15. Medical School
Chapter 15
Medical School
Fourth Year
W hen I woke in Javi’s hotel suite, I felt as if I had emerged into a different universe. The sunlight streamed through the curtains, far too bright. I could barely open my eyes against the glare.
The evening came back to me in hazy detail, but the first feeling that I had was embarrassment. I knew instantly that I had made a fool of myself the night before. I shook my head as the memories flooded back—flashes of the lights over the riverwalk, dancing in the sitting room, straddling Javi’s lap. I groaned at the memory. My head throbbed mercilessly, each pulse in my ears a reminder of the night’s excesses.
I sat up, the room spinning with the movement. After a long time spent taking in my surroundings, I was finally able to piece together a few details. The first thing I registered was the smell of Javi. My brain recognized it as clearly as if he were sitting next to me, though he was nowhere in sight. I looked down at the large t-shirt I had used as pajamas. I lifted the collar to my nose and inhaled the scent—clean and crisp, like sea air and citrus and mint, mixed with something heavier that I couldn’t quite name but was distinctly him . I had the distinct, sudden and overwhelming desire to steal the shirt and never give it back. That was probably happening.
I moved to the edge of the enormous, lush comforter on the California king bed. I sat on the edge for a while, letting my brain equilibrate before I dared to stand. The suite was even more beautiful than I remembered from the night before, my memory obscured both by my hangover and the partial darkness in which I had originally observed the room. The suite had an enormous, modern sitting room with an actual fireplace. It was bathed in natural light, with floor-to-ceiling windows leading out to a balcony overlooking the river. The decor was a tasteful mix of modern chic and traditional Texas charm, with sleek contemporary furniture mixed with more quaint, rustic artwork.
The couch—the one upon which I had humiliatingly thrown myself at Javi—was made into a bed, with a blanket and pillow. He had obviously slept there last night, even though the actual bed was plenty big enough for the two of us, even if he had wanted to put several feet of distance between us. Apparently, he had wanted to put far more distance between us.
There was an elegant dining area with a table for six. I moved slowly toward the table, seeing a tray set with several plates covered in silver cloches. I lifted each one, my stomach turning a bit at the sight of fruit, toast, eggs, waffles, and bacon. There was a carafe of coffee, with a mug and containers for cream and sugar. A single red rose sat at the corner of the tray in a crystal vase. Beside the vase, there was a big glass of ice water and a note, leaning against a bottle of ibuprofen.
I took the ibuprofen and swallowed three pills gratefully with the ice water. I continued to sip on the water as I plucked the note off the table. It was written on the hotel stationary in Javi’s looping scrawl.
Good morning, Doc. Sorry to leave you so early. I had already made breakfast plans, otherwise I never would have left. See you at the keynote. Love, J
I settled at the table, nibbling on toast and sipping at coffee as I read and reread the note Javi left for me. When I had kept down some breakfast without the threat of it coming back to greet me, I moved to the bathroom. I took a long, soothing shower in the enormous glass rainfall shower, feeling like the heavy steam might purge my system of the previous night’s toxins.
I reluctantly put my clothes back on from the previous day, though I carefully folded Javi’s shirt to take back with me. When I made it back to my room, I was grateful that my roommate wasn’t there. She probably was already at the conference for the first few sessions of the day. I readied myself, my stomach fluttering with butterflies as I dried my wet hair and did my makeup. I put on a black dress and a dark pink blazer.
Today was Javi’s day—the keynote address. I felt even more terrible about my actions the night before, having Javi stay up to take care of me while I was drunk and vomiting, knowing he had to give a speech to hundreds today. The thought of facing him today after last night’s near-miss sent my stomach in knots.
I just really don’t want it to happen like this, he had said.
I winced at the memory. Of course he hadn't wanted it to happen that way. I felt so stupid, throwing myself at him, forcing him into a situation where he would have to decline my advances. Because of course he would decline when I was in that state. Chivalry came naturally to Javi—it always had. He would never let me make decisions like that while I was drunk.
When I walked down to the conference center, I found my classmates, all of them looking a little haggard after our night out. I attended the mid-morning events with them, my nervous energy steadily increasing as we neared the keynote address.
When it was finally time, I found a seat in the center of the crowded auditorium. The air was thick with anticipation, or perhaps it was my anxiety elevating the chatter in the room to something more. When the president of the American Neurological Society announced Javi’s name, my heart lurched.
As he took to the stage, greeted by applause, several overwhelming feelings assaulted me. Looking at him, so confident, the very image of success in his sharp suit, commanding the attention of the entire room, I was so incredibly proud. I was so proud to know him, to call him my friend. I thought of that boy I met in the hallway seven years ago compared to the man standing before me today, and I couldn't believe how lucky I was to have been along for the journey. A few tears sprang to my eyes, and I hoped sincerely that none of my classmates would notice. It would be impossible to explain to anyone why I was crying. But they were completely captivated by him as he began to speak.
“Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed colleagues, and brilliant minds of tomorrow, it is an immense honor to stand before you today. Not only to speak to you about what I’ve done with my life but to celebrate the incredible potential that fills this room. Looking at all of you today, I feel so incredibly lucky. I couldn’t quite believe it when the committee asked me to speak. Seven years ago, when I first came up with the idea for the Artemis, when I was just a college kid with a lot of big dreams, I never could have imagined this day. Back then, I had nothing but a sketchbook and a mind for inventing. Today, I stand before you as proof that dreams fueled by relentless passion can indeed sculpt reality.
