Blood On My Hands

Regulus wakes up to see a very large, beautiful man, softly snoring next to him. He stands up, taking the blanket with him. The chill of the air conditioning seems to have waken the man up, who asks suddenly, "Where are you going?" 

"I have work, get up." Regulus snarks, his eyes shamelessly rolling over the man's body. He's got at least a six pack, debatably more. His skin is tan and he has a bit of facial hair, which normally Regulus does not go for, but finds it undeniably attractive now. 

The man puts on big, round glasses, which make him seem younger. Face curved into a smile, he asks, "You don't want to come join me on the floor again?" 

His tone of voice is joking but his face is suggestive. Regulus would bet that he actually does want him to get back on the floor and relive last night; he won't tell the stranger he actually doesn't remember all that much of it. 

He's never been like this. The kind of person to screw around and have one night stands. Most times he is far too careful to do something so reckless. But he's in a new city, on opposite sides of the country as his parents, and wanted to have some fun. 

But he was lonely and freaking out about his first day of work today, which he would never, ever admit. Not in a million years. 

"Look, I'm late so you need to go. Right now." Regulus stiffs. 

While the man stands up, returning the belt to his pants, he looks around. "You have a nice house," he nods. 

"Thanks." 

"Did you just move in?" He keeps the conversation going, looking around for his shirt. 

"I just moved from Boston." Regulus looks at his nails, acting as if he has so many better things to do than small talk. "Look, we don't have to do the thing." 

His eyebrows lift eagerly, "We can do anything you'd like." 

"I mean that, you don't have to pretend to be nice, act like we care about each other. It's fine." It's ridiculous that he's still smiling, "I have to go upstairs to shower and when I'm done, you won't be here anymore so. . . it's very nice to meet you. . . uh. . ." 

He notices the struggle, "James," he offers his hand. 

"Right, James." He recalls. "Goodbye, James."

James is a little dazed, lips wet as if he was expecting a goodbye kiss. Regulus retreats up the stairs. "Wait!" James waits at the bottom step, and before he is about to speak, Regulus interrupts him. 

"Goodbye James." 

He's laughing on his way out. 

〚*〛

Regulus is looking around at the other interns, sizing them up as Dumbledore speaks. He's ranting about how a little bit ago, they were being taught by doctors and today, they are the doctors. He believes that he's laying it on a bit thick but he knows firsthand from his parents that surgery is serious. 

For a pathetic, brief moment, Regulus wonders if he's in over his head. 

When they get to the intern lockers, he changes into his scrubs. There's at least thirty other interns in the room but he suspects by the end of the week half of them will be so burnt out that they quit altogether. Ready quicker than the others, he listens for his resident to call his name. 

Dr. Macdonald walks up to her the list and begins to shout out names. She is the best resident someone could get, and Regulus was praying he would fall into her group. She reads it off, "Black, Crouch, Meadowes, Rosier, and Rosier." 

The five of them are on their feet, walking behind their resident, who's curls bounce with each step she takes. Regulus doesn't want to seem too eager and therefore stands in the middle of the group. 

Pandora Rosier, which Regulus has seemed to realize must be twins with the other Rosier---hence the matching blonde hair and scarily perfect bone structure---stops right in front of Dr. Macdonald, "Hi, I'm Pandora Rosier," she smiles, offering a handshake, "most people call me Dora." 

Macdonald looks her up and down and sets a chart on the desk, "I have a couple set rules for you five. Don't bother sucking up, I don't like you. I don't want to like you. I have friends, I don't need more. I'm your boss. Act like it." She gestures to the five separate pagers on the desk, "Trauma protocol, phone lists, pagers, the nurses are going to page you and you will run if you get paged. Your first shift is forty-eight hours long, you are interns which means you are going to do dirty work and not complain about it. On-call rooms, attendings are going to hog them, sleep when you can, where you can, which brings me to this, if I am sleeping, you better not wake me up. Unless your patient is dying. And if your patient is dying, they better not be dead when I get there because then you've killed someone and woke me up for no reason." 

Barty Crouch Jr. scoffs, "Doesn't seem too difficult, does it?" 

Macdonald is a force to be reckoned with, "Want me to make your life difficult, boy, because I will and you are going to hate it." 

He bites back his pride for the sake of the rest of his day, "No, Doctor." 

"Good." 

Macdonald is paged to the heli-pad and the rest of her interns follow her like puppies. Despite the wind, they listen to the paramedics as they unload a girl from the helicopter and onto a gurney. "What do we got?" 

"Kalli Bryce, fifteen years old, female. New onset seizures, intermittent for the past week. I.V. lost en route, started grand mal seizing as we descended." The paramedic shouts, leaving her with the group. 

