A/ N: This was written for a school religion assignment based of the verse 'Love your enemies', but it doesn't really have much religious influence, so I don't think that it can't be read and enjoyed by someone who isn't very religious. Anyways, I hope that you enjoy, and any feedback would be greatly appreciated:-D

Doctor Samuel Roberts was a simple man. He worked 6 AM to 6 PM 6 days a week at the county hospital in the emergency room; there he had seen everything from 3rd degree burns to the deepest of cuts to heart attacks. Doctor Roberts also had a wife, Sarah; they had an okay marriage, but because of his long hours, and her inability to stay up past 8 PM, they didn’t see each other much.

“I just talked to my wife, she said that I need to get home, and that it was an emergency,” Doctor Jonathan Maxwell, one of Doctor Roberts’s coworkers in the ER said.

“Did you call in a temp?” Doctor Roberts asked.

“I tried, but he’s at a wedding or something, and can’t make it until his usual shift time,” Doctor Maxwell responded.

“Have you asked Nancy?” Doctor Roberts asked.

“She’s covering for Pat in OB- GYN,”

“Frank?”

“Covering for Jenny in Pediatrics,”

“What about Cheryl?”

“In intensive care, while Sean’s on disability,”

“Oh, right,” Doctor Roberts, replied. “Well, I guess that I can cover for you. What time does your shift end?”

“Nine,” Doctor Maxwell told Doctor Roberts.

“Alright, well see you tomorrow,” Doctor Roberts said, pulling on a pair of latex gloves.

“Yes. See you later Samuel,” Doctor Maxwell said, walking out of the staff area, and then hurrying out of the automatic ER doors.

As it had turned out, Doctor Lisa Smith had showed up an hour early that night for her shift. Doctor Smith was a hard worker, and her shift usually ended at 9 AM, but sometimes Doctor Roberts would cover for her for an hour or so, so on this particular day, Doctor Smith would grant Doctor Roberts the same privilege.

“Go home, Samuel,” she told him.

Doctor Roberts, who had been working for the past 14 hours did not object, and made his way out into the icy and brisk December.

Doctor Roberts made his way into the old, ivy covered brick apartment building where he lived, and opened the door quietly, because he did now want to wake Sarah.

He flicked on a couple of lights, however he heard a funny noise, like a katydid’s call. He then walked over to the couch to see Doctor Maxwell and Sarah all over each other, making- out.

And that’s when Doctor Roberts’s fell…

Two months had gone by, and Doctor Maxwell had transferred to the long- term care unit. Or so Doctor Roberts had heard; his hatred towards Doctor Maxwell had grown so much that he didn’t even care. Just long as he didn’t have to work with the man anymore, Doctor Maxwell, Doctor Roberts was happy.

Things stayed this way, until one night when emergency crews rushed in. It had been a big day for injury, so all of the other doctors in the ER were busy with patients, so Doctor Roberts knew that he was to take care of patients.

“Clear the way!” one paramedic called.

“What are his vitals?” another paramedic called above the commotion.

“Was any identification found? A lead towards what caused his injury? Who called 911?” A nurse asked.

The paramedics moved the person to a room, and Doctor Roberts followed quickly.

And as the paramedics moved the person to a bed, that’s when Doctor Roberts saw the patient for the first time.

It was a boy, who looked maybe 11 or 12 years old. He had light brown skin, and chocolate brown hair, and hazel brown eyes. Well, that’s what he might have looked like if he were a healthy boy; his skin now had a purplish tint to it, and he was covered in bloody cuts and bruises.

And that’s when Doctor Roberts noticed that the boy was still conscious.

“Someone get me an anesthesiologist!” Doctor Roberts called, as a nurse handed him a clipboard with the boy’s information, and he quickly looked over it.

Name: Alexander Rick Cameron

Age: 12

Cause of Injury: Hit by a car in a hit and run.

Two days had gone by, and as it turned out, Alexander had a broken leg, and two broken ribs, among other minor injuries. His parents were out of town and could not be reached. However, they had soon found out that he was staying with his single Uncle. They had also determined that Alexander was due for release sometime between 4 to 10 more days.

