Elphaba forced herself to smile as she walked into the diagnostic conference room. As the leader, she set the tone for the rest of her team, and if she was in one of her moods, it would trickle down. Though she wasn't a morning person, she taught herself to present an air of agreeableness, for the sake of others. "Crope, Tibbett, Sarima," she greeted the three attending physicians with a nod.

"Be good, guys. She's trying to cover up being in one of her moods," Crope said, nudging Tibbett's ribs.

"I could never. That's why she's our leader," Tibbett snickered, returning the gesture with a gentle shoulder caress. "She commands and demands respect, and we, her superiors, are more than willing to give it to her."

"I see you two are also in one of your moods," Sarima sighed, doing her best not to look the two clowns directly in the eyes. "Oh, Elphaba, before we get started, I should let you know that Dr. Milla Vonnt is with me now. She was with you for one day and begged to switch."

Elphaba glanced at her. "Oh."

"Don't sound so disappointed." She held back her laughter as long as she could, but failed. "I'm joking. She didn't request to switch. They made a mistake in the pairings."

"Mistake?"

The dark-skinned doctor nodded. "She's an OB/GYN intern. She wants newborns, not old heads."

"Oh. Yes. I suppose she'd be better off in your hands." She was a bit disappointed. Milla was the only one who didn't annoy her right off the bat. "I have a lighter workload with four interns instead of five." She handed out the files. "We have a new patient coming in from Ozma Tip Hospital. Twenty-year-old Mynan Tigmis. She's a mystery, has clean labs and scans, but has inconsistent Grand Mal seizures. She wasn't responding to any of their medicines, and her family is hoping our diagnostic team will be able to shed some light on the situation."

"Sounds like fun," Crope smiled, looking at the file. "It's been a while since we've had something actually interesting happen."

"These are people, Dr. D'Lurian, not science experiments."

"I know, but the work shouldn't always be boring."

She checked her watch. "The patient should be arriving soon. Sarima, do you have time to run initial labs before your delivery?"

"Patient's six centimeters dilatated, so I should be in the clear," Sarima nodded.

"Great. Crope, can you do the intake questionnaire?"

"Sure thing," Crope nodded professionally.

"Thank you. And Tibbett, can you double-check the labs once they come back and start any secondary tests?"

He gave a sharp salute. "Yes, ma'am."

Elphaba dismissed her colleagues and studied the file. She had no doubt her team would handle the case well, which meant she could focus on other things.

"How are you doing with your interns, Dr. Thropp?"

She turned, her smile turning less forced at the sight of her mentor. "Dr. Dillamond."

The Chief Resident smiled. "I hope you haven't scared them all away."

"They have rounds this afternoon. And if they're scared of me, they're never gonna make it as doctors."

"You need to have patience with them."

"No one had patience with me."

"I did. And believe me, it wasn't easy trying to quell your temper."

She shrugged. "I gave the interns a pep talk."

The old Goat's eyes narrowed. "No, you didn't. You told them that if they messed up, you'd have them sucking on their thumbs, calling for their mothers."

She couldn't help the slight smirk. "But I said it nicely."

"Elphaba, you must understand. While they are technically done with medical school, and while they're doctors, they are still here to learn. We all are still learning, but it's your responsibility to help them. I assigned your specific group of interns for a reason. I read their files, and believed you'd be the best fit for them, and vice-versa."

"You read Tigulaar's file? So you're aware of his rich background and playboy –"

"That's enough, Elphaba. Dr. Tigulaar has worked hard and earned the right to be here, just like everyone else."

"You're right." She straightened. "I won't disappoint you, Dr. Dillamond."

"You are one of my most-qualified residents. It's not about disappointing me, Elphaba. Don't do this for me." He gave a swift nod before leaving.

"I'll do it for the poor patients stuck dealing with the pupils under my care," she muttered, then checked her watch. Rounds were due to start, and she needed to check to make sure the patients weren't dead.

"Dr. Tigulaar!"

Fiyero turned and approached the blonde nurse waving him over from the nurses' station.

"Here's the floor files. Dr. Thropp wanted me to pass them off to you."

"Oh. Thanks, Nurse Upland-Chuffrey." He took the binder and was able to walk off, but the question on the tip of his tongue pulled him back. "Did Dr. Thropp seem… angry?"

Glinda leaned back, rubbing her baby bump. "No more than usual. Why? What'd you do?"

"Nothing. It's just… she doesn't seem to like me, and for some reason, I always seem to leave a bad taste in her mouth."

"Then don't eat onions if you're gonna kiss her."

His jaw slacked. "That's not what I –"

"I know that's not what you meant."

He caved. "I took too long answering her questions today. She thinks I don't know anything. Then Dr. Ottokos was showing me up. I thought she was going to give my patients to him right there in the room."

"She's not a bully. She's not gonna steal your lunch money." She sat up. "I know she's tough. But she's tough because she cares, and she doesn't want to see you screw up."

