-I was inspired by many things to write this :)-

They say that most people you meet in this job are only here for a short while, you never really get to know each other and then they leave after you've either helped them or lost them. Sometimes they stay, those few rare individuals that aren't that simple they end up here for either days, months or even years... They tell us to not get close to them, to never get attached... It took one person for me to find out how hard that really can be...

(story)

It's the same routine every morning... Get up a 4 in the morning when the rest of the civilized world is asleep, go for a run around the neighborhood, eat breakfast, shower, brush teeth, put down food for the cat and run out the door with a coffee in hand. I guess this nice little routine I've got going here is a far cry from the rest of my day. I exit the door, again, heading to the one place that keeps me on my toes. St. Grace general hospital, the busiest hospital in the city.

I am Dr. Steven "Brick" Samson a Cardiothoracic surgeon and specialist in that area, I get some pretty tense situations during my day. My job is to save lives, to extend their years so they can live long and happy. Unfortunately, because of my job... No woman has the patience to stay during my long hours away. I now live my days completely immersed in my work. Some ask why I don't try dating, I don't have time anymore.

I entered the hospital, ready to start my day. When I enter those doors I ready myself to be on my feet and busy throughout most of the day. The rush hour usually starts around just after lunch and I never get a breather until I exit these doors again and head home. I, not only being a surgeon, but also a specialist in my field, I have a larger workload than the rest here. I take care of patients as well as doing surgery. I love my job though and wouldn't change it.

"Dr. Samson!" I turned to the call, my head intern Julie-Ann Knox walked towards me quickly, her brunette hair escaping the bun that she tried to contain it in. "Good morning Knox, what's the situation today?" I smile, she's got 4 patient files in hand. "So far... You have a Ambulatory phlebectomy scheduled for 7:00 am, a Stent placement surgery at 9:00 am, a Carotid Endarterectomy at 11:45 am and you need to do an evaluation on a lung cancer patient who is on watch here at the hospital, she just got transferred here this morning..." Once she listed everything, I nod.

"Looks like a busy morning, I better scrub in... I want you in on my first surgery with Hanson and Lee..." As I say this she grins, she loves to be in the operating room with anyone and was always so eager to learn. Barbara Hanson was a very skilled set of hands and Sandra Lee was the hardest worker and could handle anything I threw at her. A great combanation in the O.R during anything, the three will make great surgeons one day. "Looking forward to it it Dr. Samson..." She grinned even more and turned to walk away, I go to the locker room to scrub in.

Once I'm in the operating room of my first surgery, I go through normal routine. The sight of blood and open wounds no longer fazed me. Hell, nothing fazed me anymore. That's were my nickname at the hospital came from. Everyone called me Brick, because I don't falter under pressure and stay sturdy like a wall. This trait is something I developed, my life had given me plenty to toughen up my exterior so I could focus on the task at hand. As I explain what I'm doing to my interns and ask the many questions I needed to quiz them, I get the feedback I'm looking for from them. The observation area is almost crowded with other interns, students and relatives of the patient.Time always flies by in an operating room, in no time the patient is in recovery and my work is a success. I guess time is a little slower on the outside of those doors. A thirty minute surgery can feel like hours to someone waiting for their loved ones to be okay. I've never been on the other side of the door yet.

I have some downtime before the second surgery and sit in my office to look through the files of the cancer patient I'm going to visit this afternoon. I frown, reading her age made my heart sink a little. The girl was 24 and had the diagnosis since she was 11. She had been in remission just 2 years ago and it came back. Her lung x-rays showed a slow growth in progress, she had a small mass on the lower left side of her right lung that slightly concerned me. The patient's name was June Sommers.

I look at the clock, it's a few minutes before 9:00 and my second surgery of the day. I get up and prepare myself for the stent placement surgery. This patient had a problem with his blood pressure this morning and I hoped that nothing would go wrong during this. I get there and already see Knox scrubbing in and getting herself ready. "Dr. Samson, they checked your patient and he's ready to go!" She washed her hands and kept her arms close, opening the door to the O.R with her hip. I followed suit and enter just behind her. I looked at my patient, who was getting the count down from the Anesthesiologist. In mere minutes he was asleep and ready for me to do my thing.

