13 years later
"I'm telling you, she was totally into me! I could just tell!"
Hana only rolled her eyes but gave her best friend, Lena Oxton, a smirk of encouragement. Of course she'd be crushing on the new french foreign exchange girl in their intern class.
"Do you think I should ask her out?" Lena started again in her heavily accented english, blowing her bangs out of her eyes as they walked down the bustling sidewalk towards the city hospital.
"I don't know, do you even know how to speak french?" Hana replied, her smile faltering a bit as they walked side by side.
Without warning, Lena stopped walking and gasped loudly. Enough for even Hana to turn and look at the slightly crazy girl whom she befriended earlier this year.
"OhmyGodHanayou'reagenius!" Was the Brit's reply suddenly as she burst out, jumping into Hana hugging the shorter girl tightly.
Allowing herself to be crushed in Lena's arms for a bit, Hana then slowly pushed her friend off of her with a worried look on her face.
"I know I'm a genius but… you're gonna have to explain this one to me." She mumbled, her patience slowly deteriorating as she checked her watch. "And keep walking, we're going to be late at this point.
She heard Lena huff as both girls continued walking down the sidewalk.
"Well first, you gave me the amazing idea that I should ask her out in french!" Lena exclaimed, her bubbly attitude coming back quickly. "She'd love that, look at me being all smooth!"
Rolling her eyes once more, Hana said nothing but kept listening.
"Secondly, We're not gonna be late, don't worry." Lena continued, japping a playful elbow into Hana's side. "Your girlfriend will still be there."
Hana felt her own cheeks redden as she looked away, her hair whipping from the sudden movement.
"S- She's not my girlfriend, idiot Lena." Hana mewed out.
Her friend only laughed, slapping her knee in glee as she wrapped an arm around the shorter girl.
"That's right, I forgot. You've never even spoken a word to her!" She continued to jest. "She sounds more like a victim to your stalking ways."
Hana pushed Lena off her shoulder and grumbled. Of course she'd hadn't spoken to the woman in years, but she still remembered her. She remembered how heartbroken she seemed, how utterly destroyed she seemed all those years ago… as she broke the news to her and her father.
Right then and there in that quiet little breakroom. The day she lost her mother…
She remembered she didn't quite understand what was said, what did she mean her mother was gone? She was going to come back, right? She was just asleep. Hana was young. Naive and young at the time, unable to process the feeling of loss. Her father on the other hand broke down. Never before had she seen the man in such devastated spirits. And even to this day, Hana has never seen the man quite smile as he used to. Not even when she got accepted to a prestigious university and accepted into the intership of one of the most amazing hospitals in the country.
The same hospital her mother passed away in.
Ever since that day, Hana Song had her sights set on becoming a doctor.
Reaching the entrance of the hospital's main lobby, both girls donned their student badges as they passed through, heading to the metal elevators towards the end of the hallway.
Hitting the desired floor they were to meet the rest of their class in, Hana could feel Lena staring at her, with her usual devilish smile on her face no doubt. It took only a few seconds for the brit to comment once more on Hana's thoughts about the now head surgeon of the hospital.
"So, how did you even set your sights on Dr. Zeigler?" Lena asked, oddly sounding genuinely curious.
Hana shuddered at the memory. It wasn't something she ever told Lena, let alone any of her friends. Why she wanted to become a doctor. Something about that night really resonated with her. How a complete stranger could nearly collapse so much about being unable to save someone's life. Sure, it was their job but to feel so emotionally attached as to breakdown and really seem to care… it changed Hana that night.
Of course she lost something that day, something extremely precious to her. But it also gave her strength. She wanted to help others. She didn't want others to feel the same loss as she felt. And she wanted to have that determination and care that doctor Ziegler had shown all those years ago. To want to try and succeed so hard, so much…
Hana didn't blame her for her mother's death. She hoped that the now head surgeon knew that, but Hana had no idea if she did. In fact she didn't even know if Angela remembered her. They haven't spoken in thirteen years, from when HAna was merely a child. A fact that Hana knew surely would arise if they now met each other in these circumstances. Why she was an intern at the same hospital that Dr. Angela Ziegler was the head surgeon at now.
She'd only set eyes on the blonde woman a few times since her time here, all of which she was sure that Angela had never noticed her. Sure, hiding behind walls or looking away quickly as they passed each other in the halls didn't help but…
Oh Gods, maybe Lena is right… am I a stalker?
"Hello~ Earth to Miss Song. You okay?"
Pushing Lena's snapping fingers away, Hana exited the elevator noticing that they had arrived at their floor; glancing at her watch, with barely any time to spare.
"Oi!" Lena called, quickly catching up to Hana's hurried pace. "Ya didn't answer my question."
Tilting her head as they rounded a corner near their class group, Hana really didn't feel like telling her friend the entire story right then and there.
"I met her a few years ago when I was at the hospital." She explained quietly as they approached their class right when roll-call was happening. "You could say that she inspired me to want to become a doctor as well."
