spark

Chapter 23: Forward

This will be taking place during Athena Begins, it's just going to be mostly a Scott chapter.

The sound of a multitude of pencils scratching against paper echoed through the warehouse. It served as both a distraction for Scott, and something to gauge how his fellow applicants were doing on their own exams. Although he had been a surgical resident, Scott still had to use different modes of thinking when it came to some of the questions. Having Hen come over and help him study for this test was definitely working in Scott's favor. Filling in the final question, Scott flipped his test and placed it facedown, his pencil lying on top of the paper as he interlaced his fingers and sat patiently for the test time to end.

"Pencils down!" Instructor Paladino barked a half hour later, loud groans sounding from a few of the applicants. "Leave your tests where they are, you will receive your results within the next three days. At least half of you will not be able to continue with the paramedic training. That's fine, you'll just get to be a firefighter, or in my eyes, a lesser firefighter!" Scott inhaled through his nose to calm himself. If he were to speak out against the instructor, there would no doubt be hell to pay when he continued with the paramedic course. "Get the hell out of here!"

Scott chuckled slightly as some of the applicants scrambled to get out of the classroom setting. Shouldering his bag, Scott walked calmly for the door, though stopped as he heard Paladino call his name. "What can I do for you, Sir?" Scott responds, standing up straight and looking Paladino in the eyes.

"You finished your test pretty early. Are you being cocky, or just a wiseass?" Paladino questioned, waving Scott's test in his face. The werewolf inhaled subtly, fighting the urge to smack the paper out of his face.

"No, Sir. I simply finished the questions earlier because I knew the answers." Scott answered, his tone remaining level. "I used to be a surgical resident."

"Why on Earth would a doctor downgrade to being a paramedic?" Paladino demanded, crossing his arms and glaring at Scott with scrutiny.

Scott bit on his lip slightly, hoping to quell the anxiety before it bubbled to the surface. "During the tsunami earlier this year, I was on the beach with my best friend's son. We got swept up the road, where we ran into said best friend's fiancé and my ex-boyfriend's son. I ended up getting swept away with my ex-boyfriend's son when the water receded." Scott explained, twisting the strap of his bag slightly at the memory. "We wandered the streets, helping everybody we found while we searched for our friends. I saved more lives that day than I have a shift at the hospital. It made me want to do more, so I applied for the academy."

Paladino was silent for a moment, absorbing that information, before heaving a sigh. "That's the most Hallmark shit I have ever heard." he said, staring Scott in the eyes as the werewolf stood his ground. "I'm gonna enjoy breaking you down, should you make the cut."

"No offense, Instructor Paladino, but you won't be able to break me." Scott remarked, turning and exiting the classroom. Scott distinctly heard a chuckle sounding from the room.

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"You literally did exactly the opposite of what Hen told you to do." Stiles scolds Scott, giving his friend a dubious look.

"I know!" Scott whined, holding his head in his hands, while his elbows rested on the table they sat at.

"You also said the most cliché thing to your instructor." Nolan chimed in, sitting between the two friends at the table.