Nohrian winters meant two things to a hospital employee: the largest amount of alcohol consumed during the weekends, and the largest influx of tourists besides the summer season.
The university students were the worst. Tempted by world-class slopes, weeks of guaranteed snow, and travel packages that promised incredibly cheap food and housing (put together by people who either clearly underestimated the dangers of letting an inebriated frat house travel unsupervised, or who clearly didn't care and saw it as a way to squeeze out easy money), they were among the most common demographic admitted...usually along with an irate policeman hovering over the board's doorstep to see when their hapless patients could be released and then be charged for something like arson, petty theft, or indecent exposure...again.
This particular coed – Azura noted that the name on her chart was "Corrin Frölich" – had to have her stomach pumped shortly after her admittance, and was put on an IV drip soon after her broken arm and leg were placed in casts and then held up by ceiling slings. According to the police report handed to her by her dishevelled resident supervisor, Yuugiri, the girl had downed a truck's worth of painkillers and alcohol before jumping off the top of an intermediate ski slope in a state of extreme agitation.
However, her patient didn't seem to feel to put upon by her circumstances. If anything, she seemed downright pleased as punch.
"Heeeeey," the woozy student called out for the nth time. "You're so pretty. Have I told you that before? Omigosh. You're so pretty. Wow."
"Thank you," Azura replied patiently as she typed in the girl's vitals to the screen plugged in next to the AC controls.
"You look like you're the type of person who likes flowers," Corrin plowed on, oblivious. "Like, roses? No, ew, so pretentious. Maybe lilies? No no, wait, I know!" She tried to stroke her chin with her hand, but it was hard to do with the heart monitor clipped to her finger. "Lotuses. They're like...totally your spirit colour...or something."
"I like bluebells and chrysanthemums too," Azura said. She leaned over to push Corrin up on her pillow properly, since she had slid down too low on the bed and placed her head in an awkward position.
The patient seemed extremely giddy to be touched like that by her nurse. "When I get out, I can totally get you some – some to match your hair – awwww, but the stores here don't have any!" She pouted and huffed and crossed her arms, with Azura pushing the tubing on her arm out of the way to avoid tangling. "Aw, it doesn't matter," she tried to lean into her nurse as though wanting to share a secret; Corrin only managed to push her neck forward and go cross-eyed. "I can just go to – to – somewhere where it's still spring –"
"That would be Izumo," Azura supplied helpfully.
"Yeah, Izumo – I can just...like, be there, and I'll pick some for you. And then you can put 'em in a vase...or, or, you can braid some in your hair and you'll look super pretty. Like a model."
"And how would you get there and come back here so fast?" Azura asked, amused, as she began to fill the prescription bottles with medication her patient would need after being discharged.
"I don't know if you've heard," Corrin assumed a haughty, self-important tone, which was made all the stranger considering how it paired with the enormous black eye blotching her skin and the fact that her breath still smelled like vomit, "but I'm a dragon. I can just, like...fly. Yeah. I can fly and stuff. I flew yesterday. It was awesome."
"I'm sure it was."
"Whenever you want. I can take you flying. We'll have an amazing time. We can go to a fancy place for dinner, and then a movie – and everyone will be so jealous because I'll have the cutest date ever." The student looked mighty pleased with herself and blushed expectantly at her nurse. It was actually kind of lovable...in a sweaty, medicine-scented kind of way.
"That's very sweet of you," Azura said kindly while paging Dr. Charlotte, "but I'm afraid I don't get off until Thursday. I'll have to take a rain check on that date."
To her amazement, Corrin's face crumpled immediately and snot and tears began dribbling down her bruised face. "Whaaaat? That's...that's ages away! And I'll be home by then so I won't see you at all," she hiccupped sadly and leaned her head back into her pillow with a dramatic sigh.
The nurse gave a small laugh, not unkindly, while rearranging her leg in the sling. "If it makes you feel any better, I can see you out when you're discharged tomorrow. It won't be so bad, I promise."
"You think so?" Corrin's lower lip quivered.
"Yes, I do," Azura patted her head sympathetically.
"It's good to see you're finally awake Corrin," a groggy, frazzled voice spoke from the door.
The two men who had brought the girl into the emergency room last night looked exactly how they felt: tired, unshowered, and highly hungover. The pair of blondes' usually impeccable hair was flying all over the place and they both sported a set of identical blue bags under their eyes. That wasn't the only thing that matched, however. Their dark purple Notre Sagesse University t shirts had been defaced with bright red paint that read 'A SPECTRE IS HAUNTING HOSHIDO!'
"Heeeey Marx, Leo," Corrin piped up excitedly, exposing the recent gaps in her teeth with her big bright smile. "Did you hear that? I got a date. With a nurse. A pretty nurse!"
"I'm sure you did," the taller man, Marx, grumbled. He turned to Azura with squinted eyes. "When can we expect her back home?" he inquired.
"Around the late morning tomorrow. I'll be sure to print out copies of her prescription and her care instructions before noon today."
"Good. The sooner we leave this place, and Corrin is done with her bedrest, the better. This place is crawling with Byakuya Tech kids," Leo shuddered.
As though the very words were an unholy summoning spell, two ponytailed patients Azura recognised as some of the ones staying in the next ward over popped their heads in, grinning widely when they recognised the blondes.
"Heeeey Oboro, look here! The Reds have risen!" the boy cackled hysterically.
"Watch out Hinata, or they might come over and collectivise your room like they did their shitty agro department!" the girl snorted back.
"You're just jealous that we got the grant money and you losers didn't!" Leo roared and stormed out after them in hot pursuit. Marx heaved an apologetic sigh before following him, leaving the women alone again. Silence stretched out weirdly before Corrin offered a confident assurance of "it's ok, it won't be as awkward when I take you home to meet everyone, since I'm adopted."
Don't drink and mix meds kids. You won't be guaranteed a cute nurse to look after you and you'll usually feel too sucky to actually flirt effectively.