Chapter 2 Nervously

Unconsciously, Dorothy moved a little further away.

Even though the female lead in the novel was depicted as warm-hearted and gentle like a little sun, who never harmed the original host (it was usually the original host who persecuted her), from her many years of reading experience, Dorothy knew that main characters posses an aura of plot armor. If an evil supporting character approached them too closely, something bad was bound to happen.

If not for her leg injury, Dorothy would have even considered jumping out of the car and running away.

Only after they had walked far into the clinic did Dorothy open her mouth and say, "My leg is injured, so I also want to go and see a doctor in the clinic."

Of course, she knew it was a minor injury and it would heal in a few days. She just needed an excuse to go in.

Caleb looked surprised: "Mrs Parker, why didn't you say so earlier? You could have just gone in with them. They even know some people there."

Dorothy replied, "It's not severe. I just need the doctor to apply some medicine and re-bandage it."

"Oh, alright. Let's go then," Caleb replied, leading her in.

As Dorothy slowly walked into the clinic, she looked around, in the hopes of seeing some job advertisements or to inquire.

But even if people knew about job openings, they wouldn't likely tell her.

Job opportunities are precious commodities these days.

But she recalled older family members saying that in the '70s, government-run institutions would post job vacancies and conduct public examinations and screenings. While some underground connections could be involved, they would still need to maintain appearances.

"The doctor says I need to get some medicine, hope you don't mind?"After receiving the prescription, Dorothy sent Caleb off, intentionally stalling for time as she milled about the clinic.

And lo and behold, she actually found something.

At the corner of a bulletin board, Dorothy saw a job posting.

The posting stated that the clinic currently needed a nurse. Requirements were a high school education, must be female, and must be in good health without any communicable diseases.

Perhaps to avoid being discovered, the words were printed very small on purpose, extremely inconspicuous, and there was no mention of when to take the recruitment exam.

Just then, a janitor came out of the bathroom. Dorothy stopped her and asked, "Miss, is this clinic hiring? Do you know when the registration for the exam is?"

The woman barely glanced at Dorothy and responded curtly, "Who are you?"

Dorothy reached into her pocket. The original owner of this body still had some money. She took out a coin and handed it to the woman, apologizing with a smile, "I studied nursing. I've been unemployed for half a year after graduation and failed to find a suitable job. My family is worried about me. I feel bad about just staying home waiting for meals. So, even with an injured leg, I didn't slack off in job hunting. Could you please tell me if you know anything?"

Accepting the coin and seeing Dorothy leaning on a crutch, the woman's expression softened considerably. She pointed to a small door on the right and said, "Registration for the examination ends at five o'clock tomorrow afternoon. That is the registration place over there."

"Thank you, miss." Gratefully, Dorothy quickly thanked her and hurried to the registration office.

At the registration office, two middle-aged men in white coats were leisurely drinking Coffee.

Dorothy knocked on the door, and one of them hailed, "Come in."

Upon her entry, the other man took a close look and asked, "What can I do for you?"

She smiled nervously, saying, "Hello, I am here to apply for the job of the nurse."

The man responsible for registration was quite friendly, probably because she was pretty. He picked up a form, started to fill it out, and asked, "What's your name? How old are you? What's your educational background? Where do you live...?"

Dorothy answered each question. However, when the other man heard that she was only eighteen years old and living in the military complex, he shook his head, saying, "I don't think this job is suitable for you, you're too young, no experience, and no certification. Nursing can be quite tiring. Plus, is your leg injured?" His gaze fell on the bandaged right leg of Dorothy.

Dorothy hurriedly explained,"It's a minor injury. It will heal on its own in a couple of days."

"I'm not afraid of hard work, you can let me try first."

She thought to herself that she didn't intend to be a nurse. In her previous life, she was a respected chief physician.

The man glanced at her and said, "Then let me test you. You should at least know the basic care knowledge; otherwise, getting registered would be a waste."

"What type of respiration is used in infants due to their underdeveloped respiratory muscles and small range of chest movements?"

Dorothy immediately responded, "Diaphragmatic breathing."

A flash of surprise crossed the man's eyes, he then quickly continued to ask, "What is the characteristic sign of acute peritonitis?"

This question is a bit difficult for high school graduates, as this was not taught in their textbooks.

Dorothy answered, "Peritoneal irritation syndrome."

Her fluent responses gave off an air of self-confidence, making her appear much more mature than her apparent age, exuding a unique charm.

This sense of reliability, seemed to be something they had only ever seen in actual doctors.

"Fine, I'll register you. Come back for the test in a week," he concluded.

Dorothy was overjoyed and cheerfully said, "Thank you!"

The man saw that she was beautiful, knowledgeable in nursing, and very polite, his mood also improved significantly.

He added a few more words specifically, "The exam does not provide paper and pens, you have to bring your own to jot down the questions, don't forget."

There were people in the past who didn't bring paper and pens to exams and were subsequently unable to take the test.

Dorothy nodded earnestly, "I'll definitely remember."

After such a series of field training, by the time Caleb had dropped her off at the military estate, it was already dark outside.

The smell of cooking was wafting through the streets and alleys, each household cooking up their own dinner.

The entrance to the military estate was heavily guarded, but since Caleb was driving an army jeep, coupled with Dorothy's familiar face, the guard simply glanced at her and offered a respectful salute, "Good evening, Mrs Parker!"

Dorothy was startled for a moment and nodded back, "Hello."

The guards seemed stunned with a surprised expression on their faces.

Everyone knew that the wife of the Battalion Commander Parker, was known for her arrogance, looking down her nose at others. But for her to initiate greetings today, was as surprising as the sun rising from the west.

They drove across the tarred road, past green belts and towering trees. The estate was filled with Split-level styled houses

From Dorothy's perspective, this place was very similar to modern residential communities.

The Jeep stopped in front of a beautifully designed duplex.

"Mrs Parker, we've arrived." Caleb jumped out of the car to open the door for her.

Looking up, Dorothy was a bit surprised. The duplex even had a garden, with vibrant flowers and ivy peering over the fence,a gate, and a somewhat Colonial architectural style. Even compared to modern houses, it did not seem inferior, but rather exuded an added antique charm.

The text mentioned that this old duplex was a leftover from the Revolutionary war era, and was allocated to the military high-level leadership after the founding of the United States of America. Considering Nicholas's rank, he would not have been assigned a duplex if not for his father's influence.

She glanced around a few times, then picked up her suitcase and walked in.

As she disappeared into the house, Caleb could not help but worry. He was about to leave, hopefully nothing strange happened between her and Nicholas's son that night.

"Dorothy, where have you been? How come you just came back?" A boyish voice questioned from inside the garden.