It's Rey's first day at Arkanis University Hospital. Unfortunately, things don't go as smoothly as planned

[excerpt]: "She turned her head to vent her frustration and anger at the driver, only to see the back of a large figure dressed in black, stretched out over the bike. His broad shoulders were squared and powerful, and his gloves barely hid the strength in his hands as he controlled the bike's trembling energy through a maze of cabs and pedestrians."

-o- -o- -o- -o- -o- -o-

Rey stood in front of the counter shaking the empty box, desperately willing a filter to drop from its walls. Great. 5:15 AM, first day of her new rotation, and no coffee. She wished for a brief moment that she had never declared their apartment a Keurig-free zone. She pointedly left the empty box by the coffee machine for her roommates and made a mental note to pick up some new filters on the way home. She loved Finn and Poe, but their mindset was definitely not on replenishing their limited household supplies.

She threw a look at their bedroom door. Lucky guys. They had at least another hour to sleep.

There was no time to shower if she had to make a pit stop for coffee. Orientation for the new surgical residents was at 6:30, and rounds were at 7. She slipped into her jeans, tank top and favorite hoodie, throwing her hair into a messy bun in one fluid movement. She jammed her scrubs in her backpack with a bottled water and her cell. As she stepped out into the New York street, puddles from last night's rain reflected the street lights and the smell of petrichor mixed with city pavement. Normally she would settle her headphones in place, but something about the quiet and solitude of this morning appealed to her and she let them sit in her pocket.

She rounded the corner to the #6 and thought about the long ride midtown. For the last two months, she had worked at Republic Inner City Hospital. Visible from her apartment, RIH was a large public hospital, catering to a diverse population including the indigent and uninsured. Although they were supervised by attending physicians, patient care was as resident driven as it could be for this stage of their training. Rey loved Republic's frenetic energy, it's ability to provide great care despite a shoestring budget and an overworked staff. It also happened to be the place where both Finn and Poe were doing their internal medicine residency.

For the next two months however, she would be training at Arkanis University Hospital. A private hospital, Arkanis was sleek, modern, and had a constant influx of money to keep it at the forefront of research and technology. It was not unusual to see celebrities and diplomats from all over the world step through Arkanis' doors. Here, everything was attending physician driven and hierarchical. In short, it was everything that Rey was not.

Lost in her thoughts, twenty minutes elapsed in the space of a second, the subway map flashing as a pleasant electronic voice announced her stop overhead. She made her way to the sliding doors, which were quickly being filled with the rush of morning commuters. As she ascended the station steps to street level, the bright morning light illuminated her face and hit her with its warmth. The streets were now loud with cars and the humming of activity. Rey looked down at her phone. She was three blocks from the hospital, and it was only 6:10, definitely enough time for a caffeine infusion. She spied a vendor on the corner, and the line which snaked in front of him implied that the coffee would be good.

"Large coffee, one sugar and a little milk. And a plain bagel, please."

Rey handed him her change, pulled the tab of the white cover back, inhaled and took a sip. Perfect. She felt the liquid warm the back of her throat and settle in her stomach. With the sun out and some caffeine percolating through her system, she started to feel fortified. Although it was a different setting from that which she was accustomed to, she would be training with some of the world's most preeminent physicians at Arkanis. She would have the chance to meet new mentors, perhaps make some new friends, and if they all ended up being pretentious stick-in-the-muds, then at least she could take solace in griping to Finn and Poe about her experience. She knew that many in her position would give their right arms to gain such an opportunity.

Around the corner, she saw the hospital, its windowed and sleek profile standing out even in a Manhattan skyline of sleek, windowed buildings. She frowned as she glanced at her phone. 6:20 AM. The pedestrian "walk" sign started flashing yellow, but she had time to cross. As she began to make her way into the crosswalk, she heard a loud rumble which reverberated through her belly, cutting through the normal city din. Looking around, she saw the front of a sleek, black motorcycle, rounding the corner dangerously close to the curb. It was low lying, chromed out, and powerfully massive. Her affront at not being given the right of way turned to something more when there was a backsplash from the puddle which had settled in between the street and the curb, painting her jeans and splattering into her open coffee cup.

She turned her head to vent her frustration and anger at the driver, only to see the back of a large figure dressed in black, stretched out over the bike. His broad shoulders were squared and powerful, and his gloves barely hid the strength in his hands as he controlled the bike's trembling energy through a maze of cabs and pedestrians. A black helmet hid his face from her view and obliterated any distinguishing features aside from his hair, ebony waves peeking out and caressing the underside of its fiberglass shield. He seemed as angry and raw as the bike that he rode, and Rey decided to keep quiet and berate him mentally instead.

She sighed, and waited for the sign to turn green again. Throwing the remainder of her coffee into the nearest trash can, she crossed the threshold to the hospital.