by Barbara Ebel
And now, it was over. Even worse, he had broken up with her.
She supposed she would never know the reason why, because if she didn’t have the answers now when the situation took place, then she couldn’t fathom guessing the reason in the future.
She narrowed the space between her and Oliver and gave the dog a hug. The medical world in which she lived was difficult enough to maintain the responsibilities required of her, but the demise of her relationship on top of that was extreme. Her eyes moistened as she pictured Dustin in her mind. She allowed herself to cry.
-----
The mattress was alive with movement as Oliver pranced straight over Annabel from her front to her back. As she opened her eyes, his head was above her and his body trembled.
She coaxed Oliver to the side while wondering how long she had slept. Although the storm was not above them, thunder rumbled close enough to render the dog a full-blown anxiety attack. She scooted off the bed, coaxed Oliver down, and secured his thunder shirt around his torso. Worried that she’d missed a call, she grabbed her iPhone.
A missed incoming call showed up and she scolded herself for having the volume off. Sometime during the hectic police invasion at Dr. Gillespie’s office, she had muted it. The number was not familiar, but it was not Dr. Clark or Stuart. Someone had left a voicemail. She turned up the volume and pressed to play.
“I’m calling from the Pediatric Chairman’s office. Dr. Fisher was informed of the temporary closure of the pediatrician’s office on your rotation. Tomorrow morning, please report here at 9 a.m. The other student, Stuart Schneider, has been called as well.”
Annabel mulled that over. At least she wouldn’t have to wake up at the crack of dawn. Over the next hour, the storm ramped up and then ebbed off to the west. She took Oliver’s shirt off and they both went to sleep.
-----
On Friday morning at ten to nine, Annabel waited outside the Chairman’s office. Stuart soon strolled into the outer office as well.
“What a disruption to our schedule,” he said, “and I hate for Dr. Clark to suffer consequences as well.”
“I suppose a lot will be up in the air for a while.”
“Maybe your boyfriend can help in that regard. Boost the investigation along so she can get back to work.”
Annabel twisted her mouth and glanced down.
“Uh-oh,” Stuart said.
“I’ll come right out with it. We’re finished. I’m going to miss him, Stuart.”
“I’m sorry. I’m always around in case you need someone to lean on besides Bob.”
“I appreciate that, especially coming from you. You went through enough in an orphanage and with parents who adopted you when maybe they shouldn’t have. As far as Bob, yes, I’m sure he’ll be sympathetic. My news is hot off the press. I haven’t even told him yet.”
The door swung open and a stout man appeared wearing an attending’s white coat. His mustache was the same length as his lips and closely-cropped directly above his lip. Dr. Fisher’s smile still beamed on his lips and he stepped aside, letting the students enter his office.
“Annabel Tilson and Stuart Schneider, I heard about the drama at Gillespie’s and Clark’s office yesterday. We have issues to resolve.” He waved both students into chairs and then focused on Stuart. “First, I understand you have taken a liking to pediatrics.”
“Yes, sir. I plan on applying to pediatric residencies.”
“I was told you are in the top of your class academically. I certainly hope you apply here.”
“I must decide soon, but I will certainly opt for this region of the country.”
“Annabel, you earned quite a reputation in your third year rotations, so whatever specialty you choose, I wish you much success. Now, as far as the dilemma we’re faced with at present, there’s a simple solution. You were switching to the wards next Monday, but chief residents are expecting you both today. There are four teams and you can choose which one you’d like.
“Bob Palmer is on a team, Annabel, and since you two are friends, it’s not a problem if you join his.”
“Thank you, but actually, I can’t. We juggle around a dog we both own, so our call nights have to be different. He was going to Dr. Gillespie’s office next Monday. Will that be cancelled?”
“Yes. We don’t know how long Gillespie’s office will be closed. Dr. Clark may be taking a little vacation in the interim.
