This Isn't Weird, Right? (Sean)

Alex had actually been somewhat surprised by just how accessible Dr. Neville's help had been to a graduate. Granted, he knew that Ann was still in contact with him. He hadn't really talked to her about all this yet, mostly because he still wasn't 100% sure himself as to what he wanted to do. That was where the hope that Dr. Neville could help came in.

He had no idea that he had ever been on the psychiatrist's radar. Apart from being tangled in the one school dance incident with Zac LaRousse and getting a black eye out of it, he'd never really been in trouble. Even then, he had gone unpunished. It had been Zac and Ann who had been scolded. At the time, he'd felt a little guilty about it. If he'd just managed to see the punch coming, he could have defended himself instead of Ann rounding on Zac instead. At least they were all past that juvenile stage. ... Well, most of them. He didn't trust Zac to be any more mature. Thankfully he didn't have to see him, well... ever.

At the invitation Alex slipped into the office and offered a little smile and a wave. "Hello again Dr. Neville." Following instructions, he quietly shut the door behind him before crossing over to the chairs by the desk. "Thank you for taking the time to meet with me. I just had some questions, and University felt like... not a dead end, but like I couldn't figure out the right place to ask them." This was easier, and hopefully more beneficial. He took a moment to arrange his thoughts before voicing why he was actually there.

"I've spent the past two years trying to follow the physics track of education. They have a fantastic astrophysics program, and astronomy. I've loved looking at the stars since I was little, but the more I think about it now, the less I'm thinking it's a good idea." He paused to swallow, realizing that this was a little more difficult to admit than he'd expected. "I was hoping to find out if you were familiar with any, um, nursing programs U of V offers, or if any of the classes I've taken could be used for credits towards it. I've been taking biology as well as physics. I just don't know where to start with this." He leaned back slightly in the chair and reached up to toy with the arm of his glasses. "I probably should have thought of this two years ago." Two years ago he had still been stuck in the idea of studying the sky. Now he was engaged, he was thinking more about practicality.

Alex had been surprisingly well adjusted once he’d been recruited. Honestly, Hammel had been nothing short of a welcome change when he’d arrived. His high school had become somewhat unbearable around the time of his manifestation, so coming to a new state and a new school had been his idea of perfect. Sometimes he pretended to be a little more well-adjusted than he let on. Proof of that had been during his first year of University, when he’d stressed himself out to the point of illness, only to panic about what it could mean about his overall health. Since then he’d mellowed back out, and made a special effort to keep himself calm.

Still, sometimes he wondered if he should have tried seeking a meeting, just to hash out certain insecurities. Oh well. He was past that now, and long tired of looking to the past. Now he had Ann and their future to look forward to. Which was why he was here now.

“I’m good,” he answered with a smile. “Yourself?” Despite his appearance, manners were important to him. It was sad how many people dismissed him as a punk.

He was glad that it wasn’t outside of Sean’s scope of work, meeting like this. It made him relax a little more in the office. Ann had promised him that it would be fine, and he was banking on her being right. “Thank you. That’s really all I need.” Answers to questions he didn’t know how to answer himself.

Being engaged had given Alex a real sense of reality. He’d always had a good level of responsibility. He’d worked at Kali’s throughout his education at Hammel, going from dishwasher to line cook fairly smoothly. He saved money. He had an apartment he shared with his best friend and was always diligent with his rent. But being in university really had made him stop and think. It was one thing to study something you loved, but if by the end of it you had a degree and no possible job openings, well... then you were stuck. He didn’t want that to happen to him. Not with a future with Ann on the line. She had herself sorted out with following a psychology path. A part of him wished he was as such about his path as she was. Maybe trying a new path would give him that.

He nodded at the offer. “Anything you know about the program, I’d be interested in.” Trying to look online had given him a worse headache than when he’d first looked at the physics track. As for his reasoning, he just shrugged and looked at his hands, twisting his ring around his finger. “Nursing just seems like it would be more beneficial in the long run. I was at Maddock a few days ago getting bloodwork done, and got to talking to one of the nurses there. I like helping people, and... I honestly think I’d do better in that field. I can always look at stars at home.” It seemed like solid reasoning, at least to him.

Alex practically lit up when Sean asked about Ann. The young woman had become his world, and he was happy to answer. "She's doing well in school. Amazing, really." The pride was evident in his voice. "I'm not sure if she's spoken to you recently, but we got engaged a few weeks ago." He was still riding that high, even though his cheeks coloured slightly.

Sean's questions gave him pause, and he thought for a moment before answering a little more carefully. "Maybe not better, but different. I like the idea of studying the sky, sure. But the more I think about it, the more something like nursing makes sense. It's easier to get into the job market, and it's more practical." Not to mention his medical knowledge picked up from a few years of hanging around hospitals was rather impressive. "I always liked the nurses when I was little. Doctors came and went, talked a lot to my parents with statistics and big words. Nurses actually made me feel like a person." There had been some nights he'd wanted nothing more than to hold on to someone and cry. The pediatric nurses in the oncology ward had been nothing short of amazing and supportive.

