Moonsie was nothing like me, and I always knew it. That only lead me to wonder where the hell I got my identity from. Why were my eyes the same shade of brown as a milk chocolate bar? Why did I love the taste of broccoli, and despise the taste of asparagus?

Why was I so short? Moonsie was a skyscraper.

(edited xx).

My hands are shaking madly as I wipe the sweat from my brow. The gallery above the OR is full, but how could that be? Shouldn't everyone be helping with the crisis going on?

"His pressure is plummeting doctor." One of the scrub nurses says, irritating me. It's not like I can't hear the monitor beeping over and over, repeating itself like a broken record. The scalpel in my hand, and blood all over my gown and my gloves, I take a mental step back to think. I opened a skull flap to let the brain breathe and alleviate the swelling, but she's bleeding all over. My eyes closed, I rack my brain for an answer. Why is this happening? What would Chief Rose do?

My eyes fly open. "Tumor! The patient has a tumor on their left frontal lobe, and that's what's causing the incessant bleeding." Why didn't I see it before? The nurse frowns through her mask. "Doctor, you would need a CT scan of the brain to confirm the diagnosis!" "I know what I'm doing, back off." I growl. "Retractors." "You cannot just assume! You could cause more damage than there is already."

"If we sit here he'll die anyways. Retractors." I reiterate, and the nurse nods.

An hour and one tumor later, I smile smugly as they take the mass away to be biopsied. The nurse nods once, refusing to make eye contact. "Good job, doctor." I shrug, breathing out like a leaky balloon. "Closing now." Again, the high of saving a life returns to me, and pushes me up into the air. I feel like Superwoman, but on an even higher level. Last surgery was a simple appendectomy, but this? I actually saved a life.

****

I'm still clicking my heels as I work intently on Chief Rose's charting. I'll have to do it anyways next time I'm here, and tracking and documenting notes isn't the best homework. Why let it pile up?

The intern lounge is dark and quiet, and I'm pretty exhausted. It's been a long night. The door opens, and I nearly jump out of my skin. "Hey! Junior, I've been looking all over for you! Did you do the craniotomy?" I turn in my chair to look at Chief Rose. His eyes and hair are wild, his chest is heaving like he just ran a marathon. He's got blood all over his scrubs too- a sign of a long night for a surgeon.

"Yup." I answer simply, returning to the charting. He walks over with a sense of urgency. "And it was... successful?" "Very. Your patient's in post-op if you wanna check." "I heard you resected a tumor?" "Yeah, If I didn't the patient would've bled out on the table." I answer nonchalantly. "So did you want these charts now, or..?"

He grins from ear to ear. "You know? You are... You're just so... I can't believe..." He shakes his head slightly, like he can't find the right words. I give him a small smile. "I'm just doing my job, sir. To the best of my ability, just like you said. I learned from the best." I wish I hadn't added that last part, but he grins harder. I've only been his intern for a week. His eyes linger over me warmly.

"Good Job, Junior. Thank you." His eyes linger even longer, light and kind. He's not helping to alleviate my growing crush on him in the least.

My heart pounds. "You're welcome, sir," I almost whisper, turning back to my charting. He hovers for a little while longer, watching me, before leaving the room.

****

"Can I tell you something Ana?" I yawn, stretching my arms. Monday was  a killer, especially since I didn't get any sleep Sunday night. It's Tuesday, and I still haven't caught up on sleep. I'm in serious need of some energy.

Lying on Becky's bed, Ana looks over at me. "What?" "My boss at the hospital... is really hot." I laugh, rolling over on my stomach to face her. I've changed out of my uniform, I'm too tired to keep my legs closed in a short skirt. She smirks deeply, giggling. "How hot on a scale of 1 to 10?" "100," I breathe dreamily, sitting up. "He calls me 'Junior', and has long blondish-red hair... and facial hair.. and hair." "Is hair an aphrodisiac for you?" She teases, laughing.

