Medical School for Dummies- Part 1

Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.
    Haily suddenly found herself wondering, as she gazed up at the clock, how many little ticks there were. How many fleeting seconds made up this 85 minute class period? For a moment she considered taking out her calculator and finding the answer, but then an equally satisfactory conclusion popped into her mind. Too many. Without moving, she let her glance stray from the seemingly unmoving clock and fall upon the graphite lines etched into the rubber coating of her loose leaf notebook which read "15 minutes". She pressed her pencil firmly to the rubber and made a deep line through the words and underneath it wrote "10 minutes".
    "Keith, do number 5. Anthony, number 6, Haily, number 7..."
    Haily lifted her gaze reluctantly at the sound of her name, standing and trudging to the white board with her worksheet in hand. Mindless she thought as she began to scrawl down the problem she was assigned. "2x+7=23". She wrote out the solution step by step, paying no attention to neatness. By the time she sat back in her seat, she was able to put a line through the place where she wrote "10 minutes" and underneath it write "5 minutes".
    Haily flipped her worksheet over to the back, creating a crisp, blank canvas for her to use. She began to draw a heart. Not a valentine heart, but a human heart. A depiction of a slimy, pulsing organ.
    She closed her eyes for a moment as a grin came to her lips.

    She envisioned herself in a white coat. A scrub cap held her long, chestnut colored hair in place as she washed her hands vigorously, almost violently, in a deep metal sink. With anxious speed, she geared up into the rest of her scrubs until all that was visible was her gray-blue eyes and headed into the OR.
    She stood on the left side of the table and glanced into the patient's open chest cavity, then at the heart monitor. A flat line runs though it, but this is okay. The patient's core temperature has been lowered about 28 degrees for the soul purpouse of being able to perform this surgery. The patient is, temporarily, dead.
    Haily knows she must work quickly, the patient can only stay in this state for about 15 minutes without serious risk of permanent damage. The issue, Haily sees, is that there is literally a hole in the heart. Not a big one, but dangerous nonetheless.
    "Patch" Haily orders from the scrub nurse next to her. Almost as soon as the nurse places it in her hand, Haily carefully applies it over the small hole. "Needle" she orders again. With this, Haily carefully begins to stitch the hole closed.
    "A job well done, Dr. Beckham." the scrub nurse compliments Haily as she observes the extremely precise stitches that now close the hole in the patient's heart.

    Haily let herself slowly drift back into reality as the dismissal bell rang. She got to her feet and rushed to be the first one out of the door, pushing through the hallway traffic, and then leaning against the wall next to the doorway of the classroom across from hers.
    A girl with dark, chocolaty brown hair pushed back into the same loose ponytail as Haily's rushed out of the classroom just as Haily had done moments earlier. She stood a little shorter than Haily, who was average height for a 15 year old girl, and had dark eyes the same color as her hair. Haily tapped her on the shoulder and moved around to her side to walk next to her.
    "Smile, Camille, it's Friday and I know you want to."
    Camille didn't smile "I would if I didn't have a freaking massive biology test and project due on Monday."
    Haily rolled her eyes. "I actually doubt you would." Camille scoffed at her. "Anyways, what are you doing today, other than perhaps whoring yourself?"
    Camille grinned. "Nothing. I don't think so, anyway. I promised Mike I'd hang out with him tonight, though."
    "Well, use protection." Haily advised without missing a beat.
    It was Camille's turn to roll her eyes. "Say something even more cliche, why don't you?"
    Haily shrugged. "Okay. Wear sunglasses just in case he takes his clothes off and you go blind." Camille couldn't suppress a laugh. "Are you walking home?" Haily continued.
    Camille shook her head. "Nah. I'm riding my new pet elephant. You know, saving myself the energy." Haily gave a lopsided smile and shook her head as Camille continued, "In all seriousness, I think Kim's actually going to force me to hang out with her, and I'd probably kill myself if I had to spend the day alone with her."
    Haily sighed. "So much for doing 'nothing'." She proceeded to mutter, "Well, I guess I might kind of miss you, so I'll go."
    With that, they pushed through the double doors and headed out from underneath the school canopy, passing the buses. Another Friday, Haily told herself, Another week of freshman year survived.

