“Are You A Chef?” Well She Certainly Did Know A Lot About Spices And Things. Then Again Julia Would

[ Midori Francis, cis female, she/her ] — whoa! JULIA SATO just stole my cab! not cool, but maybe they needed it more. they have lived in the city for THREE MONTHS, working as a PAEDIATRIC DOCTOR. that can’t be easy, especially at only 33 YEARS OLD. some people say they can be a little bit PEDANTIC and GUARDED, but i know them to be EXTRAORDINARY and PATIENT. whatever. i guess i’ll catch the next cab. hope they like the ride back to BROOKLYN! 

Tw: Unwanted pregnancy, adoption, trauma

Julia wasn’t born wanting to be a doctor, she didn’t grow up playing doctor, but little did she know it was always on the cards for her. Pushed from a young age to focus closely on her academics she had two choices - doctor or lawyer, and in the end she chose the former. Her father was a well known cardiovascular surgeon and her mother one of New York’s top OBGYN, so it was hardly surprising when their only daughter was said to have her eyes set on medical school (Even if they were telling people long before Julia had any idea that’s what was happening.)

They tended to do that though. The pair of them would decide on something and before you knew it that was exactly what was happening, it was a control thing they loved to have, and it overflowed into every aspect of their daughter’s life. On the most part Julia was a sweet, normal child, she did well in school and didn’t make too many waves that drew extra attention to herself. With a select circle of friends - she was the girl you wanted to be in group projects with because it meant the ball wasn’t going to be dropped, you would have a finished project bang on time, and the lettering on the poster board would be impeccable to boot. Well if you’re going to do something you might as well do it properly, she knew the past of least resistance in her family was to excel so she didn’t put up a fuss. Just knuckling down to do what was expect of her. It wasn’t a miserable existence, did she get to go to as many social events as the rest of her classmates? Maybe not, but she never felt she was being deprived of anything. 

That was until she met and fell for Leo West. The two had been in the same grade for their entire school life but it wasn’t until they turned fifteen that their paths properly crossed and Julia’s eyes were suddenly opened to a world beyond her school books and music lessons. He had an freedom she had never been around before but wanted more of as soon as she’d been exposed, and it wasn’t long before (much to her parents disapproval) the two were dating. Julia’s first romance and it was a total whirlwind of infatuation and codependence they were inseparable and soon became a package deal. Even as she continued to study hard, it wasn’t with the same dedication that she’d had before and both the Sato parents started to notice, concern growing that this boy was turning their daughter’s head in the wrong direction. Not that they ever acted upon that thought - but they certainly made it known to Julia. Leo was due to go away on a year abroad once he finished high school and the Sato parents had already decided that this would be the end of their daughters relationship with him. And just like that he left when summer broke that year and Julia was back to focusing her attention onto her studies. 

Kinda. 

About three weeks later it was discovered that she was pregnant. A total disaster in her parents eyes the girl was made to go through with the pregnancy, hiding it for the most part thanks to her mother’s medical field, and the baby was put up for adoption the moment it came into he world. Never up for debate. Julia never got to hold it, they never even told her what she’d had. Instead she was just expected to go back to her studies as if nothing had happened without any kind of mental health or trauma support, and she did. But she was never the same. By the time Leo came home from his time abroad (which ended up going from one year to two) she had left for medical school so her parents didn't have to worry about the two of them reconnecting.

That was sixteen years ago and even after earning a place at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, a placement at Boston Children’s Hospital, and finally getting a job offer she couldn’t refuse back in her home town of New York, she still felt totally lost. So to combat it she threw herself into her work without letting up for a second, no time to think meant no time to hurt. At least with this career she could help children in a way she could never help her own child, but that didn’t stop her eyes from lingering a couple of seconds longer on kids that came in with features that reminded her of Leos’, wondering what had happened to their son or daughter. 

Wound tight, laser focused, a stickler for detail, and well overdue for everything she’d squished down to the depths of her soul and darkest parts of her brain to come bursting out, there was really no telling when this ticking time bomb was going to go off. 

