by Cahoon, Lynn
“You want to go back to school? You just started.”
Great, first Abbott thought Annie was here to score a man. Now she saw her as a short timer. Annie clarified her question. “I wouldn’t go back for a year. And I’d still need to work full time. I’d just need to adjust shifts around my classes.”
Nurse Abbott pushed the file to the right of her desk. “I’m sure we can work something out when that time comes. For now, I’d like you to take more responsibility on the station. Answering lights, ordering labs, those kind of duties.”
“So I’m off janitorial and zoo-keeping detail?” Annie regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth.
Abbott’s mouth tightened. Annie couldn’t tell if the woman was fighting a smile or if she was in deep trouble again. After a pause, Abbott answered. “For now. Just know I’m watching you.”
Annie exhaled. She hadn’t ruined it. In fact, it seemed like Abbott liked her more when she talked back. Who knew?
“Thank you for your time. I’ll work hard for you and the hospital.”
“You better. I’m keeping you on against my better judgment.” The woman pulled out another file and waved her away, dismissing Annie. “That’s all. Send in Bess.”
Annie stood and almost sprinted out of the small office. She closed the door behind her before looking for her co-worker. Bess was sitting outside the office, reading a romance novel. How could she be so calm?
“Nurse Abbott would like to see you now.” Annie pointed to the door.
“You okay?” Bess stood and slipped the paperback into her tunic pocket.
“Better than I thought I’d be after this meeting. At least I’m still employed.” Annie smiled at her friend. “You have nothing to worry about. She likes you.”
Bess cocked her head, seeming to consider Annie’s words as she gripped the office door handle, pausing before she opened the door. “Of course, who wouldn’t?”
Annie watched Bess disappear into the lion’s den and thought about her own close call. She had passed what she was sure was the first test of many. Proving loyalty to Nurse Abbott was going to be a full time job.
Annie hummed as she went back to the station. She nodded to the other nurse who had been covering for her. As a light blinked, she jumped. “I’ll take that.”
Heading down the hall to help a patient, Annie’s heart bubbled. Finally, she was doing what she wanted, helping others. Today was a good day.
*
“Good job today on rounds.” Doctor Dixon slapped Troy on the back as they stood around the nurses’ station. “You seem to be more in tune with your patients this week and their needs.”
“Finally,” Matt snorted.
Troy gripped the chart he was holding and imagined it flying through the air, hitting Matt squarely in the chiseled jaw. Maybe it would break and Matt wouldn’t be able to talk for months. Before he could act on his impulse, Doctor Dixon’s voice seeped through the anger.
“Snide comments and sneaky behavior will only get you so far Doctor Taylor, no matter who you’re related to.”
Matt had the good sense to flush at the comment and keep his mouth shut.
“The power game starts as soon as new interns hit the floor. Of course, some of you take it more personally than others.” Dixon frowned at Matt. “It doesn’t matter where you come from, not when death is competing with you for your patient. If you want to fight someone, fight the grim reaper.”
As the meeting broke up, Doctor Dixon motioned Troy over and the two walked to the cafeteria for coffee.
“Even though the power jockeying is normal behavior for first years, you still need to be careful.” Doctor Dixon stirred three packets of sugar into his coffee after they’d found a table in a quiet section of the cafeteria. “The problem with Matt Taylor is he has some power behind his threats. Real or perceived, there is power there. You don’t want this to become a problem. I’m not sure I can protect you, even if you are the most promising first year I’ve had in years.”
Troy decided to take his mentor’s advice to heart. Anytime Matt had needled him in the break room, he would turn the other cheek. Eventually, Matt would get tired of the one-sided game.
By the time Troy returned from the cafeteria and his meeting with Dixon, the interns had scattered. Troy hauled his pile of charts to the quiet of the charting room. He’d be happy when the hospital broke down and moved into the twentieth century, changing all the records to electronic. A few of the floors were already converted and Troy coveted one of those sleek netbooks those doctors carried. He could chart his notes while he was talking to the patient, not try to remember what happened from a few scribbled notes. He hadn’t screwed up a patient’s treatment from forgetting to write something down, yet. But there were rumors of interns being fired over mixing treatment plans between patients. He didn’t want to make that kind of mistake, now or later.
