<\/p>\n
Twenty-four-year-old Nick Carter entered the lobby of Atlantic City Memorial Hospital, the largest hospital in the coastal town of Atlantic City, North Carolina, his heart pounding with nervousness. A feeling of slight intimidation came over him, as he looked around the large room, with its high ceiling, shiny floor, and fine armchairs.<\/p>\n
\u201cExcuse me, but could you point me in the right direction of the ER?\u201d he asked the receptionist at the counter on one side of the room.<\/p>\n
\u201cGo down that hall, past the elevators. You\u2019ll see a sign,\u201d she replied curtly, without even looking at him.<\/p>\n
Friendly place<\/em>, Nick thought sarcastically, his nervousness increasing. He noticed a sign across the lobby that read \u201cElevators\u201d and had an arrow pointing ahead. He strode across the tiled floor and entered a wide hallway. Just around the corner was a bank of elevators, right across from a gift shop. After the elevators and gift shop, the hallway branched out in three different directions. A sign hung overhead, pointing visitors in the right direction. Emergency Room \ud83e\udc6a<\/strong>, Nick read and immediately turned the corner into the hallway to the right. He walked slowly down it, his anxiety building with every step.<\/p>\n Today was the day he had been looking forward to for six years now. It was not only the first day of his third year of medical school, but also his first day actually working in a hospital. For the past six years, he had slowly made his way through four years of college and two years of med school, learning mainly from books and lectures. Now he would finally be able to watch and perform procedures on his own, something he had been waiting to do for years. He was excited, but very scared. What if he messed up? Made a mistake? Killed<\/em> someone?<\/p>\n Nick stopped when he reached a pair of double doors. Looking up at the sign mounted over the doorway, he gulped. This was it, the Emergency Room, where he was expected to be promptly at seven that morning. Nick glanced down at his watch. It read 6:55. He had better get going or he would be late. But now that he was here in front of these doors, his stomach was cramping up horribly with nerves, and he felt slightly nauseous.<\/p>\n He took a deep breath, trying to calm the butterflies (which felt more like large birds) in his stomach. He was so busy worrying and trying to get up the courage to open those doors that he didn\u2019t even notice the soft footsteps of someone walking down the hall towards him. It was only when he heard the voice that he realized someone had come up behind him.<\/p>\n \u201cLet me guess \u2013 med student?\u201d<\/p>\n Nick whirled around, surprised, to find a petite young woman standing behind him. \u201cUh\u2026 yeah,\u201d he choked out, his heart pounding. \u201cHow did you guess?\u201d<\/p>\n She smiled. \u201cIt was pretty obvious.\u201d Laughing, she added, \u201cYou look terrified.\u201d<\/p>\n For some reason, Nick suddenly felt much more at ease. Her smile and laugh were contagious, and he couldn\u2019t help but sheepishly smile himself. \u201cYeah, I\u2019m pretty nervous,\u201d he admitted. \u201cSo, how about you? Are you a med student, too?\u201d<\/p>\n She slid the strap of the large bag she was carrying back onto her shoulder and nodded. \u201cYup. Isabel Rivera. I\u2019m a third-year, too.\u201d She held out a hand, and Nick shook it. Now that he had relaxed a bit, he had a chance to step back and take a good look at her. She was quite pretty, Hispanic, with bronze skin, dark curly hair, and chocolate brown eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m Nick Carter,\u201d he introduced himself. \u201cSo, are you working in the ER, too?\u201d He motioned to the double doors that he still had not opened.<\/p>\n She nodded. \u201cSure am. And I think we\u2019re running late, too, so you wanna walk in there with me?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure,\u201d Nick said, quickly tugging one of the doors open and holding it for her to walk through.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you,\u201d she said, beaming at him. He grinned back and followed her through the doors.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, do you know who you\u2019re assigned to?\u201d Isabel asked, as they walked down a hallway.<\/p>\n \u201cUm, yeah\u2026 Dr. Littrell. Pediatric resident,\u201d said Nick. \u201cYou?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDr. Jack Palmer, ER physician,\u201d Isabel replied. \u201cOh, there\u2019s the receptionist\u2019s desk. Let\u2019s go ask where we\u2019re supposed to be.\u201d<\/p>\n She led him over to a circular counter area, where a man who looked to be in his late twenties sat, typing something into a computer. He had a solid build and hair that looked slightly out of place in a hospital \u2013 spiky and dark brown, with streaks of bright red here and there.<\/p>\n Isabel walked right up to the counter. \u201cExcuse me,\u201d she said. The desk clerk looked up in surprise at her. \u201cI\u2019m Isabel Rivera,\u201d Isabel continued, \u201cand this is Nick Carter. We\u2019re third year med students and were wondering where we could find the doctors we\u2019ve been assigned to.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, right,\u201d said the man. \u201cWhat doctors are you looking for?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDr. Palmer and Dr\u2026 what did you say his name was, Nick?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLittrell,\u201d Nick answered, speaking for the first time.<\/p>\n \u201cLittrell\u2019s got a meeting first thing this morning, but Palmer just got here,\u201d the receptionist said. \u201cHey, Mel!\u201d<\/p>\n A dark-haired young woman dressed in purple scrubs came over. \u201cYeah, Joey?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThese two here are two of the new med students. Could you take them to the lounge?\u201d the receptionist, Joey, asked. \u201cShe\u2019s looking for Jack,\u201d he added, pointing at Isabel.<\/p>\n \u201cSure,\u201d the woman replied, smiling at Nick and Isabel. \u201cRight this way, guys.\u201d She led them down a hall to the left. \u201cSo, are you two nervous?\u201d she asked with a smile, as they walked along.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Nick admitted, just as Isabel said, \u201cNot really. I can\u2019t wait to get started!\u201d<\/p>\n The woman laughed. \u201cI just hope you\u2019re still as enthusiastic by tomorrow. I\u2019m Melissa Ruffino, by the way. Mel for short. I\u2019m an R.N.