Finding Scarlet

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Toby

"On your left we have one of the many examination and overnight rooms on this floor, where each and every single one of you will have the opportunity to work in." Our tour guide says, gesturing to an unoccupied room. The students around me feverishly take notes. "Each of you will be shadowing a doctor in this facility, and you will experience working with patients first hand."

We are all wearing blue smocks and pants, the designated uniform for hospital staff. It's not the most flattering thing I've ever worn, but that's not what's annoying me.

What's annoying me is was that I spent four hours shopping for the perfect outfit, and I'm wearing smocks.

I feel like a fish out of water around these destined-to-be-med-school students, who are all enthusiastically following our guide like a duckling following it's mother. And there's me: here for a totally different reason.

Our tour guide leads us down the hall, past patients and nurses doing their rounds. Each room we pass I glance into, hoping to spot Scarlet in one of them.

Our guide stops by the elevators, causing the mass of students to stumble to a halt. "Fifth floor is surgery, fourth is overnight rooms, third is the cafeteria, second is the visitor center, and of course the ground floor is reception and the examination rooms. Now I'm going to assign you to your doctors." She pulls out her clipboard, flipping a couple pages before she starts reading off names. "Allison Cooper?"

A little girl with straight black hair and wide brown eyes steps forward nervously.

Our guide regards her absently. "You're with Dr. Johnson, ground floor."

Allison nods and scampers away.

As the tour guide continues to rattle off names, I find myself become even more anxious. What if people find out why I'm really here? What if I get so much stuff to do from my doctor, that I wont have time to search for her?

What if all of this was a waste of time?

"Toby Baxter?" The tour guide finally says.

I swallow hard as I step forward. "Yes ma'am."

She glances briefly at me. "You're with Dr. Martin, fourth floor."

I sigh inwardly as our tour guide brings her clipboard back to her side. "Your doctor will give you your specific schedules momentarily, and lunch breaks are at 12:30 precisely. Good luck."

The students disperse, leaving me alone gawking in the middle of the hall. A couple students rush toward the elevators, so after I snap out of my daze I dash after them, barely making it into the lift before the doors close.

A student with shaggy dark hair and almond shaped eyes looks at me. "What floor?"

I clear my throat. "Four, please."

There are a total of four of us in the elevator, but not one person spoke. There is the shaggy haired boy, a girl with blonde hair and thick-framed glasses around her hazel eyes, and a guy with a million freckles over his face and arms with bright gingery hair. He speaks first.

"I'm Steven, by the way." He says softly.

"Meredith" The girl says.

"Lee." The shaggy haired boy grumbles.