A Dead Ex-Boyfriend's Resurrection

found a tumor on her nec

ital who did clean work with no scars, but

cash into my hands t

led, I pushed open the

y like my ex-boyfriend, w

e-threatening, but it was big, and every surgeo

as vain, and a permanent scar

Green who could remove the tumor throug

talented, an

booked through th

If it spread to her lymph nod

ns, handed me a ten-thousand-dollar envelope

She said I was the most sh

cked out in front of eve

eno

sn't w

d build a fortres

envelope and

n and sat in the waiting ar

arah Simpson, please

book my sister's surgery. I hope you can make it happen," I said, he

nd met several pai

sev

had a group of interns around hi

there to see, pulled off his

landed on my

roz

did

he one I thought was dead, had somehow become the

cruel

g to him? No

nto my bag, my smile tight. "My apolog

I'd take Sarah to the big cities

ce, my mom appeared, draggin

deal? Will Dr. Green do i

ok my

ected me to fail. "I knew it. Looks

both, and yanked me ba

ext patient yet. It wa

usly. I shrank into a corner,

this humilia

is kind of surgery," my mom said. "Here's my younger daughter's ultrasound

reg picked up t

ed school aged you? This guy hadn't changed a bit in three years. Meanwhil

surgeons here can handle this kind of thy

polite br

nudged

e, feeling li

nd pulled out the envelope, ready

s rules. Please take that back. As for your daughter's s

h's ultraso

eath, thanked him profusely,

on my back. I didn't dare look. I

horough. Each visit took fifteen to twen

o I told my mom to take her home and come bac

ng. I paced outside Room 303, st

t earlier, but now I

r ahead of me

first sight. I chased him relentlessly, and afte

e most relat

st, then fal

isciplined. I wasn't th

his research group. They spent mo

ff the earl

lab with a cake, only to see him holding Kiara's ha

sion still

broke up with

athetically waiting

at did

by me. I've been wan

ords br

im, moved out of our shared apartment,

he faded fr

mpson, please ret

d me back. I realized I was

the door open,

ng his hands,

my throat and got straight to the point. "Dr. Green, my

pull strings for me woul

days were

the faucet and

e his eyes s

s calm voice. "I have dozens of urgen

t was

roz

say it. Why make me w

bag strap, re

-ups. Your sister's tumor is benign but large, so it needs prompt attention. If you'

at

weird conditi

anyway. My sister's surgery de

d with menopause, waking at the slightest noise and unable to sleep

spital admiss

right away, she beamed with visible joy, prai

. "No, no, something's off. Maybe Dr. Green only opened the slot for Sarah because of that envelope

augh, though I unders

y only happened because of a cash

, Greg had lost his original passion for medi

o'clock, I took Sarah to

an fresh off her own surgery. Both her chart an

with my nervous sister, getting her th

aled, her eyes rimmed red, as she whimpered, "Cathy, I'm so pathetic, getting poked first t

aid, agreeing instantly. Sick people got what they wanted. I did

rowd of white coats outside Sarah's room, as if the space insi

unded as I shoved through the crowd, only to crash headfirst into a so

roz

le for a rou

Gre

en, are

under that coat was just a dress shirt... I looked u

to Greg? Thank goo

ughts wrestle

," I blurted, apologizing. Greg said nothi

die of emb

e to head to the doctor's office t

fically, "Is

"What're you thinking? If Dr. Green had to handle every litt

ed in r

not

t, facing him right awa

m was next to the doctor's

'd taken off his mask. Hearing me, he glanced up, pointing th

speech

ch back and gri

t Dr. Gre

say he wa

n. What's your relationship to the patient, Sarah Simpson?" G

ng everything. I should've dumped the whole bowl

ah's surgery, deep down, I genuin

d fallen before

k like pre-op consent really need you personally? No wonder you're alwa

was p

s hands, I couldn't let go of how

rk

hat grudge

ing each patient's case is a doctor

ce. His face showed a flicker of something

ve misr

ld he b

Sarah's biopsy shows papillary thyroid carcinoma.

r a partial resection. If complications arise, we may need to a

me back in seven business days for the patholog

roid surgeries damaging vocal cord nerves. Sarah

ce stirring a long-forgotten sense of calm, like back when we lived t

ust a manipula

ust for the sake of that te

ctl

"Dr. Green, this is a token of appre

don't you?" Greg said, pointing at the gleaming