Subtle Differences | Junhao oneshots

What they never expected

Nurse April has been working in the hospital for nearly 6 years, ever since her residency years when she was still a wide-eyed, curious nursing student who didn't know any better. Today, she's still cooped up in the same 3000-square foot 2nd level of the hospital, sticking needles in people's bodies and cleaning up vomit in the waiting room. 

Most of the time though, she forces a smile on her face and continues taking care of the sick patients, because it's all she has ever wanted to do. Working in the hospital comes with its series of perks. She's met people from all walks of life, made long-lasting friendships with her fellow colleagues, even dealt with her fair share of interesting, never seen before cases. This job suits her. The constant adrenaline keeping her on her toes every day, it's a feeling not many get a chance to feel, and it drives her forward. 

Today is another story though, having witnessed two deaths in a span of an hour, the lack of nurses is already killing her, not to mention the additional responsibility she was suddenly assigned (she checks her watch) two minutes ago: caring for a doctor who had apparently fainted in the middle of surgery. 

Having finally gotten the influx of patients rolling in and out of the OR under control, she carries a tray of food and her favourite chocolate pudding that she swiped from the storage room earlier into ward 8, where said doctor is resting. She pulls apart the curtain and steps closer. "Still not awake yet?" She asks. Dr Choi, who is tending to the sleeping Dr Xu, shakes his head. 

"I administered some meds and ordered a CBC but nothing else seems to be the problem. It's probably the exhaustion and dehydration. I heard he was on a night shift yesterday." Dr Choi kindly explains. April nods gratefully. She figures Dr Xu, or the hospital more affectionately calls Minghao, should be waking up any minute now. 

She sets the tray down and says, "Thank you, Dr Choi. I can take it from here, you have other patients to attend to right?" Dr Choi passes Minghao's chart over to April before taking his leave. Sitting down on the chair beside Minghao, April carefully pulls the blanket further up and checks his IV drip again. Afterward, seeing as he probably needs some time to rest alone, April pats his shoulder gently. She has a ton of tests waiting outside that she needs to send to the labs, as well as more sick patients to take care of. 

"I'll be right back Minghao." April sighs, standing up to leave the ward room. 

Around twenty minutes later, April finally has the time to go check up on Minghao. He should have woken up already, since she spotted Dr Choi entering the ward again not too long ago. Just as she leaves her desk along with another nurse, Nurse Sarah, to welcome Minghao back to reality where their hospital is currently swarmed with another crowd of patients, another doctor runs up to her in a seemingly panicked state. "April, I just got out of surgery. What happened?" Dr Wen asks through heavy pants. April lets Junhui catch his breath for a little while. Running from the 4th story operating rooms on the opposite side of the hospital to here must have been exhausting. She explains the situation to him as best as she could, trying not to scare the other. 

She's always suspected something going on between Dr Xu and Dr Wen. They both entered the hospital at different times, the former entering just a year later than the latter. Yet from the very start, despite being in two totally different surgical departments, they already hit it off with each other. Both April and Sarah's been in the hospital for ages and ages, one of the longest lasting nurses there, and they both agree something fishy was going on. They could never put their finger on what, though. 

Now, however, Junhui racing from his surgery that just ended to check up on Minghao, it ticks another box on their suspicion list. April and Sarah glances at each other, eyebrows raised, to Junhui's total oblivion. The three of them makes it into ward 8, where Minghao is trying to sit up.