watching in silence.

"Only discovered after several unexplainable tremors shook the building, authorities did not have enough time to stage a proper evacuation and get patients hospital admissions in other locations. Now, in the wake of this horrible disaster, the sick and injured are being transferred off to quickly erected medical tents several miles away until the victims can be properly taken care of. ... Hold on, this just in, it turns out that there are several hundred survivors from the initial collapse, now trapped inside the crater. Rescue teams are going to attempt to rescue as many as possible while trying to brace the underground foundation in an attempt to keep the rest of the facility from dropping."

"This is horrible!" Cried Angie. "All those people..." Derek looked at Dr. Chase. "Do you know where that is?" The blond doctor took a second to register the question. "Oh! Yea, somewhere in Mississippi." He replied. "Horrible, isn't it? After this, they're probably going to have all facilities checked out."

"Yea..." Dr. Stiles muttered. Something didn't seem right. It was a hospital, one of that size would have fallen to a sink hole years earlier, but the signs of it only recently sprung up...

"You feel it too, huh?" Asked Victor, spooking Derek, hurling him from his thoughts. "Feel what?" He asked. Victor looked a little irritated. "The sinkhole, you buffoon." Derek nodded. "Yea, it just doesn't add up." Victor let out a sigh. "Well, as much as it may pain you guys, there's nothing we can do all they way over here. We might as well get back to work."

The others, in silent agreement, scattered in several directions, only Angie and Derek remaining. "It's just so terrible." Muttered Dr Stile's assistant. "All those people."

"At least it was a confined incident, and not something like a GUILT outbreak." Said Derek, knowing he sounded cold, but the logic was sound. Hurt, but understanding, Angie agreed. "Yea." She muttered. "I guess we should get back to work, you still have some charts to finish, don't you?"

"Uhh, well...You see...." Stammered Derek. Angie gave him her trademark "Get to work" look. Getting the message, Dr. Stiles scurried off.

-One month later-

"A new surgeon?" Asked Dr. Chase in surprise. Everyone else was gathered in the meeting room, Angie, Dr. Clark, Derek, Victor, Leslie, Dr. Chase, and several other doctors and nurses were sitting around the giant table. Executive Director Robert Hoffman and Director Sidney Kasal were at the head of the large piece of furniture. "Two, actually. Both transfers from the recently condemned St. Peter's Hospital." Corrected Director Kasal. "One of them is a renowned Surgeon Dr. Ieaeka Hakiru. She was supposed to be the only one, but by request, her apprentice, Dr. Rose Brinks, will be joining her here. If they prove to be of the right caliber, they will be hired on permanently."

Tyler Chase's excitement was visible on his face. "Two new surgeons. Both women, too!" He said. Derek rolled his eyes. Of course, that's Dr. Chase for you.

"Won't they be needing medical assistants?" Angie chimed in. "It's always seemed to be a standing thing that all Caduceus doctors had their own assistants." Derek never noticed before, but she was right, Dr. Chase had Leslie, He had Angie, and all the others had a personal assistant of some kind.

Directors Kasal and Hoffman both nodded. "Your correct. Nurse Tompson." Said Sidney. "We'll worry about that later, but thank you for bringing it up, because in the meantime, Dr. Stiles and Dr. Chase will have to share their assistants."

THAT was unexpected. Derek and Tyler exchanged a look of shock, Leslie and Angie both looked surprised as well. "Nurse Thompson will be assisting Dr. Hakiru, Leslie will be helping Dr. Brinks." Said the executive director. "I hope there are no objections?"

No one spoke up, although Angie was a little apprehensive. It wasn't until well after the meeting adjourned that Angie had come to terms with the sudden assignment, and actually seemed quite excited. "It'll be nice to have more women around here. Especially surgeons." She said. Derek was a little upset at having to share Angie, but he realized that was completely ridiculous and discarded that train of thought only to have it re-rail. His irritation must have been visible, because Angie seemed to notice. "Is something wrong, doctor?" She asked, concerned.

"No, I'm fine." He assured. Angie got a sly look on her face. "Your nervous that if these surgeons are too good, you may be out of a job, huh?" She teased. Derek replied without thinking, and instantly turned red. "No, I'm worried about being out of an assistant."

Derek and Angie looked at each other for a few moments, then Angie grinned. "You old goof! Like I'd ever ditch you! What would you do without me!? You'd never get anything done!" She said, laughing. Derek was able to relax a little at Angie's calm reaction.

"Do you know when they'll be arriving?" Asked the sandy haired surgeon. "I kinda missed that bit." Angie's green eyes lit up as she laughed at him. "Case and point, Dr. Stiles." She teased again, using his formal name. "They begin working tomorrow morning. They already have a surgery lined up that you have to supervise, or did you miss that too?" Derek smiled nervously. "Y-yea...I did..." He said.

"Oh, you scatterbrain!" Exclaimed Angie, throwing her hands up in defeat, a large grin on her face as she tried not to laugh.

A.N.

Well, this WAS 1,300 words before I added the author note, which was 100% unintentional, but still awesome. (I had to do some editing, so that 1,300 word count went out the window. ;_; ) Anyway, I just finished playing the game when I decided to write this. I prefer writing original work, but fan fictions are good practice, 'cause a lot of the information is already there, you just gotta fill in the blanks.

Anyway, I read a few Trauma center fan fictions before writing this, to get a better grasp on other people's views of the characters and to pick up some tips of my own.

Anyway, Ieaeka Hakiru has been a personal character of mine for a couple years now, Rose only recently came out of the woodwork, so she'll be a little less developed then her predecessor.

I would enjoy ratings and PMs with advice, "Did you knows", story ideas, or even words of encouragement, as long as your not rude about it. I'm always willing to expand my knowledge and writing ability. I hope lots of people read this and get some time from their day to dissolve into my fictional world.

I won't have an updating schedule, so the chapters will be sporadic, so check in often!

That's all, Dusk, OUT.