Bye !!

"Bye!"
After the end of another day's Pediatrics posting, moving in the Umed Hospital premises, towards the vehicle-stand, I heard this sweet-voice of a child.

'Bye!'
A little louder one.
Busy thinking about the things that I had to do; planning my route back to college via MGH, as I had to purchase my Peds log-book & the text book (Yes, I am only 10 days from my post-end ;) ) eat something, fuel my scooter, AND reach for my X-ray class, IN TIME ! ('I need to RUSH!')

'BYYEE!'
A much louder one; Loud enough to indicate me that it was directed at me !
Removing the palm that was trying to hide my face from the cruel-burning-penetrating-sun-rays, I gazed in the direction of the sweet,ear-soothing-voice to see a waving hand of a baby, clung on the shoulders of a man, comfortably.
'Bye.' 'Bye.'
The sweet sound & the cute face were very clear to me now.
'BYE!' I replied & waived a hand.
He again replied back, 'Bye! Bye!' with the excitement & enthusiasm clearly audible.
And, as I moved forward to the bike stand, my steps slowed, my mind questioned, my heart sinked, my mouth gave way to a sad-grim-helpless-'OH!' , & my eyes let go off a tear !

He was Gaurav, 7 year old male child, whom I & my colleagues had examined today. Seven of us were given the task to go & examine & 'take history' of this child. As we all, draped in white aprons, steth proudly being our garland, big books in hands, reached for the bed; there he was, calmly sitting on the bed.
Kids dislike strangers & try to hide behind their parents, or even start crying, uncontrollably. And to imagine them being friendly with the white-apron-wallah-strangers, who carry with themselves the morbid-horror of needles; is clearly no-less-than-a-gross-over-expectation on our part.
But, strangely, this child received us with a SMILE, and that too not 'A DOCTOR', but 'A COMPLETE BUNCH OF DOCTORS'. No apprehension indeed.
During the examination (which was supposed to be finished in 15-20 minutes today), One person talks to the mother, 2-3 do the examination, 1-2 go through the lab reports, one writes up & one eases the child by talking to him. I play this easing role at many instances, more frequently than others.
We examined him. Puffiness of the face, marked abdominal distension, visible engorged veins over chest & abdomen, Inguinal Hernia, hepatomegaly & ascites. Lab reports say it to be Constrictive Pericarditis.
Constrictive Pericarditis to a 7 year old baby...to such a sweet, amicable baby!
No, its not that it isn't curable/treatable. It can be treated.
But,it's for the suffering caused to God's beautiful creatures.

Can God be more insensitive & rude?


I'll leave this question to be answered by God himself.

But, I am near to answering one question of mine, of 'Which speciality suits me?', as I very heartily eliminate PEDS from my list.
I am just not brave enuff to see the suffering of a child, and more-so of the parents. No, I can't!
And, No I wouldn't !!