“No point belaboring the point. When you report to the hospital ward, each of you choose a different team you want to be on. The chief residents will inform me.”
Dr. Fisher sat down on the edge of his desk. “The health and safety of pediatric patients is the department’s utmost concern. As far as Dr. Gillespie goes, the wheels of medicine and justice have been turning. Because of his arrest yesterday by the Cincinnati Police, the State Board of Medical Examiners has announced this morning that Dr. Gillespie’s medical license is temporarily suspended.”
CHAPTER 29
With Stuart beside her, Annabel rode the elevator to the ground floor after meeting with Dr. Fischer. “I’ll text Bob,” she said. “I wonder if the students at the hospital know that they’re staying on rotation there.”
“Lots of news to tell you! Stuart and I are heading over.”
“The team will be in the doctors’ lounge after we make rounds.”
“We can meet them in the lounge,” Annabel said as the doors slid open.
The pediatric hospital was nearby, so they decided to walk. They dodged big puddles but stayed on the sidewalk. Although they could take short cuts through grassy areas, the landscaped lawns were a soggy mess due to the overnight storm.
“This isn’t a bad day,” Stuart said as they approached the lounge in the hospital. “We slept in later than usual, I talked to the main doctor of perhaps my future residency, and now we’re going for free food.”
“Easy for you to say. I lost my boyfriend, the doctor I worked with for two weeks was arrested yesterday and is a pedophile, and a dog kept me up most of the night. But you’re correct. I have to look for the bright side in all of that.”
Stuart laughed as he opened the door. “You need to suck on a straw to extrapolate the bright side. But maybe there will be a break in the clouds for you, Annabel. Sometimes things work out for the best when you least expect them.”
“You know, you would make a fine psychiatrist or pediatrician.”
Stuart practically blushed as he looked away. In front of them, the room bustled with attendings, residents, and students.
“Grab something and come join us.” Dr. Mares held a plate with a buttered bagel in one hand and a coffee in the other. With his long stride, he ended at a corner table by the window.
Annabel scooped scrambled eggs and sausage on a plate, poured coffee, and headed over. Stuart copied her breakfast and followed.
The four students and Rick Mares squeezed their chairs tighter together and added two more for Annabel and Stuart. Bob made sure an empty chair was next to him and remained standing. “Good morning.” He waited for Annabel to sit.
“Likewise,” she countered.
Rick cleared his throat and patted a spoon on the table. “Here ye, here ye!” He broke his seriousness and laughed. “I bring this team to order. All kidding aside, the chief residents were told about your fiasco yesterday and our team was just discussing Dr. Gillespie’s poisonous behavior.”
“Dr. Fisher said his license has been temporarily revoked,” Annabel said.
“That status may change. It depends on the outcome of the charges. Fortunately, the Board has upheld its duty to safeguard patients as well as enforce the standards of the medical profession.
“Now, would one of you like to join our team for the last two weeks of your rotation?”
“I would love to.” Annabel glanced at Bob despondently, but then smiled. “Bob and I are parents to a wonderful dog, however. We need to keep our schedules flexibly separate.”
Bob nodded. “Bumme
r, but you’re right.”
“I would love to stay on,” Stuart said.
“Wonderful.” Rick eyed Annabel. “Join Dr. Overton’s team. He teaches a lot. And by the way, your beloved patient Toby Owens went home this week. The orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Castle, was happy with how his leg fracture and PT was coming along. We were satisfied that he could continue recovering from his rat lung worm illness at home.”
“Awesome. Maybe he won’t even have to miss any school work.”
“All right, then.” Rick rose with his plate and coffee. “I’m going to go talk shop with other residents. Y’all finish your food; there’s work to do. Stuart, I’ll assign you patients later.”
Rick left and the students focused on their late breakfast.
“Wow,” Bob said to Annabel. “Yesterday must have been exciting. Dustin must be a hero because of the information you fed him.”
