Max sat down for a decent lunch in the cafeteria. He could get a hot meal as long as he didn't show up too late. The Alfredo sauce on the pasta and chicken reminded him of glue, but it tasted okay. Hopefully, it wouldn't weigh him down the rest of the day. His afternoon was booked with outpatient surgeries. They were routine, like cyst removals.

Short on time, he grabbed the bread stick and dumped the rest of his pasta. He ate the bread as he walked across the bridge into the medical building, where he would spend his afternoon in the pediatric surgery office.

Upon entering, the waiting room was empty. Pleased about being early, he walked into the office area. Judy, a nurse, waved. "Back for more."

On outpatient afternoons, he finished up at a reasonable time. As he reviewed his schedule, Judy said, "Your patient is in room two."

A surgical follow up. He smiled as he entered. A mother sat with a sleeping baby in the carrier. He spoke to her first. She had no concerns, so he asked her to lift the baby. Once on the exam table he lifted his clothing to expose his tummy. The scar from the umbilical hernia repair had healed well. After his examination, he smiled.

"Everything looks great. I don't expect any more problems, but your pediatrician will monitor it."

After multiple thank yous, he escorted her towards the exit, before moving on to his next patient. The appointment took longer because he had to excise a cyst, created by an ingrown hair. It required numbing the area and ended by suturing his small incision. She would need a follow up to remove the stitches. His afternoon continued until he ushered his last patient out. Max sat and finished his documentation. Smiling, six was early for him, and he had the following day off, before going back to the hospital for the weekend.

Days off were much nicer in his new place. When he looked at his phone, he had three missed calls and a text message for Olivia. They hadn't spoken since the trivia weekend. Her only text had been to him and Zach during the snowstorm.

He texted her. What's up?

His phone immediately rang. "When's your next day off?"

"Tomorrow. Why?"

"I need your help. Can you come to the city? Please."

"I have some work to do for my job applications."

"Can you work on the train? I wouldn't bother you but it's important."

"What is? Don't you work tomorrow?"

"I'll take time off. A homeless couple has a newborn and something's wrong."

He sat up. "What?"

"He cries a lot and I think something is wrong with his genitals."

"How old?" He could guess the problem.

"Two months. I think."

"There are plenty of doctors in the city."

"I know but they're afraid he'll be taken away. She thinks she did something wrong. She's young and scared."

"Where are they staying with a newborn?"

"A family shelter. Kurt promised they'll get the next apartment."

"They need a home."

"I know."

He frowned. He could hear her tears. "I'll come in the morning." For you.

"Thank you, thank you!"

He pictured her bouncing. Groaning, he missed her unbridled joy. His last visit didn't turn out well, but she always started with a fresh slate. Maybe she would be his old friend. He should have insisted they seek medical care for the baby, but one more night wouldn't cause anything but sleeplessness.

He didn't suffer from sleeplessness and jerked when the alarm woke him out of a deep sleep. His first thought was he missed rounds because it was eight. Then he remembered he had to catch a train. He had packed his iPad with the plan to work on the train. If only he knew if he was in the running at the Boston hospitals he had applied to. His recruiter contacted him constantly about other opportunities but most were general surgery working for agencies. He really wanted to lock in a pediatric position.

He put his tablet away for a nap, but woke as the train pulled into Penn Station. He was supposed to meet Olivia at the shelter, but she had texted to let him know she was waiting at the station. As he exited the platform she stood looking as beautiful as ever. He frowned because she lacked her signature smile. As he drew closer he recognized the lines on her face. He had seen moms with similar expressions.

"It's going to be okay? Tell me about your involvement."

As the story unfolded, it did not surprise him the young mother trusted Olivia. "Will she trust me?"

"I hope so. I told her she could."

On the street, Olivia said, "There's too much traffic. Let's walk."

Neither spoke on the ten-minute walk. As they approached the old building, Max felt nostalgic for the few times he had volunteered in the past. The dining room was empty. Olivia looked at her watch. "She's not late. She'll come."

