The Good Doctor

"Oh God, I'm already late, seems like I'm going to miss the very first appointment with my new boss", it was the first thought that came to Dr. Shahin's mind when she looked at her hand-watch while entering the elevator on the ground floor. Dr. Shahin Mirza, a 27 years old intern in the gynecology department; bold, ambitious, good-looking and smart enough to impress her new boss though she grew a little anxious about the upcoming appointment which had already been delayed. The elevator took her to the second floor; she almost ran towards the cabin of her would-be boss. But when she reached the cabin, she saw a younger woman was trying to fix the broken handle of a chair lying there. The woman looked at her and said "This hospital is just unbelievable." "I'm sorry?" Dr. Shahin sounded confused. "These things are completely outdated", the woman said with an air of disgust looking at the chair. Dr. Shahin became impatient. Where is her new boss? "Um, I'm looking for the doctor", she said. "I'm a doctor", the woman said still holding the handle in her hand. "I mean I want to meet the real doctor", Dr Shahin said. "A real doctor?" the woman asked looking into Dr. Shahin's eyes. "I mean Dr. Reed, I'm looking for her", Dr. Shahin replied. Now, the woman broadly smiled. "You're her, aren't you?" Dr. Shahin also smiled. "You're late Dr. Mirza", Dr. Reed said. Dr. Shahin was still smiling. "Something wrong?" Dr. Reed asked. "No, you just seem so...." Dr. Shahin tried to speak. "So young to be your boss, right?" Dr. Reed asked. "Yes". "Well, I'm not so, get used to it", Dr. Reed said while searching for something in her table. She took out a file and handed it over to Dr. Shahin's hand. " Dr. Mirza, I'm going to deliver within one hour, you're going to assist me, now let's go, we need to scrub in.

*****

When the two doctors came out of the O.T. there was a smile of satisfaction in their face. Dr. Shahin thought though her new boss was a little rude, she was the best obstetrician in the entire hospital. "Can I ask you something, Dr. Reed?" Dr. Shahin said. "Sure", Dr, Reed replied. "Do you believe in pranks?" Dr. Shahin desperately asked. "What?" Dr. Reed was washing her hands; now she stopped and looked at Dr. Shahin. "May I know why are you asking this?" she said. "Just because today is first of April and I thought it would be fun to do some pranks." Dr. Shahin naughtily said. "Instead, we can do some good deeds today and avoid pranks", Dr. Reed smiled. "Like how?", question came from Dr. Shahin. "Look Dr. Mirza, pranks are really not my thing; but if we want to do good to people we have a lot of options; don't forget we are doctors; serving people is what I call religion", Dr. Reed stopped. "But what are you gonna do?" Dr. Shahin seemed confused. "I can give you a list, like the first one is to console a man who has lost both his wife and child today; second one is to tell a patient that if we sacrifice her leg we can save her and the third one is to convince a lady that taking shot is not that painful", Dr. Reed said. "And all these you are going to do alone?" Dr. Shahin asked. "Well, if you wanna join me, I'll really be glad; we're a team after all", Dr. Reed went for the towel.

*****

Andrew Smith was sitting with his hand folded; there were marks of water in his eyes; the two doctor came into the room. "Mr. Smith?" Dr. Reed broke the silence; he looked at them; as soon as he saw Dr. Reed, he broke into tears. "Oh, Dr. Reed ,why this happened to me? I have always loved my wife, my child whom I could not even see; why God took them away from me?" he continued sobbing. "Mr. Smith, what happens with us is not always in our hand; your wife fought her best; she was a brave woman", Dr. Reed said. "Yes, she was", Mr. Smith tried to smile. "Then you should be proud of her", Dr. Shahin said. "I am proud of her doctors, I have always been", Mr. Smith said. "Mr. Smith, can you stay here alone? otherwise, I can give you company for some time", Dr. Shahin said. Dr. Reed looked at her with appreciation in her eyes. "No, that is not needed, I'm very happy that you both came, thanks a lot."

