Medicine Not Art
1662 Words
“You’re still taking medicine?”
Creon asked his son when he told him about his acceptance into Stanford Medical School. They are in Crane’s office in the pack house. Seb came to him and showed him the acceptance letter in which surprised him.
Seb nodded his head in response to his father’s question.
“But I thought you wanted to pursue your arts?” Creon asked him again.
Seb sighed and looked at his father.
“I do love art, Dad. Whenever I create something, I feel like I create life… but it's not something I see myself as a profession,” Seb explained.
“Doing art is also a profession. If you think about consistent money flow, it's not like you needed it. If you pursue your art, you can earn more than being a doctor.”
Crane told him.
“I know that, Dad. But, I feel like an outcast,” Seb said, and Creon was taken aback.
“What do you mean you feel like an outcast? Did we ever feel you were not included?”
Creon asked worriedly, as the last thing he and Sahara wanted was for their children to feel that they had any favorites. They don’t want them to have any unpleasant feelings towards each other. Sibling rivalry is good, but they never want them to feel inadequate.
“It's not that, Dad. I mean, Shan and Crane are both taking medicine, following yours and mom’s footprints. I feel left out if I was the only one who didn’t study medicine,” Seb explained.
“Your brother and sister both like the medical field. We’ve seen their inclination towards the professions since you were all young. You, on the other hand, are really into the arts; that’s why we never asked you to take medicine,” Creon stressed.
“I am not as enthusiastic as Shan or as medically gifted as Crane, but I also want to save lives, Dad. In fact, I have been watching medical dramas, and the process of the medical procedures intrigued me. I want to do it too.”
Seb paused as he straightened his back, looking at his father intently.
“I do love art, but I also want to pursue medicine and maybe do art on the side. By then, I can get that constant cash flow by being a doctor at the same time, I can showcase my art and get money from it if I get lucky,” Seb continued.
Luna Sahara, who was in the office when their youngest son came, was quietly seated on the chair across from his son. She was just watching his son, trying to find any signs of uncertainty, but all she could see was determination.
“Are you really sure about your decision?”
Sahara asked her son, and when Seb looked at her, he nodded his head.
“Yes, Mom. I would like to take Medicine.”
Seb spoke.
Sahara smiled at him, and then she turned to her husband.
“I know our son. He won't make such a drastic decision if he isn’t sure. If medicine is what he wants, then we’ll let him,” she told him.
Creon looked at her.
“Are you sure? You are a fan of his art, are you sure you want him to stop doing his pieces and let him stitch up patients?” he asked.
“Seb can still do his art. If he wants to be a doctor, then he will be a doctor.”
Sahara said, and then Creon let out a sigh of defeat. He then looked at his son and spoke.
“Alright,”
“But I have just one question,” Creon spoke, and Seb looked at him.
“Why Stanford Medical School and not Harvard, like your siblings?” Creon asked.
Seb smiled as he looked down.
“That’s the thing. They are already in Harvard, I don’t want to be compared to them or anything, so I applied for Stanford,” he answered.
“Oh, honey.” Sahara cooed as she felt bad that her youngest felt that he was being compared to his siblings.
“Oh. I thought it was because it's in our name,”
Creon said proudly, with a smile on his face. Then both Seb and Sahara looked at him like he had grown another head.
“Your joke sucks, honey,” Sahara told him, and Creon pouted.
*************************************.
“What made you think you could do this, you i***t?”
Seb scolds himself as he slams his head against his book. He was currently reviewing for an exam, and he was feeling overwhelmed by all the things he needed to memorize.
It's been a year since he decided to take medicine instead of studying the arts. He was so sure before that he could do it, but then, he was still in his early years in the program, and he felt like his head was about to explode.
He’s been beating himself up for being so complacent that he can take the course like his siblings, who were more inclined to the program and smarter than him.
‘Can you stop now? I am trying to sleep.’
His Lycan Aquilla said.
Seb scowled.
“All you do is sleep. You are being useless,” Seb spat.
‘What do you want me to do? Go on a rampage and eat everyone in your class, including your professor, so you won't have exams anymore?’ Aquilla responded.
Seb lowly growled and got up from his chair before he started pacing back and forth.
‘Yah! Stop pacing! I’m getting dizzy!’ Aquilla growled.
“Shut up,” Seb hissed as he continued to pace.
One of his techniques in memorizing lessons is that he paces back and forth. He doesn't know how or why, but it just happened. As Seb continued to pace, Aquilla just gave up and retreated to the back of his head so he could sleep.
Despite having a hard time studying his lessons or listening to his professors, Seb was doing well with his studies. His grades were above average, though not as high as Crane’s.
He is also well-regarded by his professors, as he is a very diligent student, and they can see how hard he works for his grades. Despite that, Seb doesn’t have any friends on the campus. His room in the dorm is a single-bed bedroom, and he likes to keep it to himself, not associating with others.
One day, he and his siblings got together for lunch since they decided to pay him a visit.
“So, how was Stanford, Mr. Stanford?” Shanaia asked his younger brother.
“Surviving,” Seb answered as he pushed around the peas on his plate.
Shanaia, being the eldest, has always been sensitive about her siblings, and she noticed right away if they had problems. She then elbowed Crane, who was busy with his laptop as he monitored his case study.
When Crane didn’t even pay attention to her, Shanaia heaved a deep breath and looked at Seb.
“Is there something bothering you, Sebastian?” Shanaia asked.
Seb looked at his sister. Whenever she calls him by his full name, it's either that he’s in trouble or she means business.
“I’m fine,” Seb answered.
“You don’t look fine,”
Crane spoke, and then his siblings looked at him.
“And here I thought you didn't notice your surroundings because you are busy with your case study,” Shanaia said.
Crane huffed.
“I am busy, but I noticed my siblings.” He replied to his sister and looked at Seb.
“Are you having a hard time with your studies?” he asked him.
Seb took a deep breath before nodding his head.
“I understand you are just on your first half of the whole program. Things will get easier in the second half,” he told him.
“Easy for you to say when you are the genius one,” Seb grumbled.
Crane frowned.
“If you know it will be hard for you, why did you take medicine when you could have just taken any course in the arts?” he asked.
Shanaia looked at her brother.
“Yeah, Seb. Why?” she asked.
Seb looked at his plate, put his fork down, and crossed his arms over his chest.
“I thought I liked it and I want to belong with you,” he answered.
“You should have taken it if you really wanted it and it made you happy. We don’t like you seeing miserable,” Crane said.
“Crane is right. Why continue to torture yourself in a program that doesn’t make you happy?” Shanaia asked.
Seb looked at them.
“It challenges me,” he told them.
Both Shanaia and Crane looked at him.
“Huh?”
“Even though the lessons are frying my brain, it excites me when I try my best to understand and answer correctly in exams. And I am really looking forward to my internship.”
Seb explained.
“You are weird, you know that?” Shanaia said, and Seb chuckled.
“I know that,” Seb replied.
“Then there is nothing we need to worry about?”
Crane asked, and Seb nodded.
“I’m doing fine. I am being normal here, even though my surname is plastered all over the school,”
Seb said, and his siblings snorted. It has been a joke since the family found out that Seb will be studying at Stanford University. Their grandpa even joked about buying a college building for him.
In the end, even if he’s having a hard time studying his chosen course, Seb still did his best to study and get some decent grades. He would occasionally visit some art exhibits when he is free just to feed his hunger for art.
- Writer
