Forbidden Prescription (Forbidden Medicine 1)

“What do you think about the attending?” Jordan asked Isabella as they walked through another corridor.

“He seems like a good doctor,” she replied. “I hope he’s as good as Doctor Jensen says he is.”

“That’s not what I mean,” Jordan pressed. “What do you think about him?”

“If you’re aiming for subtlety, that’s not it,” Isabella said coolly.

“Ha, I could say the same for you.”

“What do you mean?”

“What did you say when you shook his hand? Something about being ‘under him’?”

“I was understandably nervous. I misspoke. Not a big deal.”

Jordan smirked. “It’s so obvious that you’re attracted to him.”

“You don’t find him attractive?”

“Of course I do,” Jordan replied. “He’s positively gorgeous. I just know when I have no place talking to a man like that, and this is definitely one of those instances.”

“Obviously,” Isabella said, getting annoyed. “You really think I’m the type to get involved with my superior? I got here on my own. I’m not about to screw my way to the top.”

“I didn’t mean it like that,” Jordan said, softer. “I’m just saying that I saw a spark between you and that it’s clear that you’re into him.”

“I know.” Isabella sighed. “It’s just that it’s probably the last thing I would want right now.”

“I admire your restraint. If I had the opportunity, I’d go for it.”

“Then go for it,” Isabella said halfheartedly. “I won’t stop you.”

“I don’t think I have a chance,” she said glumly. “I could probably manage a hookup with one of these fools,” she said, nodding at a couple of guys in their group. “There’s a couple of hot nurses here too,” she added. “Maybe those men would be down.”

Isabella chuckled. Getting tangled in a relationship was the last thing she wanted to worry about. There was so much to learn, and she was terrified that she wouldn’t be able to stay above the others. It wasn’t enough for her just to get through residency. She needed to be the best.

James led the group back to their little conference room.

“This concludes my tour of the hospital,” he announced. “We will pause for a short lunch of sandwiches and their accoutrements, generously provided to you by Central General Hospital.”

There was a quiet hiss of soft cheers from the crowd. James slowly shook his head and smirked.

“Sad,” he said. “You guys are starting your first day as surgical interns and you’re most excited about getting free food. Well, enjoy it while you can, because you’ll be eating the finest cafeteria slop for years to come.”

This lecture fell on deaf ears as the male interns rushed the buffet and greedily filled their plates. Isabella and Jordan, as the only female interns, felt like they had a sense of pride to maintain, and they hung back, waiting patiently.

“I have a feeling the two of you will be a formidable pair,” a soft voice said from behind them.

The girls whipped their heads around. It was James.

“I see it every year,” he continued. “The men always count out the women in their class. There’s this belief that the girls don’t try as hard because they’re more likely to get married and start a family and let their careers fall by the wayside.”

“Really?” Jordan asked naively.

“Sure. And it does happen from time to time. But, I have a feeling that the two of you will do well here. It’s such a male dominated profession that if you fight against the stereotype, you’ll crush them.”

“Is that what happened in your internship?” Isabella challenged.

He laughed. “Nah, I obliterated them. Not even a competition.”

“How modest,” Isabella said.

“You have to be a little full of yourself to get ahead. If I could give you one piece of advice, it’s to never let anyone get in your way.”

Jordan nodded eagerly, like she was being handed the secrets to the universe.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Isabella said dryly.

Their conversation was interrupted by several anxious interns with too many questions. James spoke patiently, but it was clear that he wasn’t thrilled with the task of babysitting a bunch of new interns.

Isabella picked at her turkey and cheddar on wheat while Jordan scarfed down a handful of chips.

“You’ve got to eat something,” Jordan said between bites.

Isabella humored her and nibbled on a baby carrot. “I just don’t have much of an appetite today.”

She didn’t want to admit it, but she just couldn’t shake her case of nerves. Maybe James thought he was motivating them with his little speech, but it just piled on more pressure. It did feel good to know that someone was rooting for her, but it also added one more person who would be let down if she failed.

“Okay, everyone,” James announced. “The hospital wants me to cover a few more points, so I’ll get this out of the way while you eat. Basically, don’t fuck things up. If you don’t know what you’re doing, please ask me or one of the nurses for assistance. Technically, you’re supposed to ask Doctor Jensen, but he’s probably not going to be available most of the time. So, I’m going to need you all to be on your best behavior. If some shit goes down, we’ll lawyer up, but we’d rather not do that. If you make a mistake, kill someone, and the family sues, the hospital loses money. The first budget they cut is the cafeteria, and if you cause Taco Tuesday to go away, there will be hell to pay.”

The interns didn’t know whether to laugh or not. James seemed pretty serious.

“That’s about it for orientation. Now, the real fun can start.”

An excited chatter filled the room.

“Settle down,” he mocked. “This is how it’s going to go: I will take you around to see various patients. I’ll ask you questions, and if you know the answers, you’ll get the pleasure of treating patients. If you don’t, you’d better study up because you’ll soon get left behind. Ready? Let’s start.”

The interns jumped out of their chairs and followed James out the door like ducklings. Isabella dug her fingernails into the inside of her palm. This was the moment she had been waiting for since she started medical school. This was the time to prove that her hard work was worth it.

As nervous as she was, Isabella was also incredibly excited. While she couldn’t practice medicine without close supervision, she was still a doctor. She had the ability to help the other doctors treat patients, and that was the first step toward achieving her dream. All she had to do was beat out six other interns.

“Are you ready for this?” James asked Isabella, grinning.

“You have no idea,” she replied.

“Good,” he said. “Things are about to get crazy.”

He raised his eyebrow at her, ever so slightly. He seemed like the type of man who was naturally flirty. He reeked of confidence and knowledge.

Isabella found him mildly infuriating but particularly fascinating.

Chapter Three

Despite her fears, Isabella made it through the first few days of her internship with no issues. She had answered tough questions just as well as anyone else in her group and earned the prize of getting to work hands-on with patients. So far, she had only sutured and placed IV lines, but it was better than nothing.

By the end of her first week, she knew where everything was in the hospital and wasn’t mistaking supply closets for exam rooms anymore. The hospital was a chaotic place, but she felt a sense of calm working amongst the hustle.

Isabella was taking a rare moment of free time to chug a cup of coffee in the nurse’s station. Jordan approached her, massaging her right hand.

“I’m starting to think that they’re just rewarding us with the crappy jobs the other doctors and nurses don’t want to do,” she said in a hushed tone. “I’ve basically sewn a quilt’s worth of human skin today.”

“Better that than wha

t Matthews was assigned today. He had to drain some old guy’s nasty abscess. I heard he still can’t get the smell out of his nose.”

They chuckled, knowing too well that they could be in his position at any time.

“Are you going out for drinks tonight?” Jordan asked. “The guys told me that we’re meeting up after we finish today.”

“No one invited me.”

“They probably forgot. Hell, I nearly forgot. Of course you’re invited.”

“I don’t know.”

“You’re going,” Jordan interrupted. “I’m not going without you.”

“I might just stay in and catch up on my reading. I heard a rumor that we’d be quizzed on metabolic disorders next week.”

“You can do that later. It’s healthy to socialize and to blow off some steam. Plus, what’s that saying about keeping your enemies close?”

Isabella thought for a moment. She wasn’t interested in socializing while there was work to be done, but perhaps Jordan was right. It would be good to have some insight into the minds of her competitors.

“Fine,” she submitted. “Just a few hours, though. Then I’m going to finally get a good night of sleep.”

“I knew you’d see reason.” Jordan smiled.