((@georgipopovich-voiceblog continued from here: https://www.tumblr.com/porkkatsuyuuri/778826776413700096/porkkatsuyuuri-georgipopovich-voiceblog?source=share because Tumblr is ass.))
He follows after, stopping at the stairs to greet each of them. "Hey, Princess. Your mom made something good for dinner." He smiles, nudging her along. "Everyone all cleaned up? You ready to eat?"
"Thanks Mom." Hina muttered softly, giving her mother a quick hug as she passed. It sucked that she couldn't pick driving up immediately...she could do everything else, why not this?
"Hina! How was school?" Kisa asked. "Your new uniform is so cute, do all the girls wear it?"
With home full of romance, lack of romance and baby vibes, Hina was always glad when her shifts at the hospital came around. 8 uninterrupted training hours where she could observe and throw herself into her work. As she sat in the gallery watching a re-attachment of a severed hand, she couldn't help but marvel at the resilience of the human body.
Her little book was full of notes on how Ortho worked with Neuro to make sure the hand could still work.
“I’m shocked to see you In ortho.” Calls the voice of Doctor suka from the doorway.
The music from within the theater was booming, as usual. Ortho surgeons are the registered jocks and party workers of the medical world, patients gone under will never know the club music that is muffled through the walls.
"Dr Renka said they were reattaching a severed hand with neuro and thought I'd find it interesting." She explained, showing him her notes. "She wasn't wrong. It's interesting how each department works together.'
“Probably from the factories.” He says as he approaches the window. “I’m glad to see you busy, it’s dead out in the hospital today. It’s a good thing, but I know you need the challenge…. Not too many babies being born in Hasetsu today.”
"When I start my residency I know I can't specialise even if I already know what I want to do." She hummed, turning back to her notes.
Then a voice cracked over the speaker.
"That kid is up there again."
"Ugh, for real? Who lets her run around like that?"
Dr Renka had stepped out to check on another patient, leaving the work to her very capable doctors. Capable doctors who obviously didn't realise that the speaker was on in the gallery.
Hina didn't react, the only indication Suka had that she'd heard them was the twitching in her fingers.
Doctor Suka glances down to her hands, and then down into the theater.
Of course it was the young hotshots talking trash, as though healthcare should be treated as a competitive field. As though high school bullies got to exist outside a classroom. He reaches up to the intercom.
"There's no DX modifiers for gossiping about colleagues, get back to work. That hand requires more focus than you're giving it." He says with a firm tone and glares down to the surgeons there.
The group looked up then hurriedly got back on with what they were doing. While he was technically right, they didn't like being called out on it.
"You didn't have to do that..." She hummed softly, her fingers still trembling.
“Perhaps not.” He says and turns. “But even if I wasn’t a little protective of my students, I would still lecture them. Small talk during nerve related surgery is how people lose function.”
Perhaps if he words it in a not-so-gooey way, he can avoid Hina feeling like he was giving special treatment.
“And I do not tolerate that kind of behavior in my hospital.”
"Im used to it." Hina knew dr Suka knew how people treated her in highschool. Not only was her family unknown in comparison to them, she was a couple of year younger.
Despite going into her second year of med school, she was only just turning 18 next month.
“Well, as you can imagine, I don’t take lightly to that being a reason.” He says and sits down to look at the surgery. “…. Did I ever tell you I got bullied pretty badly when I was a young doctor? I had an awful stutter.”
"No, you never mentioned." She looked up at him, effectively distracted from the residents who still appeared to be grumbling. If not as obviously.
“Yes, I had a very stern teacher, he was very much a hardass, made my stutter far worse. Had to fight my way to where I am, and eventually I overcame my stutter. I don’t know that any of my colleagues even remember it now.”
"Huh..." She turned back at watched. "I could to a better suture than that. It'll heal wonky if he keeps stitching like that."
“He stitches like that because he tore a muscle In his hand as a kid, he doesn’t grip well. If you ever hear him being Dr. jerk again, remember he does it to distract people from his own inabilities. He can do some stitching but fine small areas like that are his downfall.” He nods firmly towards her. “You didn’t hear that from Me.”
