“Any updates I should know about?”I ask, steering us back to what matters.
He nods.“Room six.Come with me.”
I follow, my shoulders tensing at the tone of his voice.As we walk, he fills me in.Eight-year-old girl.Sudden-onset absence seizures.No history, warning, or genetic history.They’ve tried a couple of meds, but nothing’s helping.My mind immediately starts flipping through all the possibilities.Absence seizures with no response to standard treatment?That’s not typical.We’re missing something.
When we reach the room, I go inside to meet the patient myself, to gather my own information on the situation before Mason clocks out.Mason leaves, and I spend the next fifteen minutes at the girl’s bedside, then at the nurses’ station, reading through her files, searching for anything we may have overlooked.Time slips by.It’s only when I hear my name echo through the hallway that I realize someone’s calling for me.
“Dr.Harrison?”It’s Dr.Thomas, the hospital director, his voice calm but clipped.He stands outside his office with one hand resting lightly on the doorframe, the other tucked into the pocket of his white coat.“Can you join me for a moment?”
“Of course,” I say, closing the file and slipping it away before heading down the hall.
As soon as I step inside his office, I freeze.
Dark hair.Blue eyes.A face I instantly recognize…The creamer girl.
My jaw tightens instinctively as I stop just inside the door.She’s leaning against the side of Dr.Thomas’s desk like she belongs there, one ankle crossed over the other, calm as anything.
She turns slowly, eyes locking onto mine with laser precision, and I swear there’s the slightest smirk on her lips.Like she’s already one step ahead of me.
“I’d like you to meet my daughter,” Dr.Thomas says, beaming as he walks to his desk.“Regan Thomas.Our new resident.”
No.No.No.
My stomach drops as the pieces lock together.
This is who I’m mentoring?
She doesn’t flinch.Just holds my gaze, arms loosely crossed like she knows exactly how much this is going to mess with my head.
I narrow my eyes.Game on.
I clear my throat, forcing my voice into something resembling polite.“Nice to meet you,” I say, though it comes out a little too flat.“Again.”
Dr.Thomas remains oblivious to the tension crackling between us.“I trust you two will work well together.Regan’s top of her class.Stubborn as hell, but bright.Reminds me of someone else.”His eyes flick to me with that all-too-knowing twinkle, and I grit my teeth behind a practiced smile.
Wonderful.Now I’m being compared to his daughter.
“I’ve assigned her to you for the next twelve months,” he continues, gesturing between us.“You’ll handle her rotations, give her teaching cases, and include her in all procedural briefings.”
“Twelve months,” I echo, the words sticking to the roof of my mouth.
“Twelve very educational months,” Regan adds, straightening.Her tone is almost innocent, but her expression says otherwise.“I’m sure I’ll learn so much from you.”
I don’t rise to the bait.Not yet.
“I run a tight schedule,” I tell her coolly.“You’ll need to be on time, know your charts, and above all else… listen.”
She nods.“Got it.”
Dr.Thomas beams.“Excellent.I’ll leave you two to get started.Regan, go ahead and get your badge and locker assignment.Harrison, I’ll catch you after your tour.”
Regan nods at her father before turning back to me with infuriating ease.“Lead the way, mentor.”
I exhale slowly through my nose, then turn and push open the office door.Her footsteps trail just behind mine as we step into the hallway.She walks beside me like she’s done it before… casual, confident, too comfortable.
“So, Dr.Harrison,” she says brightly, clearly enjoying herself.“Is this the part where you pretend not to hate me, or do we skip the formalities?”
I stop walking and turn to face her fully, the corridor loud with voices and the faint squeak of a gurney.
