The reality of the final year of their residency hit them like a freight train. In addition to their normal hospital shifts, the first part of the year was made up of researching and applying for fellowships to start once their program finished, none of them content with the amount of time they had dedicated to yourself training this point. Dr Glassman regularly pointed out to the 'Fab Four' that they were already exceeding expectations and had built great reputations, but was full of encouragement for them to continue... hopefully right there at St Bonaventure.
Neil and Audrey squeezed in a visit to the movies to see the new Thor feature in November but apart from that, life was all business. Matt was solidly supporting Jo through all the stresses of study, making sure she was eating and resting whenever he could. He himself was now in his third year and despite the shaky start, he was flying high and storming every surgery he was given.
Kevin, Neil and Audrey were supporting each other. They'd get together whenever they could but every time they did it was all work and more work. Meeting at each others homes, they would take it turns to provide the subsistence and quickly fell into a routine. Kevin would provide something from his trusty crockpot, Audrey relied on takeout and at Neil's, they ate like royalty after he'd cooked something he insisted was simple, but tasted like a million dollars.
Kevin still saw Ju-long if he happened to come into the Emergency Room with a patient but they had drifted apart due to their busy schedules. They were still on great terms and there was no doubt that he was instrumental in the thawing of the relationship between Kevin and his parents. The card he'd made him send that Christmas was the push they all needed to get in touch.
Neil was currently sworn off women after his rather unpleasant breakup with Louise. He was pretty sure he'd get bumped to the bottom of every list when he needed something from radiology but they had managed to maintain a good professional relationship. They were civil when they saw reach other but the personal aspect of the relationship was well and truly over.
X
The fellowships they were applying for would hone their skills into specialties or sub-specialties in their chosen fields and the outcome of these applications would determine the course of the easy of their careers so were highest on the list of everyone's priorities. They spent hours trawling over websites, through publications and networking with old med school classmates to find the names they needed to know to get themselves noticed above all others. They studied faculty members, seeing if they were people they actually wanted to learn from before honing their applications to fit in with the relevant research to get themselves bumped up the lists.
Neil was focused on a cardiothoracic fellowship, over the years he had moved away from trauma which would have been his other option and immersed himself in all things cardiac. He had restricted his choices by his commitments to Gabi and apart from one spontaneous application to New York Presbyterian, all his choices were in California. His first choice would have been too stay at St Bonaventure with his friends, but this wasn't high school anymore and ultimately it was every man (or woman) for themselves.
He had secured interviews at Cedars Sinai in Los Angeles and Stanford Health Care in Palo Alto already. His reputation preceding him in regards to his technical skills and his high quality patient care.
Kevin had ambitiously applied to the top ranked programs in the country with location not being considered. He would be happy to move across country if it meant he would be the best and had an interview at Mount Sinai in New York next month.
Jo was originally considering a gynaecology speciality, focusing on high risk obstetrics. But she casually announced to the group over a quick coffee one afternoon that she was no longer applying for a fellowship and would be accepting a position at St Bonaventure as a general surgeon once she'd passed her boards.
They were all shocked that she was choosing that route and pointed out would be a lot more difficult for her to get back into a speciality once she'd been out if the system for even a year. Once she'd explained her decision, they understood. She had been the only one of them who had managed to maintain a healthy personal relationship over the last two years so they knew whatever she had with Matt was special. They had discussed it together and their plan was to wait for Matt to finish his residency and then they would try and stay together. She was going to use the break in her training to pay off some of the substantial student loans that she had accrued so far.
"I can practise anywhere with what I have now" she told Audrey over a coffee one morning. "But for me it's about more than that. I love what I do, but I love Matt too and I have to find a balance" she explained after her friend had openly expressed her concerns.
Audrey had been looking into getting a position at a level one trauma centre but was being held back a little by the thought of leaving her mother alone in California. She had refused to move with Kashal for the that exact reason but now felt some sort of guilt that she would now consider it for her own career. Her mother had assured her otherwise but it still nagged at the back of her mind.
She had applied for vacancies at UCLA, LA County and Memorial Hermann in Houston to start along with the unanimous group option of St Bonaventure.
"You're Mom was as very small part of your decision to stay in California wasn't it?" Jo asked over the same cup of coffee.
"Was mostly to get free from Kashal" she replied. She never got upset or nostalgic talking about her ex husband with a little bit of Mom and little bit of other stuff."
"I think Neil would be quite offended if he heard you calling him stuff" Jo exclaimed, making Audrey snort the sip of coffee she was taking.
"Let's not start that again" she said once she'd finished coughing.
