Chicago Med 2.0

Evelyn, still sleeping in front of her junior, appeared much healthier than she had a few hours ago. Alaynah had attempted to persuade her to leave earlier, but Evelyn responded with a defiant look and insisted on staying in the office. Alaynah couldn't help but feel grateful for how helpful and remarkable her senior was.

After completing the notes for Evelyn's patients, Alaynah began working on her notes for her first patient, Judi. Evelyn had agreed to let her junior handle all new patients for now, a decision Alaynah greatly appreciated. She didn't want to take over Evelyn's patients; she believed that patients should maintain a strong and consistent relationship with their doctor. Alaynah had noticed how disappointed Evelyn's patients looked when she conducted their ultrasounds, as they clearly wanted Evelyn to be part of that joyful experience.

So, Alaynah felt excited about creating happy memories with Judi and her family. Judi was eighteen years old, a high school senior, and engaged. Alaynah briefly frowned, but she understood it wasn't her place to judge. Instead, she focused on the positive aspect—Judi's decision to keep the baby. Most eighteen-year-olds opt for a different path, and for Alaynah, it was a process she could never be a part of.

When Alaynah met Judi, she asked her about her parents' thoughts regarding the baby. Judi replied that both of her parents were okay with it, but there was still something that felt off.

When Alaynah asked Judi about her fiancé, a bad feeling washed over her as she noticed the sudden look of concern and fear on Judi's face. Judi's fiancé was supposed to be with her today, but he never showed up. Judi had made an excuse, mentioning he had to work two jobs, but Alaynah distinctly remembered her only mentioning one job at the beginning of their conversation.

Feeling uneasy about Judi's strange behavior, Alaynah gave Judi her personal number along with a small pamphlet on essential baby items. She discreetly added the abuse hotline number in tiny letters, just in case. Alaynah had witnessed situations where doctors openly provided articles on abuse or got involved too quickly, leading the abuser to notice, potentially putting both the child and the mother in danger. She also made a note in Judi's file to inform Michael about this, as having a witness was crucial in case any issues arose. Alaynah closed the file and placed it on Evelyn's desk, keeping it separate from her other files to avoid any mix-ups.

Alaynah unlocked her phone and focused on the email sent by Michael, which mentioned that she would have her own office by tomorrow, located next to Evelyn's. He also informed her that she would receive a coat with her name engraved on it, and she requested the print to be in gray, as white might not be visible. She had also received a new pager, which made her quite pleased; she felt incomplete without it.

A grin spread across her face as she reflected on the nearly six hours she had spent working. It felt like she had been there for much longer. However, a sudden chill ran down her spine, and her smile vanished. She had a distinct feeling of being watched. She knew it couldn't be Evelyn, who was sound asleep in her chair, so she turned slowly towards the door, believing she had seen someone walk past the window.

If there was one thing people should know about Alaynah, it was that she didn't handle pranks, Halloween, ghosts, or yetis well, and she definitely didn't believe in the paranormal. She did, however, believe in demons. So, what did she just witness? Hesitantly, she approached the door and cracked it open, intending to count to ten before sticking her head out.

With a quick movement, Alaynah pushed her head out and looked both ways, but there was no one there. To her left, down the long corridor, she could see an occasional nurse passing by, and to the right, the doors to the main hub were closed. She shuddered as she closed the door again. She really couldn't tolerate any shenanigans. "Let's just hope it's my imagination," she thought.

Turning around, she glanced at her watch and realized it was 2:07. Slowly, she walked over to Evelyn and gently patted her shoulder.

Evelyn woke up in a daze and looked at Alaynah. "What time is it?"

"It's 2:07. It's time for you to go home; your shift is over."

Evelyn nodded and got up, retrieving her purse from the closet along with her jacket. Alaynah helped her put on the jacket, ensuring her baby bump was adequately covered.

"You can use my chair for the remainder of the day. I don't know if Michael mentioned it yet, but starting tomorrow, you'll have your own office next to mine. They'll be moving the cabinet files out and adding furniture tonight."

Alaynah smiled. "Thanks for letting me know."

Evelyn nodded wearily. "You have a good night, and I'll see you at six tomorrow."

"Alright," Alaynah said. "You have a good night too." She held the door open for Evelyn, and with a quick wave and farewell, Evelyn left.

Since she had offered her chair, Alaynah quickly took a seat, the chair she sat in originally had no cushion for her buttocks. Once she settled into Evelyn's comfortable chair, she replayed all the events that had occurred during her day so far.

Her mind went back to the moment she was holding the youngest twin in the nursery and made eye contact with Dr. Kang. Initially, she thought those might be his children due to the deep concern and worry etched on his face outside the nursery window. However, she soon learned that wasn't the case. Instead, he was the doctor who had performed the twin's mother's surgery, and she was now in a coma.

Alaynah knew it wasn't Dr. Kang's fault. Due to the stress of the twin's premature delivery, high blood pressure, and significant blood loss, the mother had fallen into a coma. Nevertheless, she felt sympathy for him; it's never easy to make such decisions, but at least three lives were saved, and she hoped he understood that too.

She had also learned quite a bit about the staff today, aside from the fact that Dr. Lee, Dr. Cruz, and Dr. Collins were all single. She hadn't asked; it had come up in various conversations she overheard while walking the hospital's halls by herself. It seemed they were like eligible bachelors here, which didn't particularly intrigue or attract her. Additionally, the floor above her apparently housed the most handsome doctor, the main cardiovascular surgeon.

As she had suspected from her awkward encounter with Dr. Cruz, he was a ladies' man. Rumor had it that he had never dated anyone at this hospital, which suited her just fine, as she had no intention of being an exception. Imagine that? She had gathered all this information simply by overhearing nurses gossiping, talking to patients, and occasionally stopping by the main hub where more gossip circulated.

She rolled her eyes. "Why do I have a feeling that Chicago Med is about to face some stiff competition?" She texted Michael and Ryan that she had started her shift early due to Evelyn's stress and that she could still fulfill her regular work hours. Ryan quickly responded, asking if she was okay with that, to which she replied that working extra hours didn't bother her. She decided not to mention the incident with the twins this morning; the news would reach him eventually, and she didn't want to be the bearer of bad news. She wasn't keen on seeing anyone's negative reaction just yet.

Feeling a bit hungry, she checked her schedule. She didn't have anyone scheduled for a couple of hours, so it seemed like a good time to take a break. She didn't have her car yet, as she had forgotten that she lived in the mountains, making it challenging to transport her car from New York. The company she had hired to bring her car out here had postponed the drop-off by another two weeks due to a major storm. So, no drive-thru for her; instead, she decided to try out the cafeteria. Most people cringed at hospital food, but back in New York, it had been her favorite part of the day. They were known for having the best food in the district, so she hoped the hospital here would at least meet some of her expectations.

As she got up, grabbed her wallet, and turned off the light in Evelyn's office, she mentally checked her belongings:

Badge, check.

ID, check.

Pager, check.

Phone, check.

With a small smile and a pat on her own back, she headed towards the elevators. Peanut butter and jelly time? She chuckled, hoping it was just a joke. They couldn't possibly be serving only peanut butter and jelly, right?