"Ethan, I know you’ve been working really hard lately, and your efforts haven’t gone unnoticed," Leonard Fields said, seated upright behind his desk, his tone official and distant. "But there are only five spots available for permanent positions, and after weighing everything, you didn’t make the cut. Once your shift ends today, no need to come back."

The words hit Ethan Holmes like a punch to the gut.

He tried to keep a calm front, but the disbelief in his eyes was hard to hide.

"Director Fields, I don’t get it," Ethan said, his voice tight. "I’ve been top of every evaluation. Every supervisor has praised my work. Why can’t I stay?"

Ethan had always known the medical field was fiercely competitive—especially at City People’s Hospital.

That’s exactly why he gave it his all.

He shadowed his mentors every day, took on every basic task without complaint, and never missed a chance to be in the OR. Even the seasoned doctors openly admired him.

But Leonard Fields avoided his gaze, his brows drawn together. "I make the final call. Numbers aren’t everything. We’re looking at the full picture. That’s all I have to say. You can leave now."

The cold dismissal made Ethan clench his fists, then slowly release them.

He knew all too well that as a fresh graduate, he had no real say here.

No matter how impressive the results were, it all came down to who you knew.

The helplessness of it all left a dull ache in his chest. But what else could he do? He could only suck it up.

Back in the ER, Daniel Porter walked up to him, eyes full of anticipation. "So? Did they keep you?"

Seeing Ethan's grim expression, Daniel’s face fell. "No way. Don’t tell me you didn’t get in?"

Ethan forced a smile and gave a small nod.

"This makes zero sense!" Daniel was stunned. "You’re the best out of all the interns. Skills, theory, results—you’ve nailed every part. How could they turn you down?"

But that's how the real world works. Merit isn’t always enough.

Ethan’s smile was bitter. He shook his head. "Director Fields said good scores aren’t all that matter. Guess I’m still lacking something. Thank you, Dr. Porter, for all your guidance this past month."

His voice was steady, but Daniel could hear the resignation underneath.

As a doctor who'd been working on the frontlines for years, Daniel knew the hospital’s unspoken rules too well.

No matter how good Ethan was, without the right connections, he never even stood a chance."This..."

Daniel Porter hesitated, then gave a long sigh.

He really admired the kid’s skills, but honestly, he was just a regular attending doctor. Mentoring interns was already the most he could do. Speaking up for Ethan Holmes? Out of his league.

Just then, Gorden Sanders came jogging over from the ward, looking way too excited. "Ethan! Hey! So? You made the cut, right?"

"Nope," Ethan replied flatly.

"What? No way!"

Gorden’s voice shot up an octave, disbelief written all over his widened eyes. Noticing some side-eyes from nearby doctors, he quickly lowered his voice and leaned closer.

"You’re the top scorer in this whole batch! How could you not get a spot? Is Leonard Fields blind or what?" he whispered, fuming.

Ethan gave a tiny shrug and a dry smile. "Maybe he is."

"This is insane! Forget someone like me—I know I just scrape by. But you? You’re freaking top-tier!" Gorden grumbled under his breath. "It’s those connections again, isn’t it?"

Both of them knew some interns in this round had family in high places at the hospital.

Ethan just looked at him, a hint of frustration flashing in his eyes. That was all Gorden needed to see.

"Man, we have the worst luck," Gorden sighed, clapping a hand on Ethan’s shoulder. "But hey, last shift today. Tonight, let's go have a drink and blow off some steam. If this place won't take us, another hospital will. Something out there’s gotta work in our favor, right?"

Ethan forced a small smile, but his heart wasn’t in it. As a kid from a small town with zero connections, trying to make it in a big-city hospital felt like swimming upstream.

All he wanted was to learn and grow in a real hospital...

Just then, a siren began wailing outside the ER, dragging him out of his thoughts.

A new patient was coming in.

Daniel was on shift today, and as his intern, Ethan instantly snapped into motion and rushed toward the ER entrance.

He saw paramedics carefully unloading a middle-aged man from the ambulance. The guy was a bit overweight and, oddly, didn’t seem to have any visible injuries. Not a drop of blood on him or the stretcher. His face was pale, sure, but otherwise—he looked okay.

"Doesn't seem serious," Ethan thought.

But just as that thought crossed his mind, something... off caught his eye.