"Because she cares?"

"Yes. Exactly."

"Tigulaar!"

The doctor let out a yelp and whipped around, bumping against the desk. He straightened and brushed off his lab coat when he saw Elphaba looked displeased.

"Shouldn't you be doing something else someplace else?" the green woman asked.

"No… I mean, yes… I mean… all my patients are… fine."

"Well, my patience is running thin with your lollygagging. You're not being paid to stand here flirting with married nurses."

"Elphie…" Glinda sighed.

She took the assignments from Glinda. "You're with me for the next two hours. We're doing discharges. Let's go." She marched away, not turning to check to see if she was being followed.

"She's in a good mood right now. I'd take advantage of that if I were you," Glinda offered.

"I wasn't flirting. And you didn't deny it."

"Ehh… I was bored, and Elphie's face gets the slightest pink undertone when she's angry. It's adorable." She rubbed her stomach. "We all harmlessly flirt here. It keeps a happy atmosphere when we're stuck together for fifteen hours a day."

"But I wasn't –"

"Look, all I'll say is that… your reputation precedes you. You know, rich parents who paid your way through med school so you're not stuck with crippling debt like the rest of us, all the parties and the girls and –"

"Tigulaar, are you waiting for a royal invitation?!" Elphaba snapped from down the hall, causing everyone to pause and stare. "Get a move on!"

"You'd better go. She looks like she's about to steal and eat your lunch money."

Fiyero hurried after her, her long strides making it harder to keep up with her. He caught up with her just as she entered their first patient's room, narrowly missing her slamming the door on his nose.

"How are you feeling, Rosamund?" Elphaba asked with uncharacteristic softness.

"Much better, Dr. Thropp," the young woman smiled, pushing herself up, and Elphaba hurried to assist her. "Who's this?"

"Newbie. This is Dr. Tigulaar."

"He's cute."

"Thanks," Fiyero said with a cheeky grin.

Elphaba rolled her eyes with a groan, checking her chart. "Don't inflate his ego."

"Wait, you haven't broken him in like a pair of shoes yet? I mean, I know he still looks brand-spankin'-new, and still has that fresh-out-the-box smell, but come on. I mean, I'm not complaining, this hospital could use a few cuter-looking doctors so it's not all doom and gloom."

"I've given your discharge papers to the nurse," Elphaba said before Fiyero had a chance to respond. "Now, Rosamund, I need you to take your prescription seriously this time. Please."

"Yes, Dr. Thropp."

"Promise?"

She made a face, but dropped it when she saw the doctor's serious face. "I promise."

"Good." She gave her shoulder a gentle pat and walked out, and Fiyero followed her without prompting.

For the next two hours, Fiyero was Elphaba's shadow, following her around like a lost puppy. By the time he got to their final patients, he was exhausted and could only muster a small smile when Elphaba shot him cold looks.

"Dr. Thropp, you have a new case. Room 5132," Morrible said as she passed them, unceremoniously handing Elphaba the chart.

"Right away," Elphaba called, not batting an eye as she turned on her heels and headed towards the elevator.

The ride up was quiet, with Fiyero staring at the light-up screen, and Elphaba reading over the case file. Finally, the door opened with a ding, and Elphaba strutted out, knocking on the door before pushing it open with her hip.

"Hi. I'm Dr. Thropp. This is Dr. Tigulaar," she said, making a quick evaluation of the scene.

A little girl, who couldn't have been older than nine, lay in the bed, with a woman, presumably her mother, sitting at her bedside, holding her hand.

"You're green," the little girl said, making a face.

"Elyith Pingueen, don't be rude," her mother scolded gently, but was clearly having the same reaction.

"I am," Elphaba nodded with a small smile.

"Why?" Elyith questioned.

"I ate too many green vegetables when I was little. They're not joking when they say, 'you are what you eat'."

The little girl giggled. "That's why I don't like broccoli. I like carrots, though. Does that mean I'm gonna turn orange?"

"Only if you start a carrot-only diet."

She made a face and shook her head, giggling at the thought.

"Alright, Elyith. It says you're here because you've been experiencing stomach cramps and diarrhea."

"I've been having wet poops every hour on the hour like clockwork for two days," she reported, almost proudly. "It's been absolutely disgustifying."

"Well, we're here to help fix that. Dr. Tigulaar, can you do the questionnaire while I do the examination?"

"Can he do the examination instead?" the mother asked, wearily eying Elphaba's hands.

Fiyero stuttered quietly. "A-Actually, I'm just –"

"Of course he can," Elphaba interrupted, stepping back and taking the pen from her pocket.

Fiyero quickly jumped in before he had the chance to get yelled at. "Alright, Elyith, can you take a deep breath for me?" he asked, putting the cold stethoscope on her back.

"That's cold!"