But that’s what confused Doctor Roberts. He had seen hundreds, and thousands or patients come in and out of the hospital, and there was even the occasional death, but he had never felt sympathy for any of. He, Doctor Roberts, a very accomplished Doctor, had never felt so much.

Doctor Roberts was now on a quick break, watching as two police officers entered the hospital, and headed towards Alexander’s room.

Two hours had passed, and the police still hadn’t come out of Alexander’s room.

“He won’t tell them anything about who did it,” Doctor Smith approached Doctor Roberts.

Doctor Roberts must have been out of it, because her only responded with a simple “Oh.”

“They want you to talk with him,” Doctor Smith told him.

“Oh?”

“Go,” Doctor Smith said, giving Doctor Roberts an encouraging smile.

Doctor Roberts walked over to Alexander’s room, and knocked twice.

“Come in,” A small voice muffled.

Doctor Roberts walked in. “How are you doing, son?” he asked.

“Tired,” Alexander responded simply.

“The drugs will make you feel like that for a while,” Doctor Roberts told Alexander softly, but then his face got serious. “The police say that you won’t tell them who hit you,” he stated.

“Yeah,”

“Why won’t you tell them?” Doctor Roberts asked.

“Because…” Alexander tried to explain.

“Because why, Alexander?” Doctor Roberts asked for more of an explanation.

“Alex,” Alex corrected.

“Okay. Alex. Why?”

“Because… Because… I’m supposed to ‘love my enemies’!” Alexander said in about as much of a yell as he could handle.

“But he hit you with a car,”

“No,” Alex corrected Doctor Roberts, again. “His brother did.”

“That doesn’t excuse it, Alex. You could have died!”

“So? I’m supposed to love my enemies, because with out them, I wouldn’t stronger,” Alex explained.

And that’s what bumfuzzled Doctor Roberts; for a 12-year-old boy, Alex sure had things figured- out. Or maybe it was just the innocence of a child, which made things so easy to understand, and accept.

“Okay,” Doctor Roberts said preparing to leave the room. “Thank-“ But Doctor Roberts didn’t have time to finish his sentence.

Alex’s pacing machine began beeping faster and faster, and Alex appeared to be going into shock. And that’s when the machine stopped…

And that’s when Doctor Roberts took off, he ran down the corridors, and took the elevator to the ground floor, and ran out of the hospital, and out into the snowy February.

This action was hardly appropriate for a doctor, but Doctor Roberts just had too much emotion inside of him, that needed to be released.

Falling snow pellets began to strike and burn Doctor Roberts’s face, and that’s when he began to wish that he had taken the time to grab his coat, scarf, and gloves, because his doctor’s coat just didn’t give him much warmth. But Doctor Roberts just kept on walking…

Finally, he reached the corner, where Alexander’s accident apparently occurred, and he stopped.

“They said that I’d find you here,” A woman’s voice said.

“Hello, Sarah,” Doctor Roberts said blandly, and with out an ounce of the emotion that he felt inside appearing in his voice.

“I’m sorry, Sam,” Sarah said.

“You’re forgiven,” Doctor Roberts said.

Sarah looked at her husband with much confusion.

“Let’s just say that a boy told me to ‘love my enemies’,” Doctor Roberts said, as his feelings began to release, and his emotions began to pressure down. “He said that it was the ‘only way for us to become stronger’,”

“Yes, Sam, it is. I’ve learned my lesson. I wanted to do something more, and yes it was reckless, and stupid. But I’m stronger now, and those demons are leaving me,”

Doctor Roberts stood there, the pellets now lightening on his now numb face.

“And here’s something that Alexander didn’t…”

“Alex,” Doctor Roberts corrected, in the exact way that Alex had done to him.

“Something that Alex didn’t tell you is that just because your enemies don’t love you, doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t love them,” Sarah explained truthfully.

“Yes, and now I know that. And I’m working on forgiving Jonathan, but it takes time,” he told Sarah.

“Yes it does,” Sarah, responded, and she wrapped her arms around her husband, and they prepared for the cold journey back to the hospital to face Alex, his Uncle, and his parents.

And Doctor Roberts now knew that you should love your enemies, because they are sent to help make you stronger, even if they often come with trials, and tribulations, and sometimes even death.