Chapter 9 - The Medicine of the Heart
Six months later.
The Vance Memorial Hospital had been restructured under new, honest management and renamed the Greenwich Community Children's Hospital.
In the grand surgical wing, Dr. Clara Winslow stood in front of the scrub sink, washing her hands thoroughly under the warm running water. She wore clean surgical scrubs, her hair pulled back under a blue cap. Her medical license had been fully restored with a formal apology from the state board, and she had accepted the position of Director of Pediatric Surgery.
Her first major operation since her reinstatement was scheduled for 9:00 a.m.—a delicate, life-saving procedure on a seven-year-old girl.
There were no tremors in her hands. No fear in her heart.
Through the observation glass window above the operating room, Derek stood watching her, holding Finn and Eli by their hands, while Jasper sat comfortably on his shoulders.
The boys waved frantically down at her through the glass.
Clara looked up, catching sight of her four favorite people in the world. She blew them a kiss through her surgical mask, her eyes crinkling with deep happiness.
"Look, Daddy!" Jasper shouted softly from Derek's shoulders. "Clara is going to fix the little girl’s brain today!"
"Yes, she is, buddy," Derek smiled, his eyes glowing with pride. "She’s the best doctor in the world."
The surgery lasted four hours. It was a complete, unqualified success.
When Clara stepped out of the surgical suite into the recovery waiting room, she was greeted by the tearful, ecstatic hugs of the young patient’s parents. She comforted them, gave them recovery instructions, and then walked down the long glass hallway toward her private office.
Standing outside her office door was Derek, carrying a massive bouquet of red roses, while the triplets were hiding behind his legs, holding hand-drawn congratulatory cards painted with bright watercolors.
"Congratulations, Dr. Winslow," Derek said, stepping forward and handing her the roses, pulling her into a warm embrace.
"Did you save the day, Clara?" Finn asked, tugging on her scrub pants.
Clara knelt down, pulling all three boys into a big, warm hug, ignoring the rose petals falling around them. "We saved the day, Finn. Together."
Eli handed her his card, which showed a drawing of five people holding hands beneath a bright yellow sun—two tall adults and three small boys.
"Look, Clara," Eli said proudly, pointing at the drawing. "That’s Daddy, that’s us, and that’s you. You're our mom now, right?"
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Clara felt a warm wave of emotion crash over her heart. She looked up at Derek, who was watching her with an expression of pure, unadulterated love.
"If you'll have me, sweetie," Clara whispered, kissing Eli's cheek. "I would be honored to be your mom."