Julia smiled softly, understanding the issue being described because she’d been there herself - more times than she’d care to admit because you’d think she’d have learnt her session after the first. “We’ve all been there.” As they headed into the vast library Julia was relieved to feel the familiar wash of calm the old building brought with it. A place that housed so much knowledge with no expectations on it apart from that you feasted to your hearts content, she could slip away in here for hours on end. Reading while the outside pressures melted away until it was time to walk back out the doors again. “You have a cat stroller for her? Oh my goodness, I’ve only ever actually seen those used on television. Is it common for people to take their cats out for walks? I thought they were more inside pets. Especially in the city.” Not that she’d ever had one, though they were very cute and occasionally the thought had crossed her mind to keep her company in the times she wasn’t at the hospital, before she remembered that those hours were extensive and it wasn’t really conducive to looking after a pet. 

The offer of help was one she’d happy accept though, enjoying Zahra’s presence because it felt like they had a lot in common, even if the information they’d shared with each other was limited. It was just a sense the doctor got. “I’d love that, thank you. Why don’t we put yours all back in for return and then we can head up to the medical section?” Her voice lowering as they were now in the confines of the library. @ofzahras

"Not all of them, no. I guess I bit off more than I could chew. Thought I would save myself a few library trips, you know. Didn't really think what would happen when I had to return all of them." She had always been bit of a book hoarder, most comfortable when she knew the information she might need was within arm's reach, but she had previously also been able to take pride in being a fast, motivated reader with the ability to get lost in text even if she wasn't particularly interested in the subject. She had tried to get back to that routine, often re-reading books or research papers she had already deemed fascinating in one way or another, but the results had been less than satisfactory. She knew talking about it with someone might ease the shame, but unfortuntaly Zahra had never great at that. Still, she appreciated this little chat with Julia, especially since it allowed her to gush about her beloved cat. "I have to admit if I already got a cat stroller for her but I am still trying to figure out if I'm confident enough to take it out for a spin. Might garner some weird looks."

Her head tilted to the side as Julia explained what she was looking for. "Oh? I see. I'm not doing anything at the moment if you need help finding some books," she offered, hopeful to pass a few minutes with a clear goal in mind. "It sounds interesting. I'm sure you'll do great."

If anyone else had told her that everything was okay, the child was in a good place, the parents were happy, she probably would have double checked herself but hearing that from Rhys allowed Julia to believe it. To let out the tension she’d been holding in her chest even during sleep to give him a smile, nodding her head. “Okay, alright great, thank you. I guess that means we need to have a drink to celebrate your handiwork and I can set it to one side until I check on her in the morning.” Knowing full well she’d be in at least an hour before her shift started in order to check in on patients before she was pulled to all directions by emergencies. “That works, give me five.” Holding up five fingers before heading off towards the locker room to collect her stuff. 

Throwing on her civvies in record time Julia looked at her hairbrush in the locker considering pulling through her hair really quickly, but then deciding against it. Instead just making her way to the front of the hospital where Rhys was waiting for her, feeling a little more relaxed than before. Which for her was saying something since Julia was never truly relaxed at all. “Where do you fancy tonight? My drinking future is in your hands.” @tctteredwings

Shit indeed, Rhys thought, but he didn't voice it, instead he merely nodded his head and offered her an encouraging smile. They'd all done it every once in a while, it came with the territory, especially so if you adored your job, if it meant absolutely everything to you. It did to him, it did to Julia, he'd known that the moment he met her. "Well her parents are bouncing off the walls with happiness right now, so you're off the hook," he answered her kindly. "You can relax. For tonight, at least." At her words, he shook his head, shrugging it off —- all in a day's work. He'd never really accepted compliments all that well. As she gathered herself once again, agreeing to join him for a drink, he nodded his head. "Okay, you go change, grab your stuff and I'll meet you outside in ten? That work?" he queried with a smile.

“Shit…” She looked down at her watch, fully aware her shift had finished a whole three hours ago. Luckily she wasn’t on shift again until tomorrow evening so she would have a little time to rest but this was Julia we were talking about so it was likely she wouldn’t do that anyway. “I was going home hours ago, but then I changed my mind. I wanted to be here when she came out of surgery incase something happened, so I could speak with her parents, I think they deserve that.” She rubbed her eyes mid yawn, letting it pass before speaking again. 

