Classified

Classified Part 1

      Thalia West collapsed onto the bed in her hotel room, completely exhausted. It had been a very long day.

      Almost two very long days . She reminded herself, looking at her watch. It's crazy that twenty hours ago I stepped on my very first plane, and now I'm in Belarus. Who would have thought I'd ever travel to Europe?

      Even though she wanted nothing more than to close her eyes she forced herself to grab the room phone. She called the front desk to connect her to her best friend's number in America.
      "Thalia!" Claire's voice sounded excited from all the way across the ocean. "How are you? How was the flight? Have you gone to the conference yet?"

      Thalia smiled at her friend's enthusiasm. "I'm tired." She admitted. "The flight was okay. But our second plane was delayed by several hours, so I landed in Minsk with just enough time to shower and run to the conference."

      "Oh, you poor thing." Claire's voice was sympathetic. "Did you sleep at all on the plane?"
      Thalia frowned. "I should have, but I was too nervous and excited. I just kept going over my speech again and again."

      Claire laughed. "You knew that thing cold before you got on the plane." She reminded her. "You've given similar talks at the University multiple times."

      "I know." Thalia admitted as she went into the bathroom to lay out her toiletries. "It's just different. I know the University. I went there." She reminded her friend. "But this is bigger. There are doctors from all over the world. It's hard to not feel self conscious around so many brilliant minds."

      "You are brilliant." Claire said supportively. "But it went well?"
      "I guess." Thalia sighed, twisting the phone cord. "I'm glad my part is finished. I was almost thrown off right at the beginning because the man next to me at the conference asked me what I was hoping to major in when I go to University."

      "Oh no." Claire's voice was understanding. "I'm sorry."
      "It's just annoying." Thalia pushed her hair off of her face. "I'm twenty four. When do people stop assuming I'm a teenager?"

      "I'm sure he didn't mean to offend you." Claire told her. "You're just lucky you have those big blue eyes and flawless skin."

      Thalia frowned as she looked at herself in the mirror. She could tell that her friend was trying to make her feel better, but it wasn't working. Thalia knew she didn't look like most people's idea of ​​a doctor. She was five feet tall and thin, and she had an innocent look about her that belied her age. She was used to people assuming she was younger than she was, and even used to people talking down to her on occasion. But her work was usually a place where she could feel confident, and no one challenged her age or abilities. Except when Doctor Thayer, her mentor, sent her places to talk about their research into pain management.

      "At least when I talk at the University people assume I'm a grad student." Thalia said, twisting her hair up into a knot on top of her head.

      It was both her favorite thing and her least favorite thing about her job.
      Still in her residency, Thalia was supposed to do anything the attending physician required of her, which often meant grunt work. But she loved the fact that she was trusted with something this major, even if it made her uncomfortable. One of the requirements for her employment with her agency had been turning over her research into pain management, so Thalia knew things could have been worse. They could have taken her research and kept her completely in the dark about it, but Doctor Thayer had taken her under his wing and made her feel like a part of his team.