The Good Doctor's Secret

         Looking down, the height isn't as intimidating as I had previously thought. I felt my ash brown hair be blown over the back of my bare shoulders, breeze pushing my just-past-shoulder length hair back easily. I closed my olive green eyes, bringing my heart-shaped face toward the sunlight. I embraced the breeze, filled with pure elation as my nostrils were filled with the familiar salty tang of my hometown. The breeze was warm and refreshing on my tan skin, sun kissing it and giving it a warm glow. The voices I had previously muffled were once again filling my eardrums, carrying encouragement on every syllable said.

'Yeah, Aria! You've got this!' I heard my friends yelling up to me. I smiled down at them and took one last look to the pool of water beneath me. Thirty feet, long way down. I've jumped off this thing so many times, I can't count it on my fingers. The water beneath my feet was loud, the only sound being disturbed by water crashing down into a small lagoon. I took a deep breath, letting it out slowly to calm my nerves. I began to mentally countdown, breath hanging on every number.

Four, three, two, one...

"Dr. Taylor, we have an eight year old female coming in with a possible broken arm." a nurse waving a hand in front of my face brought me out of my mind's eye.

"Okay, put her on bed four," I say, replying to her statement. She nods her head and waits for the ambulance's arrival. I take a second longer to stare down at the picture of my friends and me in my hometown, wishing I was there. I tuck the picture into my breast pocket and prepare for my patient arrive.

         My name is Aria Taylor, and I'm twenty-two years old. The youngest orthopedic surgeon and Emergency Room doctor in the state of New York, I'm often looked at as incompetent or someone who has no idea what she's doing. Sometimes it's because of my age, and sometimes it's because I'm a woman. It really depends on the God. Oh yeah, small fact, I work primarily with Gods and Godly monsters. Oh yes, the Greek Gods do exist. The only fragile things about them are pride and ego. However, there are Gods who treat everyone as an equal.

I notice the red and white strobes from the light bar mounted to the ambulance, and get to my feet. I pick up the phone and dial into radiology.

"Radiology." They answer briskly.

"Hi, Andrew, it's Aria. I have an eight-year-old female with a possible broken arm. Think you can take her?"

"Of course. Call before you come up, please."

"Always, see you in a few."

         I hang up the phone and grab my stethoscope off the desk, dropping it onto my shoulders around the back of my neck. I pull out a pair of purple nitrile gloves from their box neatly placed in its bracket on the wall. Glad I'm the only one in the department who wears a size small, never run out of gloves. I wait patiently for the nurse to give me the paperwork that was filled out by the parents.

"Ceres- what a pretty name. Who are the parents?" I ask Nurse Jackson.

"Well, she's the daughter of Cerberus, but she was with her grandparents when this happened."

"O-oh. So you mean to tell me that...?" I reply, a question clearly written on my face.

"Hades and Hera are in the Emergency Room, yes."

"Well, at least they're the more understanding and not too quick to judge kind of gods," I say, reading the patient's paper work.

"It doesn't say how this happened," I say.

"That's because Ceres hasn't yet told them what happened. Time to work your magic!" she replied, bumping my shoulder gently with hers.

"What magic? I have no aura!" I say nonchalantly, smiling at her.

"You know what I mean, darlin'."

A chart in hands, I walk over to bed four where the patient is located. I see that the curtain is open, so I walk into view with a smile.

"Hi there, my name is Doctor Taylor," I say, smiling to the two gods who were previously looking concerned at their injured granddaughter, but are now looking at me with questions in their eyes. They both stand and hold out their hands. Hera's fair skin is a stark contrast to Hades' tan skin, as well as their height, Hades' towering over the both of us. I shake them both and proceed to take my stool and sit next to a chestnut-brown haired girl with olive skin, looking at the right arm that is covered in gauze and in a sling.

"Hi, Ceres. My name is Aria, I'm here to help you today. So, I hear your arm hurts." I say, a friendly smile on my face. She looks to me with her brilliant blue eyes, bloodshot from tears and obvious tear stains on her round cheeks. She nods her head but doesn't say a word.

"Do you think you can tell me what happened?" I ask gently, trying to get the answer out of her. She doesn't respond, but glances over to where her grandparents are seated.

"I have another question for you, is that okay?" I ask. She bobs her head up and down.

"Do you think you could tell me how many bones you think are in your arm?"

"Two?" She says questioningly, her voice as a small peep.

