Part 3: Advanced
Neil wanted the others to stop looking at him. Look at the patient. Or look at the machine. It was the one working now.
As the computer whirred under full exertion of its energy, Neil glanced at Sam, whose beard rustled against his mask as he smiled and exhaled. Neil was comforted by his friend’s relaxed posture. Neil’s name was actually Alexander MacNeil, but on his first day of work Sam gave Neil his nickname, stating that he wouldn’t waste mental space remembering two very long names and insisting that Neil call him “Sam”–never sharing his last name. Neil was annoyed at first with this varsity athlete style of familiarity with a man he’d just met, but after ten years of working together, the nickname thing stuck. So did Sam’s presence.
Neil and Sam usually spent their lunch breaks in Sam’s sedan, Metallica always playing quietly on the speakers as they ate their cafeteria wraps. Neil was the best doctor at Johns Hopkins while Sam fell around the middle of the bell curve, but Sam was the only one who didn’t feel the need to use all of the artificial doctor jargon their coworkers used. Neil felt normal around him.
A window popped up on Neil’s screen with the final report: “100% of infected cells detected. Modification in process. Patient condition stable.” Neil turned off the machine and felt a waterfall of relief pour down on him.
Part 4>
Fun for Fluency! 