"Yes sir." Hina nodded, a smile twitching across her lips. "You should recommend him origami if he wants to improve his dexterity. Yasha swears by it."
Doctor suka tries to not smirk, but fails a bit. “Mm… and I’ll have to tell him that after this surgery. I can recommend a student of mine who does much better sutures than that.”
"Dad got me a kit to practice with. I can show you sometime if it'll help me start my residency sooner?" She smirked, half joking but also half not.
“I’ll allow supervised suturing.” He nods. “You’re the best in your class so far, I think we can move beyond the dummies and plastic, you’ll do better with a breathing moving patient. Would you like to go to emergency with me and see if there’s anyone who might be a good practice for you? I’ll be a good distraction for them.”
"Are you serious?!" Her eyes lit up, immediately jumped to her feet, clutching her notebook to her chest. "You should tell Miss Dr Suka. Use it as evidence!"
“Rinke is aware of how well you’re doing.” He snorts. “She gets reports from me weekly on what cases you’ve assisted with. Come on now.” He rises up with a grunt. “If you’re lucky, you’ll get to find out how to calm down hysterical patients.”
"Ooooh fun!" She grinned, bouncing on her heels as she waited for him.
There’s almost always someone in emergency. Hasetsu being a fishing town means that there are constant fishermen and factories workers, and of course surrounding rural areas that bring people in. He walks with her towards emergency and and hears an immediate cry at the desk of a rather upset toddler. He clings to his mother who is desperately holding onto a towel wrapped arm of his. “That seems a good one to learn from.” He says quietly as he approaches the desk. “Sir? You can bring him over to this curtain here, my colleague and I can assist, can you tell me what happened?”
The omega looks slightly relieved and yet still tense. “M-My son, he fell off a jungle gym, I only looked away for a second and he has a gash in his arm, I am.. lhhh baby I’m so sorry…” he says as he starts tearing up while hugging his baby.
"Sir, would you mind holding him while I take a look?" Her tone switched immediately, calm and gentle as opposed to her usual abrupt nature. "And what's your name little guy?"
This mother seemed too distracted to notice how young this girl was, she just sits in the seat doctor suka offers and sniffles as she holds him. “I-I must look like an absolute monster…” he says as he removes the towel and grimaces at the long wound down his toddler’s arm.
“Ohhh, if children didn’t ever manage to get injuries, we wouldn’t know how to treat it.” Doctor suka says, hoping to distract the mom. “I have a daughter who got into all sorts of trouble even with our careful eyes.”
Sniffle. "T-Toya..." The little boy sniffled.
"That's a good name Toya." Hina smiled. "And how old are you?"
"Mm...I'm 3..."
"Such a big boy! My sister's nearly 2!" She gasped, keeping him focused on chatting as she cleaned the wound. "Tell me Toya, what's your favourite thing huh?"
“Ohhh Toya is a great name.” Doctor suka says as he passes her some numbing agent. “You’ve gotta have a favorite toy or show.”
“He likes a little turtle show.” His mom says and looks to Doctor suka first, mostly to look away from the arm.
“Toki the Turtle? My daughter also watched that! Do you like Toki?”
"Mmmm! Toki's my favourite!" He grinned.
"Oh my sister loves Toki. So did my other siblings but they'd never admit it now." Hina smiled softly.
"How many siblings do you have?" He asked, looking up at her with curiosity.
"I've got four younger, and one older." She explained as she covered the area in numbing agent.
Now...how to go about this...?
"Ma'am? I don't suppose you sew at all? Just something to keep him calm." She asked her.
He looks up, a bit confused and then looks down to the needle. Right. He clears his throat, seeming a bit green at this. “Toya.” He whispers. “Do you remember when mama made you that big costume for Halloween? You’re gonna feel stuff on your arm that’s a little like that.”
“What are you gonna dress up as this year, Toya?” Doctor suka asks, trying to keep an eye on the wiggly boy.
"Toki." He huffed.
"Really?" Hina gasped, tapping her fingers on his skin to see if he'd react. Nothing. Here we go. "My dad sews our Halloween costumes. She told him. Every year I got him to make better and better doctor costumes."
