Emma asked, "By the way, which department are you in?"
"Gynecology!" Benjamin said straight up.
"What! Gynecology?" Emma was floored. Benjamin working at the hospital was surprising enough, but gynecology? There were hardly any male doctors in the gynecology department, and the few there were, were old experts. No young guys like Benjamin.
"Aunt Emma, are you against men in gynecology?" Benjamin felt a bit awkward at her reaction. Was it really that big of a deal?
"How could I be against men!" Emma laughed at herself, "Anyway, let's not get into that. You should come over tonight, Aunt Emma will throw a little celebration for you."
"Thanks, Aunt Emma. I have plans tonight, but I'll definitely invite you and Sophia over sometime!"
Benjamin knew Ava would celebrate with him at home once she heard he got the job, so he politely turned down Emma's invite.
"Alright, I won't see you off. Swing by Aunt Emma's place when you get a chance!"
After saying bye to Emma, Benjamin didn't bounce from the hospital right away. Instead, he headed over to the ortho department where Ava was on nurse duty.
"Ava, got any snacks? I overslept and skipped breakfast. I'm starving!" Scarlett, pushing a med cart back to the nurse's station, hollered at Ava, who was busy with a handover report. Most of the nurses stashed snacks because they were too swamped to eat regular meals, so they'd munch on cookies or fruit.
Ava pulled an apple from her drawer and handed it to Scarlett. "Here, have an apple. The head nurse and the others haven't eaten either, so they ordered takeout. It should be here soon! By the way, what's the 24-hour urine output for the patient in bed 3?"
Scarlett was about to chow down on the apple after washing it but froze. She locked eyes on a handsome dude in a suit strolling down the hallway, her heart racing, eyes wide with admiration. "Ava, check out that hottie coming our way!"
Ava glanced up and was surprised to see Benjamin. She suddenly felt a bit jittery too.
As Benjamin got closer, Scarlett's heart pounded faster. She whispered "Ava, is he here to see someone in our department? Find out which patient' s family he's with. I don't wanna miss out on such a handsome guy!"
Scarlett had that dreamy look on her face.
Ava didn't know why, but seeing Scarlett's predatory look made her feel a bit uneasy. She said, "He's here to see someone, but definitely not a patient' s family member.
"How do you know?" Scarlett didn't buy it.
At that moment, Benjamin arrived at the nurse's station. Seeing Ava, he flashed a bright, confident smile and walked over. Scarlett was so excited by his charming smile that her face turned red.
"Ava, I got the job! Mrs. Thompson wants me to report at 8 AM tomorrow!" Benjamin shared his good news with Ava. Scarlett was even more stunned, realizing that this handsome guy was here to see Ava. No wonder she was so sure he wasn't a patient's family member; he was her boyfriend.
"Congrats! But it's just the probation period for now. We'll celebrate properly once you pass it!"
Ava wasn't surprised that Benjamin got the job. She trusted him completely. Even if he said he was gonna be the hospital director tomorrow, Ava wouldn't doubt it because Benjamin wasn't the type to make empty promises.
From their convo, Scarlett could tell their relationship was special. Feeling a bit bummed, she still smiled and said, "Ava, is this your boyfriend? He's really handsome! When are you guys breaking up? I wouldn't mind being his girlfriend!"
"Can you stop jinxing me?" Ava playfully slapped Scarlett, both annoyed and amused.
Scarlett didn't mind and laughed. "Hey handsome, aren't you gonna introduce yourself? How about sharing your measurements too?" The nurses were used to talking openly with each other.
Benjamin didn't mind either. He thought to himself that nurses were indeed different from girls in other professions, more open.
"Hi, I'm Benjamin!".Benjamin introduced himself briefly but didn't clarify his relationship with Ava. From Scarlett's words, he knew she had mistaken him for Ava's boyfriend.
Ava was also worried that Benjamin might slip up, so she quickly said "Do you need something from me? If not, you should head back. There's food at home, make lunch yourself, and I'll cook dinner when I get back!"
"No, I just came by to see you. Alright, I'll head back then!" Benjamin really had no other reason to visit Ava except to share his job
news.
As soon as Benjamin turned to leave, Scarlett exclaimed, "Ava, you guys are living together already?"
Ava's face turned beet red as she quickly shot back, "What are you talking about? We just share a house, we're not living together!"
Scarlett thought Ava's reaction was a bit over the top, figuring she was just too shy to admit it.
"Why are you two so hyped up this early? Ava, did you finish your shift report? And Scarlett, did you change the patients' meds?" The head nurse walked in, catching them mid-chat, and instantly got all serious.
The two of them stuck their tongues out and got back to work, knowing the head nurse's mood swings. As long as they didn't push her buttons, they'd be fine, so they kept quiet.
Sure enough, a few minutes later, the head nurse's tone softened, "Who hasn't had breakfast yet? I ordered an extra portion!"
"I haven't eaten yet!" Scarlett piped up, not wanting to miss out.
The head nurse chuckled, "You don't need to tell me, I already know. You little snack thief, always raiding my stash!"
Scarlett didn't care and said, "Head nurse, while you were in the ward, something big went down here!"
Before Scarlett could spill the beans, Ava knew she was about to talk about her and Benjamin. But for some reason, Ava didn't stop her. Maybe she kinda wanted Scarlett to say it.
Women are naturally nosy, and the head nurse was no different. She perked up, "What's the scoop? Why so secretive?"
"Exactly!" Scarlett dragged a chair over, plopped down next to the head nurse, and said, "Head nurse, you won't believe it, but Ava's got a boyfriend, and he's super hot!"
Ava blushed even more, not confirming or denying, but feeling a little thrill at Scarlett's words.
The head nurse looked pleased and teased, "No wonder you turned down a blind date with my nephew. You've already got a boyfriend. Bring him over sometime so I can see if he's good enough for our Ava!"