The Phoenix Ghost

Dr. Pookie, Scratch That, Dr. Heart

Dr. Phil Roberts....

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Sang looked over her appearance critically in the mirror.  She sighed, this was as good as it was going to get, she thought.

She was dressed in a cap and gown, the red and gold sash declaring she was graduating as an MD (Doctor of Medicine) and MS (Doctor of Surgery). She and Phil had already discussed her continued education to achieve an MM (Master of Medicine) as well as an MSurg (Master of Surgery).

As pleased as she was with her accomplishments, Sang was experiencing a bitter sweet moment.

Today she would earn her first doctorates at the age of 18, taking over the record for youngest Academy member to achieve the title Doctor. Naturally this made Sang think of Dr. Sean Green, Blackbourne Doctor extraordinare. After three months, her heart still aches at the loss of the nine men she loved, whose children she was now five months pregnant with.

Stroking her belly, Sang smiled. The septuplets always brought a smile to her face. It's been three weeks since she started feeling their movements and God, did it comfort her! She'd accepted that her heart would always ache for her Blackbourne men but she could finally take a breath now that she'd found methods of mentally boxing up the pain and placing those boxes in pigeon holes at the back of her mind.

It had been harder to box up the anger she felt at their broken promises but she'd gotten much better at controlling even her anger in the past two weeks.

She was working on her mental health with her Academy selected councillor, Dr. Amelia Evans. Amelia was a lovely lady in her mid to late 40's with long black hair and striking pale blue eyes. Sang and Iris had been speculating whether there was a match to be made between Dr. Amelia and Dr. Phil.

Amelia had warned Sang that she'd be experiencing depression as she entered the acceptance phase of her grief cycle. Sang had briefly been depressed but it was neither in her nature nor was she allowed to wallow in depression between Iris, Mak and Phil and the Tomas. They kept her both busy and entertained.

But mostly it was the impending arrival of her children that kept Sang on the positive curve of acceptance in her grief. How could she be always sad when she had the best of her boys growing in her womb? So while the bitterness couldn't be denied, the sweetness far surpassed the sourness and warmed Sang from within.

'My heart and my soul, breakfast is ready,' Corey called to Sang and Iris. Iris hugged her sister from behind as they both stared at their reflection in the mirror,

'Coming my reason,' both Sang and Iris acknowledged their sweetest Toma.

'You ready to graduate today, sissy?' Iris knew Sang was thinking of Sean Green. There wasn't much they hid from one another anymore. It was simply understood that they were two halves of the same coin and would share everything with one another.

'I'm fine, not perfect but I'm ok, lucky in so many ways. If things hadn't turned out the way they have, I'd have been facing the arrival of seven babies on my own. And honestly? There were days in the first month after the boys left me that I don't know if I'd have had the inner strength to make it through.

Every day I'd wake up and map out my day, hour by hour. While thinking of what is on for tomorrow and next week and next month. I had to be that focused so I didn't fall into the trap of wondering where they are, if they're ok, but most of all why.' Sang's voice broke on the last word and trembled on the next,

'Why didn't they have faith in my ability to be a partner in our family? Why did they break every promise they ever made me? Why haven't they attempted to check on me? Victor is capable if they cared enough to want to know how I am doing, and no matter how clever he would be at hiding a check, I know you'd have found his back door. I know you've been watching for it, sis,' Iris' eyes were full of guilt. She had been watching for the Blackbourne's to check on Sang,