\u201d<\/p>\n Melissa hung another left and led them down a shorter hallway, stopping at a doorway to the right. \u201cThis is the lounge in here,\u201d she said, opening the door. Nick and Isabel found themselves in a spacious, well-furnished room. Against the wall to their left was a row of small lockers. The opposite side of the room was like a small kitchen area, with a counter, cupboards, microwave, and refrigerator. There was a large table with chairs around it and two couches pushed up against the wall across from them. The lounge was nearly deserted, except for a man and woman, both dressed in scrubs, sitting at the table, a Dunkin\u2019 Donuts box between them. Both turned around when the door opened.<\/p>\n \u201cHey,\u201d said the man, immediately standing up. The first thing Nick noticed about him was that he was very tall, even taller than Nick himself. Nick figured he had to be at least 6\u20193\u201d or 6\u20194\u201d. He wasn\u2019t much older than Nick either, probably in his late twenties. With his gelled brown hair and round blue eyes, he had a boyish look to him. \u201cNew med students, Mel?\u201d he asked Melissa, looking from her to Nick and Isabel.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s right,\u201d said Melissa. \u201cThis one\u2019s yours.\u201d She gave Isabel a little push forward.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you Dr. Palmer?\u201d Isabel asked, walking up to the man, her hand out.<\/p>\n \u201cThe one and only,\u201d Dr. Palmer said with a grin. \u201cAnd you must be Miss Rivera then, right?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d said Isabel, and they shook hands.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd how about you? What\u2019s your name?\u201d Dr. Palmer asked Nick.<\/p>\n \u201cNick Carter,\u201d Nick replied.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat doc are you with?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDr. Littrell.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAh, pediatrics, huh? You\u2019ll like Littrell, he\u2019s awesome,\u201d said the doctor.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, he\u2019s a wonderful doctor and great with kids,\u201d added the woman who had been sitting at the table with him. \u201cI\u2019m Addie Burke, by the way. I\u2019m a nurse here.\u201d She shook hands with both Nick and Isabel.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, you guys want a donut?\u201d Dr. Palmer offered, holding out the box to first Isabel, then Nick, and finally Melissa. Isabel politely declined. Now that his stomach had settled down a bit, Nick was hungry, and those powdered sugar donuts did look heavenly, but he figured it would look unprofessional to meet Dr. Littrell with powdered sugar all over his face, so he refused as well. Melissa just glanced at the two med students, shrugged, and helped herself to a glazed cake donut.<\/p>\n Dr. Palmer set the box back down on the table and smiled at Isabel. \u201cWell, I\u2019m sure there are some patients around here to see. You ready to get started, Isabel?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure!\u201d Isabel said, her dark eyes lighting up.<\/p>\n Dr. Palmer chuckled. \u201cOkay then,\u201d he said. \u201cLet\u2019s roll.\u201d He turned long enough to give Addie a quick peck on the cheek \u2013 Nick blinked in surprise, then realized they must be a couple \u2013 and led Isabel to the door. He held it open as she walked out and started to follow her, then stopped and turned back. \u201cOh, hey, Carter,\u201d he said, catching Nick by surprise again. \u201cWelcome to Memorial.\u201d<\/p>\n Meghan Lambert turned on the lights to the Atlantic City Memorial Hospital\u2019s day care center. Usually she wouldn\u2019t even think of opening up the daycare at this time of day, which according to her watch was six in the morning, but this morning, a huge staff meeting was set to begin at seven, and some of the hospital employees needed to drop their children off beforehand. Meghan looked up as the door to the daycare opened softly and her assistant, Kayla Taylor, entered, with several shopping bags in hand and a huge smile on her face.<\/p>\n \u201cGood morning,\u201d Kayla greeted.<\/p>\n \u201cMorning!\u201d replied Meghan, raising an eyebrow at the shopping bags now resting on a vacant table.<\/p>\n Kayla followed Meghan\u2019s gaze and smiled. \u201cFor the kids,\u201d she said simply.<\/p>\n Fifteen minutes later, a knock was heard at the door, and paramedic Howie Dorough entered the room, holding the hand of a very sleepy Danielle Dorough, his six-year-old daughter.<\/p>\n Howie bent down and talked to his daughter softly for a few moments then placed a kiss on Danielle\u2019s head before standing up, directing his attention to the two young women in the room.<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t thank you guys enough for being here this early. If it wouldn\u2019t have been for you guys, I would have had to take her with me to the meeting.\u201d Howie then sighed. \u201cCan you imagine Brunson\u2019s reaction?\u201d<\/p>\n Meghan and Kayla laughed politely and watched moments later as Howie walked out of the room on his way to the staff meeting.<\/p>\n \u201cSo Danielle, you excited about your first day of school tomorrow?\u201d<\/p>\n Jaela Miller ran around her bedroom, searching frantically for her white work shoes. She remembered she had come home around eight the night before and had kicked off her shoes somewhere in the bedroom. She glanced nervously at the clock, realizing she had twenty-five minutes to get to the staff meeting; she hoped for the sake of her perfect driving records that there would be no speed traps set up – knowing her luck, she would get busted for speeding, and that would make her even later. She located her shoes under the bed and quickly put them on, lacing them tightly and looking over at the sleeping figure in the bed one last time. It was her husband Paul. Jaela loved him dearly, but recently she noticed that Paul had changed from the once loving husband to a man who only spoke to her when needed and rarely interacted with her children. But now wasn\u2019t the time to worry about that.<\/p>\n Jaela picked up her purse off of the back of the vanity chair and ran down the stairs to the living room where she left her three children, Rayna, Joshua, and Alexandra, to watch the Cartoon Network to keep them occupied. Within minutes the children were loaded up into Jaela\u2019s SUV and they were on their way to the hospital; exceeding the speed limit only by twenty miles per hour.<\/p>\n Dropping the three children off at the daycare center, Jaela quickly ran to the elevator bank. Figuring it would take more time to wait for the elevator, she decided to take the stairs. Looking at her watch, she noticed she only had six minutes left to make it to the nurse\u2019s station to drop her things off and make it to the conference room on the fifth floor. The countdown was now on.