"You're close! There are actually three. Do you know how people sometimes call their elbow a funny bone?" I ask, pointing to her elbow.

"Yeah."

"Well, this bone right here-" I begin, pointing at her upper arm.

"- is called the humorous. And your elbow is actually the end of your humorous, which is why it's called the funny bone sometimes. You have strong humorous's, you must make a lot of jokes." I say, smiling. That gets a few giggles out of her as she begins to relax. I begin to unwrap her packaged arm, handling it carefully. When the arm is unwrapped, I can see a clear deformity in her lower right arm towards the wrist.

"And in the lower part of your arm, you have a radius and ulna. Now, if we compare both of your arms, I can see this arm has a bump in it." I say, pointing to the deformity.

"Is this where your arm hurts?" I say, still pointing to the same spot. She bobs her head up and down again.

"Well, what we're going to do is take you upstairs and take a few pictures of it, and the pictures will actually show us your bones. Sounds cool, right?" I ask. She smiles and nods. In the background, I can hear some commotion going on towards the front of the E.R. A large, tan man with long brown hair appears, winded, golden brown eyes wide as saucers. Behind him is a man about the same height, tan as well, but with short, trimmed silver hair.

"Hey, Cerry, Daddy's here." the man says, walking in and planting a kiss on her forehead.

"Daddy!" she exclaims, a wide smile on her face, her small face lighting up with joy. I stand as Cerberus looks to me.

"Hi, I'm Cerberus. I'm Ceres' father." He says, a hand reaching out to me.

"Aria Taylor, I'm Ceres' doctor," I say, smiling lightly at him.

"Aren't you a little young to be a doctor? No offense."

"None taken. I'm the youngest doctor in the state, so it kind of speaks for itself. Ceres' seems to have had an accident, and I can tell there's an obvious deformity in her lower right arm. I'm pretty sure it is broken, but I'll need to have x-rays done before I can be positive."

"Of course, anything."

"Alright, Ceres. You remember that nice lady from earlier?" I ask. She nods.

"Well, that's Nurse Jackson. She's going to be over in a minute and take you up to get your pictures taken. I'll meet you up there, okay?" I say, smiling gently at her.

"Okay," she says, speaking louder now that her Father is here.

Walking away, I can hear Cerberus asking questions, Hades and Hera replying easily.

"Hey, Sarah. Would you mind taking Ceres up to radiology, please?"

"Of course. See you up there, doc." She says, winking friendlily at me.

"Thank you," I say, smiling back at her. I pick up the phone and call radiology, getting an answer on the second ring.

"Radiology."

"Hey, it's me. The patient has an obvious deformity in her lower right arm. Think you can handle it?"

"See you in a few," Andrew replies, answering my question with a statement. I hang up the phone and head up, just as Nurse Jackson is getting ready to move Ceres into a wheelchair. I press the button for the third floor, waiting patiently as the elevator transports me up, giving a little ding when I'm on the floor selected. The doors open, and I almost run into an intern, if it wasn't for my quick reflexes catching them by the shoulders.

"Oh! Sorry, doctor Taylor." She says, bowing her head. I look down to my watch, frowning slightly.

"Aren't you late for rounds, Ms. Wick?" I ask, a soft tone in my voice.

"Yes, that's why I'm in such a rush."

"Okay, have a good day," I say, smiling at her.

I find my way to radiology easily, being able to go through the halls of the hospital with my eyes closed. It's helpful to have a photographic memory, but then again, it's a pain in the ass. I make sure the sign above the door saying 'X-ray in progress, do not enter' is off before I walk in. I find Andrew preparing the table for a new patient, his short, sandy blond hair bouncing as he wipes down the surface, green eyes intent on what he's doing.

"Morning, Andrew," I say, making my presence known.

"Oh! Morning, doctor Taylor. You brought her up already?" He asked, surprise coating his expression.

"No, Nurse Jackson is bringing her up. I told Ceres I'd be up here with her to try and put her mind at ease."

"Ohh, okay. Working your magic as usual." He says, winking at me. I give him a knowing look.

"What? I'm just saying, I think you'd make an excellent pediatric doctor is all."

"I know, just as you've said every other time I've had a pediatric patient. But this hospital doesn't need a pediatric doctor, and I don't think I'd be able to handle working in a hospital for humans."

"Aria, you're a human. Have you been here so long that you've forgotten?"

"No, I am reminded every day that I'm no mystical creature, as everyone seems to remind me I have no powers," I say, giving him a pointed look.

