Chapter 10

"Cecilia Navarre?"

I lift my head upon hearing my name and notice the nurse standing near the entrance to the main part of the hospital. She smiles at me as I get up and follow her down several halls.

We finally come to a stop in front of a tall door. "Here's Dr. CR-SO1's office. Good luck, and don't feel bad if you make a mistake – everyone's done at least one thing wrong on their first day." I nod, trying to ignore the butterflies in my stomach and the weakness of my legs as she knocks and opens the door.

Sitting at his desk is CR-SO1, his red eyes tired and his dark hair as unkempt as ever. He is leaning back in his chair, one leg crossed over the other, tapping his pencil against his cheek as if in deep thought. His gaze flickers to us when we enter the room. The nurse gives me a firm nod, gently pats me on the back, and leaves, closing the door quietly behind her.

I stand there awkwardly, not sure what to do. CR-SO1 closes his eyes. "Welcome to Resurgam."

"Uh-um… thank you." It takes a ton of effort for me to keep my voice steady. He gestures to one of the chairs near his desk.

"Take a seat." I walk over and sit down obediently. "So you're familiar with things around here, yes?"

"Well… not quite familiar, but I know how stuff goes," I reply softly. He nods and sits straight.

"Then let's get to business. Help me fill out some paperwork here." He takes a pen and a stack of papers, then places them in front of me. I pick up the pen and look through the first page.

"…Wow." That's all I can say. CR-SO1 smirks.

"You'll get used to it in no time. And once we finish all of this, there won't be any for the next two or three days."

Two or three days. "I never imagined doctors had to fill so many papers," I mutter as I start filling out the form.

"You think people can just ask to have an operation?" he muses.

"No, of course not! It's just… so many…"

He laughs. "Yes, well, many people want me to operate on them, though I have no idea why they'd want some ex-convict like me."

I gasp in astonishment. "Of course they'd want you!" What the hell are you saying? CR-SO1 looks at me, surprised. "Uh, I mean, you're like a surgical prodigy, aren't you? No one wants a surgeon who could accidentally kill them, and you haven't killed anyone yet."

"Lots of surgeons haven't failed an operation yet," CR-SO1 says, his voice softer now. "And I could kill them. I probably have in the past, on purpose."

"…What?" I stare at him disbelievingly. He shakes his head.

"It's nothing. Do you need help filling that out?"

"Oh, uh," I glance down at my papers. Most of them ask for addresses, contact information, etc. "Yes, please."

"Okay. Can I see that?" I hand him the top paper. He takes it and fills in all of the blanks.

"Here, use that for the other forms." I take the paper back and study it for a second.

"Thanks." I set it aside and begin writing on the other pages. He nods and continues working on his own.

A few minutes of silence pass by, the only evident sound being the scratching of pens. Elodie's words from several days ago suddenly come back to mind. I glance up at CR-SO1, but his head is ducked and resting against one of his hands, hiding his face.

I look back down, feeling disappointment for some reason. More time passes by when I suddenly hear CR-SO1 set down his pen. I glance up curiously.

"Are you thirsty? Hungry?" he asks, staring directly into my eyes. I can't look away. At first, I can't say anything, but I eventually snap to my senses.

"Uh, no, I'm fine," I stammer, tearing away from his gaze.

"Okay. Just tell me if you need anything," he says before picking up his pen again and writing.

I sigh silently and pull my knees up to my chest so my chin rests on them. I get about halfway through the stack of papers when I begin to feel extremely drowsy. Don't fall asleep now! How embarrassing would that be? I force my heavy eyelids open and continue scribbling down words. My blinks get slower and slower, and it gets harder by the second to open them again. Before I know it, I am fast asleep.

I wake up slowly, my entire body sore. My surroundings are unfamiliar. I attempt to get up before realizing I was curled up on top of a chair. And then I realize with a start where I am.

I fell asleep? Ugh! I rise to my feet and something falls to the ground. It is thin and white but warm. I pick it up gingerly and observe it. It looks like a large doctor's coat.

Had CR-S01 draped his coat around me? A strange feeling stirs inside me. I glance over at his desk to find it empty. All of the papers are filled out and set neatly in a huge pile near a corner of the table.

I can't imagine CR-S01 being so… hospitable. But he is a doctor, after all. I shake my head in confusion. Where'd he go? Maybe he left a note behind. I lean down over his desk and find a slip of paper lying face up right in front of my chair. I pick it up and read it.

Left for an emergency operation. Be back soon.

I read the neatly-written words over and over again, not quite able to process them for some reason. So do I just stay here until he comes back? I fold the paper up and stuff it down my pocket. For some reason, I wanted to treasure it. Why? I have no clue.

I wander over to one of the bookshelves and pick out a random book. It is titled "Medical Fundamentals and Basics." I sit back down in my chair and begin to read.

Several minutes pass when the door suddenly opens. My heart jumps in surprise as CR-S01 walks inside, swiftly closing the door behind him.

"Oh, you're awake," he says steadily. I nod.

"…How did the operation go?"

"Pretty good. It was complicated, though. Too bad I'd already worked off my sentence. Now I'm being paid with money, which I don't really have any use for." He sits behind his desk and leans back with a sigh.

I don't know how to reply to that. It is uncanny for me to talk about that kind of stuff since I'm afraid it bothers him, but he seems perfectly fine with it.

"…Sorry I couldn't get much work done today," I apologize quietly. He looks at me with those red eyes.

"Huh? No, it's fine." I can't help but smile shyly. "You're only volunteering, after all. We can't push you to do too much work."

"Right," I laugh. An uncomfortable feeling stirs inside my stomach and I visibly cringe.

CR-S01 gives me a strange look. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," I reply groggily. He furrows his brow.

"I don't think so. Maybe you should go home today."

"No, really, I'm fine."

"You're dismissed. I don't need any more work done around here, anyway." He waves me off with one of his hands. I grumble silently before getting up and reluctantly heading for the door.

"Are you sure?" I ask hesitantly.

"Of course." I pause, then open the door and leave. I steal one last glance at CR-S01. He is looking up at me, and that's when I notice his face.

Elodie was right. It definitely wasn't bad. I feel myself begin to blush and quickly close the door.

What in the world is going on with me?