<\/p>\n The air in the conference room was still, mixed in with anxiousness and nervousness. The people in the room sat in stiff-backed chairs surrounding a huge oak table, pens poised above pads of paper in preparation for the so-called leader of the meeting, Holli Brunson, to walk into the door. Starting at the left corner of the table sat the heads of departments within a section of the hospital and one affiliated with the hospital. ER physicians sat beside surgeons, who sat beside nurses, who had paramedics by their side. They were all here for one purpose, for the staff meeting to go over procedures for receiving new med students. They had this same meeting every year; they all knew the rules by heart, but it was policy that each time they conduct a meeting, just in case they forgot anything they supposed.<\/p>\n The door opened quietly and everyone turned to see who entered, some sighing in relief when Jaela Miller walked in, others slightly annoyed. Jaela slipped into her seat between fellow nurse Chris Kirkpatrick and paramedic Harry Littrell. It seemed as if at the exact same moment she got comfortable in her seat, the conference room doors swung open, and in stepped Holli Brunson, the chief-of-staff of the hospital and the head of the surgery department.<\/p>\n \u201cSo nice of you to join us, Nurse Miller,\u201d Holli said with a sneer, a permanent expression on her cold face.<\/p>\n Jaela blushed and looked down at the notepad in front of her, cursing Holli\u2019s very existence under her breath.<\/p>\n \u201cSo now that everyone is here,\u201d Holli said, looking around the room with one glance of her sharp eyes, \u201clet\u2019s get started.\u201d<\/p>\n Twenty-five minutes later, the meeting was adjourned, and everyone filed out of the room, ready to get a head start on their designated tasks.<\/p>\n \u201cBrian!\u201d<\/p>\n ER pediatrician Brian Littrell spun around as the voice of his brother reached his ears.<\/p>\n \u201cYou want to grab a cup of coffee before we have to get back to work?\u201d<\/p>\n Brian glanced down at the watch on his left wrist and shook his head. \u201cI can\u2019t, Harry, my med student is probably already here waiting for me. Thanks though.\u201d<\/p>\n Before Harry could respond, Brian was gone.<\/p>\n Bianca Parker whipped her silver Dodge Neon into a space in the staff parking lot of the hospital, shut off the ignition, and practically leapt out of the car. Of course the one day she overslept was the day they were getting new third-year med students. She imagined some poor, lost, young man waiting for her to arrive to show him the ropes. She knew most doctors dreaded getting new med students to teach, but she was actually looking forward to it. Since she was only twenty-seven and had just completed med school a few years earlier herself, this would be her first time mentoring a med student. She remembered how terrified she had been her first day working in this hospital and hoped her poor student hadn\u2019t been waiting on her too long.<\/p>\n \u201cMorning, Joey!\u201d she greeted the on-duty receptionist in the ER, Joey Fatone.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, Dr. Parker,\u201d he replied.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, has my new med student gotten here yet?\u201d Bianca asked. \u201cHis name\u2019s Justin Timberlake.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUh… I saw two of \u2018em earlier, and one was a guy. Don\u2019t remember what his name was, but I guess that was him,\u201d said Joey with a shrug.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay. Do you know where he went?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, Melissa took them both to the lounge a little while ago,\u201d Joey replied.<\/p>\n \u201cGreat, thanks,\u201d said Bianca, breezing past the main desk on her way to the staff lounge. Opening the door to the lounge, she saw that the room was practically abandoned, with the exception of a tall, broad, blonde young man slouched back on one of the couches. He quickly straightened up when she came in.<\/p>\n \u201cHi,\u201d said Bianca, smiling at him. \u201cYou must be Justin Timberlake.\u201d<\/p>\n The man looked at her in surprise. \u201cUh\u2026 no, I\u2019m not,\u201d he said, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment. \u201cMy name\u2019s Nick Carter. I-I\u2019m a med student here; it\u2019s my first day.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOhh! I\u2019m sorry!\u201d apologized Bianca, feeling extremely stupid. \u201cI\u2019m looking for a different med student, Justin. Joey told me the students came in here, and I assumed you were him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s okay,\u201d said Nick.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you know Justin? Have you seen him yet today?\u201d Bianca asked, wondering where her student could be.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, no, I\u2019ve only met one other med student, Isabel,\u201d Nick replied.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay… well, maybe he\u2019s running later than me this morning,\u201d Bianca said with a laugh, going to her locker. \u201cSo, Nick, what doctor have you been assigned to?\u201d she asked, as she spun the combination lock.<\/p>\n \u201cDr. Littrell,\u201d answered Nick. \u201cI haven\u2019t met him though; the guy at the desk said he\u2019s at a meeting.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, yeah, he\u2019s the assistant head of the ER. They had some meeting for the heads of all the departments this morning, so he and Dr. O\u2019Brien \u2013 she\u2019s the head of the ER \u2013 both had to be there. I\u2019m sure it\u2019ll be over soon though,\u201d Bianca told him.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay. So you\u2019re an ER physician too?\u201d Nick asked, watching as Bianca draped her stethoscope around her neck.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d said Bianca. \u201cOh, my name\u2019s Bianca Parker, by the way. Sorry for not introducing myself earlier. I\u2019m a little frazzled this morning, if you can\u2019t already tell. Overslept.\u201d<\/p>\n Nick chuckled. \u201cThat\u2019s okay,\u201d he said. \u201cI was really nervous when I first got here. Still sort of am, actually.\u201d<\/p>\n Bianca smiled at him. She could tell he was nervous just by looking at him, the way he kept fidgeting and shifting around on the couch. He was cute in a little-boy sort of way, blonde and blue-eyed with an uncertain sort of half smile that was just endearing. I hope my own med student is just as cute<\/em>, Bianca thought, turning to hide her smile.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I\u2019m going to go see if I can track down Mr. Timberlake,\u201d she said to Nick. \u201cSee you later. Good luck on your first day!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThanks,\u201d said Nick, smiling at her. She returned the smile and left the lounge, hoping to find the yet unknown Justin Timberlake.