"Right. Sorry." He warmed it up on his palm and place it back, getting the deep breath he requested.

Elphaba did the questionnaire, getting family history, medical history, and a few miscellaneous stories from Elyith.

"She has a slight fever," Fiyero reported, and Elphaba nodded, jotting that down.

"We went to a fancy new restaurant three days ago. I got dressed up and everything," Elyith smiled, giggling when Fiyero looked into her ear. "I got to wear my new blue dress with my matching shoes with the sparkly buckle."

"And what did you have at this fancy new restaurant?" Elphaba asked.

"I dunno. Some type of meat patty. It looked good in the picture, and it tasted good too. And it was a bit pink; that's my favorite color."

Fiyero paused. "You ate pink meat, Elyith?"

"It wasn't fully pink. It was more like pink polka dots. But it was mostly brown."

The two doctors exchanged a look.

"Elyith, you didn't tell me your meat was pink," Mrs. Pingueen frowned.

"I liked it like that. It tasted good."

Elphaba pocketed her pen with a knowing look to Fiyero. "Mrs. Pingueen, we're going to order some lab tests. I think that pink meat is what's giving Elyith the –"

"Wet poops!"

She breathed out a chuckle. "Yes, the wet poops. We'll have the nurse take a blood sample and we'll have the results within the next hour."

"I have to poop again!"

The two doctors left as the little girl kicked the blankets from her bed and hurried into the bathroom.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Elphaba asked.

Fiyero nodded. "Slight fever, stomach cramps, and frequent diarrhea after eating pink meat? It's E-coli."

She quickly switched to teaching-mode. "But if we know, why didn't we diagnose in the room and prescribe treatment?"

"The tests are to confirm. We always must be sure. And something else might come back in the bloodwork, too. But Elyith will be fine."

He stepped back, and Elphaba ordered the bloodwork and labs. He could tell that the mother's request did something to her, and he had a feeling he knew what it was.

"There's a reason I don't do peds," she said once they were in the elevator.

"You don't like children?"

"I do. They're much easier to work with 'cause they tell you what you need to know, and even some things you didn't need to know. I don't like their parents. Very judgmental, as you've just seen."

"You handled that very professionally."

"I didn't have a choice. I'm here to set an example for you."

"So, you would've cussed her out if I wasn't in the room?"

"No, but I definitely would've had time to consider it. I've had patients request different doctors after meeting me. And I grant their requests."

"Doesn't that… hurt your feelings?"

She laughed bitterly. "If I took everything personally, I'd never get any work done. Dr. Tigulaar, don't waste your energy fighting to keep patients on your roster. You'll burn out more quickly, and you will get your feelings hurt."

He followed her to her office, standing in the doorway as she collapsed in her chair and removed her glasses. She got to work, seemingly forgetting he was there. Was he still supposed to be attached to her hip, or could he leave?

Or… could he ask the question he's been thinking about since they met?

"Um… Dr. Thropp?"

"Hmm?"

"Can I… ask you a question?"

"You just did, so I hope your real question isn't as useless."

"I… I was wondering… with that mother's reaction to your –"

She glanced at him, and upon seeing his face, turned to fully face him. "Hypochromic anemia."

"Huh?"

She meaningfully rubbed the back of her hand. "My skin. Severe hypochromic anemia. My mother drank some type of elixir from the local apothecary when she was pregnant with me."

"Oh…"

"I hate apothecaries. It's mostly just fake medicine with a placebo effect that makes people think they're getting better." She lifted her chin slightly. "Your file said you had a special interest in rare diseases. What are the symptoms of hypochromic anemia, Dr. Tigulaar?"

She was testing him? Right now? About this? "Uh… lack of energy –"

"Not one I normally suffer from, but continue."

"Shortness of breath –"

"Sometimes."

"Dyspepsia –"

"I have trouble digesting meat, so I'm a vegetarian."

"Headaches –"

"Only when provoked."

"… Green-tinted skin –"

"That's obvious."

"And…"

"And…?" She looked at him expectantly.

He licked his lips uncomfortably.

"Amenorrhea," she finished for him. "You can't get uncomfortable saying things like that, Dr. Tigulaar."

He looked down, trying not to squirm. He could've gone his whole life without knowing his boss didn't get her period. Did he really need to know all that personal information about her?

"Tigulaar, don't you have actual patients to see to?"

He looked up to see the same stern face he'd grown accustomed to.

"Now that I've satisfied your curiosity, you can remove that question, and all other related questions, from your mind. It was taking up valuable space. You have actual cases to worry about, and I am not one of them."

"Oh. Yes. Than- I mean, I should go. I'm going… now."

She watched him go, her face slowly softening when she was sure no one else would see. What had possessed her to share so much personal information about herself? No one else, save for Glinda, had ever managed to do that. What was it about her annoying intern that elicited this reaction?

Whatever it was, she had to make sure to stop it before it happened again.