[A Twilight AU, no Bella, set before the events of the original story]
[Carlisle-centric. Most of the time, the female lead is simply an observer and bystander. There may or may not be a romance.]
Tess Agatha, 18, grew up in a Los Angeles slum. Her father was an alcoholic, and her mother sold her body.
Her sister died of colorectal cancer. Her eldest brother went to prison for drug trafficking. She successfully applied to Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
During summer break, she packed her bags and cycled 4,200 kilometers to Baltimore on the East Coast, escaping the home that was slowly rotting away.
On her first day of school, she made up her mind to join a research group as soon as possible and earn enough to support herself.
Late at night, she browsed the personal pages and lab websites of the medical school's professors again and again. Finally, from the hushed rumors of upperclassmen, she heard about a research group that was practically legendary...
It had almost no research output and few papers. The group's leader was placid and led the entire lab in collectively lying flat and slacking off. The boss never rushed anyone to graduate or publish, and never bullied anyone into doing more. The combined number of master's and doctoral students taking their time and coasting through their degrees was enough to form an entire army.
And yet the research funding was extraordinarily generous, the lab resources abundant, and there were collaborations with all the major hospitals across the country. There were plenty of spots at international medical conferences and competitions, and leading medical experts from all over the world were often invited by the boss to talk with students face-to-face in the lab. The boss even set aside a monthly stipend for everyone, which could reach tens of thousands of dollars. Tens of thousands! Tess only knew that her entire family had never spent more than 5,000 yuan in a year, from the time she was little until now.
Filled with excitement and trepidation, she reached the application page to submit her resume to the lab. She checked it again and again, then clicked "Submit."
A month later, she received a call from an unfamiliar number.
"Ms. Agatha," said the lead professor of that legendary research group, his voice so gentle that she felt as if she were basking in a warm breeze.
"Based on your resume and your interview, I have to say that you're quite outstanding among undergraduates in your year.
"I think, just as you said, perhaps my lab can offer you a more comfortable place to study.
"I'm honored that you chose me. I would be very happy to have you join my research project."
Theme: A man who knows his way around academia is the sexiest!
