un día a la vez ⋆.˚✮

independent original character for hbo max's the pitt.

[pmtcrn]

# PMTCRN , a private + selective portrayal penned by sammy ( 25, she / her , PST ) of andrea arellano torres — an emergency department nurse from HBO's the pitt. VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED. read guidelines before interacting.

∣∣∣ GOOGLE DRIVE. PROMPTS. CHARACTER STUDY. HEADCANONS. STARTERS.

A STUDY IN . . . grief that settles into your bones and learning how to live in spite of it , inherited resilience , the quiet loneliness of being the eldest daughter , & the so-called ❝ american dream ❞.

[hesjustcarter]

Propping his chin on his fist, Carter mockingly fluttered his lashes. “Was this our first fight? Should it go in a scrapbook?” Chuckling, he lifted his free hand in defeat. “All right, fair enough. I only know about gaslighting ‘cause a patient accused me of it the other day. And of course, true to my roots, I had to look into it and do some research. Apparently, the term comes from the 1944 film, Gaslight.”

Andrea leaned back with a smirk. “If you just say I’m right, you’ll get lucky every time.”

Speaking of gaslighting…

With a startled laugh, Carter arched a brow, sweeping his palm against his napkin in another nervous tic. “Is that right?” he asked. “Every time? ‘Cause that’s a pretty impressive guarantee…” A hint of shyness bled into his features, and he offered a sheepish grin. “I guess there are some benefits to being wrong, after all. Which I’m often not…but if I was…”

Allowing the sentence to go unfinished, he watched her pick up a piece of cheese, his fingers anxiously drumming against the table before he blurted, “Hey, uh…did you hear about the explosion at the cheese factory? It was filled with de brie.”

God, he should’ve quit while he was ahead…

Mercifully, Andrea intervened and placed a piece of pear onto the end of his fork, encouraging him to try.

“You know, I used to think the idea of fruit mixing with anything other than fruit seemed like a crime against nature,” Carter said, “but now? I dunno... I’m actually pro apples on salad, so this looks good to me. I’ve been completely corrupted.” With a simper, he added, “You’re more than welcome to keep going with that corruption, by the way.”

With a flourish, he made a show of trying her concoction, a hum catching in his throat as he pretended to contemplate. After another moment of faux suspense, Carter agreed, “All right, fine…I guess I owe you another case of ‘you’re right.’ And I’m not just saying that for the ‘lucky’ benefits.”

[pmtcrn]

following suit, andrea propped her chin on her fist before nodding across the table at her date. "i don't know . . . ' fight ' sounds too harsh. let's go with that being our first disagreement. i like that better. and don't worry, i'll write all about it in my diary." she offered him a sweet smile before adding, "dear diary: today, carter was wrong. it was a very difficult experience for him." at the mention of a patient accusing him of gaslighting, a laugh left her lips. "i must've been off that day 'cause i swear i would've heard about this from one of the nurses. i love the fact that you researched though. bet you learned a lot." there was something fond in her teasing as she looked across the table at him.

his next comment earned him a slow, amused smile. "every time," she confirmed. "i'm generous like that." and then came the cheese joke. andrea stared at him. for one long second, she said nothing. then she broke into laughter, covering her mouth with her hand. "did you have that one prepared for tonight ? are there other cheese jokes lined up this evening ? "

when he started talking about being corrupted, andrea's smile turned slow and decidedly more mischievous. "is that what we're calling it ? " she leaned forward slightly, resting her chin back against her fist as she watched him. "i don't know, carter. i think you've been kinda easy to corrupt so far." her eyes flickered briefly toward his mouth before returning to his gaze. "i'm not sure you should be making offers like that unless you're fully prepared for me to hold you to them." she finally took another piece of pear and cheese for herself, chewing it as she watched him with an expression of exaggerated innocence. "but don't worry. i'll be gentle."

the conversation continued easily after that, the rest of the meal passing in much the same way: with plenty of teasing, laughter, and the occasional attempt from andrea to convince carter to try something else she insisted he would like. at some point, though, she paused, her gaze drifting over the now empty plates between them before settling back on him. "hey." the shift in her tone was subtle, the teasing giving way to something a little more sincere. "thank you." andrea offered him a small smile, her fingers absently tracing the edge of her glass. "for putting all of this together, i mean. i know this probably doesn't seem like a huge deal to you, but . . . it is to me." her gaze flickered briefly toward the table before returning to him. "you clearly put a lot of thought into it." she hesitated for just a moment, as if she wasn't entirely used to saying things like this out loud. "i'm having a really good time tonight." the admission came with a softer smile, one that lacked the mischievousness of the one she'd been wearing moments before. "even if you were wrong. twice." andrea's smile returned to something more playful as she picked up her glass and took a sip of her wine.

