The Christmas Remedy

by Cindy Woodsmall

  “You absolutely know I could not have done it without your help.” She was used to going alone when she traveled to Amish homes for her work, but it felt really nice to have a helper and a friend. She looked at Josh’s slightly red face as he tried to avert his eyes from hers, even with a smile lingering on his face. She had told him that she wasn’t available ever, and he was trying to respect that.

  Could she follow through on staying single forever? Even if it meant losing Josh?

  Brandon pulled his phone out of his pocket, hit the email icon, and then hit Refresh. Nothing. It’d been thirteen days since he took his exams. He had done this at least twenty times today, and it was not quite ten in the morning. At any moment he could get the news about whether he passed or failed the pharmacist licensing and law exams. It took passing two exams to earn a license—the NAPLEX, which was the pharmacy competency and knowledge test, and the MPJE, which had federal- and state-specific questions about the laws that governed the industry. And with passing those tests would come the most precious series of numbers he could imagine: his pharmacist license.

  Combine that with the vital information Holly had learned about what had actually happened on October fifteenth, and he would have the winning ticket to save his dad’s pharmacy. But if he didn’t pass one or both exams, it wasn’t a complete loss. They now had enough information to clear Greene’s Pharmacy. They just didn’t have a pharmacist to take over Todd’s hours, and they couldn’t confront him until they hired someone to replace him.

  “I’ve got this, man.” Todd was working at the adjacent station, going through the morning prep. “Take a short break before we open. Usually the tech or intern doesn’t have to show up until the customers are actually here.”

  “No, I’m fine.” Brandon slid his phone back into his pocket and continued inputting into the computer the information from the faxes they had received overnight. There was no way he would take a break without Holly present, and Holly should start her shift any minute.

  The front door opened and closed with a jingle from the multiple Christmas bells that now covered it. Holly was back from her morning deliveries with a few minutes to spare before opening time. Keeping Todd in his peripheral vision, he exited the gated prescription area and walked toward her.

  “Good morning.” She greeted him while simultaneously turning the sign on the front door to Open. “Any news about your exams?”

  “Not yet, I’m afraid.” He took another deep breath and tried to suppress his rising anxiety. He had dealt with minor test anxiety throughout his school career and had been increasingly more successful keeping it at bay over the past few years. But so much was riding on the results of these exams.

  She touched his elbow and looked in his eyes. “Soon.” She moved to one side of the front display and turned on a power strip. Lights on the Christmas tree immediately illuminated the store walls and window in a rainbow of colors. The animatronic snowman whirred to life, waving to passing people in the downtown area.

  “You should tell your sister that this is quite the Christmas display. I don’t think it’s been this elaborate in previous years.”

  “Ya, she adds more every year. Eventually you’ll be filling prescriptions next to live reindeer.”

  Brandon laughed at the thought and then stopped when he realized it didn’t sound so bad to be filling scripts here in future Christmases.

  Holly moved to the other side of the display windows and plugged in another power strip, starting the miniature train set, which took up the entire left window, in motion. When children arrived with their parents to shop, they could even use a control to make the train start and stop. Ivy had fashioned the set to vaguely resemble Raysburg, complete with tiny Amish buggies, farm houses set in miniature hills, and lots of animal figurines. In the very center was a nativity scene. Even when Brandon was working back in the prescription area, he had heard a lot of oohs and aahs from customers.

  Holly peered past him for a moment, clearly checking on Todd’s whereabouts. “I ran into the mail delivery lady on my way in. She was running ahead of schedule since she has extra helpers to deliver the Christmas packages. This came in the mail.” Holly reached in her dress pocket, removed a white envelope, and handed it to Brandon. It was addressed to Lyle from Sam Miller and sealed with a notary stamp.

