Page 4 of What Should Have Been Ours

Today was a good day, with good news, and all I wanted on my way out of the hospital was a cup of my favorite hot chocolate from the Hospital’s Cafe. For old times’ sake—to torture myself with the thought that my heart has never completely healed from him.

I walk up and get in line behind a group of young doctors. The doctor standing in front of me shifted to talk to one of his colleagues, and I catch a whiff of his cologne.

Gaahhh, what is it about doctors that makes them so hot? And then to smell like that on top of it all? Unfair.

You would think that, as much time as I spent in a hospital and around doctors, hating this place, that they would all repulse me, but nope.

Maybe it’s a trauma thing?

Before I could finish the fantasy in my head about the young doctor dramatically throwing off his white coat and declaring that he simply couldn’t go another second without having me, the doctor opened his mouth and ordered a large cup of hot chocolate.

Okay, I think he just made the fantasy even hotter by ordering that.

Choosing hot chocolate over coffee is dangerously and oddly attractive.

“Card. Thank you,” he answered the barista.

Why does his voice sound so familiar?

Then, he turns around—

My world tilts, time stops, and I forget how to breathe.

“Cam?” I blurt out.

When he turns towards me, all I can see was the boy I loved for my entire childhood, all grown up.

And then his badge catches my eye.

Dr. Cameron Hayes

Resident Pediatric Oncology

2

Cameron

It’s my first day at The Mount Medical Center, and it’s already off to a terrible start.

I spent the first two years of my residency at the Children’s Hospital in D.C, but a couple of months ago, I knew it was time for a change, and I had always dreamed about coming back to the place that started it all for me.

New York City.

The only place I ever truly felt at home.

I thought today would start off better than this. I have been dreaming about being back here since…well, since I left twelve years ago.

The memories this place holds for me—both good and bad—I’ve always held so close to my heart.

I’ve missed the city, the atmosphere, and the people I became close with, especially one very special person in particular.

But…the new attending doctor I got assigned to must have it out for me because he’s already made my morning harder than it’s needed to be, ruining the fantasy I had in my head of being back here.

As soon as we started our rounds, he decided to rapid-fire questions at me about patients I hadn’t even had the chance to meet or go over their charts, just to make me look bad.

Then he sends me on pointless task with unrealistic expectations, like rushing labs or coming up with a treatment plan for a patient by noon that I know nothing about.

Its like he’s trying to piss all over his territory here to show some weird form of dominance.