Trapped In Your Bleeding Heart (Riff x Reader)

Chapter One - Stepping Past The Borders

If I was a boy, I would still be sitting in a lecture hall, listening to my anatomical studies teacher rant about the difference between quick thinking and nonsensical adrenaline in medical emergencies.

What's the difference?

When in a medical emergency, quick thinking is essential. What you- a medical professional- do in the next few minutes can either save or end someone's life. But what happens if you panic? Choke? Screw up?

What happens if you get caught up in a rush of adrenaline and fear-- and you can't think at all?

. . .

If I was a boy, I could've been awarded a scholarship, or been sponsored by some rich quack who thought I had potential.

I was considered lucky to be accepted into nursing school in the first place. Most women medical professionals were army medics, only hired because of a staff shortage-- forced to work with minimal medical education. I thought I was going to be different.

I was so close.

"If I had my own bank account, I could take out a loan and get through my last year of school easily. But-"

"You're a girl. We know." Bernardo interrupted. "Now eat your eggs."

Maria smiled over her glass of water. Anita hit Bernardo's shoulder with a spatula. "Be nice to her. She's right, you know." She lectured, turning back to the stove as she continued. "As long as you men keep hogging all the rights, we'll never be able to have our own things..."

Bernardo grew closer to Anita and hugged her from behind. "You have me, mi amor." He said with a smile. Anita swatted him away playfully.

Maria and I laughed to this. Over the short month I had been living with them, I felt safe with my new roommates. Although sometimes I felt on the outs of the tightly-knit family, they were kind to me, and treated me like one of their own. "I wish I could go to school..." Maria commented, trailing a finger along the table she and I sat by. "What's it like, Rose? Is it fun? Qué aprendes-- What do you learn?"

I thought for a moment. "Well, my sophomore year I had to memorize every part of the human body." I said.

"That doesn't sound fun." Anita contributed.

Maria hummed with interest. "What else?" She asked.

I smiled. "Well, I know how to treat many injuries. I can set a broken arm or leg, I can splint any damaged limbs, I can suture and sew wounds- or treat infections... You name it."

Anita dished eggs onto Bernardo's plate. "It's a good thing we have you around, then." Anita said, looking to Bernardo.  "This one is always getting into trouble."

Bernardo shoved food firmly into his mouth. "I protect my rights and mi familia. Is that not honorable?" He defended.

"Honorable? No te halagues!" Anita shot back.

Bernardo scoffed, and soon they were speaking Spanish that I couldn't quite understand. "Man," I said. "You're going to need to teach me a lot more if I'm ever going to understand that."

Maria leaned towards me. "I don't think you want to hear what they're saying, anyway." She replied.

I raised my eyebrows and looked back to the bickering couple. "Want to go get ready for the day?" I asked quietly.

"Sí, definitely." Maria responded.

. . .