  No doubt this was Sam’s personal account of what had happened. It’d arrived in plenty of time before the board meeting, which Brandon had been concerned about. They also had Sam’s full contact information—the name and NPI number of his doctor and the official five prescriptions transferred from Sam’s home pharmacy—stored in paper format in a file in a safe Todd didn’t have access to. That info and the letter Sam had sent would be more than enough evidence for the pharmacy to clear the charges against them.

  “Wow, that was quick. You found him Monday, and today is only Friday.” He kept his voice down so Todd couldn’t hear what they were saying. “I’m so glad he agreed to help.”

  Holly nodded. “He was very agreeable. Most of our patients are incredibly grateful for what your dad does. They need him, and they need Greene’s—if not for themselves, then for someone they love.”

  And Greene’s needs me here. The thought hit hard, and he wasn’t sure how he felt about it.

  “Yes, they do,” Brandon agreed. He pulled out his phone again and hit Refresh on the email. The circle spun, indicating the phone was receiving new data. It dinged softly as a new email arrived in his box. Brandon felt an immediate surge of adrenaline as he saw that the email was from the Pennsylvania State Board of Pharmacy. His heart seemed to race and stall simultaneously. He clicked, opening it, and skimmed for the important words.

  Brandon Greene. Congratulations. Passed. License number.

  He almost fell over with relief. Dozens of memories flashed through his mind as he stared at the email. Struggling through undergrad while grieving his mother’s untimely death. All-night study sessions with fellow pharmacy school students. The heartbreak of a bad test score. Failing a class his first year and having to retake it in the summer. The embarrassment of counselors telling him he was unlikely to make it to graduation. The triumph of making an A in a class that was almost impossible. Hearing about the remaining classmates graduating without him. Hugging his father in Greene’s storage room and finally forgiving him for everything that had happened to create the distance between them. In this moment it had all paid off.

  “Brandon? Is everything okay?” Holly peered at him over his phone.

  Brandon put the device in his pocket. “Yes. Yes, more than okay. I passed.”

  She grabbed his arm. “Congrats,” she whispered.

  “Thanks, Holly. I’m going upstairs to get Dad. We need to have a talk with Todd.”

  Fifteen minutes later Brandon was helping his father down the stairs, though the older man was trying to shrug off his help. Some things would never change. He’d gently told his dad what the security footage showed Todd doing, and Brandon had taken time to encourage his dad to sip water and take relaxing breaths as he absorbed the news. Once his heart rate had slowed to an almost normal rate, they’d headed down the steps.

  “Dad, you stay calm and let me confront Todd.” Brandon opened the door from the apartment stairs to the pharmacy.

  “I’ll try. But I have some things to say too.” His father’s voice was low and intense.

  Maybe it would be good for his dad’s health in the long run to look Todd in the eyes and say a few things.

  “Todd, my father and I need to have a word with you in the break room.”

  He looked up from the computer with a start. Holly was working next to him, keeping the agreement that they would not let Todd out of their sight when he was in the pharmacy.

  Had Todd’s face turned pale? He had to know he was caught. “Oh, um, sure.”

  The three of them stepped into
the break room, and Brandon closed the door behind them just in case any customers came into the store.

  “Sit down.” Brandon gestured at one chair while pulling up another for his dad. Todd sat across the table from Brandon and his dad and was now visibly sweating.

  “Look, I don’t know what this is about, but whatever you think happened, I’m sure it’s a misunderstanding—”

  “Just stop.” Brandon held his hand up. “We know everything. You didn’t realize it, but we’d paid a private security company to set up cameras and record footage here, which was stored off-site. So even though you thought you were off camera, you weren’t. We saw you destroy the note my father wrote about transferring the prescriptions for Sam Miller, and we saw you shred the hard copies. I have undeniable digital proof that I will show to the Board of Pharmacy.”

  The remaining bit of color in Todd’s face drained, even from his lips. He’d lose his license over this. Even if he didn’t lose it permanently, his career was over. Who would hire someone that had sabotaged his employer? That used an older man’s stroke in order to get an advantage? After this came out BB Drugs couldn’t afford to keep him on even as a pharmacy tech. It would be really bad publicity for them.