"Aud, can't start something that's never gone away" Jo teased, obviously feeling in one of 'those' moods.
"Sure thing. Little bit still married though, not sure you remember" she teased.
"Not for much longer" Jo replied in a sing song voice. "With the end of residency comes divorce papers right?"
"Yeah, but..."
"No buts, Saint Neil won't be single for long" she teased before the conversation was finished by their pagers.
"Saved by the bell" Audrey quipped as they got up and headed to the ER.
X
With applications in and interviews scheduled, their next challenge was to spend all their spare time with their noses buried in books ready to take their Boards and the gatherings continued, this time labelled as 'Study Groups'.
Passing the Boards in their chosen speciality was a voluntary qualification but something this group of over achievers would never pass on. The certification would demonstrate their knowledge in a specific medical speciality and holding this would be great for their careers. Patients often would look for these extra qualifications when choosing their doctor and would draw them to the whichever hospital they were residing at. More patients equated to more money so passing these would be a very helpful addition to their resume.
They quizzed each other, pushing and trying to find the most obscure questions they could to catch each other out until one morning and Kevin lost his temper.
"They'd never ask that! Why would you ask Mr that?!" he snapped at Jo after she asked him something obtuse and open to interpretation.
"Hang on" she snapped back. "You wanted me to try and catch you out last week. Make up your mind" she shouted as she stood suddenly and began to stuff her papers into her backpack.
"Hang on, hang on" he shouted back, grabbing his jacket and following her out of the door in a blur, leaving behind his study notes.
Neil and Audrey sat, stunned and unsure of what had just happened. Neither of them had seen their friends that cross before, let alone with each other.
"Typical" Audrey huffed, dropping her papers onto the kitchen table. "The one time I cook something and don't order takeout and they storm out! They'll never believe me!"
"I still get to eat though, right?" Neil dated to ask, not wanting to annoy her any further.
"Sure" she smiled, her shoulders dripping as the tension left her. "More for us I suppose" she shrugged getting up to head into the kitchen.
Standing to follow her, he stopped and cleared a space in all the books and papers that were scattered everywhere for them to sit and eat.
"Can I help with anything?" he asked. "Want me to set the table?"
"Set the table?" she repeated with a laugh. "It's hardly a romantic dinner for two" she scoffed.
"Aaahhh, I didn't mean...I mean...I just made some space " he stumbled.
"Relax" she grinned. "Can't seem to take a joke these days" she smiled as he shook his head and put out his hand to take the silverware she was offering. Their fingers touched briefly and they both jumped, smiling nervously before Audrey turned back to the pot she had been attending.
"Let's not start all that again" she admonished. "No time for tiptoeing around each other right now. We've got too much to do" she teased. He just smiled as he put the knives and forks in the space he had made between the piles of paper.
"So what is for dinner?" he asked.
"It's called Three Cup Chicken" she smiled. "One of the few things I can actually make. My Mom taught me, she told me it was so simple that even I couldn't mess it up."
"And was she right?" he asked as she put the plate down in front of him.
"You tell me" she smiled as she sat in the chair next to him. She watched as he speared a piece of chicken, lifted it close to his mouth and sniffed it. "Hey! Really?!"
"All I've heard from you is how you can't cook. I'm taking my life in my hands here" he laughed before putting the fork in his mouth. He paused for the most brief second before starting to chew and giving her a thumbs up. After swallowing the first piece he spoke again.
"At least if it does kill me, I'll die happy" he shrugged. "It's great, thank you. The other two don't know what they are missing" he smiled.
She didn't say anything else but smiled right back and started on her own plate.
X
Two blocks away at the nearest bus stop Jo and Kevin sat in silence. He was still pissed at her but not quite for the reason expected.
"You weren't meant to storm out so fast" he complained. "I left all my books there, I'm going to have to get Neil to bring them into the hospital."
"Well you weren't meant to get quite so shitty with me so quickly" Jo argued. "The plan was that we left just before dinner to leave them to it. You got cranky fast" she said nudging his side. "What if he didn't even stay?"
"Well he hasn't passed us" Kevin shrugged. "Maybe they're enjoying their romantic dinner for two" he chuckled.
"Are you sure we are doing the right thing?" Jo asked sounding serious.
"Absolutely" Kevin replied. "Those two aren't made to be friends. They are meant to be more, much more! And if Kashal sticks to his word, next year could be very different" he grinned raising his eyebrows.
"Very true. Let's hope we're all here to see it" she smiled. "Now let's go" she said standing as a bus approached the kerb. "I think i might be starving to death" she teased, grabbing Kevin's hand and pulling him on board.