“Mama makes all his costumes I assume?”
“I-I do. He likes dress up a lot.” His mom says and kisses the top of his head. “He likes big sleeves and capes and he’s very good at making up stories.”
“You have to be. Was that what you were doing today?” Doctor suka asks him. “Were you make believing a big story?”
"I was...I was pretending to be a monkey." He sniffled, watching Hina sew. That was why she framed it the way she did. So that if he looked, he wouldn't be frightened.
Instead, he observed her making neat stitches up his arm, her hand steady as anything.
That was a risk, the little boy seeing it. “Does it hurt, baby?” The mom asks quietly.
“We numbed it.” Doctor suka says softly. “What kind of monkey? Did you dance a lot? Swing?” He asks and glances at Hina’s hands.
So far so good.
"It doesn't hurt!" He smiled, tear trails on his cheeks. "I was swinging. My hands got sweaty and I slipped."
"Aaah it happens to us all. It looks like your mommy takes good care of you." Hina smiled. "You need to make sure you're being a careful monkey from now on, ok?"
"Ok. I can be careful." He nodded.
Mom looks relieved, his eyes close briefly as he takes a deep calming breath. His toddler was managing to hold still enough for stitches and he wasn't sobbing his little eyes out. "D-Do I need to do anything? Bring him back for removing them?"
"These will dissolve, but my colleague here will be wrapping the arm with a protective gauze to keep moisture from getting in. Try not to let it get too damp though. If it gets soaked somehow, bring him back in and we can rewrap it."
"They're like magic." Hina explained for the little boy as she finished up her neat row of stitches. "After a month they'll be all gone, you'll barely notice it."
"Whoa...mommy that's so cool!" Toya grinned.
"Th-That is really cool!" The omega before her sighs in such relief, looking between them. "This was so scary, I'm sorry I was hysterical before, I just..."
"You're a worried mom, it's natural. We're just glad we get to help."
"You're doing a great job." Hina told him. "I'd have been more concerned if you weren't hysterical. "He hates it, but my mom was and is the same way with us."
"You look so young." He says, starting to finally realize.
"Miss Katsuki-Popovich here is my student. I'm supervising her during her educational clinic hours." Doctor Suka introduces.
"OH! A student! I-I thought you were already a doctor!"
"How old are you?" Toya asked tilting his head to the side.
"I turn 18 next month." She explained, hoping it didn't freak the Omega out.
"Wow! You must be super super smart!"
He looks rather shocked. "OH! You-.... Oh my goodness, that's so young!" He adjusts his son on his hip gently. "Then... You must have graduated early?"
"Earliest I think Hasetsu has ever seen." Doctor Suka chuckles as he guides them to the desk. "The nurses will be finishing up your paperwork and getting you an aftercare pamphlet, please make an appointment in four weeks so we can see how everything looks."
Seeming to sense the conversation is ending, he nods and gives a gentle bow to Hina. "Thank you, really, this was amazing!"
"Please come back if you're worried at all." She bowed back. "I'm not here every day, but Dr Suka is and he has been excellent teacher."
"Thank you Miss Smart Doctor!" He called, waving as he was carried away by his mother.
"Not bad." Doctor Suka says quietly as he waves. "You handled a wiggly toddler pretty well. Most kids make it feel nearly impossible to stitch, I'm surprised you got him to sit still."
"He's only a little bit older than Roisin. It's all about distracting them long enough to get something done." She smiled. "So i did good?"
"I'll say." Another Doctor chuckled, his voice low and deep. "Katsuki-Popovich right? You'd make a hell of a paediatric Doctor with the way you kept both the boy and mom calm."
"Thank you sir." She bowed.
Doctor Suka glances up to see a colleague he's worked with on and off, one he knows is treating Yasha and Xi's kids whenever they come in for checkups. "Hina, this is Doctor Mushi." He says.
"Yes, you take care of my sister and nieces, right?" She looked up at him.
"Suka, think I could borrow her for more sutures like this? Simple stuff, all supervised of course?"
Hina turned to her teacher with a look that resembles a normal teenager asking to go out with their friends.