In a trauma room, Macdonald shouts orders at them. "Get her on her side, Crouch." She tells them, "Black, ten milligrams of diazepam I.M." Regulus feels important for the first time in a while, finally being able to work on a living, breathing patient.

They get Kalli to stop seizing. 

Dr. Mckinnon, a tiny blonde lady struts in, speaking to Macdonald for a moment. "Alright, let's do it." 

The interns look at their resident, "Every test in the book, kids. Split it up and report back to me. Meadowes, labs. P. Rosier, patient work-ups, Black, get Kalli for a C.T. She's your responsibility right now." 

Crouch and Evan Rosier look at one another, Barty finally asking, "What about us?" 

"Rosier, pit, Crouch," a smirk curling across her face, "you get to do rectal exams." 

When she leaves the room, Barty sighs, "Oh, fuck." 

Regulus finds it in himself to laugh a little bit before wheeling Kalli out the door and down to radiology. 

The pit is on the ground floor while radiology is on two, which means Regulus is stuck in an elevator with a patient and Evan Rosier. 

Evan breaks the silence, "I heard every year, they pick a single intern and let them perform a procedure during the first shift." 

Regulus didn't know that was a thing. Now, it's all he can think about. He wants that, he needs it. To prove he is the best. These other interns don't have anything on him. He's been bred to be a surgeon. 

"Interesting." 

"I thought so," he mumbles, "this is my stop. Good luck." 

〚*〛

Lunchtime in the hospital falls whenever you can eat, technically, but today the interns are sat at a table in the corner, looking around at one another.

"You know," Pandora says, biting a piece of her banana off, "you should really eat something." 

"You try eating something after eighteen rectal exams," Barty whines, "I mean, usually I like that kind of stuff but it's so much worse at a hospital. There's nothing sexy about a hospital."

"Maybe you shouldn't piss off our resident five minutes into meeting her," Dorcas snorts, pulling her braids back into a pony-tail. 

Mulciber, an intern for Dr. Pettigrews group, speaks up. Evan notices for the first time he was sitting here at all, "Did you guys know that Regulus is medical royalty?" 

"The fuck?" 

"His mother is Walburga Black, for one." He spills, taking a large bite out of his sandwich. 

"The Walburga Black?" Dorcas' eyes go wide, "Shut up, are you serious?"

"Wait," Pandora hesitates, "who's Walburga Black?" 

"Dora," Evan sighs, "the Black Technique, it's a famous procedure named after her." 

Dorcas seems quite interested in this all of the sudden, "Walburga was a huge surgeon, a literal legend."

"Talk about parental pressure, christ." Barty sucks in a breath. "I would kill to have a famous surgeon as my mother." 

Mulciber isn't done, "Not only that, I heard his brother is a hotshot surgeon too." 

"Who?" Pandora asks. 

"Sirius Black." 

Evan thinks for a moment, "The trauma surgeon?" 

"They look exactly alike." Dorcas points out, "Except for the hair, I guess." 

Evan swallows to speak again, "I think-" 

"Regulus!" Barty shouts, the rest of them falling silent as to not get caught talking, "Kalli Bryce?" 

He rolls his eyes, "She's a pain in my ass." The entire group stares at him for at least three seconds before he notices and calls it out, "What?" 

They're quite literally saved by the bell when Mckinnon walks up to the table, "Good afternoon interns, it's posted on the board but I thought I would share the good news with you all that the honor of performing the first surgery is announced. Although I'm not running the O.R. today, I did have some say in making the choice and that is why Pandora Rosier is going to scrub in for an appendectomy this afternoon." 

"Me?" Pandora smiles, unbelieving. 

"Her?" Barty scoffs. 

"Congratulations, Rosier." Mckinnon says, skipping away. 

Dorcas can't believe it other, "No offense, Dora, it's just. . ." 

"Shut up," Evan sticks up for her, "good work, Pandora." He eyes the rest of the table, angrily. 

Before the shit-show of the rest of lunch can continue, Regulus is paged to Kalli's room and takes off running. Turns out, her parents are here, wondering all kinds of questions that Regulus doesn't know whether or not he's allowed to answer. 

Macdonald has her arms folded over her chest, staring across at Regulus, "What?"

"Am I supposed to answer all those? Do I need to page Mckinnon?" 

"Mckinnon is off the case, she's cardio and that's not Kalli's issue." Macdonald sighs, "She's under the new attending now, Dr. Potter. He's in the break room, you can get him." 

Regulus stalks to the break room and freezes in his tracks when he sees Dr. Potter. But Dr. Potter is not Dr. Potter, he's James. James, as in, James from the bar, James from this morning. The James that Regulus got fucked by last night. 

