How To Save A Life
The Fray - Songfic
Chapter 1
Where did I go wrong?
I lost a friend, somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up, with you all night
Had I known, how to save a life
The lyrics continued to roam throughout the house as Haley followed the beat on the piano. She is currently in one of the spare rooms of her large, but moderate, city home. When she isn't working, Haley spends all of her time at home, savoring the moments she has to herself. They are rare, but she appreciates them.
Work takes up most of her life. She is a big time doctor at the New York Presbyterian Hospital. The hospital is one of the top hospitals in all of New York City, with some of the top doctors in the country.
To become a doctor, at least eleven years of school is required. But Haley was different. After spending three years at Stanford after high school majoring in Health & Medicine, she was invited to the Presbyterian University on a full ride in New York. The university had top reviews, so she couldn't pass up the offer. She ended up taking the offer and moving out to New York. She studied for a little over two years there until she was finally offered a job. She'd start out as an assistant to one of the top doctors. Once she progresses, she works her way up the line.
It only took a few months for Haley to impress everyone. She was soon promoted to work with the higher doctors such as; Cardiologists, Neurologists & Oncologists.
Her dream was to become a Cardiologist, like her father. She wanted to follow in his footsteps and make him proud, and it's what she planned on doing from the day she lost him.
Haley's first job in the big time area was with a Cardiologist, the top in the hospital. This job would determine her eligibility of becoming one of her own. She ended up doing so well that she was promoted without a second thought. Everyone was so blown away with her talent. The way she was with the patient astonished everyone.
Her patient was a middle-aged man with heart problems. Congestive Heart Failure. He needed a transplant right away. It was a dangerous and somewhat long process, but Haley, along with the Cardiologist and a few others managed to do it. She was more than helpful and actually ended up doing most of the work. The man was finished two hours early and made it to a full recovery. That was the event that led to her success.
Haley is now a Cardiologist herself. She specializes in a few other things too, which is why she has almost no free time.
At twenty-three, Haley's life is completely full. She doesn't mind though, saving lives is much more important to her. She is known to have the biggest heart by all her friends, family and co-workers. She dedicates all her time to strangers in need of help. She deserves awards, and she got them. In the years she's been working up to becoming a Cardiologist herself, she has been awarded many awards. They ranged from her patience & grace, to expertise, and all the way to her kind heart.
Haley is a very happy woman.. Sometimes. She can't help but feel, empty. Like something is missing in her life. She knows exactly what that is. Love.
She is very familiar with the word. She loves her family, and her friends. But the love she wants is the one creating this hole in her heart. She's never truly loved someone. The romantic kind of love.
Sure, she dated and had boyfriends, but nothing serious. Work comes first, so there's no time.
Her mother often teases her that she'll be the "40 Year Old Virgin" sitting home all alone with tons of cats. Haley just laughs it off. She doesn't want to look too much into it.
Her mother, Lydia, is always like this with her children. Haley is the youngest, the last one left, and the baby. She is also the only single one out of her siblings.
Her sisters, Quinn and Taylor, each have a man of their own. Quinn is happily married with a baby girl of her own, and Taylor goes from boyfriend to boyfriend, but is never single. Haley could care less, but her mother cared a little too much. But then again, she was just looking out for her baby girl.
Lydia has to play roles, mother and father, so she is much more.. Persistent with the whole dating world.
Haley's father passed during her junior year of high school from cancer. He was a heavy cigarette smoker. He smoked most of his life. Lydia and the rest of the family were completely against it, but once addicted, you can't just easily give it up. He tried many times using the patches, gum, even treatment. It was too late. He developed lung cancer. It was too severe to treat, so he went slowly and unfortunately, painfully. It was the saddest thing Haley ever had to watch. She was extremely close with her father, they did everything together. He even brought her to work whenever he could. Haley loved the hospital.
He worked as a Cardiologist with other side specialties. He worked as a Pediatrician for the longest time. He was amazing with kids. He also specialized as a Nephrologist, working in that subject mostly. He went back and forth. He was the most loved guy at his hospital in California. It was hard on everyone to lose him. But Jimmy was never forgotten.
