hello! that was one hell of a work week. sorry for the late update. thanks for coming back!

...

Noctis, Prompto, Gladiolus and Ignis were all gathered in the young Prince's apartment. Prompto's ankle was still swollen and sprained, he hadn't exactly been staying off of it like he was supposed to. Ignis was cleaning up after their meal, the other three on their phone playing King's Knight. The television was on some random show playing in a low volume in the background. As Ignis finished up his chores he went to join the other men, pulling out his own phone. Gladiolus was largely losing his game, usually, one to be extremely competitive. He was distracted, making rookie mistakes. They continued their game regardless, laughing, cheering and yelling cries of defeat. It was moments like these where time would fly by, and they were none the wiser. It was good to just be in each others company as friends, the way Noctis preferred it. He wasn't a big fan of Gladiolus the Shield or Ignis the Adviser but they were his friends first and that made all the difference.

"What's with you, Gladio?" asked Noctis, exiting the game.

"Me? Where were you?" he threw a couch pillow at the Prince. He deflected it, laughing.

"He's right big guy, you weren't really in it," conceded Prompto.

Gladio grunted, "Still beat you didn't I?"

"Think he's still hung up on that girl," said Noctis, smirking.

"His clinic visits have increased since she treated him," said Ignis absently, his eyes still on his phone.

"Think he's in love!" teased Prompto, putting his hands together and mocking the Shield with his doe eyes.

"Prompto!" Gladiolus punched his friend in the right arm, leaving a giant red mark.

"No fair!" Prompto whined, "I can't exactly run away."

"I can make that permanent."

"B-but love is in the air!"

Gladiolus growled as Prompto rose from his seat quickly laughing, only to step on his bad ankle and fall down. But Gladio's momentum was great and he ended up stepping on said ankle, causing the young man to shriek in pain. Most of that was drowned out by Noctis laughing at the two of them, but Ignis was on his feet instantly, going to check on Prompto as Gladiolus sheepishly stepped off.

"The swelling is increasing," said Ignis exasperated, "I'll gather an ice pack."

"Don't know, Iggy, he looks like he's in a lot of pain," replied Gladiolus, "He should probably go get it looked at."

"There are no urgent care facilities open at this hour. Only the emergency department."

"Hey, you always say to err on the side of caution."

Ignis sighed, "Indeed. Very well, I'll take him then."

"I got this."

"I beg your pardon?"

"I'll take him, it's my fault anyway. Come on Prompto, on your foot, let's go."

Prompto's whimpering was more so dramatic, but he got to his feet anyway. Gladiolus helped the young man towards the door and left. Ignis looked thoughtful at the scene that he just witnessed. Something was definitely a bit off about the entire thing.

"I've never seen Gladio so eager to get to a hospital," said Noctis, shrugging and picking up his phone.

"Indeed," said Ignis, suspicions still on his mind about the whole ordeal.

...

Doctor Virum washed her face, her pale cheeks returning to normal after washing the blood off of her skin. Her last patient went into a delirium, ripping out his intravenous and stitches and splattering blood all over her. She sighed, changing her scrubs for clean green ones and switching out lab coats. The new changes had them using scrubs with their names on them, same with the lab coats. The doctor couldn't help but feel she was partly to blame for that as she never willingly gave out her name like she was supposed to. It was how she separated her emotions from her patients, especially since whenever she did give her name, many looked at her with surprise. She hated when they did that, was much easier when they just saw her as their physician.

Virum took a quick look in the mirror, noting the lack of sleep in her bloodshot hazel eyes. Hour twelve, and she was kicking herself for choosing to stay, but she couldn't go home. Every time she went there she was reminded that she needed sleep and then when she tried to sleep she would have the same nightmare she'd been having for years. If she couldn't sleep anyway then she might as well be at work doing something productive. Four more hours and she could go back to snoozing on the couch in the doctor's lounge. Virum wondered how long she could get away with that seeing as her boss wasn't happy that she was practically living here.