[pmtcrn]

👤 have fun XP

— MEET ENRIQUE "KIKI" ARELLANO TORRES

the youngest of the three siblings. the baby. andrea likes to call him ' el principito ' / ' the little prince ' ( the nickname stemmed from his love for the children's novella by antoine de saint-exupéry ). friends and family refer to him as kiki though. much like his older sister, kiki has always thrown himself into school and now work. the only difference is that he doesn't do it as a means of coping, rather he does it because he has this need to make his family proud. and he's done a lot for them to be proud of. he always excelled academically, so much so that his schooling at brooklyn college was all covered by academic-based scholarships. it's been a year since he graduated with a bachelor's in computer science. an internship at rockstar games the summer before his senior year of college earned him a job soon after graduation as a junior programmer. he likes to think years of being called a nerd at school paid off.

even with him living in new york, enrique makes sure to keep up with his sisters on a regular basis. phone calls. texts. facetimes. flying out to visit whenever possible. to him, family is everything. he's happy to have moved to new york, but he can't help but feel guilty sometimes. and homesick. oh god, he gets so homesick. whenever he's back home, andrea has to buy so much food because of the quantity she cooks for him. the boy likes to EAT. specifically, he likes to eat his older sister's cooking. he only has some memories of their mom since he was about six when he saw her last, so to him . . . andrea's always felt like a mom to him. literal heart of gold. nerd. we love him.

for every "👤" [alternatively: "NPC" ] sent to my inbox, i will introduce you to ONE NPC relevant to my muse's lore !

[pmtcrn]

y'all im going crazy with these npc prompts i feel invigorated (that's a big word for elmo)

[pmtcrn]

👤

— MEET NICO GONZALEZ

moving from new york to pittsburgh after her parents' divorce felt world-shattering to thirteen-year-old nico. she was thoroughly convinced that life was over. that was until she met andrea on her first day at south hills middle school. life suddenly had color in it again. andrea invited nico to sit with her and her friends at lunch. there was something about the way that andrea asked questions and listened so intently to her. the genuine care was evident, even though they'd only known each other for a day. suddenly, pittsburgh didn't seem so bad anymore.

nico quickly became one of andrea's best friends and their friendship only got stronger after her parents' deportation. her entire friend group had been incredibly supportive during that time, but nico went above and beyond in ways andrea never forgot. she brought over meals when andrea was too overwhelmed to think about eating, helped move boxes from the torres household to her aunt's house, and showed up whenever there was something that needed to be done. it didn't matter how big or small the task was. if Andrea needed something, nico was there. and, in the midst of everything, the two of them began spending more and more time together. at first, it was easy to tell herself that it was simply because andrea needed the support and nico was willing to give it. then, somewhere along the way, something shifted. feelings developed on both sides — feelings that were new and confusing and, perhaps most frightening of all, mutual. neither of them ever said anything. maybe it was fear of ruining the friendship. neither of them had ever really allowed themselves to consider what it meant to feel this way about another girl. there was fear in the possibility of being wrong about themselves, fear of what it might mean to say it out loud, and fear of what might happen if the other person didn't feel the same way. the closest they ever came to acknowledging what was happening between them was on the night of their senior prom.

