A Change of Plans

The holidays had arrived, and with them came the promise of freedom. We gathered at the campus cafeteria to discuss our plans. Olivia, as always, was full of extravagant ideas, while Lindsay listened with a mix of curiosity and skepticism. As for me, I simply wanted to unwind a bit after the stress of final exams.

"Alright, friends," Olivia said, pulling out her tablet dramatically. "I've been thinking about destinations for our European vacation. We need to make the most of this free time before the world forces us back into being responsible adults."

Lindsay smiled, amused.

"And what have you thought of?"

Olivia leaned forward, as if she were about to reveal the most important secret in the universe.

"First, we have to go to Paris. But not just to see the Eiffel Tower—no, no—we're going to discover if croissants can truly change your life. Then, Venice. Imagine this: you, me, Lindsay, and a gondolier singing love songs while we float through canals that smell… well, mysterious. After that, Santorini. There, we can pretend to be influencers and take selfies with the white houses in the background. And finally, Amsterdam. Because who wouldn't want to ride bikes while trying not to fall into the canals?"

I burst out laughing.

"That sounds like an itinerary specifically designed to get us lost, wet, or both."

"Exactly," Olivia responded, winking at me. "The best adventures always have a touch of chaos. Besides, you know what they say: 'If you don't get lost, you don't find yourself.' Or something like that. Probably read it on a meme."

Lindsay shook her head, laughing.

"Only you could turn a trip to Europe into a romantic comedy with guaranteed disasters."

"Thank you!" Olivia exclaimed, taking the compliment as the highest praise. "Now, we need to decide who's bringing the extra luggage because, obviously, I'll need space for all the souvenirs I'm going to buy."

Before we could continue planning, Lindsay's phone rang. She answered with a smile, but soon her expression changed. We heard her respond with short, formal phrases: "I understand… Yes, of course… I'll think about it…"

When she hung up, she looked at us with a mix of resignation and sadness.

"It was my parents," she said finally. "They want me to spend the holidays at Sapphire Grove Hospital. They say it would be a good opportunity to get used to the medical environment since that's what I want to study."

Silence fell over the table. Olivia set her tablet aside, and I stared at Lindsay, trying to process what she had just said.

"Seriously?" Olivia asked, frowning. "Who does that? Spending holidays at a hospital? That sounds like the plot of a horror movie."

"It's not that bad," Lindsay replied, though her tone suggested otherwise. "It's just that… I thought we'd have time to do something together before everything went back to routine."

Olivia crossed her arms, indignant.

"This is unacceptable. You can't sacrifice your vacation for a hospital! It's not even a normal hospital—it's a place where they'll probably make you clean surgical instruments or something equally exciting."

I looked at Lindsay, feeling a mix of admiration and concern. I knew how hard she had worked to get to this point, but I also knew how much she needed a break.

"It's important to them, and to me too," Lindsay added. "If I want to be a doctor, I guess I should start getting familiar with the environment as soon as possible."

Olivia sighed deeply, as if weighing something important.

"Hold on a second," she said, raising a hand. "This isn't just about you, Lindsay. I want to be a doctor too, remember? And so does Sack. This could be a good chance for all of us to start getting used to the environment."

I was a little surprised that Olivia brought this up, but she was right. We had all decided to study medicine, though each of us had our own reasons.

"Are you saying you want to come with me to the hospital?" Lindsay asked, incredulous.

"Of course," Olivia replied, nodding firmly. "If we're going to be doctors someday, we need all the experience we can get. Plus, someone has to make sure you don't turn into a too-serious doctor. You need a little chaos in your life."

"And that chaos has a name: Olivia Hart," I added, smiling.

Lindsay looked at us with a mix of gratitude and amazement.

"Guys, you don't have to do this. I know it's not exactly the vacation you had in mind."

Olivia scoffed.

"Vacation? Who said anything about a vacation? This is a mission. An epic adventure. A journey into the heart of medicine."

"Besides," I added, "it'll be interesting to see how a hospital works from the inside. We could learn a lot."

Olivia nodded enthusiastically.

"Exactly. And not just that. We could document everything we see—not to write some cheesy book or anything, but to create a record of experiences. Something we can refer back to when we're officially studying medicine. It'll be like our own personalized manual."

Lindsay finally gave in, smiling widely.

"Alright. But don't say I didn't warn you when you end up bored or exhausted."

"Impossible," Olivia responded, raising her coffee cup as if it were a champagne glass.

After deciding to go to the hospital, Olivia visibly cheered up and began listing the benefits of being in such a prestigious place.

"Well, let's look at the bright side," Olivia said with a sly smile. "This is Lindsay's family hospital. In other words, we could be treated like royalty. Gourmet food, VIP rooms, maybe even free massages! We could pretend we're millionaire patients!"

Lindsay rolled her eyes, though she couldn't help but laugh.

"Olivia, I don't think it works like that. My parents want me to get used to the environment, not get special treatment."

"But technically, you're the daughter of the owners," Olivia insisted. "Why waste that advantage? We could ask for customized lunches… We might even demand that they introduce us to the hottest employees!"

"I don't think it's a good idea to draw attention to who I am," Lindsay interjected, adopting a more serious tone. "I'd rather no one knows I'm the owner's daughter. That way, I can learn without being given preferential treatment or being treated differently."

I nodded, supporting her decision.

"That makes sense. If you identify yourself as the owner's daughter, they might put you in special situations or give you easier tasks. That wouldn't help prepare you to be a doctor."

Olivia made a face, clearly disappointed that she couldn't flaunt her connection to the hospital.

"But… not even a little bit?" she asked, making a tiny gesture with her fingers. "We could say something like, 'Oh, by the way, Lindsay is technically the princess of this place.'"

"Not even a little bit," Lindsay replied firmly. "If we're going to do this, I want it to be real. No shortcuts or privileges."

Olivia sighed theatrically but eventually agreed, albeit reluctantly.

"Fine, fine. I won't say anything. But don't blame me if something accidentally slips out… unintentionally, of course."

She raised her hands innocently, though her smile suggested otherwise. It was clear that Olivia couldn't resist the temptation to joke about it.

"'Accidentally' will mean you did it on purpose," Lindsay warned, pointing a finger at her. "So be careful."

"Relax, Lindsay," Olivia responded with a mischievous giggle. "I promise I'll be discreet. Well, more or less."

We laughed, though I knew Olivia probably wouldn't be able to stay quiet for long.

As we walked back, Olivia kept rambling about possible scenarios at the hospital.

"Do you think they'll let me organize medical files?" she asked with a sarcastic smile. "Maybe I can invent a revolutionary system for sorting them. I'll call it… 'The Hart System of Perfect Files.'"

"I think you should first learn not to lose your own notes," I teased, earning an offended look from Olivia.

"Don't be cruel, Sack," she retorted, pretending to be indignant. "Organization is an art, and clearly, you still have a lot to learn from me."

Lindsay chimed in, laughing.

"Anyway, I think it'll be interesting. Even if it's not the vacation we imagined, at least we'll be together. And who knows, maybe we'll learn something that will really help us in the future."

Olivia nodded, regaining her usual enthusiasm.

"Exactly. Besides, if anything goes wrong, we can always blame Sack for not bringing enough coffee."

"Why do you always blame me?" I protested, though I couldn't help but smile.

"Because you're the responsible one here," Olivia replied, shrugging. "It's your job to keep us happy and well-fed."