This story is a prequel to the story 'Our Song' I published last year. I certainly recommend reading 'Our Song' either before or after reading this story, as it can add context on the characters and events depicted here, but this is by no means not necessary to understanding, and hopefully enjoying this story as it is meant to stand on its own merit.
All the characters depicted in sex scenes in this story are 18 or above.
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Chapter I: Freshman
I was born Emily Cheddleton on February 1989 just outside of Berkley, California, to Amanda, a professor of fine-arts at UC Berkley, and Fred, who managed the organic vegetable farm they owned. At birth I weighed a little less than five pounds, and was therefore very fragile and weak. Throughout my first few weeks I was restless and was unable to sleep on my own. I could only sleep in my parents' arms or resting on their bodies, depriving them of sleep.
However, when I was about three weeks old, as my mother was holding me, my father sang me a few Beatles songs while playing the guitar. His soothing voice and the gentle guitar music made me fall asleep almost instantaneously. It kept me asleep as my mother was putting me in my crib. The music was so soothing that I didn't wake up even after the playing and the singing had stopped. After three hours of good sleep my parents woke up to see me awake, just looking quietly at the world from the comfort of my crib.
"Look at her," my father said to my mom. "All she needed was a little music."
My mom kissed my dad and they both stared at their little, happy girl.
"I think we should give her another name," my father suddenly said.
"Another name?" my mom was surprised. "What's wrong with Emily?"
"Nothing," my dad replied. "It's just not her."
"Then what name would suit her better?"
"I don't know. We should name her something related to music, to singing... These are the things she likes."
"Melody?" my mother suggested. "Or maybe Harmony?"
"Song," my father said. "I think she's a 'Song'."
My mother was surprised. "Song? Is that even a real name?"
"It is now," my father said with confidence. "It is HER name."
And so I was renamed "Song".
My parents always thought I would become a musician, but to their disappointment I never showed any interest in singing or playing musical instruments.
However, this beautiful, unique name my dad gave me, along with the story of how it came about did influence me going forward. Whatever happened to me, whatever I did, I was never doing what society was expecting of me. If I wanted something, I never cared about whether that something was really a thing, just that it was my thing.
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Around the age of ten I caught meningitis. My pediatrician misdiagnosed it, dismissing it as the flue, sending me home. But that night, as my pain and fever got worse, my parents rushed me to the ER.
This was where I met Dr. Sharon. She looked young, had kind green eyes and long golden hair.
She gave me an injection for the pain and diagnosed me correctly. Although, as I learned much later, my condition was serious, Dr. Sharon kept calm. She talked to me as if I was an adult. She used plain words so I would understand, but didn't try to oversimplify things. Also, she talked to ME, not to my parents. I was her patient. I was the one going through this illness, and I was the one who needed to understand what was going on. Of-course we had also talked to my parents, answering their many questions, but while doing this she was always making sure I knew it was all about me.
Under her care I got better. After three days at the hospital I was ready to go home. As she discharged me, she asked me and my parents if we knew about my hyperthyroidism. We did not. She explained it was a mild chronic condition, which could cause all kinds of side effects such as increased appetite, weight loss and enlarged eyes, all of which I had.
My mom asked her if I needed to undergo any treatment for this, but Dr. Sharon said that my hormone levels did not require any treatment, just supervision.
"You can live to the age of 100, run marathons and win a Nobel prise," she told me. "Just come here once a year so we'll see that you're OK."
I hugged her. There were things about my body I could not understand, and my parents were unable to explain. None of the doctors I saw until then noticed that something was different. But she did. This was when I decided I was going to be a doctor. A good one. Just like her.