Chapter 2

I don’t think I managed to learn a single thing the whole rest of the morning because all I could think about was the incredibly hot new intern who joined us only a couple of hours ago. Lucky for me Cristina didn’t call on me again to answer anything, because I definitely wasn’t listening to a word she was saying. However, I also haven’t had an opportunity to talk to the new girl yet either.

Anyway, now its lunch time, finally. I held my tray in hand as I scanned the hospital cafeteria, looking for an empty table. Finding one I took a seat and immediately reached for my sandwich. Before I even take a bite I sense someone approach. I glance up and its her, the new girl, smiling at me and holding her own lunch in hand.

“Is this seat taken?” She asks and it takes me a moment to answer as I’m still gaping at her beauty. I manage to shake my head and she sits down, placing her tray down on the table. She extends her hand to me and I take it, giving it a light shake. “I’m Ashley, you’re in my group right?”

I manage to nod again and finally find my voice. “Yeah, I’m Spencer Carlin, nice to meet you.”

“You too. So Spencer, does Dr. Yang always act like she has a stick up her ass? Or was that just a special treat for my first day?” She laughed and reached for a french fry off her plate and munched on it.

I laughed too and took a sip of my soda. “That’s pretty much how she always is. You’re lucky you got here now when she finally learned our names. The first couple weeks she referred to us all as numbers. But she’s actually a good doctor, and the point is to learn, so you learn to get used to her sarcasm.” I took a bite of my sandwich, happy for the opportunity to get to know Ashley a little better.

“So, Carlin huh? Hey, you’re not by chance related to Dr. Paula Carlin, are you? I met her early this morning before she passed me off to Dr. Bailey.”
 

I swallowed my most recent bite of sandwich and nodded. “She’s my mom. She’s an attending here. She’s actually the reason we’re in Seattle. I grew up in Ohio, but my mom got the offer here when my brothers and I were in high school and we’ve been here ever since. I did leave to go to college and med school though, but somehow managed to end up back here, at her hospital. I’ve earned my way every step of the way though, so it’s not like I’m only here because my mom got me into the program or anything.” I finished, thinking that maybe I gave her more information than she really wanted to know, she probably wanted just a simple yes or no answer, not my entire life story.

She nodded along though, seemingly hanging onto my every word. “That’s really cool, I imagine it’s probably pretty hard having to live in her shadow while you’re trying to make your own way here.”

We continued eating, making small talk and getting to know each other better. I learned that she grew up in LA and that her father was a famous rock star. Her mom was never around much when she was growing up. I also learned that she’s got this really adorable nose crinkle thing that she does when she smiles, not to mention the fact that you can get completely lost in her eyes. There’s just something about her…

I get pulled out of my thoughts by Dr. Bailey running into the cafeteria, yelling something about an accident and ambulances on the way. I steal a quick glance over to the table where Cristina and the other residents are sitting, including the other intern George, and they’re all jumping up from their tables, barking orders at their interns. Cristina was no different as she motioned for Ashley and me to follow her to the pit to await the arrival of the ambulances. And here I thought today wouldn’t turn out to be very eventful.