They heard the side door shut, and Olivia rushed to it. He heard her reassuring voice. He wasn't sure what he expected, but the young couple looked clean. They looked like they should be in senior English class, not parents. He wondered if either were eighteen.

"This is Max. He's Kurt's nephew and a doctor."

He smiled his warm smile. "Who is this little guy?"

"Jayden." The mother's voice was weak. "I keep him clean and fed and loved."

"Where was he born?"

The couple looked at each other and clamped up. He cringed. They were lucky the mother was healthy.

He motioned to a table, and she put the sleeping baby down. "Has he seen a doctor or had any shots?"

He opened the diaper and confirmed his suspicions, an inguinal hernia. It was a developmental problem. "You didn't cause this. It happened in the womb. Unfortunately, he'll need surgery, but he needs vaccinations too."

Olivia stepped up. "Will you do the surgery?"

He shook his head. "They're here. It would help if they had a place to stay after the surgery." The mother picked the baby up and held him close. "Do you have any family?" She shook her head repeatedly. "It's okay. You should take him to a free clinic for vaccinations. That's the best way to keep him healthy."

"What about the surgery?" Olivia asked.

He hated his own advice. "If they appear at an emergency department, they will have to treat him even if there isn't insurance. He should have medicaid."

"So they'll give us the surgery?"

He nodded. "But you have to keep him warm after the surgery." And clean.

He had seen his share of poor patients in New Haven. Sometimes the toughest part of a case was not the medical problem.

The mother nodded, as Olivia bit her lip. "Is the family shelter decent?"

"Decent enough. We don't sleep on the streets."

"Jayden should have a physical and his shots before surgery. The hernia needs to be repaired soon, but not today."

The two frightened children left with their baby and Max turned to Olivia after the door shut behind him. "Not ideal. Where did she have that baby?"

"I always assumed the hospital. I can't imagine if it was just the two of them. My mother was young, but she wasn't alone."

Max leaned forward. "Who was with her?"

Olivia knitted her brow. "I don't know. My grandmother? Andrew? I guess I never asked."

"You'll let me know how the surgery goes?"

"Are you leaving? We could have lunch."

"Don't you have to work?" She wore slacks and leather boots, but it was Friday. He never worked in an office but some people dressed down the last day of the week.

"I took the day not knowing what to expect. Do you have to rush off?"

"No. We can grab lunch. You can tell me about Graham."

She laughed. "Text Mandy. She'll know more."

He followed her out onto the sidewalk. It was a warm day for February.

"So you pawned him off. I haven't heard from Seb. I assume he's busy with Lindy."

Olivia nodded. "I haven't seen either since we picked a venue for the party. I have to complete the menu. You will come?"

"I arranged my schedule." He paused, but stopped himself from asking about the wedding.

"Plus one?"

He laughed and shook his head. "You aren't very subtle. You used to just ask."

"Fine, are you still sleeping with whoever it was you were sleeping with since before Zach's wedding?"

"No. I moved to my own place. I hated where I lived."

"I hate how you lived with her."

Max stopped walking. "We lived in the same place with four others. Sometimes we shared a room and sometimes we didn't."

"Because you shared a bed."

"Do you really want the details or should we end it with I'm done with her?"

"How did she take it?"

He shrugged, choosing not to remember their last encounter. "Surprised because I didn't tell them I was moving."

"I don't understand."

"You wouldn't, but the truth is my living conditions were worse than the shelter. Shelters must have regulations. I slept in beds someone else had vacated. I had my own blanket I slept on."

"What about the sheets?"

"The blanket was big enough to sleep on and fold over. I appreciate my bed so much more now."

"No wonder you never minded the attic."

He chuckled. "The attic is luxury compared to my old place. Our lives are very different.

Olivia reached for his hand. "They don't have to be."

Max looked down at her. She belonged in the city and he didn't. "Liv, let's enjoy our lunch."

Together again. Please vote ⭐️