Page 59 (1/2)

Chapter 1 ~ Doctor’s Orders

Ellis

“Happy Thanksgiving, Smithson”

Dr Amelia Carver’s voice jars me out of my step-by-step recollection of the tonsillectoo

I can’t help it Since the first moment I stepped inside an OR,most ofa TV series one episode at a ti ill happen in the next On the other hand, if you binge watch, there’s no roo fro lost in the flow until time has passed you by

God, I can’t wait to binge on surgeries, but right now, I’m just an intern, so I have to take what scraps off the table I can get and try not to piss off any of the residents or attending physicians

“Happy Thanksgiving, Dr Carver,” I return the greeting with the ain for letting me scrub in earlier”

“Don’t sweat it” She bites into the cupcake in her hand and lets out a sound between a sigh and a squeal “OhIf these are homemade, I want the recipe Mht”

“Would you like me to ask?”

Dr Carver looks at me “Smithson, your shift is over You’re not required to kiss my ass anymore”

“Sorry,” Imy cup of punch to my lips

There goes my attempt at sincerity

A h as I set down my cup What the hell did I just drink?

“Lived up to its name?” Dr Carver asks

I take lasses off so I can wipe the tears froot burned then punched”

She grins “I guess Maggie still hasn’t gotten her recipe right”

I frown So this horrid excuse for a Thanksgiving punch has been served before? Co physicians are drinking it But of course they didn’t warn us interns Where would the fun be in that?

I put ie?”

“Accounting Lovely person”

“Maybe she should stick to crunching numbers”

Dr Carver narrows her eyes at me

Oops

“Smithson, do you have a life?”

What? “Y-yes,” I answer as I tuck a loose strand of hair behind my ear “I…”

“I mean outside this hospital Do you have a life? What do you do when you’re not here?”

“I…” I rattle my brain for an answer “Sleep?”

“And letlater?”

“Yes”