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“Dr. Cooper, do you honestly think I care about some silly reward? Knowing that I performed the procedure in a way that would possibly save someone’s life is reward enough for me.” He nods and smiles.
“I’m here because I want to give you the courtesy of letting you know that at the end of this semester, I’m going to request a transfer into Dr. Waters’ class.”
He goes to speak but I put up my hand. “No. It’s time. I need to face the truth. I need to be honest with myself. The fact is that I’m extremely attracted to you. I thought I could bury my feelings, but clearly, I can’t. I’m pretty sure you’re attracted to me as well.” He nods his head in agreement. “I think this is for the best. I’ve worked too hard to get where I am to let this attraction knock me off course. I think I need some distance from you.”
He gives me a defeated smile. “I understand. Please know that I absolutely hate to lose you as a student, but I understand. Also, know that you are genuinely the brightest student in my class, and you’re going to make a fantastic surgeon one day.”
“Thank you.”
He smiles. “Does this mean that you’ll start calling me Brody?”
“No. I still can’t have what happened getting out. You’re my professor this semester, and you’re a professor at this school.”
“Harley, one day I won’t be the professor and you won’t be the student.” He doesn’t get that it can never happen between us.
“But you will have always been my professor, and I’ll never be willing to have my abilities or credibility as a student put into question.” He looks disappointed.
I need to change the topic. “The other reason I wanted to talk to you is about your surfer file.” I hesitate a moment. “It was your mother, wasn’t it?”
His eyes open wide. “How…how did you know that?”
“Well, it happened on Huntington Beach. I know you’re from Huntington Beach. I saw the year it happened and the age of the victim. I figured there was some relation so I googled the accident. The last name is Cooper. It mentioned that her son was with her, and his age matches up.”
He looks up at the ceiling for a moment and closes his eyes. He brings his head back down and looks at me. “Yes, it was my mother.”
I nod. “Will you tell me what happened?” He doesn’t respond right away. “I’ve already turned in my assignment, so there’s no issue there.”
He looks like he’s in a different world right now. “We were surfing like we did every Saturday morning together. I remember that the waves were amazing that day. We were having such a great time. We alternated waves. The next wave was her turn. I don’t even know exactly what happened, other than I saw her get up, and then I saw her crash down.”
He pauses for a moment, clearly emotional. “She apparently went headfirst into the ocean floor at the worst angle possible. I knew something was wrong right away. I saw her board first. It was split down the middle. Then I saw her behind it. She was floating face down. I swam to her as fast as I could and lifted her onto my board. I was screaming for help as I tried to swim ashore. A few people on the beach swam out to us and helped me bring her in. I remember her looking and feeling so lifeless. Someone called 911 while someone else gave her CPR. I was in shock.”
He has tears in his eyes now, as do I. I can’t help myself. I grab his hand. He lets me hold it. “The EMTs were slow to arrive, but the surgeon was slower. Her injury was the exact same as Phillip’s. They didn’t get her into the O.R. for well over an hour. The surgeon performed the procedure slower than the slowest student in our class today.” He slumps his head down, completely overcome with emotion.
I gently rub my thumb on his hand. “You were what, fifteen years old?”
He nods. “Yes.”
“What happened to her?”
“She was rendered a quadriplegic. We didn’t quite have the resources that Christopher Reeve had. She died less than two years later.” Tears are freely flowing down both of our cheeks.
I squeeze his hand. “I’m so sorry, Brody.” We sit in silence with me holding his hand for a few more minutes. I eventually look up at him. “Is this why you became a neurosurgeon?” He nods. “You understand more than anyone why I need my surgical specialty to be cardio? It feels like a calling. A way to right a past wrong.”
He nods again. “Of course, I understand.”
“How did your father handle things?”
“He was a mess for a long time. He took care of her for two years before she passed. I was still a teenager, so he had to take care of me too. It wasn’t easy. When she passed, he was in a pretty bad place, but eventually got better. It took some time, but he moved on with his life. He had to. He dates now and then. It’s never anything serious, but he lives his life.”
He looks at me and recognizes a similar pain. “How’s your mother managing?”
A big lump forms in my throat. “Honestly, she’s an absolute disaster right now. We can’t even get her out of bed. She still cries all day long. It’s been nearly six months, but it’s still very fresh for her. I suppose time heals all wounds though. At least the type she’s suffering. I can only hope that one day she returns to the wonderful, vibrant woman that she once was.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. It’s hard. Just know that in time, she’ll get it together. Just be patient with her. Let her mourn however she needs to and be there for her in whatever way she needs you.”
“We are. My sisters and I constantly check in on her. My mother’s best friend has practically moved in. She stays with her every night.”
“How many sisters do you have?”