As she walked back out toward the nurse's station, she picked up a chart and walked into the exam room. 8 year-old male jumped down from the roof of his house, contusions and severed femur. He was crying, his mother a worried mess over him while his father looked disgruntled at having to be here. Dr. Virum applied pain medication and took an x-ray. After seeing the nature of the break, she had two nurses come in and help her set the bone. She left a nurse to fix the cast, issuing a prescription for pain and then signed off the chart and left the room.

And so that was her night. People who came in with more flu symptoms, contusions and lacerations. Nothing serious thus far, most patients coming in and being shipped out to different departments. Hour fifteen. She was exhausted, hoping that she could wear herself out enough to have a dreamless sleep. They were in the middle of switching to digital, so recurring patients so far she had to use her own personalized tablet. Luckily there weren't many in the emergency department but it was still enough that she was too exhausted and impatient to deal with it. Virum grabbed another chart, looking it over quickly and then walking into the room. 20 year-old male, contusion to the right arm, severe pain and swelling in the right ankle. She opened the sliding door and swung back the curtain.

"Hey Doc," she was greeted by the smiling face of Gladiolus.

She smiled tiredly, "Mr. Agentum, I see your ankle hasn't improved these last couple of weeks," she ignored the large man standing beside her patient.

Prompto laughed nervously, "Yeah I had a bit of an accident."

"What kind of accident?"

He rubbed the back of his head absently, "Well, the big guy here tripped on my bad food and ended up hitting my arm on the way down."

"How convenient, and just when it would be done healing," she replied dryly.

The doctor placed the chart down on the counter and put on a pair of latex gloves. She examined the contusion on his arm and took another quick picture of the ankle. Thankfully nothing had changed so she patched him up swiftly and signed off his chart. Virum discharged him, making quick work of her patient and largely ignored Gladiolus's presence. She wasn't really in the mood today and he seemed to know exactly when she would be done her shift. Sighing, she gave the chart to the resident nurse, Gin.

"He comes back one more time he'll be on the tablet," remarked Gin.

"I could seriously do away with those things," muttered Virum, annoyed.

"Welcome to the future," Gin handed her another chart.

"Incoming!" another nurse shouted.

Dr. Virum threw the chart down watching for when the gurney would come in from the medics. The doors slid open, and she was vaguely aware of Gladiolus and Prompto leaving their room and their eyes on her as she darted toward the scene. The medics wheeled in the stretcher, and she followed it towards a trauma room.

"Talk to me," said Dr. Virum sternly as she put on a set of latex gloves.

"Two month-old female infant, shortness of breath and low BP. New mother is frantic," the medic explained.

The doctor took her stethoscope and had a listen to the baby's lungs. She was crying, but the airways were clear. Virum then focused on the heartbeat and frowned as she kept listening, something was off but she couldn't quite be sure. She moved her stethoscope and kept listening, unsure if she was hearing it properly or if it was lack of sleep catching up with her.

"Get a chest x-ray and an echo, and transfer her to pediatrics," the physician ordered, "Keep her on oxygen and monitor her until the results come back."

The baby was stable, the mother in tears as she hovered near the doorway. Dr. Virum walked back towards the nurse's station, handing off the chart to Gin. She logged into the computer, looking for any sort of patient history. Seems the infant was in here a week ago with the same symptoms. Virum sighed, her eyes looking at the clock.

"You're not going home, are you?" asked Gin.

"I want the results on that infant," she replied.

"That could take hours. You need sleep girl."

"I won't sleep until I see those results."

"Probably just a scared and nervous mom. New mothers jump all the time at the little things."

"Maybe..." she left it hanging, taking the tablet out of the pocket of her lab coat and looking at it. Something about the sound of that heartbeat...

"I know that look."

She looked up, feigning innocence and grabbing a chart, "What look?"

Gin grabbed the chart from her hands, "Go sleep for twenty minutes in the lounge, I'll come get you when we're in dire need of your services."

"You know, when everything goes back to digital you won't be able to do that anymore," she smiled, walking away.

