I Believe in You

Family Affair

"Meghan! Conrad!" Devon's voice called from across the lobby when we walked into the hospital for our next shift.
"Devon. Is everything okay?" I answered glancing up to find him standing next to a beautiful Indian woman.
"Of course. I just wanted to introduce you both to my fiancee Priya Nair." He smiled proudly.
"Priya, this is Dr. Conrad Hawkins and Dr. Meghan Bishop. My mentors. They're engaged too."
"Hi, it's a pleasure to meet you." I smiled extending my hand to her which she shook.
"It is, Dr. Bishop." She smiled.
"Meghan, please." I insisted.
"Conrad." He said also shaking her hand.
"Conrad." She repeated.
"I'm so sorry I'm so busy today but I'll meet you, mom and dad for dinner tonight." Devon kissed her cheek and ran off.
Conrad and I knew that Devon could get away if he just asked but didn't say anything to Priya about it as we said our goodbyes.
"Devon." I called his name after Conrad and I finished getting ready to work.
"Yeah." He sighed looking up at me.
"What are you avoiding?" I asked pointedly.
"My parent's are in town to meet Priya and her family but I really don't want to give them a tour of the city." He complained.
"Trust me, Devon. Cherish them while they're here. You never know when the last time you'll see them will be." I smiled sadly at him.
He just kind of nodded at me silently.
"Meghan. That fundraiser gala is starting." Conrad sighed meeting me at the door to the oncology wing where Lily was in a room.
"Of course it is." I sighed too.
Chastain's Annual Gala meant that the ballroom on Chastain's top floor would be full of bureaucrats and various philanthropists that Bell and Claire Thorpe would be bending over backwards to siphon money out of.
"Hey, Lily. How are you feeling tonight?" I asked picking up her chart.
"Better than last night." She smiled at me.
"I see. This says you had some significant breathing problems and an increased heart rate." I read over the chart.
"Yeah. I'm not sure what's going on. I'm so tired of these infections." She complained sighing heavily.
"I know, Lily. It should be getting better soon. Has Dr. Hunter discussed the end of your chemotherapy?" I asked sitting down beside her.
"Yeah. It's at the end of December."
"That's an end date." I smiled at her.
"Yeah. It just still seems so far away."
"I know it seems like that but you've been fighting for two years. You'll make it another month."
"I just want this to be over."
"I know."
I looked at the young woman lying in the hospital and couldn't help but think of my mom.  I watched her for over a year fight the disease that ravaged her body incessantly. I was only one of multiple doctors that treated Lily on a regular basis.
"Why don't you tell me what's going through your mind right now?" I asked setting everything in my hands down onto the bedside table and giving Lily my full attention.
This seemed to confuse her but Conrad smiled at me as his phone went off.
"It's Nic. Someone dropped a lady off at the ER and she found her way to the Gala. Bell's having a conniption fit."
"Do you need me to come with you?" I asked hoping he'd let me stay with Lily for a little while longer.
"No. If I need you I'll come get you." He smiled kissing my forehead.
"Love you."
"Love you too, Meg." He smiled at me and walked out of the room.
"So, tell me. What's on your mind?" I repeated refocusing on Lily.
"I guess I'm just scared. Any one of these infections could kill me. The cancer could kill me. The chemotherapy itself could kill me. I'm twenty six." She sighed.
"I want to get married but I want my husband to love me the way Conrad loves you."
"Chad loves you." I assured her gently.
"He's not here. He's never here. Even when I'm not here it's like he can't stand to be around me."
"When my mom was battling cancer it was hard for us to watch her struggle because we loved her so much and it was terrible to see her so sick. I think maybe you should talk to him about how you're feeling. You don't want to marry someone who doesn't want to hear about your pain and fears."
She paused and just looked at me.
"I think you're right. In sickness and in health, right?"
"Right." I smiled at her.
"Thank you, Meghan. No one's ever sat with me and just talked to me about my thoughts before."
"After going through it with mom I realized I needed to bring a personal aspect to the treatment."
I found Conrad staring in a hospital room from a hall window.
"Hey, baby. What's going on?" I asked touching his shoulder.
"I can't believe we still don't know who she is." Conrad sighed motioning to the unconscious Jane Doe through the window.
"That's Maya Ravenscroft. Her father is my dad's best friend." I answered smiling at him.
"You're serious? You know her?" He asked staring at me.
"Yeah, we grew up together. She has schizophrenia and bipolar. I'll call dad and have her dad come down from upstairs so we can get her back on her meds."
He took my face in his hands and kissed me hard.
"Bell wanted us to ship her off. You just saved my job. Again." He kissed me again.
"You're a favorite of the patients; he wouldn't dare fire you." I sighed.
"Meghan? Is everything okay?" Dad answered on the first ring.
"Of course. Are you still at the Gala?" I asked.
"I'm getting ready to leave now."
"Is Mr. Ravenscroft still there?"
"Yeah. Hold on. Brandon? My daughter's asking for you." He called.
"Meghan?" Brandon Ravenscroft answered.
"Mr. Ravenscroft. Maya is in the hospital. She came in as a Jane Doe." I explained.
"Are you sure?" He asked breathlessly.
"I am. I made the identification myself. I believe she's off her medications." I answered.
"She is. She says she doesn't like how they make her feel." He sighed.
"If you'll come down into the hospital my fiance, Dr. Conrad Hawkins and I are her doctors and we can help get her on medications that will work well for her without making her feel terrible."
"Thank you, Meghan. I'm so grateful." He said hugging me when he came down with my dad.
"Conrad and I just want to see Maya get the best care possible." I smiled at Bell over my dad's shoulder.
He glared back at me as we watched Brandon hover over his lost daughter.
"Meghan." Devon called after me as Conrad and I prepared to leave after shift.
"Hey Devon." I smiled at him.
"I just wanted to tell you that you were right. I should be proud of my parents and show them my love." He smiled at me and ran off to where his parents waited with Priya.
"You do good work." Conrad squeezed me gently.
"Not just for our patients but for our friends and colleagues too."