"We only say 'work your magic' because it's as though you have a knack for kids. If it were any other doctor, not nearly as many kids would be leaving here with a smile on their face."

"Yeah, alright," I say, finishing off the conversation. There's a soft knock at the door as Nurse Jackson walks in with Ceres in a wheelchair, followed by Cerberus. I remember that no one aside from medical personnel is allowed in the room while x-rays are being taken, and look to Cerberus.

"I know you're worried about your daughter and you want to be in here and be around her as much as possible, but we don't allow anyone other than medical personnel in the room while x-ray is being taken. It'll only take a minute or so, you can wait outside the door or go back to to the bed." I say, gently but with authority.

"Right, I'll wait outside the door. Daddy's just outside, okay?" He says, directing his words to Ceres.

"Okay," she says. I put a protective gown on Ceres and put one on myself, putting her arm in the position it needs to be in.

"Okay, Ceres. No one aside from myself, Nurse Jackson, and Andrew are in here. Do you want to tell me what happened? I can't do a lot until I know." I say gently, trying to get the information out of her. As I suspected, she begins telling me how it happened.

"We were playing at the park and I was trying to impress Uncle Osiris by going across the monkey bars by myself. But when I was halfway through, I looked over to see G-ma and G-pa looking mad and stuff at Uncle as he said something. I lost my grip and fell." She said, putting it all into one paragraph.

"Thank you for telling me. Is that why you didn't want to say anything before because you were afraid they'd be mad or something?"

"Sort of. I didn't want them to be mad at Uncle for not keeping a closer eye on me."

"Okay. Well, we're all done with the pictures. Do you want to see them?" I ask, grabbing the sheets from Andrew. She smiles and nods, so I take one, hold it up to a light, and point out the bones.

"...and do you see that crack right in these two bones? That's why your arm hurts so much." I say, pointing to the obvious break in both her Radius and Ulna.

Nurse Jackson collects her and brings her down to the E.R. as I set up arrangements for a room. I put her in the pediatric wing, where there are a few teenagers healing from broken legs, illness, typical ailments of a demigod teenager. I walked away from the desk, going to the room to ensure that the proper equipment was in there. I wound up putting a few things in there, such as a teddy bear and moving a few things around, putting in extra chairs to accommodate her family. Letting out a satisfied sigh, I turned around to find a tall man in the doorway. He was the same one who followed Cerberus into the E.R. He has dark, suntanned skin and golden eyes. His silver hair was a stark contrast, neatly trimmed and styled. He looked to be about 6'3 or so, with a triangular shaped face. His eyes pierced through me like a pin through clothing, telling me he was at least a demigod.

"You must be Ceres uncle- Osiris, is it?" I ask.

"No. I'm Kosta. Osiris is my elder brother. You seem to be a very caring person when it comes to children. Do you have any?" He asks, blatantly.

"Me? I'm twenty-two, and too involved in my career to have any kids of my own... not that it's much of your business." I reply. He tilts his head to the side and very clearly looks me over. He looks at me as if I'm some sort of project.

"They say you're the only human doctor who works at this hospital. Is that true?"

"Do you sense an aura?" I ask sarcastically.

"Mm, no. But there is something about you that's different from other humans. Something that sets you apart from the rest. I just can't quite put my finger on it." He replies.

"Well, I'm not some project for you to work on. Now, if you have no other question related to Ceres' recovery or care, I need to get back to the E.R." I say, dismissing myself. He made no sign of moving out of the doorframe.

"If you'll excuse me..." I say as I walk towards him. Instead of moving to the side, he walked up to me, getting uncomfortably close. He proceeded to grab my left wrist.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" I ask demandingly as he proceeds to turn my wrist over, sliding the sleeve of my doctors' coat up to look at the inside of my wrist. He looks at the tattoo I have on my inner wrist, fingers tracing over it lightly.

"This tattoo... how did you get this design?" He asks, eyes still glued to the small sun design.

"I draw in my free time. I made it myself." I reply, still trying to pry my arm out of his iron grip. He proceeded to squeeze harder. He was now staring at my face, eyes seeming to flicker with joy as my face contorted into pain as he squeezed hard.

"Kosta! What do you think you're doing?!" Someone yelled out from behind. Kosta turned to face him, keeping my wrist in his grip. I could now see who had spoken and saw a slightly shorter man with, yet again, short hair. But his hair was a deep auburn, which caught the light easily. He had a lean build and was wearing a tee and dark jeans. He had olive skin, and rage in his aquamarine eyes.

