Note: This is my second attempt of dropping a fic on this site and I can only ask that you have mercy. This was an attempt to expand on the book and certain scenes with my OC. Here’s hoping it works
Tags: I was inspired by the lovely @jamespotterthefirst and their amazing works into dishing out this fic. I also want to thank them for being willing to listen to all my wild rambles in chat and me bein a weirdo. You’re awesome and I can’t thank you enough.
CHAPTER ONE: FIRST DAY INTO THE FRAY (Part 1)
With one last shove to balance the pile of boxes against the wall, Rai sighed before flopping on the bed. A room under the stairs wasn’t the most ideal place to start in a new city but at least it was something. Given how the majority of his savings and allowance had gone into paying any school debts, he was lucky enough to get the room with his own money and not have to reach out to his family. While both sides of his family were well off, using their money without contributing anything gave him hives.
On that thought, he shifted to pull out his phone from his pocket and called his parents. It took a few seconds before he heard his mum pick up. He greeted her with a, “Hey Mum, I’m all settled in-” before he was interrupted by his mum fussing over whether he was doing alright and if was really sure he didn’t want them to contact a friend for a better place to stay.
“Mum, MUM! I’m fine. It’s not the worst place to stay in the city and hey, with enough work, I can get myself a better apartment to stay in” he chirped optimistically. His words only served to have his mum fuss even more before his dad took over. Rai could easily picture his dad calming her with a kiss to the cheek as her voice faded away and was replaced with his father’s rich baritone.
He sounded amused as he spoke, “We had to stop your mother from grabbing her phone more than a few times today, you think you’re ready for your first day of work tomorrow?” showing his own turn at concern. Rai rolled his eyes as he continued to assure his parents for the next few minutes. Honestly, he managed to take care of himself in medical school, he could take care of himself in a new city.
After ending the call and seeing he had a few hours to spare, Rai carefully pulled a box of books towards him and pulled out a few he could study. As he pulled out one particular old but well-loved book, he gave a grin. It was still hard to believe that he was going to start his residency at Edenbrook tomorrow. Who knows what kind of challenges he would be facing on the job. Plus, having the chance to work and be mentored by some of the top doctors? Rai wasn’t even sure he could sleep with all the excitement buzzing through him.
Suddenly, he heard the sound of rumbling from the ceiling and gave a sigh. Well, if that was going to be a constant thing, maybe it was best to turn in early. Here was hoping he’d get a comfier place in the future.
Stepping out of the cab and taking in the hospital, Rai couldn’t stop the grin that overtook his face before he practically ran inside. Once inside though, he realized he didn’t know where to go and paused. Tilting his head in thought, he looked around for anything that might give him directions. He then felt a tap on his shoulder and spun around to see a woman with curly brown hair and a warm smile. “Hi!” she greeted, “You look lost. Let me guess… first day of your medical residency?” and Rai nodded enthusiastically. She directed him to a corner where a camera and a white sheet was set up near the reception.
He hoped that he didn’t stand out too much from the crowd. But being an Asian with windswept black hair and sharp brown eyes, Rai was sure he’d garner some curious looks like he did in school. Once he settled his ID and managed to get some helpful advice from the doctor whom he learned was Dr. Ines DeLarosa, he headed for orientation.
On the way there through the waiting room though, Rai suddenly heard gasps and turned to see a woman collapse to the ground. Quickly moving as he saw the other patients start to crowd around her, he called, “Everyone please step back! I’m a doctor” and moved to check on the woman. As he did, an attending rushed in, kneeled by her side, and checked her pulse. “Pulse is weak. She’s unresponsive” he announced then looked around before catching sight of Rai.
Without hesitation, he ordered, “You. Rookie. Get in here” and Rai quickly moved to obey with a, “Yes Doctor!” The woman was then lifted to a gurney before the doctor turned to a male nurse and asked, “What was she in for? Did she fill out a form yet?” to which the nurse replied with a negative. This clearly didn’t please the doctor as he stated, “If we don’t figure out what’s wrong with her fast, she’s gonna die on this table” before telling Rai to check the patient’s B.P.
Doing as instructed, he peered at the numbers before announcing it’s quick descent and the patient’s immediate need for fluids. While the nurse was preparing the IV, Rai noticed the rapidly forming bruise on the patient’s elbow. Knowing that she had not landed on that elbow, Rai’s mind began to rapidly speed through possibilities as he noticed the patient’s fingertips were also turning blue.
When he called the symptoms to attention and noted how the patient was most likely lacking oxygen, Rai saw the doctor nod in approval before instructing him to check on the patient’s lungs. The moment Rai did, he felt panic settle in upon hearing the failing of the organ. Urgently announcing his findings, he tried to reign in spiraling thoughts while the attending calmly announced a Code Blue and began to gently pump air into the patient.
Digging his nails into his palm to center himself, Rai asked, “What can we do doctor? The problem hasn’t been confirmed yet” his mind whirling through all possible answers. With intense blue eyes piercing into Rai’s, the doctor told him, “Consider all the clues. It’s all there. You know this, Rookie.” Rai unclenched his hand to bite at a fingertip as he muttered the symptoms before exclaiming, “It’s a hemothorax!” thoughts coming to focus as the answer came to him. “Precisely. A blood vessel ruptured and is filling her pleural cavity…” the doctor started and Rai continued, “...blocking her lungs expanding! Hence the failure!” Then another thought popped in, “But since there’s no time to repair the vessel, that means…” Rai trailed off.
“We’ll have to do an emergency thoracotomy to drain the cavity instead. Nurse!” the attending called. To Rai’s shock, he finds himself handed a test tube and socket while the attending lift’s the patient’s shirt to expose the side of her ribcage. Blood roaring in his ears as he gripped at the scalpel, Rai gulped as he muttered, “No time for anesthesia… have to make the incision at the fifth intercostal space… anterior… to the mid… damn it, get a grip Hayashi!” growling at his trembling hand holding the scalpel.
He jolted when felt the doctor steady his hand with his and their eyes met once more as the doctor told him, “Hey… You can do this.” Gripping onto those words, Rai took a breath before steadying his hand and carefully making the incision. He faintly heard the doctor’s encouragement before following the instruction to insert the tube.
The moment the patient gasped for breath, Rai felt all remaining tenseness leave him before nodding to the doctor in silent thanks. As the doctor gave orders for the patient to be taken to surgery and the onlookers applauded, Rai released a heavy breath. He carefully rubbed his hands and with a breathless laugh, he said to the doctor, “Uh… well, that was… pretty amazing” barely believing that he barely started a shift and he managed to help save a patient. Calm as can be, the doctor retorted, “You’re right. it’s pretty amazing you didn’t get her killed’, his words causing Rai’s smile to freeze. Seeing the other lost for words, the doctor ruthlessly continued, “Your examination was slow and superficial. Your scalpel technique amateur at best…”
Before he could stop himself, Rai jokes, “In that case, maybe you should give me some private lessons” and the moment he did, his mind screeched, “(YOU FECKIN IDIOT!!!)” while alarms blared. Of all reactions, Rai did not expect the doctor to be amused, “Ha! I just might, Doctor…” he said, lifting Rai’s lanyard to read his ID, “Hayashi. But I sincerely doubt you could afford my salary” before tossing it back and walking away.
It was one thing to suddenly have his ID grabbed, but hearing his last name be pronounced right left him more than a little breathless. He quickly took a breath to reel himself in before ruffling his head and groaning, “… Please tell me I didn’t just make a total fool of myself in front of a top doctor” a whimper tinting his words towards the end.
The same male nurse from earlier walked over and patted his shoulder, “Don’t worry about it, Dr. Ramsey is like that with everyone.” Hearing the doctor’s name, Rai’s brain conjured the Looney Tunes ending theme, replacing the ending catchphrase with “You’re Screwed!” as he buried his face in his hands. “Greaaat, so not only do I mess up my first impression with an attending, I made a fool of myself in front of my medical hero of all people” he bemoaned. Clearly trying to cheer him up, the nurse chimed, “On the bright side, you’ll get plenty more chances to impress him” and Rai smiled in thanks. Once he learned the nurse’s name was Danny and introductions were made, Rai looked down to see his scrubs had been stained with blood and sighed.
Asking for directions to the locker room, he thanked Danny as he was led the way. Once inside, Rai searched for his locker, only to come face to face with a beautiful woman with dark skin and black hair in her underwear. Quickly turning about-face, Rai shut his eyes, “Sorry about that, do you need some privacy?” he asked. The woman seemed amused at his reaction, “How’d you make it through medical school without seeing a bra?” she asked and Rai shrugged. He turned to move away and reply only to bump into a muscular male; “Go easy on him, Jackie. It’s the first day for all of us” Rai heard him say.
The woman, now identified as Jackie retorted, “Hey, I can be friendly… if you stay out of my way.” Rai couldn’t help but snort at that before piping, “To answer your question, I got away by being respectful, my parents didn’t raise no creep” rocking on his heels.
The shirtless male barked a laugh, “We got ourselves a smart one here then” he joked before extending a hand with a playful wink. “Bryce Lahela, a.k.a. your new favorite surgical intern. Pleasure’s all mine” he introduced only for Jackie to snark, “Ignore the meathead, he’s a scalpel jockey.” Rai accepted Bryce’s hand with a grin, “Rai Hayashi. Internal medicine, nice to meet you!” Jackie nodded at that, “Guess you’re with me then. C’mon, we’re gonna be late” she said before slipping into her scrubs.
Going from his first impression, Rai thought it was best to be quick and follow after. It didn’t take long for the trio to reach the main atrium where the rest of the interns were listening to an impressive, statuesque woman up front. From the sound of things, she was already in the middle of orientation. Peering at the woman’s face, Rai tried to place her face before perking. He leaned towards Bryce and whispered, “Isn’t that Harper Emery? I thought she was with the surgical team?”
Jackie gave a smirk as she overheard, “You’re a little late on the news there Hayashi, she’s the hospital’s new chief.” Rai nodded in acknowledgement before listening to the rest of the speech. As she ended her speech and the interns burst in applause, Rai joined in and grinned at his fellow colleagues only to catch something, or rather someone in the crowd.
Out of all the interns, there was a young woman who was not clapping with the rest. Frankly, she looked rather unimpressed with everything. Before Rai could think further on it, he hears Dr. Emery announce that they would be meeting their senior residents tomorrow and for today, they would be partnering up for their first patient and that assignments were on the board.
Waving goodbye and wishing Bryce good luck as he left to join his group, Rai moved to peer at the board. Once he found his and his partner’s name, he tilted his head, “Huh, I’m partnered with… A. Emery?” he mused out loud. An intern with curly hair exclaimed, “Like, Chief of Medicine Dr. Emery?!” and Rai turned to him. “It says A. Emery, so I’m sure it meant a relative, unless Emery somehow became a common last name without anyone knowing” Rai joked and a loud snort was heard followed by an, “I wish.” Everyone turns to the source and it’s revealed to be the unimpressed intern that Rai saw earlier.
