"You danced on the Shiz founder's statue, naked?" Elphaba laughed once she recovered from choking on her drink.
"I was pledging Ozma Kappa. I had to do it. But I didn't get caught, and I got into the fraternity. But I'm sure there are pictures of that night, but if they haven't seen the light of day yet, I doubt they will."
She chuckled, taking a bite of her spaghetti. "You're insane, Tigulaar."
"You mean to tell me that you didn't do anything crazy during your undergrad years?"
"Nope."
"Seriously?"
"Seriously. I was too busy studying. I only went to social events when Glinda dragged me."
"You don't like parties?"
"I didn't have many friends growing up, for obvious reasons. Combined with the green skin and weird water allergy, I've always been very direct – borderline blunt – and people don't really like it when you don't try to sugarcoat some things."
"Your directness is an asset as a doctor."
"Because I've made it that way. As doctors, we have to be direct. It's painful sometimes, but it's the most effective way of communicating. But I've also come to realize the benefits of taking time to relax and do a bit of socializing. Plus, Crope and Tibbett are the doctor-versions of undergrad-Glinda."
The waiter came with their check, and Fiyero snatched it before Elphaba could reach out her hand.
"Let me see that," Elphaba said, reaching for the paper.
"No. I'm treating."
"You treated last time."
"You mean the movie in the park? That was a free event."
"It was still your treat. You provided the blanket."
"That… doesn't count." Fiyero took out his credit card and handed it to the passing waiter. "I've got it covered."
"You don't make a very good salary for a doctor. You have years to go before those numbers kick in."
"Thank you for reminding me that I'm not practicing medicine for the money," he grinned, his smile widening when Elphaba blushed.
Once their bill was settled, Fiyero walked Elphaba over to his car, wordlessly opening the passenger door for her.
"I can take the bus," Elphaba said.
"I know you can. But you won't, 'cause I'm offering to drive you home."
She eyed him suspiciously. "Why?"
"Because it's the gentlemanly thing to do."
Her eyes never left his face as she slid into the car, buckling up as Fiyero closed the door and sauntered over to the driver's seat. Elphaba put her address in her phone's GPS, and placed it in the phone holder on Fiyero's dashboard, and they were off.
"Fiyero?"
"Yeah?"
"I have to ask… are you being extra nice to me just because you want to go to the symposium?"
"I'm being nice to you because I think you're very nice when you're not yelling at me at work. I'm being nice to you because I'm a nice person, and that's what nice people do. I'm working my ass off at work and studying in my free time because I want to go to the symposium."
Elphaba was quiet, her cheeks coloring slightly. "Right."
"Was I not nice before all this?"
"You were."
"Plus, if someone else wins, you being gone gives me a chance to sneak into your office during lunch and watch OzTube videos on your computer."
She gave him a look, but softened slightly when she saw his teasing smirk. "If these nights out are to continue, I must reiterate that they must not be talked about at work."
"Is this you giving us official permission to continue our dates?"
"Yes."
Fiyero grinned. "Cool."
"And I –"
"Why are you acting like we're the only hospital romance going on? Medical professionals make great couples, what with our directness, crazy schedules, and disgusting dinnertime topics, it seems like the only people we can get along with are each other."
"You're… not wrong."
"Is that as far as you're prepared to admit?"
Elphaba hummed. "And this also means you are not to expect special treatment at work."
He pretended to look put-out, like his secret plan had failed. Elphaba rolled her eyes, which got him to break his façade. The GPS announced their arrival at Elphaba's apartment, and Fiyero pulled up to the front of the large building.
"Thank you, Fiyero," Elphaba smiled as she unclipped her seat belt. "Get some rest. You're gonna need it for tomorrow."
"Another plus; getting the inside scoop."
Another eye roll. "Goodnight." She closed the door, giving him a little wave before disappearing inside. She pressed the elevator button, hearing Fiyero drive away once the sliding door closed.
