Lisa now was sitting there, small as the world could be, listening to her now elated parents. She had now been told that they were her long lost family and that she had been kidnapped from them when she was an infant. Mary was there too as well as Matt, the long haired jerk, a chipmunk faced sister named Lucy, was it her or did she seem to be wearing way too much makeup, her husband Kevin and Ruthie and Peter. Although why Peter was here was beyond her understanding. He was not part of this family?

Right now Annie and Gertie, were arguing over whether or not Lisa should be moved to Glen Oak now. Gertie had some issues that needed to be resolved and soon before she allowed this. And besides, the genetic blood testing regarding whether Lisa was indeed Sarah Camden was yet to be confirmed, undoubtedly still in the labs, which were unquestionably already taxed by other more pressing tests that needed to be done.

"Mrs. Camden. Right now until at least the blood test is confirmed, we should wait till Lisa has all her affairs in Los Angeles set in order first before we move her. And she has a job here in LA. County. How are we going to deal with that? Not to mention her living arrangements. She owns a house in Beverly Hills."

"She has a house of her own?", Lucy said shocked.

"She inherited it from her father."

"Okay but about this job Lisa has. I don't think she should be allowed to practice medicine.", Annie said.

"And why not?", Gertie asked.

"She is a child and.."

Lisa decided to step in. She was already annoyed by the fact that she was already left out of the conversation, although Gertie had been nice enough to ask her opinions of this situation, but now she had had enough.

"Excuse me. But I don't think you have the right to tell me what I can or cannot do regarding my career.", Lisa butted in, "I like being a doctor."

"You are a child."

"I don't care! I studied and worked hard to be a doctor and I am not giving it up so that you could lord over me and mold me into whatever the hell you want me to be."

Annie saw something, saw something that she feared, something that made her think first before answering. Lisa was very brave and straightforward and certain. Not that Ruthie couldn't be but Lisa seemed somehow more certain than her twin.

"The answer is no."

"The answer is yes and if need be I'll take you to court over this.", Lisa said, holding her ground.

Before Annie could respond Eric stepped in between the two and added, "Annie. I'm sorry I can't."

Annie looked at Eric and said, "Sorry for what? You're daughter.."

"I can't let you do this.", Eric said, "If she wants to be a doctor, I'll stand by her decision. And I'm afraid I must insist on you respecting her decision."

Annie looked at Eric shocked and utterly speechless.

++++++++++

Lisa for the time being got rather overwhelmed by all the attention she was getting in the room so she asked to be allowed to continue her work and given that there was nothing else to do but wait for the tests she was granted it. She seemed relieved more than ever to be back in the ER. Compared to the tension that she was getting and all the mayhem that had resulted from her refusal to give in to Annie's demands, the ER was a welcome distraction. She was now giving a man suffering from chest pains, signs of respiratory distress and fatigue, and a family history of heart conditions throughout the family. Immediately Lisa called cardiology and the attending Dr. Statten was now doing an echocardiogram.

Lisa frowned as soon as the image of the heart came into focus. Enlarged, too enlarged to ignore. She also saw the blood cots along the inner walls of the heart.

"It's bad isn't it.", Lisa said.

"Yes it is. Already we have blood clots forming so we need to order some anticoagulants and get him to cardiology immediately. Listen if you need somebody to speak on your behalf regarding your career just give me a call."

"Sir?", Lisa said surprised.

"You're a good doctor, a bit young, but a promising physician. You'll do fine."

"Thank you sir."

"So what's the prognosis doctor?", Dr. Statten said gesturing to the screen.

"Dilated Cardiomyopathy."

"Good."

Dr. Statten also grilled her on what medications and other treatments for the patient and to his satisfaction. Then the patient was sent to the cardiology unit and it seemed for the time being the ER was empty. So Lisa went into the intern's lounge and started on her paper work. It was a generally busy day but only 2 admits including the patient she sent up to cardiology. Pouring herself another cup of coffee she thought back to the Camdens.