He walked up to her with a smile and held out his hand, “Hi! A. Emery right? I’m Rai Hayashi, it looks like we’ll be partners for this assignment. Are you alright with me calling you Dr. Emery or something else? I mean, if you want,; it’s tough that people pile on expectation when it comes to certain last names. Oh wait, I didn’t even get your first name, my bad” he babbled, though still maintained his bright smile. For a moment, the female intern looked surprised before her expression turned cool and she shook his hand, “Dr. Aurora Emery, Dr. Emery is fine. Anyone tell you that you talk… a lot?” she said and Rai gave a chuckle. “My bad, I was just excited to work my first assignment, let’s go?” he offered and Aurora gave a curt nod; the two breezed past the crowd before anything else could be said.
On the way to their patient, the two managed to have an amicable agreement on their partnership for the assignment. Though he had read the chart, Rai still felt a pang as they entered the room and saw the young patient named Annie. Still, he managed to push through with Aurora taking her vitals while he made the patient more comfortable and asked more on what happened before they ended up in the hospital.
After leaving Annie with further reassurances and taking note of her symptoms and other unrecorded injuries. Just as they were discussing submitting their findings for lab work, Aurora was paged by her aunt. Rai gave a wince upon hearing the announcement from the P.A System, “Go ahead. I’ll handle things and keep you updated. Good luck” he encouraged.
Aurora peered at him for a moment, as if she was trying to figure him out before she nodded and left. After making the submission, Rai found himself busy with other patients. By the time he managed to have a minute to himself, Rai was close to just squatting on the floor to rest. Just as he was about to do just that, a nurse came up to him with the results.
Looking them over and noting the uncommon strain of bacteria, he advised for some antibiotics and some observation on the effects before thanking the nurse for their work. With that done, Rai took a moment to breath before heading off to continue his rounds. Only, he realized later, in his attempt to head back to Annie’s room, he had somehow gotten himself lost.
He looked around to see if there was anything familiar, but as he turned around, he ended up bumping into another intern who dropped the textbook they were reading. “Sorry!” Rai exclaimed before bending down to pick up the fallen book and held it out. The intern waved his apologies, giving his own apologies before introducing himself as Landry Olsen. When he was handing the book back, Rai saw a peek of the cover, “Oh hey! ‘Diagnostic Principles by Ethan Ramsey’, you a fan?” he asked. Landry grinned, “Yeah, I totally worship the guy. Shrine in my basement and everything” he said before immediately stating, “Kidding! I’m kidding. I never know it’s clear when I’m joking,” his words caused something to itch at the back of Rai’s head but he ignored it.
“Well, here’s hoping you give a better first impression than I did,” Rai offered and Landry gave a gasp of recognition. Apparently, the whole incident from the morning had already made his rounds. Landry was gushing on how lucky Rai was and how he wished he hadn’t been early to work, wishing he had the chance to meet Dr. Ramsey. Quite honestly, Rai had been trying to not cringe into a ball as he listened to Landry’s words. When the other trailed off and seemed to stare in shock at something, Rai followed his line of sight and saw the very man being talked about at the end of the hall.
“(Whelp, time to find the nearest window and yeet myself then)”
Despite internally screeching beyond belief, Rai’s face was completely neutral as he gazed at Ethan Ramsey at the other side of the hall. Taking a breath to calm his mind, Rai turned to Landry, “Hand me your book. If I do this right, I can get you an autograph and settle my impression with Dr. Ramsey” he said. Landry looked at him bewildered but still held out the book.
Before he could say anything else, Rai grabbed the book and marched towards Dr. Ramsey. As he neared, he could see that the doctor had stopped by an elderly patient’s room and her hollering could be heard from outside. Hearing Dr. Ramsey bantering with the patient as he urged her to take her meds, Rai had to bite his lip to stop himself from laughing. He then saw Dr. Ramsey head to a vending machine. Curiously though, after inserting a dollar bill, he didn’t select anything.
Rai swallowed as he approached the man and tentatively greeted, “Hi, Dr. Ramsey.” The man glanced at Rai before returning the greeting with, “...Rookie” and a short nod of acknowledgement. “Would you be open to autographing a book for a friend?” Rai blurted, mentally congratulating himself while simultaneously facepalming at the bold request. Dr. Ramsey raised a brow, “Autographs? Don’t you have work to be doing? Or at least other attendings to irritate?” he asked, clearly not amused.
Thumbing his bracelet for strength, Rai declared, “At the moment? Just you” mentally praying for mercy as he did. While Rai expected many things for Dr. Ramsey to say, he didn’t expect him to say, “I should have guessed. Well, if you have something else to say, then say it.”
Surprised for a moment, Rai ended up saying, “I wanted to apologize for this morning and say that I won’t let you down. Though, saying it out loud, it does seem rather dumb to promise but…” only to be cut off. “You’re right, it is dumb Rookie. You will let me down. What’s more, you’ll let yourself down. Over and over.” his words were calmly delivered, but they struck at Rai like a knife to the gut. Just as he was about to excuse himself, Dr. Ramsey turned to look directly at him. Frozen as their eyes met, Rai felt his breath catch as Dr. Ramsey continued, “But what matters is that you get back on your feet each and every time, and push yourself to be better.”
Rai couldn’t help but smile as he processed the words before noticing the doctor’s eyes kept flickering at the chocolate bar in the top corner of the vending machine. Deciding not to bring attention to it for now. “That sounds like something I’d have in my message keeper, though I’m sure you wouldn’t be interested in that. If you’re looking for something to cheer Barbara up, I know something that could help” he babbled.
Dr. Ramsey smirked in amusement, “I doubt it. Barbara’s even more stubborn than a mule. She refused to take her pills for two days. But be my guest. It’s a hopeless endeavor” he challenged.
Scanning the vending machine, Rai perked as he spotted a pack of Chuckle Gum and selected the item. When the gaudy, multicolored pack of gum popped onto the tray, Dr. Ramsey bewilderedly asked, “What in the hell is that?” Rai picked up the pack with a grin, “You never had Chuckles Gum? They write jokes in the wrapper. Since Barbara complained about being bored, I thought these would help. Go ahead and try it, you can tell me ‘I told you so’ if it doesn’t” he offered.
With a skeptical look, Dr. Ramsey heads back to Barbara’s room with the pack… and soon returns with a perplexed look. “That got her to take her pills. I can’t believe it” he stated in surprise before turning to Rai and asking, “How’d you know it would work?” clearly curious. Rai gave a shrug, “You’d be surprised how the simplest things, even corny jokes can work wonders, especially in this place” he stated, nodding towards the room as they heard Barbara bust out in guffawing. As Dr. Ramsey nodded in acknowledgement, Rai noticed that there was still fifty cents left over from the dollar.
Making his choice, Rai got the chocolate bar. Dr. Ramsey noticed this and asked, “And who is that for” only to be responded with Rai holding out the bar to him. “I noticed you kept looking at it earlier. You know, it’s okay to treat yourself sometimes” Rai told him and as Dr. Ramsey looked at the bar, “...I’ll keep that in mind” he stated. Upon hearing that, Rai grinned before turning to make his leave. Just as he mentally decided to ask for an autograph for Landry again next time, he heard Dr. Ramsey call out, “Wait.”
Rai turns in surprise and sees Dr. Ramsey motioning to the book. He seemed skeptical as he asked, “You said you wanted an autograph for a friend? Not yourself?” the unsaid ‘Why’ hanging in the air. Lifting his left arm, he showed a leather bracelet he wore with a wiggle of his wrist. It was about an inch or two wide with a Celtic knot design on the band and a square metal piece depicting a hawk.
“I have all the important autographs I need right here” Rai stated, chuckling as he saw Dr. Ramsey’s expression of confusion. Tucking the book under his arm, Rai fiddled with the bracelet and showed that the metal piece was in fact a small compartment that held a piece of folded up paper.
Gentle as can be, Rai pulled out the paper and unfolded it before presenting it to the man. On the paper was a cluster of words and signatures in a mesh of languages. With a warm smile, Rai explained, “It’s a family token, a little something to keep messages, reminders or a general memento really.” Dr. Ramsey carefully took the paper to examine it before taking out a pen and scrawling a message. “Another reminder to have then” Dr. Ramsey stated before handing the paper back. Rai tilted his head in confusion before scrambling to hold out the book in silent request.
Dr. Ramsey gave a huff before taking the book to sign. While he did that, Rai peered at the message he had left. Seeing the words, “Don’t let me down” along with Dr. Ramsey’s signature felt like a shock to the system. Rai didn’t know why, but when he tucked away the paper into the bracelet once more, it felt as if the words were burning through the bracelet into his wrist, spreading a tingling warmth throughout his arm. Shaking his head to distract himself from the feeling, Rai nearly missed catching the book tossed to him and was surprised to hear, “Now get back to work Hayashi.” Blinking at Dr. Ramsey, Rai blurted, “You remember my name?” and Dr. Ramsey paused, “...Just paying attention” he stated before making his leave.
When he headed back to Landry and handed back the book, the other male looked shocked beyond belief. “You’re still alive!” he exclaimed before examining his book, “...And I can’t believe it! You got my copy signed! Thank you!” He then squeezed Rai in an awkward hug before releasing him. Rai waved off his thanks before he felt his pager beeping and headed off. He soon managed to head back to Annie to check on her progress. However, things went off rails as Annie suddenly seized and the machines went wild. Rai immediately cried a Code Blue as he performed C.P.R. while frantically waiting for the code team to arrive.
Out of nowhere, he heard his name being called and saw Jackie peering into the room. “Jackie! Where’s the code team?” Rai asked and felt his heart sink when Jackie informed him they were called to another room. He shook his head at that, “That’ll be too late! Help me Jackie, I’m losing her and I don’t know what’s wrong!” With Jackie’s help and explaining the patient’s situation, the two quickly found that an allergy to the antibiotics was the culprit and managed to stabilize the patient.
Just as they were settling the patient, a voice growled, “What in the hell is going on in here Rookie?” and Rai looked up to see Dr. Ramsey glaring at the doorway.
Bowing his head in apology, he explained that Annie was found allergic to the antibiotics he had prescribed. Dr. Ramsey seemed to relax at that and even advised that he be cautious as patients didn’t always know their own allergies. Rai mentally berated himself as Jackie finished stabilizing the patient and only distantly heard Dr. Ramsey commend Jackie while simultaneously showing his doubt in Rai’s abilities. Somehow, his words caused Rai’s bracelet to feel tight against his wrist as he avoided eye contact with either of them and joined in commending Jackie.
The moment she made her exit without a backwards glance, Dr. Ramsey rounded on Rai. With fire in his eyes he growled, “And you… you need to have a long, hard think about whether or not you are ready to be here” warning in his tone, he continued, “It doesn’t matter that it is your first day, or that you’re still learning. Whether this girl lives or dies is on you.” Rai murmured his acknowledgement as he tried to ignore the strange tightening of his bracelet. Just as Dr. Ramsey was raring into his lecture, he was interrupted.
