Hello Doctor

She was prodded by mom to call me that as i approached them to perform a heart examination for my learning experience. I blushed and confessed to mom that i am a 4th year medical student; Yet, it was too late to change the greeting as she said it in earnest whilst i listened with a smile. She had the two most alert eyes in the ward filled with children of congenital heart diseases. There were no overt physical signs or symptoms to suggest any acute illness and i knew her condition was related to an acyanotic heart lesion awaiting surgery. She had a ventricular septal defect i.e. hole between the chambers of the heart as i detected her pansystolic murmur diffused around her chest. Confident of the diagnosis, i was eager to entertain her inquisitiveness. "Are you going to examine her?" she pointed to an Ibanese toddler beside us who was drinking a packet milk. "Yes, and you'd like to see?" She nodded in earnest. "She loves babies..."commented her grandmother. "Doctor, do you see the babies?" "Doctor, can i see the babies with you?" I returned with a smile-it is those little moments when they question everything without inhibitions that brings instantaneous delight to all of us. As I squatt next to the neighbouring child after listening to her heart, she came over with a balloon and offered the Iban girl her gift. One Chinese, one Ibanian-different spoken language was none of their concerns as they understood each other's gestures-it wasn't baby talk, it was a common human language which could communicate goodness and innocence. As i stared at their formation of friendships, the scene of the previous patients replayed in my mind-it was a beautiful picture which conveys more than a thousand words-Chinese girl standing beside and playing with the hair of the Malay girl whilst she fell asleep on her sister's lap. The girl refused to leave as her mom stood at the corner of the door awaiting her to leave with her since she was discharged. I was told by the Malay mom that she comes to visit her daughter every moment-they have somewhat become playmates/friends in the plain ward.
The Ibanese mom laughed in delight as she commented "Ya, saya tak tahu bagaimana...tak sama bahasa...satu cakap Melayu, satu cakap Cina....hari itu budak India datang cakap dengan dia...nak main juga tapi dia takut...sembunyi..." We laughed simultaneously. Her daughter was popular, i said to her mom. There was a flicker of humbling pride in the mom's eyes.
I cannot hide my joy being in that moment of children's innocence-emotions are free and frank-words are secondary; only taught: "Hello Doctor" & "Bye Doctor" to bring out the child in us.