"It's
Christmas," said Penelope. "I'm better! I can't
believe it! Working on Christmas
Day must be terribly lonely," her thoughts continued, as
she wrapped up a gift for her doctor. "I don't think many
people want to do that, but as a country doctor, he has always
been so dedicated to his profession. I love him dearly and I cannot
help but admire him too."
Penelope was a thirty-year old
leukemia patient without any family. She was excited about having her
family doctor drop in. He'd made a promise to do so and she knew that he
would do exactly as he promised because he'd been her doctor ever since she was
an infant. In fact, he had delivered her.
Preparing for his imminent
arrival, Penelope set out a platter of Christmas cake and cookies. As
an afterthought, she added some mincemeat tarts and chocolates.
"I wonder what I should give him to drink," she said, as she put the
kettle on.
"Boy, do I have a surprise
for you, doc!" said Penelope, laughing aloud. Earlier, her oncologist
had called to advise her that she was in remission. Penelope had been
extremely ill during the past year and not expected to live, but after months of
treatment there was new hope for her. She could hardly wait to tell him
the good news.
"I wonder if you know yet,
doc?" Penelope wondered. "Maybe I should call you, but no, I
want to see the expression on your face, when I tell you."
Penelope gazed out the front
window, watching the sun beams radiate through long icicles, hanging
precariously, from the eaves troughs.
"Icy nice!" she
said, happily. "Hopefully, all that snow won't keep you away,
doc."
"Doctor, you always work
on Christmas Day! Doesn't that make for a lonely Christmas?" Penelope
hollered, as she watched her doctor wade through the snow drifts, a
few moments
later.
""Not at all,"
said her doctor, shaking the snow off his hat and handing his coat
to her. "Quite the opposite. Christmas is always so full of fun,
surprises and miracles. How about a Christmas hug from my best
patient?"
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