at the end of the evening, nico drove andrea home. the night had already begun to wind down by the time they pulled up outside her house, the excitement of the dance replaced by the quiet hum of the car and the familiar glow of the porch light. neither of them seemed particularly eager to leave. so they just sat there. andrea looked over at nico, and nico looked back at her. for a moment, it felt like all of the things they had never said were sitting between them — every lingering glance, every too-long hug, every moment nico had shown up for her when she needed someone most. the air suddenly felt heavy with the possibility of something changing. andrea wondered if this was the moment. if she should say something. if nico was waiting for her to. but fear won. and, eventually, so did the silence. whatever they might have said to each other that night remained unspoken. they said goodnight, and andrea got out of the car, leaving behind the one moment when maybe they could have finally admitted what they had both been too afraid to say.

nico went back to new york after graduation and has been there ever since. they aren't as close as they used to be, but they check in on another every so often. when nico found out andrea's little brother was going to new york for college, she made sure to be at his disposal for whatever he needed. and nico still keeps an eye out for him to this day. every now and then when andrea flies into new york to visit her brother, they'll meet up for a bite to eat and catch up.

for every "👤" [alternatively: "NPC" ] sent to my inbox, i will introduce you to ONE NPC relevant to my muse's lore !

[pmtcrn]

👤 *chinhands*

— MEET MICHELLE ARELLANO

one of andrea's first memories in the u.s. was climbing into a big white pickup truck somewhere in texas. she didn't know exactly where she was — only that she’d spent what felt like forever traveling and that her parents looked exhausted. waiting inside the truck was a wide-eyed little girl who looked to be about andrea's age. that girl was her cousin, michelle. they had never met before. neither of them said much at first, stealing curious glances at one another as the truck pulled away from the border. before long, though, michelle was showing andrea her favorite stuffed animal and pointing out everything she saw through the window. from that day on, the two of them were inseparable.

even though she's only two years older than andrea, michy has always felt a need to look after her younger cousin. especially knowing how selfless drea can be. and that made leaving pittsburgh at eighteen difficult. she didn't want drea to feel like she was abandoning her . . . but god, michy needed to leave. she had big dreams and staying at home wasn't gonna get her closer to accomplishing them. so off she went to los angeles, working odd jobs and networking like hell so that she could work in the music industry. she spent a majority of her 20's as a production assistant going on tour with different bands. now she works at interscope records in los angeles and thanks to their tuition assistance program, she's actually finishing up her bachelor's degree in music business. michy is very much the concert plug for drea and her siblings. even with the distance between them, their bond has only gotten stronger over the years. they are each other's better half. they visit each other as often as they can, but they basically chat daily.

for every "👤" [alternatively: "NPC" ] sent to my inbox, i will introduce you to ONE NPC relevant to my muse's lore !

[pmtcrn]

I think your greatest strength is the strength of your character! Andrea always feels like a fully formed human being with her own opinions and thoughts and the way in which she sees the world. She's such a ray of sunshine that I just love writing with and that comes from you! You take the writing seriously without taking it too seriously and that's a really good way to do it, I think.

AHHH!!! this message means the world to me. one thing i really wanted for andrea when first developing her character was for her warm, nurturing personality shined through in spite of everything she's been through. like yes, she's strong, but she's also kind. don't know if that makes any sense but anyways, i adore you to the moon and back!

what's my biggest strength as an rper?

[ohisms]

━━━ for every "👤" [ alternatively: "NPC" ] sent to my inbox, i will introduce you to ONE NPC relevant to my muse's lore !

[pmtcrn]

your greatest strengths are your authenticity (to yourself and to andrea), your creativity, and your kind spirit!

belle!!! jumped for joy at seeing this in my inbox. for real. what an incredibly kind message to receive and i am so grateful you sent it. i am honestly so glad andrea comes off as authentic. i want her to feel like a real person. you were one of the first blogs i followed on here and its a joy seeing your posts on here. feeling very warm in my heart rn.

what's my biggest strength as an rper?

[pmtcrn]

I know you said you're not feeling it lately, and everyone has their doubts, but I have to slide in on my knees (in dramatic fashion) to say you should never doubt your writing, cuz I'm always in awe of how intricate Andrea's inner struggles are and the way you describe them. Those little therapy drabbles you post are my absolute favorite, cuz they're SO good. If you wrote just some random abstract book with nothing but those scenes stitched together, I'd read the heck out of it. I love Andrea, and clearly Carter's a dopey simp for her, so he loves her too, but don't worry...he won't use that word. Yet. lol

my sweet friend 🥹 you seriously don't understand how much i adore you! writing and chatting with you has been such a pleasure. i cannot get enough of it. i love your carter so much and drea is very very into him . . . so much it scares her which makes me a very happy camper. i appreciate you to the moon and back!

what's my biggest strength as an rper?