  Brandon laced his fingers together. “We also found Sam Miller and have all the information we need about his condition and his prescriptions to prove that the prescriptions were an emergency fill and were legitimate. We’ll ask the board to bring charges against you for sabotage and false accusations. They don’t take these things lightly. But before I possibly call the police to escort you out of here, what I really want to know is why. Why on earth would you do these things? I trusted you. I counted you as a family friend.”

  Todd scoffed. “Trust. Yeah, right.” He drummed his fingers on the table. “If he”—Todd pointed to Dad—“had just trusted me years ago, we wouldn’t be having this conversation now. The pharmacy would be making real profits, and you would have a family business you could actually be proud of. I spent time, oh so much time, learning how to modernize this place. I figured out numerous ways that would make a huge difference in Greene’s profits. I wanted to be his partner and help this place grow! But he chose to operate a charity instead. That’s no way to do business.”

  “It was never your business.” Dad’s voice was quiet but intense. “And because I knew you thought about money above all else, I could never take you on as a partner. I should have stood up and told my son no when he hired you, but I wanted to forgive, the way my Amish friends do. I wanted to believe you were here to help me during my time of need.”

  “I was trying to help you,” Todd snapped. “It may not make sense to you, but if you had been fined by the board, you would sell. You’d have no other option. BB Drugs would have bought this place, and you could have retired comfortably. And, yeah, I could have gotten a bonus for opening a new location in this area. Why do you want to hold on to a dying model of business?”

  His dad’s eyes bore into Todd. “How I choose to run my business is none of your business. And you will not force me into retirement, a comfortable one or otherwise. Who do you think you are anyway?”

  “I could’ve turned this place into a mega success, and there’s still time to—”

  “That’s enough.” Brandon leaned in, placing his palms on the table. “Your plan failed, and Dad isn’t going anywhere. Neither is Greene’s Pharmacy.”

  “Brandon, you’re reasonable. Surely you can’t intend to actually work here after you get your license. Talk with your dad.” Todd wore a smile that looked forced. “We can still work out this deal. You all need me—and this chance.”

  “There is no deal. I am licensed now, and I will take over for my dad as pharmacist-in-charge until he is well enough to work again. And he will be soon. We will send the information we’ve uncovered to the board, and you can answer to them. But at the moment you can either calmly walk out with me right now, or I will call the police, and they will escort you.”

  Todd opened and closed his mouth several times as if he had more to say. “Fine. I’ll leave.” He made a hand motion as if tossing money. “Bankrupt yourselves. Good luck with this money pit.” He stood and stormed out of the room. Brandon followed closely behind in case Todd tried to do anything stupid on his way out. Thankfully, words were the only thing he threw as he mumbled about how stupid Brandon was to root himself in this failing pharmacy. Todd walked out the front door and slammed it behind him, the numerous Christmas decorations reverberating from the impact.

  Brandon let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. He looked over his shoulder to see Dad close behind him and Holly watching the whole thing from behind the counter.

  Several customers left an aisle to see what was going on, and Brandon was at a loss to know how to handle the situation.

  Dad waved at them. “What can I help you find today?”

  Brandon didn’t hover close enough to hear the whole conversation, but they seemed to relax, and within a minute they were laughing with his dad. When they returned to their browsing, Dad walked over to stand next to Brandon at the front door.

  “I’m sorry, Dad.” He looked down at the dark wood floor, watching the Christmas lights dance in the reflection. “I didn’t know about what had happened between you and Todd. I should have trusted your opinion. I was just desperate for an easy solution so that when I got my license, I could leave, knowing Todd would be here until you were able to work full time again.”

