Lies that bloom like flowers

After years of being an obstetrician and gynecologist, I have diagnosed countless cases, yet something happened a few days ago that I could not let go of for a long time.

That morning, I had just gone to work, and a young couple walked in, the man is very tall, with a look of calmness between his eyebrows, and the woman is a little thin, with a trace of warm and satisfying happiness on her face. Two people holding hands, whispering from time to time, giving the impression of a very loving young couple. From their clothing and language expression, it is clear that they are a pair of educated young people.

　　They got married five years ago and started planning to have a baby two years ago, but for some reason, they couldn't get pregnant. I asked about their health and daily routine, wrote a list for the man to do the lab tests, gave the woman a brief checkup, then gave her an ultrasound sheet and told them to come to see the results tomorrow.

　　The next afternoon almost, I was packing my things when the man came. He first apologized politely, explaining that he was late because he was receiving a client. I asked him to sit down and he hesitated for a moment then sat silently in his chair with his hands between his legs and his fingers moving restlessly around. I could tell he had some nervousness.

　　"Doctor, can we still have children?" He looked at me with a reverent expression.

　　"The test results show that you are normal and your lover has infantile ovaries and congenital uterine malformation," I said calmly.

　　"I don't know what you're talking about, I just want to know, can we still have a baby?" The man leaned up and looked at me with trepidation, his eyes searching my face for an answer.

　　I tried to smile and said, "Although the development of modern medicine has made some diseases no longer incurable since your beloved is congenital, the possibility of pregnancy is very small, so you should be prepared."

　　Before I could finish my sentence, the man fell back into his chair, the pain visible on his face.

　　I was searching my heart for a few words of comfort when he once again probed up, grabbed my hand violently, and said, "Sister, please do something, help me, will you?" He said excitedly, "My lover and I are college classmates, five years ago she gave up her life in the city to come here with me, at that time we were truly nothing ......"

　　The man murmured, as if to me, and as if to himself. I nodded at him. I, who also started with nothing, felt the hardships of students who came out of the countryside to live under the roof of the city.

　　"Sister, can you please write on the diagnosis that it's because of me that I can't conceive a child? I beg you!" The man looked at me with an expectant face.

　　I was stunned and stared at him blankly.

　　"My lover has been with me for nine years, she gave me the best years of her life, I don't want her to spend the rest of her life in self-blame ......"

　　The man choked up, he turned his head to the side and I could see his eyes were soaked with tears. I was silent as I issued my first false diagnosis in my 20 years of medical practice.

　　When I wrote down the words "varicocele" after the man's name, tears welled up in my eyes because at that moment, I suddenly read true love.