Text from Mum: “Please call me. I’m worried about you.”
Soma looks at his phone, his thumbs poised above the screen, hesitating for a second before turning it off and putting it away. The text weighs heavy in his pocket. Please call me.
It takes him a minute to compose himself and exit the bathroom to join the swarm of white lab coats that are making their way into the ER, exchanging a few greeting nods with colleages and a wave at Hiroko, a third year residency doctor who he’d been thinking of asking out for a few weeks, and would’ve probably done so already if not for the incident. She might’ve even said yes, but as it is, a relationship that once had been sharing a coffee when one of them couldn’t get their own, moving heaven and earth so their lunch breaks would align, and a kiss under the bluish light of the surgery room, is reduced to a wave and a polite smile before Hiroko leaves. No words exchanged.
It doesn’t bother him and he doesn’t care because he has a job to do, and that’s all that matters. Everything else is secondary. He’s still got a job, and about ten medical histories to check before he starts seeing patients, and—
“Dr. Kawamura,” a stern voice calls behind him. He doesn’t need to turn around to know who it is, but he has to, because as much as he wishes he could escape the attending physician, there’s no avoiding him now.
“Dr. Takahashi,” he starts, as he turns to look at him, already bracing himself for when he finds thick greyish eyebrows furrowed in displeasure and eyes staring at him with an intensity that betrays what he actually thinks of Soma, but professionalism forbids him to say out loud. “Is there something—?”
He abruptly stops speaking when he realises Dr. Takahashi isn’t alone.
“This is Chishiya Shuntaro, medical student. You’ll be in charge of him for the day.”
@cheshire-shuntaro
