Part V

V. Irony.

Charlie has been living as Dr. Richard Smith for a good couple years now, trying to help him too. Probably not the same way he helped Bill, because while good old Bill needed help getting out of the house, Richard needed help building himself a home. Things at the hospital seemed to be working out just fine for Dr. Smith, he had made a few good friends from his colleagues and since he had started putting a little more heart into helping his patients, everybody at the hospital had started to like him more. As for his personal life, Charlie was still trying hard to find a real connection, somebody whom Richard could truly love. Shelly had really broken his heart; he had come close to getting engaged to her. That was of course until he found out she was cheating on him with a guy from work. There was a nurse at the hospital that brought up this warm and fuzzy feeling inside Richard every time he so much as spoke to her or even saw her. However, Nancy the nurse didn’t seem to be all that interested in Dr. Smith. She had been a witness to the endless parade of women that had come and gone from Richard’s life and she had no intention of being one of them. It was on the day of his three-year anniversary with Richard, that Charlie found out his biggest problem wasn’t getting Nancy the nurse to like him.

It was a Wednesday afternoon and Dr. Smith was bored doing post-op rounds. Nancy the nurse was working that same shift and he thought he could talk her into getting a cup of coffee after work. “Maybe if we start going out she’ll see the nice guy in Richard” he thought. “Hey Nancy, listen maybe after work we could…” “Oh no, there he goes again. Quick Nancy, say something about work before he asks you out” she thought. “I got your charts here doctor, would you like me to give you a preview of your next surgery?” “Oh, sure but I was also hoping that you…” “Okay, name: Charles Silver; age: 33; he had a mild heart attack this morning at work. He was rushed in a couple hours ago and is now stable but the X-rays reveal a problem with one of the main arteries…” “Wait, what did you say his name was?” “Uhh, name, name, name oh yeah, Charles Silver, age 33.”

Richard stood there silent, not knowing what to do or say. Was he to operate on his own body? “How is this possible?” he mumbled. “I know right, people is so stressed out these days they’re having heart attacks so young, I once knew a woman who…” Nancy kept talking in the background without acknowledging the fear and astonishment in Dr. Smith’s eyes. “Nancy, listen to me, what room is the patient in?” he finally managed to utter. “Let’s see, room 241.” “Thank you” he said as he ran in the opposite direction, “Wait! Doctor Smith! Should I book an OR...?”

Richard stood by the door looking into the room and there he was, resting on a hospital bed all alone. Looking slightly pale, he looked so different know. It was so strange seeing his body just laying there almost lifeless. That was not the situation he had imagined for so many years, finding his body like this. He had played in his mind numerous scenarios but none of them involved him performing surgery on himself.