It was a female intern with tanned skin and brunette hair styled into a braid. Apparently a Dr. Toussaint wanted to see Dr. Ramsey urgently. After pinching the bridge of his nose and mumbling about interns under his breath, he left, but not before ordering Rai to have solved the case the next time he saw him.
The moment he left, Rai felt all tension leave him, and with a sigh, stepped out to meet the intern. “Thanks for bailing me there” he told the petite intern and she responded, “No problem! I could hear you being chewed out from down the hall and figured you might need a save.”
Rai grinned and held out his hand, “Rai Hayashi, pleasure to meet you, it was sweet but risky of you to do that” he told her. The intern gave a cheeky grin in reply and shook his hand, “It was worth it. I’m Sienna, or Dr. Trinh. Whatever floats your boat. Besides, us interns gotta stick together right?” she enthused that while the program was tough, it would help to have each other’s back. Enthusiastically agreeing to the sentiment, Rai gave her a side hug and said, “It’s great to meet a friendly face here, I thought the entire place was swarmed with sharks” giving a mock shudder.
“Ugh, sharks are the worst” Sienna agreed, “What’s a fish that kicks butt in a team? Dolphins?” she mused. Rai chuckled and informed her that dolphins were mammals but she waved it off and declared that they would be dolphins together. After agreeing to the sentiment, Rai finds himself invited to a night at a bar the interns hung out at after shift and accepted the invitation with a promise to meet at the atrium should he survive his shift.
Looking back at Annie once more and silently promising to find out what was wrong, Rai then headed off to tend to other patients. However, as his shift dragged on, Annie’s face kept popping in his head along with Dr. Ramsey's words. Combined with the fact that he kept getting lunch plus didn’t really eat much at lunch, Rai was feeling more than a little overwhelmed. Not wanting to fall apart in public, Rai quickly ducked into a supply closet. He then sat cross legged on the floor of the room and began to take deep breaths.
Just as he was on the verge of meditating, he hears the door open and starts. Before he could stand up, he hears a familiar voice say, “I feel like I’m interrupting something” and looks up to see Bryce. ‘’...Just me trying to get a hold of myself” Rai admitted then stood up as Bryce closed the door. Rai soon realized that the breathing only helped a little and he was still trembling. Cursing under his breath, he squeezed his hands together to try and calm himself.
Suddenly, he feels a hand on his shoulder and looks up to see Bryce gazing at him in worry. Trying to lighten the mood, Rai weakly joked, “Funny huh? A doctor trying to treat himself from turning into a ball of feels.” It clearly didn’t work as he could hear the wobble in his voice and he felt both of his shoulders being held as Bryce firmly told him, “Hey, hey, there ain’t nothing wrong with needing to take a breather. You’re not the first stressed out doctor I found in a supply closet today.”
Rai gave a weak laugh at that, “How are you so calm? It’s only been a few hours and I’m already overwhelmed and grappling on what to do about it” he confessed. Bryce gave a hum at that, “Well, it helps that I have amazing self-assurance” he gave a mock flip of his hair, “Which you can have as an option, or… ride it out” he offered. Rai went silent at that before taking a deep breath, holding it, then slowly letting it out. “Right, it’s only the first day and we all know this isn’t the easiest job to be in, I just… gotta be easier on myself” Rai hyped himself and slowly smiled as he saw Bryce nodding in encouragement.
Bryce patted his shoulders and asked, “Feeling better?” When Rai nodded he grinned, “Good. Because I’d hate to lose you so quick.” Processing the flirt, Rai gave a snort before playfully shoving at him, “Nice try” he teased before murmuring his thanks and heading out the door.
Later, Rai had just gotten another blood sample to run more tests for Annie and was sending messages to Aurora for updates. All the while his mind kept running through different possibilities and solutions. The moment he entered another hallway and paused, he realized he had gotten lost again and groaned. As if to further mock him, his mind briefly produced the Scooby-doo chase soundtrack before he shook it off. He looked around and spotted an intern in a wheelchair heading towards him.
Recognizing him from orientation, Rai smiled and gave a wave. The intern smiles back and greets, “Hey! It’s Hurricane M.D.! You know, cause you basically blasted past everyone” making Rai laugh. “Yeah, well, I don’t think Dr. Emery wanted any more attention than necessary. You can call me Rai” he relayed, holding out a hand for a shake. The intern accepted it with a grin, “I’m Elija Greene. Nice to officially meet you,” he nodded to the sample Rai was holding, “You know where you’re heading with that sample?” he asked and Rai slumped.
He scratched his head and asked, “You wouldn’t happen to have a map of the place do you? I’m completely lost” shrugging helplessly as he did. Elijah seemed relieved to hear that as he also admitted, “Sorry man, I thought I was the only one”
The two joked and bonded over being lost and being dropped into the unexpected when they met an old woman who offered to help them. After accepting her help, Rai came to learn that her name was Mrs. Martinez and that she was a long term patient of the hospital who knew everyone. Rai found her rather witty and if what she did with her gown indicated anything, had a mischievous streak.
When he went over her advice in his mind though, it felt as if a lightbulb clicked in his head. Practically slamming the button for his floor and bidding a quick goodbye to Elijah, Rai rushed his way to Annie’s. On the way, he sent a quick message to Aurora and made a request for Dr. Ramsey to be at Annie’s room. Once in Annie’s room, he decided to chat with her while waiting for Dr. Ramsey and checked on his messages. It looked like Aurora hadn’t seen the message yet and had something going on.
Rai had just tucked away his phone when Dr. Ramsey made his entrance. Knowing he could no longer wait for Aurora, presented his findings to the attending. After reassuring Annie with her treatment, Rai stepped out with Dr. Ramsey to discuss the prescriptions. The moment he revealed that he had already printed out the prescription on the case Rai failed, Rai felt his mind immediately war between rationality and cold fury. Folding an arm behind his back to dig his nails into his palm, Rai mentally grit his teeth and took a breath.
Unknowingly, Rai’s eyes took on a hard edge as he formally stated, “I thank you for the learning experience Dr. Ramsey, but I have no need for opportunities over the need to see my patient better” digging his nails harder in order not to glare, he continued, “If you have a solution next time, I would be open to you sending it in first and confirming my findings, please.”
For a moment, a flash of surprise crossed Dr. Ramsey’s eyes and he was silent. Then, he nodded, “Understood” he acknowledged, “But know this, you showed potential. Not to mention, maybe the most important trait a doctor can have.” Rai blinked and tilted his head in clear inquiry. Dr. Ramsey elaborated, “You listened. You took the time to get to know your patient. Their story, their hopes, their fears… Sometimes, those are the keys to saving one’s life.” and Rai felt all tension leave at that. Hearing those words, Rai could feel his wrist turn warm.
The moment he unclenched his hand behind his back, he saw Aurora rush in, clearly having run from somewhere. Quickly stepping in front of her he cried, “Dr. Emery! I hope you’re alright. I’m sure you were discussing an important case and must have missed my messages” he gave an amicable grin, “I’ll make sure to send a copy of all my findings and hope we can review them together next time. I’m sure you got plenty on your plate so I’ll go ahead and submit this prescription to be processed, good evening Dr. Ramsey” he nodded to the man before making his leave. All the while his mind chanted in a sing song tone, “(Deflect, deflect, deflect! Deflect like you life depends on it~)
“Man, I need a drink” he muttered as he walked through the halls and prayed he didn’t get lost.
Rai gave a grin as he arrived at the hospital and grinned as it did in fact take minutes in travel time. Scurrying inside, he found a nurse and managed to learn where to find the lost and found box. He thanked them with a grin before heading to the reception desk and soon enough, he managed to dig out his I.D. with a triumphant sound. Just as he tucked his I.D. into his pocket, he heard shouting from the corridor and heading for the waiting area.
He was quick to duck behind the desk but still managed to see who was shouting. They were none other than Dr. Ramsey and Dr. Barneji. The former looked agitated while the latter looked firm but also… resigned? Careful not to be seen, Rai listened in. “You can’t do this, Naveen! I won’t let you!” he heard Dr. Ramsey shout. Rai gave a quick prayer to not be spotted before peeking out. He sees Dr. Ramsey pacing angrily while Dr. Barneji watches him calmly and Rai can’t help but bite his lip in worry.
Then, Dr. Barneji speaks, “It must be done, Ethan. Not everything is in your control” it was as if he was hammering a final fact, “It’s time that you learned that.” Dr. Ramsey seemed to growl at that, “You are not my teacher anymore” he grit out. Dr. Banerji only seemed amused at this as he responded, “I am always your teacher” looking rather happy at that statement. Suddenly, Ethan punched the wall, exclaiming, “Damnit Naveen!” and Rai could feel his heart clench as he sensed the genuine upset from the man.
The agitated doctor then storms back into the corridor. Dr. Barnerji sighs as he does before walking the other way. For a moment, Rai remained silent behind the desk before standing and staring after where Dr. Ramsey stormed off. “Don’t be an idiot… don’t be an idiot… DON’T BE… argghhh” Rai muttered to himself before running after the man before he could overthink. Lucky for him, Dr. Ramsey hadn’t gone that far and Rai found himself calling out to the man.
Dr. Ramsey turned and raised his brow at the sight of Rai, “Rookie, what brings you here at this time?” he greeted with clear skepticism. A jolt of panic went through Rai, ‘Shit! I didn’t plan on what to say’ he screeched in his mind before doing the first thing that came to it. That something happened to be him bowing in apology and stating, “I’m sorry! I was here to get something I left behind and happened to hear your argument with Dr. Banerji” he clenched his shaking hands into fists and kept his eyes to the floor, “I know it’s none of my business but I just wanted to say that… that I hope whatever it is, you don’t have to carry everything yourself.”
Before Dr. Ramsey could respond, Rai suddenly stood up and pulled something from his pocket. In a quick flash he grabbed Dr. Ramsey’s hand and placed something on his palm. Pulling back, it was revealed to be a bag of sweets. They looked like a rainbow of pastel marbles all stored in a clear pouch. Rai continued to avoid eye contact, “They’re basically healthy candy, uh… I usually have them at hand cause they help me with stuff like feeling restless, they can go with tea or coffee if you’d like” he babbled, “anywaythatwasallIfollowedyouforsogoodnight!” before sprinting away and towards the exit.
He had sprinted as far as the bus stop before pausing to take a breath. Chaos sounded throughout his mind as he caught his breath. By the time he reached home and flopped onto his bed, he could only pray that he still had his job by the next day. Luckily enough, he did not receive any missives and made sure to place as little attention on himself as possible. How he managed it, he didn’t know.
Still, it was kind of fun to basically sneak around between rounds. He managed to sneak some treats and little notes to some nurses and doctors upon seeing how exhausted some could be. After a day of paranoia, Rai was happy to get a good rest in a comfortable bed and was happy to be greeted with a lovely view from the window. It also helped that Sienna was nice enough to make breakfast. He briefly helped Landry with his crossword before digging into breakfast.
