Arrival

"Olivia, for the fifth time, we can't wear lab coats. Lab coats are reserved for medical staff," I said with feigned patience as I rummaged through my bag for the instructions we had been given about the hospital. "We're just pre-med students. We haven't even entered medical school yet."

Olivia looked at me with a dramatic pout, as if her favorite toy had been taken away.

"But we will be someday," she replied, crossing her arms. "It's better to get used to it. Besides, I want a designer lab coat. Something modern, maybe with my name embroidered in gold letters."

Sack, who was sitting across from me in the airport café in San José International Airport, burst out laughing.

"A designer lab coat?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "I don't think even the most experienced doctors have that luxury. And besides, wouldn't it be illegal to wear them without being certified?"

"I'm not sure if it's exactly illegal," I interjected thoughtfully, "but it's definitely inappropriate. Wearing a lab coat without being part of the medical team could cause confusion among patients and staff. We don't want to seem disrespectful or immature."

Olivia made an exaggerated gesture of disappointment, though it was clear she was acting to entertain us.

"Fine, fine," she finally said, raising her hands in surrender. "But when I'm a doctor, I'm going to have the most impressive lab coat anyone has ever seen. With diamonds embedded, if possible."

"Sure, Olivia," Sack responded, smiling. "And you'll probably have a camera crew following you around to document your greatness."

"Exactly," she said, nodding with fake seriousness. "It'll be like a medical reality show. I'll call it Doctor Hart: The Series ."

We laughed, and for a moment, we forgot the nervousness we felt about what awaited us at Sapphire Grove Hospital.

The airport was bustling with travelers, some dragging enormous suitcases, others saying emotional goodbyes. As we waited to board our flight, Olivia returned to the topic of the chauffeur my parents had arranged to pick us up.

"Lindsay, we really should accept the chauffeur," she said, leaning toward me with a conspiratorial tone. "Rejecting it would be rude. What if we offend your parents? Or worse, what if the chauffeur feels hurt? He might write a letter of protest to your family saying we were rude."

"Olivia, no one is going to write a letter of protest," I replied, rolling my eyes. "Besides, I already explained: if we arrive in a fancy car with a chauffeur, we'll draw too much attention. I want this to be as normal as possible."

"Normal?" Olivia repeated, incredulous. "We're talking about the most important hospital in the country! It literally has sci-fi-level technology and the best doctors in the world. Nothing here is going to be 'normal.'"

"Exactly," Sack chimed in, supporting me. "If we want to learn something real, we need to blend in. A fancy car wouldn't exactly help with that."

Olivia sighed theatrically but eventually gave in.

"Fine, I'll take a taxi like a common plebeian. But if we get lost or end up in a dangerous neighborhood, I'm blaming you."

"We're not going to get lost," I assured her, though I couldn't help laughing at her drama. "I already checked the address of the Airbnb where we'll be staying. It's only ten minutes from the hospital."

"Airbnb?" Olivia asked, pretending to be horrified. "I thought we'd at least have a suite in a five-star hotel."

"It's more practical this way," I explained. "Besides, the place has good reviews and looks comfortable. We don't need luxuries; just a place to sleep after a long day at the hospital."

Sack nodded, showing his support.

"Plus, this way we can cook our own meals. Imagine how much we'll save on coffee."

"Speaking of coffee…" Olivia began, but before she could continue, they announced our flight.

The flight was calm, though Olivia insisted on telling exaggerated stories about how she imagined the hospital would be.

"There will probably be robotic surgeons," she said, gesturing as if describing a futuristic movie. "And cameras monitoring every move. Maybe even an AI system evaluating our performance."

"Or it'll just be a very advanced hospital," I responded, trying to keep her grounded. "But yes, it's the most important hospital in the country, so we'll probably see some impressive things."

When we landed, we took a taxi to the Airbnb. The driver, a kind middle-aged man, tried to strike up a conversation, but Olivia quickly monopolized the talk.

"So, have you ever seen a robot-operated operating room?" she asked, leaning forward with genuine curiosity.

The driver looked at her in the rearview mirror, confused.

"Uh… no, miss. I just drive taxis."

"Oh, right," Olivia responded, as if remembering something obvious. "Well, if you ever decide to change careers, you should consider medicine. There's a lot of potential for innovation."

Sack and I exchanged an amused glance but decided not to intervene.

The Airbnb turned out to be exactly what we had expected: a cozy little apartment with two bedrooms, a fully equipped kitchen, and a modest view of a quiet street.

"Not bad," Olivia said, inspecting every corner with her usual energy. "Though it clearly needs a touch of style. Maybe I can redecorate it a bit while we're here."

"Please, don't touch anything," I warned, laughing. "We don't want to leave the place unrecognizable."

After settling in, we sat in the living room to discuss our plans for the next day.

"Tomorrow, we'll start early," I announced, checking the time on my phone. "We'll report to the hospital at 8:00 AM. They'll assign us simple tasks, but I want everyone to stay alert. This is a unique opportunity."

"Understood, boss," Sack joked, raising a hand in a mock military salute.

"And no mentioning who I am, okay?" I added, looking pointedly at Olivia.

"I promise I'll be discreet," she responded, raising her hands innocently. "Well, more or less."

I sighed, knowing I'd probably have to keep a close eye on her.

Later, as we unpacked, Olivia triumphantly declared:

"Alright, I've decided this will be my room," she announced, pointing to the larger of the two rooms. "After all, I'm the most glamorous. I need space for my six suitcases."

"Six suitcases again?" Sack asked, incredulous.

"Details, details!" Olivia responded, brushing it off. "The important thing is that I now have my own space. You two can share the other room."

I looked at Sack, feeling a slight blush rise to my cheeks. At Stanford, each of us had our own room in the dorms, so this would be the first time we'd share such an intimate space.

"Are you sure this is okay?" I asked Olivia, trying to hide my nervousness.

"Of course," she replied with a mischievous smile. "Besides, it's romantic. Like in a movie. Just try not to make too much noise, okay?"

Sack and I exchanged a glance, both uncomfortable with her comment.

Once Olivia disappeared into her room, Sack and I headed to ours. It was small but cozy, with a window overlooking the street lit by lampposts.

"Well, here we are," Sack said, dropping his backpack on the floor.

I stepped closer to him and hugged him gently.

"Thank you for coming with me," I whispered. "It means a lot to me."

Sack looked at me with a warm smile and then kissed me. It was a sweet kiss, full of calmness and complicity.

At that exact moment, Olivia's voice rang out from the other side of the door.

"Please, no noise if you're going to do it at night!" she shouted teasingly. "I need my beauty sleep, and I can't sleep with distractions."

Sack and I pulled apart quickly, both blushing with embarrassment and suppressed laughter.

"You should put a 'Do Not Disturb' sign on her door," Sack joked.

"Don't even think about it," I replied, throwing a pillow at him. "It's going to be hard enough surviving her jokes during these weeks."