BTS ONE SHOTS

Dr. Park (7)

Chapter 7

“Ice cream after a toxic duty is always a good idea.”, Chul declared as she and her duty mates that include Jimin share a tub in the lounge area of the resident’s quarters which is located in the top most floor of the hospital.

The hospital offers free boarding to residents who cannot afford to rent an apartment of their own. Considering their meager salary, a lot of the residents opt to avail of this incentive. The male and female quarters are separated from each other but is connected by the lounge area. Jimin, through the help of his parents, rents an apartment that is just walking distance from the hospital but once in a while he stays in the quarters when he’s too tired to even walk home. Or sometimes he just wants some company. This is one of those nights.

“I’m just glad Dr. Yang didn’t curse me last night after I admitted a very toxic patient in his ICU.”, Jimin shuddered after recalling that fateful night when his senior got mad at him and yelled at him, as if he can control who and what comes in the ER.

Chul grimaced at that.

“I’m sorry for that, Jimin. The nurses actually told me what happened that night. I never told you this but I already spoke to him and the rest of the senior residents about our attitude during our tour of duty and how we should treat our juniors. Yongjoon does not have the right to take out his frustrations on you especially since you were just doing your job.  And Dr. Kim also approached me and informed me about how the senior on duty last week failed to have your back and did not do his job properly and thus missed an important order.” The chief resident looked at the rest of her co-residents.

“I promise you guys that that wouldn’t happen again. If it does, tell me.

“As seniors, it’s our job to look out for you. We’re supposed to fill the gap that you missed. We should help and guide you. Just because we’re ahead of you does not give us the right to treat you like crap. I want you to be comfortable to ask for help from us when needed and not try to solve issues on your own because you’re scared of how we would react. We shouldn’t be angry at you all the time even when you make a mistake. I know this is not an excuse but you know how that has always been the case? From way back? It’s what we have experienced and what the doctors before us also did. The seniors feeling high and mighty and purposely giving the juniors a hard time. It’s a toxic culture in Medicine. One that I hope that we could change.”

Jimin smiled gratefully at his senior.

“Thank you, Dr. Sun. I appreciate it. I didn’t mean to cause you any trouble.”

“You didn’t. It’s their fault that they weren’t doing their job properly and has to be called out.”, Chul assured her junior.

“I heard Dr. Kim yelled at Dr. Wang and made him cry. I hope to never make Dr. Kim mad, ever. He probably looks hot when mad but still I wouldn’t want to cry in front of him and ruin my make up. That would probably be a major turn off for him.”, Eunji declared, breaking up the serious mood. Jimin’s eyes widened at the new information.

“He yelled at Dr. Wang?”

“Yep. And then Ji-hoon yelled at Byeol, making her cry. I didn’t understand what was going on because they wouldn’t tell me, probably scared that I’d also scold them if I find out what happened. But then, Dr. Kim approached me and told me everything. I didn’t like how Ji-hoon handled the situation so I called for a meeting with the seniors.”, Chul explained.

“Wow, we do a lot of crying here. We should be in a K-drama.”, Danbi commented, making the group laugh.

“Speaking of K-drama…”, Dasom, another first-year, wiggled her brows at Jimin. “How are you and your leading man doing, Dr. Park?”

“Oh, my gosh! Yes! I heard he got you breakfast last week and that you were being cozy at the OPD. Come on, Jimin-ah, spill!”, Danbi screeched, pointing her spoon at Jimin, who was looking scandalized.

“What are you guys talking about? He got us all breakfast, not just me. He was just being nice because I was so stressed when I thought Dr. Lim and Dr. Kim will kill me due to my blunder. And we weren’t being cozy. We were just talking.”, Jimin defended himself, face red in embarrassment.

“I don’t believe you. There’s something going on and you’re not sharing. We’re batchmates, Jimin! I should have the privilege of being privy to your love life.”, Danbi accused her fellow second-year.

“There’s nothing to tell, I promise!”

“Then why is your face red, Dr. Park?”, Eunji pointed out making the whole group howl in laughter. Jimin just pouted while his co-residents made fun of him.

Thankfully, Chul used her seniority (this time it’s very much welcomed by Jimin) to shush everyone, giving Jimin a break. Once they’ve settled down and moved on to the next topic, Chul leaned over to Jimin and spoke to him in a quiet voice.

“You do know that there’s no rule preventing the fellows from dating the residents, right? Consultants are definitely not allowed to date anyone who’s still in training. Relationships between residents and interns are discouraged but still nobody would bat an eyelash if it happens. So, go for it.”

“Honestly? I’ve never really considered it. He’s nice and all but I guess I’m just too focused on the job to even think of starting anything with him. I’m not really looking for a relationship right now.”, Jimin confessed. He likes Dr. Jung. He enjoys his company and looks forward to the time they get to spend together. But that’s just about it. He never really thought about dating Hoseok even after all the teasing. He doesn't understand why his co-residents keep on teasing him in the first place.

"Really? Are you sure or you're just denying it even to yourself? Well… Can’t say I’m not disappointed because you do look good together but I respect your decision. I won’t push for it anymore.”, Chul finally conceded.

“Thanks. For the record, I’m not closing any doors right now. I’m just not actively pursuing anything. If it makes you feel better, you’ll be the first one to know if anything happens between us.”, Jimin declared, making the two of them giggle.

“Hey, I heard that, Jimin! How could you do this me?”, Danbi suddenly interrupted the private moment, feeling betrayed by his batchmate. This led to another round of teasing and boisterous laughter. This time Chul didn’t interrupt and just let the group be. With their busy lives, they all deserve a moment of downtime and relaxation. They all need to just enjoy the rest of the night together, before they go back to their toxic lives once again tomorrow.