The Handsome Doctor

A peaceful summer morning was disturbed by a shrill alarm clock. A hand carefully tapped on the clock & disappeared into a layer of thin sheet. Over an hour later, a worried mother's yelling breached the silence. The mother shouted, "Aren't you up yet?" The sleeper groaned, turned & pulled the sheet over the head. The high-pitched voice continued, "Have you forgotten that the results of your first-year exams are out today?" The sleeper woke right up in bed. She checked the clock & thought, "Oh God! Is that the time?" She couldn't believe she overslept on the day of the result. She was ready in a jiffy. She swiftly dabbed some sunscreen lotion, pulled back curly messy hair & secured it with a pinch clip.

As she ran down the stairs, the mother yelled, "Grab a small bite." The girl replied, "I'm late already. I will return by noon & eat lunch." The mother ran towards the door with an apple, "Eat this on your way." The girl was already on the run. The mother muttered, "Teenage girls!" No sooner did she reach the bus stop, a bus arrived. She boarded it & managed to grab a seat by the window. The hot wind, overly filled bus & merciless Sun made the ride difficult & suffocating. The impact of skipping breakfast made her clutch her stomach. The sign of a slight headache appeared.

As she reached the college premises, she spotted her friends. They exchanged pleasantries & walked into college. She knew her checking results now or later wouldn't make a difference. So, she walked towards the cafeteria with the hope of grabbing a sandwich & pacifying her grumbling stomach. Much to her disappointment, the cafeteria was closed. She kicked herself, "What an idiot? During summer vacations, why would the cafeteria be open? I should have grabbed the apple." She walked towards her classroom, joined her friends in line & chatted. The headache's severity seemed a notch up. When her admission number was up, the lecturer looked at the marks sheet & stated, "I wish your marks were as good as your attendance." The girl was confused & her eyebrows knotted. The lecturer continued, "Your attendance is at 95% while you have barely made it to first class. Next year, you have to do better." She faked a smile & walked out with the marks sheet.

After another hour of chatting with friends, they decided to part & head home. The headache had worsened; it was hard to decipher if the hunger or the heat made it more acute. She slowly walked in the scorching Sun & almost blinding sunlight. She managed to board the bus & settled in a seat. Her head throbbed, veins pulsated hard at her temples & vision turned blank. She closed her eyes & prayed that she could make it home in one piece. She got down from the bus & her stomach lurched. She steadied herself & sauntered towards home.

No sooner did she reach the gate than she retched & collapsed. She couldn't open her eyes or get up. The mother rushed to the daughter's aide & started to scold. "I told you several times to eat & go. Now, look at you." The girl responded, "My head is splitting. Would you please stop yelling? It is only making it worse." The mother brought her temper under control & rushed the daughter to a nearby hospital. The casualty ward was bustling & the girl wanted to scream on top of her lungs, "Could you all just stop talking?" Unfortunately, neither did she have the energy nor the voice. She sat with elbows at knees & supported her head with both hands.

Time felt like an eternity & eventually, it was her turn. The doctor led her & instructed her to lay down for an examination. The blinding light from the ceiling was right above her head & she chose to keep her eyes shut. He checked her vitals & the nurse took the notes. He asked her to fold her legs & then unfold them. She wanted to yell, "The ache is in my head, not in legs!" only if the headache allowed her. He then inquired, "What were the symptoms? When did it start? For how long it lasted? What had she eaten in the morning? Etc" She mostly answered in one word. His final question was, "When was your last period?" She almost snapped, "What's that got to do with my headache?" but replied calmly. He walked towards the table & spoke to the mother in a soft voice. Then he called her to join them. With the help of the nurse, she walked with barely opened eyes to the table.

He stated, "You have a severe Migraine attack. Hence the throbbing headache, pulsating veins, vomiting, sensitivity to light & sound. It's surprising your periods aren't around & yet such a severe attack." She had no interest in the details or diagnosis. All she wanted was food, medicine & good sleep. He continued, "Stress can lead to severe Migraines. I heard your first-year results were out today & you have barely scraped through. Was that the trigger?" She continued to keep her eyes closed & pressed her temples. She replied, "No, it's not a worry. But I don't know what triggered it." He added, "As a student, you must be under a lot of pressure since you are entering the second year of pre-university. You have to prepare & take up competitive exams for professional courses. I'm a doctor today. But I also scraped through my first year." When he mentioned his college name, it worked like magic, for she opened her eyes slightly & looked up at the doctor. He was a handsome chap, clean-shaven, with no moustache & a neat haircut. While he prescribed the medicines & gave the necessary instructions, she smiled at him & registered his young & attractive face.

On the way back home in an auto, she leaned back with closed eyes & asked her mother, "Dint that doctor look like my favourite hero?" The mother questioned, "Despite a severe Migraine, you managed to pay attention to him?" At that moment, mother's phone rang with a ring tone from a famous movie. She smiled with her closed eyes as the song evoked the coincidence of the heroine & herself being a Carmelite while the hero & the doctor a Josephite. She made a mental note to look for the doctor on her next visit.

Take Away: An apple a day keeps the doctor away. When the doctor is handsome, keep the apple away.