“She’s a fighter, and you’re an artist, she’s lucky to have you on her team.” The compliment entirely genuine as she let out a sigh of relief to hear the little girl was back in her room at least stable. That’s the least they could hope for right now. A drink. God that sounded so good right now - a chance to just take a breath, and the positive side of doing it with Rhys was that he would understand what she needed to detach from after the day they’d had. “Yes, absolutely, wherever you want to go.” Standing up from the bed as she tried to straighten herself a bit, still wearing her rumpled scrubs. @tctteredwings

Rhys did almost laugh at Julia's immediate reaction to being woken, but her words weren't exactly a laughing matter. That was and would always be the worst thing to get woken up over. At her second question, however, he shook his head and cast a glance toward his watch. "A little after eight-thirty now," he answered her. "I thought you were going home hours ago." His following words travelled with him as he moved around the room to pick up what he'd left there earlier. As Julia continued, he sobered, giving her his full attention. It was a serious matter, even if there was nothing bad to report. "She's doing fine," he answered. "We had a moment in there, but she's strong, she's a fighter. Knew that from the second I met her." A flicker of a smile then. "Everything went as planned." He grabbed the pen ( a favourite of his ) from the side, and then looked back to Julia again. "So you coming for a drink or what?"

Molly's Game (2017) dir. Aaron Sorkin

“You didn’t want to just focus on one of them to really hone your skills?” It wasn’t intended as a pointed or rude question, sometimes Julia could just be a little intense in how direct she was with her words. Maybe that was thanks to being a doctor, time wasting wasn’t something she had…well ‘time’ for. “Do you often get days off?” She asked with light interest. She herself got shifts off, but days off were a little more rare because it was in her nature to want to work as much as humanly possible. It kept her brain busy which was a relief, plus if she wasn’t she’d just be thinking about her patients anyway. @infragilehearts

——- ❝ I had both skills and doing both is kinda nice. ❞ truly, valerie was just lost in work. she kept her mind at ease and she didn't even think of her life much since before moving to new york now. it was better for her mentally to a point — but one day, she would have to face it — deal with it and move forward with her life properly. for now, this worked. finding someone to talk to about things did really bring a light to her she hadn't had in a while, so the company was nice. ❝ yes — i do ! i work between retro and diner. my days off then become the much needed relax and recharge needed to work again. ❞

“You didn’t read them?” Julia had a surprised look on her face but she really shouldn’t be because that was the pot very much calling the kettle black. The amount of books she’d borrowed from libraries in the past but not even opened was numerous, and it wasn’t because she didn’t have good intentions when she got them. Simply that life tended to get in the way, especially if they were fiction books rather than something attributed to medicine or something she was specifically working on. Sensing the uncertainty coming from her she nodded in agreement instead of prying further, giving the other a small smile. “I’m sure - I head that is quite common among writers.” She doubted parroting that would be of any reassurance but it happened anyway. “Would you look at that, I think we’ve decided what your next purchase is going to be. Some call it a grocery bag, you call it a Circe bag. It’s flexible for ones needs.” 

A shrug of her shoulders in regards to what she was specifically looking for, pressing her lips together silently for a second. “There is a case I’m working on at the moment is a child with Adrenoleukodystrophy, it’s not something I’ve personally worked with before so although I know the facts from medical school I wanted to come and do some more reading on it incase there is anything I’ve missed. Are you staying a while?” She asked, referring to the library. @ofzahras

"I guess you're partially right. I just wish I had actually read these instead of just hauling them home and now bringing them right back." Obviously no one knew - or cared - that she hadn't even cracked open most of the books, but the shame was palpable nonetheless. The shame seemed to be her constant companion, increasingly so ever since her brain had decided it no longer wanted to partake in any additional reading or writing. The feeling only grew as she thought about future deadlines and word counts, the threat of falling behind making her sick to her stomach. "I am sure it's just a writer's block," she muttered, mostly to herself, before snorting in amusement. "See, I like where your head's at. I could smuggle Circe everywhere and become the ultimate cat lady."

A realisation lit up Zahra's face as Julia admitted she was only heading in. She laughed, shaking her head softly. "Ah, there you go. It's good to know some things don't change. Are you looking for anything in particular?"

