Of all the days for her father to run out of gas...and then take HER car...and THEN show up 20 minutes late because he "got held up at work"... Of all the days for tardiness, today was the wrong day.
Speeding through the streets of Death City, somehow unnoticed, Maka Albarn swung into Shibusen Hospital's crowded parking deck, weaving her way toward the employee section. At the establishment's toll booth, a rather sweet youth with lengthy black hair requested her intern ID. After complimenting her photo, the fellow intern handed her a car ID tag and gave her a few tips on where to find the best parking spots. The first four levels were completely full, and, just as Maka was about to give up hope of finding anything, she pulled around the corner to the fifth level and spotted an open space halfway down the aisle. Fist pumping in triumph, she swung out to pull in, only to have a tiny sports car speed through the crevice of an opening and whip into the spot before she could fully process what had just happened. When she slammed on her brakes, a bald-headed youth about her age exited the vehicle, a wicked grin on his lips as he strode toward the elevators.
"What the hell is his problem?!" Maka screamed as she swung back out and flew forward, craning her neck in hopes of finding something before her shift started. Five solid minutes of winding up and up inside the parking deck finally paid off when she found a space in the eighth level of the parking deck.
"Okay, Maka." She assured herself as she opened her car door. "You're finally here. It's gonna be great. Don't let one jerky driver ruin your entire d-" Her eyes grew wide and bright when they caught sight of a scratch that had somehow gone unnoticed when the other driver slipped past her. "Forget that. That guy wants his day in court? He's gonna have his day in court." Slamming her door for good measure, the disgruntled intern stomped to the elevator.
"Albarn, Maka Albarn." She stated as she approached the front desk, out of breath and put out by how this day was going, for the most part.
"Albarn...ah yes, you're right here!" A chipper blonde whose badge read "Marie" beamed and handed her her ID badge and scrubs.
After she changed, Maka halted in front of the restroom's mirror, a small grin creeping onto her lips as she saw images of her mother flash before her. Kami Albarn, the great neurosurgeon. Maka Albarn, the soon to be great psychologist, living down her father's legacy of failure. Nothing could make her happier. Strolling from the lavatory, she nearly ran into a familiar figure, the head baring a nauseating resemblance to a boiled egg. "You..." She swore under her breath as he strode away, an arrogant gleam in his eye.
"Miss Albarn," the receptionist smiled. "Let's see...You'll be interning in our Emergency Room..."
"Wait, what?" Maka felt her face heat up. "I was told that an intern was needed for the psych ward."
"Yes, an intern was needed, but the space has been filled. I'm sorry, you just missed it."
"Does that mean?..."
Maka turned, the scorching fires of hell itself flaming in her emerald orbs as they made contact with the ugly, leering, bespectacled gaze of a certain egg-headed spot stealer. Pinching the bridge of her nose to avoid blowing up on the sweet toned woman, Maka replied, through her teeth, "E-Emergency will be fine..."
"Great! If you head down that hall, you'll find the ER staffers lounge and locker room. Here's your locker key."
"Thanks." Forcing a grateful smile, Maka trudged down the hall toward the ER lounge, her stomach lurching when an all too familiar outcry boomed through the hallway.
"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! HE TOTALLY COULD HAVE MADE THAT SHOT! PATHETIC. COME ON, USA, STEP IT UP!"
"Shut it, Black*Star, you're gonna give the patients a mass heart attack."
The cause of the ruckus screeched to a halt, his eyes wide and staring when he recognized the source of the put down. "Maka? Maka Albarn?! In the ER?! What happened, did you go psycho on one of the psych ward crazies?"
Flopping onto the couch next to him, she delivered a healthy chop to his skull, grinding her teeth before she fumed, "Some bald-headed ego maniac cut me off, stole my parking spot, AND stole my internship space. It's like the egghead has it out for me."
"Bald...you mean Ox Ford?" Maka quirked a brow, trying to place the familiarity of the name as her childhood companion continued. "Yeah, it's probably him. I heard these nurses, Kim and Jackie, gossiping about how his dad is this big shot neurosurgeon, but he was slapped into his place by some famous lady surgeon-"
"FORD!" Maka suddenly erupted, pounding a fist into her palm. "Doctor Arthur Ford! Yes, the second-rate moron my mom showed up at this huge seminar. I remember now! He probably still hates my mom's guts for that, but I guess he was still able to pull some strings for his own kid..."