<\/p>\n At that very moment, the unknown Justin Timberlake was slowly awakening. He blinked, the sunlight streaming through his bedroom window stinging his eyes. Groggily, half-consciously, he rolled over and found himself face to face with his girlfriend, Britney Spears. He had known Britney since they were both twelve, and they had dated in high school, then drifted apart in college (well, while he<\/em> was in college, anyway \u2013 she had amounted to nothing but a waitress at the local Hooters), and hooked up again the year before. They had been dating for almost a whole year now and had recently rented an apartment in Atlantic City, North Carolina, where Justin had accepted a position at one of the local hospitals to complete his final two years of med school.<\/p>\n Today was Justin\u2019s first day on the job, but at the moment, that realization that it was going on eight in the morning and he was almost an hour late for work already had not yet hit him. Instead, he gazed through half-closed eyes at Britney\u2019s sleeping face and slowly began to remember the night before, a night full of passion and pleasure, a night so late it caused him to oversleep for more than two hours.<\/p>\n Justin suddenly jolted upright and looked past Britney to the clock on the nightstand. Its red digits glared accusingly at him \u2013 7:51. He was to have been at Atlantic City Memorial exactly fifty-one minutes earlier.<\/p>\n \u201cOhh, shit!\u201d Justin cried. \u201cShit, shit, shit, shit\u2026\u201d He continued to chant this as he launched himself out of bed and stumbled across the small bedroom to the chair under the narrow window, where he had laid out his clothes for that morning. He hurried to pull them on, stubbing his toe on the leg of his dresser in the process and causing another chain of obscenities to fly out of his mouth.<\/p>\n It was this that finally awoke Britney. \u201cJusty?\u201d she moaned, half asleep, pulling herself with effort into a sitting position. She squinted at him, her bleached-blonde hair falling in tangles over her face.<\/p>\n \u201cMy alarm!\u201d Justin cried, still in a panic. \u201cIt didn\u2019t go off! It\u2019s almost eight; I\u2019m late!\u201d<\/p>\n Britney giggled. \u201cThat rhymed,\u201d she said, smiling bemusedly.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m so dead!\u201d Justin moaned, raking a hand through his tousled curls, which were an odd blondish-brown mix, the result of one too many dye jobs.<\/p>\n \u201cJust tell them the truth \u2013 your alarm clock didn\u2019t go off,\u201d Britney said with a flippant shrug.<\/p>\n \u201cBrit, this ain\u2019t high school; I\u2019m supposed to be an adult now. The alarm clock excuse ain\u2019t gonna work no more!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut it\u2019s not just an excuse; it\u2019s true!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNobody\u2019s gonna buy it,\u201d Justin said despondently, sitting on the edge of the bed long enough to tug on his shoes. \u201cLook, I\u2019m sorry to run off on you like this, Brit, but I gotta go. See you tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n He grabbed his keys and wallet, shoved them in his pocket, and left the apartment. In a matter of seconds, he was back, having forgotten all about personal hygiene. He disappeared into the bathroom, put on his deodorant and cologne, gave his hair and teeth a quick brushing, and was out the door again without so much as kissing Britney goodbye.<\/p>\n The atmosphere at the rescue squad station was one of nervousness and excitement. Kylie McCartney sat on the couch in the lounge beside the newest addition to the squad, Amelia Caston, whose first day was actually set to start as soon as Harry Littrell and Howie Dorough came back from a meeting at the hospital.<\/p>\n The other occupants of the room were in a total state of relaxation while there wasn\u2019t a call. Josh McCartney and AJ McLean sat at the small table in the corner of the room playing poker as Allison Brooks sat Indian-style on the floor, listening to her portable CD player.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re here,\u201d AJ spoke up, not once looking up from the cards in his hands.<\/p>\n Amelia felt her heart rate increase when she heard those words. What if they don\u2019t like me? What if they don\u2019t think I\u2019m good enough for the job?<\/em><\/p>\n Amelia looked up as two young men entered the room. Both were of average height and build, but one had brown hair and stormy blue eyes, the other with dark hair and friendly brown eyes.<\/p>\n Amelia took a deep breath and rose out of her seat on the couch, walking over to the young men and sticking out her hand. \u201cI\u2019m Amelia Caston, and you are?\u201d she inquired.<\/p>\n She almost laughed out loud as the two looked at her in astonishment, which only lasted for a few moments.<\/p>\n \u201cHarry Littrell,\u201d the one with the brown hair and blue eyes introduced before shaking her hand.<\/p>\n \u201cHowie Dorough, nice to meet you,\u201d the other man said with a bright smile and a firm handshake.<\/p>\n Without warning, the silence was shattered by a radio going off, asking for squad 137. Harry unlatched the radio from his belt and confirmed the squad was available and listened as the dispatched described a minor traffic accident at the intersection of Bob White and Altavista Boulevards.<\/p>\n Amelia was immediately sectioned off with the people who would be responding to the call, which included Josh, Howie, and Allison. Then, even before she gave it a second thought, they were on their way to the accident scene. This was about as real as it gets.<\/p>\n Brian had no sooner gotten out of his meeting and made it to the ER when he was approached by Dr. Ivory Harnett, who was not only one of his colleagues, but his girlfriend as well.<\/p>\n \u201cMorning, Bri,\u201d she chirped, then, before he could get a word in, rushed on, \u201cThere\u2019s a pedes case in Exam 3; could you take it? I\u2019m swamped.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I need to find my new med student, so I can\u2019t really-\u201c<\/p>\n \u201cSure you can. You can put him to work right away,\u201d Ivory insisted, grinning at Brian as she pushed the chart into his hands.<\/p>\n He rolled his eyes and smacked her playfully in the arm as she hustled off down the hall. He started to look down at the new chart, when he was interrupted again.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, Brian, just letting you know your student\u2019s waiting for you in the lounge,\u201d said nurse Melissa Ruffino as she passed Brian in the hall.<\/p>\n \u201cThanks, Mel!\u201d he called over his shoulder as she walked on, slipping the chart under one arm and heading straight to the staff lounge. A young blonde man sat in the otherwise empty room. When Brian walked in, he stood up.<\/p>\n \u201cDr. Littrell?\u201d he asked, his tone hopeful.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah. Nick Carter?