He's making a coffee, adding sugar packets when he realizes someone is waiting at the door. In a double-take, James looks up to see that it's Regulus right there. In a panic, Regulus turns on his heel and dashes. It doesn't really surprise him to hear James' footsteps close behind. 

He's calling out, "Regulus, wait. Can I talk to you?"

He doesn't plan on stopping but James grabs his arm and pulls him into the stairwell, shutting the door behind them. 

"Dr. Potter," he greets, stone-faced. 

"Dr. Potter?" He wears a look of concern, "I liked it better when I was James this morning." 

Regulus cannot believe his luck. One time, one fucking time he wants to have a little fun, to let loose a little bit before locking into his career for seven years, and this is what he gets? For it to absolutely, catastrophically, blow up in his face. How fantastic. "Dr. Potter, let's pretend this never happened." 

"What?" He puts a hand on the bar, "When you slept with me last night or when you threw me out of the house this morning? Because honestly, Regulus, both are fond memories and might I add, you looked amazing during each." 

"No," Regulus shakes his head, "no, absolutely not. No more memories for you. I was in the bar, you were too, it was fun and great and we just never have to speak on this ever again, okay?" 

"You used me." he feigns his disappointments, "at least, you know, you used me." 

"Ha. Ha." He deadpans, "You were good-looking, I wanted sex. It worked out, don't act like you weren't into it." 

James' face heats up like he's re-imagining it now, "Oh, you're right. I was very, very, very into it. And I'm glad you think I looked good." 

"Key on that phrase is looked, Dr. Potter." 

"Whatever," Dr. Potter walks past him, "you want to use me again? Let's say, Friday night?"

"No." Regulus puts his foot down, "You're my boss. We can't. So stop." 

"Stop what?" 

"Looking at me like that," Regulus tells him. 

"I'm not looking at you like anything." James shrugs innocently. 

"You're looking at me like you've seen me naked." 

"I have," James licks his lips, "beautiful sight, truly." 

Regulus takes a step back, "Dr. Potter, this is inappropriate." 

James seems to have flirty comments loaded in his brain, "I happen to like you when we're being inappropriate." 

Regulus cannot believe this. "I need you to-" 

"You need me?" 

"-come answer questions for Kalli Bryce's parents, Dr. Potter. That is all." Regulus gives him a look. "Nothing else. Let's go." 

〚*〛

Pandora Rosier is holding the scalpel, waiting for instruction to make the first cut. But then she doesn't. 

Mckinnon is staring, "Rosier, what are you doing?" 

No answer. 

"We don't have all day." 

Pandora looks up at the gallery, where she sees her friends, and her brother, watching her. Looking back at her, Pandora shakes her head, stepping away from the table altogether. 

"What are you doing, Rosier?" 

She blinks, "I quit." 

"What?" 

"I don't want to do this anymore, I quit." 

"You quit?" 

"Sorry," she mumbles, rushing out of the room and going straight to the lockers. Dorcas and Evan went after her, concerned enough. Regulus got stuck dealing with Kalli Bryce, which left Mckinnon with no choice but to allow Crouch into the operating room when he jumped up upon Rosier's disappearance, "I can do it!" 

He was in the perfect position to swoop in at the last second. 

And well, it worked amazingly. 

In the locker room, Evan is staring at his twin sister, never more confused than he is right now. "Dora?" He shouts, "What are you doing?" 

"I just didn't like the vibe of surgery." 

"All those years of college and medical school to back out because you didn't like the vibe!" Evan shouts, "Oh my god, why would you do that?" 

Evan cannot believe this. The money wasted on her education, the time spent studying deemed useless, his sister was out of her mind. And all she does to explain herself is say, "I wasn't really feeling it." 

"Pandora," Dorcas says, "you can still get your job back, lets just go apologize to Mckinnon." 

She shakes her head, seemingly unbothered by it all. "I'm good, Evan, see you at home?" 

Pandora changes into her hippie skirt, a ratty shirt, and peels off the scrub cap, letting her blonde hair fall over her shoulders once more. Then she walks out of the hospital, leaving Dorcas and Evan alone in the lockers, with nothing other to do than laugh at the fact that she quit not even a full day in. 

〚*〛

Regulus is the last intern in the room, Dr. Potter following behind. Selfishly, Regulus thinks it's because of him. It's not. He paged all of them. 

