"You will be shadowing Dr. Andrea Walden today. She is very excited to meet you." A very nice receptionist by the name of Hayley leads me down the cold hallways past room after room of patients. Is this really where I want to spend most of my time? Yes, if it means being able to help people in their most desparate hours and save lives when it seems all hope is lost...yes, I want to be here.
"So, you are Madhuri?" we enter an office, and a beautiful dark skinned woman with dreads down her back stands to greet me.
"Yes, Madhuri Gupta, but you can call me Maddie."
"So honored to have you Maddie. I will be your mentor for most of your time here at the office, so we will try to schedule you on my days. How do you feel about doing overnights?"
"Not a problem. I enjoy the change of pace."
"Okay, how about we get started? I want you to have toured all the floors by lunch." A burly blonde man siddles in, and Dr. Walden introduces him, "This is Richard Price, my head nurse. Price, this is our newest young accompanier, Maddie. She will be joining us once a week to get a feel for the doctor life. Why don't you have someone to show her around." With another welcoming smile, she grabs her clip board. "This is a pretty difficult case, and I feel it might be a bit much for you on your first day here. Poor kid...burn victim...anyway, I will catch up with you at lunch time. It is much more important that you spend your first day getting to know your way around the place." The door to the room across the hall snaps shut behind her as she strolls in. I hear crying---not from a kd, but from the mother.
Price's hazel eyes sparkle with sympathy as he gazes at me. "So, do you have a specialty in mind? Kids? Do you want to research cancer? General practitioner?"
"I haven't decided yet, but I am thinking maybe I would like to be a surgeon. Working with children just makes me sad, but I would like to be in an emergency room like Dr. Walden. I am also thinking I want to work with special needs kids, though, maybe a psychiatrist...a therapist combined with being a doctor, you know?"
"Yeah, that's ambitious. I like you already." Price taps his foot on the cold tile floor in deep thought. "Evans!"
A young man with dark hair and stunning green eyes strolls toward us. "You called boss?"
"Evans is around your age. He's our intern this summer and gets all the grunt work." Price smirks, and Evans rolls his eyes.
"My name is Bryant Evans, and I am in my third year of the pre-med major. You could ask me anything about school, and I could probably answer it for you." He laughs at himself. "It is literally my life."
"Thank you. I know it must suck having grunt work to do."
"Oh no, I do not consider it grunt work to escort such a gorgeous lady around. How old are you?"
"Eighteen..."
"Evans, keep your flirting to yourself. This girl has a boyfriend." Hayley holds out a warm bag and some coffee to me. "He dropped this off for you, my dear."
"Wow, thanks," I respond, taking in the much appreciated coffee smell as she passes me my breakfast. Bagels---with blueberry cream cheese----he remembered.
"What a fortunate young man," Evans murmurs.
"I'll say," Price adds.
"No, I'm the fortunate one."
Yes, but no matter what happens, whenever I need him, Rizzo is there for me. 34Please respect copyright.PENANAVtqkhI1lKU
-------34Please respect copyright.PENANAIC1tj5AbZe
When Rizzo picks me up eight hours later, I think I have learned every room and every procedure performed by the nurses and techs on every machine there is to know. Evans has been my tour guide the whole day; I even get to shadow Dr. Walden in some general physicals for an elderly lady that tried to kick Evans during the reflex test. He laid a gentle hand on her back to steady her, and she accused him of getting fresh. Her granddaughter was so embarassed. Then I got to meet a pick pocketing teenager, who protested going to the doctor all the way into the room, ranted on how much her parents oppressed her, and tried to steal Evans twenty right out of his shirt pocket. When she got ready to leave, her parents patted her down and returned the otoscope. 34Please respect copyright.PENANA4r1fI8ltX3
"Good times!" Evan chuckled, replacing the otoscope to its original place at the end of the day. "So, what was your favorite part?"34Please respect copyright.PENANA3M1fwtX22D
"The bathroom," I laugh. "At least there I get some privacy."34Please respect copyright.PENANAN4ye5oxxeR
He laughs harder. "I don't know whether i liked feisty granny or crazy kid the best. You came on a great day, no sad sights today." He clears his throat. "So, when are you coming back?"34Please respect copyright.PENANAnKeDTtaKpR
"Next week, I will let Hayley know. I have a lot going on."34Please respect copyright.PENANAqhd5Y4Mii1
He smiles to himself, wiping out the sink, and I wipe down the counter. "we should grab coffe sometime or something, you know? I think we get along great, and I would really like to get to know you better outside the work place. I could give you some tips on pre med and stuff, you know?"34Please respect copyright.PENANAbm8Azx38rc
I nod ecstatically. "Yeah, that would be great. Write down your number."34Please respect copyright.PENANAsmLC6zpxNu
He writes his number on a sheet of paper and gives it to me. "Don't forget to call."34Please respect copyright.PENANASJeqg1Goj2
I laugh. "I won't. Don't worry. You're a lifesaver. I have been so nervous about premed stuff."34Please respect copyright.PENANAnY1eWHxhOI
"Apply for lots of schoalrships. Madhuri, you are smart. I can tell you are going to be brilliant, so don't let anyone hold you back---"34Please respect copyright.PENANAcIsTYvL8ps
"Madhuri, your boo is here," Hayley sings, racing to me. 34Please respect copyright.PENANAIyvRy65bqh
Rizzo strolls down the hallway, wraps his arms around me and presses his forehead to mine. 34Please respect copyright.PENANAe1J1BflEeB
Hayley squeals, "If you had a book, I would soooo read it!"34Please respect copyright.PENANA9SDrVOAWnp
I laugh, putting my palm against Rizzo's chest. "My heart, what is it?"34Please respect copyright.PENANAU5ksjMKGdl
"I found her."34Please respect copyright.PENANAYRZiXQCG85
I frown at him. "Calm down and communicate your thoughts in a normal person way, please."34Please respect copyright.PENANAXbIZXcO9BN
"I found a lady that used to work with tigers right here in this area. She has agreed to meet with us now...she has to go to a cat show in the morning, and---"34Please respect copyright.PENANACCAAjKdrrc
I shrug. "Let's go."34Please respect copyright.PENANAkyxd83mv00
Tired or not, dating someone with limitless mental energy means you have to muster up some extra energy at times---most times---to match their sudden spurts, but I have come to learn it will always pay off in the end because Rizzo's energy always leads to exciting adventure that gets me soaring! Evans cocks an eyebrow curiously, and before I can explain, Rizzo is pulling me out the door.34Please respect copyright.PENANAXfCBg5IpHd
"See you next week, Maddie!"34Please respect copyright.PENANALhTHoEHzwg
I wave to the employees as I fly past them, my fingers entangled with Rizzo's.34Please respect copyright.PENANALLpTdDqDVH