“There was an undercover cop who traced online pornography to Dr. Gillespie’s home. Between the two of them, they made the arrest.”
“You and Dustin are probably going to celebrate.” He posed it as a question more than a statement and waited for her slow response.
She shook her head. “Not at all. Our relationship is officially over.”
Bob sighed. He detected the sadness in her voice and he fully grasped, more than before, how much she cared about Dustin. “I’m truly sorry, Annabel. I don’t know what to say.”
“Thanks. It will take time to work him out of my system.” She grimaced and then slowly nodded. “At least I have the rest of my senior year to divert my attention. And if I need more time, there’s always at least four years of a grueling residency to look forward to.”
-----
At least Toby Owens felt a bit better and his energy was slowly returning, but he was downright bored. His mother was out shopping for him, purchasing the items left on his school list. She had made him stay home from the mall. Dragging him around, she had said, would make him tired and perhaps hamper his recovery. But, of course, most of the errand for him would allow her to accumulate “stuff” for herself.
He added more peanut butter to the crust of his sandwich and took a bite as the front doorbell rang. From the side bay window, he could see no car had pulled into the driveway, so he hoped it was Jonathon.
Toby stuck the last piece of bread into his mouth and opened the door. “Hey, am I ever glad to see you. I feel like a prisoner.”
Jonathon stood on the wet front step, his sneakers toed-in, and his face with a silly grin. “At least you’re out of the hospital.”
The boys walked to the kitchen and Toby poured more chocolate milk. “Yeah, that was the pits. I hope I never go back to a hospital as long as I live.”
“And you’re damn lucky your mom changed you to Dr. Clark. My mom heard the biggest story today. Dr. Gillespie was arrested yesterday! Can you believe it? He’s a criminal.”
Toby’s head bobbed back. “Like put in handcuffs and everything?”
“It beats me, but he’s in jail.”
“Didn’t I tell you all that he was a weirdo? But what did they take him away for?”
Jonathon shrugged. “I don’t think they can arrest people just for being weird.” He took a clean glass from the dish rack and helped himself to the milk. “You should send him a get-well card wishing him to not be screwy anymore.”
“That would be weird.”
“Then send him a gift because you don’t have him as your doctor anymore. Like a thank you for getting rid of him.”
“Hell, I had rat lung worm when I first went to his office and he didn’t figure it out.”
“Maybe he couldn’t have. You were just kind of getting sick. Before the hospital and all of that.”
“Still. Yeah. I should send him a slug. Tell him how good they taste. He’ll eat it and get rat lung worm like I did.”
“You’re the one who’s crazy. A grownup wouldn’t eat it. They’re not stupid like you or me.”
“Grownups eat raw seafood all the time. Anyway, what a prank that would make.”
“We can’t go to Florida to get a slug.”
“No, but we can look for one in the yard. It rained all night and the ground is soaking wet. I betcha I can find worms and maybe a slug or two.”
Maneuvering his cast, Toby pushed away from the table. He went to the kitchen closet and started moving boxes from under the bottom shelf.
“What are you doing?” Jonathon asked.
“My mom recycles boxes she gets in the mail. I’m looking for a small one.”
He backed out, being careful of his cast, and lined the bottom of a tiny box with a baggie. “Coming with me?” he asked as he opened the back door.
Toby picked the ground and grass behind his basketball hoop to begin his search. Jonathon was impressed. Toby knew when and where to find wormlike gastropods in his own backyard.
He put a slug, almost an inch long, on top of the plastic bag. After the boys went back inside, he wrote a note, inserted it, and closed the box.
Jonathon began laughing so hard, it was infectious. Toby joined in.
“You gotta wrap up the box,” Jonathon managed to say.
“No way. We gotta get this to the police station before my mom comes home. We can take the bus.”
“I’m in. Let’s go.”
Even though Toby fought off taking a nap during the bus ride, the two boys schemed the whole time. Either the box would end up in Gillespie’s hands or not. In any case, it was diverting Toby’s boredom and he wouldn’t have it any other way.