\u201d Brian asked.<\/p>\n Nick nodded and hurried over to shake Brian\u2019s hand. \u201cNice to meet you, Dr. Littrell,\u201d he said politely.<\/p>\n \u201cYou too,\u201d replied Brian. \u201cWell, it looks like you\u2019ve been hanging out here for long enough. I just got a new patient here.\u201d He flashed Nick the chart. \u201cYou want to get started now?\u201d<\/p>\n Nick grinned nervously. \u201cSure,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Brian smiled. \u201cWell, okay then. Follow me,\u201d he said, and led Nick to Exam 3. He stopped outside the closed door and turned to him. Glancing at the chart in his hands, Brian said, \u201cOkay, this is an eleven-year-old girl, Bailey Cole. Her complaint is flu-like symptoms that she can\u2019t shake – headache, nausea, fatigue, the works. Got it?\u201d<\/p>\n Nick, who had been listening attentively, nodded. \u201cGot it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay then. Let\u2019s go in,\u201d Brian said, and opened the door.<\/p>\n Nick followed Dr. Littrell into the patient\u2019s room, a flutter of excitement rushing through his veins as the thought of seeing the very first patient of his medical career.<\/p>\n Propped up in the bed in the center of the room was a pre-teenage girl, quite thin and pale, with straight brown hair that fell to her shoulders and serious brown eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cGood morning, Bailey,\u201d Dr. Littrell greeted, flashing her a friendly smile. \u201cMy name is Dr. Littrell, and this,\u201d he motioned to Nick, \u201cis one of my colleagues, Nick.\u201d<\/p>\n Nick\u2019s heart swelled with pride at being referred to as a \u201ccolleague\u201d and not just a lowly student. \u201cHi, Bailey,\u201d he said, smiling at the girl in the bed.<\/p>\n \u201cHi,\u201d Bailey replied sullenly.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, how are we doing today, Bailey?\u201d Dr. Littrell asked.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re doing just fine,\u201d Bailey replied, her voice laden with sarcasm.<\/p>\n Nick\u2019s eyebrows raised in surprise; this girl sure didn\u2019t talk like he would expect an eleven year old to.<\/p>\n Dr. Littrell didn\u2019t seem phased. Nick figured he was used to dealing with kids like that.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s good,\u201d he said, ignoring her tone. \u201cAre your parents around here, Bailey?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t have any parents.\u201d Her reply was not at all melancholic, but toneless and matter-of-fact.<\/p>\n \u201cYour guardians?\u201d Dr. Littrell reiterated.<\/p>\n \u201cMy foster parents aren\u2019t here; they\u2019re coming later,\u201d Bailey told him.<\/p>\n \u201cOkay then. Well, Nick and I just need to ask you some questions, all right?\u201d Bailey just nodded. \u201cAll right. Well, I hear you haven\u2019t been feeling too well lately. You\u2019ve been tired a lot? Had a lot of headaches and things?\u201d Dr. Littrell reported. Bailey nodded again. \u201cHow long have you been feeling sick?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA few weeks,\u201d Bailey said.<\/p>\n Dr. Littrell nodded. \u201cOkay. I\u2019m going to examine you now, okay? Just like your regular doctor does.\u201d<\/p>\n Bailey nodded for a third time, and Dr. Littrell put his stethoscope in his ears and slid the other end under Bailey\u2019s hospital gown. \u201cTake a deep breath,\u201d he said, and Bailey did so. He moved the end of the stethoscope to her back and listened some more.<\/p>\n Then, pulling the stethoscope out of his ears, he motioned to Nick. \u201cCome and have a listen,\u201d he said. He stood up from the stool he was sitting on to let Nick sit down and handed him his stethoscope. \u201cWe\u2019ll get you one of your own later, but for now, use mine.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay,\u201d Nick said, taking the stethoscope and putting it to his own ears. \u201cAll right, sweetie, can I have you breathe in for me again?\u201d he asked Bailey, gently sliding the stethoscope down the front of her gown again.<\/p>\n Bailey obeyed, then asked, \u201cAre you a medical student?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, I am,\u201d Nick replied, hoping it wasn\u2019t too obvious that he was inexperienced.<\/p>\n Bailey rolled her eyes. \u201cGreat. Excuse me, Doctor, but I\u2019d feel much more comfortable with someone that actually knew what they were doing.\u201d She glared at Nick.<\/p>\n Nick whirled around to look at Dr. Littrell with wide eyes. He\u2019d barely even done anything yet; how could Bailey accuse him of not knowing what he was doing?<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry, but this is a teaching hospital, and doctors like me are here to teach students like Nick how to take care of people so they will know what they\u2019re doing,\u201d Dr. Littrell explained patiently. \u201cAnd he\u2019s doing a fine job so far.\u201d He flashed Nick a smile of assurance, and he relaxed and continued listening to Bailey\u2019s heart and lungs.<\/p>\n \u201cWell?\u201d Dr. Littrell asked when Nick was done.<\/p>\n \u201cEverything sounds fine,\u201d Nick replied, hoping he hadn\u2019t missed anything. \u201cLungs are clear, heartbeat sounds normal.\u201d<\/p>\n Dr. Littrell nodded. \u201cGood job.\u201d<\/p>\n Nick grinned. It hadn\u2019t been much, but it was his first step in becoming a doctor.<\/p>\n Disheveled and out of breath, Justin arrived in Memorial\u2019s ER Department and found himself surrounded by chaos. Staff members bustled through the halls around him, pushing gurneys and wheelchairs and carrying supplies. The waiting area he passed on his way to the main desk was crowded with impatient people. Patients on gurneys lined the hall.<\/p>\n Looking around, Justin couldn\u2019t help but think, What have I gotten myself into?<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cHi there,\u201d a female voice whispered in his ear, causing Justin to jump in surprise. He turned and found him looking down at a beautiful, busty, blonde young woman dressed in an extremely short, extremely tight skirt and a clingy blouse that showed lots of cleavage.<\/p>\n \u201cHi,\u201d Justin said eagerly, trying to not make it obvious that he was sneaking a peak at her chest.<\/p>\n \u201cYou another newbie?\u201d the woman asked, raising a perfectly sculpted eyebrow at him in question.<\/p>\n \u201cUh\u2026 yeah, I\u2019m a med student. Do\u2026 do you work here?\u201d She certainly didn\u2019t look like a staff member in that outfit of hers, but the question had made her sound like it\u2026<\/p>\n \u201cSure do,\u201d the woman said, tapping a small gold name tag pinned to the front of her blouse. It read, Mariah Johnson<\/em>. Somehow, in his observation of that area of her, he had missed it.