Gladiolus stood beside Prompto as they watched Dr. Virum rush toward an incoming patient. The Shield studied her stern and calculated gaze despite the obvious sleep deprivation she was suffering. Did she ever sleep? Every time the large man had seen her she had such a hollow look to her, and a pale complexion. She did her work quickly and went back to the station. Prompto elbowed him gently, and he tore his eyes away from her, exiting the emergency department. The night air was crisp as they walked toward Gladiolus's car.

"I think you struck out, big guy," said Prompto, their pace slow with his injured ankle.

He grunted, "Busy night."

"Hope the baby's okay."

"I'm sure she'll fix it."

As they approached the car, Prompto got in carefully so as not to irritate his ankle. The bruise on his arm was a bit tender but he didn't let it show on his face. Gladio started his car and then drove off. The streets were mostly empty, they at least weren't in the hospital too long.

"We never actually bet on what would happen if I won," said Prompto.

"You haven't won yet," replied Gladiolus.

"I'd say she's pretty uninterested in the mighty Shield."

"Then she would have told me to go away by now."

"You know for an observant guy, you don't really read body language well."

"That's exactly what I've read. She's married to her job, but even she can't work every minute of the day."

"Looks like she does."

"Yeah. Makes me wonder..."

"Wonder what?"

Gladiolus regarded the young man briefly. Prompto was a bit young to understand the dangers outside of the city, the impact of the war. If she was a combat medic like he suspected then she had seen it first hand - and she wasn't sleeping because of it. Gladio had seen it in the Citadel all the time, Glaives who came back with insomnia and night terrors. Some of them couldn't handle the heat of battle or had been so severely injured they were forced to stay back. Some had seen the death of all their loved ones, or friends that they had known to become family. It wasn't easy for any of them. The Empire waged a dirty war and it was the living that suffered.

"It's nothing. I'll take you home, Iggy will have Noct in bed by now," replied Gladiolus.

"Yeah, uh... thanks," Prompto was thoughtful, wondering what was going through his friend's mind. As he pulled up to the house, Prompto didn't really waste any time getting out, but he did stop before closing the door to the car, "If you don't get a date by the end of the month, I get your car for two months."

"No."

"One month?"

"No."

Prompto laughed, "Because you know you'll lose."

Gladiolus grunted, "Fine, one month. You're on. But if I win, you shave that mop of a head."

"What?! Dude!"

"Deal's a deal," and before Prompto could protest, Gladiolus drove away laughing.

...

The angry red sky struck lightning right beside her. She blinked, in a complete haze, unable to move until she twitched as the sound of thunder pierced the very sky above her. Her eyes began to focus but her body refused to move, seeing the giant eye of the daemon that was attacking them. Then she heard the screams again, the screams of her comrades. They needed her and she couldn't save them. Releasing a breath, she forced herself to get up, starting with her arms. She tried to push herself up with her hands but they wouldn't work. Another deep breath, body in agony with every small movement. She rolled to her side, putting her right arm to the dirt beneath her. She had to save them, she had to get up and save them. They were screaming, dying as the ground vibrated with every new attack from the giant red-eyed daemon. It was getting closer, they would all die. She had to save them. Her skin felt on fire, she could only see red. The red of the sky, the red of the daemon, the red in her eyes. Her breath was coming out in rasps and she began to push herself up. She saw flames engulfing her entire arm and she pushed with all of her might to get up. And all that she could see was an azure glow, the screaming persisting.

Virum shook awake, breathing heavily. She tried to take a slow breath in, closing her eyes but it didn't work, she only saw that azure glow. The doctor swung her legs over the couch and held her head in her hands, her elbows on her knees. Finally, she got ahold of herself, exhaling slowly and then closed her eyes, taking in another deep breath. She was finally okay, having a look around the lounge. It was empty like it usually was when she had a nightmare. Her eyes darted toward the clock, noting she had slept for four hours. No one had disturbed her, it was almost shocking. Virum stood up slowly, trying to gauge where she was in her work schedule. There was an hour until her afternoon shift, having worked throughout the night for the full 24 hours. She only left the hospital to grab some real food and clear her mind a bit, but she ultimately ended up back at work, not bothering to go home. Walking toward the locker room, not even sure of the mess she looked like, she punched in the code for her locker, opening it and grabbing her change of scrubs and shower supplies. The scorching hot shower she had turned her skin red instantly upon contact with the water and she spent longer in there than she needed to since she had the time.

