April 30 2021
AJ strode in, coat snapping behind her, her *new interns* scrambling to keep up. But when she pushed through the doors—her *old interns* were already there, standing awkwardly with Trauma's team, trying to be useful.
The patient rolled in, blood everywhere, skull fracture, vitals tanking. It was chaos. Exactly AJ's element.
AJ - Neuro, talk to me
AJ snapped, already gloving up.
Both sets of interns froze.
---
AJ's voice cut through the din.
AJ - You—new blood. CT scan results?
The new intern stammered, fumbling with the chart.
Intern -U-uh, left frontal—
Aj- Wrong
AJ snapped before they finished. She turned her glare on Jackson.
Aj - You. Old blood. Vitals trend?
Jackson swallowed hard, then rattled off numbers without looking at the monitor. His voice shook, but the data was right.
AJ - Finally. Someone paying attention
AJ muttered.
The new interns looked crushed. The old ones looked stunned.
---
The room pulsed with tension as AJ threw orders like scalpels.
Simone - Clamp, now!
she barked. Simone darted forward with steady hands.
Parker - Intubate.
Parker moved, this time without fumbling.
Luca - Vitals?
Luca's prayer-voice turned clinical, calm under pressure.
Gabriel - Lab results?
Gabriel answered smoothly, leaving no room for doubt.
And the new interns? They scrambled to keep up, eyes wide, realizing their *replacements* were sharper than they looked.
For the first time, the old group wasn't floundering. They weren't perfect—but they were *better.*
---
The bleeding stopped. The patient stabilized. For now, they had bought time.
AJ peeled off her gloves, scanning the room, both sets of interns lined up before her like soldiers awaiting judgment.
AJ - Old interns
she said evenly,
AJ - you didn't kill anyone today. Congratulations. That's progress.
They stiffened, unsure if it was a compliment or an insult.
She turned to the new interns.
AJ - New interns—you nearly froze. If you want to survive in Neuro, you better keep up. Because when I move, you move. No excuses.
The silence was suffocating. Both groups of interns flushed under her gaze.
Finally, AJ's voice softened—barely.
AJ -You want my respect? Earn it. Every day. Every case. No shortcuts.
Then she strode out, leaving them staring at each other—rivals now, but united in one truth: surviving AJ Brewster was the hardest test of all.
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