They pulled the cord for their bus stop and walked a half block with Toby skillfully using his crutches. He held on to the box like it contained a diamond ring as they stepped to the front desk inside the police station.
“We heard our favorite doctor is here.” Toby stared over the desk to the uniformed man. “We’d like to leave him a present.”
Dustin passed in the hallway behind the front desk. He was still handling the aftermath of the Gillespie case with Kendrick and they were mostly bound to the office for the day. He popped his head in to see the two boys.
“I’ll handle this,” he said to the officer. “What can I do for you two boys?” He noticed the cast on Toby’s leg.
“We heard,” Toby said, “that Dr. Gillespie’s in jail. He’s my doctor and we want to give him a present. He must be down in the dumps.”
“Like Monopoly,” Jonathon said. “You can tell him it’s a get-out-of-jail free pass. But you don’t have to worry because it really won’t break him out of jail.”
Dustin narrowed his eyes. “I suppose so, boys. That’s awfully kind of you, but he isn’t going to be your doctor anymore, at least for a while. Sure you still want to give it to him?”
Both boys nodded.
“All right, then. Be on your way and I’ll personally hand it to him.”
Sitting on the bus stop bench, both boys again cackled. “It is a get-out-of-jail pass,” Toby said. “If he gets rat lung worm, it’ll be straight from jail to the hospital.”
“Thanks for the fun afternoon, Toby, even though we didn’t accomplish anything except for our own amusement.”
“I needed it more than you. Who knows? I bet Dr. Gillespie is weird enough to eat it.”
-----
George Gillespie was never so aggravated in his whole life. He sat in a jail cell circling his stubby thumbs around each other. His stupid attorney was taking forever to take care of the bond money payment needed for his immediate release. In addition, the Board of Medical Licensure had put a temporary suspension on his license and his office was shut down.
Before he could fix the problem with his license or his office closure, he needed to get the hell out of jail. He suspected the cops had found his video cameras and maybe his pornography. However, lots of adults were into porn. In time, the whole mess might subside, and he could go back to doing what he loved. Taking care of kids.
Footsteps approached and he stood up. But it w
asn’t his attorney. It was the police officer named Dustin Lowe.
“There were two boys around twelve years old out front. They left this little box, a present, for you. One of them said you’re his doctor. They sure are sweet kids to do that for the likes of you.”
Dustin handed it through the bars and thought best to wait until he opened the package.
George half ignored Dustin and sat back down to savor the opening of a gift. He opened the lid and pulled out a little note.
“The food must be terrible in jail. This raw, delectable slug should provide additional protein until they let you out. We guarantee its freshness because we found it for you today. Enjoy.”
Dr. Gillespie scrunched his face up as he peered down. Sure enough, a moist slug clung to a plastic bag like it was glued there with rubber cement.
“This must be some kind of joke,” Gillespie said.
“I hope it’s a good one.” Dustin strutted away from the cell and went next door to finish his shift.
EPILOGUE
Nine Months Later
“This is the last major trip,” Annabel said, “hauling my things out of here.” A cardboard box and plastic container were stacked against the kitchen wall and she let out a big sigh.
Bob hoisted the box in his arms and disappeared down the flight of stairs to the rented U-Haul truck they had attached to her car. She followed him with the container and left Oliver in her apartment.
At the curb, Bob opened the back door and they slid their things in. “There will be plenty of space left over,” he said. “I can’t believe the smart deal you made with your landlord.”
“Helped him and helped me.” She was leaving her furniture to him, which wasn’t much anyway, and he was going to now rent out her place as a furnished unit. In return, he granted her last month of rent free. All she had to move were her smaller personal belongings.
She sat on the edge of the truck. For a spring day in May, it already felt like summer. Annabel wore a cotton long-sleeved top, light capris, and summery footwear. She glanced up at her favorite tree.