Notice Me

A Royal Pain in the Ass

The harsh lights of the operating room finally gave way to the somewhat warmer yellow glow of the hospital hallway. The adrenaline from the surgery spiralling down to a more calmer state, a wave of exhaustion grasping the team who had just finished this difficult operation. They had been in the procedure long since the morning, starting before dawn with pre-op preparations, now it was closing to evening and everyone just wanted to kick back, relax, and recover from it all.

Catherine walked out sighing, the scent of antiseptic still clinging to her skin, though nauseating, it was something she had gotten used to. She took off her facemask dumping it in a nearby bin and sighed again, this time she couldn’t quite understand the feeling she felt at the time: Joy? It was certainly exciting as it was her first successful assist of a major surgery, but that wasn’t it.

A smile tugged at her lips, she didn’t just assist, she was acknowledged, by Ethan for that matter. That held a satisfaction of its own.

She walked through hallways, nodding at the other doctors when she passed by. Her stomach let out a low growl in protest, reminding her to fulfil the necessary physiological needs. The stale energy bar was the only thing she had eaten since the start of the operation and quite evidently she needed something to keep her body moving.

The hospital cafeteria was tucked at the back end of the second floor, right next to the staff lounge. It wasn't much, but the smell of roasted beans always made the trek worth it. She rounded the corner to the coffee stand, it was surprisingly a little busy with a short queue in motion.

As she approached, she was met with a familiar face. The somewhat unnatural and annoyingly straight back stood tall and clear from the numerous hunched ones. A stark contrast to the harried residents and nurses around him.

It was a man she’s come to know even from his silhouette, it was Ethan.

The tall man, still in pale blue scrubs, stood beside the counter with one hand holding a disposable cup, and the other casually tucked into his coat pocket. He hadn’t seen her yet. For a brief second, Catherine contemplated just turning around and pretending she had come down for something else. But the distorted memory of Ethan calling her name with such care and thanking her with all his heart played on repeat in her head.

A twisted smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

What was the worst that could happen? She had already cracked the tough shell of the human crab, right?

She inhaled, straightened her spine, and walked over.

“Dr. Allen,” she said, offering a polite, hopeful smile. "Long day, huh?"

Catherine continued letting out an awkward laugh.

Not sure what she was expecting, but she didn’t receive a response from Ethan. Instead of looking up, Ethan took a long sip from his coffee, entirely disinterested, like she hadn’t said anything at all.

Catherine’s eyebrow twitched, she could safely say that he was ignoring her, right? Maybe she should just slink back to the shadows she crawled out from, with the other unknown interns, since it was where she belonged.

But then, finally, Ethan’s sapphire eyes flicked towards her, as always, it was cool and measuring, as if sizing up prey. There was no flicker of recognition, no softening in his sharp gaze. It was the person with a face, like a haunting ghost, she seemed to be everywhere he went. He frowned. This set of interns were definitely sent to give him trouble.

Ethan looked her head to toe, the facemask and headwear that limited her features in the operating room was no more. Her auburn hair, which looked like the first signs of autumn, was tied to a low ponytail and her lips were pressed thin as if she was expressing being wronged, her brown eyes darting here and there nervously. Catherine Hopkins, was it?

Quite naturally, Ethan regarded her with the same detached, scrutinizing gaze he might have given a particularly stubborn specimen. If anything it was as if she was an inconvenient glitch in his perfectly programmed world, one that had to be corrected.

“Mn,” Ethan let out a low hum in acknowledgement, his tone flat, devoid of any warmth. He turned back to the barista, his attention immediately refocusing on his unfinished coffee.

Catherine, the smile that was coming on froze stiff on her face. Her cheeks flushed red with embarrassment and irritation. What really did she expect? She hadn’t expected a friendly chat, but this… this was deliberate.

She stood there for a moment, dumbfounded, the hum of the coffee machine whirring just in cue time, increasing the awkwardness of the situation.

Catherine blinked at this, Ethan was stubborn she was even more stubborn. She cleared her throat as if making way for the next words that were about to escape her lips.

“Uhm, I really just wanted to say thanks, for listening earlier. I know you didn’t have to, I mean, I’m just an intern right?” Catherine chuckled dryly “Anyways, yeah, thank you for listening and correcting the mistake” She pressed her lips together in a tight smile while nervously rocking back and forth with hands behind her back.

There was a long, silent pause between Ethan and Catherine. Ethan looked over her with an expression Catherine couldn’t quite explain. Disdain? She didn’t know but it definitely wasn’t nice. Ethan tilted his head slightly, his voice low, laced with evident irritation.

“Let’s get something straight, Dr. Hopkins.” He spat each words very calmly.

