The sun barely peeked over the horizon when Sana and Yoongi were startled awake by loud clattering in the kitchen. Groggy and irritated, they shuffled out of their rooms to find Dahyun already standing in the doorway, arms crossed.
"What the hell is going on?" Dahyun snapped.
Jungkook, half inside the refrigerator, turned with a bag of bread in his hand. "Morning! What's up with you guys?"
"What's up with us?" Yoongi groaned, running a hand through his messy hair. "What's up with you raiding the kitchen at 4 a.m.?"
"Do you all not know we have to bring food for the trip? Or do you want to starve to death in the middle of nowhere?" Jungkook shot back, stuffing the bread and some boiled eggs into a bag.
Before Dahyun could retort, a sharp knock on the door startled them all. Jihyo stood there, looking every bit the no-nonsense intern leader.
"Get your asses to the hospital before 6 a.m., or I swear, you'll be walking all the way to Gochang," she warned, slamming the door shut as abruptly as she arrived.
---
By the time they reached the hospital, the five interns were barely awake, dragging their feet as they joined the group. Nayeon, the resident in charge, didn't miss a beat and immediately laid into them.
"Wake up! The chief sent you to Gochang to punish you. Don't think of this as some fun field trip-it's your chance to redeem yourselves after the LVAD wire debacle. Screw this up, and there's no covering for you. You're on your own."
Her words snapped them out of their stupor. The mention of the LVAD wire-an incident that had nearly cost the hospital its reputation-hung heavy in the air.
As Nayeon listed off the team members for the trip, it became clear this would be no small operation.
"Interns: Dahyun, Jihyo, Sana, Yoongi, Jungkook, Hoshi, Sakura. Residents: Lisa, Taehyung, and Dr. Kim from a neighboring hospital. Attendings: Dong-joo, Jisoo, Dr. Boo Yong-joo, and Seungtak. Nurses-ten of them. And me? I'm staying behind to handle the chaos here," Nayeon said, crossing her arms.
Jungkook leaned toward Dahyun and whispered, "Did she just call us chaos?"
"She's not wrong," Dahyun muttered, suppressing a yawn.
---
The interns found themselves at the back of the bus, whispering about how outdated and unnecessary the trip felt.
"We're surgeons. Shouldn't we be in the OR, saving lives?" Sana groaned.
"Not trekking into the wilderness like scouts," Yoongi added.
"I heard this was a punishment," Jungkook said, munching on one of the snacks he had scavenged.
Their complaints were cut short when Jisoo turned from her seat near the front, her voice cutting through their chatter.
"If you spent half as much time learning as you do complaining, maybe the chief wouldn't feel the need to punish you. If you learned to wait for your attendings and not cutting LVAD wires, then maybe you'all would be in an OR," she said pointedly, silencing them.
"Whatever you say, Satan's wife" Jungkook whispered under his breath.
The seating arrangement didn't help the interns' mood. Jihyo and Dahyun sat together, heads leaning against the window, while Yoongi ended up beside Lisa. Sana had tried to sit next to Yoongi but was edged out by Lisa, forcing her to sit with Jungkook.
Lisa smiled at Yoongi, making casual conversation. Sana watched them from the corner of her eye, her irritation growing.
"Bitch..."