When Sienna talks about her boyfriend and how he keeps cancelling, Rai frowned, “You deserve better than that Sunshine, you have a more than demanding job” he pointed out. Sienna gave a feeble reply to that before poking at her breakfast as Jackie walked in. There was a brief talk on how peaceful the apartment was before Elijah announced that they were ready for a housewarming party. Everyone gave their own comments before Rai piped in “That sounds fun! Better be careful we don’t make it too big unless we want to get in trouble with other people in the building”
Elijah then revealed that it was going to be the first party he’d ever host. Apparently he never even lived outside of Boston until now. Not due to his parents being overbearing but rather them being highly caring parents.
“...But I’m out in the world now!”
“And ready to party!”
“Hell yes I am!”
Rai and Elijah shared a fist bump over that before Jackie asked if they were ready as she wanted to confirm the rumors she heard. The moment he confirmed that the rumors were about Dr. Banerji leaving without notice and how Dr. Ramsey may be in charge now, he held back a flinch. His mind went back to the other night and he felt a familiar itching in his mind before forcefully shoving it down. After making a quick trip to his room to grab something, Rai and the group soon headed out to start their shifts.
At one point, he was on the fifth floor heading to check on his patient when he suddenly felt something off with his shoe. He had moved to a nearby wall to lean on it, not paying much mind to the voices he could somewhat hear. Paying them no mind, he wiggled his foot to check if anything had slipped inside. Nothing rolled around so he wiggled his toes and gave an irritated huff when he felt what he now figured was a chipped nail. Digging through his pocket, he searched for a band aid he usually kept for small instances like this.
As he did, he heard something fall out and went to pick it up. Just as he did, he happened to look into a room, caught Dr. Emery kiss Dr. Ramsey’s cheek and felt an uncomfortable feeling in his chest at the sight of it. Quickly tearing his eyes away and tucking the fallen item away he rushed to the nearest restroom before he could be seen and quickly applied the band aid. He had just walked around a corner when he hears a familiar voice call out, “Hey there, doc!”
Rai turns to see Kyra being wheeled by Bryce down the hall on a bed. He moved over to them with a smile, “Kyra! I haven't seen you since the surgical interns stole you away” he greeted. “You say ‘stole’, I say ‘rightly took a surgical case’” Bryce retorted. Kyra looked delighted at the exchange joking that she may have gotten the experience of ‘dying and gone to heaven’ over them. In retaliation, Rai booped her nose before asking if she was heading for surgery. Bryce confirmed that she was heading for a lobectomy with him assisting. Hearing that, Rai took Kyra’s hand and smiled in encouragement, “You’re gonna be amazing” he rooted.
“I’m not gonna be doing much but lie down unconscious, but… thanks” she told him and squeezed his hand. She then shook her head and joked that at least she saw a handsome face before she might perish. That earned her another boop and a light reprimand from Bryce. Just as they were about to head for the O.R. Rai pulled Bryce to the side.
With his hands on the other’s male’s shoulders, Rai told him, “Please take care of her.” Bryce, in response, patted in response with a carefree grin, “She couldn’t be in better hands. Seriously, my hands are incredible” he even wiggled his fingers as he said this. The moment Rai lowered his hands and stared at him with puppy dog eyes, Bryce gave a huff and ruffled the other’s hair. “I’m only assisting, but Dr. Zimmerman is an amazing surgeon” he reassured, “Kyra will be golden. We’ll bring her back safe.”
Rai smiles in gratitude before swatting at Bryce’s hand when the surgical intern pinched his cheek. Bryce gave a laugh before heading back to Kyra and wheeling her off to surgery. Kyra and Rai share a wave goodbye before Rai moves to continue his shift. Just as he did, he hears Dr. Zaid bark, “Hayashi! What are you standing around for? Get down to E.R. and see if they need any patients admitted!” and quickly went to do so.
Once he arrived, he saw an annoyed Aurora being swarmed as usual by pandering senior doctors. The moment she stepped up to him, he held out a small snack and said, “You look like you might need this, they’re lavender biscuits, pretty good for stress.” Aurora looked at him in skepticism before tentatively taking the snack with a mumbled thanks. “Do you… just carry snacks like some weird squirrel?” she asked and Rai simply grinned and shrugged in response.
Then he looked around and grinned wider as he saw that the beds were mostly empty, “Cool! It's empty” he declared. Aurora seemed incredulous at his enthusiasm, “What are you even talking about? There are no good cases.” Rai gave another shrug, “Less people mean more healthy people, so it’s all good in the end” he stated. Rocking on his heels he turned to Aurora, “And hey, it’s nice to have a breather once in a while right?” he said with a cheeky grin. A complicated expression crossed across her face before Aurora muttered that not everyone had that luxury.
Rai opened his mouth to ask about that only to be interrupted by the wail of approaching alarms. The duo share a split-second look before rushing outside to the arriving ambulance. The ambulance doors burst open and paramedics rush out to help nurses unload an unconscious pregnant woman in an oxygen mask. A paramedic relays that the woman is named Dolores Hudson and was caught in an office fire. Due to being pregnant, she was not able to move fast enough.
Nodding in acknowledgement of the information, Rai quickly asks if she suffered any burns and if she was unconscious long. Once he got his answers, he hears Aurora ask about the patient’s vitals and hummed at the information given before startling at learning that the paramedic was the one to get her out. Apparently the paramedics were the first to arrive and the male paramedic had broken in to carry the woman out once he heard her scream. A male nurse then speaks up, stating that they would admit the patient and asking who would take the case.
Rai immediately raised his hand, “I’ll take it!” he said before turning to Aurora, “Being number one intern, you must be getting all the hard cases from the big wigs, you go on ahead, take care, remember to hydrate!” Aurora stared at him with an unreadable expression before nodding and taking her leave. As the nurses wheeled the patient to the elevator, Rai decided to stay a few more minutes to get to know the paramedic. He was a tall male, and more than built with brown skin and swept back hair.
“So… is jumping into fires a new part of the paramedic job description?” Rai asked. The paramedic gave a laugh at that, “Ha! No, I just thought it was the right thing to do, don’t you?” Rai gave a hum at that. He rocked on his heels, “Well… if there was no one else who could help, sure, but I think I’ll leave the action hero stuff to the professionals” he joked and the paramedic grinned. “Most of it is just instinct really. You’re a doctor, I’m sure you wouldn't hesitate” the male encouraged before asking Rai if he was new.
Rai introduced himself before learning the paramedic’s name was Rafael Aveiro. The two exchanged a few more pleasantries before Rafael was pulled away by a call. While heading to meet Dolores in her room, Rai happened upon Mrs. Martinez doing her daily laps with Dr. Ramsey of all people walking next to her with his arm as her support. It seemed like he was regaling her a tale from when he was young.
Apparently he was a loveable scoundrel; something that had Rai’s mind conjure the image of a younger Dr. Ramsey giving a cheeky grin. Suffice to say, the image had him fighting both a chuckle and a flush. Still, it was endearing to see that even the stern man like Dr. Ramsey had a caring spot for Mrs. Martinez. The warmth Dr. Ramsey had promptly vanished as Mrs. Martinez released him and he spotted Rai.
Recalling that he had basically been avoiding the man for the past day or so outside of presentations, Rai awkwardly greeted, “G-good evening… Dr. Ramsey.” The attending nodded, “Rookie” he greeted back. “You uh… you looked like you were having fun” Rai offered awkwardly, inwardly cursing how off footed he felt around the main today. Dr. Ramsey curtly responded, “I care for the wellbeing of the people who’ve entrusted their care to me, that is all, Rookie. That’s all”
Finding he had nothing he could say to that, Rai tried to excuse himself by saying he need to check on his patient. The moment he said Dolores’ name though, Dr. Ramsey had gone alert and repeated her name, seeming to ask for confirmation he heard right. When Rai nodded, the attending declared that he would be coming with. Rai could only meekly nod before leading the man to the patient’s room. Dolores was conscious and had her breathing mask replaced with a breathing tube to Rai’s relief.
Before Rai could even fully introduce himself, Dolores exclaimed at the sight of Dr. Ramsey and the man in turn seemed to be familiar with the woman. Subtly peering at her, Rai could see no family resemblance and their general air held no familial aspect to it; so he could only conclude that the two were old friends. The idea was further cemented when he heard Dr. Ramsey tell the patient that he would be calling her sister.
Just as Dolores joked on how handsome the paramedic who saved her was, Rai cleared his throat to get their attention. “Sorry to interrupt, but I need to listen to Dolores’ chest” he stated and moved to set up as Dr. Ramsey nodded. He heard Dr. Ramsey introduce him and was surprised to learn that Dolores was actually Dr. Ramsey’s first patient as an intern.
As usual, his mouth betrayed him as he blurted out, “He must have had people swooning over him even back then huh Dolores?” before mentally burying himself with the sign holding the caption of ‘IDIOT’ as his grave. Dr. Ramsey seemed more surprised than mad at the statement and Dolores even giggled. She stated how Dr. Ramsey was cute back then but thought he aged like fine wine. Dr. Ramsey was swift to cut the conversation as he firmly requested Rai to continue the examination.
While checking on her breathing, Rai politely asked what brought her to the hospital back then. Apparently, it had been a burst appendix and Dr. Ramsey had helped calm her down. He even kept in contact with her over the years. Rai gave a smile at that, “I keep in touch why my first patient too!” he chirped before shyly looking over to Dr. Ramsey, “I know you care a lot for your patients doctor but… what made you decide to keep contact back then?” his curiosity drowning out
To his surprise, Dr. Ramsey actually answered; “I was young. On hard days, knowing they were out there living their life to the fullest… it kept me going.” Hearing that, Rai could feel his heart warm before quickly shaking off and informing Dr. Ramsey that Dolores would need a chest X-Ray. Seeing Dr. Ramsey looking over Dolores’ chart with a frown, Rai had a bad feeling and moved to the attending’s side. In a low voice he asked what was wrong and gave a small frown of his own when hearing Dr. Ramsey’s findings.
Then, Dolores spoke up, asking for her purse and Rai handed it to her. She seemed to be looking for something and was upset not to find it, exclaiming how she must have dropped it outside the office. Dolores explained that she had seen a stuffed frog during her lunch break and had bought it for her “little tadpole.” Stroking her belly she revealed that both her parents were gone and the father was out of the picture, how she wanted things perfect for her baby under those circumstances.
Rai was quick to comfort her and when she lamented how she wished she didn’t lose the frog, Rai found his mouth betraying him as usual. He had ended up volunteering himself and Dr. Ramsey to retrieve the lost item. All the while, his mind went into a frenzy of mocking cartoon sounds and self whacking. Still, Dolores seemed delighted at the prospect of Dr. Ramsey helping find the lost item. Dr. Ramsey, while initially surprised, agreed nonetheless before stating they would need a urine sample before meeting in the lot after 10 minutes. Dolores was quick to make a joke on that before they all set to work.
It didn’t take long for the two to head get the sample and submit it before they got into Ethan’s car and headed for Dolores’ office. As they slipped inside, Rai quickly popped a chamomile tea flavored candy in his mouth before his nervous habit could kick in. “You know, it’s a miracle that you haven’t gotten any cavities with the amount of sweets you’ve snuck around like a chipmunk” Dr. Ramsey commented.
