One bright morning,sun is smiling everywhere
Owen burst into the practice room, his cheeks flushed from the early morning rush. Hayden's glare pinned him to the spot, his eyes icy and unimpressed.
"There comes the boss," Hayden drawled, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
Owen flinched, his breath catching in his throat. "Good morning, sir. I was just stuck in the traffic," he muttered, trying to compose himself.
Hayden's expression didn't change, his gaze piercing. "Traffic... or laziness?"
Owen's eyes dropped, his hands balling into fists. "I swear it was traffic, sir," he said, his voice a little firmer, and made to sit down.
"Did I ask you to sit?" Hayden's voice cut through the air, sharp as a scalpel.
Owen's eyes snapped up, his face heating with embarrassment. "Sorry, sir," he stammered, quickly standing.
Hayden's gaze narrowed further, his eyes glinting with amusement. "I didn't ask you to stand either," he said, his voice low and smooth.
Owen's face felt like it was on fire, his mind racing to keep up with Hayden's verbal judo. He stood there, frozen, unsure of what to do next
Hayden turned away from Owen, his expression a mask of disinterest... until he spun back around, a skeleton model looming large on the table between them.
"Alright, intern. Let's see how much anatomy you've actually learned," Hayden said, his voice deceptively calm. "Name all the parts of the human skeleton."
Owen's eyes widened like saucers. He scanned the skeleton, his brain franticly trying to recall the endless lectures on anatomy. His gaze landed on the skull...
"Umm... the head... eyes... nose... ears... arm... hands... thighs... and legs," he rattled off, his voice hopeful.
Hayden's face froze, his eyes bulging in mock horror. He looked like he'd been punched in the gut... or like he was fighting a losing battle to keep a straight face.
"Owen...," he sighed, his voice trembling with restraint. You got to be kidding me."
Owen's eyes darted around the room, desperately searching for an escape route. Hayden, sensing his distress, leaned back in his chair, a wicked glint in his eye.
"Alright, let's start again. Name all the parts of the skeleton," Hayden said, his voice dripping with condescension.
Owen swallowed hard, his mind racing. He decided to try and wing it. "Umm... the... the skull... and the... uh... ribcage... and... uh... the spine?"
Hayden's expression turned glacial. "Go on."
Owen's face heated up. "And... uh... the... femur... and... uh... the... uh..."
Hayden raised an eyebrow. "The uh?"
Owen's eyes landed on a nearby coffee mug. "The... uh... coffee mug bone?"
Hayden's face turned beet red, his eyes bulging in incredulous rage. "The coffee mug bone?!"
Owen, realizing he'd gone too far, tried to backpedal. "I mean... it's... uh... a... a... a..."
Hayden's voice dropped to a menacing whisper. "How did you make it out of university, Owen? How did you survive medical school if you don't know simple things like the skeleton system?"
Owen, his pride wounded, snapped. "Hey, I'm a surgeon, not a skeleton! How am I supposed to know all the bones in the body?!"
Hayden's expression turned thunderous. "You're a surgeon?! You're an intern who can't even name the bones in the body! You're a danger to patients!"
Owen's face turned bright red as he continued to defend himself. "I used to know it, I swear! I've just forgotten it because... because I'm getting old."
Hayden's eyes narrowed into slits. "Getting old? You're 20, Owen. You're barely out of diapers."
Owen's face scratched on fire. "Hey, I'm smart, okay?! My brain just doesn't like skeletons, that's all!"
Hayden's expression turned stern. "Well, too bad. No shift session for you today because you're not leaving this room until you get all these parts in your head."
Owen's eyes widened in disbelief. "What?! You can't do that!"
Hayden shrugged on his lab coat and headed for the door. "Watch me."
Owen's panic set in. "Wait! You can't leave me here with the skeleton! What if he comes to life?!"
Hayden paused at the door, a wicked glare dancing in his eyes. "Say hi to the skeleton for me."
The door swung shut, and Owen was left staring at the skeleton in terror. The bony figure seemed to be grinning at him, its empty eye sockets mocking him.
"No, no, no," Owen whispered, backing away slowly.
Suddenly, he turned and sprinted after Hayden, abandoning the skeleton and his pride. "Hayden! Wait up!"