  “It’s not your fault.” Dad patted his shoulder. “I should have told you. I was just hopeful that the issues between Todd and me were in the distant past.” He walked back toward the pharmacy counter, and Brandon walked with him. “Now”—Dad tapped his hands against the counter—“I think some celebrating is in order. Let me take you and Holly out to dinner tonight. I’d say let’s go now, but you have a workday ahead of you, Dr. Greene.” Dad’s eyes radiated pride. “Congratulations, you are officially more educated than I am.”

  Brandon laughed. “Hardly. A degree is great, but it doesn’t replace years of hands-on experience in the trenches.”

  “Thank you, Son.” Dad clasped Brandon’s shoulder. “I feel guilty for having asked for your time. As of today, you could be earning real money with your degree and license. Can’t tell you how much I’m grateful for it. But soon enough we can hire someone else, and you can be off.”

  “Please don’t feel guilty. Apparently, and brace yourself for this, there are things more important than making money. You’ve spent my whole life trying to teach me that, and I get it now.”

  Dad’s eyes misted.

  “We can figure out how to handle the payments on my student loans, and I will stay as long as you need me. There will always be corporate jobs. What you, Holly, and Julie do for this community matters.”

  The bells on the front door jingled as a mother with a young child entered the store. When the little girl saw the train, she squealed with excitement. Her mother lingered near the train for a bit, embracing the girl’s delight with the decorations, and then the woman moved to a nearby row of over-the-counter medications.

  Holly pointed to the prescription work area. “Looks like we better get to work, Dr. Greene.”

  Snow flurries tickled Holly’s face as she walked down the sidewalk, and the view had her grinning ear to ear. She adjusted her scarf and black coat against the wind. No amount of cold weather could dampen her spirits today—a mere five days before Christmas. Booths of Amish-made Christmas gifts lined the sidewalks in front of the pharmacy. Raysburg sparkled with Christmas lights, decorations, and falling snow. The delicious fragrance of hot apple pies swirled from the booth next to her, and her mouth watered in response.

  “Guder Marye, Fannie,” she greeted her Mamm’s good friend and vendor of the pie booth. The pies were wrapped in tinfoil inside a gas-powered warmer.

  “Hallo, Holly Noe
lle.” Fannie beamed at her, the skin around her eyes crinkling so much they almost disappeared. “Care for a fry pie? No charge for you, of course. I have apple, chocolate, caramel, and blueberry.”

  Holly started to politely decline, as she usually was too busy to stop and enjoy something like dessert at eleven o’clock on a Wednesday morning, but she stopped herself. “You know what? Sure. How about apple?”

  Fannie, still smiling, handed her the pie, along with several paper towels. Holly took it with her gloved hands. The steamy warmth of the dessert came through the cloth, and she cupped it closer, inhaling it.

  “Denki, Fannie.”

  “No.” Fannie’s eyes brimmed with tears, and her voice broke. “Denki to du, Holly, and you know why.”

  Holly stood there, fully aware of what Fannie meant, and allowed the woman’s gratitude to surround her like a warm feather comforter on a cold winter night. Holly had convinced Fannie’s husband, Vernon, to let Holly take him to see a doctor, but it hadn’t been easy. She’d navigated all his arguments while gently and firmly insisting he go with her to have a slow-healing cut on his leg tended to. After everything was said and done—which included a week of home health-care visits while Vernon was attached to an IV with antibiotics and then a month of oral antibiotics—the doctor told them if he’d waited one more day, he probably would’ve lost his leg, maybe his life. Fannie wiped her eyes. “With all of us being here today, surely we can raise enough money for you to have another health fair.”

  Joy welled in Holly’s chest, and she wanted to respond with honesty and gratitude that God had given her the wisdom to convince Vernon of what needed to be done. But all Holly could manage was a nod and a faint smile. She glanced down the street, taking in the Christmas spirit of people sacrificing for one another. Multiple booths had steaming foods perfect for cold weather. Other decorated stalls had beautiful handmade Christmas goods. Finally her composure returned. “If the busyness is any indication, it looks as if we’ll raise plenty for another health fair, plus some to put aside for future years.”