[pmtcrn]

Your biggest strength is that you made your OC feel like a main cast of the Pitt. Not only that, but you explore very real and sensitive issues that could get you flagged for real and while Drea seems like a sunshine character, she has a whole baggage she drags behind her and still she chooses kindness. I love those therapy drabbles you do, and how fluid dynamics come to be with or without plotting.

leone . . . this means a lot. i don't have the words to express how much, but just know that i appreciate your words a whole bunch. the episode were ICE comes to the ED very much inspired me to build andrea's character and her story. as a first-gen mexican-american, seeing what's happening in the country with immigrants weighs heavy on me. writing her in a way is somewhat . . . therapeutic? andrea's story is the reality for so many people and something i really enjoy about the pitt is how it brings up topics that are difficult. it seemed fitting to bring her and her background to the setting. speaking of therapeutic, i am so glad you enjoy reading the therapy drabbles. this have been very insightful in helping me flesh out her character.

i am sending you the biggest hug all the way from hell, also known as las vegas! the hug might be a little sweaty. sorry. again, it is hot as hell.

what's my biggest strength as an rper?

[tonksxmagicalxroleplayxmemes]

[pmtcrn]

not gonna be on tn, impromptu concert with my friend after work. BUT hmu on discord or ims if you don't you hate me (just kidding . . . or am i

👁️👄👁️)

[hesjustcarter]

In retrospect, Carter really hadn't noticed anything out of the ordinary. Nurse Kim was always friendly -- or at least, when it came to brief conversation in between patients -- and while he hurriedly stuffed an energy bar into his mouth, she prattled on about her weekend plans, and how she was seeing some local band-or-another, and that others from work would be going too, and would he be interested?

Carter hesitated at that. Would he be interested? Admittedly, it had been quite a while since he'd last seen a concert of any kind, and even longer since he'd done any group activities, so the prospect seemed fun. Kind of. Although he really liked certain members of the Pitt, he also couldn't say he wanted to hang around most of them beyond a usual shift.

"Uh..." Wincing around his bar, he swallowed before flashing a sheepish smile. "Sorry...didn't want to choke." To his bemusement, Kim giggled and nudged his arm. Okay. He didn't think what he'd said was that funny. In fact, he didn't think it was funny at all, so with an arch of his brow, he straightened just as a familiar presence intervened at their side.

Andrea's chipper little, "Oh, hey," instantly put Carter at ease, though there was also something almost manic, displeased about her delivery. It made his smile falter. Kim's too, judging by the sudden frown on her face, 'cause...oh. Oh. Had Andrea just called him her-?

"Boyfriend?" Carter blurted, his cheeks warming with pleasure. The grin alighting his face was decidedly dopey, and eyes shining, his heart fluttered like some pathetic schoolboy's as he glanced in between both women with a touch of confusion. He'd never been able to read the unspoken female language, but judging by the way their sharp eyes kept cutting toward one another, some proverbial daggers were being thrown.

"Um..." Setting aside his energy bar wrapper, Carter turned to Andrea and found his head bobbing of its own accord. "Yeah. Yes, sorry, I just...it must've slipped my mind in between all these patients. I've had a lot of food poisoning today. Ah..." Flushing, he corrected, "Well, I haven't had a lot of food poisoning. It's, uh...it's my patients. They needed lots of basins."

'Cause that made for romantic conversation. In truth, Carter was both thrilled and bemused by the shift in attitude, because even though he and Andrea remained in close contact after their first date, they hadn't really had the time to go to a movie, or another dinner, or even visit with one another, so he was worried Andrea's excuses were fabricated. But maybe they weren't? Maybe she had been too busy?

Overcome, he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead, the tip of her nose, her mouth, before murmuring, "Let's go. I just need to finish up my charting, if you don't mind keeping me company until I'm done?"

