Please send feedback, and I hope you enjoy! I don't know if you guys want more surgical cases, or more "behind the scenes" stuff, so let me know if you have a preference, and if not, I'll try and keep it as even as possible. Stay safe, take care of yourselves, love you all!
I spent nearly all my time in the pediatrics ward since Regina came. They say that when you're doing your residency, you should keep an open mind and try out each of the different specialties. Everyone who says that is very wrong. Especially when you have a thing for your superior. I learned so much from Regina. She's an absolute genius, and she's incredible with the children. What more could you ask for?
My alarm began blaring loudly, and I jumped, while reaching my fist out to hit the snooze button. It was a weekend, but I always jogged in the mornings. I rolled off the bed very slowly and rubbed my eyes. I made my way to my dresser to fish out my jogging pants and a t-shirt. I pulled them on and grabbed a granola bar before rushing out the door with a pair of headphones wrapped loosely over my shoulders.
I took a bite of my granola bar and put my earbuds in, while quickening my pace to a light jog. I usually jogged a few times around the block, but I wanted to change it up a bit and go to the park. I heard they had a good path to run on, and I haven't tried it out today. It was a nice morning, and I could use a run in the park.
I turned a corner and ran on the cement path going through a thicket of trees. I passed a few runners, and some children with their parents. I was nearing a fork in the path, and I went left.
I saw another runner nearing me, and they looked familiar. The short brown hair, tan skin, maybe from the hospital? I couldn't figure it out until she came closer and I ducked to the other path.
"Shit," I muttered to myself. I sprinted to the next corner so she couldn't see me through the trees. I stopped at the corner and pulled out my earbuds and listened for footsteps on the other path. When I heard a pair of fast-moving feet pass by, I ran back up the path and turned to the left. I wiped my forehead and continued on.
Fifteen minutes later, I shut the door quietly and watched someone patter around the kitchen. They probably didn't hear me.
"Damn it," I heard them exclaim, and I immediately knew it was Emma. she was juggling a pan and pieces of bread. I chuckled and toed off my shoes, while listening to her various curses.
"Hi Emma," I said. she turned and smiled at me.
"Hey, I'm making eggs and toast," she answered. I nodded and ducked behind my curtains to change before going back downstairs. I pulled on a pair of skinny jeans and a cream knit sweater and pulled back the curtains. This time, there were two blondes in the kitchen. Kathryn nodded to me and I waved back, sitting down across from her.
"I made you cocoa," she said smugly, while bringing her own mug of coffee to her lips. I cocked an eyebrow. "Yes, I got your cinnamon." She passed me a mug filled with hot chocolate, with whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon. I smiled graciously, and she smiled back. Emma walked around the table and set down plates in front of us.
"Bon appetit!" She exclaimed. I laughed.
"Looks great," I said earnestly. Kathryn agreed.
"This is why I cook," she said proudly. "Mary Margaret can't cook a bowl of cereal."
"I can cook," I protested. Both women giggled over their pieces of toast. "I can!"
"Make supper for tonight, then," Kathryn slyly challenged. Emma laughed once more.
"Deal." I reached across the table to shake Kathryn's hand. Emma's eyes lit up excitedly.
"You know, Mary Margaret, I think I'm craving fettuccini alfredo, but with homemade sauce," Emma said.
"Ooh, with chicken," Kathryn added.
"And sautéd vegetables." I rolled my eyes.
"Hardy har har, we're having packaged perogies and precooked sausages." Kathryn and Emma turned to each other, and for a second, the apartment was silent. Then they both broke down laughing and high-fived each other, before looking back at me, still laughing.
"It was worth a shot," Emma said, out of breath. I rolled my eyes and stabbed my egg. I waited until they stopped giggling to tell them about my run.
"Oh, when I was running, I saw Regina."
"From the hospital? Why was she out?"
"On a run too."
"Oh, so you talked to her," Kathryn asked.
"…not exactly." I sipped my cocoa, as Emma and Kathryn eyed me skeptically.
"Then how did you know she was running?"
"Because I saw her running towards me."
"So…she was running towards you, and you didn't talk to you? Did she notice you?"
"No."
"How? You've been on her specialty for two weeks, you brag about how amazing she is in surgery all the time, how can she not recognize you?"
"Because she didn't see me." Both of her were looking at me like I had four heads. "Because I hid from her. Behind a bush." Instead of worrying for my mental health, they were laughing again, and Emma wiped her eyes for a second.
"You've got it that bad for her, huh?" Kathryn laughed again, but much more daintily than Emma's howling and snorting. I nearly imploded into myself in embarrassment, and my blush didn't go unnoticed.
"You know, it's always awkward when you run into a coworker outside work, and I didn't want to…to do that?" I ended my sentence uneasily. They stopped laughing and looked at me sympathetically.
"If you like her that bad, ask the Evil Queen out," Emma said, gulping down her coffee.
"But what if she's straight. Or married. Or doesn't like me like that. Or all three?"
"Then you can find out by asking her," Emma said.
