Episode 4.
1111 Words
The Return Of The Intern.
Damian Voss was pacing the hospital corridor like a lion in a suit. His tie was loose, his jaw tight, and his phone was vibrating non-stop from calls he ignored.
The powerful CEO of Voss Enterprises who terrified executives and reduced grown men to stammering apologies was now glaring at a vending machine because it refused to give him coffee.
The nurses behind the counter whispered like schoolgirls.
“Is that really him?” one asked.
“Yes! The Damian Voss,” another said.
“He looks so... human.”
He stopped pacing only to glare at the emergency room doors. “If that doctor doesn’t come out in five minutes, I swear I’ll buy this hospital and fire him.”
A nurse passing by nearly dropped her clipboard.
Moments later, the doors swung open, and the doctor stepped out, startled to find Damian standing directly in his path.
“Well?” Damian demanded. “Tell me she’s fine.”
The doctor blinked. “Mr. Voss, please calm down”
“I'm calm,” Damian said, though his tone could have frozen lava. “Just so we’re clear, if you come out here with bad news, you’ll be looking for a new hospital to work at. Maybe in Antarctica.”
The doctor paled. “Uh, right. Good news, then.” He cleared his throat quickly. “Your sister will be alright. She just needs to stay here for a few more days for observation.”
And before Damian could speak, the man spun around and disappeared back into the ward like his life depended on it.
For a moment, the hallway was silent.
Then Damian exhaled, his shoulders sagging. “Oh, thank you, Lord,” he murmured, running a hand over his face in relief.
One nurse at the desk nearly choked on her pen. “Did… did he just thank God?”
Her colleague blinked. “He did. He actually did.”
“Call the press,” another whispered. “Damian Voss just showed emotion in public.”
A janitor nearby crossed himself dramatically. “It’s a miracle.”
Damian turned sharply. “What are you all staring at?”
Everyone froze, pretending to look busy.
A nurse began mopping air. Another started typing on a blank computer screen.
“Nothing, sir,” they chorused.He narrowed his eyes suspiciously, then sighed.
“Unbelievable,” he muttered, running a hand through his hair.
Just then, one nurse piped up softly, “Sir… would you like to see your sister?”
He nodded curtly. “Of course. Lead the way.”As he walked past, one of the nurses whispered under her breath, “He’s still scary, but at least he’s human scary now.”
Damian paused, turning his head slightly. “I heard that.”
The nurse froze. “Sorry, sir!”He didn’t reply just continued walking, his long stride confident again.
The moment he disappeared into Aria’s room, the nurses all collapsed against the counter, whispering and laughing.
“I can’t believe it,” one said.
“He actually said thank you, Lord.”The other nodded, still stunned.
“Next thing you know, he’ll be smiling.”“Please,” the first nurse snorted.
“Let’s not ask for another miracle in one day.”
.....
.....
When I got back to Voss Enterprises, I expected quiet applause or at least respectful silence for surviving the most dangerous mission in company history.
Instead, the moment I stepped out of the elevator, the entire floor went dead silent.
Dozens of heads slowly turned toward me like a zombie movie in slow motion.
Serena was the first to speak. “You’re alive.”
I grinned proudly. “Not only alive but unfired!”
The office gasped collectively. One guy actually dropped his stapler.
“Wait, what?” said Ben from IT.
“You mean he saw you? In person? After you delivered the wallet?”
“Yup.” I strutted toward my desk.
“He said, and I quote, ‘Go back to the office, Miss Holts.’'
Serena’s mouth fell open. “He spoke to you twice in one day? Do you understand what that means?”
“That I’m… efficient?”
“No, that you’ve just reset the company legend!” She shrieked.
“The last intern who got a second sentence from him disappeared to the HR dungeon!”Everyone started whispering at once.
I heard fragments.“She’s either brave or cursed.”
“No one says ‘you’re welcome’ to Damian Voss and lives.”“She’s definitely fired. She just doesn’t know it yet.”
I rolled my eyes and sat down. “You guys exaggerate so much. He even laughed a little.”
The entire office FROZE.
Serena dropped her coffee. “He what?”
“He laughed,” I said casually, booting up my computer.
“You know, ha-ha. It’s this sound people make when they’re amused.”
“You must’ve heard an ambulance siren,” Ben said. “He doesn’t laugh. His facial muscles were declared emotionally bankrupt years ago.”
Then, suddenly.PING!PING!
An email popped up on everyone’s screen simultaneously: Company-wide memo from the CEO.
Oh no!!Serena leaned over my shoulder, eyes wide.
“Read it. If it starts with ‘Effective immediately’, we run.”
I clicked it open:
> **From: Damian Voss
> **Subject: Conduct and Professional Boundaries
> Effective immediately, interns are advised to refrain from unnecessary personal initiatives.
> That being said, one should appreciate… initiative when it prevents inconvenience.
> — D. Voss
The office exploded.
“He complimented you!” someone yelled.
“He used the word ‘appreciate!” another screamed.
“Was that a compliment or a threat?!” Serena shouted over the chaos.
I just sat there, blinking at the screen.
Did the coldest CEO in the city just almost praise me in a company memo?
Before I could process, Serena grabbed my shoulders.
“Girl, do you realise what you’ve done?”
“I—helped him?”
“No,” she said, eyes wide. “You broke him. You made the Ice King glitch!”
Just then, the elevator dinged again. Everyone turned.Damian Voss stepped out, still looking sharp, calm, and slightly terrifying.
He scanned the room and for a split second, our eyes met.He nodded once.
Just once.And then walked away.
The entire office gasped so loud the lights flickered.
Serena clutched her chest. “He nodded. At you. You’ve officially become a company legend.”
I slumped into my chair, whispering under my breath, “Great… now I’ll never be able to quit"
- Writer
