until the doctor comes

The practice was a place of routine – until the new intern turned up. As soon as she entered, she attracted everyone’s attention: with her sweet smile, cheeky curls and that red uniform, which actually reminded them less of surgery supplies and more of a theme party. When she put her bag down with a flourish and looked at the doctor with wide eyes, he forgot what he wanted to say. “Um… welcome! Nice of you to come.” A smile flitted across his face. “This is going to be… exciting.” And it was indeed exciting. Everything went haywire in the very first hour. When she was asked to bring Mr. Schuster’s patient file, she eagerly disappeared – and returned with a thermometer. “I thought you needed this?” The doctor couldn’t help but grin. “Not yet, but I might in a minute.” Later, she was asked to assist with a blood sample. The elderly gentleman on the couch looked at her with a mischievous smile. “With a nurse like that, it’s almost a pleasure.” She laughed back cheekily, reached for the needle – and bravely… stabbed the air. “Oh, whoops!” The doctor, who happened to be passing by, leaned in the doorway and watched the scene with amusement. “That was a good trial run. Maybe now for real?” The highlight came in the afternoon when she was supposed to do an ECG. She was so creative with the electrodes that the patient finally asked with a laugh: “Am I still a patient or am I a Christmas tree?” The waiting area, on the other hand, was now filled with fathers who suddenly showed a conspicuous interest in their children’s health. Some even spontaneously remembered that they themselves “needed to have something checked out”. At the end of the day, the doctor pulled her into his office with a smiling “Stay a minute”. She sat down on the edge of his desk, legs crossed, and looked at him with a mischievous twinkle in her eye. “Have I done something wrong?” He leaned back, his gaze wandering briefly to her before he cleared his throat. “Let’s start like this: You bring… a breath of fresh air to the practice.” He paused and added with a slight grin: “And sometimes a storm. You know how you work, don’t you?” She smiled cheekily. “Me? Insecure, clumsy, but lovable?” “That’s the harmless description,” he replied dryly. “The fathers in the waiting room were queuing like teenagers for a concert today.” “I’m sure it was a coincidence,” she said innocently as she stroked the edge of her desk with her finger. “But I can understand why the conversation couldn’t wait.” He laughed softly before turning serious for a moment.

“You are not only charming, but also… a challenge. And perhaps we should work a little more on making your talents shine in medical tasks as well.” She leaned forward a little, her eyes sparkling. “Maybe you could tutor me. Privately.” He paused for a moment before smiling. “Let’s start tomorrow – if you come a little earlier, we’ll have an hour for tutoring.” “I’m looking forward to it,” she whispered before standing up, grabbing her bag and throwing him a mischievous “Good night, boss”. As she left, he leaned back in his chair and shook his head with a laugh. This trainee was going to cost him a lot more – but it certainly wasn’t going to be boring.