REAL, michael j. fox

Chapter 19: House of Memories

Song Selection: Only the Young by Journey

Closing up the patient before me, the room maintaining a dead silence that grew for me to be anxious more than calm, I continued with my work with careful precision. Turning up towards the O.R. auditorium above me, I was now gaucking at the person standing above my head watching me with full judgement in her eyes. Holding a breath in and maintain my composure as I was already done, I grew impatient with the rest of my team. "Take her to the ICU and make sure to carefully watch her vitals. That's all I need you to do, alright?" I insurructed Jodie, having her only nod to me and make her way along with the team and patient.

Taking off my gloves in a mad fit of annoyance, I scrubbed down my knuckles as a source for my temper only to leave them red from the sponge. Heading out and putting down my hair away from my scrub cap, I looked ahead to see the devil in Prada now making her way towards me with a small glimmer in her eye. "Dr. Hall, right? That's what they call you around here isn't it?"

"What are you doing here? If you came here to mock-"

"It's about your father," She interrupted me to say quite quickly, having me tone down my attitude to face her with concern. "He may have had a bit of an issue with his heart quite recently and is now safe and sound in bed rest. Didn't bother to take him here of course, you would've found out for sure and you didn't need to worry about it at the moment."

I gasped under my breath for a moment, not being the slightest bit surprised at the audacity she had to speak to me about this in the way she did now. "You do realize I'm a Doctor right? A cardiologist at that, why wasn't I seen about this right away? I know people in the field?" I quickly berated her with questions, only to have her dismiss each of them with one quick wave of a hand.

"Oh c'mon Caitlin, you were always one to be overly emotional with your father. He thought it best to not worry you anyways as it was only a minor inconvenience," She explained, chuckling under a breath for a moment at me, "The only reason I'm here now is to invite you and your boyfriend over for dinner. What with your father being healthier now to have you and I in the same space at the house that is."

I rolled my eyes at this, cringing for a moment at her even daring to bring up Michael after the discussion of Dad's recent medical history. "I don't know what you're trying to do Patricia and I'm not going to be taking any of it?" I shook my head, looking down for a moment to begin to make my way back to rounds in the cardio wing. "I'll schedule a lunch with Dad myself, I don't need to be put on the spot like this."

"Caitlin I'm still your mother, whether you'd like to admit it or not. For your father's sake, visit home again with your darling little boy; he's been wanting to see the two of us together at the house for a nice dinner. It would make him so happy." She eyed me after saying this, knowing very well her ploy was going to work this time around.

I nodded, growing tired of the argument anyways. "I'll clear my schedule for tomorrow night and I'll tell Michael about it too. Now if you'll excuse me-" Turning away from her to walk towards the cardio wing, I groaned loudly as my back was turned away from her to only hear her slight chuckles from behind as I continued on my way.

With the passing of the rest of that day only resulting in my Fox being happy to see my childhood home finally, I only continued to dread the very thought of being back in the godforsaken place. "So your Dad is alright?" Mike asked concerned as he continued driving through the posh neighborhood.

"Yeah, he's fine." I continued to look out the window, being reminded on the long drive over to my childhood home of the rare occasions of happiness I felt within the household. Before, of course, I developed a mindset that opposes that of my mother.