When he glanced to his side, he realized Kim was already heading off to...wherever it was she was headed, and with a burning in his cheeks, Carter looked back to Andrea and his brow creased. "So...what was that all about?"

[pmtcrn]

andrea hadn't meant to do that. well . . . that was a lie. she had meant to interrupt. she had meant to insert herself between carter and kim before the other woman could continue their conversation. she had meant to make it abundantly clear that carter was not, in fact, available for whatever plans were being proposed. what she hadn't meant to do was call him her boyfriend. that had simply come out. the word had been there before she'd had the chance to stop it, carried along on the momentum of her jealousy and the sudden, sharp need to stake a claim she technically had no right to make. and then carter had repeated it. andrea's expression had faltered. for one brief, horrible second, she was sure she had made a mistake. the kind of mistake that couldn't be taken back. she could already feel the familiar retreat beginning to form inside of her, the instinctive urge to pull away before anyone else could do it first.

but then he smiled. not a confused smile. not an awkward smile. a pleased one. a genuinely, ridiculously pleased one. "yeah. yes." oh. her heart gave a sharp, humiliating little kick. she had expected him to play along. maybe she had even expected him to question her once they were alone. what she had not expected was for him to look at her like she'd just given him something. and then he kissed her. her forehead. her nose. her mouth.

by the time he was murmuring something about finishing his charting, andrea was standing there with her brain completely short-circuited, staring at him like she had somehow managed to lose control of a situation she had started. "yeah," she managed, a little too quickly. "sure. yeah. i can — i can keep you company." she could feel the heat in her face and hated that she could feel it. hated even more that she was fairly certain carter could see it. for the first time since they've met, she was the one visibly nervous. and maybe that was the worst part.

after their first date, andrea had done what she always did when something started to matter too much: she had found reasons to keep her distance. the thing was, the date had been good. too good. carter had been easy to be around. funny and kind and strange in all the ways that made her want to know him better. there had been no awkwardness to hide behind, no obvious reason to convince herself that this was something temporary and uncomplicated. she had left realizing carter was not someone she could be casual about. and that had scared the absolute shit out of her. because she knew what happened when people became something special. she knew what it felt like to let someone past the carefully constructed walls, to give them the ability to hurt you, and she had spent a long time convincing herself that she didn't want a relationship. that she was perfectly fine with things that didn't have names. things that didn't come with expectations or the possibility of losing something real.

so she'd kept busy. she'd worked. she'd found excuses. she'd told herself that the timing was bad and the hospital was chaotic and they would get around to seeing each other again. but the truth was far less convenient. she had been scared. and now, apparently, she had walked up to him in the middle of the hospital and called him her boyfriend because another woman had asked him to go to a concert. her therapist would definitely have some thoughts about andrea's way of going about this . . . but it was progress.

her eyes darted toward the direction kim had gone before returning to carter. "it was nothing," she shrugged her shoulders, a bit of defensiveness in her tone. she sighed, dragging a hand over her face. "okay, fine. it was — " she stopped, visibly struggling to find a way to explain herself without actually having to admit that she had been jealous. "i just . . . " she began, looking anywhere but at him, "you were talking to kim. and she was asking you out. and it kinda looked like you were considering it. i just didn't like the idea of someone else asking you out." the admission came out quietly. "which is stupid," she added. "because i don't have any right to be jealous." a humorless laugh escaped her, though there was a faint flush still lingering across her cheeks. she finally looked back at him, her expression a strange combination of embarrassment and vulnerability. the bravado she'd walked in with had long since disappeared, leaving behind something far more honest than she'd intended to show. "i was just trying to — " she stopped, exhaling softly. "i don't know. i wasn't trying to do anything, actually. i just saw her asking you out and suddenly realized i really, really didn't like it." andrea's fingers fidgeted at her sides. "and i know we're not — " she paused again, clearly struggling with the words. "we haven't talked about what we are." there it was. the conversation she'd been avoiding. "i haven't been avoiding you because i don't want to see you," she added, quieter now. "it's kind of the opposite, actually."

