Chapter Text
“Hey, did you see the new med student?”
The whispers reach Jack’s ears as soon as the doors to the ED slide open.
“Yeah. He totally looks like-”
As he walks past, a pair of gossiping nurses stop talking almost immediately. He can feel the eyes roving over him until he turns the corner and heads towards the lockers.
God, the newbie must be a real doozy to get people talking like this. They’ve had every type of student under the sun during his years at PTMC. There were students who were totally capable of doing sutures on their own and arrived with an encyclopedia of knowledge. A couple were alright once they were given a little push.
And then there were some-
Some who showed up for their first day not knowing a single thing. Their hands had to be held every second of their shifts.
He swears, it was as if they hadn’t gone to school at all.
Even then, Jack does not recall gossip spreading so fast. It’s only the first few minutes of the shift- there is no way that the new student could’ve done so much damage already to warrant this.
“How’re you liking the day shift?” A voice drifts over from the wall behind him. He stows his backpack in his locker and shuts the door, turning around to find Dana watching him.
“It is definitely going to take some getting used to.”
“I’m sure that you could get put back on nights if you just asked.”
“I’m okay, Dana. Promise.” Jack sighs, running a hand through his hair. “Shen’s got it. He doesn’t need me running amok while he’s trying to do things.”
The charge nurse watches him for a moment, her gaze making him feel as if he’s been laid bare for anyone to see.
She used to look at Robby like that.
Like she was worried that he’d disappear if she dared to look away.
Jack meets her eyes and turns his mouth into a small, hopefully reassuring, smile. “Dana, I’m fine. Honest.” He takes a breath before speaking again. “Now did you hear-”
“About the new student?” Dana leans against the wall, crossing her arms. She looks as if she’s trying to find her words, which is worrying in of itself. “I did. That’s why I’m here.”
“Why you’re- Dana, what?” Jack laughs, worry rising in his chest. “What could this kid have possibly done to warrant a warning like this?”
“It’s not about what he did.”
“Then what is it?” With Dana’s hesitation, Jack starts to laugh again. “Oh, god. He isn’t like that Ashford kid, is he? The hand holder? You remember him don’t you?”
“I do. And no, he isn’t. At least- At least I don’t think so.” She murmurs, watching him carefully. “His name is John Carter. Some fresh-faced kid from Chicago.”
Jack pushes off of the lockers, moving to walk past Dana. “Then let’s go meet him.”
A hand whips out, planting itself on his chest. “Prepare yourself, okay?”
“I’m a big boy, Dana. I’ll be alright.” Jack tries to smile again, removing her hand and continuing towards the hub.
— — — — — —
Carter rocks back and forth on his heels nervously, watching as absolute chaos unfolds around him.
People were absolutely everywhere.
Patients were lined against the walls on gurneys and nearly every room was filled.
He was warned that his ER rotation would be a lot to handle, but he never thought that it would be like, well, this.
“John Carter?”
A voice calling his name causes him to whip around, eyes wide. He finds an older man with graying hair and an indescribable expression. “Y-yes, sir.”
“Jack Abbot.” The man, Doctor Abbot, grips Carter’s hand in a shake so tightly that he was sure that it was going to fall off. “I’m the day shift attending.”
After an extremely awkward silence, a realization snaps into Carter. “Oh, I-um. It’s-I’m- MS3. I’m a third year.” He feels heat rise in his cheeks as a blush of embarrassment flashes across them.
A woman stands behind Doctor Abbot, the same one who had rescued him from the chairs area earlier this morning. He had shown up early for his shift, wanting to make a good impression, and had gotten stuck with several patients thinking that he was an actual doctor. “And you’re Nurse Evans… right?”
The woman laughs, eyes crinkling at the corners. “There’s no need for any of that, kid. Just call me Dana.”
“Dana.” Carter tries to smile, hoping to ease the nervous feeling that is coursing through him. “Okay.”
Dana looks to Doctor Abbot, who is still studying him with something unreadable written across his face. It was almost vacant. As if the lights were on but nobody was home. “Have you been assigned to anyone, yet?”
“No, ma’am.”
She smiles gently and nudges him with her elbow as she walks past. “Let’s go see if we can go find someone to get you started, hm?”
Carter nods and starts to follow- but something pulls him to look back at Doctor Abbot. He was leaning against the counter of the hub, staring at the spot that Carter had just occupied.
“John, you comin’?”
Dana’s voice calls for him and it snaps Carter out of his concern induced trance. He runs to catch up to her. “Just call me Carter. John sounds too much like my father.”
“You got it, kid.”
“I, um…” Carter spares another glance back to Abbot, who still hasn’t moved. “I hope this doesn’t sound rude. But- Is- Is Doctor Abbot alright?”
Something flashes across Dana’s eyes. Worry. “Jack’ll be fine. He’s just adjusting to working the day shift again.”
Carter nods and tries to move on from the subject. However, his concern from earlier quickly finds itself a home in his gut, burrowing ever so deeply.
Did he do something wrong?
Were his dress clothes a little too much?
He looks down at himself, smoothing out his tie nervously. His breath catches in his throat as he tries to take a deep, calming breath.
Yep.
Definitely too much.
He’ll have to go shopping for scrubs after his shift tonight.
Dana takes him around the whole ED and even introduces him to a couple of the frequent flyers of the place. There was all so much to take in and understand.
It was honestly starting to make his head hurt.
“If you’ve got any questions, just ask anybody.” Dana tells him once they reach the hub. She looks around the milling crowd, peering around bodies. Doctor Abbot is noticeably absent and a quick glance on Carter’s part gives no answer to where he might have gone. “It also looks like that the guy I had in mind for you isn’t here quite yet.”
Carter nods, shoving his hand deeply into the pockets of his khakis. “So, um, what should I do?”
“Make yourself some shitty coffee in the lounge.” Dana smiles up at him, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Take a seat and enjoy it while it lasts. It’ll probably be the last time you’ll get the opportunity all day.”
Carter nods once more, turning on his heels towards the room that Dana had shown him just minutes earlier. He pushes the door open quietly and sits at the table that was placed inside.
He pushes his hands through his hair.
Again.
Again.
And again.
He needs to do this.
He needs to be able to handle this.
Because if he runs back to Chicago with his tail tucked between his legs, it’ll just prove his family right. He would never hear the end of it.
It’d be popular gossip around the dining table during holidays and the very far and few in between family dinners. There’d be hushed whispers about him at galas and fundraisers.
Hell, maybe his failure would make it to the local newspapers back home. Bold headlines would scream about how the black sheep of the philanthropic Carter family, marred by his dream of becoming a fucking doctor of all things, was unable to complete his training.
Carter gulps at the seemingly thin air in the lounge, a hand fisted in his dress shirt. He’s fine. He’s fine. He’s-
“Stop your crying, John. The guests will see you.” His mother’s voice echoes in his head at an impossible volume, causing him to flinch.
He closes his eyes, pulling himself into a breathing pattern that he had taught himself when he was only little.
In for four.
Hold for eight.
Out for four.
He’s got this.
He’ll be just fine.