    "Where are we meeting Kim, anyway?" Haily remarked.
    "Around the back of the school." Said Camille, "Supposedly she wants to catch her 12- year- old ex-boy toy coming out of the middle school to harass him."
    Haily shuddered with exaggeration. "The girl is 16 years old. Am I the only one who sees an issue here? Or a law suit? Why did you agree to hang out with her, anyway?"
    "Because I'd feel like a bitch if I said no" Camille answered. "Besides, your step brother's 16 and he's dating a 13 year old."
    "And do I like my step brother?" Haily quickly retorted. "No, I don't, not as much as you anyway."
    Camille was quick to defend herself. "I hate Jerry, I just hang out with him because-"
    "Because he hangs out with Sean who's dating Danielle who you're friends with." Haily interrupted. "Only last I checked, Sean and Danielle broke up, you stopped speaking to Danielle, and you still sit at the same lunch table as Jerry."
    "Yeah, but-" Camille started.
    "Camille!" Kim's grating voice rang out over the back parking lot as she rushed to meet Haily and Camille.
    "Don't say hi, Kim." Haily remarked sarcastically.
    "Hi, Haily! I never get to see you anymore!" Kim answered, a little louder and more high pitched than what Haily considered necessary.
    Haily pasted on a fake smile. "I know, it really sucks."
    Camille motioned to a baby carriage Kim was holding. "What the hell is that?"
    Kim grinned and held it up, revealing a plastic, robotic baby doll. "It's my baby for human growth and development class."
    Camille gave her a skeptical look. "And you're carrying it around, why?"
    Kim pretended to be annoyed by the attention drawing situation. " I have to, it whines and cries and everything-"
      "Does it pee?" Camille interrupted as they headed towards the middle school. Kim scowled and shook her head.
    "That's a pretty sweet project though." Haily added, trying to lighten the situation. "Does she have a name?"
    Kim's broad smile returned to her face as she nodded vigorously. "I named her Isobel."
    Haily nodded. "can I call her Izzie?One of the characters one of my favorite TV shows is named Izzie."
    Camille immediately scoffed. "Grey's Anatomy? I swear to god you need a medical show intervention."
    Haily grinned and flushed a bit with embarrassment but didn't respond. She reached down and carefully tucked a bit of the doll's blanket in. "Hi, Izzie." She whispered softly.
    Moments later, the girls came around the curve of the sidewalk leading to the front door of Heater-Prairie Middle School.
    Haily looked over at Kim. "So what are we doing here? What could you possibly have to say to... what's his face?"
    Kim smiled diabolically. "Derrel. He's gonna come out of those doors at 2:15 and when he does, I'm going to introduce him to his new 'daughter', Isobel."
    Camille raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah. Nothing more funny than teen pregnancy."
    Haily chimed in as they approached the front of the building. "This kind of seems like a bad idea guys, when teachers see high school kids hanging around here, it all of the sudden becomes the Spanish inquisition."
    Camille nodded in agreement. "Yeah Kim, especially if you're right in front of the school like us. They drill you about why you're there, who you're waiting fore, your social security number..."
    Haily laughed a little bit, which made Kim mumble "Shut up you two, the baby's gonna start crying again."
    Haily eyed the doll with a hint of disdain. "Listen, Kim," she started as they loitered, now in front of the school "I'm not going to hang around here and get bitched at because you want to show whats his face your doll."
    "Good point." Camille added.
    Kim started to turn the scarlet shade one would turn right before a major temper tantrum. "One of you has to stay with me, I can't do this by myself!"
    After a long, silent pause and awkward glances exchanged between the three of them, Camille groaned. "Fine, whatever. Are you coming Hail?"
    Haily hesitated for a moment, then rolled her eyes. "Fiiine."
    The three of them sat against one of the large, white columns that held up the canopy of the large, brown brick building. A few minutes later, a loud tone which resembled a busy signal rang out audibly from within the school. Haily and Camille got to their feet, helping up Kim and her baby.
    Six, seventh, and eighth grade students began to flood out of the double doors in dozens, forcing the girls off to the side of the canopy. Camille and Haily recognized a familiar favorite teacher of theirs, Mrs. Casden, coming towards them. The woman grinned warmly.
    "Haily, Camille! How've you girls been?" She examined the unfamiliar Kim and Isobel with a hint of puzzlement in her expression.
    Both girls answered "Good!" at the same time.
    "How's high school so far?" Mrs. Casden continued casually.
    Haily began to speak, "it's alrigh-"
    "Derrel!" Kim exclaimed as she bolted off to catch up with him. Haily and Camille exchanged annoyed glanced, then smiled back at their former teacher.
    "So who've you recruited for dance committee this year, Mrs. Casden?" asked Camille.
    "No one quite as delightful as us, I expect?" Haily added sarcastically.
    Mrs. Casden sighed as a slight frown came to her lips. "You girls were part of my last year of dance committee adviser, I've passed the torch on to Mr. Schwartz."
    "Well the dances are sure going to suck now." Haily mumbled without thinking.
    "Haily!" Mrs. Casden scolded, unable to hide a slight smile. She checked her watch. "well, I can't stay girls, but it was nice to see you again."
    "Bye" the girls chimed at the same time, as Mrs. Casden waved and walked off.
    At that moment, Kim rushed back over, speed walking straight past Haily and Camille. "C'mon, we've got to go" she mumbled urgently.
    Haily and Camille exchanged confused glances, then jogged to catch up with her.
    "What happened? W-why are we running?" Camille asked, running out of breath. Kim continued at her pace until they were back across the street, safely on high school grounds.
    Haily looked at Kim with her head tilted. "Okay, what did you do?"
    Kim suddenly started laughing, which made the girls even more curious. "Well, I obviously showed him Isobel, which he responded to by flipping me off. then we started yelling back and forth in an... um... not so clean manner. A teacher came out of nowhere and started flipping out on us, then told us to follow him to the office. We started to follow him, but once he turned around I was out of there."
    Haily shrugged "you're not in middle school, there's really nothing they can do about it..."
    "Except call the police and let them handle it." Camille interjected devilishly.
    Kim froze up. "You don't think he'd do that, do you? I mean I didn't-"
    Haily and Camille burst into roaring laughter. "She was kidding, Kim." Haily assured her.
    At that moment, they heard sirens as police cruiser sped past the school. An exasperated look crossed Kim's face as she turned and started to run. Haily and Camille followed her, laughing all the way.
    In the wake of Kim's hysterics, Camille mumbled to Haily, "C'mon, let's go home. This is getting pretty ridiculous."
    After a moment, Kim stopped running. Haily immediately called out to her, a little bit breathless, "We're gonna walk home now Kim, we have... stuff to do."
    Kim launched into her pleas. "But I can't get a ride home until five and Eric's not coming to hang out with me until-"
    "Later, Kim!" Camille cut in as she and Haily shuffled away in a hurry.