"I am simply observing the doctor treating our niece!" Kosta replied, feigning innocence.

"Let her go. Now." the man said, a steel tone to his baritone voice. After what felt like a century, Kosta let me out of his grip and walked away, briskly. The second man followed him with his gaze until he is no longer in sight. He then turns his attention to me. He walks over to me, closing the distance between us in a few paces. He gently grabs my left hand, turning it over to view the fresh bruise left behind. He gently runs his fingers over it.

"Are you okay?" he asked, gently. For some reason, his voice was soothing. All my pain and fear melted away in seconds.

"I'm fine- thank you," I say, gently pulling my hand out from his soft grip, pulling down my sleeve. I meet his gaze with my own and see the concern in his eyes.

"I apologize for my brother. He's never really had much interaction with humans before, and sometimes doesn't fully register that what he's doing is harmful."

"Are you sure about that? He seemed to find pleasure in my being in pain." I state.

"Mm, I'll have to speak with him about it. I'm Osiris, Ceres' other Uncle," he states.

"How many Uncles does this kid have?" I ask, mainly to myself. Osiris answers with a laugh.

"She has four, including myself." he says, a smile playing across his lips and entertainment lit in his eyes.

"That's a lot. My name is Aria Taylor, I'm Ceres' doctor."

"I know," he says.

"Of course you do, haha," I say, smiling back at him.

"If you'll excuse me, I should get back down and let Ceres' father know what's going on."

"I'll accompany you," he says gently. I walk in front of him, and he follows closely behind. I enter the elevator and press the button, but as I do, I notice Osiris looking to the left.

"Osiris?"

"I'll meet you down there," he says, looking at me with a look of security in his eyes.

While the ride down is short, my mind is still filled with questions about the past few minutes that had taken place. I place a hand over my bruised wrist, wincing slightly with the pain that accompanies's the touch. The elevator dings and I walk out. I go to the desk and grab Ceres documents, looking through them once more. I make all the arrangements necessary for her surgery, getting the proper people I need and the right equipment, quirks like that. Feeling slightly flushed, I shrug off my coat, taking in the cool chill that the air sends down my spine. While still reviewing my documents, I don't notice someone standing at the desk until I look up, trying to give my tired eyes a break. I look up to find the one and only Hades, God of the Underworld, standing before me. But I don't find him looking at my face, his gaze is instead set on my wrist. I follow his gaze to my deeply bruised wrist, which is now a deep violet.

"Sir...?" I say, trying to draw him from his trance-like state. He looks me in the eyes, a question in the look.

"Was that bruise there before? It looks fresh." He states. I proceed to put my jacket on, collecting Ceres' papers.

"I don't mean to sound rude, but that isn't what you should be focusing your concern on, sir," I say, trying to get my point across. He, clearly, doesn't take the bait.

"Did my son, Kosta, do this?" he asks blatantly. I don't respond. I instead walk over to Ceres' bed, finding Cerberus reading her a book.

"Catcher in the Rye, hm? It's a good read." I say.

"You've read it?" Ceres asks, face lighting up as she finds out we have something in common. I laugh.

"Yes, I have. What part of the book are you on?"

"Chapter twenty-one," Cerberus says.

"Ah, you're getting close to my favorite part. However, I'm not here to talk about a book. Ceres, I know you've already seen your picture, but I need to show you Dad now." I say, placing two x-rays up on the monitor, turning on the backlight. I point out the break and explain that it is an oblique fracture going through both her Radius and Ulna.

"So does that mean surgery?" he asks, concerned.

"Yes," I say, sitting on my stool next to Ceres.

"Does that mean I'll have a scar?" she asks.

"That it does. I don't think I've shown you yet, but I have a scar, too." I say, shrugging off the right sleeve of my jacket. I point to the long scar on the top of my wrist.

"When I was about the same age as you, I broke my right arm- the same fracture as you. I fell out of a tree, and they had to operate to reset my arm. You'll have a similar scar on your arm, just a little bit higher." I state.

"I'll be the one doing your operation, so I'll make sure your scar looks awesome, and you have a cool story to go with it," I say, smiling at her. She looks unsure but nods anyhow. I tell Cerberus the rest of the information such as when her surgery will be and what room she will be staying in, how long it should take, and when she'll be able to leave.