The doctor observed herself in the mirror when she was done, dressed in fresh navy scrubs with her name sewn into them. She ran a hand through her hair, noting that it was longer. It was halfway to her shoulders, the blond highlights still vibrant as ever. The dark bags under her eyes were actually pale, only faintly dark. The bags were smaller as well, the sleep she got actually doing her some sort of benefit. Virum blow dried her hair and put it back up, the ponytail actually falling with the gravity slightly, then she applied her light makeup, shocked at her own appearance. She looked mostly human. Satisfied, she noted she had fifteen minutes until her shift started. Perfect timing to grab a snack.

"Perfect timing," said Tash, handing the doctor a chart as she walked into the emergency department.

Dr. Virum swallowed the mass of food in her mouth, taking it from the nurse, "This doesn't sound good."

"ETA five minutes, there's a three car pile up. Two main cars got the worst of it, the third not so much."

"Three car pile up? It's not even happy hour yet."

"For the driver that caused the accident, it was."

She frowned, opening up the file, "I saw this patient last night, the infant. I ordered a chest x-ray and an echo. Why is she back here?"

"Gin filled me in. The pediatrician dismissed your orders and sent them home. Kids sick."

The doctor was about to say something, but the sliding doors slid open, medics wheeling in a stretcher. Dr. Virum dropped the chart and ran towards the patient. They got into a room with nurses, the patient intubated while one of the medics worked the pump. She put on a pair of latex gloves.

"What do we got?" she asked.

"8 year-old female, multiple contusions, rib fractures and lacerations. BP 70 over 50, heart rate steady at 70 but still too low," the medic explained.

"Where are the parents?"

"Mother was DOA, the child was unconscious so I couldn't ask about a father."

"Okay. Get a head CT and an x-ray, look for any hemorrhaging. Get her stable and a blood bag up here. I want her monitored until she can breathe on her own."

The doors opened again, medics wheeling in another patient, this time with more urgency. Dr. Virum ran over, following them into the room.

"This one?"

"The DUI, 43 year-old male, multiple contusions and lacerations. Trauma to the skull, fractures to the sternum, right ulna. O2 stats plummeting, heart rate practically none existence and severe blood loss."

"Transfer on my count."

There were three nurses in the room and the two medics. Dr. Virum kept her eyes focused on the patient and the monitors. They were screaming at her, the patient barely alive.

"One, two, three!."

They moved him from the stretcher to the gurney, the medics taking their leave. Dr. Virum ordered a chest x-ray, and they all geared up to take the picture. Looking at the image on the screen, she could see that there was fluid in the lungs. They did an echo and there was also massive bleeding in the heart and then he began to completely crash. One of the nurses started compressions so she ordered medication to help the heart along.

"Get the paddles!" Virum shouted. They started the machine, wheeling it towards her. She grabbed the paddles, placing one on the chest and another off to the side, "Clear!" She shocked him, his body lifting with charge. Nothing, "Charging, clear!" One more time and there was no pulse, "Hold compressions," she instructed. The monitor was motionless, the patient flatlining. She sighed, "Get him on bypass," she called it, removing her gloves and sanitizing her hands, "Find an identity and notify a family," she left the room.

Dr. Virum walked toward the nurses station, Tash looking at her sadly. She grabbed the chart she was holding before the crash. Tash placed an extra one on top of that, looking at her pointedly.

"Three cars, remember?" she spoke.

"Right," she said. She opened the chart for the infant, "This will be quick."

