‘Nurse talks to students regarding career advice’ by Roha Khan

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‘Happiness’ by Zoha Sarim

Lily underwent heart surgery. She was only four years old when she was diagnosed with a rare heart disease. She was five years old when the surgery took place.

*******

Lily woke up and started vomiting. Her parents ran to her. They took her to the hospital. Lily’s chest hurt. She cried silently and hugged her teddy bear. Her parents rushed her to the emergency room. These men in blue coats and green masks put something over her mouth and nose. Suddenly, she could breathe better. Then for a while, everything went hazy.

When she woke up, she was lying on a soft white bed, with her pink blanket, and her teddy bear next to her. Her parents were talking to a man in a white coat. Lily decided to go to sleep again.

*******

Lily sat in the car with her bag filled with toys and books. The men in the blue coats were called doctors, and they were going to make her heart better again. She went into a room that was filled with toys and other children. She played with a girl named Angela whose arm was broken.

“They’re gonna take out my stitches today!” exclaimed Angela gleefully.

“I’m gonna get a better heart!” replied Lily, smiling goofily.

“Ooh, that sounds nice.”

“Lily!” A nurse called. “It’s your turn.”

“Bye Angela!”

“Bye Lily!”

The nurse led Lily to a room. The same man she had seen talking to her parents last year was standing there. He smiled.

“How are you, Lily? I’m Dr. Richard.”

“I’m fine.”

“I’ll be doing your surgery today.”

“Okay!”

She lay down on the bed, and again a mask was put on her face. She closed her eyes and drifted into a warm sleep.

Lily woke up. Her room was empty. She had a big white cloth on her chest, under her nightie. She slowly got out of bed, and saw her slippers in the corner of the room. She shuffled over to them, and slipped them on. The door squeaked open. The nurse came in with a tray of food.

“Lily! What are you doing up so early!”

“I was looking for my Hello Kitty slippers. They make everything better!”

The nurse crouched down, a wide smile on her face. She laughed slightly and said, “Say that again, would you?”

The nurse took out her phone and pointed it at Lily, making a video. Lily repeated her words.

“Well. Would you like something to eat?”

“Yes! Do you have jelly?”
“I’ll see. You just made my day, with your words, you know that?”

“But what about the jelly?”

“You’ll get your jelly. Don’t worry.”