April Yang and Dick Grayson share deep-rooted connections to Gotham, even if they prefer not to give them much thought and keep their emotions to themselves. When Dick turns up in Devon City, where April works towards becoming a surgeon, she inevita...
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TRIGGER WARNING: public shooting
"Quite a way to make a comeback, Doctor," Mindy, the nurse, said whilst April was taking off her mask and gloves. "Soloing an appendectomy, quite the statement."
April was smiling, just slightly, as it did feel good to actually move forward in her career. "I know," she said. "Hoping to scrub in on the heart transplant tomorrow, I've heard the surgeon is flying in from Seattle."
Mindy raised her eyebrows and mused in approval. "Good, good..." she traced off as they walked together through the corridors. There was something else bothering her, April could see that in the way she fidgeted with her clipboard.
"Are you all right? I know it's a difficult—"
"Not at all, no," Mindy rushed to explain, and even her walk sped up a little. "I've had my ups and downs, you know... But that's just Devon, eh? I'm sure once the winter ends we can lay back."
April nodded, not so sure herself, as they finally stopped by the locker room. "See you on Monday?"
"What? You must be joking, it's not even seven yet!"
"Yes, exactly, and I'm already kind of late," April admitted, suddenly skittish. "Just slightly, or maybe not at all, it depends."
Mindy had already smelled gossip material by then, and she was more than willing to follow April into the locker room and lean on a wall to inquire further. "Got some plans?" to which April nodded eagerly. "Come on now, don't be so enigmatic..."
"I don't know what I'm gonna do yet!" April raised her arms in surrender, but couldn't stop herself from giggling at the conversation. "Although that makes it more difficult to pick an outfit..."
"Ah," Mindy squinted her eyes in silent victory. "You're going on a date."
"You're horrible," April said, having finished packing her bag. "And very smart. But horrible."
Feeling high as a kite, filled with hopefulness, April practically ran to her apartment. She opened the less-frequently-used part of the closet and eyed the inside in anxious silence. What was she doing? She didn't have time for dates. Her mother didn't have time for dates, which is why she wasn't still with her father, and also why she was such an excellent surgeon. Career-driven people didn't waste time on people they weren't sure they had feelings for. Fortunately for April, she wasn't quite sure if she was career-driven. Sure, she wanted to accomplish something on her own and did enjoy helping people, but being a surgeon sometimes felt like the easy way to do so. Ironically, there was obviously nothing easy about it.
