Revved Up Soul

Chapter 11

Jasmine

Four Months Ago

He was wrong and she was right, that's all that there was to it. Doctor Benjamin Royce had been conversing in the hall with some of the nurses, wanting to hear what some of the men had to think about his diagnosis. Jasmine straightened her spine indignantly. "I'm telling you treating him for that will get him killed." Probably, at least. It would definitely crash his whole immune system.

Doctor Royce's jaw clenched. "You're not a diagnostician," he snapped, "I'm surprised you know even a damn thing." The man's face darkened in anger. He had dark blonde hair that was very straight and fell to his ears in a kind of bowl shape.

"If you don't want my advice that's your mistake," Jasmine replied. "Don't come crying to me for a second opinion."

The doctor's voice only became louder as Augustus Lark approached from the other end of the hall.

Augustus Lark was the head of Neurology; a tall and older man standing at an impressive 6'1. Wickedly handsome for his age, Jasmine had felt overwhelmed in his presence when she briefly met him four days prior. His shoulders were distinctively broad and masculine; the motion to his walk was something of a confident swagger. He had a head of silver and red curly hair, lush and inviting as wine.

It was then that Royce aggressively postured towards Jasmine, the other nurses keeping a safe distance between them and the two doctors. "I don't give a shit," he spat, "I was asking what they thought, not you."

"You just wanted to hear yourself talk jackass," Jasmine barked in reply, inching herself closer to the man – not letting him have even the slightest of ground.

"I bet you really get around with a mouth like that, what happened before you got here? Get caught sleeping around? Bet you did," Royce declared. "Tell me I'm wrong," he challenged, "go on."

Jasmine's delicate hands formed into tight balls, the ends of her knuckles turning white. "You really don't like being called on your shit, you're a compensating, egotistical prick."

The two nurses were smirking, trying to contain their laughter.

Just as Royce scoffed, Augustus made his way between Jasmine and the man.

Augustus snapped his fingers and then lifted his hands, wiggling his fingers in a gesture. "Okay-okay now you two," his voice was gruff but playful, it had an air of command to it. "Let's just say that you were wrong," he motioned with his hand at Royce, "anddd that you were right," he did the same to Jasmine. He lifted his head to the sky, "big G if you're up there puh-lease grant me the strength to make them listen." Augustus brought his head down and balled one of his hands, as if he had just caught something.

His voice lowered into his usual default snark. "You're both idiots, get over yourselves and start focusing on saving lives. You know, the thing that actually matters – not how far either of you can piss what you think is success. I'm just here to tell you: it's all piss." His eyes shifted towards Jasmine, the corner of his mouth curling into a mocking smile.

Butterflies whimsically danced in Jasmine's chest. He's still the idiot, not me, Jasmine countered in her head, opting for a passive-aggressive huff.

Before she could get a word in edge wise, Royce said, "Whatever," he retreated a couple of steps from Augustus then. "You'll see her for what she is."

Augustus' fox-like green eyes widened and he folded his arms one over the other, his brows furrowing. "Oh by allll means big daddy warbucks tell me just," he made a singular bobbing motion with his head for emphasis, "how well you know our lovely new ray of sunshine in paradise city."