Tap, Tap, Dr. Maya

Starring Dr, Jennifer Hazel

Dr. Maya heads to the hospital through the drizzle, but pauses when Mr. Okafor needs help reading his paper, twins need shelter from the rain, and a woman's stroller is stuck. By the time she reaches the hospital, she is soaked, her mint tea is cold, and the boy with the fever has already left. The next morning, Dr. Maya kindly tells Mr. Okafor that clinic hours are inside, then walks to the entrance and taps twice on the glass, showing that caring for others also means setting clear boundaries.

The duck-headed umbrella creaked open before Dr. Maya stepped outside. Tap, tap, she knocked its carved beak twice against the wooden porch railing. She set off down the wet cobblestone street toward the hospital doors.

Inside the waiting room, the boy with the fever sneezed into his tissue. On the front desk, Dr. Maya's cup of mint tea sent up gentle curls of steam, waiting for a sip.

Halfway across the slick parking lot, boots splashed through puddles. "Look here, Doctor!" called Mr. Okafor, waving his paper. "Jump with us!" squealed the twins. "My wheels are stuck," called the woman with the stroller.

Dr. Maya stopped. She squinted at Mr. Okafor's small print in the drizzle. She leaned the duck-headed umbrella over the twins to shield their dry sneakers, letting cold drops soak through her own coat shoulders.

The favors stretched. Mr. Okafor asked her to reread every line. The woman with the stroller gripped the honey-colored duck handle, rolled toward the sidewalk, and vanished into the fog with the red umbrella.

Dr. Maya finally stepped onto the hospital mat, dripping cold water from her collar. Her mint tea was stone-cold. Through the frosted glass, the boy with the fever was already leaving down the steps, cheeks still burning.

The following morning, drizzle tapped against the asphalt. Dr. Maya walked across the parking lot with empty hands. "Look here, Doctor!" Mr. Okafor shouted, stepping into her path with his paper. She tucked her damp palms firmly into her pockets.

"I care about your paper, Mr. Okafor, but clinic hours are inside," Dr. Maya said gently. She walked past him, reached the hospital entrance, and tapped her bare knuckles twice against the glass.