“Teacher’s pet are we, Saunders?” Matt stood over him. Troy hadn’t heard him come into the nearly deserted room.
“Not now, Matt, I’m swamped with orders.” Troy kept his head down and didn’t engage eye contact. If grade school had taught him one thing, it was that bullies wanted attention. And if they didn’t get it, they would eventually go away. It might take a few bruised arms or ripped up papers, but they all went away. Of course Sara scared a few of them into leaving her big brother alone. Too bad he couldn’t bring her to work with him to take care of Matt. A smile teased his lips.
“So you think this is funny, huh? My father is going to have Dixon’s job for calling me out like that. Who does he think he is? And you’ll go right down the drain with the old geezer.” Matt moved closer, using the proximity of his body as a threat.
“I’m busy.” Troy’s voice was calm but his stomach was on fight or flight mode. All the muscles in his body tensed and his hands tighten into fists. He willed them to unclench and tried to calm his racing heart. Fighting with Matt would only prove how much power the intern really had. And like Doctor Dixon said, Troy wouldn’t win that fight. Even if Matt would lose the physical battle, he’d win the more important one and Troy would be kicked out of the program.
“Stand up and face me. Or are you chicken?” Matt pushed Troy’s arm.
Think about running. Think about Sara and Mom and Dad. Think about Annie. Whoa, where did that come from?
Troy took a deep breath before he said, “I’m not going to fight you, Matt. I’m here to work.”
“Yeah, Matt,” Valerie’s voice came from the other side of Troy. “We’re all here to work so ratchet down the testosterone and sit down and work. Or take a walk. Something other than trying to get Troy to fight you.”
Valerie stood by him. The other interns were sitting this one out, waiting to see who won. Hoping that they wouldn’t be the next victim in Matt’s viewfinder. Troy didn’t blame them. Live and let live. He wouldn’t have jumped into the fray like Valerie had. He would have been one of the cowards sitting and watching.
Glaring at Valerie, Matt knocked Troy’s pile of charts off the table. “Good thing I don’t hit girls. This isn’t over, Saunders. Just stay out of my way and I might let you finish first year.”
“That’s not up to you,” Valerie called after him as Matt stormed out of the room.
Troy shook his head. “I’m not sure you’re right about that Valerie. He has a lot of pull here. You know his dad is on the hospital board, right?”
Valerie bent down and picked up the charts, placing each one on the table. She raised her eyebrows, considering Troy. “You don’t know, do you?”
Confused, Troy shook his head. “I guess I don’t. What are you talking about?”
“Matt and I were brought in under the same scholarship program. Our parents are both on the board. My mom is the president and CEO of the hospital. So my Queen trumps his Jack, so to speak.” Valerie spoke in a quiet voice that only Troy could hear.
He kneeled down to help her. “Does Matt know?”
Valerie laug
hed. “I don’t think so. Mom goes by her maiden name. So in Matt’s mind, I’m just as much a peon as the rest of the interns. Believe me, I’ve mentioned Matt’s behavior several times over the dinner table. I’m sure one more incident and his dad’s going to find out what a little shit he’s raised.”
“You don’t have to do that.” Troy pulled Valerie to her feet.
“Oh, the pleasure is all mine.” Valerie patted Troy on the arm. “Now get busy so you can eat lunch with the group today. We’ve been missing your witty charm.”
Troy opened the first chart and started reading the updates. However, his thoughts kept going back to Matt and Valerie. For two people both raised in privilege, they couldn’t be more different from each other. Nature versus nurture in action. Luckily Valerie liked him. Good can win over evil.
*
“These flowers are beautiful,” Annie smelled the red roses bundled in a sea of baby’s breath. She looked down at a smiling Bess. “From your honey?”
