"Like a revolving door" Part 1
CHAPTER 4, CROSS POSTED ON AO3.
Summary: You start your first shift, and you start to slowly dread the fact that your brother was right, you do have a type when it comes to guys, and sadly, that type is your boss.
Notes:
Heyyy im backkk, the issue is thankfully resolved, and im sorry I was gone for so long. Again, this fic won't have an upload schedule, even if I start with a chapter a week for the first three chapters. I will try to write more chapters, but I usually spend 3-4 hours writing one chapter, then edit and post it. This process takes a lot out of me for some reason. I will do my best to communicate when I will post, rather than leaving everybody in the dark.
August 5th, 7 am.
“As you can see, we have some new faces with us this morning,” he says, voice steady.
He scans the room for a moment before speaking again.
“Starting with introductions.”
Your pulse is still not normal.
Not even close.
It’s loud in your ears, drowning out everything else for a second too long, and you have to actively force yourself to focus—on the room, on the people, on literally anything that isn’t the fact that this man is your attending.
Great. Fantastic. Love that for you.
“Next up, we have second-year resident Dr. Melissa King, fresh from the VA,” Robby says, turning slightly toward her.
The woman beside you shifts immediately, like the attention physically unsettles her. “Everybody calls me Mel,” she says, offering a small, slightly awkward smile. She fidgets as she speaks, twisting her hands together like she doesn’t quite know what to do with them.
There’s an endearing nervousness to her. Not unprofessional—just… human.
“I’m so happy to be here.”
You nod faintly, mostly to yourself. At least you’re not the only one trying not to combust on the spot.
Robby gives a short nod, already moving on.
The group’s attention shifts to a girl with short brown hair pulled back into a ponytail. She stands a little straighter than the rest of you.
“Trinity Santos, intern,” she says, quick and confident.
Your chest tightens again—not in panic this time, but something sharper. Comparison, maybe.
You straighten slightly without realizing it.
Next to her, another woman steps forward just enough to be acknowledged.
“Victoria Javadi, MS3.”
Calm. Collected. Unlike you, who is currently sweating buckets under your scrubs.
You’re starting to feel like the only one internally spiraling.
Robby barely pauses before shifting his attention again.
“Uh, Dennis Whitaker, MS4,” the next guy says, his voice just a little unsure, like he second-guessed himself halfway through.
Okay. Not just you.
That helps. A little.
And then—
You feel it before it even happens.
The shift.
The attention.
Everyone turns.
Toward you.
Oh.
Right.
Your turn.
Your fingers twitch slightly at your side, the lingering urge to fidget crawling back under your skin. For a split second, the panic tries to spike again—tries to drag you back into your head, into the overthinking, into the what if you mess this up spiral.
Not today.
Absolutely not today.
You straighten your posture, forcing your shoulders back, locking them in. If you’re going down, it’s not going to be because you choked on a basic introduction.
“Y/n L/n,” you say, voice steady, thank God. “Third-year resident.”
Short. Clean. Controlled.
Exactly how you practiced it in your head a thousand times.
You hold it for half a second longer, just enough to look composed, before letting the moment pass.
No rambling. No over-explaining.
You internally pat yourself on the back for not fuckig it up.
For a brief second, there’s nothing.
Then Robby gives a small nod, like he’s mentally checking a box.
“Alright.”
And just like that, the attention shifts away from you.
The tension in your chest loosens—but not completely.
Because you’re actually here.
And there’s no backing out.
Robby speaks up again, “Welcome to the pitt—”
“We’ve got two Tarumas from the T. Five minutes out.”
The voice cuts clean through the moment.
You glance past Robby to see Dana already moving, her posture shifting instantly from casual authority to full control. The entire energy of the room changes with her words—like someone flipped a switch.
Robby turns without hesitation. “Okay, copy that.”
There’s no panic. No rush. Just… immediate adjustment.
Then he turns back to all of you, like this is just another normal morning—which, apparently, it is.
He points toward Dana.
“Actually, this is the most important person that you're gonna meet today. This is Dana—she’s our charge nurse, and she is the ringleader of our circus. Do what she says, when she says it.”
You glance at her again, really taking her in this time.
Yeah. That tracks.
There’s something about her presence—sharp, unshakable—that makes it very clear she runs this place just as much as anyone with “doctor” in their title.
Robby pauses.
And then—
His gaze lands on you.
Direct.
Unmoving.
Your breath catches for half a second, your fingers threatening to curl into your palm again. You force them still at your side, locking your posture in place like that alone will keep you grounded.
Why does it feel like he keeps looking at you?
“As you can see, our house is always packed, and our department is mostly clogged up with boarders,” he continues, voice steady. “Those are admitted patients waiting for a room upstairs, sometimes for days. Beds are a very precious commodity around here, so please be quick and efficient with your work-ups… what else?”
Your brain is trying to keep up—processing every word, filing it away—but part of you is still stuck on that look.
Focus.
You’re here to work. Not to be ogling at your attending. He glances around again.
And somehow—
Finds you. Again.
“We treat the sicker patients back here, but please keep your eye on the waiting room. Make sure nobody’s going to die out there.”
A few people nod immediately.
You follow a second later, a little slower, but just as firm.
The weight of that sentence settles somewhere deep in your chest.
No pressure or anything.
Robby looks over the group one more time before continuing.
“Your senior residents are Dr. Collins and Dr. Langdon.”
There’s a brief shift in the group—subtle, but noticeable—as attention flickers toward them.
Then—
He turns to you.
Fully this time.
“As well as Dr. L/N, but since they are new like you all, please give them some grace for today at the very least.”
Oh.
Your stomach drops.
That was… not what you expected.
At all.
You can practically feel the shift in attention again—quieter this time, more curious than before—but it’s there.
Great.
Fantastic.
So much for blending in.
You keep your expression neutral, though, lifting your chin just slightly like you’re completely fine with this. Like your brain didn’t just short-circuit.
You’re a third-year.
Act like it.
“You report to your senior residents, and they report to me, okay?”
Everyone nods.
You nod too—once, controlled.
“Alright, amazing. Senior residents, you’ve got your sign-outs?”
“Yup,” Dr. Collins answers easily.
Robby gives a short nod.
“Ok, let’s do this.”
And just like that—
The briefing is over.
The shift begins.
And there’s no more time to think.
Notes:
Ok so the format is going to change a bit, so i dont have to spend hours writing for one episode bcs I watch the episode im writing for to get canon dialouge i will spilt each episode up into 3-4 parts so this is 7 am part 1, It will make it longer and this chapter is only 1k words but i didn't want to overwhlem myself. I promise every chapter after this one will be a minimum of 2k words, like how it usually is. AGAIN, THIS IS THE INTRO TO EP 1 AND THANK YOU FOR READING!
