Kerrey Weaver stood in the dark lounge, braced by her crutch. That
accursed crutch seemed to be the only constant in her life anymore. Her
status as a doctor, her incomen her friends, even her sexual preference had
all changed during her time at County.
Plaintively, she wiped the tears from her eyes. Her friends. That was what this was about. The attack on her emotions had come suddenly, while she was treating a fast-track patient for a gash in his hand. She had just finished bandaging her patient when one of Mark's frequent patients rolled in. Suddenly she had felt a lump rise in her throat, and ran to the lounge. Once there, she had stood still, appeasing the tears.
Now she stood, wiping her eyes. She was not one for crying. Since her childhood, she had been the target of social isolation, and because of this she had developed a kind of skin over her emotions. But over the last two years, that skin had begun to erode. Kim. Kim had been her first true love, as she now knew love to be. She had shown Kerrey her true self. But even Kim had fled her. Kim had been unafraid of the ridicule of others, as had Kerrey as a child. And she had fled. A gaping wound in Kerrey's soul had been opened by Kim's departure.
And then there was Sandy. Sandy had taken Kerrey's self-descovery to the next level, where Kim had left off. With that one kiss, Sandy had made Kerrey's life wonderful again. For a golden while, Kerrey could be the brilliant doctor that she was, underhindered by self-conciousness or the need to protect the secret of who she really was.
And then there was Mark. Her best friend, her co-worker, her friendly rival. In under-grad and medical school, she had been validictorian. She had been published more than fifteen times over her amazing career as doctor. And yet, their were times when the stresses of being the one in charge, the one with all the answers, had gotten to be just a little too much, he had stepped in and taken some of the slack. But that wasn't all, he had also been a good friend, supported her, loved her. And he was gone. Kerrey was back to square one.
As she finished her expulsion of emotion, she leaned on her crutch, and exited the lounge. One more day and she could go home to Sandy. One more day in the hell where she was Satan.
Plaintively, she wiped the tears from her eyes. Her friends. That was what this was about. The attack on her emotions had come suddenly, while she was treating a fast-track patient for a gash in his hand. She had just finished bandaging her patient when one of Mark's frequent patients rolled in. Suddenly she had felt a lump rise in her throat, and ran to the lounge. Once there, she had stood still, appeasing the tears.
Now she stood, wiping her eyes. She was not one for crying. Since her childhood, she had been the target of social isolation, and because of this she had developed a kind of skin over her emotions. But over the last two years, that skin had begun to erode. Kim. Kim had been her first true love, as she now knew love to be. She had shown Kerrey her true self. But even Kim had fled her. Kim had been unafraid of the ridicule of others, as had Kerrey as a child. And she had fled. A gaping wound in Kerrey's soul had been opened by Kim's departure.
And then there was Sandy. Sandy had taken Kerrey's self-descovery to the next level, where Kim had left off. With that one kiss, Sandy had made Kerrey's life wonderful again. For a golden while, Kerrey could be the brilliant doctor that she was, underhindered by self-conciousness or the need to protect the secret of who she really was.
And then there was Mark. Her best friend, her co-worker, her friendly rival. In under-grad and medical school, she had been validictorian. She had been published more than fifteen times over her amazing career as doctor. And yet, their were times when the stresses of being the one in charge, the one with all the answers, had gotten to be just a little too much, he had stepped in and taken some of the slack. But that wasn't all, he had also been a good friend, supported her, loved her. And he was gone. Kerrey was back to square one.
As she finished her expulsion of emotion, she leaned on her crutch, and exited the lounge. One more day and she could go home to Sandy. One more day in the hell where she was Satan.