Catherine’s smile faltered.

“I’m not sure what you expected to happen after your input at the OR, but know that it was because of the relevancy, not because I value your opinion. Don’t mistake that necessity for familiarity. We are not friends, we are not even acquaintances. You are just an intern, act like it”

Catherine stood frozen in place. He didn’t make a single stutter, each word were heavy and clear, it delivered the message meticulously.

With that, Ethan, his movements precise and efficient, not even sparing her one glace, turned and walked away. He disappeared into the staff lounge leaving Catherine standing there.

Huh? Catherine thought, her ears ringing and her chest tight.

What the actual hell?

She didn’t hear wrong, right? With mouth slightly open in shock, the words she just heard repeated in her head like a broken record.

“We are not friends”

“Don’t mistake necessity for familiarity.”

She wanted to scream. Or break something. Or, better yet, follow him and dump the contents of the coffee machine down his impossibly straight back.

“God, what an egotistical, narcissistic asshole!” she hissed under her breath, her head whipping to the direction Ethan left in, eyes narrowed.

The nerve. The actual nerve of this guy. Would it possibly kill him if he were to be genuinely polite? Was that really too much to ask for? One "thank you," a nod, a simple civil exchange?

Catherine sighed in frustration. Apparently, yes.

Because Ethan Allen wasn’t human.

He was a cold, conceited bastard who thinks he ruled the world. All that talk about competence and upholding protocol was obviously a smokescreen to cover up his own inflated sense of self-importance! Catherine cursed him under her breath, a long string of creative profanities swirling in her head like dancing round a fire. The brief, almost non-existent glimmer of hope she’d felt after the surgery was now extinguished, squashed under his feet with no remorse. It was now replaced with a growing sense of frustration and resentment.

She walked out of the cafeteria, her blood boiling. She had forgotten the reason she had gone there in the first place. Her hunger disappearing with Ethan’s cold dismissal.

The rest of her shift passed in a blur of forced smiles and sluggish responses. She hadn’t seen Ethan since the scene at the cafeteria, and she didn’t know if she should be thankful for that fact. Maybe it was the lack of sleep or maybe it was the stress of the past twenty-four hours, but she felt that she had reached her limits. The world had always felt heavy and unfair towards her.

Catherine had come to this city with a desperate hope of leaving behind her past completely and living for herself. Her hometown was somewhat a small neighbourhood, one of those towns where everyone somehow knew your name and your family’s business was the focal point of the town gossip, and Catherine’s family—if they could even be called that anymore—was a regular topic amongst the people. With her parents being her only support but passing away in a car accident, she owed it to them to be someone of great importance in the world. Even if her siblings didn’t make it all too easy for her.

She had learned to exist quietly, to shrink herself, and remove herself from the talk of the rowdy neighbourhood. Medicine was her escape plan. It was the only thing that made her feel capable, confident, and truly alive. She worked like hell to get into one of the top medical programs through scholarship, and even harder to land the internship at Havenwood. Moving to the city finally felt like breaking the surface the water she kept drowning in.

But somehow, she’d ended up right into another storm when her season of triumph had just begun.

And his name was Ethan motherfucking Allen.

Catherine frowned unconsciously.

He was exactly the kind of person she had tried to escape: authoritative, emotionally distant, and suffocating. People like him had always been a roadblock in her life. Her family had been full of Ethans. But at least they didn’t wear their egos on their foreheads like a freaking signboard!

She squeezed the hand in her fleece coat pocket tightly, her blood still rising in frustration. She had already shed the layer of hospital attire and gotten into more comfortable clothing. By the time she clocked out, the sky was already painted a stunning purple. The hospital lights shining brightly, illuminating the path ahead.

Exhausted and emotionally drained, Catherine stepped out of the hospital's revolving doors, the cool wind hitting her face like a slap. It was the brisk sent of autumn. She stepped out onto the curb, her eyes stinging slightly and tearing up from the cold wind. She raised her hands to her face to wipe her eyes.

She didn’t even notice the honking until it was nearly too late.

The car blared its horns again, tires screeching to a rushed stop. Catherine turned towards the driver’s seat, her heart pounding in her ears. She stood glued to the ground, knees slightly buckled, hands to her chest, and eyes wide in shock. She had almost poked her eye out due to the sudden jump scare. She breathed heavily trying to recollect herself.

The black sedan skidded to a stop inches away from her, the front bumper practically kissing her knees. The cold metal glinting as if mocking her. Her breath caught as she stared directly through the dark windshield.

At the driver.

Who the heck was this asshole?

She was already in a shitty mood. What fresh hell was this?

Catherine stared wide-eyed, unable to look away.

And in the next second, the driver stepped out.