Episode 1088: Nobody Better

She exited the hospital room with her mind already rolling through the next items on her agenda, scheduling that patient’s surgery, grabbing a quick energizing meal and heading back to the clinic to tackle the mountain of paperwork on her desk and potentially treat any after-hours walk-ins.

She loved every minute of it. Being run off her feet. Making a difference in her patients lives. Whether solving medical mysteries, performing surgery, or the most mundane filling out of forms, she’d found exactly the right career for herself, she was luck in that she knew, there wasn’t a single aspect of it that didn’t give her that buzz of challenge and accomplishment.

Deciding that the hospital cafeteria with its recent changes might have something halfway decent that she could take with her to eat while she worked at the clinic, Katherine cut through the nurse’s station to head in the direction of the cafeteria.

The path led her straight through the emergency department where the doors whooshed open and paramedics as well as an attending hurried inside.

Initially Katherine’s lone concern consisted of ensuring that she stepped out of the way to give them a clear route to treat the patient as soon as possible. But as Katherine stopped and flattened herself against the nearest wall, she spotted Avalon trailing close behind the commotion, her skin ashen, her eyes red and filled with tears.

At first, as unkind as it may seem, Katherine thought, well, there are other people Ava cares about, her father, her best friend Bowie, and it even wouldn’t be beyond the realm of possibility for someone as good as Ava to be that broken up over a total stranger that she’d found in the street.

Katherine didn’t have the luxury of thinking that selfishly for long. The gurney rolled nearer and nearer she saw. She was a doctor, a scientist, give her irrefutable proof and she couldn’t fool herself into believing anything else, as much as she may want and need to spare herself this distress.

Rather than wallow in it as a mother she shifted into doctor mode, hoping that buzz of challenge and accomplishment would be enough to override the ice cold fear racing through her.

“What do we have here?” She asked stepping towards the fray. “Put me in, coach.”

He attempt at levity, at casual, didn’t work as hoped.

“Katherine, we both know I can’t do that,” the attending said with compassion in her eyes. “I realize this is your son, you know the policy, you’re too close to this. We’ll take the best care of him and I’ll update you as soon as I can.”

“But there’s no better doctor here than me. No one can help him like I can.”

Episode 1089: I'll Be There For You