We ran into a few complications with his bleeding, but nothing major. The surgery took a few minutes longer than I anticipated. When we were done I had no time to sit down, into the next operating room was my objective. After a quick and painless procedure on my third surgery, I am finally ready to sit down and focus on that cancer patient's files again.

I look through the long list of M.R.I files and blood work as well as all the procedures that she has gone through. This girl has been through quite a bit. Shes had blood transfusions, has gone through radiation therapy for 5 years, has has several pneumonia scares and so much more. She just got put back on the oxygen tank, but was shown to be stubborn about keeping it on.

After a bit more studying on her files, I get up and finally decided to pay this patient a visit. I make my way up to her room, hospital room 2067. When I get to the room, I get a sight that almost caught me completely off guard.

"You need to stay in your bed sis!" A tiny woman's voice came from a long haired blond woman who was trying to keep my patient in her bed. "Bubs, I don't need your help! I don't need to stay in bed! I've been in bed all day!" June's pink eyes narrowed and her red hair was messy. She was trying to pull the oxygen from her nose so I finally spoke up.

"June Sommers?" I question and both looked in my direction. "Are you the specialist? Dr. Samson?" June asked with a sigh, sitting completely and clasping her hands in her lap.. "That I am... Do you think you can keep still long enough for me to talk to you about why you're here and get me acquainted with you?" I smile in amusement at her tiny blush forming on her face, she knows I caught her red handed in her act of defiance. This girl was a fighter and I could tell, she looked like someone who hated getting taken care of and unfortunately this was the place that took care of everyone within it's walls.

"Dr. Samson!" The blond caught my attention. "Yes?" I asked, crossing my arms. "I'm Adeline, June's sister, but you can call me my nickname Bubbles! And if it's no trouble... June prefers Blossom..." She had a bright smile, this girl looked happy. I turned to June who was a deeper shade of red. "Would you be more comfortable if I used Blossom to address you?" I asked her and she nods slowly. "Okay Blossom... I looked at your medical records that have been sent to me... Do you know why you're here?" I asked and she nods. " Lung carcinoma, mostly effects the right lung... Am I on the money Dr. Samson?" I looked at her in actual intrigue, she knows what she's talking about.

"Yes you are, I know that you're on oxygen and need to stay on it... I don't want to see you trying to take it off again okay?" I said in a warning and she sighed in agitation. I shook my head, "It's for your benefit, you don't want any damage from a lack of oxygen in your bloodstream..." I try to sound stern, but it became very difficult when she started fully pouting. " I know, I just hate being chained to a bed..." She said in a somber tone. "I'll see if I can make you more comfortable with your situation... You just gotta be patient with me, we'll make your time here as comfortable as you need..." I try to assure her and she looked at me with a raised eyebrow. "I hope so..." She sighed heavily and I nod. I really hoped that i could, because she's so young, I know that she's missing a lot...

I'm in the same boat, but that's self inflicted... "Do you have anything you want to ask me?" I asked her and she looks inquisitive for a moment before asking me something i didn't expect. "Did you do any surgeries today? I've heard of your work..." I wonder why she asked me that. "Three today..." I smirk as she looked at me with a curious look. "What were they?" She lit up like a Christmas tree. Was she passionate about this?

" I did a Ambulatory phlebectomy, a Stent Placement and a Carotid Endarterectomy..." I wondered if this would be useful to interacting with her later on. She smiles, it looked like she hadn't in a long time. "I didn't expect you to actually tell me, nobody ever has... Thank you..." She said and I nod. My pager goes off and I looked at it. They needed me in an operating room for something. "I have to go unfortunately, but I'll be back here before the end of my shift..." I say and she nods enthusiastically.

I actually kind of liked her smile...

-She is so sassy lol-