Innovation—true innovation—is not only about creating new tools or technologies. It’s not about creation for the sake of creation. It’s about reimagining how our dreams can enhance human life, how our ideas can turn the tides of fates. It’s about seeing a problem, however daunting, and daring to believe that you can be the one to solve it. It’s about thinking of yourself as an entity capable of impacting the world.
My mom came to this country with her brother when she was barely fourteen years old. And it was her brother that inspired my device. The Artemis was conceived out of personal tragedy. When my family lost him to status epilepticus, an epileptic episode he never came out of, I devoted my life to making sure other families would never experience the pain my family went through. But the path from an idea to a tangible product that could change lives was not a straightforward one.”
He took a small device from his pocket and pointed it at the large screen behind him. A slideshow of images started to play, and I smiled when I saw the first iteration of the Artemis appear on the screen, looking like nothing more than tangled wires and pieces of plastic. The picture faded to more and more versions of the device, mixed in with pictures of Javi and his mentors in the lab.
I laughed at pictures of Javi wearing the funny-looking cap covered in wires as he explained to the auditorium how he managed to turn the bulky diagnostic tool into a compact, wearable device. Because of Javi, not only could you now monitor high-risk patients for seizure activity during their daily lives, but you could easily diagnose patients without having to commit them to long, invasive tests. It was truly a remarkable invention, and I could tell, looking around the room, how impressed the crowd was.
“To paraphrase Edison, before I succeeded, I found about a thousand different ways to not make the Artemis. Throughout this journey, the hurdles were many. There were days I felt defeated, ready to give up. But what path in life is without obstacles? What path worth traveling presents itself as a straight line? What a boring journey that would be. Every innovator knows that challenges in life are not roadblocks—they are steppingstones, pushing us to leap further, to reach higher. They make you think in new, creative ways, to navigate the journey in ways you might not have considered.”
The slideshow showed the device in its current form, the sleek, compact device in its stylish packaging. The next image showed Javi fitting a little girl with a pink device as she smiled from ear to ear. My heart seemed to swell.
“To the young visionaries in this room, my message is this: never let the fear of failure stop you from chasing your dreams. The world needs your ideas, your bravery, and your passion. You might feel that your dreams are too ambitious, too outlandish. I say, good. We need the ambitious, outlandish dreams to push humanity forward.
If I had quit dreaming when my dreams seemed unrealistic, my journey would have been finished before it even started. But I was one of the lucky ones, you see. No one in my life ever told me I was unrealistic or naive or crazy.
Of course, I couldn’t have gone from that kid full of dreams to the man I am today, alone. Not even a little bit. I have the most supportive family, who not only inspired The Artemis, but encouraged me every step of the way. I had the most amazing mentors who helped me turn my dream into a real, physical, tangible thing, that’s out in the world helping people today. And I...”
He paused, looking down, before he began to scan the room with purpose. I stopped breathing entirely when his eyes met mine.
“And I have someone very special in my life, who has always believed in me. From that very first moment. My muse. My greatest friend. Whose presence in my life has molded me into the man I am today. Who I would be completely lost without,” he said before drawing in a deep breath.
“The Artemis wouldn’t exist without you, Diana. You’ve been with me every step of this journey, not only believing in what I could do but showing me that we can dream bigger and accomplish more when someone stands with us.”
It felt like he held my gaze for an eternity, so many unstated feelings passing between us across the auditorium.
He seemed to break from the spell suddenly, as if remembering he was giving a speech to hundreds of people.
“In conclusion, as we shoot for the stars, let us not forget to reach down and lift others up with us. Foster the dreams of the young, nurture their potential, and watch as they turn the impossible into the inevitable, because it’s in them that the future lies. Thank you everyone.”
The room erupted in applause, but all I could hear was the thunderous beating of my heart. I wiped the tears from my eyes before rushing to clap along with everyone else. His words echoed in my mind like the explosions of fireworks, my emotions weaving into a tangled mess in my heart. Javi left the stage. I wanted to rush to him, to tell him how proud I was, how moved I was, but my legs felt like they were made of lead.
I followed the crowd out of the auditorium in a daze. My classmates and the members of my research team kept looking over at me, some of them looking concerned, some in awe. But I was grateful that no one made me verbalize anything I was feeling. I wasn’t sure I could if they asked.
There was a networking session in the atrium outside the auditorium immediately following Javi’s address. The last thing I wanted to do was shake hands and schmooze. I needed to find Javi.
I wandered near the doors of the auditorium, not knowing where he might exit. Finally, he emerged from a door about a hundred feet away. Our eyes met, for the briefest second. And for a moment, it was just the two of us, the noise of the crowd going completely mute. I walked in his direction as if I was in slow motion. But before I could reach him, he was quickly swarmed by eager questioners and admirers. When his gaze broke from mine, the roar of the chatter flooded back into my mind.
I stopped in my tracks, feeling suddenly overwhelmed and out of place, dwarfed by his success and the attention it commanded. Javi was entirely obscured from my view by the bodies that surrounded him.
I took the opportunity to slip away. I needed space and time to process the flood of emotions that Javi’s speech had unleashed.