He watched curiously as Sean crossed the room and returned with the information. It was given a quick glance before he nodded and lifted it. "May I make a copy of this?" It was infinitely easier than trying to track it back down at UVM.

"Honestly, not familiar at all," he admitted. "That's why I'm here." It sounded straightforward enough. Glancing at some of the courses, it looked like he had a few he could apply towards it. As for specifics... "Pediatrics is where I'd love to focus. Or oncology." He glanced at the ground for a moment. "Or both." Though he could keep calm in serious situations, he didn't think he'd fare well in an emergency room setting. Pediatrics would give him a chance to work with kids, and oncology... well, it would feel a little like he was giving back. He liked that idea. "Is it important to narrow your focus at the start, or does that come after classroom work?" This was all new to him.

Ann had thrived much better than Alex had, even in their first year. While she had been flourishing in her classes, he had struggled with the balances of work, school, and play. Now he was an expert at balancing everything. He was just glad she’d found her stride. Her confidence, everything had grown so much since they’d graduated. “No, not yet. We want to graduate first. I just... I couldn’t wait anymore.” He’d had his reasons for doing what he had done so early, and they were reasons he wasn’t sure he wanted to get into with Dr. Neville. He was here for schooling information, not to discuss ancient history.

“Thank you,” Alex replied. That would make things easier by far, and he could make notes on the copy from the meeting if he needed to. He could also take it to the administration wing if he wanted to pursue the transfer come next semester. It would be more helpful to have something tangible with him than just go armed with words.

Alex had always loved kids, though he imagined it would be difficult to see them in pain, or have to try to convince them that needles didn’t hurt. He’d tried a long time ago, when he was ten and undergoing chemo for the second time. There had been kids younger than him, and he’d tried to comfort them if he could. At that age, he hadn’t been able to do much. Now, he was older, and possibly more able to help them out. As for oncology, well... at least he knew it inside and out. “I see,” he said thoughtfully. Maybe he’d find something else to focus on once he’d experienced it. Or maybe he’d find that he wasn’t suited at all to the job. Hopefully, that wouldn’t be the case.

“I don’t, actually. It’s all new to me. Like I said, anything you can impart, I’m grateful for.”

Alex smiled and nodded confirmation that yes, he would pass that on. "I will as soon as I get back to the dorms." He planned to go back to the University later to see what he could do about switching around for next semester, and see Ann for dinner after that. As for the question, he felt the warm dusting of pink settle across his cheeks, but he smiled and folded his hands in his lap. "It wasn't very special," he started. "I asked her to meet me at the lake, because we had our first date there. I'd had the ring for a while, because after she and I had a discussion about something important, well... I didn't want to lose her. Not for anything. I hadn't really planned much for it, or even when I was going to. She stayed over at my apartment one night, and as I was trying to get to sleep, it just sort of hit me." He shrugged again. "I left her a note early in the morning, and we met at the lake. It was... simple." Which really suited him and Ann to a T.

Once Sean went into the details of nursing, Alex began to listen more intently, mentally taking notes. This put more complexity into it, but it didn't scare him. He wanted to know more, and Sean supplied it. He wasn't sure if he wanted the responsibility of prescribing medications and authority, at least not at this point, but that could always change. "So if someone becomes an RN and works at that for a few years, can they still go back to pursue being a Nurse Practitioner afterwards, or is it something that needs to be known prior to even going into a program?" At the moment he was leaning towards just an RN. It seemed a good enough place to start, though he did have one small concern. It was something he'd really never given thought to until now, and it made him nervous. "And... this might not be completely relevant, but..." He glanced down at his tattooed arms, visible from the elbows down. "Would body art impact acceptance to these programs, or employment? I mean, they would be easy to cover with a long sleeve shirt, but they'd still be there." Some jobs didn't care, but was this one of them? He'd seen a few nurses from time to time with small tattoos, but his were... well... not subtle. Not that he regretted any of them.

Alex had never been one to actively seek attention with grand gestures. He garnered enough on his own just by being himself, whether it was good or bad. He didn’t need anything more, so he was happy to do things in a more quiet manner. He also knew Ann, and flashy things were not her style, either. In fact, he might have run the risk of her saying no had he done something more public and big. He did smile and nod at the comment, though. “She said yes, which was more than I could ever ask for.”

It was good to know he had the option of going back, should he want to step up to the higher levels. “I think that might be the best option, then. I know there’s always the possibility of getting into the field and liking the level you enter at, or talking to the practitioners and deciding it’s not what you want.” He was realistic, which was why he was here in the first place. Still, it was good to know he had options. And if the hospitals were willing to help out with night school, that was a bonus.

All of his tattoos had been special at the time of inking, including his newest addition. He’d never regretted any of them, though he also hadn’t thought much about the future. Hell, there had been a time he wasn’t sure he’d have one. But now it was coming fast, and it was something he had to consider. “Oh, I know they’re short. I’ve seen people wearing long sleeves underneath, though.” He shrugged slightly. It was an easy solution if it was a problem. “Is there anything else I should know about it?”