Norman's Melody

What about you?

I watched as a boy with bleach, blonde hair looked up from his phone and smiled at me. Finding it odd that a 15 year old boy was here alone, I said nothing as he made his way towards me. Something about this kid was familiar, but i couldn't put my finger on it.

"Hello" i smiled as he reached me.

"Hi...ummm my dad ran out to the car to get something so he should be back in a minute" he said.

"Oh ok, I'll start rooming you and i'll let Gwen know to send him back when he returns" i smiled.

Mingus smiled and nodded as i showed him what exam room we were going into.

"I'll be right back" i told him as he smiled and nodded taking a seat on the exam table.

I walked up front to inform Gwen to tell his dad where we'd be, but i stopped as i saw her reaction. She was pale as snow and her eyes wide. She seemed to be shaking.

"hey, you ok?" i asked.

She didn't make eye contact, but just nodded. This was extremely weird and it kinda creeped me out.

"okaaaay..umm..when mingus's dad comes back in can you send him to exam room 1?" i asked.

Once again, no answer, just a head nod. Hesitantly backing away, i started back to the room i left the kid. How Gwen was acting was weighing heavily on my mind and it was really bothering me. Shaking my head, I went into the exam room where mingus smiled up at me. Smiling back, i started going through his chart and going over things with him. He knew what the average 15 year old would know, but the medical questions i'd have to wait to ask his dad. Smiling, i weighed him and then asked,

"You know how tall you are?"

he shrugged,"about 5'8"

"You're gonna be tall" i smiled.

"get it from my dad." he smiled.

As i took his pulse, I tried to make small talk with the kid,"So where do you go to school?"

"i'm home schooled" he said.

"Oh yea? do you like it?" i asked.

he shrugged,"it's alright. Im just moving around so much between mom and dad so it's pretty hard to go to a public school if i wanted to"

"Oh i'm sorry. Where do you move around from?" i asked.

"New york and here. Sometimes i'll stay with my mom, but my dad is here half a year and new york the other half" he said.

Nodding, i took the pulse ox off his finger and recorded the results in the computer.

"What about you?" he asked.

adverting my gaze from the screen, i raised an eyebrow and he smirked,"you don't have that soured accent I hear a bunch of others have. Where are you from?"

"oh....Iowa. We all are actually. Dr. Roberts was wanting to move his practice down here and so Gwen and I came with him about 5 years ago." I smiled.

" That's cool. You must really like your doctor" he smiled.

"yeah he's great. He's been like a father to me" I smiled.

"what about your real dad?" He asked.

"he died of cancer when I was about 16." I sighed.

"oh I'm sorry" he said.

"it's ok. It was his own dumb fault, the man smoked like 5 packs a day" I chuckled.

"still sucks. What about your mom?" He asked.

tears started to brim my eyes as the memories of my past flooded them. I wasn't exactly planning on being questioned about my life's history by a 15 year old kid. My mom being in jail and abandoning me, my dad basically the reason for the condition I'm in now wasn't something you flaunted a about especially to a kid or anyone for that matter. Shaking my head, I fought the tears away and forced a smile on my face as I pulled out the blood pressure cuff from a drawer.

"Why the sudden interest in me?" I asked.

"I don't know. You just seem different" he smiled.

"different..gee thanks" I joked as I wrapped the cuff around his arm.

"good...different" he smiled.

removing my stethoscope from my neck, I smiled at him and began pumping the cuff up. I was trying to pay attention and listen for the sounds but my mind was completely wrapped around this kid. How familiar he was. How interested he was in knowing me when he just met me. He'd payed more attention to me than anyone I've known my whole life. His dad did a really good job of helping him be outgoing. As I was finishing up the blood pressure, I saw mingus's face light up and look towards the door.

"dad!" He smiled.

taking my stethoscope out of my ears, I took the cuff off his arm and turned to meet the father. As I looked up from Mingus, I completely froze. My eyes widened and I fought every urge to scream like a little girl. Now I know why Mingus looked familiar. The man walked up to me with his paperwork in his other hand. I quickly adverted my eyes to the floor nervously as I saw him stick a hand out to shake. Looking from his hand, I looked back up hesitantly to be met with a pair of striking blue eyes as he smirked,

"hi I'm norman"