It started out like any other day for Kinzlee, age thirty-seven. She woke up, got her kids up and to school, and then drove to work at the Seaside Health Clinic where she works as a neonatal surgeon. Everything was normal. Nothing out of the ordinary happened until Kinzlee went to Heavenly Care Old Folks home to visit her mother, Addison, age seventy-six, like she does everyday after she gets off from work.
Kinzlee walked into Heavenly Care, signed herself in, and then walked up to her mother's room on the fifth floor. She knocked, then opened the door, and walked into her mother's room where she saw her mother sitting staring at a photograph in her hand.
Kinzlee walked up to her mother and kissed her cheek, "Hi mama."
Kinzlee has always called her mother 'mama'. Ever since the day they were reunited when she was fifteen after ten years apart. Her mother, Addison adopted her since she had to due to there being no biological link between the two of them.
Addison smiled at her daughter, "Hi little love."
"Who's that?" Kinzlee asked as she pointed to the photograph in her mother's hands.
"No one." Addison replied quickly as she set the photograph face down on the side table.
Kinzlee sighed, "Mama, please tell me?" She looks at her mother with pleading eyes, much like she did as a teen.
Addison sighed softly, "It's Derek Shepherd as in your 'uncle'. That picture's from our med school years."
"He looks so young." Kinzlee commented as she picks up the photograph and stares at it. Then she looks up at her mother, "Tell me how you and Uncle Derek met."
Addison takes a deep breath and starts the story, "A long time ago in New York, the years was 1987 and it was the second week of our first year of medical school. I had overslept and I was running to class to make it on time. Anyway I forgot to look where I was going. I was just looking at where I needed to be and that's when I bumped into him. I apologized over and over again, while he helped me pick up the books I'd dropped and assured me it was fine." Then she paused briefly before adding, "He had the bluest, prettiest, and dreamiest eyes ever. Then the next semester in anatomy class when we were paired together, I remembered him because of his eyes. He had remembered me too, but I wasn't sure how because there was nothing special about me. Anyway that's the story of how I lost my medical license."
Kinzlee looks at her mother confused, "What?! Mama, you were telling me about how you met Uncle Derek."
Addison looks confused for a moment. She has dementia so sometimes her memories go away for a short time, "Oh right, I remember now. Sorry, little love, wrong ending." Then she asked, "But would you like to hear the story of how I lost my medical license? It's quite interesting."
Kinzlee shrugs, "Sure. Why not? I have time. My kids are spending the night with Henny." Henny is her nickname for her brother, Henry. He's seven years younger than she is.
Kinzlee listens intently as her mother tells the story. She's curious about this story that her mother is about to tell.
"A few years ago, shortly after Henry graduated medical school." Addison started
Addison is at the Seaside Wellness Hospital. She has a surgery in a few hours so she's prepping her patient. She leaves the room for a few minutes to look for something, but forgets and ends up wandering around the hospital halls.
Hours later, when Addison's supposed to be performing surgery on her patient, she encounters her husband, Jake.
"Addie, what are you doing?" Jake asked her "You're supposed to be in OR 3."
"I know, I'm heading back to get my patient. She needed a few minutes alone." Addison lied not wanting to admit that she'd forgotten.
Jake nodded, "Oh okay."
Then Jake and Addison parted ways and walked in different directions. Addison got back to her patient and then headed into the OR (operating room). While in surgery, Addison forgets how to do the procedure she's doing and she freezes up.
"Are you okay, Dr. Montgomery?" The anesthesiologist asked
Addison shook her head, "No. Go get Dr. Bennett for me, please."
The anesthesiologist nodded and then left to go find Dr. Bennett.
"What happened next, mama?" Kinzlee interrupted clearly into the story.
"Well when Dr. Bennett came into the room..." Addison started again
Dr. Bennett walks into the OR and looks at Addison concerned, "Addie, what's wrong? Did something happen?"
"Sam, I need you to take over for me." Addison told her colleague and friend.
Sam nodded, "Alright. Just give me a second to scrub in."
"After Sam took over the surgery, I scrubbed out and left the OR." Addison explained to her daughter "When the surgery was over and the patient was awake and conscious, I told her what had happened. She sued me for malpractice and I lost my medical license."
Kinzlee nodded, "That's a very interesting story, mama, but it's also not true. You retired six years ago."
Addison stared at her daughter confused, "Are you sure, little love?"
"Yes mama, I've sure." Kinzlee replied "You started to get dementia six years ago and dad convinced you to retire."
Addison gave a small nod, "Oh." That was all she said. What else could she really say thought?
"It was a very entertaining story though, mama." Kinzlee added
Addison smiled softly, "Thanks little love."
The
End
Hope you enjoy. Comments are greatly appreciated.