Rai flushed at that, quickly shifting the candy in his mouth to speak, “Oh, all the candies and snacks I have are from my grandma and she’s adamant in making stuff that won’t rot your teeth while giving health benefits, plus it uh...helps with my ticks” he babbled. Dr. Ramsey seemed to raise a brow at that and asked, “And what ticks would those be Rookie?” Avoiding looking at Dr. Ramsey he mumbled, “Grinding my teeth and biting my nails” ears red with embarrassment.
A beat of silence passed before Dr. Ramsey asked, “Did you think those sweets would help me somehow?” startling Rai. Mentally, he was coughing blood at the reminder of his action while outwardly he stammered, “N-not r-really, I… I just... “ before sighing and leaning back, “As childish as it may seem, I gave you those candy cause I wanted to share the comfort they gave me. I’m sure you must think me childish for doing that plus volunteering ourselves to look for a plush frog of all things”
“There’s nothing wrong with wanting to bring comfort to a patient Rookie” Dr. Ramsey sternly told him before softening slightly, “While unexpected, the sentiment was… appreciated” he stated before coughing awkwardly. Rai couldn’t stop the blush and smile that came in response to that. Debating for a moment in his mind, he tentatively asked, “That night you and Dr. Banerji argued… it was over his sudden retirement plan wasn’t it? Do… do you not want to be head of the diagnostics team?” glancing at the man as he drove.
Tapping the steering wheel, Dr. Ramsey responded, “What I want, is to confront the impossible mysteries of the human body, and understand.” Rai blinked at that, “Ambitious… but that didn’t answer my question…” he threw back. Dr. Ramsey seemed to concede at that, “The team gives me the opportunity to face the questions no one has answered, so in a respect, the answer is, I do” he responded. Rai observed the passing landscape outside the window, murmuring, “Compared to your goals, mine seem rather selfish”
Dr. Ramsey seemed to have heard that statement and opened his mouth to ask but they had arrived at their destination. The moment they stepped out, Rai coughed at the cloying smell of the smoke and burning building. He couldn’t help but have a sinking feeling as he saw the burning building and the fire engine fighting the flames. It looked like Dr. Ramsey shared his sentiment but Rai decided to firmly hold onto a semblance of hope. The two searched around the street and just as the search seemed pointless, Dr. Ramsey spotted the plush frog in the storm drain.
The duo moved over to it, “You’re going to have to lower me down” Rai told the man and Dr. Ramsey nodded. With a tight grip onto Rai’s arm, Dr. Ramsey lowered him and after a bit of effort, they managed to rescue the plush item. After agreeing to have it sanitized before returning it, the two drove back to the hospital. Later when everything was settled, Rai heard a nurse call him over with Dolores’ results. He felt his stomach sink as he read them over and go to find Dr. Ramsey.
The dread sunk further as he saw Dr. Ramsey in Dolores’ room, laughing of all things as he watched TV with the patient. He stared at the plush frog, now sterilized, resting on Dolores’ stomach before knocking lightly. Dr. Ramsey looks up at the sound and goes out to meet him. As he handed the man the results and saw his expression upon reading them, Rai murmured on the seriousness of Dolores’ condition and the danger the baby was in. A grim expression on his face, Dr. Ramsey agreed and stated that Dolores need to be told and led them inside.
Suffice to say, even with Rai trying to break the news gently, Dolores didn’t take to the news of her preeclampsia well. Though they tried, Dolores was adamant that if the chances of her baby being in danger was high, she would not take the surgery. In the end, Dr. Ramsey gave her the night to make a decision before the two left the room. Rai offered to check on Dolores for the next few hours but Dr. Ramsey had denied the offer, stating that he would be taking over the case and that Rai was not ready and leaving before the intern could respond.
A soft static seemed to settle in his head and it only turned larger when Rai looked to see Dolores in tears, He could hear his heart thumping as unbidden flashbacks came to mind and he quickly rushed downstairs, Trying to control his breathing, he didn’t notice anything and ended up starting as he felt a hand land on his shoulder. He spun around and saw Bryce looking at him in worry, “Hey. Tough day?” the surgical intern asked and Rai softly nodded.
“You look like you need some good news, c’mon” Bryce stated before leading the other male to a patient’s room. Once Rai saw Kyra peacefully resting inside, he gave a soft smile. The rumbling static in his mind settled somewhat as he murmured, “Her surgery went well then” nodding to Bryce. Bryce grinned and confirmed it, cheerily stating how his placing of the clamps made all the difference and joked how good he was at taking people’s breath away.
Rai bumped his shoulder against Bryce’s in silent thanks before sighing as Bryce asked when his shift ended. He briefly explained that he was meant to clock out hours ago but had wanted to stay with Dolores before Dr. Ramsey dismissed him. When Bryce invited the diagnostic intern to a concert, Rai took a moment to consider it before accepting the offer. After a quick change into a dark green shirt that had a design of being splashed with ink and faded jeans with white converse shoes and a studded belt, Rai set out with Bryce.
The duo soon arrived at the venue Sommerville, which was packed. Bryce managed to get them a spot with a good view of the stage and Rai sighed in relief as they sat. Leaning in close so he could be heard above the music, Rai asked how Bryce heard about the band and apparently, he had found them online and wanted to check them out. Rai snorted, “Shoulda known you would be the type of guy to try anything once” he teased, poking the other male in the cheek.
Gently batting Rai’s hand away, Bryce tilted his head and asked, “You know. You got me curious; who do I remind you of Hayashi?” Rai raised a brow at that before smirking and rested his cheek against his hand, “Oh? What makes you ask that?” he quipped. “Well now, we both know I’m quite the hot commodity in the market” Bryce gave a shrug, “Something tells me that me being a flirt isn’t the only reason we haven’t made out until now” he frankly stated, making Rai snort once more.
He gave a hum before responding, “My cousin” and Bryce raised his own in silent question. “You’re like the non-white, non-gay slash homosexual version of my cousin Rolland, we call him Ro” he started, “Both of you are clear thrill seekers, looking for adventure whenever you can, flirts with their gender of interest incessantly, and give zero effs for anyone’s opinion of them, only difference is that he has zero patience for social niceties and has more interest in tech than people” smirking as he elaborated.
Bryce gave a guffaw at that, “Sounds like a fun guy” he commented before glancing at the bar, “Alright then, you wanna continue this with some drinks or hit the dance floor?” There was no considering on that question as Rai firmly opted for drinks and the two took a seat by the bar. The moment they got their drinks, Rai took a deep sip before placing down the glass, “So, got more questions for me or do I get a chance to dig?” he joked. The surgical intern smirked at him over the rim of his glass, “Wellll, you did say that story of you not choosing to be a surgeon was a story for another time and this IS another time…” he led on.
The playful mood seemed to shift with that as Rai gave a soft sigh, playing with his glass, “Short version? I considered it at one point but I found that being a diagnostician matched my goals better and I just like helping people better face to face” he stated, an unreadable expression on his face. Bryce seemed to soften at that before raising his glass, “Well then, cheers to you becoming the best damn diagnostician there is then.”
Rai gave a small smile at that and clinked their glasses together. Over the next few hours, the two chatted and drank with Rai learning more about Bryce. They soon had their fill of drinks and had stepped out when Rai felt his pager go off. His heart sank as he read that Dolores had been rushed to surgery and after quickly telling Bryce what happened, he ran off. Once back at the hospital, he spotted Dr. Ramsey sitting alone in the waiting room. Carefully moving closer, he gently asked Dr. Ramsey what had happened.
For a long moment, Dr. Ramsey was silent. Rai reached out his hand out to the man before hesitating and jumping lightly as he spoke. He explained that Dolores had gone into a seizure and they had to deliver the baby. What’s more, it was a fifty-fifty chance that the baby would survive. Afraid but needing to know, Rai asked about Dolores. The moment Dr. Ramsey stated that she had died, Rai could only hear ringing in his ears as he furiously blinked back tears. “Dr. Ramsey I…” he croaked out, trying and failing to say more.
But Dr. Ramsey didn’t give a chance to gather himself or say anything else before stating that he was fine and vanished around a corner. Rai gave a frustrated ruffle of his hair, cursing softly before heading towards the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Entering the room, he looked around, checking the few tags of occupied incubators before his heart clenched upon finding one that said ‘Ethan Hudson’.
The sight of the tiny infant had Rai’s chest tightening up before an attending approached him, asking him if he needed anything. He briefly explained that the baby’s mother was his patient and had learned Dolores managed to name him before being rushed to the O.R. Rai then asked for permission to stay the night to watch over him and give the plush before thanking the attending as she agreed then left.
Gently giving the plush frog to the baby and murmuring his encouragements; Rai took his seat on the couch and reached in with a gloved hand to stroke the baby’s tiny fingers. As he stared at the tiny baby, Rai gave a shuddering breath as old memories from a time he thought he was over with seemed to flood his mind. So focused was he on tying to not have them overwhelm him, he barely heard Dr. Ramsey entering the room and asking what he was still doing in the hospital.
Rai turned to answer only to pause as Dr. Ramsey’s expression turned to one of shock. “Rookie… you’re… crying” he commented, moving closer, reaching up a hand as if to wipe the younger male’s tears only to hesitate. Reaching up his own hand to touch his cheek, Rai started to feel that he was indeed crying.
He quickly turned his head away, “Oh… haha… must… must have gotten a little too emotional…” he weakly stated, trying to swipe the tears way only to scrub harder when they won’t stop, “Damnit… stop already…” he hissed. Then, as if something in him cracked, he croaked, “It’s fucking unfair… no other kid should lose someone, not this young” the heels of his hands now pressed against his eyes as he futilely tried to stop crying.
Suddenly, he felt a pair of hands grab at his and gently pulled them away from his eyes. He blinked as he saw that it was Dr. Ramsey, seated next to him as the attending awkwardly stated, “You’ll hurt your eyes doing that” clearly unsure on how to deal with the crying male. Obviously trying to shift things, Dr. Ramsey cleared his throat and gently released the other’s hands, “You said, ‘another’, Rookie… you lost someone when you were young as well didn’t you” his words more of a statement than a question.
With his tears slowing following Dr. Ramsey’s grip of his hands, Rai sighed as he leaned back against the couch and closed his eyes. For a moment, he was silent, then, “My mother, my biological mother that is, I lost her when I was ten or so” he revealed. Keeping his eyes closed, Rai found himself sinking into long buried memories.
“It was summer, I was learning to help my mom out at her store when she suddenly got sick” he started, “We thought it was a fever at first; but weeks passed and she only got worse and she ended up hospitalized” his hands began turning into fists only to relax as he felt a hand land on his shoulder in silent encouragement.
Taking a breath he continued, “None of the doctors could figure out what was wrong with her” then, he hissed, “She spent MONTHS in their care and not even experts they brought in could help. Seeing her in that hospital bed, day in and day out, looking weaker each time… I was fucking helpless” giving a humorless laugh when Dr. Ramsey that he was a child at that time.
