There You Are

Chapter 2

Areeba's POV:

Everything felt new to me, like I'd landed from another planet. As I entered the ward, doctors were making their rounds, so we waited patiently for them to finish.

While my seniors were busy with rechecking the old files, I found myself drowning in boredom. So, I pulled out my iPhone 15 Pro (a little flex never hurt anyone, right?) and rested it on a tall table that seemed like a writing stand.

I opened Instagram and saw over 9 unread messages in my cousins' group chat, mostly reels. They share them like it's their life's mission!

One particular reel was so hilarious that I had to bite my lip to stop from bursting into laughter. I was so engrossed in it that I didn't notice a doctor had been waiting for the table, until a nurse came over to take it.

She wheeled it over to a patient's bed. The doctor shot me a glance, then placed a file on the table and began writing, likely noting down medications or observations.

After what felt like an eternity, my seniors directed me to another task - to assess another patient.

I approached him and his attendees, greeting them with a voice that was surprisingly soft and sweet. Even I was taken aback by my own tone.

Was this really my voice? They asked me to speak a bit louder, so I adjusted my volume, trying to strike a balance between soft-spoken and audible.

What caught my attention was the doctor, he seemed to be leaving, his work in this ward likely completed. But then, just a few steps away from where I was standing, he stopped.

He pulled out his phone, (Wait, he doesn't own an iPhone?) and appeared to be texting.

My keen detective-like eyes didn't miss any of this.

I'm not sure why I was so observant, but something about him sparked a strange feeling within me.

Why did he stop?

Oh no, could he have overheard my assessment?

A wave of fear washed over me as I recalled stumbling over my words during the assessment. It was far from perfect.

Could he possibly be planning to complain about this?

The thought sent a wave of dread washimg over me.

Not today, please, I silently pleaded. It was, after all my very first day.

I continued writing down the nutritional diagnosis in the file, and till I finished writing, he was gone.

____________

It was lunchtime, my stomach grumbled, but I was craving for some ice-cream.

I found myself wandering into the hospital cafeteria, the menu was a vast sea of choices, but I decided on a classic treat: a scoop of chocolate ice cream.

The cafeteria was unusually quite. I spotted a cosy table in a corner. I gave my order and as I settled in, my phone gave a low battery warning. Thankfully, I had my charger at hand, and I plugged it in just in the nick of time.

The waiter called out saying my order was ready. I wasn't expecting it to be a self-service setup.

As I collected my ice cream, the waiter informed - my chosen table was 'reserved'. The concept seemed out of place in a hospital cafeteria, and I was too weary to engage in a debate over such a silly issue.

"Reserved? Surely, not in a hospital cafeteria, I didn't realize people made reservations here." I retorted, my tone laced with disbelief.

As I turned to head back to my table, I nearly bumped into the same doctor from this morning. His intense gaze was disconcerting, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease.