The Doctor Who Has No Closure (Soulless 10)

“Well, thank you. That’s quite the compliment. Where’s the fam?”

“We just thought it would be easier if they stayed home. With the two boys and everything, it’s just a lot. Besides, Emerson does this kind of stuff for me all the time, so I wanted her just to relax at home.”

“That’s sweet.”

“Besides, Dex already knows how much they love him. I’m just here to guilt people into opening their wallets.”

I chuckled. “Well, that’s very sweet of you.”

“Hey, what are older brothers for?”

An older brother who was famous for several different reasons and could really get people to listen. “True. Well, I should get back to work. Tell Emerson I said hello.”

“I will.” He sauntered off to join his family, moving rigidly like his father, like social events made him a little uncomfortable. Cleo, Daisy, and Dex seemed to be the only ones completely unaffected.

More people were filing in, so I got my head in the game and got to work.

I had Dex’s presentation set up on the stage, so all he had to do was walk to the podium and give his speech. I stayed off to the side and clicked through the slides so he wouldn’t have to worry about it. He’d sent me his speech a while ago, so I could just follow along.

I changed the slide, and from what I could see backstage, Dex turned to regard the large, blown-up picture of his last rotation in South Africa.

“When we think of an impoverished country, this is what we visualize. No access to running water, vaccines, contraceptives, even a bathroom sometimes. Doctors Without Borders has done a great job continuing its mission to service these populations. But you know what? Sometimes I feel like America is no different.” He slid his hands into his pockets and headed back to the podium at the front of the stage, his physique straight and strong, slightly casual but still immensely powerful. “In the last two months, I’ve seen a lot of patients. Let’s take a look at their demographics.”

I changed the slide.

Dex didn’t look behind him, like he trusted we were in sync. “Seventy percent of my patients don’t have the medical coverage required for their operations, but they come from all over the country to see me. Insurance companies throw them through endless hoops, and while they’re waiting for this approval or that approval, they’re wasting precious time. A lot of these people don’t have the time. So, they pool their savings and come to Manhattan to see me. Look, the point of my presentation is not to change the American health care system or complain about it. Change is very slow in this country, if change happens at all. But this is the only way I can make a difference. I forgo my salary for these procedures, so I don’t personally dip into the fund for these patients. The way I make a living, pay my employees, and keep the lights on is when those VIP patients come in and pay in cash. Without the help of my sponsors and donors, I wouldn’t be able to service these patients who have nowhere else to go. When I finished my sabbatical, my first patient had such advanced heart disease that no other physician would operate on him. I was able to successfully clear his heart, and I’m happy to inform all of you that he’s doing quite well. This is all possible because of you, the people who supplement the health care of those who can’t afford it, and if you continue to support me, we can continue to change the world.”

A loud round of applause filled the ballroom as Dex stood there, his hands still in the pockets of his slacks. He gave a slight nod before he raised his hand then left the stage, moving through the curtain to join me. When the flap opened, the sound was even louder for a moment. He pulled the mic off his jacket and turned it off.

“You did great.” I shut the laptop and regarded him with a smile in my eyes, loving the way he connected with people so effortlessly, carried himself like he was just an average person because he never thought he was better than anyone else.

“Yeah? I didn’t talk too much?”

“No.” I rose from the desk and slid the laptop back into the bag. “You should go take a seat.”

“Oh, that’s right. The surprise…”

“Yes.”

His hands moved into the pockets of his slacks again, and he stared at me, his eyes turning serious, his charming smile gone. When he left the spotlight, he didn’t sigh in relief, as if a roomful of eyeballs glued to his face didn’t raise his blood pressure at all. He was like an astronaut, keeping a slow heart rate even when launching into the sky in a rocket full of fuel that could explode any moment.