AUSTIN:

I was just sitting at my desk, and I was filing some paper work. I felt a tap on my shoulder. I looked up, only to to find a latina nurse, Connie Ramirez, who was a very close colleague of mine.

"Hi, Connie,"

I said in a friendly tone.

"Doctor Moon, I just came to bring you Ms. Dawson's urine and blood samples that you requested. As we speak, she was met with by the anesthesiologist Doctor Edgar and she is being operated on as we speak."

She handed me the blood and urine tests. She was very careful with them because touching a person or animal's blood, urine or stools, especially if your hands were bare or dirty, could often cause ebola or other potentially fatal bacterial illness.

I said,

"Thank you. I appreciate it very much, Connie. He gave her a safe dose, correct?"

"Yes, he did."

"Thank you, Connie."

"De nada, Doctor Moon."

I carefully put the test tubes with Ally's blood and urine samples in my lab coat pocket and walked to my office. I washed my hands with soap and water and put some rubber gloves on. I took the test tube with the urine in it first and poured it into a small plastic cup. I took a small strip and dipped it in. She was hydrated and her urine looked normal.

Because if urine had a foul smell or was laced with blood (blood from women's menstruation cycles were different from this because they were normal) that could mean, in the least serious case, a bladder infection. I smelled it. No smell at all. Her urine was definitely normal.

I took off the rubber gloves, washed my hands again and put on a new pair so I could test her blood.

Her blood was definitely normal. She had enough vitamins and minerals in her diet. I went back to the computer at my desk to print out a list of rules on what to do post the surgery, with a list of side effects and what to do about them and when to call a Doctor. I put them together with a paperclip, and over the PA, I could hear my boss.

He said,

"Dr. Austin Moon, report to recovery please. Dr. Austin Moon, report to recovery, please."

Her operation was probably finished. Clutching her paperwork, I went to recovery. Two attendants eventually came in, wheeling her bed in. She looked beautiful as she was asleep. I was just so tempted to kiss her awake like in those Disney movies.

But I mentally slapped myself in the face, saying, Focus, Moon! Don't do something a dumbass would do! and it felt like a big slap on the ass. Ally was sleeping and her breathing rate was going up as she was sleeping. In walked a man who was a bit overweight and he had short gray hair.

"Excuse me, are you Dr. Austin Moon?"

I said,

"Yes, I am."

He said,

"I'm Lester Dawson. I'm Ally's father."

He shook my hand firmly. I said,

"It's very nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you, too. I've had the pleasure of treating your daughter, who is my celebrity crush by the way."

He smiled.

"I'm very proud of my daughter."

A woman with light brown wavy hair who looked familiar walked in.

"Hello, I'm Penny Dawson, I'm Ally's mother."

I shook hands with Dr. Dawson.

"Dr. Dawson! It's very nice to see you again!"

"Oh, yes, you're Austin Moon! I remember you gave me just about the biggest first aid kit I'd ever seen when I was taking my classes on field trips and when I was taking my class on a field trip to the Everglades, you gave us a lecture on bites by poisonous snakes and bugs and the risks of them and I often saw you voluntarily working at the University of Miami hospital."

I chuckled.

"What can I say? I've wanted to be a doctor ever since my childhood."

"You've always been a smart boy. You graduated high school when you were sixteen and supposed to go to eleventh grade, you had a 5.0 grade point average and you exceeded your community service requirements."

I said,

"Thanks, Dr. Dawson. I appreciate that so much. I've definitely had the pleasure of treating your daughter."

In walked a kind of chubby mexican girl with black bouncy curly hair. She was wearing a coral tank top that enhanced her cleavage, black skinny jeans and black glittery pumps. She was literally stuffing her face with Lay's barbecque chips.

"Hi, I'm Ally's best friend, Trish. I'm the girl at Cosmic Kratom."

I said,

"Hi, Trish. I know you very well. You provide weed for me."

She smiled in a Can I have this thing even though I know you're not going to do it for me? kind of way.

"Dr. Moon, do you specialize in breast implants?"

I didn't even know what to say.

"Excuse me?"

"You know, surgery that makes your boobs bigger?"

"I know what breast implants are."

Ally's gorgeous brown eyes were slowly opening and I removed the anesthesia mask from her. She was looking around recovery and she asked in a hoarse and drowsy voice,

"Where am I? I need tonsillectomy."

Penny said to her,

"Honey, you just had your tonsils out. Your surgery's over."

Ally was still loopy from the anesthesia she was given. That was totally normal. Anesthesia kind of messes with your brain. But it would likely wear off within twenty-four hours.

"My throat hurts though and I feel dizzy. I don't even know who you people are."

I told her,

"That's common after tonsillectomy. But the sore throat where your unlimited ice cream and popsicles can soothe."

I handed Trish Ally's surgery information. Tonsillectomy was a simple proceedure, but it still was important that she followed those instructions to recover properly.

"Thanks, Dr. Moon."

I told Trish,

"Pain is usually the most severe the first day or two after the surgery, just keep her in bed, restrain her from physical activity, and just know that because she's an adult, her throat may take up to two weeks to heal."

The latina looked at me.

"That's a long time."

I said,

"I know. Tonsillectomy is generally more difficult in adults than it is in children. The paperwork has everything you should do on it."

"Thanks, Dr. Moon. Pleasure is all mine. If she's not recovered in two weeks, just have her call me."