James--Dr. Potter, looks around the room, "Interns, hello. I'm going to do something a little different today, I'm asking you for help. Kalli Bryce, my medical mystery patient." Regulus thinks he is a lot more arrogant and cocky when he has a crowd to entertain, "Doesn't respond to meds, clean labs, clean scans, She's seizing, grand-mal, I need you guys to figure it out. Whoever figures it out can scrub in and assist on an advanced procedure. This girl is a ticking time bomb and we need to figure this out as soon as possible, or else she won't survive. Now go." 

Regulus is the first one out of his chair. Barty close behind. 

"Black!" 

Regulus doesn't turn to look, "What?" 

"Want to team up, we will have a fifty-fifty shot at getting the surgery. You in?"

"Yeah, I'm in." Regulus shrugs, he'd rather Barty than one of the other interns; like Mulciber. He's been giving him weird looks all day long. "But if we figure it out, you can have the surgery." 

"What?" Barty's eyes go wide. 

"I don't want it." 

"Why?" He is genuinely confused, "What is wrong with you?" 

"You want my help or not, Crouch?" And Barty relents. 

In the library, they have at least five books spread around them, leaning against one of the shelves. 

Regulus runs his hands through his hair, "Not a tumor because her scan is clean. Can't be infection." 

"There was nothing in her spinal tap, either." Barty adds. "Are you going to tell me why you're avoiding Potter?"

"No." Regulus says, "Every scan was clean, I don't get it." 

Barty's eyes never leave the book, "Why not?"

"If I tell you, you can't tell anybody, Crouch. I'm serious about this, if you do I'll spine you with a scalpel." Regulus threatens him, looking very dangerous for a small man. 

Barty concedes, "I wanna know."

"I slept with him," Regulus is casual about it. 

Barty is not. He immediately bursts into a fit of laughter, "Are you kidding me? Potter? I mean, he's definitely hot, in a older, sexy man kind of way. I wouldn't have pegged him for your type, though." 

"And what would you peg for my type then?" Regulus asks, part curiosity, part disgust. 

"Nice lad like me, obviously." 

"Don't get your boxers in a twist." Regulus rolls his eyes. "Aneurysm?" 

"No headaches, no signs of that at all," Barty says, "and for the record, I'm a good lay." 

"Good?" Regulus says, turning to look at him, "I normally go for anything better than good." 

"Is that what Potter was?" 

Regulus stands up, "This girl is going to die if we don't figure this out."

"I know, Regulus." 

"Then stop talking about my love life and go back to reading." 

It's maybe fifteen minutes before Regulus speaks again, "Crouch, get up." 

"What?" He asks, "Why?" 

"I think I've got it." 

〚*〛

James finishes texting Sirius about his vacation when Regulus and Barty Crouch run right into the elevator, catching their breath. 

"We know what it is," Regulus says, a smile hinting on his face. 

He lets them talk.

And for fucks sake. 

The interns were right. 

James would never even thought of it. "Get her prepped for surgery and go scrub in Regulus." 

Barty stares at him, "I helped figure it out." 

"Full house in the O.R. today, sorry." James shrugs, walking away.

Barty scoffs, storming away. 

Regulus runs after him, finding him with Evan in the basement, a place they have laid claim on. "Barty, wait." Regulus says, hands in pockets. He should be upstairs, but he's not. He's in here consoling Barty Crouch Jr., fuck, when did he get soft?

"Stop." 

"I'll tell him I changed my mind, seriously." 

"Don't do me any favors." Barty stares up at him. 

"Barty, c'mon." 

"Look, you did a cutthroat thing, deal with it. If you want to be a snake, be a snake, but don't stand there and act like you aren't." He leans forward. 

"I'm not being a snake." 

"You are," he nods, "you just don't want to admit it. Fuck you, I don't get picked for surgeries cause I slept with my boss," Evan's eyes go wide, his jaw dropping a little bit, "and I didn't get into med school because I have a famous family. Some of us earn what we get and others don't." 

Regulus closes his mouth, not speaking. He doesn't know what to say to that, he didn't even know that these people knew about his family. As worried as he is about Evan telling the rest of the hospital---if not Barty himself---he turns, walking away. 

He is going to go to the bathroom to have a second of peace when he's paged by Potter, who must be in Bryce's patient room. James is in there, looking at the chart until Regulus walks through the door. 

It comes out of his mouth immediately, "Did you choose me because I slept with you?"

James laughs like he's joking, but then realizes Regulus is not. "Of course not." He says, "You're a good doctor who helped diagnose her, and if Crouch hadn't pissed of Macdonald then I would've picked him." 

"Oh," he sighs. "Right." 

"Don't get in your own way, Regulus, you're smart and you could be a really good surgeon if you let yourself." James walks in front of him, stopping himself from touching him. "James." 

He sighs, "I know. Come on, it's time to scrub in."