Namesake
"Dr. Yablonski?"
The physician turned. His patient, Teri Dawson, was smiling faintly from seeing her husband and newly-born son from the television. She was still clutching the remote control in her hand, but her eyes were on him. There seemed to be a question in her eyes.
"Yes?" he asked. Andy was now by her bedside.
"I can't thank you enough for what you've done for me. You were able to get me a new heart, and my husband told me that you still believed in me even though I could've been brain dead." The beautiful red haired woman took a deep breath. "My husband and I were thinking…" Teri stopped speaking for a moment, and Andy waited for her to continue.
"We were thinking….that we should name our son after you, for all that you have done for us. Is that okay?" Andy was silent with shock at Teri's words. In his career, no one had asked him this question before. I'm just a normal surgeon, Andy wanted to say, doing the job he loves to do. But he agreed.
Teri's smiled widened as she continued. "We'll call him Andy though. Since you delivered him, it would be fitting."
"Of course," Andy said. I have a namesake, he thought with a small smile. Rena will be pleased. "What's his full name?" Andy couldn't help to feel curious.
"His name is Andrew Nathan Dawson." Andy nodded his approval. Nathan's a good name, meaning... Suddenly Teri leaned closer to him and kissed him on the cheek. When she pulled back, there were tears in her eyes. "Thank you for everything, Dr. Yablonski."
"You're very welcome, Teri."
Andy wondered later why Teri had named her son after him. There are many physicians who could have done the job as well. He knew that many parents named their children after the person who delivered them. He just didn't think it would happen to him. Do I deserve such an honor? In a past life, a boy known as Andrew had robbed people of the things that had belonged to them. In another life too, there was a small child without a home and without love. Abused and neglected, the child had dreamed that he would become a physician. Now that dream came true. I never thought that I would have a namesake. Suddenly Andy thought of the parents he never knew. He didn't know what they looked like, their names, or if they had actually loved him. Andy prayed that they had. The boy known as Andy Dawson will have parents that love him. That's all that matters.