Today was finally the day. Your first day of work at the BSHCI.

You had barely slept the night before. You were anxious to start your new job, albeit a temporary one. You had gotten a new outfit, had set it out the night before, and had awoken several times before your alarm. What if everyone was terribly mean? What if you couldn't handle the patients? You had never worked with criminals before, perhaps this was a mistake.

It's only for now, you reminded yourself when you felt the anxiety creep in.

Just get through tomorrow.

That was your mantra every time you double checked your alarm. You had researched and were as prepared as you could be.

Still, you were a bit terrified after hearing about Dr. Frederick Chilton's ordeal. You didn't read much, knowing that delving further would only increase your anxiety, but apparently the poor man had been attacked by a patient. Said patient was now dead, so you didn't have to worry about them still being a threat. And then, Chilton had been shot after an FBI investigation had gone wrong.

Besides, you tried to reason with yourself, the news seemed to imply Dr. Chilton was on leave. And you imagined the administrator certainly wouldn't be training you himself. No, most managers and the like you found did little. They mostly watched over people, not doing actual work. Thankfully, you missed the part about the nurse being killed, or you certainly would have talked yourself out of the position.

On your way to the office you felt nauseous, what if you had anxiety attack at work? What if you were just a fucking failure? You felt tears prick at your eyes as you turned on the radio, something to distract you until you arrived. You left Marcus, and that wasn't easy. In fact, you felt it to be the hardest thing you had ever done, and yet you had persevered. This was a job, you mentally chastised yourself. Breathe.

Once you arrived, you sat and waited a bit while bouncing your leg in the waiting area. A receptionist handed you some paperwork to complete. That only took you a few minutes, and then you sat back down after filling it out. You sat there watching the clock, fidgeting with a wrinkle in your skirt, for a bit longer. Waiting was the hardest part was true indeed. You were worrying your bottom lip, looking to the clock when a voice made you snap to attention.

"Hi, I'm Gloria, you must be the new Doctor?"

A cheery older woman walked up to you, all smiles, extending her hand. You nodded, taking her hand after standing to meet her.

"Well, welcome, and we're so glad you have you!" She said.

"Oh thank you, happy to be here," you forced a smile onto your face, though your hands shook nearly imperceptibly.

"Dr. Chilton is waiting for you, if you will follow me," she said as she walked onward, turning back a moment after realizing you had stopped. Gloria was a pleasant woman, but she was extremely busy, and moved a mile a minute.

"Sorry, I don't mean to rush you, but he could really use the assistance," she said, not realizing the doctor's name was what had given you pause.

"It's fine, I just didn't expect your administrator to be training me," you explained with a nervous laugh, forcing yourself to follow her. You felt hot in your suit jacket, and fiddled with your necklace.

"Oh well, he doesn't usually, but you're in luck. He knows the place inside and out, and the patients of course. I've been his assistant for a year now, he just got back from…" she stopped, unsure if you had heard about what had happened. Gloria didn't want to frighten you.

"Oh, I read about it. Horrible," you said, following her to his office door.

"Yes, it was," she nodded in agreement. When you reached the door, she stopped with you.

"He's a good doctor," she said, smiling at you. "But, he's a little…stressed," she said, searching your eyes for understanding. "So, please don't let it bother you if he's short with you or anything," she said.

"Oh-okay," you said. And what else could you say? After what the man had been through, it was certainly to be expected. Still, you hoped he wasn't a total jerk. You weren't sure you could handle that right now.

"Anyway, I have to get back to my desk, but, just head in, I told him you were here earlier and reminded him before I brought you back. Let me know if you need anything, thanks again!" She said cheerily, moving away from you quickly to head back to her desk near Dr. Chilton's office, where a staff member was waiting to speak to her. Unbeknownst to you, Gloria was a bit wary of Chilton's reaction to you. He could take a bit of time warming up to new people.

"Thanks," you mumbled. You steeled yourself, taking a deep breath in and out before you knocked softly.

Please be nice. Please be nice.

Frederick had been anxious since Gloria had said you'd arrived. He sighed when he heard your knock, not ready to deal with someone he had to explain things to. His body still ached, and his own emotional trauma was still a wound that he had trouble fully containing. He had had panic attacks since he returned to work, although luckily none in front of the staff as of yet. He felt his chest tighten. What if it happened in front of you? He was supposed to be training you, how humiliating would that be, he thought bitterly to himself.

Breathe Frederick.

"Come in," he said curtly, wincing slightly as his jaw was bothering him. He was getting better with his speech therapy, but stress seemed to make the simple things a bit harder again. He got out of his chair, and moved to the front of his desk. Though Frederick could be brash at times, he was nothing if not a gentleman. He wouldn't simply sit while you entered the room.

You steeled yourself, opening the door slowly as you made your way into his office.

"Good morning, Dr. Chilton," you said, taking in the rather well dressed man in front of you. He was rather handsome, which made you nervous. Great, just what you needed, to have a crush on your boss. Breathe, you reminded yourself, walking to the doctor and extending your hand.

Frederick had read about you, but he wasn't sure what he had been expecting when you walked in the door. It wasn't this. He had found your photo online, and yes, you were lovely, but the photo did you no justice. It wasn't just that you were pretty, there was something in your dazzling eyes that he found familiar. Though you smiled politely at him, he could sense that pain he felt reflected in his eyes.

"Doctor?" You asked, your hand wavering as he stared at you.

"I-I'm sorry," he said, shaking his head to clear his mind. He took your hand in his and shook it. It was small, soft, and fit into his own as if it were meant to be there. He blushed slightly, coughing to mask his embarrassment.

"It's very nice to meet you. Won't you have a seat?" he said, gesturing to a chair in front of his desk. Normally, he would return to the refuge behind his desk, his way of distancing himself. But he found himself sitting down in the chair next to yours.

"I haven't trained anyone in a while, so you will have to forgive me. Now, what brings you to Baltimore?"

You fidgeted in your seat, not sure how to answer the question best.

"I…um, just needed a change of scenery I suppose," you said, forcing a smile.

Frederick could sense your hesitation, feeling bad for possibly upsetting you.

"Of course. Well, we're very glad to have you here," he said, smiling, hoping to make you feel more comfortable. Though he had just met you, he felt a pang in his heart seeing sadness in your eyes. "Your résumé is quite impressive, I must say."

"Thank you," you said, smiling back at him.

"Well, I think we should start with going over patient files, just so you know a little about them before I take you around," he said. And truth be told, he really wasn't up to walking around. He found himself quicker to tire after his last ordeal.

He tried to bite back a wince as he made his way back to his desk, sitting behind his desk.

You noticed the grimace he tried to mask however.

"Are you alright Dr. Chilton?" You asked in a small voice, hoping you weren't going to make him feel awkward for asking. The men you had dealt with in your life didn't always take kindly to comments like yours.

Rarely did people ask him how he was feeling. And his first reaction was to snap back, to show strength and not what he felt was weakness. But as he sat, he looked at you and his face softened. Your eyes only held kindness and concern.

"I'm fine, thank you," he said. Perhaps he had been looking at this all wrong. He was often so lonely at the hospital. A friendly face might be just what he needed.