“Nope. Read the card.”
Annie searched the flower for an envelope. “Are you sure it’s not too private?”
Bess shook her head. “I already read it. There wasn’t a name on the envelope. The flowers were just here. You read the card.”
Confused, Annie pulled the little card out of the envelope. She read the words aloud. “Annie, looking forward to seeing you this weekend. I have an important question to ask you. Craig.”
“Craig. Isn’t he the guy you were dating back home? So what’s he going to ask you? Are you getting married? Why didn’t you tell me you already had a man on the line?” Bess rapid fired her questions at Annie.
“Anything Craig is going to ask me, he’s already asked and that boat has sailed.” Annie threw the card in the trash. “Do you want the flowers here or should I throw them away too? It doesn’t matter to me one way or another.”
“You don’t want them? But isn’t this Craig going to ask you to marry him? That’s what the note says.” Bess looked confused.
Annie sank into her chair. “Listen. I know the flowers are beautiful. We can keep them on the station or give them to one of the patients. I don’t care. Really. Craig is out of my life and will never be allowed back in. Ever. Not after what he did.”
“What could the man have done that was so bad?”
A call light buzzed. Annie flipped off the light and stood. “He left me at the altar. Literally. In my white dress and all our relatives watching. His note claimed he wasn’t ready. I’ll get the call.”
Annie walked down the hall. The Band-Aid which had covered that wound in her soul needed patting down. She knew she didn’t love Craig. Not now, and, if she was honest, probably not then. His change of heart propelled Annie to get her degree and make a new life. But it still hurt. She’d have to run tonight. A good hard run to get her emotions back under control was just what the doctor ordered.
First, she was going to call her mother and explain again that she didn’t want Craig’s gifts, apologies or phone calls. Because Annie knew there was only one way he could have found out where she was working. Just because her mom loved Craig. It was time for a show down. Annie wouldn’t give in this time.
She felt more in control when she got back to the station. She’d made a decision to give the flowers away to one of the patients. The woman had no visitors and no cards, no flowers, no attention. She’d been on the floor for a week and besides a few phone calls from her boyfriend that Annie had overheard, she’d had no contact with the outside world. These flowers would bring her joy. For Annie, they just reminded her of the bleak months after the wedding had been cancelled.
She picked up the flowers and walked down the hall straight into a human wall. Looking up, she saw the only one of the first year interns who looked at her breasts before he moved up to her face. Matt Taylor, total Class A class jerk.
“Hey, where are you going so fast with those flowers?” Matt held her arms, steadying her from the impact.
“I’m delivering them to a patient. Let me go.” Annie tried to walk around him.
“She’s feisty! Don’t you think, Saunders?” Matt turned and looked at Troy who was walking toward the two carrying his usual stack of charts.
“Leave her alone, Matt. She’s just doing her job.” Troy’s voice was firm.
“Oh, that’s right, you two know each other.” Matt looked at the flowers. “Lover’s spat?”
“I didn’t send her the flowers.”
“No?” Matt craned his neck to see if there was a delivery tag on the vase. “I don’t see any label saying they’re for a patient.”
“Matt,” Troy began, but Annie cut him off.
“Not that it’s any of your business, but they are for me. From my ex-fiancé who doesn’t know when he’s too late.” Annie stood staring at Matt. “Anything else, Doctor?”
Matt held his hands up in mock surrender. “Don’t go all Full Action Nurse Barbie on me, sweetie. I was just asking.”
“What did you just call me? Nurse Barbie?” Annie stared at Troy. “My name is Annie Baxter. You can call me Nurse Baxter or Miss Baxter. But never, ever, call me Barbie again.”
“Whatever,” Matt headed to the elevator. “I’m heading up to the executive cafeteria to eat lunch with my dad. Don’t page me unless someone’s dying.”
Troy walked up to her. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. I can’t believe you told him about the Barbie joke.” Annie glared at the man standing in front of her. Men. All they did was make her life miserable.