<\/p>\n \u201cOh,\u201d Justin said, blushing. \u201cWell, I\u2019m, uh, looking for a Dr. Parker. Is-\u201c<\/p>\n \u201cI can page her for you,\u201d said Mariah. \u201cJust come up to the counter area with me; that\u2019s where I work. I\u2019m a receptionist here,\u201d she informed him, leading him to an oblong-shaped counter area. She led him behind the counter, picked up the phone, and punched in a string of numbers. Then, replacing the receiver, she said, \u201cSo, what\u2019s your name, hon?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJustin Timberlake,\u201d he replied.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, it\u2019s definitely a pleasure to meet you,\u201d said Mariah, with another lift of her right eyebrow.<\/p>\n \u201cYou too,\u201d Justin said automatically, then, remembering his manners, held out his hand to shake. Mariah gently took it and seemed to caress it more than shake it. She smiled and gave him a quick wink, then turned and said, \u201cOh, look, there\u2019s Dr. Parker now. Good luck with your first day.\u201d<\/p>\n She winked again, then pointed out an auburn-haired young woman making her way through the crowded hallway towards the counter area. Justin, wondering whether Mariah had some kind of eye twitch or just liked to wink a lot, nodded and awkwardly approached Dr. Parker.<\/p>\n The doctor almost brushed past him on her way to the counter, but, catching sight of him, abruptly stopped. \u201cAre you Justin Timberlake?\u201d she asked, looking up at him.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d said Justin.<\/p>\n \u201cNice of you to show up, Mr. Timberlake,\u201d Dr. Parker replied. \u201cYou do realize you\u2019re over an hour late, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know, I\u2019m sorry,\u201d Justin said quickly. \u201cI\u2026\u201d He struggled for words, finally finishing lamely, \u201c\u2026 overslept.\u201d<\/p>\n The doctor nodded. \u201cWell, it\u2019s your first day, you\u2019re not going to get penalized for it yet. Just try not to let it happen again, and we won\u2019t have any problems, \u2018kay?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c\u2019Kay,\u201d Justin said, relieved.<\/p>\n \u201cGreat. Well, I\u2019m Dr. Bianca Parker, and I\u2019ll be working with you for the next few months, helping you through your ER rotation. I just finished up with the patient I was seeing, so if you want, I can take you on a tour of the ER right now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay, sure,\u201d said Justin.<\/p>\n \u201cAlrighty then. This area, that you\u2019ve already seen, is admit. Then over here we have Trauma 1, one of the rooms where the critical patients are taken. Trauma 2 is across the hall from that, and down here we have Exam rooms 1-4. Come on with me, and I\u2019ll show you those\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHey, Jaela!\u201d Brian yelled, calling for the nurse at the end of the hall.<\/p>\n Jaela Miller turned around and hurried up the hall to meet Brian. \u201cYeah?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis is my med student, Nick Carter,\u201d Brian introduced, nodding to the man at this side. \u201cNick, this is Jaela Miller, head nurse of the ER.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNice to meet you,\u201d Nick said, shaking Jaela\u2019s hand.<\/p>\n \u201cJaela, I\u2019ve got a patient in 630 that needs some blood drawn. Can you do it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSure,\u201d Jaela said. \u201cYou want me to show Nick?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat would be great,\u201d Brian said. \u201cNick, go on with Jaela, and she\u2019ll teach you how to draw blood, so you\u2019ll know how when it comes time to practice, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay,\u201d Nick said and followed Jaela back down the hall to Bailey\u2019s room.<\/p>\n Brian smiled. Nick was a nice kid and seemed like he was going to be a great student, but Brian got sick of babysitting the students and wanted to take some cases alone so he wouldn\u2019t have to explain everything to him and take twice as long on everything.<\/p>\n He wandered up to the main desk to get a new patient and found his girlfriend Ivory there as well.<\/p>\n Wrapping his arms around her from behind, he whispered, \u201cHey, baby,\u201d into her ear.<\/p>\n \u201cAh ah ah, no PDA in the workplace, mister,\u201d she shot back, turning around to grin at him.<\/p>\n Brian grinned back, thinking of how lucky he was to have someone like Ivory. She was such a beautiful person, both inside and out. She was short, only 5\u20193\u201d, and slender and had shoulder-length, dark brown hair and expressive hazel eyes that changed color with her mood. When she was in a good mood, like she seemed to be now, they looked green. They usually were greenish because Ivory was one of those people that was very hard to get mad. Brian always joked that when she did<\/em> get mad, her eyes turned red, for when Ivory got mad, she was mad<\/em>. He\u2019d seen her in arguments before, and it was not pretty, to say the least. But normally, Ivory was very sweet and sensitive, which made her the understanding and compassionate kind of doctor that was sometimes hard to come by these days.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat time is it?\u201d Ivory asked.<\/p>\n Brian glanced at his watch. \u201cEleven,\u201d he replied. \u201cI\u2019m meeting the gang for lunch at Sully\u2019s at noon, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n Ivory nodded. \u201cI\u2019ll be there.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay, great,\u201d Brian said.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I\u2019ve got to go now,\u201d Ivory said, looking down at the chart on the counter in front of her. \u201cLater.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLater,\u201d Brian echoed, grabbed a chart of his own, and went off to see his new patient.<\/p>\n \u201cTime of death: 11:13,\u201d said Dr. Kevin Richardson in defeat, jerking off his latex gloves and the bloody gown that went over his scrubs and tossing them into the waste bin. \u201cGet him cleaned up. I\u2019ll go talk to the parents,\u201d he muttered over his shoulder, banging through the double doors of the operating room.<\/p>\n Dr. Amory Cannon, who had assisted Kevin on the surgery, quickly removed her gloves and gown and hurried after him.<\/p>\n \u201cKevin,\u201d she called, stopping him in the hall.<\/p>\n He turned to face her, his face angry and frustrated.<\/p>\n \u201cYou tried your best, Kev,\u201d Amory said softly, putting a hand on his shoulder. \u201cThere was nothing any of us could have done to save him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know,\u201d Kevin said, sighing. \u201cI just hate having to tell the mother that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe all do,\u201d Amory said knowingly. \u201cIf you want, I\u2019ll do it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNah, that\u2019s all right. He was my patient; I\u2019ll do it,\u201d Kevin replied.