Me After Meeting You

As Calvin and Melody were driving back, Amber had just pacified a patient and was just about to leave when Dr. Susan called her again.

Dr. Susan was the doctor who Amber had met when she had accidentally walked into the gynecology department while hiding from reporters. They hadn’t seen each other for a month, and Dr. Susan looked even thinner than before, almost as if she would be blown away by any stray wind.

Amber looked at her carefully, and then seriously said, “Dr. Susan, I think that you need to make sure to get some more rest.”

Dr. Susan laughed. “As a psychiatrist, you really do have sharp eyes.” She rubbed her temples before saying, “Do you have some free time after work? I’d like to spend some time talking with you.” As she looked at Amber, she added. “I can pay.”

“I’d be honored. If you need to, feel free to find me at any time.” Amber gave Dr. Susan her address. “I can treat you to dinner this time.”

Dr. Susan laughed as she accepted, “Alright.”

As Amber left the gynecology building, she remembered that she had actually already scheduled to have dinner with Calvin, and so she sent him a message. “Something came up this evening. Can we reschedule dinner for another time?”

Calvin sent her a crying emoji, and then a simple reply. “Okay.”

Amber laughed and went to buy some groceries after getting off work. But she still didn’t have enough time to finish cooking before her doorbell rang.This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

Amber opened her door and let Dr. Susan in. She was wearing casual clothes, and after taking her white coat off and replacing it with a pale blue coat, she no longer seemed as thin or frail.

“I still haven’t introduced myself properly. I’m Susan White,” she said.

“Come in, Susan White!” And then Amber handed her a pair of slippers.

There was music floating through the house, a soft and relaxing blues tune with a thick and deep bass male voice singing soulful melodies. The living room was lit solely by a small lamp, from which a pale yellow light set the warm tone.

The sofa was very clean and tidy, and a cup of hot tea and a vase of fresh flowers were placed on the coffee table. There weren’t that many flowers in the case only two or three stalks, but they were arranged beautifully in a white vase patterned with blue flowers. The gentle aesthetic added a delicate and independent beauty to the center of the living room.

All this gave off such a comfortable atmosphere, that anyone who saw it would feel a nearly irresistible urge to curl up on the sofa and fall into a comfortable and restful sleep.

Susan smiled happily before turning to look at Amber. “Thank you for all your effort.”

“It’s no problem. Please, sit first. I’m almost done with the meal, so let me prepare a bit longer.”

Susan nodded, and Amber returned to the kitchen. By the time she was done, Susan was already asleep, half laying down on the sofa.

Amber smiled, lowered the volume of the music, and brought out a blanket to cover her body. She ate alone in the kitchen, a modest meal of a bowl of rice and a small dish of soup.

After she finished dinner, she read a book on her carpet. Susan slept by her side, not for too long though. After about an hour or so passed, she awoke once more.

“Are you hungry?” asked Amber. When she heard the rustling sounds of movement next to her, she knew that Susan had woken up.

Perhaps Amber’s tone was too familiar and too natural, but Susan had a somewhat perplexed look on her face when she looked at Amber.

After a while, when her mind had cleared up, she said, “I can’t believe I actually fell asleep.” And what a sound sleep it was! She had fallen into such a deep sleep that all her stress seemed to have vanished, and she was able to ignore all the issues normally plaguing her. That one hour nap had felt like a long, fulfilling sleep.

Susan looked deeply at Amber as she said, “You’re really quite different from the other psychiatrists I know. No wonder so many people in the hospital say that you’re strange. Of course, I now know that it’s praise for you.”

Amber laughed. “The food’s still warm. Do you want some? I think you should eat.”

“Alright.”

Amber served her some food. She could only make simple dishes, so dinner was quite modest, just a soup, some meat, and a dish of sauteed green vegetables.

She was somewhat embarrassed. “These are my best dishes, so please help yourself.”

Susan smiled. “At least you have a few dishes that you’re comfortable making, while I have none.” She picked up her bowl and spoon, and started eating slowly. Amber drank a bit of soup while she accompanied her.

Susan didn’t eat much. When she was done, she looked at Amber. “Aren’t you going to ask me something?”

“Yes. I was waiting for you to finish eating first.”

Susan looked at her, smiling after a moment’s pause. “You’re really … overturning my understanding of psychiatrists. I thought that, in order to cure an illness, you would first start with a heart to heart talk, follow that up with an inspection, and end by prescribing some medicine.”

Amber asked, “Do you need any of that?”

“No. I just need to sleep and eat more.” After saying that, she stared at the empty bowl in front of her for quite a while. Then she stood up. “I’m going to go. Thank you. Before I leave, I’d like to retract what I said that time. You should be a doctor, and you’re honestly a very good doctor.”

Amber smiled. “Thank you. That’s the best praise I’ve ever heard. And to think that I even got scolded by our chief today.”

“Your chief doesn’t know what’s what.”

“Yes, I think so too.”

The two shared another laugh as Amber accompanied Susan to the door. From start to finish, Amber had never asked a single question, but she believed that, no matter what, Susan already knew what she needed to do.

Sometimes, the main reason people felt frustrated was because they had forced themselves into a dead end. When someone gave that person a cup of tea, sat her down, and let her have the rest she needed, she would realize that her path forward was blocked off, and that she should turn around.

After all, Susan was a smart person.