“Hey, I didn’t tell Matt anything. We’re not friends. Believe me.” Troy cocked his head. “But I thought we were. You were engaged?”
“There’s a lot you don’t know about me, Doctor Saunders.” Annie spun on her heel, the water from the vase spilling out on the floor. She should stop and clean it up, but she couldn’t, not in front of him.
Annie headed to Miss Brown’s room. The sooner these flowers were out of her sight, the better. As she stepped past Troy, she saw Nurse Abbott standing a few feet back. The woman glared at her.
Great, now I am back to being Nurse Barbie.
“Look, I don’t know what you saw but…”
“Save it, Baxter. You had me fooled with all that career talk. Now I can see you’re playing the interns against each other. What? Trying to hedge your bets? And the flowers, really, if you’re going to send yourself flowers, try not to make it so obvious.” Nurse Abbott turned and walked away from her, not even letting Annie respond.
Tears filled her eyes. The one thing she had was the job. She’d put everything she had into this career and no one, not Abbott, not Troy, not Craig, not even her Mom was going to mess this up for her. She wiped away the tears and headed to deliver her flowers where they would make someone happy.
Chapter Ten
“Mom, I love you but you have to know that Craig and I are over. We aren’t going to have a do-over on this relationship.” Annie had called her mom as soon as she had walked in the door to the apartment. She needed to clear the decks so she could repair things with Abbott tomorrow. Having more flowers delivered at work would just prolong the agony. She’d be in Abbott’s doghouse until the woman figured out a way to fire her. Annie wasn’t giving her that opportunity.
“Honey, I swear, I haven’t talked to Craig in months. I don’t know how he found out you were coming home this weekend or where you worked unless…” The phone line went dead for a second.
“Unless what, Mom?” Annie pushed. It wasn’t nice but she was fighting for her career here, her life.
“I might have mentioned it to his mother when we ran into each other at Shop A Lot.”
“Mom!” Well, the secret was out. Now Annie knew how Craig had gained his information.
“She asked how you were doing,” her mom responded. “And you know she always has that poor little Annie tone to her voice. I just wanted to let her know that you were doing great without her weasel of a son. I guess I bragged you up a litt
le too much.”
And Craig wanted a piece of the happy, successful Annie. It was so like him. He had told her in the email he’d sent after not showing up for the wedding that he was looking for someone who wanted more out of her life. He didn’t want a wife who rested on his laurels. Now Annie guessed she was good enough for the mighty Craig who ran his father’s chain of tire stores.
“Mom, it’s not your fault. It’s typical Craig. Sorry I blew up at you. It’s been a bad day.”
“I hope I didn’t mess up anything with one of your work pals. Are you dating?”
Annie heard the unsaid ‘yet’ to her mother’s question. “No, I’m not. Hey, I’ve got to go. And I won’t be coming down this weekend. Maybe I’ll come next weekend. I don’t think I can handle the Craig show right now.”
“You know I love you, right?”
“I love you too. I’ll call you Sunday.” Annie hung up the phone. Well, one puzzle down. Let Craig show up at her mom’s on Saturday looking for her. She didn’t really care. Maybe she’d call and tell him to leave her alone next week. Today all she wanted to do was run.
She headed to the bedroom to change into her running clothes. The sun was shining, it was a beautiful spring day in the seventies and she’d taken off from work early. It was time to run and clear her head.
*
“And then what did you say?” Sara sat cross-legged on his leather couch, her writing forgotten as Troy relayed the events of the day.
“Nothing. I went to lunch. When I came back, she’d taken a patient to x-ray and I didn’t see her again.” Troy sipped his beer. He had to admit it. What Annie thought mattered to him. He was smitten.
“You like this girl.” Sara grinned at him. “My brother has a little romance going on.”
“I wouldn’t call it a romance. Besides falling in love was not in my five-year plan. I wanted to be settled first. To have something to offer a woman.”