<\/p>\n Amory nodded. \u201cWell, if you need to talk later or something, I\u2019ll be around,\u201d she said, and went on her way.<\/p>\n Kevin felt a little better; Amory always knew just what to say to comfort him. He knew the loss was upsetting to her too; like him, she was a perfectionist and hated to lose a patient. But she was also able to forget her own problems and help others with theirs when they needed it. And right then, Kevin had definitely needed it.<\/p>\n Kevin walked down the hall and stopped at the nurses station.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, Hayley?\u201d<\/p>\n Hayley Aldworth, one of the surgical nurses and a good friend of Kevin\u2019s, turned around. \u201cOh, hey, Kev. What\u2019s up?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs Mrs. Ferrell around here somewhere?\u201d he asked, referring to the mother of his patient.<\/p>\n \u201dOh, yeah. I think she\u2019s in the room across the hall,\u201d Hayley said, pointing to the closed door of the small waiting room.<\/p>\n \u201cThanks, Hayley,\u201d Kevin said and walked slowly across the hall. He took a deep breath and opened the door.<\/p>\n \u201cMrs. Ferrell?\u201d he addressed the middle-aged woman, who sat forlornly in a chair, lines of worry creasing her forehead.<\/p>\n Mrs. Ferrell sat up straight and looked at him with wide, concerned eyes. \u201cDr. Richardson. How\u2019s Mark?\u201d<\/p>\n Kevin swallowed hard. \u201cMa\u2019am, your son was very critically injured in the crash. We tried to repair his injuries, but they were just too serious and widespread. During the operation, Mark\u2019s heart stopped beating. We used all of our best efforts to get him back, but nothing worked\u2026 and he died. I\u2019m so very sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n It was basically the same speech every time. Kevin could recite it in his sleep. But it never got any easier, and Kevin knew it never would.<\/p>\n Now came the hardest part of all, harder than any surgery Kevin would ever have to do \u2013 the family\u2019s reaction.<\/p>\n Mrs. Ferrell\u2019s grim face fell, and her shoulders began to shake with tears. Kevin rested a compassionate hand lightly on her shoulder. \u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d he said again.<\/p>\n \u201cC-could I see him?\u201d she asked through tears.<\/p>\n \u201cOf course,\u201d Kevin replied. \u201cCome with me.\u201d He offered her his hand and helped her up from his chair. Then, with slow, solemn footsteps, he led her to the room where her dead son lay.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd that\u2019s how you draw blood,\u201d Jaela said, as she and Nick left Bailey\u2019s room. \u201cNow I\u2019ll just send this to the lab, and the results will be back in about an hour or so.\u201d<\/p>\n Nick nodded. \u201cWhen will I get to practice drawing blood myself?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not sure. Whenever Bri-, I mean Dr. Littrell, thinks you\u2019re ready. He\u2019ll probably have a cadaver for you to work on within the next few days.\u201d<\/p>\n Nick grimaced; he had forgotten about having to practice his skills on dead bodies before he got to work on live patients. The thought was not exactly appealing, but it was something all med students had to do.<\/p>\n Oh well<\/em>, Nick thought, at least I can\u2019t screw up and hurt them when they\u2019re already dead.<\/em><\/p>\n Howie, Josh, Allison, and Amelia slowly walked out of the emergency entrance of Memorial, finding themselves in the ambulance bay, where their own ambulance was parked.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, guys\u2026\u201d Howie glanced quickly down at his watch. \u201cIt\u2019s about noon. How about a quick lunch before we get another call?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSounds good to me,\u201d said Allison. \u201cSully\u2019s?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNaturally,\u201d said Josh, with a quick roll of his eyes and a smile.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s Sully\u2019s?\u201d Amelia asked, feeling out of place with the other three, all of whom had been on the squad for at least a few years.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s this caf\u00e9 a few blocks from the hospital. It\u2019s not exactly gourmet, but the food\u2019s decent \u2013 better than the hospital cafeteria\u2019s anyway \u2013 and it\u2019s close. Everyone goes there for lunch and dinner,\u201d explained Howie.<\/p>\n \u201cOh okay, cool,\u201d said Amelia. \u201cLet\u2019s go then.\u201d<\/p>\n The small brass bell attached to the entrance of Sully\u2019s rang loudly as Howie Dorough and his crew walked inside. Immediately spotting the large table in the back, Howie led the way towards it, following the laughter and chatter from his friends.<\/p>\n \u201cHey guys,\u201d Howie said with a smile before taking a seat beside surgeon Kevin Richardson, noticing a new face at the table. \u201cI would like to introduce you to Amelia Caston, the new paramedic to our squad.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd this is my med student, Nick Carter,\u201d Brian said as he pointed cartoonishly at a young man with floppy blonde hair sitting at the end of the table. \u201cNick, this is Howie, Josh, and Allison.\u201d<\/p>\n Nick looked up from his plate and smiled faintly, immediately turning his attention back to his cheeseburger and fries. He was happy to be there, having been invited to lunch with \u201cthe gang\u201d by Brian, his supervisor. Looking around the table at all the others, he knew he was the only med student to have received this honor so far.<\/p>\n Brian\u2019s lunch group consisted of his girlfriend, Dr. Ivory Harnett, an ER Physician at Memorial, and his cousin, Dr. Kevin Richardson, a surgeon. Next to Kevin was his girlfriend, Elizabeth O\u2019Brien, whom Nick had already met when interviewing for this position. She was not only an ER physician, but head of the whole ER.<\/p>\n But that was not all. The bell on the door to Sully\u2019s soon jingled again, and another small group of people arrived and pulled a table up next to the one Nick sat at. From beside him, Brian introduced them all to Nick.<\/p>\n \u201cNick, meet Kylie McCartney. She\u2019s a paramedic and Josh\u2019s wife.\u201d He motioned quickly to one of the men who had come in with the previous group of paramedics. \u201cThen this is my friend AJ McLean \u2013 a paramedic as well \u2013 and his girlfriend Bianca Parker. She-\u201c<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve already met,\u201d said Nick, smiling at the auburn-haired doctor he had met in the lounge that morning.