Disclaimer: This story is solely for the purpose of role-playing. Characters presented, if either wise stated, are true characters in-world.

Chapter 1: Straight A's doesn't land you a good job

"I told you to file these next to...!" Dr. Pasigan (NPC) shouted, irritated, as he made me arrange the files once more.

It's been a year now, since I've started working for this hospital. A petty salary and an unsecured retirement. Sounds like a joke, right? And what I don't understand, is why did I even try?

A in Physics
A in Organic Chemistry
A in my Upper Division Anatomy class.

Why did I even try?

And as Dr. Pasigan continued to ramble about how he hated his interns and how he was already late for a meeting with some hotshot director, in my mind, the only thing I could think of was to hire a female prostitute, have her give him a blow job so he can finally shut the bloody hell...

"...Up, his temperature is up." The nurse muttered to me as I evaluated the patient's current well-being.

"Let's get him on some acetaminophen and put him on a 24-hour watch. If his fever does not subside any time soon, then we'll run another series of tests." I replied quickly; my tone calm and my face stoic as usual.

The nurse simply smiled, nodded and left.

Smile

That's what most doctors do. Me?

I rarely find the reason to...well of course, I do smile if I find the need to.

"I am honored to receive this promotion. I'm very grateful and do appreciate that my hard work is being acknowledged in this institution. Thank you very much Dr. Amat!" I said with a smile.

Yes, a smile. Well, who wouldn't smile if you finally stepped up the ladder? Intern to a full Physician?

Though my moral told me to be thankful, I thought otherwise.

Dr. Amat, like his usual self, merely smiled and nodded, while Dr. Slade congratulated and complimented me with a smile.

A smile...it really gets old and dull at some point.

Before the clock struck five in the morning, and before those obnoxious crows began to frolic around, I took my clock card, and added another shift.

"Why don't you go home Doctor? Get some rest luv?" Rosa (NPC Receptionist) said with a worried smile.

I shook my head, replying, "It's fine, I need to finish a few paperwork, anyway," before walking back to the office.

Adjusting the glasses that sat idly on the bridge of my nose, my tired blue hues shifted from my paperwork to the red, old clock, hanging above the sofa. And as soon as the minute hand hit the 12 on that familiar clock, it's when I realized...

Straight A's didn't make me an intern or a physician

but..

feigned smiles did.