Graduation Gift
Madison Miller looked in the mirror and adjusted her robe one last time. She thought she looked completely ridiculous, but the crazy contraption she wore was required of her on this day.
‘If only I could have skipped this part,’ she thought wistfully.
Madison was graduating from medical school, though, and one only does that sort of thing a few times in life, so she had acquiesced to her mother’s repeated pleas to attend the ceremony, despite her reluctance to do so.
Madison sighed in resignation, sprayed one final mist of hairspray on her hair, and left the bathroom of the convention center where graduation was being held to join her classmates in the queue to go into the auditorium where the ceremony would be.
She said hello to a few friends as she found her place in line. Her graduating class was only one hundred and fifty strong, so she knew almost everyone, but she was only close to a handful of her classmates. Her best friend and roommate, Jackie Thomas, was far behind her in line.
It wasn’t long before the queue began to move and Madison’s class was standing, then sitting, in the auditorium. Despite her initial reluctance to attend the ceremony, Madison felt a flutter of excitement at the fact that she was finally getting out of school and on with her life. She’d wanted to be a doctor for as long as she could remember, and to finally be getting the coveted ‘MD’ after her name was a thrill beyond description.
Of course, if Madison had her way, several more letters would be coming. Madison wanted to be a surgeon. Many people thought that when they entered medical school, but few had the stamina and strength for it. Cutting into live human beings was not something everyone could do, but Madison had excelled in every surgical class and rotation she’d had. Her marks were excellent, and she had earned the favor of several professors and instructors.
So much so that she’d had no problems being accepted to a prestigious position as an intern at a hospital that ran a busy trauma ER and had a heavy emphasis on surgery.
Madison only half listened to the speakers while she daydreamed about her future. If her internship went well, she would be able to continue into a surgical residency at the same hospital or transfer to another for further training. It was an exciting time for Madison. She couldn’t wait to get some ‘real world’ experience.
She also couldn’t wait for her first paycheck. She was under no delusions that she would be rich as an intern. She knew that interns were paid next to nothing for long hours and hard work, but anything had to be better than being a starving student. Ramen noodles and rice for dinner had gotten old long ago, so even though she was nervous about this new chapter in her life, everything was looking up for Madison Miller.
The only negative to graduating was having to leave her dear friend Jackie. Jackie had accepted a position at another hospital, and while she would only be three hours away by car, Madison knew that the distance would be enough to make visiting difficult, especially with their slave-like schedules as new interns.
But their friendship was strong enough to withstand some distance. Madison was sure of this. She and Jackie were the type of friends who could not talk for months then pick up right where they left off.
Madison’s musings were interrupted suddenly as her classmates began to stand, row by row, to file across the stage to receive their diplomas and be ‘hooded’ with their doctoral decorations.
Before she knew it, it was her turn. She lifted a silent prayer that she wouldn’t fall on her face on stage and then stepped out to the cheers of her family. Her parents were both watching, along with her Uncle Rodney. Some of their dearest friends, men she also considered her uncles, were in attendance, too. John Sheppard sat next to Teyla Emmagan, and Ronon Dex sat one row back from them all, looking uncomfortable with the whole affair but proud nonetheless. Several other members of Madison’s extended family were there, too, but she’d never been very close to them, so their presence was barely noted in the graduate’s busy mind. In fact, Madison didn’t even hear the yells and claps of her friends at the time. They would have to tell her about them later.
And then it was done. It seemed to Madison that she was back in her seat only a moment when she clapped for Jackie and then stood and recited the words that so many others had intoned before her.
She was a doctor.
An hour and a half later, Madison was at dinner with her family, and she was being showered with gifts. Most were of a practical nature and what one would expect for the occasion.
Rodney gave her three crisp new lab coats, embroidered with her name.
John presented a crystal caduceus paperweight.
Her parents offered a new stethoscope to replace the one she’d lost on internal medicine last month.
Ronon and Teyla presented a gift from themselves and Dr Weir, who could not be present. The woman’s touch shone through the gift, though, and Madison knew Elizabeth had helped her ‘alien’ friends with this one. It was a beautiful, artistic lithograph of the modern Hippocratic oath, centered in a gorgeous cherry frame.
Madison smiled and thanked each one of her generous benefactors in turn. It was truly a happy moment in her life, but her best gift was yet to come.
When dinner was finished, Madison returned to her apartment to find it empty. Jackie had also gone out for the evening and wouldn’t return until later in the night or early the next morning. Jackie wasn’t close to her family, so she’d gone out with several other classmates to celebrate, and Madison knew from experience that those evenings could be long ones.
So she showered, then kicked back on the couch to watch a little television. She actually liked the quiet of an evening to herself, and when she saw a favorite syndicated show was airing a favorite episode, she settled in for the ride.
The end credits woke Madison with a start. Part of her couldn’t believe she had slept through the show, but another part was too sleepy to care. Madison clicked off the TV and drowsily stumbled to bed.
Now, normally Madison was asleep as soon as her head hit her pillow, and she didn’t notice much of anything around her. Such was the rarity of sleep to the medical student. She took it whenever she could get it. But tonight, somehow, as she laid down, the new doctor felt a lump under her pillow. She turned on the light and then lifted the soft mass to see what was there.
What she saw surprised and touched her.
It was a small gift box with a pretty tag.
Madison’s brow furrowed for a moment before she picked up the box and read the tag. As she did so, her face broke into a wide smile.
‘Mad, you know I’m as broke as you are, so this isn’t much, but I saw it in a little shop downtown and I just had to get it for you. Happy graduation, friend. Keep in touch. -Jackie’
Madison allowed herself a moment to reread the note twice, and each time her smile grew wider until her face seemed like it would break. She had purchased a small gift for Jackie, too, even though the two friends had agreed not to do so.
When she couldn’t wait any longer, Madison opened the small box. What she found there made tears spring to her eyes, and she let them fall easily without shame.
The small piece of metal, about one and a quarter inches wide and one inch tall, with a simple pin attachment on the back, was unremarkable. Pins like it were very commonly worn by doctors and nurses on their lab coats or smocks. But this one was special because of what was on it. The design was so simple, but so meaningful that Madison was blown away by the gift.
The pin was solid blue with two diagonal while lines intersecting in its middle to form an off-kilter ‘X’ that divided the blue into four triangles.
The Scottish flag.
It might seem an odd gift to some, since neither Madison or Jackie had any familial direct ties to Scotland, but anyone who knew Madison knew the significance of Jackie’s gift.
It was a remembrance.
For Carson.
As Madison picked up the pin, she noticed another tiny note in the bottom of the box. As she read this one, she held the pin tightly in her hand and smiled to the heavens.
‘He’d be proud, you know.’
Madison’s thoughts were spoken out loud then.
“Oh, Jackie-thank you. It’s perfect.”
Madison laid the pin reverently on the bedside table and turned off the lamp, fatigue overcoming her.
As young Doctor Miller drifted happily to sleep, she smiled.
Her favorite uncle smiled back, wishing he could kiss young Jackie Thomas, MD, for her thoughtfulness and feeling very remembered indeed.
The End
