he asks.
"Great," I politely respond. Asking me about my weekends was becoming a regular thing and thank heavens for Sadie's advice. I might have been coaxed into an uncomfortable perv date if it wasn't for her. "I don't care if it's true or not," she said between bites of her poppy seed bagel. "Unless you want to chit-chat-smack-smack with Dr. P, always say you have plans. Always. " I wasn't the only one who referred to him as something other than the words on his name tag.
"A bit hung over today," he winks. I cringe like I've tasted something sour. "Don't worry. I won't go reporting you to HR." I smile in reply as he pauses for a brief second. The longest second of my day. Was he expecting a song of gratitude or something? I take a huge breath.
"Have a nice day Doc," I mumble. I speed walk down the hall to check on one of my regulars - Earl. A sweet elderly man with prostate cancer.
"Knock knock." I quietly push open the door to find Earl beaming in his hospital bed. His white hair is matted like he's had a rough night. "I come bearing meds."
"Oh bless you, Katherine." He scratches the side of his nose, pushing away a tray of half eaten oatmeal and crumbled up toast.
"Earl," I raise an eyebrow. "What's this? You skipping meals on me?"
"Eh," he waves a bony hand. I hand him his meds and watch while he swallows. "I don't really like the stuff."
"Eat it anyway. I don't want you to spend the day with an upset stomach."
"That's exactly what I told him," a firm voice chimes in from the corner. Earl's son, Jack, looks up from his paper. He runs a hand through his dirty blond hair and scruffy face. "Didn't I Pop?" Earl rolls his eyes.
" This one needs more medication than I do." He jokingly gestures at his son.
"Love you too Dad," Jack replies. "Nice to see you again Kat."
"Jack." I nod, keeping my gaze far away from the firm bulkiness under his t-shirt. I busy myself by recording a few things in Earl's chart.
"So," Jack continues. "Did you work over the weekend?" There it was. The small talk - Jack's way of buttering me up before the jokes and the teasing began. I ignore him and proceed to ask Earl a few questions.
"Are you still having trouble sleeping?" I make another note.
"Okay," Jack chuckles.
"Can't you see she's busy," Earl scolds.
"Yeah. She is now. " He turns the page of his paper and leans forward in his chair. The tip of a black tattoo covering his shoulder becomes visible.
"Calm down both of you," I tease. I head for the door. "I'll see if I can get you something else to eat, okay." I smile as I leave the room, hearing a pair of boots thump behind me.
"Kat," Jack says, following me down the hall. My face comes up to his chest. "Can I ask you something?"
"I told you Jack," I automatically respond. "I'm really busy and I don't have time to-"
"Relax," he laughs. "You think I'd ask you again after you burned me twice?" I would've been lying if I said Jack wasn't pleasing to look at, and he had a weird way of keeping Earl calm despite the hell he was going through. But Jack was a walking red flag - a sexier Chad. For one, his jeans had a rip in the knee and sometimes he smelled like he had spent the night on the floor of a frat house. Jack didn't qualify. He failed on all counts.
"I don't know. I've learned it isn't safe to assume anymore." He bares an imperfect grin.
"A doctor came in this morning. He looked through Dad's chart, shook his head, and left."
"Well it could have been a number of-"
"No Kat," he gently touches my arm. "This time was different." I bite my lip. I had a hunch and hoped it was wrong. But Earl was in his seventies, and losing strength. My heart sinks but I keep a friendly face. I was good at that. Jack follows me to the nearest computer and anxiously waits for me to pull up Earl's records. I
"Great," I politely respond. Asking me about my weekends was becoming a regular thing and thank heavens for Sadie's advice. I might have been coaxed into an uncomfortable perv date if it wasn't for her. "I don't care if it's true or not," she said between bites of her poppy seed bagel. "Unless you want to chit-chat-smack-smack with Dr. P, always say you have plans. Always. " I wasn't the only one who referred to him as something other than the words on his name tag.
"A bit hung over today," he winks. I cringe like I've tasted something sour. "Don't worry. I won't go reporting you to HR." I smile in reply as he pauses for a brief second. The longest second of my day. Was he expecting a song of gratitude or something? I take a huge breath.
"Have a nice day Doc," I mumble. I speed walk down the hall to check on one of my regulars - Earl. A sweet elderly man with prostate cancer.
"Knock knock." I quietly push open the door to find Earl beaming in his hospital bed. His white hair is matted like he's had a rough night. "I come bearing meds."
"Oh bless you, Katherine." He scratches the side of his nose, pushing away a tray of half eaten oatmeal and crumbled up toast.
"Earl," I raise an eyebrow. "What's this? You skipping meals on me?"
"Eh," he waves a bony hand. I hand him his meds and watch while he swallows. "I don't really like the stuff."
"Eat it anyway. I don't want you to spend the day with an upset stomach."
"That's exactly what I told him," a firm voice chimes in from the corner. Earl's son, Jack, looks up from his paper. He runs a hand through his dirty blond hair and scruffy face. "Didn't I Pop?" Earl rolls his eyes.
" This one needs more medication than I do." He jokingly gestures at his son.
"Love you too Dad," Jack replies. "Nice to see you again Kat."
"Jack." I nod, keeping my gaze far away from the firm bulkiness under his t-shirt. I busy myself by recording a few things in Earl's chart.
"So," Jack continues. "Did you work over the weekend?" There it was. The small talk - Jack's way of buttering me up before the jokes and the teasing began. I ignore him and proceed to ask Earl a few questions.
"Are you still having trouble sleeping?" I make another note.
"Okay," Jack chuckles.
"Can't you see she's busy," Earl scolds.
"Yeah. She is now. " He turns the page of his paper and leans forward in his chair. The tip of a black tattoo covering his shoulder becomes visible.
"Calm down both of you," I tease. I head for the door. "I'll see if I can get you something else to eat, okay." I smile as I leave the room, hearing a pair of boots thump behind me.
"Kat," Jack says, following me down the hall. My face comes up to his chest. "Can I ask you something?"
"I told you Jack," I automatically respond. "I'm really busy and I don't have time to-"
"Relax," he laughs. "You think I'd ask you again after you burned me twice?" I would've been lying if I said Jack wasn't pleasing to look at, and he had a weird way of keeping Earl calm despite the hell he was going through. But Jack was a walking red flag - a sexier Chad. For one, his jeans had a rip in the knee and sometimes he smelled like he had spent the night on the floor of a frat house. Jack didn't qualify. He failed on all counts.
"I don't know. I've learned it isn't safe to assume anymore." He bares an imperfect grin.
"A doctor came in this morning. He looked through Dad's chart, shook his head, and left."
"Well it could have been a number of-"
"No Kat," he gently touches my arm. "This time was different." I bite my lip. I had a hunch and hoped it was wrong. But Earl was in his seventies, and losing strength. My heart sinks but I keep a friendly face. I was good at that. Jack follows me to the nearest computer and anxiously waits for me to pull up Earl's records. I
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