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Doctor Ada Paige let out a rumbling sigh as she collapsed into her office’s armchair by the fireplace, trying not to fall asleep then and there. The shift today had been especially torturous – Ian was busy in the hospital’s basement trying to code whatever miracle cure Edega wanted him to make this time, and the Intern was running around like a headless chicken trying to keep everyone’s heart rate stable. She still had the Janitor and the Nurse helping her out here and there, but Ada found that she was having a hard time keeping up with the workload that Doctor Edega kept shoving onto her.
...It probably doesn’t help that I haven’t slept well at all lately, Ada thought to herself, taking her glasses off and folding them up. Don’t have the chance to get groceries, and don’t have the luxury of sleeping in, ‘cause I’d need to be up in time for the next shift…
It gnawed at her. The Middlesea Hospital staff needed more people; was the budget really stretched thin enough to warrant a skeleton crew setup? She was barely getting enough sleep, how was Ian doing having to handle new irregularities in the patients’ heart patterns? Ada tried not to worry, but it was all she did, really.
Paige took a deep breath, pinching the bridge of her nose as she exhaled. It’ll be fine. It’ll be fine. Ian’s used to this… You can get used to it too.
Breathe in, breathe out.
God, this job is gonna be the death of me.
Ada continued to breathe, massaging the pressure point between her eyebrows as the headache that threatened to creep up on her passed. She just… needed some rest. All of them did, really. She tried to picture a stress-free day, finding her idea of it included a big meal and a freshly made bed waiting for her at home.
The doctor finally felt like she was relaxing a touch. Her eyes began to creak closed as a thought spoke up in the back of her head that she needed to clock out, but Paige’s exhausted body refused to move from this space of comfort.
...Somebody else can handle that, she thought to herself, and she fell asleep.
Ian was still working in the basement when the Intern found him. He made a vague noise of acknowledgment and continued to work as the Intern walked into the basement, careful climbing down the stairs.
The noise of the computer fans whirring and the rapid tapping away of the keyboard nearly distracted the Intern from the growing mess that was accumulating around their coworker’s space. They tilted their monitor head, watching as Ian threw back another energy drink and set the empty can on the edge of his desk.
It only took a few seconds before the emptied can clattered to the floor as Ian wiped the sweat off his brow, leaning into the computer screen a bit more as he continued to type away.
Wordlessly, the Intern reached into the mini fridge in the basement and pulled out a cold water bottle to set it on the doctor’s desk, closer to the center so it wouldn’t fall. As if the spell he was under broke, Ian blinked and looked up at them.
“O-oh. Thanks, Intern. I’ll be done in a bit, I just- Edega asked me to do more modifications,” he mumbled, taking his glasses off for a moment to wipe them. “’m almost done. Just need to do final bug tests.”
The Intern frowned internally, finally seeing the heavy bags under Ian’s eyes. They nudged the water bottle closer, then tapped on the desk.
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« You need to hydrate, Ian. »
Ian’s face scrunched slightly as he listened, and he put his glasses back on with a grimace. “You’re starting to sound like Ada. But yeah, I’ll drink it. I swear.”
The Intern stood for a second, crossing their arms as they tilted their monitor head in a way that they hoped looked like they were raising their eyebrows, and Ian reluctantly reached for the water bottle and unscrewed it. At that, they clapped their hands together in happiness and left Ian alone, searching for a plastic bag in the basement.
He could keep working if he really wished to, but the Intern really wanted to make sure that he was at least doing it in a clean environment. The least they could do while Ian kept hacking away at the rhythm defibrillator was to clean the basement up a touch while he kept working.
Sure enough, the clatter of keyboard typing resumed when the Intern found a vacant bag. They made a silent chuckle to themself and began to scoop up the discarded cans and empty snack bags littered around Ian’s desk.
In the short time they have known Ian and Ada, the Intern found rather quickly that both of them were prone to overworking. They initially had thought that they needed help with their respective jobs, but realized that they had their own systems and everything. In the end, they were the doctors and the Intern was just, well, an intern. It wasn’t that their coworkers had a workaholic mindset, but rather that they were stretched rather thin across the entire hospital and now had even more responsibility than they knew what to do with.
