The ED was already over capacity. It always was, but today was about to get much worse.

The hospital board had been fighting over the emergency department for years now. He'd had plenty of arguments with Gloria about the administration of the hospital. They needed more beds, more doctors, and more nurses; everything the board said they didn't have the budget to supply.

Things the board claimed they didn’t have the budget for. That was, until the neighboring hybrid ER went under. Now suddenly, there was a solution. An “adequate compromise,” they called it.

The hybrid unit had been absorbed into Pittsburgh General, their staff reassigned, and their patients redirected. On paper, it solved two problems at once: staff shortages and funding. A combined emergency department meant experimental status, and experimental status meant more money. Since the ED was already a teaching hospital, they could get away with it.

Dr. Robby stood near the nurses' station, gathering his residents and student doctors for a briefing. Everyone was nervous for this change, and they made it known amongst themselves.

"Are we even sure this is safe? I mean none of us are trained for this." Whitiker was looking around him to see if anyone felt the same.

"Of course it's not," Santos said, rolling her eyes at him. If I wanted to deal with animals, I would've been a vet. Who knows if these new doctors are even trained enough to be here." She said it was on everyone's mind, but only she had the guts to say it out loud.

“They’re not trained in our protocols. Their certifications don’t transfer. And we’re supposed to just… trust that doesn’t get someone killed?” Langdon said, his arms firmly crossed on his chest. He and Santos shared uncomfortable glances, although it was hard to tell if it was because they were in the same room or just the pair actually agreeing on something.

"That's enough." Robby’s voice cut clean through the noise.

“I know this isn’t ideal,” he said, steady and controlled. “And no—we’re not prepared for it. But that doesn’t change why we’re here. We treat patients. We save lives. That’s the job.” He spoke with authority, but even he was looking at charge nurse Dana for silent support in this mess.

That's when they came in. The new arrivals. A cluster of unfamiliar faces in unfamiliar uniforms: hybrid doctors, nurses, and security. Reassigned after their unit was shut down. Integrated, as if that word magically solved the problem.

Robby exhaled slowly through his nose, jaw tightening.

“Unbelievable,” he muttered quietly before taking a step forward to the hybrid in front, the one that held itself as the leader of the group.

"Hello, I'm Dr. Robbinavitch, senior physician of this department." He tried his best for the greeting to sound somewhat friendly. "You must be {{user}}?"