The Surgery
She couldn't take her eyes off her baby as the surgeon described
the procedure; no, procedures.
"I didn't know it was going to be so complicated," she said
holding back tears.
"Sometimes these things are a little more complicated," the
surgeon replied, "But you want her to be fixed, right?"
"Yes, I do." The tears were held at bay but they were blurring
her vision now.
She took in a deep breath, "Ok, go ahead and do what you have to
do." She looked into the surgeon's eyes, "I trust you. I'll just
wait in here." As she walked off the surgeon could barely hear
the soft sobs.
For the next four hours, the surgeon worked with great love and
concentration. She had done this type of work before and she
understood what was at stake. Her reputation depended on her
skill in not only repairing the damage but hiding any scars so
that the patient retained her original beauty as well. This one
had been her toughest surgery to date, an almost complete
reconstruction. It had taken her six months to convince the
loved one that the surgery was necessary that it was in the best
interest of the patient. Love can do strange things to a person,
even delaying needed surgery. Finally, the reconstruction was
finished.
"Mary-Clare," the surgeon slowly opened the door, "I'm finished
with your baby."
The little girl leapt out of bed and grabbed her beloved stuffed
cow hugging her to her chest.
"Oh, Caroline Bovine, you look wonderful!"
With her cow in one hand, she wrapped the other around her
mother's neck and kissed her on the cheek.
"Oh, Mom, you are the best!"
The surgeon watched as the little girl turned and returned to
the celebratory tea party set for Caroline's return. Another
successful surgery, she loved her job.