Incision of the Heart ✓

Chapter 30: The Perfect Essay

The hospital break room was eerily quiet for once. Another night shift had dwindled to a lull, with only the occasional buzz of a pager or a hurried footstep outside.

Emily sat at the round table, her laptop open in front of her. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard, but the blank document on the screen mocked her.

"Tell me why writing a medical school personal statement feels harder than saving a life?" Emily groaned, dropping her head dramatically onto the table.

From the couch across the room, Liam looked up from his clipboard, smirking. "Probably because you can't stitch an essay together with a suture kit."

Emily shot him with a withering glare. "Helpful, Liam. Very helpful."

He chuckled and set his clipboard aside. "Alright, let's see what you've got."

"I've got nothing," Emily admitted, gesturing to the empty screen. "My brain is fried. I don't even know where to start."

"Classic procrastinator move," Liam teased, pulling a chair next to her. "Let me guess: you spent the last week organizing your stationery and color-coding your notes instead of writing this thing?"

Emily gasped in a mock offense. "I'll have you know that color-coding is a vital part of the creative process."

"Uh-huh." Liam leaned over her shoulder, scanning the blank page. "Alright, let's break it down. What's the prompt?"

Emily sighed, scrolling through the application portal. "'Why do you want to become a doctor, and what unique qualities do you bring to the field?'" She rolled her eyes. "As if I can sum that up in 5,300 characters."

"Easy," Liam said, leaning back. "Just write: 'I'm Emily, and I'm awesome.' Boom. Done."

Emily snorted. "You're ridiculous."

"But am I wrong?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

She shook her head, a reluctant smile tugging at her lips. "Fine. If you're so smart, why don't you help me?"

"Oh, I intend to." Liam cracked his knuckles dramatically. "Step aside, amateur. Let a pro show you how it's done."

Emily crossed her arms, watching as Liam took over the keyboard. "If you type one word about my 'sparkling eyes' or 'resilience under pressure,' I'm deleting it immediately."

"Relax," Liam said, grinning. "I've got this. Trust me."

---

Emily stared at the screen in horror.

"'I first realized I wanted to become a doctor when I saved my goldfish, Mr. Bubbles, from choking on a pebble.'" She read aloud, her voice dripping with disbelief. "Seriously, Liam?"

Liam shrugged, his face the picture of innocence. "What? It's relatable. Shows your compassionate side."

"I don't even own a goldfish!" she snapped, swatting his arm.

"Details," he said, laughing. "Fine, fine. Let's get serious."

"Please do," Emily muttered, shaking her head.

Liam leaned forward, his tone softening. "Alright, let's start with the basics. Why do you want to be a doctor?"

Emily hesitated, her gaze dropping to the table. "I don't know... I guess I've always wanted to help people. To make a difference."

"Cliché," Liam said immediately, earning another swat.

"Hey!"

"I'm just saying," he said, smirking. "We need something punchier. What's your story, Emily? What's the one moment that made you think, 'This is it-this is what I want to do with my life?'"