They gently nudged Ian’s seat with a hand, and Ian rolled slightly in the direction the Intern pushed without any comment as he continued to work. This little song and dance they played once the curtain closed on the patient work for the day was beginning to become routine for the both of them, and the Intern was grateful that Ian accepted their help. He had initially been hesitant, and stuttered about how he should clean up the mess that tended to accumulate after he had been coding for a while, but the Intern kept insisting.
Eventually Ian just let them do as they wished. The Intern didn’t bother making it into a whole thing that needed to be paid back. They knew that Ian’s job was especially brutal, having to cater to Doctor Edega’s newest demands. Ada also had to plan out patient care protocol individualized for every new patient they received, and usually greeted every single one personally. The Intern, meanwhile, technically sat in a chair at a desk at home all day, and didn’t really work hard physically while Ada and Ian ran around the hospital. Helping the doctors out in little ways like this made it feel more like they were pulling their weight outside of the Rhythm Doctor program.
Eventually the last crinkled up bag of snack chips was plucked off the floor and put with the rest, and the Intern patted the armrest of the chair twice. Ian rolled back to where he was wordlessly, typing with one hand for a moment to take another sip of water.
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« Is the trash full? » the Intern tapped on the desk.
“Huh?” Ian mumbled in response, his one-handed typing slowing for a second. “Oh. Yeah, I think it is.”
The Intern nodded, and reached to pull it out from under the desk. Ian made a quiet chuckle in response, and screwed the water bottle closed again as he stretched his hands. “Almost done. I’ll come with you to help Ada out once I’m wrapped up here.”
The overflowing trash bin was emptied in one fell swoop as the Intern pulled the bag out, reaching for one of the desk’s drawers to grab a fresh one. Ian met them halfway with the box of lemon scented trash bags, one poking out for them to take hold of.
“It’s really messed up that…” Ian trailed off, glancing at the stairway for a moment, as if to check for Doctor Edega. Finding nothing but the first plastic bag of cans and snack bags, he continued. “It’s messed up that we have to keep rewriting the whole formula for these rhythm treatments. Like, this system, it’s supposed to be streamlined so it does one thing and does it right.”
The Intern nodded, tying off the full trash bag as they dumped what didn’t fit into the fresh bag that waited to be secured in the bin.
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« Edega has to chill, » they drummed out against the metal of the trash bin.
“Yeah, no kidding,” Ian sighed, leaning back in his creaky office chair. “I just- gah. I don’t know. There’s a lot of work that needs to be done, and…”
And Ian was shy, and wasn’t quite as receptive to interacting with patients, the Intern thought. Ada’s perfect in a social situation and with her empathy, but she’s not very versed in the code stuff.
In that way, they were a perfect team. One had strengths to pick up where the other lacked. The problem was that they were left to do it alone, minus the Janitor, the Nurse, and themself. It wasn’t sustainable in the slightest.
If one were to fall ill, the other would have to try to pick up the slack, and the other day where the Intern had treated Paige to keep her heart steady throughout the shift was proof of that. Ian hasn’t gotten to the point where he needed to be treated yet, but the Intern already knew it was bound to happen eventually. The poor guy’s been working himself to death as is, and now Doctor Edega and the Connectifia Abortus were involved, which just made it worse.
And now he was pulling what the Intern presumed are all-nighters in order to get everything done.
The Intern’s shoulders slumped as they breathed out a silent sigh, then rose to their feet. Ian seemed to understand, and saved everything he was working on before following suit, taking the water bottle with him.
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« I’m worried about Ada, » they tapped with their free hand onto their metallic chest, the other hand tight around the bulky trash bag.
“Me too,” Ian murmured. “She’s been working hard.”
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« You have been too. I’m worried about both of you. »
Ian quieted down at that, trying not to make eye contact with the monitor. He scooped up the other bag before the Intern could, and nudged the door open with his foot. “I- We, well… We’ve all got jobs to do, you know?”
The Intern angled their monitor at him again, a hand on their hip, as if to say ‘really?’.
Ian put his hands up in protest. “I’m just saying! Yeah, it sucks we have to do it pretty much on our own, but it’s what we have to do! I don’t- We don’t really have much of a choice now.”
The Intern shook their head in response, but climbed the stairs after Ian. They still didn’t like that the pressure was put on them, but knew it wasn’t that easy to fix. To really help Ada and Ian, there needed to be more staff, and for there to be more staff, they had to hire, and to even think of hiring, they would have to somehow convince Edega, who already decided that the staff were on their own.
