the anatomy of love

005

You couldn't shake it, shake that itchy feeling of guilt that snaked under your skin.

You tried to convince yourself that Gobong was manipulating your head with her cold hearted words, but the harsh reality was that she was right about you.

You had to do better if you wanted to keep this job, if you wanted to prove Gobong wrong, and if you wanted to surprise Asuke like you planned.

So you got to work over the next few days and your feet quickly became a part of the hospital ambiance; fading in with the squeaking of wheels, beeps of monitors and chatter at desks.

You also made a point to greet patients when Gobong was around, but eventually you begun to say hello even when she wasn't present.

It was the little things that seemed to make her perk up, and you suspect to have caught her smiling once or twice when you cleaned up after a nauseous kid without having to be told.

It earned you praise from your new colleagues and it gave you the chance to know everyone a bit better.

🐻

"Stop laughing I'm being serious!"

"That's effed up Miyo," A girl with a white buzzcut chuckles as she grabs a drink from the lunch room's fridge.

Sitting at the table with a fork poking into her salad, Miyo huffs at the excessive teasing.
"Just forget it Jay, it was a stupid thought alright."

"What's a stupid thought?" You cut in with a warming smile, taking a seat between the two .

Spinning her chair around to straddle the seat, Jay takes a long gulp before turning to face you. "Ok so check it, Miyo here thinks Nurse Bongo and Doctor Uie are a thing—crazy right?"

Pulling out a chair, you raise your eyebrows at the statement and shake your head.

"Well...I don't think I could comment on that even if I wanted to. I just don't know them like you both do," You shrug, opening the boxed lunch that Asuke made for you.

"Trust me, Bong is a soulless tyrant with no heart. The closest she'll ever get to a man is when he's unconscious on the operating table."

Perking up when you laugh at her lame humor; Jay gives a cocky smile as she takes a bite of rice—neither of you acknowledging Miyo's disagreement.

"She's really not that bad, you just have to let her—"

"Where is he? don't lie to me! I know he's here!"

"Ambrose you know you can't be back here! You're still on probation!"

"That's my damn brother! I need to see him!"
A high pitched yet aggressive voice barks down the hall, making you and your colleagues exchange a glance before jumping up from your table; your food left to spoil.

"You don't get it, he needs me!" Trying to shake two nurses off his body, the frantic male's hair was disheveled and sweaty as he shouts.

"Ambrose compose yourself man!" Jay jumps in when the boy pushes one of the other nurses to the ground; the back of her head banging against the wall, leaving her to hold the back of her head in pain.

"Tell me where he is!"

"S-sir we need you to calm down and tell us who your brother is," You cut in impulsively—raising a hand as if that would keep him at bay. From where you stood you could tell that his face was flushed and his hands were shaking.
However you couldn't tell if he was shaking because of how worried he was or if it was his anger that made him tremble.

But more surprising than anything else, you became aware that he wore the same scrubs as you, looking no different from any of the other male nurses except that he was deranged and clenching his fists.

"Don't play dumb. Ruby has brown hair, skinny as hell, about my height and was supposed to be coming to visit me two days ago!"

"Sir we're sorry but we couldn't find any means of emergency contact on your brother so we had no way to contact you—but I can reassure you that he's fine, I took care of him and he's —"

"He's none of your damn business," A monotone voice cuts into your own just as dull as always. You didn't even have to look to guess who it was.

Shifting your eyes, you watch as Gobong walks into the scene; her focus directly on the one everyone had called Ambrose.

The hall was mostly quiet except for the faint beeping of patients monitors and the grunting of the nurses who were trying to help the one that had been pushed down moments earlier.

Glaring under his sweaty bangs, the boy watches Gobong as she steps in front of him—her own stance slightly towering his.

"If you keep behaving so recklessly you'll have broken the guidelines of your probation and the deal will be off, you do realize that right?"

Crossing her arms, Bong shakes her head.
"So if you want to see your brother, you'll follow me and we can talk, privately."

Silence, and for a moment Ambrose didn't move, but after a while he brushes his face with the sleeve of his shirt and trails behind Bong, head down as he pauses and shoots you a subtle glance.

"Rome Yoh," Bong mumbles as she guides Ambrose into a small room.

"Ma'am?" you perk up and hold your breath.

"Oversee Ruby until I get back,
simple enough right?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Jay will assist you."

"Yes ma'am."

And despite everything that just happened you felt your dimples sink in as a tiny smile forms.
Finally, some real work.

[+]
y'know preparing for university is a long and exhausting process and I feel bad for not having the time to write these past few months. #willeditlater

anyway I'm trying to get back in the grove...and I also think that I've introduced all the major characters.