“Yes.”
“I mean it, dammit!” He slammed a hand on the desk, causing the ink bottle to shake. “This is not a game. We’re talking about your future and the future of the people who will be your patients. Becoming a doctor is difficult for a man, but it’s especially difficult for a woman. Many people will shun you,even though the number of female doctors increases every year. You’ll face a long, arduous battle, and you won’t win unless you’re completely committed to your goal.”
“I am.” She forced herself not to shiver.
His expression didn’t soften. “You’ll forgive me if I don’t trust your word. You’ll prove yourself through your results. Yes, I’ll help you, but I expect you to put every effort and every waking moment of your life into this venture. No more late nights with your friends. No more spending the day in bed, sleeping. No more seeking only what pleases you. I want discipline and honesty.”
Tears threatened to spill, but she blinked them away. She didn’t want to cry in front of him. That would mean starting her new life on the wrong foot.
“Yes,” she croaked out.
“Good.” He picked up his pen again and gestured at the shelves loaded with books behind him. “You may start studying human anatomy again.”
“Yes.” She seemed unable to say something different.
She selected the latest edition ofHuman Anatomy and Surgery. Goodness, it was heavier than the edition she’d studied before. Scientists must have discovered so much in the past years.
“Thank you, Father.”
He gave her a nod, but she longed for a hug or a comforting word that never came.
