COLOUR BLIND

CHAPTER 20

         Late that night, I stood by the window and watched the shimmering stars above me.
Then through the haze of time, I could see two boys holding hands. One black and the other as pale as the moon. Running down the beautiful hill of a town that held giant rocks, smiling at the birds like they'd been given wings cos at that moment, they thought they were FREE. 
And just like that, it all vanished, for I was back at the window in a strange land, thinking what awaited me at the foot of this hill.
I looked up again and wondered how far I had to go to be my true self.  'just how far', I muttered before shutting the window in front of me.

       I woke up early the next morning,  had my bath, and dressed up for my first day at the hospital. It was a walking distance from Menzieshill just as Mr Patrick said.
I was confident when I left the house but as soon as I reached the hospital premises.  I became a little anxious.
Not until I met the chief executive doctor who directed me to the chief surgeon and assured me of all the good things to come.
Seeing the junior doctors, passing through all the numbered wards, and walking down the hallway that led to the surgical ward. It all felt magical like I'd gotten closer to my lifelong dream. With every single step I took, everything became clearer. I fit right into this space.

The junior doctors here at Ninewells were called 'trainees'.
I liked the sound of it and waited patiently to be called one as I'd become one of them.
There was something else that fascinated me at the hospital. Most of the trainees weren't as old as the ones back home so it felt natural to blend in.

I'd been sent to one of the surgeons in the surgical ward and was on my way to him when I passed the Respiratory unit and saw a boy sneaking back into his wardroom.
He was around the age of 13- 14, had Auburn hair, and wore a blue sweatshirt that read 'Hedwig' on the back. I was particularly drawn to it.

Hedwig was a pet snowy owl given to Harry by Rubeus Hagrid from The Harry Potter franchise.  Spencer and I argued a lot about its gender when we were little.  He called it a boy. And I yelled defensively calling him a blatant liar. Those were the years before he got sick. I told Ian about this story on one of those occasions at his house. I even told him about the 'Hedwig ', embroidered sweatshirt my mom bought for me and spencer on our 12th birthday.
She said mine could be a she and Spencer's a he and as funny as that was, it kinda settled it for us because We were kids.

It was past 8, the doctors hadn't come for the morning rounds in that ward.
All the patients were either sleeping or just lying down.
The boy entered the ward, sat on his bed, and pulled out a bottle that he was about to pop open when I barged in without thinking twice.

"Who are you?", he asked in the most distinct accent I was hearing in Scotland for the first time.
"Give that to me". I said referring to the green bottle he held in his left hand which he'd now put behind him.
He didn't seem to be afraid of me.

"you're not my doctor", he snapped.
"I'm not", I retorted.
"But I can get your doctor to tell your parents just how dangerous alcohol is to someone in a respiratory ward".

I noticed his facial expressions changed as soon as I mentioned his parents but was more keen on finding out why he strangely reminded me of someone I knew.
That cold bratty look he gave before stretching out his hand to me. I would've smacked his head if he was one of the kids back home but I was in a well-organized hospital environment and as a trainee doctor. I didn't want to start my life in this place as an intolerant new person. I've ignored worse brats in high school. I wasn't going to let this boy ruin my day.

I collected the bottle and was about to turn back when a doctor entered the wardroom and asked if there was any problem.
"None at all", I replied.
"I just lost my way".