Silva's pov
“Hmm” I murmured, smiling in my sleep.Rubbing my eyes ,I sat up. Warm sunlight spilled across my face and for one peaceful moment, I stayed exactly where I was .Yawning, I checked the alarm clock… 7:56am “OH SH*T!” I shouted scrambling off the bed while Tripping over the duvet. There is no way I'm gonna be late on my first day as an intern…What kind of first impression is THAT!! . I crashed against the edge of the dresser before catching myself with both hands.
“Great start, Silvia. Excellent. Future doctor of the year.”
I bolted into the bathroom and flicked on the light. The mirror nearly made me scream.
My curls were pointing in six different directions, one side flattened from sleep while the other looked like it had survived a hurricane. Mascara from the night before had smudged beneath my eyes, and there was a faint pillow crease across my cheek.
I looked less like a valedictorian and more like a patient in need of immediate assistance.
Toothbrush. Toothpaste. Water.
I brushed my teeth so aggressively foam dripped down my chin. While rinsing, I grabbed my face wash, knocked over my moisturizer, and sent a bottle of perfume rolling into the sink with a sharp clink.
I yanked my hair into a ponytail, missed half of it, tried again, and finally secured it with a hair tie that snapped on the first attempt.
“Traitor!!.”
The second hair tie held.
I splashed cold water on my face, patted it dry with a towel, and stared at myself for one quick second. Green eyes. Damp curls escaping the ponytail. Panic written across every feature.
“Okay,” I whispered. “You survived medical school Silvia.You can survive one morning.”
My stomach growled.
I ignored it.
Back in the bedroom, I dragged on my light blue top, nearly put it on backwards, fixed it, then stepped into my skirt while hopping on one foot. One sock disappeared under the bed. I dropped to my knees, reached blindly beneath the frame, and emerged victorious with enough dust on my hand to start a science experiment.
“Fantastic.”
Twelve minutes into my already terrible morning.. BEEP!...BEEP!! as I hopped with my right leg while fixing my shoe lace on my left .Pressing the answer button I landed on the rug with a low “ouch” leaving my mouth . “Heyy sweetie!! How's my doctor doing”? …mum said
“ hey mumm!! Doing greatttt!! How's dad?” As I said, while hurriedly trying on my shoes .
“Oh he's doing great sweetheart, he's so happy about you being a doctor now at St Catherine's hospital all the way in Manhattan. He's been bragging to all his friends over the phone all morning “ she said, chuckling. Only if she could see that I'm already 19 MINUTES LATE!!
“Awwn that's so sweet mum I got to go okay I'll call you back when I'm free love you byeeee” as I hung up and literally sprinted all the way from my apartment down the street running down the road to the medical center .
After what felt like hours of me moving in between crowds and drivers yelling at me to wait for the traffic lights , I ran into the hospital entrance .St. Catherine’s Teaching Hospital rose above Manhattan like a tower of glass and white stone, its mirrored windows catching the morning sun until the entire building seemed to glow. Ambulances lined the entrance, nurses hurried through the revolving doors, and the sharp scent of antiseptic drifted into the cool city air. Even from outside, the hospital felt intimidating—busy, brilliant, and far too important for a girl who was already behind time.
Sneakers squeaking on the already polished tiles as I stopped at the receptionist desk .
“ hi.. hi ..good morning ma'am um.. I'm here for the internship please “ panting as I spoke.
Calmly she replied “name please”...
“Silvia pears … silvia gwendolyn pears ma'am “
Like that name can get me anywhere right now .
Watching her intensely as she searched for my name , then smiled “ohh Silvia pears first class valedictorian from Stanford University , all the doctors have been talking about ya “ she praised.
A quick smirk surfaced on my lips “ thank you ma'am” .
“ down the hall , right turn. last room at the end. The orientation had already started “ she directed while smiling .
“Thank you!!” as I ran.
“ and that's the reason why this orienta….” As I swung the door open…that's when I clicked I should have woken up earlier. The orientation room looked nothing like a classroom.
Bright white ceiling lights reflected off polished floors that smelled faintly of antiseptic and fresh coffee. Rows of dark blue chairs were arranged in neat lines facing a large projector screen, each seat occupied by an intern in a crisp white coat clutching a folder stamped with the silver crest of St. Catherine’s Hospital.
A long conference table stood at the front of the room with neatly stacked orientation packets, ID lanyards, hospital maps, and pens aligned with military precision. Behind it, a digital screen displayed WELCOME NEW INTERN COHORT — ST. CATHERINE’S TEACHING HOSPITAL, MANHATTAN beside the hospital logo.
The air-conditioning was so cold that I could literally feel it against the back of my neck. The soft hum of the projector mixed with the occasional rustle of paper and the nervous tapping of pens. Someone whispered. Another intern adjusted their stethoscope as if it were armor.
Floor-to-ceiling glass windows lined one wall, revealing a slice of Manhattan—yellow taxis inching through traffic, glass skyscrapers catching the morning sun, and the distant wail of a siren drifting upward from the street below.
Everyone looked painfully prepared.
Neatly tied hair. Polished shoes. Perfect posture.
All were perfect except the late ass intern stumbling in with slightly damp brownish blonde hair,and a lab coat in her arm. One sock was worn higher than the other with untied shoelaces. I mean…. I already hate the fact that I burned probably 270 calories this morning and got here late, but nothing compared to those staring eyes all looking at me .
“Intern?” Dr Quill said with his deep groggy voice but still sharp as a razor.
“Yeah” I said, still lost in some kind of trance.
As he arched a brow “and you're 27 minutes late?” He said so sternly I snapped back into reality ….yeah , I'm definitely in trouble now.