Haley was determined to live up to his name. The James name. She would work up to where he was. Make him proud, because she knew he was watching his little girl.
That's when she decided to take on the challenge and work up to where she is now. Unfortunately she didn't stay in California to work in the hospital her father did. She moved on to bigger things and is now in a much bigger place. But she promises to follow his legacy and return to his former work place.
But as of right now, Haley is going to continue her job in the city.
She currently works as a Cardiologist with the side specialty in the Oncologist business.
She worked in the heart major after her father and cancer kind of drew her in after her father passed. She couldn't bear to look at the people with cancer and not help. Especially if they had the chance. Her father didn't, and if he did she would have done everything she could. But that wasn't the case. She knew she needed to help the ones that did.
So, she took on that challenge as well. Working day and night towards her goal.
Haley is a very determined woman, to say the least.
As Haley sat in her piano room, playing the current tune, she is lost in her thoughts. It is early morning on her day off. Also, the anniversary of her fathers death. The hardest day she has yet to face every year.
She sits in this room all day and just, plays. She plays for her father, she knows he is listening. He is the only one who knows of her talent.
Haley can play piano like a pro. She pretty much taught herself. She even sang along to the tune of herself playing occasionally. And she wasn't bad, wasn't bad at all.
During the late nights her father worked, she spent all her time in the piano room of the house she grew up in. The rest of the family would be fast asleep, and it was a large enough house that could block the music from carrying to the rest of the rooms, which she was glad for. She just wanted something to herself. Something that could be hers.
When her father returned from work, she would be waiting for him. She usually sat in the kitchen on a tall bar stool, waiting patiently. He would come home and they would indulge in a large bowl of cookies n' cream ice cream, their favorite. It was always late, around one in the morning late, but that didn't matter. She couldn't sleep when he was out.
Jimmy discovered her talents one night when he was let out early. He came home to Haley sitting at the piano, playing away beautifully. She sang along as well. He listened for a while, watching his gracious baby girl. She turned around and turned bright red, a bit embarrassed that her father had caught her. But he was proud, and he let her know that. From then on, she would usually play and sing for him when he returned home. It soothed his aching, tired bones after a long day of work. A bond too strong for words formed between the two. Haley was the happiest girl in the world, and Jimmy was a proud father.
The night replayed in her mind;
Haley sat at the large Grand piano in the spare room of her family's house. It was another late night for her father. She played with the keys for awhile until a song came across her. Once familiar with all the keys, she began to play;
Where did I go wrong?
I lost a friend, somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up, with you all night
Had I known, how to save a life
She sang along quietly, pressing the keys to the beat of her favorite song. Once the song finished, she smiled to herself, and slowly slipped off the stool. She turned and noticed her dad in the doorway and her face immediately blushed. She didn't think he would be home for a while longer.
"Daddy, what are you doing here?" She said in a light tone, embarrassed
"Watching my baby girl rock the piano, who knew?" He smirked, walking over to her.
"No one, and it was supposed to stay that way." She frowned, plopping back onto the stool.
"Why pumpkin? Why keep this to yourself?" He sat down next to her, putting his arm around her.
"I don't know, I guess I just never thought I was good enough. It was only for fun." She shrugged. "Do you think I was okay, daddy?" She asked in an innocent tone.
"I think you were amazing. I knew I'd have at least one rock star daughter!" He joked, pulling her into a side hug. "I loved it, honey." She smiled wide to that. "Can I hear more?" He asked as he turned them around to face the piano.
"I guess.. But don't laugh." She pointed to him and he put his hands up to surrender.
"I promise." He stuck his pinky out "Pinky promise.." She smiled and laced her pinky with his. Then placed her fingers on the keys and began to play. His smiled couldn't have gotten any bigger.
When Haley lost him, her whole world fell apart.
That's the reason she turns to work. It made up for the lack of her father in her life.
Today, the anniversary of this death is a tough one. She continues to play away for him. Nothing else matters today.