1060: The Gift

Sebastian’s posh mother seemed so out of place in Xavier’s humble apartment building. He assumed she was there to tend to a patient so when she stepped from the elevator he figured she would be in a hurry. He nodded hello rather than delay her with the inquiry that immediately popped into his mind about the patient he’d donated to and maybe that was for the best, the whole no news was good news thing.

But rather than nod in return, Dr. Marques reached out a hand. Her french-manicured tips grabbed his elbow, preventing him from stepping onto the elevator.

“Do you have a moment? I need to speak with you.”

“Okay,” he said, suddenly concerned. The woman’s voice had sounded shaky, which wasn’t like the self-assured doctor he’d dealt with in the days leading up to and after the surgery. He remembered back then wondering how someone so together and confident had raised someone as insecure as Sebastian. Yet right this moment Dr. Marques seemed as uncomfortable in her own skin as her son occasionally did.

“What’s going on?” Xavier asked. “Is this- Is he sick again?” That poor kid, whoever he was. “Do I need to help again? Whatever he needs, I’ll do it.”

“No, no, he’s well, thanks to you,” Dr. Marques said. “You did a wonderful thing for him and without expecting any accolades. I came here tonight to rectify that, in the spirit of the holidays.”

“I really don’t want any publicity. I get that putting word out there about donating is important for the wait list, but I really don’t want any attention. Isn’t there some other way-”

“The accolades I’m talking about are in the form of a personal check from me for all you’ve done for my patient.” The further she got in her speech the more her voice wobbled. “I think you did such a wonderful thing. You’re an unsung hero and the more I thought about it the more I realized that you deserve better than to waste your life away toiling at a garage. There’s enough money for you to fly anywhere you wish and comfortably build whatever kind of life you want.”

“The life I want is right here but you figured that out, right?” Xavier realized. “You’re here to pay me to go away and make sure your son has no competition.”

“It’s for your own good,” Dr. Marques insisted. “Do you really want to watch her have his child? Are you prepared for how much it will hurt and how soon it will happen? They are planning to have a baby are you aware of that? Give yourself the gift of not having to witness that.”

Episode 1061: Mistletoe