Jess & Riley

[jesswhitman]

Just because Jess Whitman was new on the job didn’t mean he had to feel ostracized. In fact, he saw the new surroundings as an excuse to get to know them. First, however, before he went and flirted with nurses, he had some doctors to introduce himself to. Always preferring the stairs, Jess’ legs took him up to the fourth floor swiftly, two or three

Comments

[jesswhitman]

"You're not half bad at this, doc." Jess grinned, taking Riley's words into stride, same as always. Actually, her candor was quite nice. "Motivation: Liking life. Benefit: Hard worker, mostly positive outlook, non-jugmental, and all the other right answers."

He paused a little, and continued, "Chose Internal Medicine because I got caught TP'ing the head of my old department's home. I should have grown out of that around the age of fifteen, but, here we are, yes? In ten years I see myself on a bowling team that drinks more than bowls, annoying nurses with bad puns, maybe in a relationship, and, of course, very interested in clinical trials."

Jess' response mirrored Riley's queries in that his sarcasam, or lack thereof wasn't at all constant. "Oh, and, for the record, piano and sax, if you must know." The beginnings of a grin teased the corners of his mouth. Hey, she was a pretty cool chick- that is, professional superior. Jess could already tell he was going to have to cut certain vehicular out of his speech for this job.

"Hey, Doc R?" The question had been nagging at him since he saw her. "If ya don't mind my asking, where'd you get the lip?" He brushed his thumb across his own lip, the place where, if he were Riley, the cut would be.

[e_jeanriley]

By the time he had finished, Whitman's deadpan approach had Riley laughing softly. It was nice to be able to laugh and temporarily ignore what weighed on her mind. Thank God she and he probably weren't going to be butting heads every time they had to work together. That was a particularly treacherous risk to run while playing 'intern roulette.'

But Jess, upon first inspection, seemed alright. Once he asked his question, Riley's laughter had sobered to an easy smile, slung low around the corners of her mouth. "Oh, this?" Her right hand went to her split lip. "A seizing patient got me while I was restraining her." Now that it looked better, people had actually start to beleive that story, Riley changing minute details to distance the truth.

Riley smiled again, and blinked. "You don't get to do anything cool like that till your second year of residency, sorry."

[jesswhitman]

"Here's probably when I consider taking a Peds fellowship after my residency, isn't it? I understand nine year olds don't have the most impressive right hooks." Jess wasn't seriously considering it, applying for a fellowship position obstructed his philosophy aiming to immediately affect the world. No, Peds was not for him. But anyway.

[e_jeanriley]

Annnnnnddd... Boom. Riley was back to professionalism, like that. "Maybe. Your call." Peds had never really been an option for Riley, either. Part of her job, part of a doctors job, was having patients die. And she knew that she'd never be able to watch children pass away. "Do you see yourself in a fellowship in a few years?" It was a question she probably should have asked earlier, but, hey, she was askinbg it now.

[jesswhitman]

"Nah." Jess sat back in his chair, crossing one gangly leg over the other. "I'm gonna go the easy road and stick with just the one specialty." He was so kidding about that last part. He knew as well as anyone that single-focus doctors were subjected to as much pressure as polys, and then there was that expectation to take on fellowships... but that was okay. As long as he got practicing as soon as possible. Jess wasn't hasty, but he sure wasn't patient with his future. He was more... pleasantly anxious. "Now... coffee?"