"She's right," Kathryn said professionally. "You'll never know unless you directly ask her."
"But I don't want to. I'm just fine admiring from afar."
"You should. You be even better than fine if things go well."
"And if they don't? Then I'll blow my chance at a brilliant pediatric surgeon and I'll be stuck with general or something."
"Hey," Emma said.
"Not that there's anything wrong with general, I just like the kids more." Emma chuckled and nodded.
"Just ask her. Like ripping off a bandaid." I cringed.
"You know we're all doctors, right? We aren't supposed to rip off a bandage," I said matter-of-factly. Kathryn rolled her eyes, but Emma clearly loved my joke.
"You know what I mean." I nodded and looked down at my empty plate and mug. They had good insights, but my job comes first. My job almost always comes first.
I pulled my scrubs on and listened to August's bar fight story. Today was a big day; Dr. Mills promised me a big surgery that I would do completely by myself, start to finish. I was excited, and that was without my caffeine kick. I was nearly bouncing around the room when I finally got my scrub top over my ears.
"Eager, are we Blanchard," Killian teased.
"I have a big surgery today," I bragged.
"Lucky. Whale won't give me anything but tests and scans," Ruby grumbled.
"That's what you get when you work under the most arrogant man alive," David said. I laughed.
"Blanchard would've run enemas too if she didn't completely suck up to the Evil Queen. She's full of herself, that's for sure," Killian said.
"I don't suck up," I said,"I'm just a joy to teach." Emma chuckled. "And Mills isn't full of herself, she has a ignt to be. She's kinda brilliant, unlike a few people in this room."
"Oh, I've spent a few days with her, Killian's kinda right," August admitted. I rolled my eyes dramatically.
"Think whatever you want, she's nice," I said. If timing was ever perfect, I would've laughed. Regina poked her head into the change room.
"Hurry it up, Blanchard, or are you quite literally running away from me again," Regina said harshly. The room fell silent, but Killian and August were smirking.
"I told you so," Killian muttered, before pocketing his penlight and rushing out the door. I grumbled and felt my previous excitement leave as fast as everyone else.
My interns were outside waiting for me eagerly, nearly skipping up and down at the prospect of a fulfilling work day. They're going to be quite disappointed today.
"Dr. Blanchard, I was wondering if I could switch-"
"-No, you're not switching with a peer, and no, pediatrics is not boring." I heard all my interns running to try and follow me, but I was nearly stomping all the way to the stairwell.
"Dr. Blanchard, are you okay," Purple asked. Purple was the nickname I gave an intern when she asked me to call her Violet.
"You all can thank Dr. Mills for my mood today," I said, and I was again stopped by Dr. Mills in my face.
"Care to explain why you're in such a foul mood?" I stopped and shook my head. I heard giggling behind me, and both Dr. Mills and I silenced them quickly. "No? You're not going to talk about how I embarrassed you in front of your buddies, because you ran away from me?" I shook my head ground my teeth together. "Alright then. We've got patients to see." I grumbled and followed her up to the Pediatrics Ward.
She didn't take away my surgery, even if I was glaring at her back when we weren't visiting patients, which I was grateful for. It was a good one, a kidney transplant for a six-year-old. His teenage brother donated his kidney, and that was one of the kindest things I've witnessed in Pediatrics, but I don't doubt that it will be the last, or the greatest.
I peeled off my gloves and grabbed the bar soap off the counter. Dr. Mills came in behind me, and was washing her hands beside me.
"Why do you insist on humiliating me to every living soul in this hospital," I demanded her. She scoffed.
"I like making you squirm," she answered simply.
"I really hate you," I threw at her. She didn't even flinch.
"I'm aware of that, and yet, you not only keep coming back, but you're still gushing over me when I have my back turned. Why is that?"
"I didn't answer her, I just grabbed a sheet of paper towel, dried my hands, and threw it into the garbage angrily, before turning back to her.
"What was your endgame here? To torture me or something?" She looked like she was thinking about it.
"I was just messing with you."
"Bullshit," I growled. She rolled her eyes.
"You, my dear, are the one who ran away from me on Saturday," she growled forcefully. I audibly swallowed back a lump in my throat, but I didn't back down from her deadly glare. "Why did you run away from me anyway?"
"Well, it's always awkward, you know, seeing your boss outside work, and I didn't want to make it awkward. I think."
"You think?" She raised an eyebrow expectantly.
"Why do I have to explain it to you, you already know…you know, are you happy now?"
"What do I apparently know, Dr. Blanchard?" I rolled my eyes.
"God, Regina, I like you. Dr. Swan would say I had the hots for you, whatever. Okay? Can you just refrain from embarrassing me in front of my friends, and my interns?" I was yelling by the time I finished, and she was smirking now. Apparently, that was exactly what she wanted to hear. I stomped out of the scrub room and looked at the clock. It was only ten. I grumbled and rubbed my eyes, before taking a deep breath and making my way to the waiting room, where the family of both boys were waiting.