Deserve by C.C. Snow Read Free Book Online Page A

the taste buds.
    “That doesn’t sound like food. That sounds like torture.” He
starts eating his own rice and gyros. No red sauce.
    “The pain lets you know you’re alive!” I say cheerfully and
laugh at his disbelieving expression.
    For long minutes, we eat quietly. I’m gratified to see that
Sean is enjoying the peasant fare as much as I am.
    “I can’t believe you’re going to be a doctor.” Sean finishes
his food and sets the empty plate to the side.
    I wave my fork with a flourish. “Believe it. Get used to
calling me Dr. Jackson.”
    Grinning, he takes a swig of his own drink. “What
specialty?”
    “Pediatrics.”
    He raises a sleek brow. “What made you want to become a
pediatrician?”
    “I like kids.” I have found that when people ask the question,
they are not really curious. They only want an easy and expedient answer.
    He slants me a look and says, “Come on, Mags .
I know there’s more to it than that.”
    I should have known Sean would not be satisfied with the pat
reply. Maybe it’s his training as a cop. Maybe it’s just his inherently
incisive nature, but he always seems to sense when there’s more.
    “Tell me,” he urges.
    Feeling pleasantly full, I put down my fork and place the
box on the seat next to us. I take a long sip of my water before I start to
explain. “Well, it’s true. I do like kids.” I curl up a leg and tuck my ankle
under my right thigh. “Did Cael ever tell you about
the time I had appendicitis?”
    “No. How old were you?”
    “I was seven and Cael was fifteen.
It happened when our mom was working a late shift. All night, I complained that
I didn’t feel well and that my tummy hurt. Cael thought it was just a stomachache, but then I started vomiting and running a
fever. We didn’t want to call Mom because she was always complaining that her
boss was looking for an excuse to fire her.”
    Sean’s jaw tightens at hearing this.
    “ Cael panicked and ran to get help
from our neighbor, old Mrs. Bukowski . She called 911
and I was rushed to the hospital. It was one of the scariest moments of my
life.” I blink back the tears as I recall my brother’s terrified face when the
paramedics placed me onto the gurney. Even though he was already physically
bigger than most grown men at that age, Cael was a
kid underneath it all.
    “When I got to the hospital, they rushed me into the
emergency room. I was screaming for my mommy hysterically, refusing to let the
hospital staff touch me. They wouldn’t let Cael into
the OR. Finally, a doctor came into the room and talked to me soothingly,
reassuring me that everything was going to be okay. She was a pediatrician who
happened to be on rotation.”
    Taking a deep breath, I continue, “I don’t know if it was
because she looked a little like my mom or if it was the kindness in her eyes,
but I calmed down. When I woke up from the surgery, my mom and Cael were there. Mom was crying and Cael looked bone-white, but I was going to be okay. The pediatrician dropped by to
check on me even though she was off duty. I didn’t decide to become a doctor at
that moment, but the memory has always stayed with me.”
    I still remember the doctor’s name: Dr. Elisabeth Morrow.
When I decided to become a doctor, I had tried to contact her, but she was no
longer at the same hospital. Wherever she was, I hoped she knew the positive
impact her kindness had on her patients.
    He nods slowly. “That must have been a terrifying
experience. I understand why you would want to help other kids.”
    “Yes. If it weren’t for Dr. Morrow, I’m sure they could have
given me a shot to calm me down, but her kindness was the best medicine in the
end.”
    I never resented my mom for not being there for me, but the
terror was very real. If I could spare a child from the stultifying fear I
felt, I would have made a difference.
    “That’s a beautiful and noble motive for choosing your
profession, Mags . You’re going to be a fantastic
doctor.”