"Aww!" She heard Lena gush loudly, earning the ire of their professor who glared in their direction as they joined the group. "That's totally adorable!"
Not the word I'd use.
Though before Hana could retort, their usual guide for the day got all the students' attention, herding them down the hall, silencing her and the rest of the interns. Though as they walked through the hallway towards their usual reception area, passing by various nurses and patients, Hana nearly froze when she spotted a head of blonde hair walking towards their group.
Tied in the usual ponytail she always wore, as yellow as the morning sun, there walked Dr. Ziegler. The woman's bright blue eyes seemed a bit dulled as she read from a clipboard, reading glasses dangling precariously around her neck. Dressed in the usual doctor's white lab coat with a gray knitted turtleneck underneath, the woman was gorgeous. It amazed Hana that she wasn't married.
Not that I made sure or anything…
On the few times she had seen her, Hana always made sure to check her fingers for any ring. Which she didn't spot. It seemed like a shame… but their loss was her potential gain. Maybe.
Wait, what?
Feeling herself become both giddy and nervous as the head surgeon of the hospital neared their group, Hana kept her head down, her long brown hair falling over her eyes as she kept a small gaze on the woman through her bangs. She never knew when her respect for this woman turned into something akin to affection. It still bewildered her.
But just when Hana thought she was going to get away with avoiding the older woman's gaze, she felt her heart sink when their guide stopped the surgeon in her tracks.
"Ah, doctor Ziegler, guete morge!" The pudgy man exclaimed loudly, causing the surgeon to look up in surprise, almost like she didn't notice the group of students.
"Good morning to you as well Dr. Skylar." Angela replied, her blue eyes scanning the various bodies in front of her.
Though when her eyes traveled across Hana's own, the short Korean all but jumped out of her skin, looking away and letting out a tiny squeal.
Which was a mistake.
The moment she had done that, she heard the devilish chuckle that belonged to Lena, who still stood next to her.
"Hiya doc Ziegler!" Hana heard Lena suddenly callout, causing all eyes to suddenly turn to her, which in turn caused everyone to also look in Hana's general direction. It only served to caused the Korean to shrink into herself even more.
"Ah, hello." Hana heard Angela greet, her voice tinged with confusion though she still kept a professional tone in her voice. "You're all interns, correct?" She then asked.
Before anyone else could answer though, Lena spoke up again, this time throwing an arm around Hana.
"You betcha!" Lena laughed out. "In fact, some of us here are really big fans of yours… Really big fans."
It took every amount of effort to not jap Lena in the ribs at that point, but Hana knew it'd only draw more attention to herself. Though now Hana was curious. This was the closest she'd been to Angela in years. And to think that she'd be looking in her direction now… It caused Hana to finally turn her head and look her way.
"Oh?" Was Angela's reply as her blue eyes turned from Lena's to Hana's own. "I'm quite flattered to hear that."
As their eyes met, Hana felt her breath hitch in her throat. It almost felt like electricity had sparked between their gazes. She wasn't sure if it was her own imagination in that moment but she swore that she noticed something in the older woman's look. Something almost like recognition.
"And ya should be!" Lena continued, much to Hana's chagrin, but her eyes were still locked with Angela… Almost as if she were in a daze. "Hana here is aspiring to be a doctor just like ya! Cheeky, right?"
It was then that Angela's face changed. Almost as if the final piece of the puzzle had been found. Brown and blue eyes widened at the brit's words then. The room fell silent as Hana knew that the cat was out of the bag. There was no way the doctor didn't put two and two together at that point.
She remembers me.
With one step forward, doctor Angela Ziegler came closer to the group of students. With another she parted the interns away. With one more, she stood a mere foot away from both Hana and Lena.
And with one final step, the bridge between Hana and Angela was finally formed.
"H- Hana… Song?"
Her voice was low, unsure, and worried. With a tinge of something else Hana was unsure of.
"Hello again, Angela." Hana replied, her own voice tiny.
She regarded Angela with a smile. Feeling her cheeks redden from the intense gaze the beautiful surgeon now gave her, with a smile finally forming on her own lips. With a slight push from behind, Hana stepped closer to the doctor who said nothing but wore a curious smile on her face.
"I… I almost didn't recognize you without your warpaint on." Angela commented, with a small chuckle.
The giggle sounded angelic to Hana but she herself couldn't fight back the growing smile and embarrassment on her face from the comment. She felt butterflies form in her stomach from the friendly jest and it was then that she wanted to tell her everything.
She wanted to tell Angela the truth. How she gave her a purpose. How she inspired her. How she thought she was amazing for doing what she loved, how she truly showed that she cared thirteen years ago.
How much even in that small moment of giving her the news that she never truly respected someone more than her.
How she wanted to be just like her.
"I'm all grown up now, doctor." Hana replied with a genuine smile. One she hadn't made in a very long time.
"And ready to learn to be a surgeon… Just like you."