When He Strangled Her--a story about love

Day 5

"Xixi, I hear you translate papers." The chief says.

"I do."

"I want you to translate for me, Chinese to English. My student's done most of it. Maybe you can check if it's good and revise it." He says. He ligates a vessel.

We're almost done with surgery.

"I can take a look at it." I say.

"Good. I'll have him contact you. He's in the vascular department, Luo."

"Luo?"

"You know him?"

"Short guy, curly hair?"

"Huh. Everyone knows that kid." The chief says.

"I don't see why he's popular with girls." The attending says.

"Luo?" The nurse says." He's a cute kid! Great personality."

"You girls. You want men to be tall, handsome, rich, and then go for the short guy with 'a good personality.'" The attending grouses.

"I said he's cute, doesn't mean I want to date him. And how would you know girls go for him?" The nurse asks.

"Oh! I heard he slept with his interns and the doctor from..."

I mentally mute the attending's gossip and zone out until I hear my name.

"Xixi! What do you want for lunch?" the chief says, pulling off his surgical gown. The chief always treats us to lunch if surgeries cross meal time.

"Get her a salad." The attending says. "Girls are always dieting."

"Are you dieting Xixi?" The chief says.

"No."

"She's too skinny." The attending says, "not surgeon material."

I suture faster. The sooner this is over the sooner I can stop listening to the dumbass attending who hides out in his office with pharmaceutical reps, is constantly kissing the chief's ass, and can't even read a chest CT.

The nurse clearing things on the operation table passes me a scissor.

"You're done already?" The attending says.

"12:45." The anesthetic calls the time for end of surgery.

I hurry back to the wards where the food is sent. I grab a double cheese beef burger and a large coke.

The attending gives me a funny look so I take another bag of onion rings.

I find a corner against the wall and pull out my laptop.

Day 5:

It was 79 days before the college entrance exams, Thursday.

Mr. Min had called me to his office. I figured it has something to do with Monday's exam. With a smirk on my face and stout in the air, I trod pass the teachers lounge up to him biting into a burger the size of his face.

"Hey, Mr. Min!" I said cheerfully.

"M!" He said with his mouth full.

"Did I come at a bad time?"

He gulped down his food. "No, you had lunch?"

"Uh huh." I had snatched a few bites from my friends' elaborately prepared lunches sent hot from their homes earlier. Mom didn't prepare lunch for me anymore and I didn't have enough allowance to buy food either.

"I'm disappointed M." Mr. Min said in a stern face, his bushy brows pressing heavily onto his already small eyes.

I was at the edge of my seat, math scores listing out like an excel sheet in my head. I had aced every test there was to ace.