..............

    Haily hurried back to her room, flinging her backpack and jacket onto her bed, then immediately collapsing into her computer chair.
    "Friday..." she mumbled softly to herself. "Thank god it's Friday."
    She booted up her lap top anxiously and moved her index finger along the mouse pad, bringing up AOL Instant Messenger. She felt a familiar surge of butterflies when she saw the screen name "Greggo1026" under the online division of her buddy list. Before she could click his name, he messaged her.

Greggo1026: Hey
futurexmdxchick: hey
Greggo1026: So watcha doing?
futurexmdchick: Sitting at my computer, you?
Greggo1026: Hey, same! And listening to music.
futurexmdxchick: Sweet.
Greggo1026: So what'd you do today?
futurexmdxchick: I hung around the school w/ Cam and Kim.
Greggo1026: Kim? That sux. She wants me, ya know.
futurexmdxchick: I'm sure you want her luscious bod too, right?
Greggo1026: Ugh. you're gross. 
futurexmdxchick: Haha yeah, she wanted to stalk her 12-year-old ex love slave.
Greggo1026: Hah, That's just not right.
futurexmdxchick: I know! So what about you, been to the skate park yet today?
Greggo1026: Not yet, I am in a few minutes though.
futurexmdxchick: Fine but wear a sweatshirt, it's waaaaay to cold to be skating against the wind.
Greggo1026: Thanks mom.
futurexmdxchick: You're welcome.

    At that moment, the phone rang and Haily realized there was no one else home to pick it up.

futurexmdxchick: Be back later.
Greggo1026: alright.

    Haily got up from her chair and sprinted into the kitchen to catch the phone. "Hello?"
    "Hey you."
    Haily recognized the voice immediately as Sandy, her long time best friend other than Camille.
    "Hey Sandy, what's up?"
    "Nothing, I was just wondering what you're up to tonight."
    "Nothing, wanna hang out?"
    "Sure, what do you want to do?"
    "You can stay over if you want, my parents wont care."
    "Cool, I'll be there around six."
    "alright, see ya."
    "bye."
    Haily hung up the phone and jogged back into her room. Without even bothering to sit down, she clicked on his name.

    futurexmdxchick: Still there?
    Auto response from Greggo1026: At the skate park, call or text.
   
    "Dammit", Haily muttered softly.

..............

