This was it. The moment she has been waiting for since she was ten years old. Four years of undergraduate and four years of medical school and she is finally ready to start her residency. Today was the day that started her four years of residency at Mass General Hospital. Gabriella Maria Montez had never been more nervous. Born and raised in a small town thirty minutes north of Boston, Gabriella always wanted to live in the only city she ever loved. Three weeks ago she moved into her small apartment in South Boston near South Boston High School and the historic Dorchester Heights. It was an estimated twenty-nine minute trip via walking, bus, and subway to get to work. Gabriella would know she made the trip about thirty times in the three weeks since she moved in because she wanted to make sure she knew how long it would take no matter what time of the day.
Gabriella walked into the main entrance of the hospital and headed towards the elevator. Today was not her first time in the hospital; she had to have a meeting with her chief resident, Dr. Daniel Warner. When they meet a week ago they arranged to meet on the third floor break room along with the other resident doctors that were beginning their residencies as well.
As Gabriella gets off the elevator she heads to the left and heads to the break room. On her way she sees a girl about four years old in a surgery gown sitting on the ground. It isn't until she is right in front of her when she realizes that the little girl is crying. Gabriella crouches down and gently touches her arm, "Hi sweetie. Are you alright?"
The little girl looks up and shakes her head no. "Can you tell me your name?" asked Gabriella.
Once again the little girl shakes her head. "Well my name is Gabriella it's nice to meet you. How come you're out here crying?"
The little girl just stares at her as her tears continue to fall. "Its okay sweetie I'm not going to hurt you I promise I just want to help you," Gabriella sat down next the girl against the wall.
"I'm scared," the little girl said.
Gabriella looked at her in shock because she did not think that the little girl would speak to her. "What are you scared about sweetie?"
"I have to have my kidmey taken out."
Gabriella smiled a little, "I think you mean kidney."
The little girl's head shot up, "Yeah that's it!"
"Why do you have to have it taken out?"
"Because the mean doctor says it don't work."
Gabriella frowned when she heard the sad tone of the girl's voice. She remembered one of her friends having to do a project on childhood kidney diseases but she could not remember what they were. Gabriella did not know what to do with the little so she sat there and tried to get her to talk more. "How old are you?"
"I am four, how old are you?" the little girl asked while turning her body towards Gabriella.
Gabriella smiled when she noticed that the little girl was letting down her wall so she too turned her body towards the little girl, "I am twenty-six. What's your name?"
"My name is Lillian Mary Smith. But I like to be called Lilly. What's your name?"
"My name is Gabriella Maria Montez. And you can call me Gabby," she answered while taking a look at her watch noticing that she still had forty-five minutes before she had to be in the break room. "Why are you in the hallway?"
"I don't want to my kidmey taken out, so I left when the mean doctor went away."
"Lilly you can't run away. Your parents will miss you."
"I know that's why I sat down. So they could find me."
"You know when they find you they're going to bring you back to the mean doctor."
"I know. But I don't want to go back."
Gabriella smiled at her and thought about her next action. Does she sit there with a little girl and risk getting in trouble for not returning her to her parents or does she return her to her parents and upset the little girl? "How about we just sit here and wait for them to come and find us?"
"Really! You aren't going to bring back to mommy and daddy?"
"Well I will if they don't come within thirty minutes, how about that?"
"I like it!"
About twenty minutes later Gabriella looked up and saw a very good looking doctor heading right towards her and Lilly. This must be the mean doctor. The mean good-looking doctor. Gabriella thought as he got closer. "Hey there Lilly. We've been looking all over for you, honey," the mean doctor said in a voice that was intended for children but yet sounded genuine. "We were scared that you had gotten hurt."
The little girl just stared up at him and leaned towards Gabriella. The mean doctor finally looked at Gabriella and smiled and smile that would have made her knees go weak had she been standing. "Hello, I am Doctor Bolton, PGY 3. That's means th,"
"That you are in your third year of residency, I know. Dr. Montez today is my first day of residency."
