The sobs had subsided a bit now, and Sarah seemed to be wavering somewhere between complete humiliation and overwhelming relief that the pig was gone. “Ok, Ryan, I think I can handle that. Thank you.”
As Ryan made his way up to the front of the class to speak with Ben regarding his friend’s plight, he turned his head back in Sarah’s direction and gave her a reassuring wink, just to let her know that he had the situation well under control and not to worry. Approaching Ben, he motioned him over to the corner, where they could discuss the situation privately.
“Ben,” Ryan whispered, “Sarah’s really freakin’ out over this ‘baby pig’ thing. How about if the two of us just work together on this one? She’s obviously never going to be a surgeon, and as long as she can identify all the internal parts for the lab exam, don’t you think that would be enough?”
“Hmmm,” Ben murmured as he pondered Ryan’s request. “Well, the lab objective here is to be able to identify all key organs, nerves, bones, and the like. Most students enjoy the dissection part, but clearly that’s not the case with Sarah. I guess it would be ok if you do the cutting for her, as long as she can identify all the internal structures. Why don’t you give it a go and see what happens?”
“Well, I have to admit that I’ve really been looking forward to cutting up that little guy, and wasn’t planning on a partner, but it’s probably better than her continuing the old ‘puke-and-sob’ routine! I’m ok with helping her out—if I can, that is. Just give her Egg McPig to someone else, and I’ll try sharing mine with her.” With that, Ryan turned and started to return to his table, but Ben grabbed his arm, as if he weren’t quite finished with the conversation.
“Hey, Ryan, you in a band or something?” he queried, wondering about the significance of Ryan’s shaggy orange tie-dyed hair, large looped earring, and skintight leather pants. “Or do you always dress like you just disembarked from the ‘Black Pearl’?” Ben winked, referencing the current filming of the movie ‘Pirates of the Caribbean.’ He had to admit that he was somewhat curious about Ryan’s outlandish (even for Portland) attire.
“Well, I used to be back in SC. At the moment, I’m just kind of biding my time, and making sure I do well in school. That’s definitely a priority. Why, you play music too?”
“Not in a group or anything like that,” Ben replied rather wistfully. “Used to, though, a couple of years ago. I’m pretty good on keyboards and bass, if you ever get another group together. I don’t have much stuff now, just a keyboard that I practice on at home.”
Ryan’s green eyes twinkled a bit. “Well, I’m not surprised that you play. You look like a remake of Yanni about twenty years ago!” He was referring to Ben’s tall lanky frame and definitely Greek appearance. His Mediterranean complexion, shoulder-length black hair, and enchanting dark eyes were indeed a dead ringer for a young Yanni. “I’ll bet you don’t play as well as he does, though!” Ryan taunted a bit.
“You’ll just have to make that decision yourself,” Ben smiled back. “Seriously, though, let’s get together sometime and just have a little fun. If your playing is as outlandish as your attire, I’ll be in for a treat!”
“Ok, you’re on, buddy,” Ryan added. “Gives me something to look forward to, besides this lab stuff! Speaking of which, I’d better get back to Madam Queasy over there and start cutting on our pig. With all her breakfast gone, it’ll probably be a faint next,” Ryan winked at Ben as he headed back to Sarah and their now jointly owned piglet.
“Sarah, Ben says it’s ok if we work together on the pig if you’d like, just as long as you’re able to identify all the internal parts on the lab exam. So…would you like for me to do the cutting, and you help locate the target organs?”
Sarah looked up at Ryan with the biggest look of pure gratitude that he could ever remember seeing. “Oh, thank you, Ryan! I just don’t think I have it in me to cut open that poor little baby pig. I’ll try my best to help out when you need me too, though, ok?”
“Sure, that’s fine,” Ryan replied reassuringly, finally getting to the moment he had been waiting for. “I’ll just get my scalpel here, and we’ll see what makes that little pig tick!” Grinning and turning the pig on its back, Ryan swiftly made an incision from the neck to the lower abdomen, then pulled the skin back with his forceps. “The arteries and veins are filled with red and blue latex,” he added, “so we will be able to identify them more easily.” With that, Ryan heard a muffled shriek to his right, and looking over at Sarah, saw her knees buckle and her body crumple. Jumping up from his stool, he caught her left arm with one hand and her right shoulder with the other, interrupting the trajectory of her head toward the oak floor. Gently easing his now completely unconscious surgical assistant down, Ryan called out, “Yo, Ben, got a faint here at table 4. Sarah’s out for the count!”
Ben looked up and walked over to Ryan, rolling his eyes and wondering just how some things in life were so utterly predictable. “There’s a first aid kit in the closet up front. Would you grab it, please? I’ll take it from here.” At that moment, as Ryan looked down at Ben, whose arm was now under Sarah, raising her head and shoulders up a bit, his intuition seemed to predict that Ben was going to make a great doctor, and that their paths would continue to cross for years to come.
“On my way, bro,” he grinned, feeling strangely as if he were somehow walking into a future whose door was just now cracking open ever so slightly. “We’ll have her up and runnin’ in no time!”
Ben couldn’t help smiling as he watched Ryan dash off for the first aid kit. The guy’s a little weird, but definitely one of a kind, he mused. I like that about him—decisive, fearless, friendly, and certainly not shy. I wonder if he’s any good as a guitarist? Oh well, guess I’ll find out soon enough, he mused as Ryan rushed back. “Ok, Ryan, grab the ammonium carbonate…smelling salts,” he added with a smile, noting the perplexed look on his face. “This should bring her around,” he laughed as he unscrewed the small bottle and held it under Sarah’s nose.
Almost immediately her nose wrinkled, her brow furrowed, and her eyes popped open. “Ugh!” Sarah moaned. “What is that awful smell?”
“Just a little reminder to wake up!” Ben grinned. “Your partner here was beginning to think you didn’t like him!”
“Oh, I’m so embarrassed!” Sarah replied, just now realizing that she was on the floor and Ben was holding her in his arms. “Guess I really made a scene, didn’t I?”
“Pretty much,” Ryan smiled, extending a hand to help her up. “Didn’t you tell me you wanted to be a brain surgeon?” he winked.
“Ha, ha!” Sarah answered, rolling her eyes and shaking her head. “Maybe a dermatologist!” she grinned. “Skin-deep is quite far enough for me.”
“Sounds like an ‘aha’ moment,” Ben teased, hopping up from his support position on the floor. “Ok, everybody, show’s over, back to work now. Everybody make a nice, clean ventral incision and let’s see what made this little piggy tick!”
“Oh god,” moaned Sarah as she tried to steady herself by leaning against the lab table.
Ryan quickly reached over and grabbed her around the waist, easing her back onto her stool. “Sarah, we’ve gotta move on here. You just sit down, take a few deep breaths, and let me do the cutting. Try to think of it as your purse, and we’re just opening it up to see what all’s inside. It’s no big deal, really. You’ll get used to it, I promise!”
“If you say so,” Sarah replied, feeling anything but reassured by Ryan’s analogy. “Purse, huh?” she repeated, still looking a bit pale and wobbly.
“Well, it was the best I could come up