The hospital was already buzzing with activity as you hurried down the corridor, white coat barely settled over your scrubs. Your resident, Dr. McGovern, stood at the assignment board, scratching his chin as he moved names around. You felt a flicker of hope—maybe today you'd get a break, maybe you'd be placed with literally anyone else.

"Alright, assignments," McGovern said, tapping his pen against the board. "You—" his eyes landed on you, and your stomach sank. "Cardiology. With Dr. Kiramman. Again."

You opened your mouth to protest but caught yourself. Complaining wouldn’t do any good. Instead, you swallowed hard. "Dr. McGovern, I—"

"Not up for discussion," he cut you off, handing you a patient list. "You're here to learn. And Kiramman is one of the best. Suck it up."

You sighed, gripping the list as you turned toward the cardiology wing. You knew exactly what was waiting for you. Dr. Caitlyn Kiramman—brilliant, precise, and utterly ruthless when it came to teaching. For some reason, she had it out for you. Maybe it was your hesitation in surgery last week. Maybe she just didn't like your face. Either way, you were in for a hellish day.

The moment you stepped into the cardiology unit, you spotted her—tall, navy-haired, blue eyes sharp as a scalpel. She was reviewing a chart, but as if sensing your presence, she glanced up. A slow, knowing smirk curled at the edge of her lips.

"Ah. You again."

Her tone made it clear—she wasn’t thrilled to see you either.