There was always the possibility that he could hire more interns, but then those interns would be worked to the bone, and so on. The cycle would just continue.
They tried not to look like they were moping as they followed Ian out to the first floor’s hallway, bag of trash in hand. The two of them made their way to the dumpster in the back alley behind the hospital, waving to the Janitor as they passed him. He nodded in response, continuing to mop the hospital’s lobby without another word.
Ian sighed as he breathed in the alley’s outside air, then sneezed into his lab coat’s sleeve. “Eugh. Allergies,” he mumbled, scratching his chin as he dragged the trash he had to the dumpster’s closed lid. He opened it with one hand, quickly tossing it in.
The Intern followed suit after signing a quick « bless you, » helping Ian close the lid securely after. They watched as Ian slowly stretched since they were already outside, the doctor groaning to himself as his bones popped.
Poor guy.
Eventually Ian wrapped up and nodded at them that he was ready to move onto the next step of their new routine. Now that Ian’s workspace had been cleaned up and he had taken some time to stretch, it was time to check on Paige and make sure she ate something.
The Intern let Ian lead the way back inside, the both of them getting a bit of hand sanitizer from a dispenser they had set up ahead of time for convenience’s sake. The two of them walked up to Paige’s office, giving the door a knock before making their way inside.
The fireplace crackled away, bathing the room in a cozy warm glow. Ada sat in the armchair, fast asleep with her glasses dangerously close to slipping out of her limp hands. Ian chuckled to himself, shaking his head in an almost affectionate disbelief. “This is the third time this week.”
Ian crossed the distance from the hall and pulled Ada’s glasses out of her hands, careful not to catch her fingers on them. The Intern opened a wide drawer from the cabinet and unfolded a thick woven blanket. They turned to face Ada, tilting their head for a moment as they tried to gauge the best course of action.
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« ...Is that a recliner? I forgot what kind of chair it is, » the Intern admitted, tapping away at their arm as they folded the blanket back in half. Ian set Ada’s glasses safely on her desk. They circled Ada to search for a recliner handle, but found none.
“I don’t think it’s a recliner. You sure we shouldn’t wake her? I doubt she’s eaten anything,” Ian whispered as he went to empty Ada’s trash can for her.
The Intern paused for a moment, before signing something in a manner that was small and close to their chest, as if they were whispering.
“Oh. You sure?”
They nodded.
“Well, I’m sure we can find something close by. Oh, and I found this,” Ian said, pointing to a neck pillow on Ada’s desk. “Might be useful.”
The Intern signed in thanks, spreading the blanket across Ada’s lap before holding their metal hands close to the fireplace. Don’t want to startle her with cold hands, after all… After a brief moment, they gently adjusted Ada’s head to prevent her from slouching over in a painful manner and put the pillow around her neck.
The sleeping doctor made a quiet mumble, leaning into the comfort of the neck pillow. The sight warmed the Intern’s heart.
They could hear Ian step out to get rid of the trash, so for the time being they sat crisscross on the carpeted floor of Paige’s office and listened to the crackle of the fire. They were going over recipes in their head while they waited for Ian to return, trying to think of anything they could make in the microwave for today. There was a fair amount of versatility so long as you had a microwave safe cup, honestly, but part of them wanted to just make something themself with a stove.
Paige mumbled in her sleep, shifting slightly as she almost burrowed herself further into the armchair. The Intern scooted a little closer to adjust the blanket, this time pulling it up to her shoulders and tucking her in. Ada seemed to settle at that, her expression becoming more relaxed as she slept.
Phew. Don’t want her to wake up yet if we can help it.
They stood up and searched for some blank paper, plucking a page from Ada’s printer before scribbling a big “DO NOT DISTURB” on it, then a smaller “doctor Paige is sleeping (signed the intern)” beneath. The only person the Intern could think of that would ignore the sign would be Doctor Edega, but as far as they could tell he had all but packed up and left by now. Regardless, it shouldn’t be a problem. The Intern pulled a piece of tape from Ada’s desk, making a mental note to get her more, and then stuck the paper sign on the outside of her office door.