“I was a stubborn kid; snuck around, tried to sponge up all I could as she went through all those tests with no conclusive results” bitterness tinged as he recalled his mother’s passing. Playing with the band of his bracelet he relayed, “I didn’t want to feel as helpless as I did that time, I HATED seeing the suffering both my parents went through. I resolved to enter into medicine so I would never feel that way again” he looked at Dr. Ramsey with a humorless smile, “Selfish isn’t it? Here’s this baby fighting for his life and I’m here trying not to bawl over some old memories”
In response to that, Dr. Ramsey took hold of Rai’s shoulders and forced the intern to look at him. With their eyes locked onto the other Dr. Ramsey firmly told him, “No Rookie. What you were doing, was mourning the thought of a child losing a loved one and that is far from selfish.” Rai opened his mouth to protest but Dr. Ramsey cut him off. He stated that unlike other doctors, he had no patience for many things. All energy was mainly placed into his patients and teaching practical medicine.
He lowered his grip but their eyes remained locked, “From what I see Rookie, you care, far deeper than I’ve seen other doctors do, and that shows you’re already on your way to finding your own way of being a doctor” he told him. Processing his words, Rai could only nod before they turned their attention to the baby once more. When the little one stretched and his tiny hands opened and closed, Dr. Ramsey offered his finger and the baby gripped it tight.
Rai softly informed the man that the baby had been named after him and saw the doctor’s eyes widen in surprise. When he saw the man swallow as he saw the tag, Rai ventured that Dolores must have been a good friend. Dr. Ramsey revealed that the two had been friends for over ten years. What initially started out as sending each other emails, shifted to coffee meetings as Dolores was feeling lonely following her divorce before turning into meeting once a month for Sunday roast.
The diagnostic intern was not surprised to learn that Dr. Ramsey didn’t make friends easily and how grateful the man was to Dolores. Seeing how somber the man was as he stared at the baby, Rai could only take hold of his hand and grip it. He did not expect Dr. Ramsey to respond but was pleasantly surprised to feel the doctor squeeze back. Somehow, the grip to each others hands felt like a silent comfort being passed to one another. As if snapping awake from something, Dr. Ramsey released his hand and cleared his throat.
“I think we need coffee” he stated before standing to move. Rai quickly offered to get some himself but Dr. Ramsey waved him off. Minutes passed as Rai carefully watched over the baby before Dr. Ramsey returned with two mugs. Once Rai got a whiff of the coffee, he narrowed his eyes at the man. Taking a sip confirmed his suspicions, "You sly fox, you've got a coffee machine hidden in your office don't you?" he accused.
Dr. Ramsey gave a smirk in response before sipping his coffee. He apparently vowed to himself that that moment he got his own office he would never drink ‘that caffeinated dishwater ever again.’ That made Rai laugh before he making a zipping motion over his lips, “Don’t worry, we can keep this between us” he promised. The two then settled on the loveseat and with eyes on the baby, they ended up talking long into the night.
Before he knew it, Rai found himself being woken up by Dr. Ramsey. Initially confused, Rai soon remembered where he was and quickly looked over to where the baby rested. Seeing the little one breathing strong had Rai beaming and murmuring, “He made it!” with a sag of relief. Dr. Ramsey was also smiling and stated in response, “And he’s getting stronger.” Rai’s relief was short lived though as he realized that he had minutes to go before his shift started. Once he stated he needed to leave, Dr. Ramsey stated that he would stay a bit longer.
Giving the baby one last gentle stroke and a gentle encouragement, Rai made a move to leave. Just as he was about to step out the door, his breath caught as he heard Dr. Ramsey call out his first name of all things. Turning, he saw just how tired the man was before he said, “Thank you.” A gentle smile formed on Rai’s lips before he responded, “No doctor, thank you” and walked away.
It was a close call but Rai managed to make it on time and later on joined the other interns in the atrium. Many were curious on why they were all called, only being informed that Chief Emery had an announcement for the interns. They soon got their answer with Chief Emery declaring that with Dr. Banerji’s retirement, there was an open spot on the diagnostic team. Therefore, it has been decided that a competition among the interns would be held to fill it. While his friends excitedly talked about opportunity, Rai couldn’t help but hum and bit his thumb in thought as he felt another piece to the mystery of Dr. Banerji’s leaving came to place.
Note: At this point, please expect at least a few errors as I basically dish these out as soon as I’m done even with a quick review. Editing of previous chaps may occur at one point though so there is that. I have to say a great thanks again to Bree and Preet for all their support and encouragement, you guys are amazing
The next morning arrived and after a restless sleep between the not so comfy bed and trying to calm his raging thoughts, Rai was ready to face the new day. As he made his way to the staff entrance, he happened to catch Bryce playing basketball with some other surgeons. At one point, the ball rolled to Rai’s feet. “Well, come one then Hayashi. You gonna play, or you gonna send that back over?” Bryce called, clearly challenging the other.
Picking up the ball, Rai stuck out his tongue in concentration before shooting the ball. Somehow, rather than entering the hoop, the ball hit the support board, hit the ground, then bounced towards a bewildered Bryce, who caught it. A beat of silence came before Bryce, along with the other surgeons burst into laughter.
Bryce leaned against Rai as he exclaimed, “Man you’re a riot Rai” while the male sighed. “Me and ball sports never did have the best relationship” Rai mused. Patting him in consolation Bryce stated, “Hey, not everyone can be good at everything like me” before laughing as Rai bumped his hip in retaliation. After giving Rai’s hair a quick ruffle, Bryce went back to his game. A quick fix of his hair and walk later, Rai was in the changing room and getting ready for work.
He had just placed on his shirt when Sienna came in and announced her arrival with cookies. Upon hearing that, Rai perked and went over to request for some. As he stuffed some cookies like a squirrel, he missed Jackie question how Sienna was so chipper in the morning. He only looked up when he heard Sienna describe the apartment she found and Jackie being skeptical about it. Swallowing the cookies and wiping his mouth from any crumbs, he chimed in, “Well, we can always go together and make a run for it if it’s like some old killer’s den.”
Both girls laughed at that before Sienna informed them that there might be a chance they would need to sign today. Folding his arms, Rai gave a hum, “Looks like we’re gonna have to play gymnastics with our shift today then” causing the girls to laugh once more. The trio then headed to the atrium and met with Elijah and Landry. They discussed their thoughts on what the senior residents might be like when Landry pointed them out. Turning, Rai recognized one of them as Dr. DeLarosa and the other was a broad man with tanned skin, a neatly trimmed beard, and a stern looking face.
Rai quickly learned that the two were pretty much night and day in terms of demeanor as he joined the group and soon learned the stern looking man was Dr. Zaid Mirani. The moment they announced they would be distributing cases, Rai slid over to Dr. Ines’ side, deciding it was better to go to someone familiar. “Hi, Dr. Hayashi! Remember me?” she greeted and Rai grinned, telling her it was alright to call him by his given name. Frankly, the orientation she gave as she handed him his cases was best described as bubbly sunshine.
Once he had his cases in hand, he happened to hear Jackie finish her talk with Dr. Zaid. He blinked and thought, “(And I thought Uncle Greg was strict)” before meeting with Jackie. Apparently, Dr. Zaid was best described as an ass, and when Rai had told her what Dr. Ines was like, she gave a shudder before stating she preferred working with the ass to Rai’s amusement. Later on after they were set off to their cases, Rai found himself paged to meet Dr. Ines along with his group of interns.
It seems that they would be starting their rounds now and Dr. Ramsey would be joining them. At that announcement, it looked as if Landry would burst and collapse from excitement at the same time. Suddenly, Dr. Ramsey wryly stated, “Let’s see who the interns are going to kill today” and Rai froze. “That’s uncalled for” he muttered, his eyes icy and fists clenched. Somehow, Dr. Ramsey seemed to have heard him, “Something to say, Dr. Hayashi?” he asked, clearly daring the intern to speak up.
Ignoring the awed whispers from the other interns over Dr. Ramsey knowing his name, Rai squared his shoulders. A crackle seemed to spark between the two as their eyes met, “Yes, actually” he started, “It’s only the second day. There is no need to make, frankly, crass statements to test our confidence” tone cold, he stood firm, not backing down from Dr. Ramsey’s gaze. Dr. Ines anxiously looked between the two and tried to defuse the tension and move things along. Then, Dr. Ramsey asked, “Has your confidence been tested then?”
“No, doctor” Rai firmly stated and the crackling tension seemed to settle into a quiet rumble. Dr. Ramsey nodded, “Good. Because if I scare you, then you aren’t remotely prepared for what you’ll face on a daily basis here” then a glint entered his eye, “Actually, why don’t we start rounds with your patient?” he rhetorically asks. Rai had no chance to answer before the group was led to a patient’s room. The man sat up as they entered, “Uh, are my eyes going, or are they multiplying?” he asked.
Dr. Ramsey, who had moved to the side, answered, “Good morning, Mr. Knoblauch. They multiply. It’s horrible.” As he said this, Rai mentally pulled at his hair while screeching over the whiplash the man was giving him with his attitude. Outwardly, he was as calm as can be as he reassured the patient and introduced the patient, Mike Knoblauch, and his case. The moment he gave the floor to Landry, he could see that the male was nervous with Dr. Ramsey. It didn’t help that Dr. Ramsey gave a retort to Landry’s stuttering.
Catching his fellow intern’s eye, he mouthed, “You got this” and mimed taking a deep breath. Landry shot him a grateful look before continuing with his presentation. He still stumbled a bit, but managed to relay the rest of the patient’s details. The moment he finished and Dr. Ramsey gave a nod of approval, Landry mouthed his thanks to Rai. Then, Aurora spoke up from behind the group, questioning their seriousness over the internal bleeding found. Rai nodded in acknowledgement of the question and answered it with his assessment. Mike then asked how long he would be stuck in the hospital.
He was rather upset hearing it would take it a week. What’s more, he was angered at the prospect of the hospital profiting from his prolonged stay. Rai was quick to sympathise with him and explain that they had to be careful, urging him to think of his son should something happen. Mike grumbled but relented at that. They then continued on with their rounds and by the end of it, Rai felt like flopping on the ground for a break.
He barely heard Dr. Ines’ congratulations and Dr. Ramsey’s warning to the group as his mind conjured a miniature version of him flopped on a cloud. When Landry came over to thank him for earlier, he gave a small grin and a thumbs up. Just as he was about to go for a water break, he sees Dr. Ramsey beckoning to him. “Not you Rookie, you’ve got one more to present” he told the intern. Mentally, Rai wailed as alarms rang out, but nodded nonetheless and followed the man.
They enter a room where a woman sits up and smiles at them. Even with her arm in a cast, her smile managed to light up the room. With her gaze at Rai she stated, “Please tell me, you’re my new doctor.” At that, Rai gave a chuckle before turning to Dr. Ramsey for confirmation. Upon hearing what happened to the patient’s previous doctor; Rai’s mind provided the mental image of Dr. Ramsey literally kicking a faceless man in a golf outfit with a stethoscope out of the hospital. He had to bite the inside of cheek to stop from laughing before he presented the case as instructed.
