I go into the office, sit in a chair, stretch my legs, cover my eyes.
The first year?
What is? I grumble, I grumble. It was half-dark in the office, I did not notice that there was anyone else here.
Do you work the first year? A fat man sits on a couch in the remote corner of the room. - Just I see, a young doctor came in, tired and too excited at the same time.
Sorry, but strangers cannot be here.
Please forgive me. But I am not entirely alien. I worked here for almost 30 years. The Surgeon. The Child. Two years in retirement. I went to visit my colleague, Pavel Alexandrovich. You must know him, he is the chief doctor here.
A man approaches me.
by Vasily Igorovich.
- Sergey... Sergey Vladimirovich, - we exchange handshakes. His fingers are thin, but his hand is hard.
- I was already going to the exit, but passing past the "native" office room did not stand up and looked. This sofa is 10 years old! How many nights he spent on duty. I just sat down, and here are you. He breathed heavily and fell straight into the chair. I think it’s a newbie!
I’m here for the third week after the appointment. Children’s hospital emergency is the most desperate choice. You know, all these injuries in children... it seems I will never get used to. Although colleagues assure that in a couple of months I will not react to the screams and crying, "like scaly." If it doesn’t work, I’ll go to an adult clinic.
Vasily Igorovich slightly smiles, looks in the eyes.
I hope you don’t turn around and stay here. I have never regretted becoming a child surgeon. Our profession allows you to know a person like no other. I can confidently say that everything is present in children. Fear, pain, despair, courage, courage and love.
Vasily Igorovich is silent for a few seconds, whispers, tells:

Fifteen years ago, at night, a nurse runs here from the reception room.
The highway! The patient is in the second operation.
He ran, the brigade had already gathered, a six-year-old girl was on the table. While wearing clothes and sterilizing, I learned the details. There was a family of four people in the car. Father, mother and two children: twins a boy and a girl. The girl suffered the most: the blow hit the area of the right back door, where the child was. Mother, father and her brother were hardly injured - scratches and hematomas. Help was provided on the spot.
The girl has fractures, dull injuries, bruised wounds and large blood loss.
In a couple of minutes comes a blood test, and carry with it the news that it is the third positive we do not have right now. The question is critical - the girl is "heavy", counting minutes. A blood test of the parents. My father has a second, my mother has a fourth. I remembered the twin brother, of course, he has a third.
They sat on a bench in the reception room. The mother is all in tears, the father is pale, the boy is desperate in his eyes. His clothes were filled with his sister’s blood. I approached him, sat down so that our eyes were on the same level.
“Your sister was badly hurt,” I said.
“Yes, I know,” the boy whispered and squeezed his eyes with his fist. When we hit, she hit hard. I held her on my knees, she cried, then stopped and fell asleep.
Do you want to save her? Then we have to take your blood for her.
He stopped crying, looked around, reflecting, suffocating hard and sneezing. I gave a gesture to the nurse.
Aunt of Light. She will take you to the procedure room and take blood. Aunt Light is very good at doing this, it will not hurt at all.
and well. The boy took a deep breath and went to his mother. I love you, Mom! You are the best! Then, to Daddy – And you Daddy, I love you. Thanks for the bicycle.
Light led him to the procedure room, and I ran to the second operation room.
After the operation, when the girl was already transferred to the resuscitation, he returned to the hospital. I noticed that our little hero is lying on the couch in the procedure room under the blanket. The light let him rest after taking blood. I approached him.
Where is Katya? The boy asked.
She is sleeping. Everything will be well with her. You saved her.
When will I die?
Not very soon when you’re old.

Vasily Igorovich pronounces the last phrase with trembling in his voice. Silence for a minute.
“I see, Sergey Vladimirovich, you didn’t really understand what special happened then. I also did not realize immediately. Several hours tormented doubts, and then shaded. Many years have passed, and I still get sick every time I remember that day. The boy thought he would die after he was “taken blood.” So he said goodbye to his parents. Childhood naivety? and what? He was 100% sure he would die. He sacrificed his life for his sister. Do you know what action he did? The most real. And no one noticed. Stay here to work, Sergey Vladimirovich. It will be hard sometimes, but you will never regret it.