The dean's mother asked the intern brother to perform my brain tumor surgery

My mom, the hospital director, decided my brain tumor surgery was the perfect opportunity for my intern brother to get some experience.

I begged her to choose someone else, explaining that I only had one shot at survival.

But she just slapped me across the face and yelled, "How did I raise such a selfish brat? Your brother's just starting out! Is it going to kill you to let him practice?"

Later, I died on the operating table, and my mom’s hair went white overnight.

1.

I was dead, taken out by my intern brother, Leo, and his shaky hands on the scalpel. My soul drifted back to Mom, just as she was comforting Leo. “It’s okay, honey," she was saying, "Michael’s a tough kid, he’ll pull through. Let’s get you home, you need to rest.”

The look in her eyes for Leo was full of tenderness and concern, the kind of softness I’d never known.

Mom had always seemed annoyed with me, her tone laced with impatience. I’d pretended it didn’t bother me, but it did. I just didn't want to show my vulnerability. Now that I was dead, I couldn’t hold back the bitterness.

Back at home, Mom's cell started ringing. It was the hospital, telling her I was dead. She scoffed. “No way! He's got a little bump, that’s it. All the best doctors there couldn’t handle that? He’s trying to freak me out so that he wouldn't have his brother do his surgery. Don't think I can't see through his tricks."

After hanging up, Mom acted like I was just being a drama queen. She was full of self-reproach, telling Leo. “Honey, it’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have let him scare you. When Michael gets back, he’s going to be in big trouble!”

Her phone buzzed again.

Mom, who’d been so gentle moments before, now had a tight frown on her face, and snapped, “I already said what I needed to say. Tell Michael to go ahead and die if that's what he wants to do! Just stop bothering me!”

The person on the other end was silent for a second, then said, “Ma’am, we’re with the police. We suspect Leo is involved in a possible malpractice incident. We can’t reach him by phone. Please cooperate with our investigation.”

Mom blew up, “First the doctors, now the cops! Who cares who you are? You’re spouting lies, and you’re gonna regret it if you don't stop!”

The voice on the phone tried to be reasonable. “Ms. Thompson, I think you’ve got it wrong. We’re just doing our jobs.”

Mom glanced over at a trembling Leo and yelled, "Enough! Tell Michael to cut the crap! Doesn’t he know he’s upsetting Leo!” Then, she hung up again.

From the moment I’d been hospitalized, Mom had been dismissive, acting like my health issues were a way of getting attention. Like I was playing her.

Leo, standing beside her, looked close to tears, whimpering. “I’m so scared, Mom! What if something really did happen to Michael?”

Mom’s eyes were ice. “He’s faking it for sure. Besides, you handed the surgery over to the best doc halfway through. What could go wrong? He’s trying to make a mountain out of a molehill.”

I, still not cold in th...