*****

The next scene is in the O.T. where Marry Brown was lying on the bed looking pale. Dr. Reed and Dr. Shahin Mirza entered the O.T. Marry's husband was standing beside her bed . "How is everything going?",Dr.Reed said to him. "She is still nervous; but I can't recognize you; Dr.Hoffman is supposed to do the surgery", he said, "Hi, I am Dr. Reed and she is Dr. Mirza, my assistant; I heard about your wife from Dr. Hoffman; can I talk to her for a minute?", Dr. Reed said; "Why not?" he said. Both the doctors approached her; "Marry, listen to me carefully; you are in the hand of Dr. Hoffman; so feel yourself lucky; you'll be fine; don't be afraid, ok?" Dr. Reed tried to encourage her."Shall I live if he take my leg?" Marry said. "Yes, there is no another option; otherwise the infection will spread throughout the body", Dr. Reed said. "Ok then, thank you so much, your words mean a lot to me" Marry said. "Good luck"; the doctors left the O.T.

*****

"Now, only one thing is left to do, am I right?" Dr. Shahin said. "last but not the least I guess" Dr. Reed said; in the mean time they entered a room where a middle aged woman was seen reading a book sitting on her bed. "Good evening, Mrs. Johnson" , Dr. Reed said. The woman looked at her and got frightened. "No, no, no, no; don't come near me, please", she shouted. "Oh, I just thought we would do some gossips today, isn't it fine?" Dr. Reed asked. "Gossip is fine but not the shot", the woman said. Dr. Shahin Mirza approached Mrs. Johnson with a friendly smile. "So, tell me something Mrs. Johnson, what are you so scared of?" she asked. "I don't like the doctors; they always want to hurt me" Mrs. Johnson said. "But we don't want to hurt you, we just want to be your friend" Dr. Reed said. "No, I don't make friendship with doctors, they are so cruel", the woman made a weird face. "Ok, fine, then we can play a game, what do you say Dr. Mirza?" Dr. Reed looked at Dr. Shahin. Dr. Shahin Mirza never thought that her new rude boss can act like this; "Game? what kind of a game ?Mrs. Johnson asked. "A prank game, Dr. Mirza is really good at pranks, right Dr. Mirza?" She pointed towards Dr. Shahin Mirza. "Yes, I'm", Dr. Shahin smiled. "What kind of prank you want to do?" Mrs. Johnson asked. "Dr. Mirza will be your patient and you'll be her doctor" Dr. Reed said. "And then?" Mrs. Johnson asked. "Then you need to push the shot into her skin, that's all", Dr. Reed said and at the same time took out the shot out of her pocket. "No, it'll hurt her, I can't do this", Mrs. Johnson rejected her idea. "It does not hurt at all", Dr. Shahin Mirza said. "No, it hurts, you don't know anything doctors", Mrs. Johnson became stubborn. "We have the experience, it doesn't hurt that much" , Dr. Reed said. "Really? Are you not lying? " Mrs. Johnson was still confused. "Yes, trust me", Dr. Reed said. "But how can I believe you?" the lady said. "Why don't you try it yourself? it would be a new experience", Dr. Shahin Mirza said. "Ok, fine" , Mrs. Johnson said. "That's great", Dr. Reed said. Now, Dr. Shahin took the shot from Dr. Reed and sat beside Mrs. Johnson's bed. "Mrs. Johnson, please give me your hand", she said. "No", Mrs. Johnson still seemed afraid. "Come on, it's very easy, trust me", Dr. Reed said. Now, Mrs. Johnson stretched her arm and Dr. Shahin pushed the shot into her arm. "It's done", she said. " How was that Mrs. Johnson? Mrs. Johnson opened her eyes. "Is it done?" she asked. "Yes, was it really painful?" Dr. Reed asked. "Not really as I used to think", Mrs. Johnson said. "We told you", now spoke Dr. Shahin Mirza. "You are really brave", said Dr. Reed. "I can't believe this, oh my God", Mrs. Johnson screamed like a child. "Thank you doctors, thank you, thank you so much."

*****



At the end of the day, when they finished their work, they sat in Dr. Reed's cabin. Dr. Reed spoke first. "So, how was your day, Dr. Mirza?" "Different, totally a different first of April I ever had", Dr. Shahin Mirza replied. Suddenly tears rolled down her cheeks. Dr. Reed noticed and said, "Are you ok, Dr.?" "Yeah, I just remembered my miscarriage, it was also on the first of April", Dr. Shahin wiped out her tears and then laughed. "I'm sorry Dr. Mirza for what you have lost but cry or laugh; pick one and then stop doing both", Dr. Reed said. "Thank you, are you leaving now Dr. Reed? if you want, we can go for dinner" , Dr. Shahin rose from her chair. "Certainly, there cannot be anything better than that, at least I don't have to do pranks tonight", Dr. Reed said. They both laughed and left the cabin together.