“There you go. Just keep an eye on it and come back if you notice any swelling or redness,” I say to the young woman when I’ve wrapped her arm up. The gaping wound had needed several stitches, but it had been nothing in comparison to the bus crash and building explosion we’d had to deal with today.
I walk over to wash my hands. I’m disappointed that my shift is almost over, but considering how exhausted I am, it’s probably a good thing. As I dry my hands, my ears prick up when I hear Marina’s name mentioned. I glance next to me where two doctors I recognize as residents, are talking. I catch enough of their conversation to figure out that my little session with Luke this morning caused me to miss out on a pretty major announcement. They walk over to the nurses’ station, and I casually follow them, pretending to fill out some paperwork. I listen to them talk, trying to work up the courage to join in and find out more details.
“What research project?” I ask, jumping into the conversation.
The girl smiles at me. “Marina announced it this morning at the meeting. She’s choosing a third-year resident to take part in some special fertility research project.” She sighs, a dreamy expression on her face. “The winner gets to live in Switzerland for a few months. I’ll change my specialty for that,” she jokes.
A shiver of excitement passes through me. I don’t care if the project is based in Switzerland or Antarctica, the idea of working with Marina on anything is incredible.The rest of my shift, all I can think about is that project. I need to get my hands on one of those applications, but I’m not sure how to do that without admitting that I missed the meeting. I’m annoyed at myself for getting distracted with Luke, because even when I went down on him, I knew I was going to be late. Typical. The one time I’m late, of course, something like this would happen.
I finish the last of my paperwork and then walk back over to the staffroom. I go the long way, which conveniently takes me past Marina’s office. I panic when I see her sitting in there, because I wasn’t actually expecting to run into her. What were you expecting? I inwardly chastise myself and shake my head. I didn’t know, but I’ve never seen her in her office and that first week, I made it a point to come this way all the time. She looks up and raises her eyebrows expectantly at me.
She must think I’m stupid, the way I’m just standing there, staring at her.
“Can I help you?”
Before I know it, I’m walking inside and closing the door behind me. I stand in front of my idol, twitching my thumbs like an idiot, unable to speak. What am I supposed to say? How every paper she’s written, I’ve pored over until it was imprinted in my mind? Or how every study she’s conducted, I followed the progress obsessively, to the point where I felt like I was right there with her?
Yeah. Make yourself totally sound like a stalker. Way to go, Loz.
Talk about making a bad impression. This is the first time I’ve spoken to her—because I’m yet to get a word out—and I’m making a fool of myself. I swallow and contemplate walking out, because this is such a bad idea.
“What can I help you with?” she gently presses.
“Right, I… I just wanted to find out how I apply for the research project you’re offering.” I squeak the words out as they stick in my throat.
“Are you a third year?” she asks. I nod. She frowns at me. “I don’t think I’ve seen you before. Were you at the meeting this morning?”
“No,” I reveal and close my eyes, realizing how weak this sounds. “Every single shift I’ve been here earlier than I needed to be. Except for today, when I slept through my alarm.”
It’s close enough to the truth. I’m not about to admit to the part where I spared enough time to suck Luke’s cock. She stares at me for the longest moment of my life, while I curse myself for not inventing a family emergency or something.
“At least you’re honest.” She finally chuckles. “I admire that. Most people would have invented an emergency.”
She reaches into her drawer and pulls out a form, handing it to me.
“It’s all pretty straightforward. The thing I want you to focus on the most is that last question. Convince me why I should choose you for this project.”
I nod and stare down at the application, my heart racing. This could set me up. This kind of thing on my résumé would put me ahead of everyone else for that fellowship next year. But it’s more than that. The idea of working alongside someone who has made such a difference in the world of fertility is just too incredible to believe.