A man could be seen rushing back and forth, his frustration evident in every step as he barked orders at anyone who crossed his path. It was clear that his day had been overwhelming even before it officially began. A nurse cautiously approached him, asking if she should start preparing for the surgery. Her question, though well-meaning, only seemed to ignite his temper further. He snapped at her, calling it a ridiculous question, before shooting her one final glare and storming into the ward. Meanwhile, his outburst had drawn attention, and a small commotion had begun to stir among the onlookers.
Great! My first day, and I'm greeted by the sight of a man—no, a doctor—yelling like he's at a football match! Seriously? And what did that poor nurse even do wrong? All she did was ask about preparing for surgery, and he acted as though she'd committed some grave offense. The sheer disrespect left me shaking my head in disbelief.
While I was lost in these thoughts, someone suddenly called my name. Startled, I turned around, wondering how anyone here could possibly know me—it's my first day, after all! A kind, lean woman approached me with a warm smile and handed me my internship form, explaining that it had fallen and that she recognized me from the photo on it. Embarrassed but grateful, I quickly thanked her and scolded myself internally. What a fantastic start to the day, Angelina. Truly.
I decided I might be overreacting—perhaps the situation wasn't as bad as it seemed. With that thought, I made my way to the reception to figure out the next steps.
Smiling politely, I greeted the receptionist and explained that it was my first day. She returned the smile warmly and guided me to a hall where, she explained, other new interns like me were gathered. She assured me that senior doctors would soon arrive to provide guidance on the next steps.
Grateful for her help, I thanked her and walked into the hall, taking a seat among the others who were also starting their journeys today.
We'd been sitting in the hall for quite some time, and I was just about to call my mom to let her know I'd arrived safely when a commotion broke out. A figure burst into the hall, trailed by three others. Immediately, whispers erupted among the interns around me.
People were gushing over the man who had entered, calling him "hot" and saying they'd do anything to be placed under his department for the internship. Curious, I glanced at the person causing all the buzz—and my jaw almost dropped. It was him. The same man I'd seen yelling that morning.
As the whispers grew louder, I overheard some interns mentioning that he was the son of a prominent businessman in the city. Well, that explained his behaviour earlier. Of course, someone with that kind of background would act like he owned the place.
Before I could dwell on it further, the person standing next to him, who I assumed was the head of the doctors, began speaking. His authoritative voice quickly silenced the room. He greeted us warmly and announced the start of our internship, explaining that the four doctors standing beside him—including Mr. Hot-and-Yelling—would be guiding us. He then mentioned that we'd be split into groups based on the majors we had chosen.
I've chosen Cardiology as my specialization because I aspire to become a cardiologist. As the introductions began, the mentors for the four departments were announced.
Dr. Caspian Holt was assigned to Paediatrics, Dr. Alexander Conwell to Nephrology, Dr. Justin Knight to Cardiology, and finally, Dr. Samson Blackwood to Neurology. As their names were called out, I realized I had been holding my breath without even noticing.
I don't know why, but a sudden wave of sadness washed over me for a brief moment. It passed just as quickly, and I brushed it off, refocusing on what was happening around me. Each doctor took their turn speaking, explaining how they would guide us through the internship and mentor us to the best of their abilities—including my mentor, Dr. Knight.
Then it was Dr. Samson turn. He stepped forward and said, "Hello, interns. I won't take much time with introductions, as you'll get to know me better in the coming days. Just remember why you're here and stay focused on that without letting yourself get distracted. That's all for now; I'll see you in the departmental sessions soon."
His voice carried an air of authority and strictness that immediately rubbed me the wrong way. Maybe it was because my first impression of him had already been tainted. Whatever the reason, something about him just didn't sit well with me.
With that thought lingering in my mind, the session came to an end. The interns began dispersing, each group following their respective mentors. I joined Dr. Knight, along with two other interns assigned to the Cardiology department. He instructed us to meet him in his office for a quick introduction session since we hadn't had the chance to formally introduce ourselves yet.
Once there, Dr. Knight welcomed us warmly, breaking the ice with a few jokes about this being his first time as a mentor. His easy-going demeanour instantly put us at ease. He shared that he's been working at the hospital for three years and assured us he'd guide us through the process as smoothly as possible.
We then introduced ourselves. Our team comprised three members: Emily, John, and me. Dr. Knight handed us our schedules, explaining how knowing the structure in advance would help us prepare for the sessions starting tomorrow. Although I was slightly disappointed that the day ended sooner than I'd hoped, his reasoning made sense—especially since he had to attend to an emergency case and couldn't ignore it.
Emily and John said their goodbyes and left. I thanked Dr. Knight, who responded with a kind smile and a nod. Just as I turned to open the door, something—or rather, someone—came crashing into me with such force that we both ended up on the ground.
Fantastic. The day couldn't get any better!