"I guess. I so wish he was our age." She sighs. "Yeah." "I'm PMSing. I need some gummy bears." I groan, chewing my lip. She stands, walking over to my bed to sit. "Me too. I have a car..." She points out. "You mean you wanna use that car to sneak us to the nearest convenience store to buy tampons and candy?" "That's exactly what I'm saying." She grins, holding up her keys.

After a short joy ride to the minimart down the street, we rush inside, raiding the candy aisle for as many bags of gummy bears as we can carry. I grab the lightest box of tampons and trudge to the counter. I look at back at Ana, "Hey, go check the last aisle for some gummy worms." "I want chocolate." "I can't eat chocolate, I'm a vegan." "Fine, whatever." She groans, disappearing around the counter.

I set everything down on the counter and the cashier gives me a crazy look. "I know, I know, I'm weird." I sigh, fishing some money out of my jeans pocket. The door jingles, and I hear a man walk in. "Hey, Ramone!" He calls happily, deeply. The voice sounds... familiar, but I don't look over. "The total's 15.50." Dang, for some candy? I count my money over and over. The man walks to the counter beside me, setting a 24 case of beer on the counter. "Pack of Marlboros, please." I look up slowly, my eyes widening in horror.

Then they narrow. "Chief Rose?" I ask in utter surprise. He looks nothing like himself. Well, he does, but.. He's wearing a cutoff shirt and really snug jeans, Doc Martens. His hair and bandanna-baseball cap thing is the same as usual, but.. His arms are covered in swirling black ink, not even a drop of skin is untouched. I guess that's why he always wears long sleeves underneath his scrubs. I have the urge to touch the ink, trace the patterns with my fingers. I never thought of tattoos as attractive, but they look so good on him.

I'm at a loss for words as he gives me a charming smile. "Junior, hey." I clear my throat, suddenly wishing I wasn't buying tampons. His eyes graze over my purchases, and then back to me. "So you like candy?" "Not usually." I clear my throat, running a hand through my hair and looking away. The cashier certainly is taking a long time to get the cigarettes.

There's an awkward pause. "That's 15.50, ma'am." The cashier says again, sliding the cigarettes over to Chief Rose. I recount my money. "Damn." I curse under my breath. "Oh, uh... this is all mine. She's with me." He says, sliding 40 dollars across the counter.

The cashier looks from him to me, and shrugs. My heart flutters, my breath is escaping.

  She's with me. 

"So uh... I feel like I never properly thanked you for your help with the craniotomy the other night, I... really appreciated it." He faces me, leaning against the counter. I flush. "No problem, really, I-" "No, I don't think you understand. I can't even trust some of my residents with that sort of procedure." I rub my arm.

"It's my pleasure, really." "You're really talented. I don't think you know that." He inches a little closer, studying me. He really doesn't make it easy on me, does he? It's now (staring up at him in a daze) that I realize how green his eyes are. Not the deep and foresty, almost hazel look of Ana's eyes, but... light and clear, like the ocean.

"Thank you." He nods. "Yeah, sure." "Your change." The cashier clears his throat, interrupting our moment. Chief Rose tears his eyes from me, tightening his smile and taking the extra money. "Thanks for... that." I tell him, taking my stuff. He shrugs. "Sure, whatever. Anyways... I was wondering if you could come in for some extra hours... Maybe come weekends and on Wednesdays? I'd like to see you." My throat tightens. "At the hospital, I mean," He reiterates, and for a moment I think his cheeks redden.

"Yeah, sure! Of course, if you want me there, sir." "Of course." He winks (God help me before I faint) and walks to the door. "And- quit it with that 'Sir,' and 'Chief Rose' stuff. It's Will." "What, does it make you feel old?" "No. Just Will." He walks away, and I turn to see Ana standing there, her mouth gaping like a cave.

"Careful before you catch flies." 

She slides her gummy worms across the counter, still staring at me. "Who.. was that?" "My boss." I choke. "Your boss bought you tampons?" The cashier says, and Ana gives him a look. "Oh my god! He's so hot!" "I told you." She smiles, biting her lip as we leave the store.

