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SUMMER 2010
BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.
The alarm clock reads 6:30 am. Coffee is made, then breakfast. Clothes are changed, the apartment is exited. The car starts, and in minutes he's at work. Beeline to the resident locker room, he signs a clipboard on the way in, stashing his things in his locker. On the inside of his locker door is an array of cards, drawings, and filled-in coloring pages from young children, notes from their grateful parents.
A freezing cold morning, but nonetheless a bright one at Children's Minnesota.
Charlie graduated Eden Hall Academy a far different person and student than he had entered as. While hockey still stood among his favorite things, his perspective had changed majorly — he loved it, but playing professionally wasn't going to be in the cards for him. Still, he stuck with the sport as a means to an end. He managed to get a full ride to the University of Michigan, where he played for the Wolverines in his undergraduate years. After that, he was scouted for pro teams somewhat, but he lacked an interest. That simply wasn't what he wanted to do.
The other thing that changed for Charlie was that he finally figured out what he wanted to do with his life. It wasn't long after Crystal passed that Charlie went in to pick his electives for his junior year, and he chose Psychology. Though he hadn't expected to like it, he found himself fascinated. He wanted to help people like Crystal, like Carrie and Miss Donna too. From then on, he worked his butt off to keep his grades up. Considering he isn't what some might call a "natural student," this was quite a feat. And the work didn't stop there.
He took a fast track program to medical school, receiving his bachelor's in Psychology before becoming a Doctor of Medicine in seven years. From there, he spent the required four years in residency with adults, and was now in his first year of residency with children. Sometime while working toward his bachelor's, he decided to concentrate in child development and neuropsychology, the two areas that affected Crystal's mental condition the most. Even though being licensed to work with children and adolescents was more work, Charlie was happy to do it — his residency was only proving that this was where he was supposed to be.
His current role as a pediatric psych resident was to act as a float between departments. There was no specific psychiatric department, which meant that he worked with individual patients who have all different needs. Sometimes his role meant dealing with patients with mental health issues, while others he was evaluating the extent of brain traumas or other learning and growth delays. The role of psychiatrists in this hospital was just starting to grow, meaning there were just two psychiatrists with Charlie being one of three or four residents beneath them. He was lucky, his job after residency was already ensured.
His first task of the day was to evaluate a girl who was set to come in for brain surgery later that week, coincidentally, a cancerous tumor removal. She was getting a full medical and psychological evaluation before and after the procedure to ensure no damage was done. This was a practice that did not exist at the time of Crystal's surgery — one that could have majorly helped her if it had. Charlie finds he needs to take a minute before going along to see them. This case had been the closest he's ever seen to Crystal's situation.
