Valedictorian | Armin Arlert

internship

You hauled the sea-green scrubs over your face and pinned the small ID to the top. The bathroom of the hospital was chilly and off-setting which you found oddly comforting. You stared yourself down in the mirror. Minor traces of acne caught your eye, causing you to narrow your eyes. A small part of you thought, perhaps Armin dodged a bullet.

It was the first day of volunteering at the Sina Research Clinic, the hospital where your father occasionally worked at. It sounded as if it wasn't a big deal, but in reality, people sacrifice arms and legs to be there. It didn't matter whether you were a patient or staff, Sina Research Clinic was one of the capitols of practicing medicine. 

The hospital was enormous and world-class, getting a volunteer job here would've been damn near impossible had your father not been an actual celebrity in the medical field.

He was lucky enough to finish his residency at a hospital as excellent as Sina Research Clinic but you would consider yourself luckier to volunteer there. Last year, you volunteered at the regional hospital and it wasn't all that exciting.

You did typical things such as assisting nurses' stations and interacting with patients. Obviously, you were grateful for the opportunities but what you were truly aiming for was to shadow a doctor during surgery, however unlikely it was. Hopefully, this was the day it could happen.

The typical sterile aroma that filled the hospital was particularly refreshing and just the environment you preferred to be in. Almost everyone, as far as the eye could see, was tirelessly working. You knew you belonged here.

"Miss (L/N)!" a man in a white coat approached from behind. He was known for being Eren's father's school, however, he hardly worked as much as normal doctors, which only gave him a bad reputation in the medical field, "Are you Dr. (L/N)'s daughter? I'm Dr. Jaeger, pleased to meet you!"

He eyed you excitedly. You internally flinched. Every time you stepped foot in a hospital, it seemed you were identified by your father's success. It made your blood boil but you poised yourself.

"Yes sir, My name is (Y/N)... (L/N)..."

Captivated, he extended his hand, his mouth was stretched from ear to ear as he made no effort to conceal his enthusiasm. He likely speculated you were a promising medical prodigy. Perhaps he assumed you were a world-class surgeon in the making. He was right, but you hated assumptions.

He straightened his jacket, "Unfortunately, we won't be doing any  surgeries today, however, we are meeting with an advanced, late-stage Alzheimer's patient and his grandson to discuss further treatment."

You hid the disappointment in your chest. Alzheimer's was a lost cause and terminal. You didn't know what you could take away from it and it felt like a waste of time to shadow Dr. Jaeger for an Alzheimer's patient.

On the other hand, It was the first day, it was easy to understand why such a grand opportunity wouldn't be available. You chastised yourself for the sudden pattern of wishful thinking.
You cheerfully smiled, "That's quite alright, Dr. Jaeger. I'm only here to learn."

He returned the smile, "That's fantastic, shall we continue then?"

He led you to down the long hall, to a nurse's station. A few of the nurses and doctors stopped to recognize you but never spoke. Dr. Jaeger stopped at a pale door with a whiteboard attached. It had illegible handwriting scribbled on it with a dry-erase marker. He turned around with a serious glare that could be felt behind his glasses.

"To me, this patient is relatively personal, I know him and he's a good friend. With that being said, I strongly advise you to be very respectful," he frowned as if he suddenly remembered who he was treating, "Additionally, I must remind you not to speak of the patient behind this door or his condition, do I make myself clear?"