<\/p>\n Brian smiled. \u201cGreat,\u201d he said. \u201cWell, this guy here-\u201c He pointed to a man with brown hair and blue eyes dressed in a paramedic uniform. \u201c-is my older brother, Harry. And those two are Addie Burke and Jack Palmer. She\u2019s a nurse, he\u2019s an ER physician; they\u2019re a couple.\u201d<\/p>\n Nick nodded; those were the two he had met in the lounge that morning.<\/p>\n Brian then turned to the girl who had sat down on the other side of Jack. \u201cAnd that\u2019s\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIsabel!\u201d said Nick, suddenly recognizing her as the pretty med student he had met that morning.<\/p>\n Isabel looked over his way, and her face brightened. \u201cHey, Nick! How\u2019s it going?\u201d<\/p>\n Nick dragged his chair over towards her so they could talk. \u201cPretty good,\u201d he said. \u201cHow\u2019s your day been so far?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay,\u201d Isabel replied. \u201cI haven\u2019t gotten to do much yet, have you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNah, I haven\u2019t actually done anything either, except listen to a girl\u2019s heartbeat. I did get to learn how to draw blood, but I haven\u2019t practiced yet,\u201d Nick explained.<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe tomorrow they\u2019ll actually let us do something,\u201d Isabel said hopefully.<\/p>\n Nick raised his eyebrows. He wasn\u2019t sure he felt ready to actually do something. He had only been there half a day and didn\u2019t feel qualified to be turned loose on a patient yet. But he didn\u2019t want to admit that. Isabel seemed confident and fired up to get to work, not a bit nervous like he was.<\/p>\n Around them, the doctors, nurses, and paramedics were already deep in conversation.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, how has everyone\u2019s day been going?\u201d Kylie asked, looking around the table at her group of friends.<\/p>\n \u201cPretty easy so far,\u201d Jack answered. \u201cMy med student\u2019s been great.\u201d He saw Isabel\u2019s head jerk in his direction, and he flashed her a grin.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, so has mine,\u201d Brian bragged, winking at Nick.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, mine hasn\u2019t,\u201d Bianca said flatly.<\/p>\n AJ laughed. \u201cWhy, what happened?\u201d<\/p>\n Bianca rolled her eyes. \u201cWell, he was like an hour late this morning. More than that, actually. He \u2018overslept\u2019 on his first day; can you believe that? Other than that, I guess I can\u2019t complain. I haven\u2019t really had him do anything yet though, so I have no idea what he\u2019s like in that area. Notice he\u2019s not with me though \u2013 he hasn\u2019t given me anything to brag to y\u2019all about yet.\u201d<\/p>\n They all laughed.<\/p>\n \u201cKylie, how\u2019s the new paramedic?\u201d Addie asked.<\/p>\n Kylie shrugged. \u201cI think she\u2019s going to be okay,\u201d she said. \u201cShe seems pretty nice.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s good,\u201d Addie replied, nodding. \u201cKev, do you have a student this year?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d Kevin said solemnly.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u201d Elizabeth whispered, leaning close to him. Kevin was serious a lot of the time, but today he seemed more than just serious. She could tell something had happened.<\/p>\n He glanced at her. \u201cLost a patient,\u201d he said. \u201cTeenage boy in a motorcycle crash.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAww, I\u2019m sorry, hon,\u201d Elizabeth said, rubbing his back.<\/p>\n Kevin offered her a small smile, grateful to have someone like her to comfort him. He had lots of friends in the hospital, specifically in the OR, but none that understood him like Elizabeth.<\/p>\n Elizabeth was like his double, intelligent, serious, and hard-working, a leader rather than a follower. She also loved sports and was very competitive, like him. She strove to be the best, always. And he admired her for that. But sometimes, he wished she was not so serious. He knew people who didn\u2019t know him well probably felt the same about him, for he came off as also very serious and even stern. But under that, he also had a sense of humor and liked to have a good time. Elizabeth liked to laugh, too, but she was also the type that liked to follow the rules and play things safe. Around others, she rarely expressed her feelings or showed any extreme emotions. In the year he had been dating her, he had gotten her to open up a bit and trust him, and since then, their relationship had been much better. Kevin loved her, and he knew she loved him, too. That was one feeling she could express to him.<\/p>\n From his own seat near Isabel, Nick looked around him happily. He recalled how nervous he had been that morning, coming into a new place, with new people he didn\u2019t know. Now, in just a few short hours, he felt like he was becoming part of a group, a special family that worked together to save lives. One day, he hoped, he would be a doctor and save lives with them. One day, he would be part of that special family.<\/p>\n Episode 1: Welcome to Memorial (Part 1) Twenty-four-year-old Nick Carter entered the lobby of Atlantic City Memorial Hospital, the largest hospital in the coastal town of Atlantic City, North Carolina, his heart pounding with nervousness. A feeling of slight intimidation came over him, as he looked around the large …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":66,"menu_order":1,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-131","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/codeblue\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/131","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/codeblue\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/codeblue\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/codeblue\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/codeblue\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=131"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/codeblue\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/131\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":443,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/codeblue\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/131\/revisions\/443"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/codeblue\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/66"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/codeblue\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=131"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}+++<\/h4>\n
+++<\/h4>\n
+++<\/h4>\n
+++<\/h4>\n
+++<\/h4>\n
+++<\/h4>\n
+++<\/h4>\n
+++<\/h4>\n
+++<\/h4>\n
+++<\/h4>\n
+++<\/h4>\n
+++<\/h4>\n
+++<\/h4>\n
+++<\/h4>\n
Episode 2<\/a><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"