Unassailable: The professor.

Chapter 5

The professor turned to us and sighed, running his hand through his hair. He seemed really annoyed by the recent event. "That right there is how you waste the best teaching opportunity you can get. That is why I'm stating rules. Rule number one: never be late. Or else you know what will happen." He was leaning against his desk, gripping the edges with both of his hands as he spoke. "Rule number two: do not disrespect me or any of your classmates." He warned, giving a brief pause. "Rule number three: raise your hand to talk or else you're out." From the corner of my eye, I was able to make out some students taking notes. "And rule number four: freshmen students don't get to speak. They're here to observe and make their brains absorb as much information as they can. You are watchers, nothing else." If you thought that I hated him before, now I did even more-and I honestly didn't know that was possible. If stares could kill, he'd be already dead.

"Is everyone clear?" Some students started to nod while others simply kept quiet. "Alright, first case of the year, people." He said while taking out what seemed to be brain scans. He turned the light of the scan board annexed to the whiteboard on to let us see the picture properly.

"Anyone care to explain what you see in this scan?" Lots of hands were raised to ask for permission to speak. "I don't want you telling me it's a brain tumor, because anyone with working eyes can see that." A few hands fell back, only leaving three people wanting to speak. Vennberg pointed at a girl sitting in the middle row.

"It's a butterfly tumor." She said while looking at the scan.

"Explain to us what that means, miss...?" He answered.

"Emma Kingsley, sir." The girl spoke cautiously. "A butterfly tumor or glioblastoma is an aggressive kind of brain cancer, and it usually spreads through both sides of the brain." She uttered a bit nervous. I wanted to pat her on the back and tell her she was doing great.

"Thank you, Miss Kingsley." He said and then looked at me, he always seemed to be catching my stare. Almost as if he knew how much it bothered me. Like he wanted to annoy me on purpose.

«Asshole.»

"We want to operate on this tumor. To take it out. Can anyone tell me how we can do this?" He asked and then looked satisfied since nobody raised their hand. It was pretty obvious. Butterfly tumors are inoperable.

A guy raised his hand to speak. Vennberg looked at him mockingly and told him to answer. "You can't," the student started. "It's an inoperable tumor. The patient can get into a coma or die." Vennberg looked content with his answer. Was that it?

"Get out," Vennberg answered as the guy flinched in pure disorientation. After a few moments, he stood up in complete shock, he looked like he wanted to cry. He simply walked to the door and left defeatedly.

"I wouldn't be asking you how to operate on this brain if I thought it was inoperable. The answer that kid gave me would've been an answer coming from a regular surgeon, sending their patient home to die. I'm not a regular surgeon and I'm here to teach you how to be an extraordinary doctor, not a mediocre one. So, tell me. How can we operate on this?" Everyone was clueless. I, for sure, didn't know. This guy was brilliant. In times like this I wished I didn't dislike him. Or wished for him not to be such an asshole.

Everyone was quiet, searching through books for about fifteen minutes until finally a girl raised her hand. "You can only know once you've opened the patient's scalp, you'd have to go in blind."

"That'd kill the patient or leave him with severe neurological damage. You can do it though, when you have no other chance. I'm asking for a plan." Students kept on answering and Vennberg kept on proving they were wrong. Everyone seemed to get more tired and more frustrated by each second that passed, until there were only fifteen minutes left of class. Finally.

"Nobody is getting out of here until you give me a decent answer." Although nobody dared to groan, the air filled with dread.

«Oh, come on.»

Everyone started to look at each other as if that would make someone talk. You see, when I feel pressured, I talk. I can't help it. My dad used to say that I was really good under pressure and that it would make me a better surgeon. Surgeon. Not student. I couldn't talk or do anything for the matter here. But I knew a way of operating on this. I just couldn't shut up. How could I? I felt like the rest of the students were giving me puppy eyes as if they knew that I had figured the answer out. It was obviously all in my head, but right now, my brain wasn't being realistic.

You think that I could stop myself from doing so? Well, I couldn't. "Since It's in the frontal lobe, the astrocytoma spreads out through the corpus callosum, it fans like smoke," I simply spit it out, shutting my eyes very tightly. I opened one eye slowly and saw that Vennberg's stare instantly found mine and he looked at me like I had a death wish. So, I shut up.

«Way to go, girl.»

"Go on." He simply said. All eyes fixed on me-since I was the suicidal freshmen talking, when rule number four specifically said: no freshmen is allowed to speak.

"Well, uhm. If you look at the tumor, -I've never seen something like that before- the edges are smooth and defined, it would be easier to cut around if you can keep the entire dissection inside and never let it drift outside." The answer wasn't anything too sophisticated, it was quite simple, but it was a plan, and he had explicitly asked for one. Vennberg smiled at me. A breath-taking smile. I noticed it didn't reach his eyes as he slowly put his lips back into their normal shape. His eyes grew darker and I felt like running away.

"Exactly, that's the answer that I was hoping for." He crossed his arms over his chest, leaning against his desk comfortably. "I'd say well done, but since one of my rules strictly said that no freshmen could speak, consider yourself out of the program."

* * *

"I think you kicked ass." Jacob was sitting along with Kate and me. It was lunchtime and I was playing with my sandwich. I wasn't hungry. I felt sick. I had just wasted my only opportunity to be taught by the best surgeon there is.

"Lia, come on. He can't possibly kick you out. Your answer was right, and you were the only one in there who has the brain to actually think that way." My friend was trying to cheer me up. Thing is, he actually did kick me out. Just like that.

"I don't know Kate." I hated my stupid mouth right now. My friend looked at me, she seemed to be deep in thought. Something snapped in his eyes, like a light bulb, and then she spoke up excitedly.

"Hmm, does this mean that I could get into the program now? Since you and your self-control have clearly failed." Kate and I always acted like this with each other. Jacob looked at her in surprise and he was just about to lecture her when I burst into laughter and punched Kate on her arm.

"You wish, bitch. You are too dumb."

"Ouch. Unnecessary." She cried while rubbing her arm.

"I think you should talk him into getting back to the program," Jacob suggested, raising an eyebrow.

"As if! Are you being serious? I know we haven't been friends for long, but I never would've imagined that you wanted me dead!" I exclaimed while covering my face with my hands dramatically. Jacob chuckled.

"Oh, I'm being super serious. I mean, come on! What's the worst thing that could happen? The guy has already kicked you out, he can't do anything worse than that."

"I think he's got a point," Kate agreed with him. He indeed had one, nevertheless there was no way I could go and talk to him after what happened.

"I don't think I can do it."

"Of course you can, and you will. End of it. Amalia Knox, I'm starting to think that you might not be wanting to become a great surgeon as much as you say so. You can't give up just like that, stuff ain't easy and we are not wasting that brain of yours. You will be one of the greatest doctors -along with me, obviously- and this program is an open door for it. Now stop being such a crybaby and start making up your speech for tomorrow first thing in the morning, you'll need it." Kate breathed out.

"Yes, mom." I didn't know what I would do without her.

"Anyone wants to go for an ice-cream?" Jacob stood up and held out both of his hands for us to take. Kate stared at me and grinned while taking in the invitation.