Tash didn't seem to care. Dr. Virum walked into the room, the infant was laying in the bed with oxygen. The mother looking at her frantically but seemed somewhat relieved to see her. She repeated her procedure from the night previous, and this time ordered the x-ray and echo from her own department. The sound of the heart was still bothering her and she wasn't going to let this go until she saw some results. The doctor handed the chart to Tash with a stern look to carry out her orders this time. She would be having words with the pediatrician that dismissed her orders and sent her patient home. That wasn't cool.

Virum opened up the other folder, looking it over quickly This was the third victim of the car crash. He wasn't rushed in, his wounds seeming minor. 22 year-old male, possible fracture to the right radius, contusion from the seat belt across the chest. She opened the glass sliding door and pulled back the curtain, placing the chart down as she put on a set of gloves. The doctor looked up at the man who was smiling slightly as he waited patiently on the gurney. She recognized him, that stern face she had seen before. He had a small laceration on his hairline, which made blood trickle down his face.

"Iggy!" her head snapped to look at the new voice. She was met with Gladiolus, as he pushed himself into the room followed by Noctis and a limping Prompto.

"Are you okay dude?" asked Prompto.

"What's it looking like, Doc?" asked Gladiolus. Noctis was silent as he stood near his friend.

"If you're all finished, I need to examine him," she said calmly.

Gladio moved out of the way, pulling Prompto with him. He noted that she looked healthier today, alive, and the blood on her scrubs and lab coat, meaning she was treating other patients before she came in here. It made him relax a little bit. If she was only getting to his friend now then he wasn't much of an emergency case. She walked towards him, pulling out her penlight.

Dr. Virum shone the light on each of his eyes, happy that he was responsive. She observed the small laceration on his hairline, nothing too serious and then felt underneath his chin, happy that everyone was quiet. The doctor took the stethoscope from her neck and prepared it, placing it on his chest. Ignis winced, taking a sharp breath in. Her hazel eyes met his green ones, and he carefully unbuttoned his shirt. He was slow but she waited patiently, keeping an eye on his right arm where the possible fracture was. Virum could see the large contusion from the seat belt, probably the reason he wasn't worse off. She placed her stethoscope carefully again against his chest. She nodded at him, and he took a breath in. The doctor moved it and he repeated his actions. They did it one more time and she had a thoughtful look on her face. Virum then carefully took hold of his right arm, noting the contusion where the fracture was. Ignis was still and she was able to feel what she needed.

"Mr. Scientia, I'm ordering an x-ray and a CT for that head. I suspect you may have a mild concussion but I want to eliminate anything else I might have missed," she spoke in her professional tone, taking off her gloves and sanitizing her hands.

"Thank you, Dr. Virum," he nodded at her.

"I brought your spare," said Noctis nervously, handing the black case to his friend.

"Thank you."

"Glad you're okay," said Prompto.

"Someone will be in shortly to take you up to radiology," Dr. Virum smiled at them again, leaving the room.

She walked over to the nurse's station, giving the chart to one of the nurses there as Tash was nowhere to be found. The doctor took a quick look at herself, the blood on her scrubs and lab coat bothersome. Virum quickly darted toward the locker room to change, happy that they had ordered more than enough for her to change over. Now she wore pink scrubs, a fresh coat flaring behind her as she returned quickly to the nurse's station. She saw Noctis walking beside the nurse that was wheeling a very reluctant Mr. Scientia toward radiology and was only mildly amused by that, seeing Gladiolus and Prompto go into the waiting room. His amber eyes were on her as he walked by, but she ignored him as she always did.

"Dr. Virum," Tash walked up to her.

"Yes?"

"The results from your infant patient," she handed her the chart.

Virum looked it over, her hazel eyes widening. And then she turned sad, looking in the direction of the room. She observed the mother, who was hovering over the baby. Gladiolus watched the expression on her face, looking towards where she was. He saw the same mother from the other day and wondered how bad the damage was but he could see that she really cared. The Shield couldn't help but wonder what was going through her head right now, knowing that her job couldn't be all that easy. Dr. Virum sighed once, speaking to the nurse and then closing the chart and heaving a sad, heavy sigh.

...

thanks, guys!