Welcome Back
Gabriel’s shoes clicked against the floor loudly. They clearly hadn’t changed the flooring in the hospital since he left. The cold air began to get to him and he crossed his arms. The diagnostic department was always one of the coldest parts of the hospital.
That’s where Maria cornered me for that bag of jelly snakes...that’s where I met the kid...and that’s where Esha yelled at me for spilling coffee on RONI. Gabe chuckled, the noise echoing in the empty corridor. Oh RONI. I almost forgot about her.
He paused outside a brown door. The nameplate on it red ‘Dr. Charlotte Blaylock-Vaughn, M.D.’. Gabriel put his hand up, brushing it against the cold metal. He’d specifically requested that Charlotte got his office when he left, instead of the new head of department. Maybe it was petty, but he knew that Charl was way better than the head of department and she was working her way up to that position fast.
Gabriel knocked on the door. A bored voice answered.
“Come in.”
Gabe opened the door and poked his head round. His ex-mentee was at the desk, her head down as she scribbled some notes. “Shut the door behind you.”
“Nice to see you, Dr. Blaylock-Vaughn,” Gabriel smiled. Charl’s head whipped up, surprise on her face.
“Gabe!”
“Hey kiddo.”
Charl leapt up and ran to him. She hesitated as she reached him, unsure of what move to make. She eventually decided to hold her hand out for a handshake. Gabriel raised an eyebrow and drew her in for a hug.
“You’re like my kid, I’m not gonna give you a friggin’ handshake.”
Charl laughed. “Sorry, it’s just...it’s been so long!”
“Yeah, tell me about it. How’s the old robot? Still a pain in the ass?”
“Dr. Cunningham, I do not find it appropriate to call me a ‘pain in the ass’. I am fairly confident that I do not give Dr. Blaylock-Vaughn any pain in her rectum.”
Gabriel rolled his eyes. “Yep, just the same. Missed ya, RONI.”
“Dr. Cunningham, are you being ‘sarcastic’?”
“Your dumb brain actually remembered the word?”
“It is permanently stored in my data bank. I cannot forget it. Also, I don’t believe I am dumb - my processing speed is actually -”
“I know, a quadrillion instructions per second.”
“RONI has actually becoming very good at conversing,” Charl said, patting the robot. “We have some lovely conversations on our break.”
“Doctor I-” Charlotte kicked the robot. Gabriel pretended he didn’t notice.
“You’re weird, kiddo.”
“Shut up. Hey, you’re friends with Derek Stiles right?”
Gabriel sat on the couch and put his legs up on the table. “Yeah, why?”
“First, get your feet off my table. Second, my little brother works there with Mr. Stiles’ daughter. And-”
“Harry works for the CIFM? I thought he was a surgeon here?”
Charlotte rolled her eyes. “I meant Sam, you dolt.”
“Oh. Wait, only Maria gets to call me names!”
“Like I was saying, the CIFM are lining us a medical examiner and it just so happens that the examiner is Evie Stiles!”
“What happened to Naomi?”
“She left...her son works here though, on the EMT. You can probably ask him if you want to contact her.”
“She has a son?”
“Gabe, did you seriously not keep up at all?”
Gabe shrugged. “Eh...kinda. I kept up with the Kid and Tomoe. Naomi liked her privacy and I respect that.”
“Whatever,” Charl flicked her pen on the desk. “She adopted Alyssa and then had a biological son with Mr Williams. I think they adopted another little boy after - he’s seventeen now.”
Gabriel hummed and closed his eyes.
“Dr. Cunningham, do you not have a meeting with Chief Müller?”
Gabe’s eyes opened rapidly. He sprung to his feet, heading to the door. Charl’s eyes widened and she checked her watch.
“Jeez, do I not get a reminder RONI? Just ‘cos Gabe’s here doesn’t mean he’s superior!”
“My apologies, Dr. Blaylock-Vaughn. It seemed like Dr. Cunningham was falling asleep.”
“We really do need to go though. C’mon kiddo,” Gabriel opened the door and rushed out, with Charl hot on his heels.
***
The two arrived at Chief Müller's office breathing heavily. There was a crowd of doctors already standing outside the door, chattering to each other. Charl slowed down as they turned the corner and managed to walk to the group calmly. Gabriel, however, had no such luck.
“Hey moron, watch it!” Maria turned around, grinning. “Gabe!”
Gabe held his hand out and the two did a weird fist-bump-slash-punch-each-other thing. It was meant to be a secret handshake but it never went quite right.
“Never thought you two would get along,” a deep voice boomed. A man with green hair and dark skin came forward, his hand on Juliet’s shoulder.
“Hank! Man, how are ya?”
“I’m good, thank you. How’s Caduceus? And Lisa and Joshua?”
The reunion between the friends was short lived, though Dr. Müller and Dr. Tachibana came out and chatted for a while. It was clear that they had a few inside jokes. Gabriel burst out laughing at something that Hank mentioned, while Maria looked positively enraged.
“One time, Gabriel, ONE TIME! And anyway, you were way worse!”
“Sure, ‘ria. Sure.”
Hana tapped her father’s shoulder. He looked up, remembering that they had company.
“Right, yes. We’ll have to catch up later. Come in.”
The doctor’s stepped into Erhard’s office. I’ve been up here so much I might as well get a tent and camp outside, Charlotte thought. Or a bed, if there is one.
“So, as I told you yesterday, these doctors will be assisting you with the Rosalia.”
The older doctors looked equal parts amused and offended at how he addressed them.
“We have names you know!” Maria complained. Gabriel blew a puff of smoke in her face, causing her to wrinkle her nose and Erhard to push an ashtray forwards.
“You have the hospital’s permission to do as you like, but make it appropriate,” Erhard looked pointedly at Maria and Gabriel. “That includes any and all pranks. We do not have the time nor money in this place anymore.”
“Yeah yeah, yadda yadda,” Gabe tapped his cigarette in the ashtray. “Will we have offices, or be forced to bunk in the conference room?”
“You can share the head of department offices, or choose to share with someone else. Seeing as you will be doing a lot of the hands-on work as opposed to consultant work I left the decision to you - of course you have to have the permission of the other person.”
Maria crossed her arms. “I am not going near that office.”
“Suit yourself,” Gabriel shrugged.
Maria looked at him, her eyes skating over Jesse. As soon as she registered the face, she immediately looked back at him.
“Hey, Jesse wasn’t it? You seem familiar.”
“Yeah, I’m Naomi’s son,” Jesse explained. “Worked with you for about a year before you left. My F1 year.”
Maria clicked her fingers. “That’s why I know you! The Kid said you’re really good. Your mom and dad must be hella proud.”
“Well, to be fair Dr. Vargas is too-”
“Uh uh, you can take credit for yourself you know!” Maria thumped him on the back. Jesse seemed a bit out of it. Maria, lay off the kid. You’re scaring him, Gabriel thought.
“Hey, Maria, lets leave the Kid and Tomoe. I’m sure you’ll want to talk to the consultant EMT and complain about how she’s been running the department.” Gabriel grabbed Maria’s shoulder and dragged her out, despite her protests. As her shouts faded, Erhard stood up.
“You all may leave, if you wish.”
Charlotte nodded, went to the door and opened it running after Maria and Gabe. She caught them just before they got in the lift.
“Gabe!” Charl put a hand in the door to hold the lift open.
“Yeah kiddo?”
“Welcome back.”