Later that night, Sandy and Haily lounged upon the couch in Haily's finished basement with a bowl of popcorn. The Ring played on the TV screen in front of them.
    Haily sighed. "Brrrrring, brrring..." She muttered. A split second later, the phone on the screen began to ring.
    Sandy laughed as a terrified looking blond woman reached out to answer it. Sandy's gaze then fell into the almost empty popcorn bowl, then on Haily. "Slow down, would you? I've barley gotten a handful."
    Haily looked down into the bowl herself. "You're lucky this movie isn't actually scary, I'm a compulsive nervous eater."
    "You're a compulsive non- nervous eater." Sandy protested. "Remember the time we made those pecan bars?"
    Haily spoke without realizing Sandy's point. "Yeah, those things were freaking delicious."
    "I wouldn't really know, you beat me to figuring out." Sandy muttered.
    Haily rolled her eyes. "You, Sandra Dee, are a liar."
    Sandy grabbed one of the throw pillows and whacked Haily in the side of the head with it. Haily fell on her back on the couch, laughing. "C'mon Hail, I'm way too hyper to watch this stupid movie." Sandy commented.
    Haily gave a devilish grin. "So this isn't scary enough for you?
    Sandy knew Haily well enough to realize that she was brewing up a plan. "What're you thinking?"
    "Have you ever been in the wood behind this house at night time?" Haily asked. "I promise you, it's one of the most creepy places to be in Massachusetts.
    Sandy beamed. "Let's go!"
    Haily lowered her voice. "Okay, but we need to keep quiet so my parents don't wake up. See that door?" Sandy nodded as Haily continued, "That's a stair case that leads up into the pool area. Follow me." Haily grabbed a flashlight from a coffee table drawer and led sandy up the stairs and out into the dark night. careful not to make too much noise, Haily unlatched the gate which surrounded the pool area and led sandy back into the thick forest which waited behind it.
    A moment later, Haily heard a loud rustle in the distance. "What do you think that was?" She asked Sandy nervously, waiting for re assurance.
    Sandy gave it to her. "Probably just a squirrel."
    Once they had been walking deeper and deeper into the woods for a few minutes, an unnatural fear began to grow inside of both of them. The tall trees made all that was dark darker, and mysterious crackling and rustling was taking place all around them. "You lead." Sandy muttered after a while, pushing Haily forcefully in front of her.
    "O-okay." Haily stuttered as she continues to walk along the curvy trail without Sandy's tall, muscular frame to protect her. "You know Sand, if we want to eventually, you know, head back, we can."
    Sandy suddenly grinned. "You're scared."
    "Why would I be?" Haily argued defensively. "I've been up here too many times to count."
    Sandy raised an eyebrow. "At night?"
    Haily let her gaze fall to the ground. "Well... no. C'mon, it's not like you're not scared."
    "Yeah, terrified." Sandy remarked sarcastically.
    Haily shrugged. "Your face is so white it's illuminating the path, that's all."
    Sandy couldn't help but laugh. The girls stuck to the path, feeling a bit more comfortable in each other's company. Eventually, the path curved so sharply that neither of them could see around the brush-filled corner.
    Sandy glanced at Haily. "What's back there?"
    "A pond." Haily said, "I've never seen it at night before."
    Without another word, the two girls continued to walk along the curve, clawing and dodging their way through the brush. The trail lead them straight out onto a cement dam overlooking the pond... and what a sight it was.
    The full moon reflected elegantly off the black, placid water. The star- saturated sky did the same, and there wasn't a tree or shrub or so much as a thorn that wasn't bathing in moonlight. The air around them was cool, but crisp and clean, smelling only of the dew that was forming. The only audible sound was the brook babbling on the opposite side of the dam and the occasional chirp of a cricket.
    "Wow..." both the girls gasped at the same time. Haily took a seat on the dam, crossing her legs. Sandy did the same but let the tips of her sneakers hang off the dam and daintily touch the water.
    Haily hesitated for a moment, then looked over at Sandy. A question had been sitting in the back of her throat the whole night, and she finally felt it crawling up her trachea and sitting on the tip of her tounge. "Sandy?"
    Sandy glanced over at her. "Mhm?"
    "Is-" Haily started. "Is the dream still the same?"
    "Huh?" Sandy asked, absentmindedly.
    Haily sighed. "You know, 'the dream'... our dream..."
    "Ohhh," Sandy grinned with realization. "That dream. Yeah, that's never going to change."
    Haily was now grinning as well. "What was it you were going for again? OR nurse?"
    Sandy tilted her head. "Please Hail, you really think I'm aiming that low?" She looked out over the pond. "I changed my mind. I'm going to be a general surgeon."
    Haily let out a laugh. "Now you're talking."
    "What about you?" Sandy asked. "What are you willing to endure med school for?"
    Haily looked out over the lake herself, smiling dreamily, "Orthopedics. I'm going to be an orthopedic surgeon."
    Sandy was only half listening. "I could never do that, I would hate to work with teeth."
    Haily laughed and rolled her eyes. "Orthopedics, not orthodontics, genius. As in  bones."
    Sandy giggled at herself and smiled sheepishly. "Oh, yeah."
    After a brief moment of silence, Haily let out a sigh. "I can just picture it. The day when we get our acceptance letters to med school. The day we can finally say we're going to be doctors."
    They both continued to stare out over the pond, imagining the taste of what they both craved every conscious hour of the day.
    Haily leaned her head on Sandy's shoulder. "It'll happen for us. It has to."
    Sandy nodded. "You bet your ass it will."
    They both sat stationary for a long while with the star light twinkling in their eyes.

(END OF PART 1)