Lucy wondered if she was doing the right thing, prying into what made Ben tick. She wasn't a doctor, not yet, she might be asking all the wrong kinds of questions. Her concerns kept her awake all night.
The next day, groggy, Lucy went to see Ben again. He apologized for not having thought about his outlook. He seemed so downtrodden Lucy thought her heart would break. The one counter to the notion of human suffering she had ever met and Lucy had ruined him. She spoiled his innocence by suggesting that there was more to life than what he had.
It was Lucy's turn to apologize, then. She was truly and deeply sorry for putting Ben on the spot. He needn't worry about her questions. But Lucy's distress only compounded Ben's. He reminded her that pretty ladies should not be sad.
Touched, Lucy tried to change the subject. She asked Ben what he had been thinking about since yesterday, wondered if her answers lay in his common thoughts.
Secrets, Ben informed her as quietly as he could. He had been thinking about secrets.
Lucy knew trepidation.
She feared for innocent, earnest Ben, feared what kinds of secrets he might be keeping. If the Institute had mistreated this dear young man, Lucy would dismantle it brick by brick, her future as a doctor be damned. Summoning her courage, she asked Ben what kind of secrets he had been thinking about.
The answer could not have been more shocking if it had been delivered by little green men. Hers, Ben said, he was thinking about her secrets.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment