-Now on with chapter 2!-

I finally get a chance to slow down around 6:00 pm, after 17 more surgeries. I take off my surgical cap an run my fingers through my short auburn hair. my eyes almost as red as my uniquely coloured red irises from straining them so much. My iris colour freaked people out in the beginning, but they got usd to it. I wondered how June/Blossom was doing throughout the day, I thought I'd check on her again after her little stunt this morning. When I get there she's curled up in the middle of her bed and just stared out the window. I felt this unnerving sense of guilt and understanding wash through my body. I know she felt trapped... These walls felt like a prison to those who were forced to be here. I knocked on the door to let her know of my presence.

She turned to me and I could have sworn that her eyes lit up a little. "Dr. Samson..." She had a small smile, it looked like she was tired. " Hey there Blossom... I told you I was gonna check on you again at the end of the day... I am your doctor aren't I?" I smile in return and she nods. I pulled a chair up to the bed and sit down. "You look tired..." She says with a sigh. "I'm fine... I'm more worried about you at the moment..." I pull out pull out her eating charts for today and she's done well, I just think she can do better.

"You should take care of yourself too... You really don't want to end up a patient here yourself do you... I can tell that this is the first time you've actually sat down..." She smirks lightly. I raised both brows and lock eyes with her. What did she just say? "Are you this forward with all of your doctor's?" I asked her and she lets out a small laugh. "Just the ones I like ..." Blossom's face was playful. " I'm glad you like me, but I'm fine... I eat well, I exercise and I sleep a full eight hours... Speaking of eating well, I'd like to see you do better than a bagel, a sandwich and a bowl of soup... I understand that it's probably difficult, but I'd like to see small improvements..." As I tell her this she blushed. "I don't really like the food here..." Blossom frowns. "Would you like a meal plan for your tastes?" I suggest readily, I'm proud we do that here.

"You guys can do that?" She raised her brows in shock. "We're fortunate enough to have that care plan for our patients..." I nod, I really want her to eat. "Then I will gladly do that if you're worried..." She chuckles. I wish she'd take her health seriously... "I'm supposed to be worried, it is my job..." I say, paging one of the interns to bring me a meal plan application. "Are you always so serious?" She was teasing me. "All work here I'm afraid..." I am trying not to be sarcastic, because it was like she could see right through me.

"You need to slow down if you want to do your job properly and to the best of your abilities..." She actually sounded serious. "Are you giving me work advice?" I was absolutely dumbfounded. "How often do you actually sit down during a day?" She crossed her arms. "I sat down three times today if it's anything of concern..." I have to refrain from rolling my eyes, this is the first person in my life to question me about this. "You work far too hard... How am I to trust your judgement on good health if you're taking far too much advantage of yours?" At this point I am completely floored, but she was right... My work ethic isn't exactly the healthiest for me.

"You sound like my own doctor..." I chuckle and she lets a tiny smile show. "At some point I wanted to be one..." She sighed just as the intern came in with my request. Now everything made sense to me. Her knowledge of her current situation, her interest in my surgeries, her stubbornness and her pushyness about my own health. She wanted to be a doctor... I see why she can't...

"Thank you Peters..." I thank the intern, her name was Olivia Peters, she was beyond shy, but the girl was a treasure. Olivia nods and exits the room as quickly as she came. I look to my patient and see her mood has deflated, maybe if I tell her about another procedure I did today she'd brighten up again. Being sad in a hospital isn't helpful to recovering. I hand her the application and a clipboard and she began to write down what she wants.

"I did a liver transplant today, the guy was a recovering alcoholic..." I say and she nods, the life in her eyes returning. "I hope he learned his lesson... Do you drink?" She asked me and I shook my head. "Not for me unfortunately, I'd like to have one unhealthy habit at a time..." I joked, this was unusual for me... I've never joked around with a patient before. "What's your habit of choice?" I see her playfulness return. "I apparently work far too hard... Hard enough for some to question it..." I couldn't help my grin. She started to giggle and I felt something in me spark, it was like hearing her actually feeling happy was a gift in itself. "I hope they don't switch doctors this time, I really like you..." She sat up against her pillows, continuing to fill out the application.

"I'm the only specialist here, the rest are just surgeons..." I shrugged and see her smile grow. "I wish I had you from the beginning, but I don't think you're too old are you?" She was curious again. "I just turned 26..." I say and her eyes widened. "You're really young..." She was shocked. "I skipped grade 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9... I'm young but I'm bright..." I get this reaction from a lot of people who don't know me. "How long have you been a surgeon for?" Her curiosity was in full flow. "4 or 5 years, I actually plowed through my college courses and finished early... I usually keep my age to myself actually..." I admit. "Why?" She hands me the finished application.

"Sometimes people don't trust young doctors, because they think that I could possibly kill them due to carelessness..." It almost felt like I was talking to a friend and not a patient right now. "You seem capable to me..." She smiles. "Yeah I'd hope that I am, I have pretty big consequences if I get it wrong..." I frown, I've had to small mistakes that had costed some their lives. It's why I'm so thorough now about many things and became the most well renowned doctor in this city. "I've studied your work online, you are incredibly gifted..." She complements and I nod, she was genuine about it. "You're very easy to talk to as well..." She said, blushing again.

"I understand that you're not here by choice, so why not give you someone who cares enough..." I do care about my patients, that's why I try so hard to get it right. "All the others treated me like a job and only a job... I wasn't a person to them..." Blossom's rose coloured eyes looked lost. "Well Blossom... You're definitely a person... A very strong and interesting person..." I tell her and she giggled again. "You are the first to actually call me my nickname instead of Miss Sommers... That's my mom... Not me..." She rolled her eyes. "Why Blossom?" I couldn't help but ask.

"My grandmother called me that, because she said my eyes look like freshly bloomed cherry blossoms..." She smiles, she looked like she was reminiscing about happier times. "She's right actually..." I nod in agreement. "Do you have any nicknames?" She asked me and I nod. "Everyone here calls me Dr. Brick... It's because I am so level headed... I just call it experience..." I shrugged. "You give me those vibes... It's like you're surrounded by a wall that helps you stay grounded and centered..." She was almost digging into me mentally.

"It's good to have it here... Sensitive people in this job are unfortunately the ones who make the most mistakes..." I sighed, unfortunately it was true... "Are you completely made of stone or is there something softer there?" She asked me and I shrug again. "Maybe... Not many people get to see that..." I wink at her, this made her face flush and her eyes grow. "I wish you could be here all day, but I know that's quite the reach..." She joked. "I have a small fluffy child I gotta go home to..." I say with a chuckle. "A small fluffy child?" She held back laughter.

"I got a all black purebred munchkin cat, he was actually a rescue..." I loved my cat, he was the only living thing in my life that wouldn't leave. "You have a cat... Why is that kinda adorable?..." She was holding back a grin. "Adorable?" I looked her completely in the eyes now. "You wouldn't expect a guy so serious to have a kitty..." She said playfully. "I love Toby..." I didn't hold back from rolling my eyes this time. "Well then I should let you finish up so you can get home to him..." She smirks.

"I'll see you tomorrow..." I let a laugh slip. "I'll see you too... Brick..." She had a devilish look on her face. I get up and say my goodbyes before leaving.

On my way home I couldn't stop smiling. Today was the first time I've actually had some sort of fun at work. When I get in the door Toby is waiting right there and gives me a happy greeting. He can tell I'm happy because his tail looked like it was gonna fly off if he gave anymore happy tailshakes. I pick him up and go to relax.

-Omg his cat :o-