"Oh yeah, we gotta thank your mom for that, later."
"Um. YOU do. Anyway..." Sighing, she fell back against the cushions, staring at the speckled ceiling tiles. "I suppose it could be worse...at least I have-"
"HEY!" A beautiful dark skinned woman suddenly hastened through the doorway, pulling up in front of the pair as she breathlessly declared," We need you two, now! A handful of patients just flooded in and we need some manpower!"
"ALRIGHT-" Black Star hopped up, dragging Maka with him as he stumbled over her name tag. "M-Myra?-"
"Mira, but that's Nygus to you, kid."
"Fine, Nygus, then! Let's go save some people, 'ey Maka?"
Actually moved by his exuberance, Maka allowed a grin to overtake her lips. "Yeah, let's go!"
Nygus wasn't exaggerating when she said they needed manpower.
The chaos and cacophony of the emergency room was like nothing Maka had ever imagined. She'd never paid much attention to those overly embellished hospital dramas, but right now she was thinking that maybe those writers knew a thing or two.
As soon as they passed through the ER's swinging doors, a dirty blonde-headed woman hurried over to her, a hysterically giggling, blood-spattered girl in tow. "Please, please help me! My sister got into a stupid fight at school and her jaw and maybe her nose might be broken. Please help us!"
Taking in a deep breath, Maka replied, "Miss, we're doing all we can. As you can see we have many people who need help today. If you could do me a few favors. First, calm yourself and your sister and things will go better, and then go clean her up in the restroom down the hall. We can save time later and make sure we get her the help she needs as quickly as possible. Most importantly, do NOT give her any painkillers. The doctors will take care of that later."
"Thank you." The woman smiled, and Maka realized that that must've been the most attention the woman had received all day.
"Of course-"
"Intern, over here!" Seeing that Black Star was tied up with a slouched man and a little girl with big brown eyes, a costume witch's hat, and what was likely a broken arm, Maka sped over to Nygus, who was poised over a stretcher already coated in fresh blood.
"What do we have?"
"Motorcycle accident. Head-on collision with a Mack truck. Handle bar got driven through his abdomen and part of the mirror broke off in his chest. Fractured arm, too. It's amazing that he's still alive...here, get his info, just the basics are fine for now."
Maka's soft eyes scanned the mangled body, coming to rest on the contrite, twisted up features of a young man no older than 25, maybe 24.
"Hi." She murmured, crossing to him as Nygus readied him to go back to surgery. "I'm Maka, I'll be your nurse today."
Despite the circumstances, a grin somehow managed to surface to his flushed cheeks, his eyes wide and bright from the pain. "S-S-Soul." He stammered out.
"Hi, Soul." She smiled. "Can you tell me your last name?"
"E-Evans."
"What about your address?"
"42 S-Scytheman P-l-lace, D-Death C-City 42564."
"Thank you, Soul. That's all I need right now."
He gave her a sloppy grin, reaching out to grip her small hand in a vice-like hold. "I-I'm gla-ad I ge-et...a...a pre-tt-y n-nu-urse thiss ti-me..."
"This time?" She asked, trying to distract him as Nygus stabbed an IV into his arm.
"Y-you" He grit his teeth, "You th-hink thi-is is my f-fi-irst a-ccident?" He chuckled bitterly, his eyelids starting to flutter as the medication flowed into his bloodstream. "'Ey, a-avter...a-alla thiz is o-over, w-we sh-sho-uld 'a-ang out zum-"
"Alright, we gotta move!"
"Right!" Maka jog-walked alongside her newly appointed patient, his pale hand still gripping hers, even as he drifted into lala land. "It's gonna be alright, Soul. They're gonna take good care of you."
"...Will...you...gum...zee...me...avter...?"
"I will." She smiled softly as he lost consciousness and released her hand; her eyes followed the stretcher until it disappeared behind the OR's swinging doors.
"Alright, Doctors Stein and Asuza will take care of him. We need to get back to the ER."
"Yes, ma'am!" Maka sped after Nygus, deciding that maybe this ER thing, helping desperate people, wouldn't be so bad after all.