"I think he likes you." I shake my head rapidly. "He's my boss." "He was grinning at you, with stars in his eyes," She says dreamily, earning and eye roll from me. "No, he wasn't. He's my boss." I repeat, and she shrugs. "Alright then." I wish. I seriously wish.

****

The clock is so slow. So slow. And every moment that I have to sit here beside Michael is another moment in hell. His presence is cold and hard, unfeeling, unpleasant. It's like the air in the room is thick caramel, I can't breathe, I can't move, I can't think... Michael prevents all of that. I can't deny the pull, it's magnetic. He seems to be just fine without me.

The room is dead quiet, until a sharp intake of breath from Michael breaks the silence. I can't help but look over to see what's the matter, there's nothing else to do in this lecture hall anyways. His eyes are focused on the window stationed on the doors to the hall, his jaw open and his body rigid.

Without a word, he stands and leaves the room, his footsteps echoing after him. The professor furrows his eyebrows. "What? Miss Nelson, would you go get him? He cannot leave class right now." I pause, everyone in the room turns to look at me. "Well, um... couldn't you?" "I am asking you. Is there a problem, Miss Nelson?" I shake my head once. "Um... I guess not."

I walk slowly out of the classroom. The hall is empty, but I can hear several voices coming from around the corner. I tiptoe towards the sound, listening close. "Mikey boy, how's it going!" Says one voice, obviously older than Michael. "Aw, doesn't he look so cute in his little school jacket?" "This place is amazing," says a different, older female voice.

"So you came to see the prison mom sent me to." Michael growls. "Aw, lighten up bro! You know how well the album's doing." "Be a man." Says an old voice. "Why the hell are you guys here?" Michael asks, obviously irritated. Leaning against the wall, listening in, I contemplate whether or not to walk around the corner and get Michael, or walk back in the classroom and tell the professor the Michael had a case of explosive diarrhea.

"Seriously! Go home."

I decide to walk around the corner. "Hey Jackson?" "What?" I get 12 different answers from 12 different people, all assembled behind Michael's tall form, all with the same brown eyes, all with the same face. I choke. Oh my god. "Oh... um... Hi. I meant Michael."

Michael frowns deeply at me, his eyes darkening with anger. His brothers all stare at me. Five of them are older and all pretty good looking. I flush. "Woah, Michael, who's this?" Asks one of them, eyeballing me. Michael scowls. "Shut up." He snaps. I look at his three sisters, all staring at me wide eyed. What's sad? The youngest girl is taller than me, and she can't be more than 12. "Why the hell are you out here?" Michael snaps at me.

"I... um... I was... going to..." I'm at a loss for words, with all of these A-list eyes on me. "Oh dear, isn't she precious?" The woman I assume to be his mother smiles, her eyes are bright. Michael frowns. "Mom, please stop." "Oh, look at him getting all nervous. They must be..." "Mikey, you got a gal and you didn't tell us?"

Me and Michael exchange wide eyed and panicked glances. "No, um, it's definitely not like that-" "I know a relationship when I see one, and you two have it written all over your faces." I continue to try to deny it, but Michael stops, his whole face morphing around embarrassment. "See?" His mother seems to think she's proved her point. I just blink rapidly.

"Why are you here?" Michael repeats, this time quieter and a little shiftier. "We were in town! Act like you're happy to see us." His father asserts, and Michael frowns. Again. There's something about this, something everyone knows that I don't. Again.

"We wanted to see the school you insisted on coming alone to, dear." His mother says, brushing at some lint on his shoulder. He jumps away, facing away from all of us. "We noticed you have a three day weekend this coming!" His mom gushes. Michael shrugs. "So?" He growls.

She gasps again. "Honey! Why don't the two of them come home to Gary and visit?" His siblings laugh, his dad shrugs. "I don't see why not."

Michael's eyes widen at me, as I beg him with my eyes to say something.

"So, what do you say, honey? Come home to Gary with us."

Oh. My. God.

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