[pmtcrn]

jealousy ? andrea ? psh, never ! at least that's what she tells herself. others would beg to differ. maybe it was easy for her to deny it because it was hardly expressed explicitly. rather than explosive reactions, she tends to retreat into the sanctuary of her emotions. a protective shell drawn around her vulnerability. her warm presence is rapidly replaced with cold detachment, leaving people to wonder what went wrong. this coldness isn't born out of anger but of hurt, a reflection of how deeply she feels the sting of insecurity. she often struggles to voice her jealousy outright, fearing rejection or misunderstanding, so she lets her actions or lack thereof, speak for her.

today's different though. she's not sure she could simply do nothing about this. not when it involved carter. he's not doing anything that's deserving of the silent treatment anyway. technically . . . she had no hold over him. he wasn't her boyfriend. she wasn't his girlfriend. but they were something. something she didn't want to lose. and apparently, that something was going to have to be defined a little sooner than later. andrea catches the tail end of the conversation as she approaches, the nurse standing in front of carter with a smile that is just a little too interested. she slows, just enough to take in the situation. she's not even entirely sure what possesses her to step in. maybe it's the way the other woman is looking at him. maybe it's the sudden, sharp twist of something unpleasant in her chest.

whatever it is, she doesn't think about it for long. "oh, hey," she says, sliding into the conversation with a smile that is entirely too pleasant to be innocent. her gaze flickers briefly toward the nurse before settling on carter. "sorry, babe. i didn't realize you were busy." the endearment comes easily. far too easily. she steps closer to him, close enough that the gesture can be interpreted however anyone wants to interpret it. her hand finds his arm, fingers curling lightly around it as she turns her attention back to the nurse.

"i didn't mean to interrupt. i hate to be rude, but i gotta pull my boyfriend away. we have . . . stuff to check out." there's a brief pause. andrea can feel the lie settle between them. not entirely a lie, she tells herself. not really. not if this is going anywhere. not if she has anything to say about it. "carter, you weren't going to make me come find you, were you ? " she asks, glancing up at him with a look that is both warning and pleading. silently, desperately, she hopes he understands what she's doing. "remember we had those plans after work today ? that stuff i told you about." there weren't any plans. not technically. but she can make some.

@hesjustcarter

[pmtcrn]

ok two drafts left. will do those tomorrow. <3

[drhalepitt]

"That's not embarrassing!" Igraine insisted. "It's romantic, I mean, I don't know what men think, but I think it's romantic. They go on and on about men yearning, but we invited that shit," Igraine said decidedly. There had definitely been a level of it. She had enjoyed bickering with Jack, the way he'd push back on what she thought. It made her feel something.

When Drea said it so distinctly, she laughed. "We really are Bluetooth linked," she snorted. They did have minds that thought alike. She probably wouldn't see Robby the same way as some of the other women she'd heard about him from in the ED, but she could appreciate it when it was there. She also didn't know if he was seeing someone; she honestly didn't know if either of them was seeing someone.

"I may have gotten snippy with him last week, started a whole rumor when the new nurse asked him out on a date...and that was before Quinn. I just blurted out the first thing I thought of, and he followed me out, saying I was spreading false information," she grinned. She knew he'd argue with her; he'd leave the nurses' station and follow behind. The plan wasn't conscious at first, but halfway through, she was determined.

[pmtcrn]

"listen . . . mama loves some yearning. crushing on someone for years though ? seems a little a sad to me. but i'll take your word for it and we'll just say it's romantic." the more she discussed this with iggy, the more she realized hiding it from her friend in the first place was ridiculous. out of all the things andrea had shared with her, this was what she was too nervous to bring up ? a man ? a crush that you could actually talk about with your girlfriend was way more fun anyways.

upon hearing the new nurse had asked the attending out on a date, her expression shifted slightly. "wait." her brows lifted. "she asked him out ? " there was a pause, and then, far too quickly, she added, "like, actually asked him out ? for real ? " she seemed to realize how interested she sounded and immediately tried to recover. "not that i care," she insisted, despite absolutely no one having accused her of caring. "i’m just . . . " she waved a hand, searching for a reasonable explanation. "surprised. that's all." she was quiet for half a second, which was apparently as long as she could manage before the question escaped her. "was i off that day ? i find out about everything, but this is the first time i'm hearing about this."