Now was their chance! The Intern waved to the Janitor to get his attention, and pointed with their thumb to the sign. The man nodded, continuing to mop the hospital lobby. He would keep watch over her office while they stepped out. Now they just needed to be quick.
“You sure she won’t try to kill you for this? You know she doesn’t like to make a whole scene,” Ian said as he finally reunited with them, strolling back to the hallway with a thoughtful look on his face. “Like, I’m sure she’s gonna appreciate it, but-”
« I can handle it if she’s mad, » the Intern signed in response, their posture relaxed. They wished there was an easier way for them to emote to the people at Middlesea Hospital, but their posture would have to do for now. « I’ll be fine! »
“If you say so,” Ian huffed. He peeled his labcoat off and set it behind the vacant information table, reaching for a sweater. “You ready?”
The Intern nodded, pumping their fist once. They marched off towards the hospital’s entrance and set off on their quest.
When Ada woke, she found herself comfortable. What was I doing again..?
She heard a quiet snore from the room. She shifted slightly, realizing her neck pillow had been put on and a thick woven blanket was wrapped around her shoulders.
Huh? ... Oh.
Pffft.
Paige already had a feeling who the culprits were, and sure enough, one of them had his head resting on the side of her armchair. Ian sat slumped against the furniture, his lower half covered with a blanket. She could barely spot that Ian had a pillow under his head, though it was poorly angled. Ada snorted quietly to herself, sitting up to adjust his blanket.
She looked around her office, and caught sight of the Intern’s robotic chassis charging in the corner, the monitor on a screensaver that popped the logo of the hospital around the screen. They had a folded paper in their lap, as if they knew she would check on them once she woke.
Hah. Worrywart, Ada thought to herself as she got up to read the note, keeping the blanket curled around her shoulders. Though, I guess I’m one to talk. Glass houses and all that.
She unfurled the paper and read through the Intern’s scribbled handwriting, though she was in half a mind to see if the logo on their screensaver would hit the corner.
“Hi Ada,
I know you’ve had a real rough one lately, so I got you something. It’s in the break room fridge. You don’t need to pay me back or anything. I just wanted to help you out. I’ll be back in fifteen if I don’t fall asleep, so I’ll be able to help you carry what I got you home.
- Intern”
“Hmm.” Paige squinted at the words for a moment. What would they even need to help her carry?
Oh.
Suddenly Ada remembered the day the Intern had operated on her to keep her heart rate stable. She had mentioned eating dinner from a vending machine again. Did they-
She started walking suddenly, rushing towards the break room. It was something small and relatively insignificant, but Middlesea Hospital staff had their lunches stored away in the fridge. At this late hour, it would usually be empty. Usually.
Paige opened the fridge, trying not to immediately shut her eyes at the fluorescent lights.
Ah crap. I knew it.
Several plastic bags from a corner store filled two drawers of the refrigerator. Paige could spot cartons of milk, fresh fruits and vegetables, and other sorts of perishables she didn’t have at home currently. She just didn’t have the chance to.
A feeling overcame her then, as she squatted and sifted through the bags’ contents, finding items that clearly were a collaboration between Ian and the Intern. She knew she should probably be upset, upset that they went through all this effort for little ol’ Paige, the doctor that wasn’t very helpful in the Rhythm Doctor program, but…
But I feel… happy. Loved. Wanted.
Ada chuckled to herself as she found some snack bags Ian clearly packed, making a mental note to share them with him later. The both of her coworkers were present in every bag, the contents almost a snapshot of who they were. The Intern had packed various different perishables that they likely knew she didn’t have but enjoyed, like the different kinds of fresh fruits she found. Ian most certainly packed all of the more convenient items, like cups of noodles she could add hot water to, and containers of spices to mix into steamed rice. She took a moment to just sort through it all, feeling tears stream down her face and splatter onto her glasses.
Oh- oh, come on, Ada, get it together-
“Ah. Didn’t see anything,” a voice from behind her muttered. Ada whirled around to spot the Janitor awkwardly whistling to himself as he reached for the coffee machine next to the fridge. “I did tell them not to do this without making sure it was fine with you first. But that little friend of yours, they’re persistent, I tell ya.”
She rubbed at her eyes with her labcoat’s sleeve, trying to wipe them clean before she embarrassed herself further. “I-it’s not about the groceries. It’s just, they-”
“Worry too much about you?” The Janitor asked with an eyebrow raised. He detached his mask to take a sip of bitter instant coffee, and sighed deeply. “Sorry to break it to you, Doc, but everyone’s worried about the three of you. Especially for you.”
