Chapter Text
Prologue
The Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center had always been known for being the launching pad for many trailblazers in the medical field. It was the kind of hospital that past medical interns and residents were proud to say they had done a rotation in.
Which is why it’s not that surprising that they jumped at the opportunity to have two omega doctors do their rotations at PTMC. While Dr Melissa King had done her previous rotations elsewhere, therefore PTMC wasn’t the first hospital to offer a spot for an omega but in the state it was unfounded. Omegas had always been seen in hospitals but only in the nursing roles, society has always deemed them as nurturing creatures and therefore were sequestered to those roles only.
Until Omega Rights groups banded together to fight for Omegas to also be allowed to venture into careers that weren’t just nursing and teaching in early childhood development centers. Omegas were much more than just their biological makeup, and they too deserved to see themselves in leadership roles and careers that were considered harder or more intense.
Alphas had always dominated such fields, but now, in the new world an omega could go to grad school, get a degree and apply to medical school. It took some time but professors were becoming more open minded. While there weren’t many omegas who took this opportunity, those who did made the most out of it.
So PTMC said yes, when the applications of Dr Melissa King, Victoria Javadi and Dennis Whitaker came through. Because, in order to stay at the forefront of medicine, one must adapt with the times. At least that’s what Gloria and the higher ups continue to spew about the progress of the hospital to their employees and stakeholders.
While the hospital had omegas on staff, including Charge Nurse Dana - who ran the Pitt like an army boot camp - there would certainly be a new dynamic with Omega doctors giving orders and treating patients. Yet, this was an obstacle being overcome all over the country, now it was PTMC’s turn.
That being said, protocols still have to be put in place in order to ensure all their employees safety. Meaning, due to the constant flow of foot traffic in and out of the ER specifically, all doctors and nurses who fall into the Alpha and Omega categories must use scent reducers, just so their perfuming can be kept under control to prevent any issues. Issues that could prevent them from performing their duties, as this is a professional environment.
The smell of sanitizer, chlorine and bleach always lingered around the ER, but every now and again you would get hit with a strong scent from the blood of a patient.
While unmated alphas and omegas carried stronger scents, they usually covered up with scent reducers or scent blockers, but Betas had naturally softer scents and they didn’t perfume the same way that alphas and omegas did. While the world's population was stable, it stayed balanced at 40% Alpha designation, 30% Omega designation with the other 30% being Betas. But the large cities and towns were often deemed as too big and busy to have omegas moving freely and unmated.
In the past, it was required for an omega to be mated to be able to work independently or they needed explicit permission from a guardian, such as a parent. While legislation argued it was to keep unmated omegas safe, this meant that most omegas had to mate and find packs in order to live lives of their own. But this also meant that most omegas became relegated to staying at home and taking care of their packs instead of grasping at the straws of opportunity they were being handed.
With the world moving forward, Dennis knew he needed to grab this opportunity by the horns. His family in Nebraska might still not fully understand why their youngest son wanted to become an omega doctor, but the fact that they allowed him to go to school was a miracle in the first place. So, he wasn’t going to waste his chance.
It might be hard, but it would be worth it. He’d be the first in his bloodline to become a doctor, and the first omega in his entire town to do so too.
He had a lot riding on this, his whole future was dependent on him being able to stand strong in not only his belief but that of other omegas becoming doctors. That an omega could dream big, and make those dreams come true.