When he grabbed the chart, he did a quick read and his brows furrowed. “Patient is Kyra Santana, twenty-eigth years old. She has a fractured radius in need of casting” he paused as he caught Dr. Ramsey’s assessing look, “But you clearly know that already so that means there’s more to this” he muttered before flipping through the chart and scanning it. Spotting the anomaly he declared, “The main issue isn’t the broken arm, it’s her cancer, you brought me here to see if I could detect a bigger picture” before fighting a flush as he saw Dr. Ramsey nod in approval.
“You’re not completely hopeless then Rookie” he offered before lecturing, “The real problem isn’t always obvious. If it was, they’d let any idiot become a doctor” ending with a snort. Rai tilted his head and looked at Kyra, “If she’s here for a treatment, then… where does the broken arm come in?” he wondered.
Kyra gave a grin before explaining how she had been on her way to a C.T. when she spotted an abandoned bike at the side of the street. She had apparently always wanted to learn how to ride a bike and took it as a sign. Problem was, she was worse at riding a bike than she thought she was and ended up wiping out. Rai gave a laugh at the, “Well, at least no one can say you don’t have guts” he told her. She pointed at him and exclaimed, “Right?!” before the two were interrupted by Dr. Ramsey asking Rai what the treatment plan was. “Well, I’m sure she already has a treatment plan so I’ll get to work on casting her arm” he stated before Dr. Ramsey nodded and told him to do that before leaving.
Rai turned back to Kyra, "Alright then! Let's get that cast on you and send you for the scan. How's that sound?" He asked. “Tragic, for a first date” she responded and Rai barked a laugh. He ruffled his hair and told her, “An A+ for effort, would have worked if I didn’t bat for the other team.” Kyra gave a mock sigh and snapped her fingers, “Damn, they were right, all the hot guys ARE gay, taken, or both” she mused.
Rai gave a grin at that, "Ah, it usually depends, if it makes you feel any better, I don't really mind it” he consoled. A mischievous grin was his response, “Good. Then I’ll do it incessantly” she stated. Another laugh escaped Rai, “Just make sure you leave time to beat cancer” he joked to her. She seemed to dim at that and even tried to show a brave face by joking over living as much as possible with death near. Rai immediately corked that by encouraging her before urging her to give him her arm.
Once her arm was cast she thanked him by addressing him by his title before he told her to call him by his name. She grinned at that, brightening once more as she asked him to be the first to sign her cast. Considering what to write, Rai grinned before writing “Carpe Diem” and signing his name in kanji. Kyra peered at the characters and asked, “You didn’t write some weird phrase like they do with those character tattoos did you?” gesturing to the kanji Rai wrote.
Briefly adopting a look of mock hurt to make Kyra snort in amusement, Rai shook his head, “It’s my name” he explained, “My last name is written as forest while my first name is written as lightning” pointing to the respective characters. “Badass…” Kyra breathed before looking at Rai, “You know… I’ll be here pretty often, cancer and all, so…” her grin seemed to say it all. Rai gave an answering smile. “I’ll see you around Kyra, and hopefully with no more broken bones” he said as he left, laughing as he heard her call, “No promises!” when he stepped out the room.
Later as he was checking on other patients, he distantly heard the sound of something approaching. Due to years of learning when to dodge out of necessity, Rai had flattened himself against a wall before Dr. Ramsey even finished his yell of “Out of the way Hayashi!” and past him with several other staff wheeling a seizing patient on a gurney. When another doctor arrived to ask about the patient, Rai did a double take upon hearing him call Dr. Ramsey by his first name, Taking another look at the man, Rai blinked as he soon recognized him as Dr. Naveen Banerji; Dr. Ramsey’s mentor.
Rai knew that if he had a tail, it would be wagging wildly to match the stars in his eyes. “Trying not to fanboy there too hard Hayashi?” he heard a voice asks and turns to see Bryce grinning at him. Lightly smacking the surgical intern’s shoulder he huffed, “Jerk, we can’t all be as carefree as you” before sighing, “Man, I would have loved to see them in action.”
A mischievous spark entered Bryce’s eyes, “Who says you can’t?” he offered, raising his surgeon keycard. Realizing his implication, Rai turned to him with wide hopeful eyes, unintentionally giving the other male a puppy eye look. Bryce gave a chuckle at that before ruffling Rai’s hair and gesturing for him to follow. The two tried to not draw attention as they crept to the observation deck.
“I owe you one Bryce” Rai whispered as they settled in the room; “I’ll remember that” Bryce whispered back, a devilish grin on his face. Responding by sticking out his tongue at the other, Rai turned his attention to the O.R. As he mentally took notes, he heard Bryce murmur, “Where’s the fireworks? Are they gonna cut him open or what?” and he turned to give the surgical intern a deadpan look.
“Ha ha, always got to have the clever line don’t you?” he whispered. Bryce gave an unrepentant shrug, “Always” he whispered back, “But seriously, they’re standing around talking. Why didn’t you want to be a surgeon?” his question throwing Rai off. For a moment, Rai was silent, then he met Bryce’s eyes with his, “That’s… a story meant for another time” he murmured, a flash of sadness crossing his eyes as he said it. This seemed to surprise Bryce before he nodded in understanding and patted Rai’s shoulder.
Nodding his thanks, Rai turned his attention back to the diagnosticians, enraptured by the work they were doing. The different pieces soon came into place and Rai murmured out the problem and Bryce smiled, impressed. As the doctors finished up their analysis Rai murmured, “It’s no wonder they’re known as the best with skills like that” sighing in admiration. He then turned to Bryce and asked, “Is it okay if I ask why you became a surgeon?”
Bryce nodded, “Always liked fixing things. Appliances, stuff around the house, you know?” he explained and Rai gave a hum. He found himself looking at Bryce in a brighter light, “So you think people are like unique machines, sometimes needing a fix and with how different every person can be in different ways, fixing them is like… a new experience each time” he surmised and Bryce quietly exclaimed, “You get it!”
The surgical intern then perked when he noticed that the patient had been placed into his coma. He seemed to lean in closer for a better look, “They finally knocked him out? Nice. Now comes the cutting right?” he asked and Rai snorted. He knocked their shoulders together, “You’re incorrigible!” he muttered to him, nearly knocking Bryce over before they burst into giggles. At that moment, Dr. Ramsey glances up at the observation window. The two quickly duck down and with a pounding heart Rai hissed to Bryce, “Time to go.”
Bryce empathically nodded and the two quickly snuck out. Once they were back in the hallway, Rai gave a breathless laugh, “That… was great! Thanks again Bryce” he enthused to the other, grinning brightly. “Ah, as if I could say no to those puppy eyes of yours, and now you owe me one!” Bryce responded, cheekily pinching Rai’s cheek.
Playfully slapping Bryce’s hand away, Rai rolled his eyes, “Yes, yes, I’ll brace myself for whatever you got up your sleeves for me in the future, now shoo! We both got work to get back to. Bryce laughed before sneaking in a boop on Rai’s nose and running off with a wave. Giving another eyeroll, Rai went back to his rounds.
Later on, Landry and him checked on Mike and learned more details about him and even his son, they mulled over his condition. After considering all the possibilities and what they learned from Mike, the duo soon managed to find the problem. They soon relayed a treatment plan to the patient, with Rai assuring him that while it would take time and work, he would be able to get out of the hospital soon enough.
While the two did a mini (though slightly awkward on Landry’s part) celebration, they received a text from Sienna. Apparently the landlord had responded but if they didn’t go now, there was a high chance the apartment would go to someone else. Landry urged him to join Sienna and Elijah, stating that he would handle things at the hospital. After making sure it was really alright with Landry, he quickly set off.
It didn’t take long for the trio to be rushing towards the apartment building. Suffice to say, it was worth the rush when they were presented with the apartment. Just as they were imagining themselves in the beautiful place, the landlord, Farley, quickly dashed things down. Apparently a tech group had made a rather big bid on the place as well. It took some quick thinking but Rai managed to seal the deal once he and the others managed to convince the man they would be more reliable in terms of meeting rent and maintaining the apartment. Plus they sweetened the deal by adding in Sienna’s treats once a week.
Days later, Rai and his friends were happily settling into their new apartment when he realized that he had left his I.D. at the hospital. Well, it was lucky that it was only 10 minutes away now.
The minute Rai saw that his shift had ended, he wanted to cry in relief. He quickly went over to the atrium to meet with Sienna and finds her dressed in her casual clothes and waiting. She smiles upon seeing him, “Hey! You survived! Ready to hit the bar?” she asked. “More than ready” Rai enthused, “Great outfit by the way” admiring the denim jacket and red shirt ensemble she had on. When Sienna asked him if he had anything to wear at the bar, and even mentioned Dr. Ramsey frequented there, Rai felt his cheeks flush. He still felt a tad embarrassed that he nearly blew his top at the man, but a drink would be real nice at the moment.
As he heard Jackie call for them and Bryce declaring the first round was on him, Rai made a dash to change clothes. Looking through what he had in his locker, he changed into a sleeveless emerald hoodie and form fitting black pants. A quick tie of his combat boots had him ready and stepping out to meet the others once more. At the sight of him, Sienna gives a wolf whistle, “I hope you’re single, because you are going to clean up tonight!” causing Rai to flush.
“Well, if you happen to find anyone interested in a gay doctor, you might have to give me a shove” he joked. Seeing Bryce about to speak up, he pointed at the man, “Sorry there Fabio, but incorrigible flirts ain’t my type, so might as well mosey on” his words causing the girls to snort. Hand on his chest in mock pain, Bryce cried, “You wound me Rai! I thought we had a moment earlier.”
In response, Rai gave a laugh and went over to Bryce to swing an arm around his shoulders. “You’ll recover, in the best case scenario, we’ll be each other’s wingman, now come on, I’ve been craving a cocktail all day” he urged. With the group leaving in laughter, they soon reached the bar.
Donahue’s was exactly as Rai expected a bar frequented by medical help to be; dark, dingy, and completely packed. Thankfully, Sienna seemed to know her way through the crowd and led them to where Landry and Elijah had commandeered a booth. Landry looked anxious as he cried, “Come on! There’s still… sixty seven seconds left in happy hour!” to which Elijah waved the worry away by stating they were all in debt anyway.
“I’ll toast to that!” Jackie declared, “And relax, Landry, I put in quite a few orders before the buzzer” pointing out a waitress bringing in a tray packed to the brim with tequila shots.
Rai blinked at the sight while Sienna exclaimed, “You want to start with tequila?” Jackie shrugged, “Start, finish, and everything in between” she responded. Everyone grabbed a shot glass and after toasting to finishing their first shift, took it. For a lack of a better word, the stuff was strong. When the next toast was to new friends, Rai grinned and gave Elijah a fist bump then Sienna a side hug.
He started when he was asked to make a toast and paused to think. Then, giving a grin he declared, “To becoming amazing doctors and a bright future!” and everyone gave a cheer before taking the shot.
