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hospital.
    Most of the class had met Carl Vandermeer through Lynn at various social functions over the course of their four years of medical school. It was common knowledge that Lynn and Carl had first met at Duke when Lynn was a sophomore and he a first-year law student. It had also been common knowledge that over the last couple of years they were seeing each other exclusively. What wasn’t known was the long-term seriousness of the relationship. Even Lynn didn’t know for certain. As close as they were, Carl was always evasive on the subject.
    “We’ll see what happens,” Lynn said, tossing her long brunette tresses away from her face. She had yet to pull her hair back in a barrette, the way she always wore it in the hospital. What she didn’t say was that she felt rather strongly that it better work out with Carl, because the real reason she hadn’t applied for a training program in Atlanta or Boston was because Carl was committed to his job in Charleston. From her perspective there was no doubt it was a sacrifice. Truth be told, she had expected an engagement and wondered if it would be coming for graduation. In her mind, it would be a wonderful graduation present. As a competitive, modern woman, Lynn didn’t feel she needed love, but, having serendipitously found it with Carl, she wanted it. She also had enough self-awareness to suspect that her eagerness to create her own nuclear family had something to do with losing her father when she was in college. She and her father had been close, and it had been because of his early death that she had decided to become a doctor.
    “Any specific plans we should know about?” Karen questioned, needling her friend. When the love affair with Carl had begun back at Duke, Karen had accepted the diminution of Lynn’s friendship much more than these last four years when it had expanded to involve Michael. Karen had never lost a girlfriend to a member of theopposite sex with no romance involved. She couldn’t help but wonder if there was some element of romance between the two, even if they both denied it.
    Lynn responded by holding up both hands, palms toward her. “No ring, no specific plans. Like all of us, I’m going to be very busy next year being a first-year resident. That’s job numero uno.”
    “Hey, everybody,” Ronald said, “have you heard the one about the urology transplant surgeon?”
    It was now Karen’s turn to throw her napkin at Ronald. “Quit while you’re ahead, my man!” she said. “I even remember that joke, and it ain’t funny because it is based on a pathetic male fantasy.”
    “It’s a good thing we are graduating soon,” Michael said. “Ronald is running out of jokes.”
    “Oh, shit!” Lynn said, catching sight of her watch. “It’s going to ten already. I have to go!” She scrambled to her feet and gathered her dishes together.
    “You’re not going to the ophthalmology lecture and make us all look bad, are you?” Alice Wong, one of the other women, asked.
    “Hell no!” Lynn said. “Carl had a little operation this morning, and I want to be available when he gets to his room.”
    “Really?” Karen questioned. “You never said anything about him having surgery.”
    “It was his decision,” Lynn said. “He didn’t want it to be common knowledge.”
    “Catch you later,” Michael said. He fist-bumped with Lynn but didn’t get up. He knew that Carl was to be operated on, but he was the only one who did.
    “Give him our best,” Karen called out to Lynn, who was already on her way to drop off her dirty dishes, as the coffee shop was run like a school cafeteria.
    Lynn waved over her head in acknowledgment but didn’t turn around. She was in a hurry. She was tense because of Carl, andfeared she might have whiled away too much time having coffee. Knowing how fast Weaver was and knowing that the less time a patient was under anesthesia, the shorter the recovery time, she wouldn’t be surprised if she got there and found