Cristina's Father

by ladyAddison

Great minds think alike. This is what Cristina's early years with her dad would have been like, had he lived for several more years. After he died, a part of her died with him. Later, its up to Burke to unlock her heart and help her to trust again.

1. Little Dr Yang

I think of this as what would've happened if Cristina's dad had died when she was old enough to remember him…

ladyAddison

Chapter 1

Cristina hated people. They were always so needy, asking for money, begging for something or another. Or else, they were so damned weird, appearing lighthearted and cheery to mask whatever crap lay within. And you never knew when they were going to die, leaving you to be raised by your eccentric mother. For the first several years of her life, Cristina's dad had been everything to her; then one day, he simply didn't come home from his private practice. Sudden death, they called it. Laughing and alive one day, cold as stone the next. Like she said, Cristina hated people.

Cristina, Age 6

"Subdural hematoma is caused by trauma to the brain, and squishes the brain stem so its hard to breathe, then you can have a coma, and possibly death," recited Cristina. "And an arterial aneurysm is due to widening of the vein, artery, or heart which could possibly rupture and cause death."

"Good girl!" her father Dr. Yang praised her. They were seated facing each other in his medical office, which was filled with vivid pictures of brain stems, cranial arteries, and various other parts of the body. Dr. Yang then swiveled 180 degrees to face a novice medical student. "Evans, even my six-year-old knows a hematoma from an aneurysm, get your facts straight, dammit!"

"Yessir." Evans, embarrassed, backed out of the spacious office.

Cristina considered herself a doctor already; as she was familiar with far more medical terminology than any other medical student, and she knew it. They were so stupid. Too bad the powers that be made her go to first grade at the local neighborhood school. For every hour she spent there, it seemed she was losing several brain cells. The place bored her stiff, she hated sharing, and did not play well with others. Her teachers regularly sent notes home saying she should be made to interact more with children her age, but her father laughed it off. He had been the same way when he was her age. Dr. Yang knew Cristina better than any of those idiots did. Furthermore, he treated her like an adult and included her in his work and conversations. He was her idol, her everything, her hero, her daddy.