Elijah then announces a need to dance and moved to the jukebox while Sienna and Rai stepped out of the booth to let Jackie out. Landry on the other hand, had stated a need for a water break much to Jackie’s teasing. Rai had taken a seat once more to order a cocktail when he noticed Landry staring at the bar. Following his gaze, he spots a pretty girl at the end. “She’s cute! You should go talk to her” Rai encouraged, but Landry shot the suggestion down, saying how he wasn’t good with flirting.
Even with Rai offering to be a wingman, Landry turned it down. Shrugging at his reluctance and offering one last encouragement, Rai stepped out of the booth. Just as he did, he felt a sharp pain in his ribs as a sneering frat guy forces his way to the bar. Sienna, who spotted the encounter, yelled, “Hey! You just ran over my friend!” in indignance. If possible, the guy’s sneer deepened, “So?” he asked with a raised brow.
This only made Sienna angrier as she exclaimed, “So apologize! Or were you raised somewhere where they don’t teach manners?” Seeing Sienna riled up and the guy not willing to back down, Rai quickly stepped up. He turned to the man, and suddenly, it was as if the room’s temperature dropped. A sharp smile had painted over Rai as he unknowingly gazed at the man with the same icy gaze he did Dr. Ramsey earlier. “It’s alright, it was just a misunderstanding and I’m sure you’ll be careful next time, right?” while his words were pleasant, the look in Rai’s eyes were anything but.
The man gave a gulp as a shiver ran through him. He quickly nodded, then with a gruff apology, scurried away. Sienna gazed at Rai with wide eyes, “Woah, you gotta teach me that; you made being nice so scary” she enthused and Rai gave a laugh. He was about to speak up when a Marvin Gaye slow jam plays from the jukebox. “Now we’re talking! To everyone in the bar, you’re welcome” Elijah called with a grin.
Jackie turned to Rai and invited him to dance. He was about to accept when he hears Bryce call him over for a game of darts with a crew of rowdy surgical interns. As he gave a wave, he spotted Dr. Ramsey peacefully drinking in a secluded corner of the bar. When he looked up and their eyes met, Rai could feel the back of his neck turn warm. Deciding to dance off his nervous energy, he joins Jackie on the dance floor where she is moving gracefully.
“Damn Jackie, should I get a stick to ward off anyone feeling grabby?” Rai joked before laughing as Jackie shoved him and told him to shut up. She then pulled him in to join her and he began swaying to the music. As they danced to the music, Jackie asked, “So, we’re cool over what happened today right?” and Rai titled his head at her in confusion. He shuffled his feet to the beat, “”What’s there to be upset about? I was the one who panicked like a goober, and the important thing is that Annie is okay and will live a long and healthy life” Rai responded with a shrug.
The two stared at each other for a moment before Jackie stated, “Oh god, I knew I wasn’t going to like you” her words causing Rai to pause and blink in confusion. Jackie rolled her eyes as he saw the male’s confusion.
“You’re a do-gooder. Add that to what I already know…”
“Wait what”
“Which is?”
“You’re smart… you’re actually good under pressure… and you’re basically a puppy”
Stepping close to him, she smooshed his cheeks in her hands, “A. puppy'' she intoned, “All yappy and peppy, basically the worst! I just don’t know what to do with you” she sighed before giving his cheeks one last smoosh then ruffling his hair. “Sorry?” Rai offered in confusion and Jackie gave an amused huff before urging him to dance once more. Rai danced to one more song before grabbing the cocktail he ordered and heading over to Bryce and the group of surgeons.
The surgical intern grinned as he spotted him coming over. When he introduced Rai to the others as the only good medical intern, Rai gave a mock gasp, “Bryce how dare you forget the delights that are Sienna and Elijah!” His words caused Bryce to laugh before he asked if Rai was thinking of switching teams. In response Rai simply raised his pointer fingers to make an X and playfully stuck out his tongue.
Once again, Bryce donned a mock look of pain, “Is it your goal to constantly hurt me Hayashi? Cause it’s working” he dramatically mourned. “Oh please, we all know my words are pokes at best” Rai retorted before escaping an attempted noogie from the male. Bryce huffed before a cheshire grin crossed his face, “Well, since you’re here to play, why not make things interesting?” he offered. Rai gave an answering smirk, “Winner buys the other’s team round?” he wagered.
The two shook on it and upon announcing the wager, the two groups cheered. It was a close game and soon the two were tied. Both were on the last dart and as Rai was taking aim, Bryce was clearly trying to distract him by whispering goads. Rolling his eyes, Rai ignored him and managed to make a good shot. The surgical interns groaned at the sight of it while Bryce commended him. As Bryce was setting up for his shot, an idea popped in Rai’s head and he gave a mischievous grin.
Moving close to his ear, Rai softly cleared his throat then, “Better be careful friend, those darts are mighty sharp” he stated in his Kermit the Frog voice. “W-what the fuck” Bryce spluttered in laughter as he made his shot. The dart flew through the air before haphazardly sticking to the outer rim of the board. While the surgical interns groaned at Bryce’s loss, the man turned to Rai, still spluttering in laughter.
Grasping Rai’s shoulder he slowly stopped laughing and asked, “Was that what I think he was?” taking a breath as he did. Rai grinned then, tilting his head slightly, spoke, “Meega, nala kweesta!” in Stitch’s voice, even going as far as adding the famous laugh. At that, Bryce went into another laughing fit, spluttering how surprising Rai could be. “Don’t you owe me and my friends a round?” Rai reminded as Bryce caught his breath once more. Once Bryce calmed down, he called for drinks for Rai and his friends and the group enjoyed a round.
While taking a sip of his drink, Rai finds his eyes straying to where Dr. Ramsey was. For what felt like forever, he internally debated with himself. Then, resolving himself, he took a deep gulp of liquid courage before placing down his glass. He whispered to Sienna, “Wish me luck” and only managed to hear a soft gasp before he was determinedly walking to the bar. He emtally chanted to be calm before taking a seat beside Dr. Ramsey.
An unreadable look was on the man’s face and Rai could only shyly ask, “Is something wrong Dr. Ramsey?” the man’s gaze making him feel warm and his wrist tingle. “Just noticing how… different you look out in the real word” he stated. Rai tried to fight his blush down when the bartender approached and asked for his order. Taking a glance at Dr. Ramsey’s empty glass, Rai confidently ordered, “Two scotches, neat.” The bartender was quick in serving the drinks and Rai slid one to Dr. Ramsey.
The moment the attending took the drink with a smile of approval, Rai had to fight down a grin.
After giving the drink a sniff, Dr. Ramsey asked, “Why neat instead of on the rocks” though Rai could hear a subtle challenge in his tone. “The ice changes the flavor” Rai answered before taking a sip to hide his smile when Dr. Ramsey confirmed his answer. But when he continued with, “You know I can’t be bribed into favoring you, right?”, Rai placed down the cup and looked at in embarrassment.
“Actually… this is more of an apology for nearly losing my temper with you earlier” Rai admitted, “I understood what you were doing but I… got emotional, I am grateful that you pushed me to do better today” flush spreading throughout his face. A beat of silence passed between the two before Dr. Ramsey signalled the bartender and order for ‘two specials’, surprising Rai when he called the bartender by name. Looking from the bartender to Dr. Ramsey, Rai asked, “You two old friends?”
Dr. Ramsey raised a brow in surprise, “What makes you say that?” he asked. Rai gave a shrug, “Only way bartenders allow you to call them by name is if you’re old friends, an overly frequent customer, or both” he stated matter-of-factly. The two’s eyes met, then, Dr. Ramsey revealed, “It’s both” and Rai hums. Before he could stop himself, Rai found himself asking if there was anyone waiting for Dr. Ramsey at home. As Rai mentally smacked himself with a cartoon hammer, Dr. Ramsey seemed to hesitate answering.
“I’ll come here even when I do. I need some buffer between the hospital and the world. An airlock” his intense blue eyes pierced into Rai as he solemnly stated, “Don’t take the job home with you, Rai.” Pinching himself to remind himself to breathe, Rai found himself blurting, “I’ll keep that in mind… but you didn’t answer my question” then mentally questioned HOW drunk he was. The moment Dr. Ramsey responded with a negative though, Rai quickly squashed any… untoward thoughts brought about from his drunkenness.
It was almost a relief when the two specials arrived. Rai quickly took a sip at Dr. Ramsey’s suggestion and licked his lips in delight. If he had a tail, it would be wagging as he exclaimed, “That’s amazing!” to Dr. Ramsey’s amusement. “Either you’re sucking up to me, or you’ve got surprisingly refined taste for an intern” he stated. Rai gave a grin and shrugged, “I’m full of surprises” he said and Dr. Ramsey countered, “You’ll have to prove that.”
Then, he holds up his glass and toasts, “To your intern year. In the hopes you don’t completely blow everything you worked your whole life for.’ This causes Rai to snort in laughter before he clinks their glasses together and finishes the drink. After thanking Dr. Ramsey for his time, he rejoined his friends for the next few hours. The group drank late into the night before they decided they had enough. With a round of water to help them in going home, Rai made a toast of gratitude to the new friends he met.
Though Jackie teased him by declaring him the sappy drunk of the group and Landry told him he could thank him by getting Dr. Ramsey to know his name, he felt a happy warmth. That is until they all stepped out and shared their living arrangement woes, especially when they had a shift in a few hours. Suddenly, Sienna gave the bright idea of them getting an apartment together. Rai was more than on board with the idea and the group agreed to make more plans tomorrow.
Just as Rai was heading home, he happened to glance down at his bracelet. Without warning, his mind decided to flash back to all the moments he had with Dr. Ramsey throughout the day. The moment he recalled his gaze in the bar and the warmth felt from sharing a drink with the man, Rai froze. “(Oh. Oh NO)” he cried in his mind, before scrambling off his stop and rushing home. Once inside his room he quickly opened up his chat with his best friend.
IPourtheTea: SOS o(*´д`*)o
ImTHATB: o.O did u stab someone?
IPourtheTea: ಠ_ಠ
IPourtheTea: What? No!
ImTHATB: Yea I thought it was too early, so is this high alert SOS or gay panic SOS?
ImTHATB: FINALLY! Tell mama all the deets bae OwO
IPourtheTea: One, not my mom. Two, I think Im into my boss
ImTHATB: Ooohh! New kink, congrats bby
IPourtheTea: Hannah this is serious! Im not supposed to be into my boss! HES MY BOSS. Not to mention one of the top and strictest attendings in the hospital. HED MURDER ME ヽ ( ꒪д꒪ )ﾉ
ImTHATB: Nice, hot boss with BDE. Ive taught u well
IPourtheTea: Hannah!!! ʕノ•ᴥ•ʔノ ︵ ┻━┻ Just because he has intense blue eyes and a killer jawline plus a voice that could melt me ajfbjasbfkjs
ImTHATB has changed IPourtheTea’s name to BabyDoesGayPanic
BabyDoesGayPanic: NOT.HELPING!
ImTHATB: UwU
BabyDoesGayPanic: ajfbhjkasfhjkds
BabyDoesGayPanic has logged off
Groaning in frustration, Rai buried his face in his pillow and prayed things would calm down for him tomorrow