Dr. Bolton smiled, "Well then it's a pleasure to meet you Dr. Montez. May I ask how you know Miss Lilly?"
Gabriella smiled back, "I suppose you can."
Dr. Bolton just looked at her waiting for her to respond to his question. When he realized that she wasn't going to answer him he turned back to Lilly. "So Lilly why don't we go back to the fifth floor and get ready to make you better you?'
"No."
Dr. Bolton sat down in front of Lilly and smiled at her, "Oh come on Lilly, and I promise you that you won't feel a thing. You won't even remember what happens. And once it's all over I'll even make sure that you get the best ice cream in all of Massachusetts, how does that sound?"
Lilly looked up at Dr. Bolton and then over at Gabriella, "What do you think Gabby? I mean I don't like ice cream."
Gabriella smiled, "Well than what do you like?"
"I like pudding!"
Gabriella smiled and looked at Dr. Bolton, "Well Dr. Bolton what do you say? Can you get her the best pudding in Massachusetts?"
Dr. Bolton smiled back at her and looked at Lilly, "Well you see I can't get you the best pudding, bu…"
"Then no I am not going with you!"
Dr. Bolton looked at her and said, "You didn't even let me finish missy. I can't get you the best pudding but I can make you the best pudding in Massachusetts."
Lilly looked at him like he was lying. "I don't know. What if you are lying to me?"
"Miss Lilly do you actually think that I would actually lie to you?"
"Yes!"
"Why would you say that?" Dr. Bolton responded with a hurt tone that Gabriella could tell was fake.
"Because you said that taking my bwood wouldn't hurt and it did," Lilly responded accusingly.
The smile from Dr. Bolton's face fell and he looked at Lilly with a look that showed he was sorry she was hurt by the shot. "Oh Lilly, I know that you got hurt when we had to take your blood, but I really didn't think that it would. Let me make it up to you okay? I promise to you that everything will be okay."
Lilly looked at Dr. Bolton and then at Gabriella. "You promise that everything will be okay, even the pudding?"
Both Gabriella and Dr. Bolton laughed. "Yes I promise everything will be okay, especially the pudding."
Lilly once again looked back and forth between Gabriella and Dr. Bolton. "Umm… Okay. I'll go with you."
Dr. Bolton looked shocked, "Really?"
"Yes but I really want the pudding," Lilly said standing up.
Dr. Bolton stood up as well, "Of course you'll have the pudding as soon as you wake up."
Gabriella stood up, looked at her watch, saw that she had five minutes to get to the break room, and went to heads towards the break room with a smile on her face, when she heard her name. "Gabby wait!"
Gabriella turned around and saw Lilly walking up to her so she crouched down, "what's up sweetie?"
"Will you come and see after?"
Gabriella had no idea what to say so she went with her heart, "Of course I will. I'll even make sure that Dr. Bolton gets you that pudding."
"He is making me the pudding."
"Right, I'll make sure he makes you the pudding."
"Okay," Lilly then hugged her and walked back to Dr. Bolton and grabbed his hand. "I'm ready to get better now Troy."
"Sounds good to me Miss Lilly," Dr. Bolton smiled down at the little girl. He then looked up at Gabriella. "I will probably see you around, Dr. Montez. Best of luck in your first year of residency and welcome to Mass General, I'm sure that you will love it."
"Thank you very much Dr. Bolton. Have a nice day."
"Are you kidding I get to spend my day with Miss Lilly here, how can it get any better?"
Lilly looked up at him and said, "Stop flirting with her, she don't like you."
Both Gabriella and Dr. Bolton looked at her laughed, "Alright missy let's go. Your parents are worried about you."
"Bye Gabby!"
"Bye sweetie," Gabriella watched them walk into the elevator and then looked at her watch. "Shit, I am late." She ran into the break room and stopped midstride. The room was silent and she had thirty people staring at her. Yeah this is the perfect way to start your residency Gabriella.