video.

[askedtobe]

So it's come to my attention that i'm one of the last ones left on the medical team on board. And now, the one who's been here the longest. [ Peter sounds a touch strained - for a variety of reasons - maybe a little on the tired side. But he's altogether more than willing to be doing this and he sounds enough like it to get by. ]

My name is Peter Petrelli and I woke up from a month long coma to find out that the entire department is under my control. I know I've missed a lot, but that doesn't change the fact that i'm happy to take on the mantle. What that doesn't mean is that I'm planning on trying run the whole thing by myself or considering ruling with an iron fist for my own benefit. But I might as well take the position that's been handed to me by way of default and make the most of it.

For those of you who don't know - who're new around here and haven't heard about it yet, we've got jobs that're set up by departments. That's the simplified version. If you want to hear more about all of them, I might not be the perfect person to ask considering I don't know everything about all of them. But if you're looking for a job doing something, ask around. There's more than enough opportunities for everyone.

But that's not what i'm trying to get at. [ A pause, only noteworthy because of the sigh that follows. ]

After missing a jump and the entire month that followed, i'm pretty sure i'm behind on who all's now in medical and who might want to be. Half of all I want is to meet everyone who's joined that I haven't met already, make sure i've got an actual grip on things. The other half is to try and find anyone who's interested in joining. We'll take anyone who thinks they can offer any kind of help - we're lacking in staff right now, or we were last I knew, and finding some more help would be appreciated.

Or if you just want to stop by the med bay to talk about it in person, feel free to. I'm here now if anyone's interested - I won't be going anywhere anytime soon.

Comments

[expect]

And I might be able to help out until that point, too. ( he's almost arguing with himself. ) Look - I'm being stupid, really. I'll help out if you'll have me even so.

[askedtobe]

[ oh rory. ]

Course we'll have you. But it's up to you. You wouldn't even have to join the department if you don't want. [ a beat ] You want to think on it a bit?

[expect]

No. ( to his credit, he only hesitates slightly.

more firmly: ) I do want to help. Sincerely. ( and there is a kind of unsaid 'but' — but who knows for how long, but who knows anything — but he doesn't mention it again. )

[askedtobe]

[ Peter gives something of a firm nod despite knowing all the ifs, ands, and buts. There's no way to know how long any of these people are going to stay; how long he's going to stay for that matter. But that doesn't mean anything until they're truly gone. ]

Then there's a place for you. [ It was just that simple. ]

[expect]

Thanks. ( a little awkwardly; he's a bit embarrassed at himself. )

I'm a qualified emergency care nurse, by the way. I work in London. I don't exactly have references, but…

[askedtobe]

None of us have references, don't worry about that part. I just get to take you at your word.

[expect]

That seems slightly dangerous. ( but wryly. ) I could be a fake.

[askedtobe]

[ snort. ]

Yeah, well, so could I. Guess i'll just have to find out the hard way.

[expect]

What are you, by the way? I mean, your specialisation.

[askedtobe]

I'm a nurse. Trained firstly in emergent medicine - I was a paramedic before I got my nursing degree.

[expect]

So we're the same. ( he's a bit surprised - it's not a common enough career/specialisation that he'd have guessed it. ) Are you in a hospital?

[askedtobe]

[ He nods along, mentally adding another nurse to the roster and keeping silently pleased that he's not being judged for being one. ]

Most recently I was working as a paramedic again- I was in between jobs, seemed like the easiest move to make. But when I first started I was in a hospital for awhile before I moved into more private care.

[expect]

Yeah? That's probably a bit more relaxing. ( but sort-of enviously. he loves his job, he loves and hates the stress and long shifts of the emergency room. ) I'm in one of the bigger hospitals in London.

[askedtobe]

Wasn't really relaxing unto itself but it was more relaxing than a hospital. But it was quieter. Definitely quieter. [ But he still felt as if he'd given something up, working for that many people at a time. It was chaotic, sure, but there was a rush that went along with his work that didn't carry through to working for Charles. And try as he might, he wasn't sure that was a good thing. Not anymore. ]

Something about working in a hospital though, you've gotta admit. [ a beat ] All those patients that don't want anything to do with you.

[expect]

All those doctors who don't know what they're doing, all those long shifts and kips on the staff sofa, the mystery stains on my scrubs… ( see, workplace bitching, that is something he can do, and do with a completely straight face. ) Not to mention the pay and the respect. The career brochures really undersold nursing, if you ask me.

[askedtobe]

[ Peter almost laughs, but the sound catches up with him fast enough that he can stop it, his next words instead managing to sound amused. ]

God, the doctors were always the worst. You'd have thought that you were some kind of leper when they needed to get their thing done. Always had to get out of their way before the shit hit the fan. [ Workplace bitching is like an old habit you can't break; too easy to slip into and too fun to give up. ] And I don't know, but the mystery stains on the staff sofa always seemed a lot worse than the ones on my scrubs. At least those I could wash out on my own.

I don't know if we got any nurses at career day - probably couldn't find any that wanted to talk.

[expect]

I wanted to be a doctor originally. ( he smiles, a little wryly, because it's amusing now, ten years on. ) It didn't last long enough for me to go into medical school, but my dad was disappointed anyway. I went for nursing school once I had my A levels.

[askedtobe]

Nothing wrong with that, though everyone seems to think there is. At least you figured out what you wanted to do. Did your dad manage to get by with you just being a nurse? [ a million years later and he's still bitter about his own father. ]

[expect]

He was never against it, exactly… ( he trails off. his dad never protested, never stopped him from doing what he wanted to do, but still — he always thought rory was a disappointment, and rory always knew that, even if it was never said. )

But we were never really close, either. It's only recently that's started to change. I suppose that's something for adulthood.

[askedtobe]

Just never thought you were good enough? [ Peter only says it from experience. Only because he thinks he knows what it was like to be on the far side of what your father wanted. ] My dad couldn't even say the word nurse, it was kind of like a disease.

But hey- good for you guys. Sometimes turning into an adult is all it takes.

[expect]

What about you and your dad? ( he noticed, after all, the sort of distance between the two sentences. )

[askedtobe]

[ His dad? Peter shot his dad. Sort of. For the most part - he fired the bullet, Sylar let it go, the whole thing's complicated. But not really something Peter wants to say out loud. ]

For as long as he was alive, we didn't really get along.

[expect]

I'm sorry. And I'm sorry for your loss.

[askedtobe]

No, hey- it's okay. It happened awhile ago

But thanks. I mean, he practically worked himself to death. Got what he wanted out of life, I guess.

[expect]

Even so. It's hard to lose a family member.

And it's too bad he never got over your career choice.