As the blonde spoke, Julia noted down a couple of things on her iPad with the apple pen she had to go with it, silently hating the things because she was much more of an actual pen and paper person. This thing if you touched the wrong part it all would go mad - beyond annoying, especially when you were tired. “Okay, so did you manage to stay active at all during your pregnancy or is this something that’s been going on right since the first trimester?” Twin pregnancies were always harder on the body than single ones just because of the sheer strain they put on the body but that didn’t stop her from wanting to make sure there was nothing more going on underneath. “Have you had any blurry vision, sensitivity to light, shortness of breath, or swelling in your hands and feet?” She asked as she glanced up, wondering if there was a chance the woman had pre-eclampsia and her OBGYN just hadn’t caught it. @bjorkn

𝐍𝐄𝐕𝐀 𝐋𝐄𝐓 𝐀 small ghost smile appeared on her delicate features upon the light joke about being rich. All this time she was being extra careful because this was her first pregnancy to know she could've ONE glass of wine? She hated herself for not asking it before. A hand rested on her baby bump, as she rested her back on the backrest of the chair she was. ❛ I don't know how to describe it, but basically, I feel excessive fatigue, and very weak physically speaking. As if I lost my physical conditioning. Before this pregnancy, I was very physically active. Also, I'm struggling to keep food. I have morning and night sickness, and only afternoon I can eat decent. Also, dizziness as if I'm about to faint. My OBGYN gave me medications still I struggle these days as if there is no effect working.❜ One thing the blonde also noticed was that she was getting more sleeper.

Julia had been tapping away on her phone sending off an email when she heard the guy in front of her reference ’the person behind me’ and she looked up - that was her? “Sorry, what?” So caught off guard by someone wanting to pay for her drink for no apparent reason, that small act of kindness not common in her life. “Are you sure? I mean you don’t know…” she was going to say ‘you don’t know me’ but then realised that would be stating the obvious so instead just shut her mouth, giving him a smile. “Well, that’s incredibly kind of you. Thank you…?” Waiting for him to fill in his name. “I’ll get a skim cap with an extra shot please.” @sebastianxwinters

Starter for: Julia @doctorjuliasato

Location: Rise & Grind

Sebastian needed coffee in his system if he was going to ever get through the day. His phone had been blowing up lately with texts and call from his family because Sebastian did not immediately fly back to London. He was in Rise & Grind and he was waiting for his turn to be called on. He felt like he was isolating himself lately and he didn't want to completely feel like that so in his mind it made sense to pay for the order for the person behind him. "Yeah, I'll get a pumpkin cold brew with sweet cream cold foam and whatever the person behind me wants." he said as he gestured towards the woman standing behind him.

Julia nodded at the mention of not thinking about actually working here, but the sad reality was a lot of their patients were here for a while - and there would be something to be said for them being able to have help with their schoolwork from a friendly face. “You can of course leave them around for parents who are just bringing their children in for outpatient treatment or shorter stays, but if you were up for doing some work with out more long term patients that would also be an attractive prospect for us.” It was true their parents were dealing with big hospital bills (something Julia took great issue with but had no control over) but at the same time she didn’t feel right in this woman not getting paid either. “Well perhaps there is some way we could work out a reduced rate for patients, after all it’s not fair that you don’t get paid for your work.” 

“Charlie, lovely to meet you, I’m Doctor Julia Sato.” Glancing down at the pamphlet where sure enough it stated Charlie’s name where she pointed. As for the anxiety it was understandable, a lot of people found hospitals anxiety inducing, which is why she gave her what she hoped was a reassuring smile. “It’s understandable, but there is really no need to be anxious. I know hospitals can be stressful but I promise we don’t bite.” @callmecharliejones

"I do up to ages about, um ten? eleven? and I... actually haven't thought about working here." Charlie said nodding at the doctor curiously but of course kids that had long stays at the hospital might need some help keeping up with school. Even though they shouldn't, they probably had enough to deal with if they were ill. "Oh but I can't possibly charge for that, honestly. That'd be heartless, right? They're ill, their parents probably have too much on their mind already." She pouted to herself, already feeling sad about the whole situation but wanting to do it anyway.

She looked up at the other and gave her a small smile. "Sorry, I'm Charlie." She pointed at the pamphlet in the doctor's hand. "And I'm way too sensitive and terrible with hospitals. And when I'm anxious, I can't stop talking. Nice to meet you."