Wanna Be The Reason

The day was going bright. I was allowed to volunteer and follow around the top doctors for the day. It was part of my onboarding and training. I was allowed to pick whoever I wanted. I chose to observe Dr. Rayleigh.

He's always on his feet. He had a seven-hour-long surgery today, and I was replacing an OR nurse. Precision was his strongest suit. I liked how he had the OR under control, too. The patient almost bled out. But the man behind the surgical mask had everything under control. Everything. Including me.

"Dr. Rayleigh," I approached him near the sink. He was washing off blood from his forearms, sanitising.

"You're an amazing doctor," I said first, to get him in a better mood.

"Tell me something I don't know, Elaine." I could see his smirk from beneath his mask.

"Of course, but maybe we should just call it a day after work. You've had a major surgery today." I said.

"Is this about me having no energy for stalking Jacon Fenris today, Elaine?" He turned to me, eyebrow cocked up.

"Maybe." I shrugged.

"Trust me. Doctors are more than superheroes. And when it comes to doing justice to my patients? I'm a wicked little energy bomb." I chuckled at his words.

Nurses flooded in with more files, surrounding the highest qualified doctor on the board right now. That's right. California didn't see it coming. But the best doctor of the West had shifted cities.

I was sent away early on the excuse of 'ER volunteering' by Dr. Rayleigh. But really, I headed down to my son's isolation ward.

When I saw Healer Taylor there, operating on Jean's little body like that, I almost fainted.

Why wasn't I informed? Or asked for consent?

Healer Taylor gestured to me to come closer to the glass, when my blurry eyes barely saw the little chest cut wide open.

"Complex lung infection. Had to operate without parental consent." Healer Taylor said, keeping words minimal to avoid mouth bacteria reaching the sanitised space for my son.

Half an hour later, stitching the site up, Healer Taylor and Nurse John walked out of the isolation room.

"I'm sorry for not informing you. Should've sent someone, but you know how limited the staff and communication are down here."

"I understand that, Dr. Taylor. What...what was going on?"

"It's reached his lungs. If I hadn't left it, he'd be drowning in his own fluids. Luckily, there was a vial I kept prepared for his condition." Saying, she handed me a tiny tray.

"6 doses of 1.25ml vials each. I concocted this for him last night. One push into his bloodstream with steady hands will drain the fluids directly." Said Dr. and head Healer, Taylor Silverclaw.

"Thank you...Thank you so much, Healer Taylor. I can't thank you enough."

"It's my duty to save lives, no matter who it is, Elaine. And I've heard about your riot against Jacob Fenris. I wish I could participate, but you know how hectic it gets to be a department head." She reasoned.

Well, I didn't mind.

As long as I could dig up enough dirt against Jacob Fenris, I was fine working alone, too.

Because my goal was bigger than just exposing his exploitation.

Healer Taylor ran the surgical department for the whole multispecies organisation. She was almost as powerful as the Dean himself. Dr. Alex Langford was our super-intelligent, super-resourceful dean of medicine.

His uncle, Dr. Luthor Langford was the director. Alex and Luthor were Phoenixes.

At 8pm, exhausted after standing on my feet all day, I reported to Dr. Rayleigh at the end of the day.

"Here are my training records for today, Dr. Rayleigh. And I'll be heading to the Fenris mansion alone today." I announced.

His leisurely posture sat up in attention as he shook his head.

That was when I noticed how tired he looked.

And most of all, his new glasses.

"I insist we go together, Elaine. Today, without the car. I shall pose as a street photographer and take pictures in disguise." He said. But...I was barely listening.

"I know the new glasses make me look attractive, Elaine. You're making it obvious."

Oh no!

Snapping out of it, I heard him chuckling lowly.

"So cute," he muttered, but I heard it. Curse my sensitive ears!

Dr. Rayleigh had me seated in the shotgun of his brand-new Mercedes.

"This one," tapping the steering, "Is one of my economic cars." He said, initiating small talk.

"If this is considered economic, I'm afraid all other cars that pass by on this road are..." I left it for him to answer.

"Elaine," he chuckled softly, "I'm not trying to show off. A doctor's life is all about it, but I believe in staying in the economic range for you know... the comfort."

"Then you haven't known true comfort when you're walking to places yourself. Using your feet, no compartment or a helmet, holding your gaze straight. You're free to look wherever you want to." I replied. The car was slowly coming to a halt.

"Want me to show you real comfort, Dr. Rayleigh?" Smirking softly, I looked at the high road ahead. Shopping malls and arcades with people teeming on the pathways covered the scene.

"Walking around people is comfort.. for you?" He asked, kinda struggling not to touch shoulders with the passersby. Fellow pedestrians.

"No...watching them closely, observing them for a brief while as a stranger...I try to know their stories." I said, smiling at the father who just put his kid on his shoulders. The child gleamed as he held the paper fan, giggling like it was the best thing on earth. In fact, it was.

I imagined Jean on my shoulders like that. Smiling. Carefree. I wanted him to be like the other kids...free and not bound by machines that kept him alive...

"It's beautiful to see what others are doing. It's as though...witnessing a small chapter they are writing in their life's book..." I said, crossing the street and joining the less crowded path.

"You're really something, Elaine. You're so...poetic."

"Most poets are also depressed, Dr. Rayleigh." I threw in a lighthearted joke.

I stared at the mansion up ahead, sighing, feeling my smile deteriorate.

"But I want to see my poet happy and soaring up high, Ms. Elaine. And I wanna be the reason for that..."