Page 14 of Dr. Grump's Surprise Baby

“Some of you might have interacted with him over the past few weeks,” Dr. Berger said. “His name is Daniel Wilson.”

Emily thought her heart might have cracked.Daniel.

“I know this might be difficult for you,” Dr. Berger said. “But I’m afraid I can’t let anyone off the hook today. Everyone is going to have to come along for this conversation.

Emily knew that she shouldn’t speak up. She should allow Dr. Berger to call the shots without saying anything. She wasn’t doing herself any favors. But she couldn’t help saying something.

“Are you sure, Dr. Berger?” she asked.

Everyone turned to look at her.

She felt her face grow hot. Challenging Dr. Berger simply wasn’t done. And yet… he was wrong. She knew he was wrong. How could she hold back from saying something about it? Wasn’t it her responsibility?

“Do you have an opinion you’d like to share?” Dr. Berger asked her, his voice cold.

Emily’s courage nearly failed her. She almost changed her mind and told him no, that she didn’t have anything in particular to say.

But she couldn’t hold this back. Her conscience wouldn’t permit her to do it.

“It’s just that I wonder whether this is what’s right for Daniel’s family,” she said. “Having a bunch of interns crowded around for what is going to be one of the most painful moments of their lives. Surely we should prioritize giving them a little privacy as they cope with it.”

“If you don’t want to come along, maybe you should stay behind,” Chad said.

Dr. Berger shot Chad a glare, but when he turned his attention back to Emily, his expression was no kinder. “This isn’t just about Daniel,” he said. “This is about every patient you’ll deal with in your career. You need to learn how to handle these moments so you’ll be ready to face them in the future, when I’m not here to do it alongside you.”

“I understand that,” Emily said. “It just feels sort of cold for us to get that experience at the expense of a family going through something like this.”

“We have to learn somehow,” Sara murmured. “I know it’s hard, Emily, but this is what has to happen. You get that, right?”

Dr. Berger shook his head. “I don’t have time for this,” he said. “If you don’t want to come, stay behind.”

Emily fell into step alongside the others. Shedidn’twant to be a part of this, but if a whole group of interns was going to talk to Daniel’s family, it wouldn’t make any difference if she was the one who chose to sit it out. And maybe she could do something to make this easier for them.

She could tell the moment they walked into the family waiting room that the Wilsons already knew what they were going to hear. It was obvious that Daniel’s mother had been crying. His older brother had an arm around her and an expression of solemnity on his face. Daniel’s father was pacing back and forth, not looking at anybody, and even his little sister, who couldn’t have been more than six years old, seemed aware that something deeply serious was taking place.

The interns took up places around the room, leaning against the wall to watch what would happen next. Emily felt deeply disturbed by the fact that they were there at all, but she’d voicedher dissent and had been put in her place. There was nothing more she could do about it.

Dr. Berger took a seat opposite Daniel’s mother, who immediately began to cry again.

“As you know,” he said, “we’ve been exploring a variety of treatment options for Daniel, and as of now, we’ve come to the end of what medical science can do.”

“There has to be something else,” Mr. Wilson said. His tone was all anger, no shock, which told Emily clearly that the family had known this was coming.

“I’m sorry.” Dr. Berger didn’t sound sorry, she couldn’t help noticing. There was no real empathy in his voice; he sounded as if he was saying something he had memorized by rote. “Unfortunately, there really isn’t. My best advice now is that you take him home and make him comfortable.”

“And wait for him to die?” Mrs. Wilson said, her voice trembling. “That’s what you’re saying, isn’t it?”

“He’s doing well right now,” Dr. Berger said. “He could have a decent amount of time left.”

“A decent amount of time? He’s a child! He should have eighty years left! We brought him here because you’re supposed to be the best doctor in the state.”

“I’m an emergency room doctor,” Dr. Berger said. “I’m not a specialist in Daniel’s condition. But I’ve worked with Dr. Nash for a long time, and I know that he has done everything possible for your son.”

“Where is Dr. Nash? Why isn’t he the one telling us this?”

Emily got a sinking feeling. Was it possible that the reason Dr. Nash wasn’t here was so that Dr. Berger could bring the interns to this? Was it possible he had asked to take on this task as a part of their training?

If that was true, it was appalling.

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