Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━
March,2014,Tribeca,New York
"SHIT!"
The insistent chirp of Rosalie's pager shattered the pre-dawn calm at 4 am. "Ugh, come on," she groaned, the sound echoing in the silent house. Sleep deprivation was a familiar foe, and this morning, it was winning by a landslide. Throwing off the covers, Rosalie rose with a groan, muscles protesting the sudden movement.
As she shuffled towards the bathroom, a bleary glance into the living room revealed Percy, her Golden retriever, sprawled across the couch like a furry puddle. A half-eaten bagel lay sacrificed beside him, crumbs scattered like confetti. Rosalie snorted. Even in emergencies, Percy could make her smile with his endearingly human-like behavior.
A quick splash of water to the face and a lukewarm cup of coffee later, Rosalie grabbed her bag and bolted out the door. The pre-dawn air held a crisp bite, a welcome change from the stale hospital air. She hopped on her trusty bike, the well-worn path to the hospital a familiar blur. Ten minutes later, she was skidding to a stop in front of the glass and steel giant. Unlike the usual quiet arrival, however, a throng of reporters swarmed the entrance, their microphones and cameras a chaotic forest. Rosalie rolled her eyes with a sigh. Supes. Of course, this mess would somehow involve them.
Pushing through the automatic doors, Rosalie was greeted by the usual ER chaos – a symphony of beeps, hurried footsteps, and hushed conversations, but with an undercurrent of heightened urgency. Nurses in their crisp white uniforms weaved through the traffic, a young intern looking like a deer caught in headlights bounced off her shoulder with a mumbled apology. Rosalie just offered a tired grin, her doctor mode already activated.
At the nurses' station, her friend, Carrie, flashed a relieved grin. "Rosalie! Thank goodness you're here. We've got a mass casualty situation. Train crash outside the city limits. Apparently, a technical issue. Over forty passengers, multiple traumas. Thankfully, Homelander and Queen Maeve were on the scene and got everyone out, but..." Maria trailed off, her voice laced with concern.
Rosalie scanned the overflowing ER. "But what?"
"Most are in critical condition. Internal injuries, fractures...we need all hands on deck, Rosie."
Hours bled into one another. Rosalie navigated a relentless tide of surgeries. Each successful case brought a flicker of relief, but the number of incoming patients never seemed to dwindle. Exhaustion gnawed at her, but she pressed on, a soldier in the fight for each precious heartbeat.
The exhaustion finally hit Rosalie as she finished her last surgery. Stretching her aching limbs, she craved nothing more than a scalding cup of coffee from the cafeteria. But her fatigue-induced haze betrayed her. Rounding a corner, she collided with a solid wall of muscle.