“Why, because they think I can’t do it on my own..?”
“Because the three of you ARE doing this on your own,” the Janitor drawled out, leaning on the counter. “Yeah, the Nurse and I help out where we can, but we’re not doctors. You know that, right?”
Ada paused, her gaze drifting back down to the bags of food.
“The three of you are working yourselves to death. You already look dead on your feet as is, though you seem a bit better after some sleep. My point being: just… try to take care of yourself, Doc. We only got one Doctor Ada Paige, after all.”
Ada’s lip quivered, but she nodded. The Janitor gave her a gentle pat on the shoulder, and took his coffee with him as he headed back to work. Paige sat there for a moment, letting herself cry in a mix of joy and frustration.
Eventually she stood up again, plucking an apple from a bag before shutting the fridge again. Ada stepped to the sink to rinse off any dirt off the fruit, and, before she had second thoughts, bit into the ripe flesh.
God, I fucking missed fruit. I should’ve asked them to help me sooner.
She could feel the tears starting up again and removed her glasses, laughing quietly to herself. It was a stressful day, and she hadn’t gotten anything substantial to eat, and she had Edega constantly breathing down her back and making her feel like she wasn’t of enough use to the hospital, and-
And now she had this. A gift from her coworkers. No, her friends. Her heart felt like it was swelling as Ada continued to eat her apple, feeling an immense relief in the taste.
It tasted like home. A home she hadn’t been able to get to and properly rest in for however long she had been working now, but it was still home.
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« Was it too much? I’m sorry! »
Paige yelped, nearly choking on the chunk of apple still in her mouth. The Intern stood in the hallway with a panicked posture, Ian’s sleepy face peeking in behind them.
“I told you, I wasn’t sure she was going to like it,” Ian mumbled, an apologetic look on her face. “Ada, I-” The Intern flailed, as if they were trying to express something in sign language but couldn’t decide on what words to use.
“You two,” Ada drew out, and both of them froze in their tracks. “You two are the fucking sweetest, and I’m hugging you to death.”
“It was their idea I told them it wasn’t- huh?” « I’m so sorry I’ll never do it aga- wuh »
Paige almost sprinted across the break room, pulling the two of them close. Ian yelped, but quickly hugged her back. “I’m so glad- thank you. Both of you. Thanks for this.”
The Intern sort of rested their head on top of Paige’s, wrapping their arms around her and Ian as they did so. She could tell they wanted to say something, but just settled for the silence for now.
Ada breathed out shakily, trying to avoid crying even more than she already had. “Anyway… You got me these, so it’s time for me to pay you back. You’re both coming over for dinner,” she said, putting her hands on her hips.
« But- » the Intern began to sign, before Ada put a finger up.
“AND I am getting some of it over to you at home. So no complaining! I’m cooking for the both of you,” Ada said, smiling as she wiped her face again. “So, let’s get hauling. I think I want to make some sort of fruit tart for dessert. Or maybe apple pie.”
Ian laughed, patting the Intern on the back. “You’re lucky it’s not cake. A while back, Ada tried to make a cake for Samurai, and well-”
“Thanks Ian that’s enough if you want to have any pasta,” Paige ground out with a deadly grin. She reached into the fridge and scooped up two of the bags. “Well, I mean, if it was you that packed that bottled pasta sauce. I figured you would want some.”
Ian’s sheepish expression confirmed it, and he took two bags with no further quips. He seemed happy, though, and Ada laughed. The Intern’s posture relaxed, and they signed with a sweeping excitement to their words before picking the rest of the bags up.
The three of them eventually went into the hallway and started to head out. She could spot Nicole watching her as they left with a raised eyebrow, but a thumbs up. Paige tried not to blush as they headed in the direction of the train station, trying to keep her thoughts off of work.
They would all have an even more torturous day ahead of them tomorrow – especially if Edega knew they had collaborated like this to help Paige out. Despite all of it, though, she felt… somewhat excited. She wasn’t going to face any of it alone.
Yeah. I’ll be… where my home is, Ada thought, watching her coworkers settle next to her on the bench as they waited for her train.
I’ll be with them.