Fiyero slumped against the wall, savoring the few seconds he had to rest his eyes. He was on "diagnosing duty" as a last attempt to impress the senior residents the day before the test.
"Dude, I just diagnosed a patient with Superior Canal Dehiscence Syndrome!" Shem exclaimed as he ran up to Fiyero. "Her parents thought she was schizophrenic, but her symptoms didn't all add up. Turns out, a small hole in her inner ear was causing her to hear everything inside her body, and it was driving her crazy. I mean, I'd be crazy if I had to hear my heart beating like it was directly next to my ears. They're prepping her for surgery right now."
"That's great. Not that she needs surgery, but that you got to successfully diagnose her. And SCDS is rare. I thought I'd be able to diagnose a medical mystery as a last attempt to get ahead, and as it turned out, all the patient had was the gout."
Shem stared at him, then burst into laughter. "Not the gout!"
"I wasted all my time for the damn gout," he groaned, running his hand down his face.
The morning of the test, all the students gathered in a conference room, where the large tables were replaced with school desks.
"Scantron?" Pfannee asked, seeing the familiar strip of paper inside a blue book.
"Yes, Dr. Norral. And for your essays, please try to make your handwriting neat. You are not to become doctors infamous for your sloppy handwriting until your second year. I'll stop reading once I become unable to decipher the difference between a 't' and a 'y'," Elphaba said, handing out the test booklets. "Dr. Thetial will proctor, and I will come back at the halfway mark to answer any questions. You have three hours. Good luck," she nodded her thanks to Sarima and left.
Three hours later, the interns left the test room in various stages of alive. Milla made a bee-line for the coffee stand, Pfannee and ShenShen were leaning on each other, dragging their feet, Shem's eyes were crossed, and Fiyero looked like he was sleepwalking.
"My eyes feel like they're burning," Shem sighed, gently rubbing his eyes.
"I think I chose 'C' too many times," Fiyero mumbled.
"On the bright side, we're all off tomorrow, and the test results go up Monday. We won't have to think about it for the rest of the weekend," ShenShen said, rubbing the back of her neck. "There's nothing else we can do about it now."
"I guess that means trying to bribe Dr. Thropp is out of the question," Pfannee said.
"We got her a cake for her promotion. If that didn't work, nothing will."
Fiyero was grateful for the restful weekend. He used the time off to binge-watch old TV shows, and not think about the test results. He got to the locker room early and took his time changing into his scrubs and lab coat.
"Good morning. Before you waste your breath, the test results will be up this afternoon," Elphaba said as her interns approached her.
"Do you know who won?" Shem asked, not caring that he was wasting his breath.
"I do. And you will know this afternoon," Elphaba said, handing out the daily files. "Fiyero and Pfannee, you're on the code team this morning. Shem, you have a new patient in A251. ShenShen, Dr. Thetial needs extra help in the NICU today." She dismissed them with a nod, disappearing back into her office.
"I wanna know who won!" Pfannee whined as she walked down to the emergency room with Fiyero.
"Me too. How am I supposed to focus without knowing?"
"Is Dr. Thropp killing both of us because we were too distracted to stop patients from dying a good enough incentive for both of us?"
"… Yeah, I'd say that's good enough."
The interns completed their morning chores, rushing back to Elphaba's office.
"Go get lunch," Elphaba said upon answering their knock, closing the door in their faces.
"Dr. Thropp, you said they'd be posted this afternoon," Fiyero said through the closed door.
The door opened a crack, allowing the interns to see only their boss's eyes, glaring fire daggers at them. "Go. Get. Lunch."
"Yes, ma'am," Shem said, leading the interns' scurry-away.
They took their time with lunch, not realizing how hungry they actually were. Their pagers beeping stopped them from running back to their boss's office. After an afternoon of dealing with gallstones, kidney stones, and a patient with severe constipation, the four headed back up to Elphaba's office. A crowd was gathered in front of her door, all talking and pointing at the papers taped to her door. The four pushed their way through the crowd and scanned the list for their names.