Naturally she was hesitant and maybe even angry at first thinking that they had simply abandoned her as an infant to die. Then she heard about the kidnapping and that sort of made her more forgiving and understanding. But still she had already had some misgivings about living with the Camdens. After all the things that she had heard from the other students from Glen Oak the past few days she wondered if they were a good family. Eric and Mary seemed nice enough and accepted her as is. But then there was Annie. Annie the mother and obvious matriarch of the family. Something about the woman made Lisa uneasy. Her tone, the way she reacted to things from what Lisa could tell so far was not right. Annie seemed like a control freak, an overbearing micromanaging parent. Maybe not sane as well.

She remembered treating a suicide patient who had a mother just like Annie. It was a horror story, and there was no physical abuse either. Just emotional. Lisa did not want to become suicidal. She just wanted to be happy.

On the other hand she was happy, or so she believed. While working as a physician she found the work intellectually gratifying and fun. Yet she felt lonely, sometimes very sad, especially with the deaths she has to witness. She missed her friends more often then not and felt alone and left out. After finishing the scut work she headed back to the admission's desk and filed the reports. Then she told the nurse that she was heading across the street to buy some dinner.

++++++++++

Annie had followed Lisa after arguing with Eric. She needed to cool off and think. She also had to see Lisa herself in action. Mind you she wasn't a doctor but she had to see how good Lisa was. How adult Lisa was and she was indeed fairly good. Her daughter was very workmanlike, very professional. It gave Annie a sick, almost desperate feeling to her stomach. How could this have happened? How could her daughter be a doctor at age 13? She was too young.

Yet she still remembered the first time she looked into that sweet face, the beautiful smile when she was a baby. Annie remembered it all. And she knew that she had to save her daughter, no matter what the cost.

++++++++++

Lucy did not know what to think. She was happy that they had found her long lost sister yet she was shocked as well. But then it really did not matter to her. It was no biggie that Lisa was a doctor, very unusual yet not that really a great big deal. Her dad was now calling Dr. Hastings in order to get him to help with Lisa maintain her medical career. So having nothing to do Lucy decided to wander. As she walked she turned the corner and walked right into a black teenager around Ruthie and Lisa's age wearing gang colors.

"Oh sorry.", the teenager said politely to Lucy's surprise. And he politely moved past her. No smack to the bottom, no cat calls and whistles, just a polite excuse me. He was also holding a bouquet of flowers and headed outside the ER which actually was the direction Lucy realized she was heading if she wasn't lost. Los Angeles County General was a very big hospital. So she followed.

++++++++++

Lisa was so happy to see Eddie. As he handed her the bouquet she gave him a slight peck to his cheek, which was disappointing to him but still better than nothing at all. Lucy saw this and realized the two were close friends. As they talked Lucy kept to the background and listened in.

"I really don't know what to do Eddie."

"Well maybe you should get to know them better. They may well be your family after all. At least you still have parents.", he said.

Lisa looked at Eddie sympathy. She knew what it was like to lose a loved one. About the time they were done eating Dr. Garmen, the head of emergency medicine came by and saved Lisa a trip back to the ER by telling her that she needed a break and decided that her shift was over at his insistance. So Lisa was free the whole night and it was 6 pm.

"Come on. Let's go see a movie.", Eddie said, "It'll be my treat."

"Um what about the Camdens?"

"Well we could tell the hospital where you are going? It's only a few blocks away."

"Well actually we just have to tell them. Hey Lucy, Matt. We're heading to the movie house about two blocks north of here. Tell Eric and Annie they'll find us there? Thanks!"

And Eddie and Lisa left the diner after paying for their meal. Lucy was surprised, not that she hadn't expected Lisa to notice her, but that Matt was a few tables right behind her, looking equally surprised. Lucy was so engrossed with watching Lisa that she did not notice that Matt was hiding, or at least trying to act so inconspicuous. Rolling her eyes Lucy said, "You know he isn't really that bad."

"He's a gang member.", Matt replied.

Lucy thought for a moment, then added, "Doesn't matter. Maybe he just hangs out with the wrong crowd.", she got up and followed the two. Maybe they might see a movie that she might like?

Matt shook his head and then followed.

TO BE CONTINUED