Edumacation

"What time is it?" a voice softly and sleepily whispers in my ear.

I'm jolted awake. Yikes, what time IS it? I look at my cellphone: "6:17," I groan, "I'm gonna be late to conference."

My brain convinces me within 2 seconds that there is no way I'm going to be able to get dressed and make it to my 6:30 conference. Best thing to do would be to go back to sleep and get to work for 8:00 rounds. Besides, the conference topic is esophagus, and I hate the esophagus. I put the cellphone back, pull the covers up, and try to go back to sleep.

"Aren't you going to get up?"

"No."

"Be a good surgeon, get up, go to conference, and learn something."

"Mmrrfph..."

A brief silence...

"Why aren't you getting up?" she pokes.

"There's no way I can make it in time."

"It's only 6:17. It will only take you 5 minutes to get dressed, and just 5 minutes to drive in. You'll be there by 6:30."

"It's not 6:17 anymore," I'm pouting now, "It was 6:17 like 10 minutes ago. There's no way I'm going to be there on time. I can miss just one conference." I snuggle tighter, close my eyes tight, and try to fall asleep.

"Get up you, I'm going to muffle muffle water muffle head muffle for you."

Whoa. What! My eyes spring wide open. What did she say? Did she say she was going to run the water for me, or that she was going to go get some cold water and pour it on me?

I hear her shuffling around the bedroom. Probably looking for a bucket.

I spring up out of bed, order her back in bed, and proceed to the bathroom to get ready for conference.