"I'm not on here," Fiyero frowned, looking at the bottom.
"Keep going up," the intern behind him said.
His gaze drifted upwards, eyes glued to the top of the list. "I… I'm first?"
"You won, Fiyero!"
His close group of intern friends showered him with congratulations, hiding their own hurt feelings very well. The other interns made less of an effort.
"Congratulations, Dr. Tigulaar."
Fiyero turned to see Elphaba hiding behind the corner, a small smile painted on her lips. "Thank you, Dr. Thropp. You're not hiding in your office."
"If I was in there right now, I wouldn't be able to escape. I'm getting claustrophobic just looking at those animals." She straightened. "I'll send you a copy of the itinerary tomorrow. We leave early Friday morning from the Shiz Train Depot."
"How early? 'Cause I get off at eight on Thursday."
"Not anymore. Since you're going to the symposium, you'll get off at six. Our train is scheduled for five A.M. Pack warm clothes."
"Good thing I'm a morning person."
"You drag your feet and yawn through rounds."
"That's only when I don't have my coffee."
"Make sure you have your coffee Friday morning. Or better yet, have a bunch Thursday night." She turned to walk away.
He smirked. "Solid medical advice, Dr. Thropp. Give myself caffeine insomnia."
"You can sleep on the train," she called over her shoulder. She rounded the corner, pushing the sounds of leftover congratulations from her brain.
She buried herself in her work for the rest of the day. Her sister called multiple times, and she ignored it each time, finally sending a quick text after the fifteenth missed call, promising to call as soon as her shift ended.
"Dr. Thropp."
She turned. "Dr. Ulthame."
"I need your help." The attending physician handed the verdant doctor a small packet of colorful grafts and charts. "I could use an extra set of eyes on this. My patient is experiencing vertigo, muscle fatigue, and memory loss, but all their scans are coming back clean."
"Did you run a reactive protein test?"
"Yes. Everything was fine."
Elphaba studied the charts. "I… I don't know what this could be. If all the labs are coming back clear, then…"
"Are you ready for the Dr. Pari Manom Medical Symposium?"
She straightened. "Yes." As nice as Dr. Ulthame was, he was one of the doctors who thought she wasn't experienced enough for all the responsibility she was given.
"And you're sure Dr. Fiyero Tigulaar is the intern you want to bring with you?"
She fought an incriminating stiffen. "Yes, I am. He scored the highest on my test, and has proven himself a valuable assistant. He has shown incredible potential and deserves this."
"I'm not doubting that."
"No. You're just doubting me."
He sighed. "Elphaba –"
"Look, I know there are doctors who have been here longer, have been practicing medicine longer, and have been alive longer, but I've worked just as hard to be where I am. No one has ever handed me anything on a silver platter."
"I'm just saying that if you need help with everything on your plate -"
"If I need help, I know who to ask." She marched away before he had a chance to respond.
She was so engrossed in her own annoyed thoughts that she almost didn't hear the upbeat dance music coming from a patient's room. But she did, and she went to sneakily investigate, peaking into the room through the blinds.
It was Imie's room, and the young girl was in bed, wearing the biggest grin she'd ever seen her wear as she recorded Fiyero's performance on her phone. Fiyero smiled as he danced around the room, with choreographed arm movements and fancy footwork. He shook his hips and twirled like a ballerina, much to the little girl's delight.
Once the song ended, Fiyero looked completely drained, holding his lower back, and Imie was laughing so hard, she started coughing. Elphaba saw him mouth what looked like 'A deal's a deal', and handed Imie a small cup of pink liquid. The little girl made a face, but dutifully took the medicine, which earned her a quick reward of another silly dance from Fiyero.
"And you're sure Dr. Fiyero Tigulaar is the intern you want to bring with you?"
Yes. She was sure.