THE APPRENTICE (DOCTOR STRANGE STORY)

13

The wait in the waiting room was one of the most long, frustrating waits Stephen has ever had to endure. He hated how he couldn't swoop in and do the operation, because he was too scared to mess up. He hated how another doctor was handling her, probably doing something wrong, and he hated how it happened to her.

After 4 hours, Christine finally showed up and walked out of the operating room, Stephen scrambling to his feet.

"Well?" He asked anxiously. He didn't know if he wanted to hear it; she looked pretty bad. However, he trusts in Palmer and her skills, and he was still counting on that.

"It was a close call, but she's fine. She's okay, Stephen, she made it." She said with thankfulness, Stephen releasing an audible breath of relief, sitting down on his chair. "Who is she?"

"I- she's a trainee. We met earlier this year, and now she stays with me, at the New York Sanctum." He explained "then we got attacked. She got attacked. We don't know, exactly why, but people are after her."

"What? Does she know? She's so young!" She commented, sitting down beside Strange and patting his back

"No, she doesn't." He sighed "she's like a...padawang to me, you know, that kid. Gosh, if only she wasn't so stubborn."

"Like you?" She smirked, making him chuckle softly "What's she like?"

"Oh," He massaged his temples and scoffed "Hazel? A damn headache, that's what she is. Her stubbornness, mischievousness, and she does this thing wherein she finishes all the ice cream, then puts rocks inside them so I'd think the pint had something inside" he recalled, making him smile

"Aw," she sighed and rubbed his arm "you care about her, don't you?"

"Hm." He hummed and turned away, the speakers calling for Christine's name "thanks." He said gratefully as she stood up

"Sure." She smiled and stood up, walking away.

* * * *

When she woke up, she found herself back in her room at the Sanctum, a pounding headache overcoming her. The pain on her waist started to sting a little, moving was a really difficult to thing to do. As if on queue, Strange opened the door to her room.

"Hazel" he knelt down beside her, his eyes flashing with relief and concern "how are you feeling?"

"Weird." She simply replied, sitting up "I wasn't out for that long, wasn't I?"

"3 days." He said shortly, and then sat down the edge of her bed "it must hurt, your waist. It got you pretty good, you should rest up, I thought you died"

"Actually, it doesn't hurt that much" she knitted her eyebrows "I can feel it, but it doesn't actually hurt."

She covered the rest of her body with her blanket as she lifted up the big shirt Strange lent her, and eyed the area

"Don't do that, it might get infected-" Strange stopped mid sentence, befuddled. Her wound was completely closing up, starting to slowly scar. As a doctor, he knew it was healing rapidly, almost too rapidly. As a sorcerer, however, he knew what it was; he experiences the same exact thing. "You're magical."

"Uh...thanks?" She tilted her head, confused

"No, as in, you have magic in your blood. Magic inflicted wounds heal rapidly for you, I would know. I have the exact same thing happen to me" he explained, making Hazel stand up

"So I can go back doing normal stuff?" She smiled, losing her balance, her legs wobbly

"Woah, missy, no. You, are gonna rest." He gently pushed her back to the bed, making her fall down on it

"What, no, you said it yourself-"

"I said you heal faster, but I never said you're fully recovered" he responded, shaking his head. Hazel opened her mouth to speak, but he heals out a finger "nope, no buts."

"Why would you even force someone to rest, that doesn't even make sense! It's not like I'm actually gonna fall asleep, I fall asleep slower when someone forces me, so it's counterproductive-" she muttered on and on, Stephen ignoring what she was saying and shutting the door.

"She's fine" Stephen looked back at the door, still hearing her mutter things "she's exactly the same."

"Good." Wong nodded "cause what she did was badass, you've got to admit it. Have you caught them?"

"No." He pursed his lips "they left when I took her to the hospital. We need to find out why they're hurting her. Let's go talk to Gyor."