Free The Procedure by Tabatha Vargo, Melissa Andrea Page B

since then, I’d brought her a new seashell every time I visited her.
    I found myself on the beaches of Miami, searching the sand for an unbroken shell that was perfect enough for such a sweet little girl. I’d ruined two pairs of high-priced shoes in the search, but she was worth every cent I’d paid.
    On the way back to her bed, her eyes landed on Samantha, who was standing in the doorway. I watched as her self-confidence deflated, and she put her head down as if to cover her burn scars.
    “How rude of me. Tori, this is my very good friend, Samantha.” I motioned for Samantha to come into the room. “Samantha, meet Tori the mermaid, also known as one of my favorite patients.”
    Tori’s face lit up at my words, and she climbed back in her bed.
    Suddenly, I was worried that I’d overestimated Samantha. What if she was as low as the circles she ran in? What if she took one look at Tori and her burns, and her disgust showed on her face? I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to look at her again, much less help her, if she showed Tori anything less than the kindness she deserved.
    Samantha moved into the room, a light sheen to her eyes as if she were about to cry, and then she smiled. “Hello, Mermaid Tori. Am I to assume that your fins and tail only appear when you’re in the ocean?” she asked playfully
    Tori giggled loudly, sounding every bit the eight-year-old she was, and something inside me shifted. I moved to the side and watched as Samantha sat in the chair beside Tori’s bed, playing and laughing with her. Not once did her eyes betray her. Not once did I catch her looking overly long at Tori’s skin. It was as if she hadn’t seen her scars and burns at all, and I couldn’t help but appreciate her even more.
    When it was time to leave, she leaned in and hugged Tori. A smile tugged her lips as she bent and whispered something in Tori’s ear that made the little girl light up even more.
    “It was great meeting you, Tori. Try not to give the doc a hard time when I’m not around.” She smirked over at me.
    I smiled, rustled Tori’s hair once again, and told her I’d see her soon.
    We visited two more of my patients. A six-year-old named Logan, who had chemical burns across his stomach. He was the product of an extreme case of child abuse. And Bailey, who had lost half of her eyesight and face in an apartment fire. She was also quite possibly the smartest ten-year-old girl I’d ever had the privilege to meet.
    Through all the meetings, Samantha was sweet to each child. She talked to them as if they weren’t in the burn unit of a children’s hospital, but as if they were just normal, fun children. She’d batted her lashes at Logan when he called her pretty and had even given Bailey a tiny makeup lesson with some pink eye shadow the girl had in her room to play with.
    She was amazing. Seeing just how truly amazing was eye opening. I’d help her no matter what it took. I’d help her even knowing that the man she was doing everything for was a worthless wanker, who wasn’t fit to kiss her toes.
    I opened her car door for her when we left the hospital, and she smiled up me after climbing in. Her smile was contagious and after seeing her with the kids, I couldn’t help but want to hug her.
    After I put on my seat belt and cranked the car, she turned toward me and captured my attention. The excitement in her eyes was something I’d pay money to see every day.
    I shook my head. “You’re something else, you know that?”
    “I am?” Her smile dropped and confusion tilted her brows.
    “The funny thing is that you don’t realize how wonderful you are, Samantha Aldridge.”
    The car got quiet, and her eyes moved over my face as if checking to see if I was joking with her. Feeling confident that I was indeed being serious, she reached out, playfully patted my arm, and smiled before turning and hooking her seat belt.
    Quickly changing the subject, she smoothed her hair down behind her shoulder and turned to