Chapter One
Welcome You
“Morning, Dr. Mills.”
“Morning to you,” Garrett said when he got out of his car on Monday morning. He didn’t remember the medical tech’s name that filled in once last month.
There were temps coming in and out of his office all the time, and though he tried to be good with names, it didn’t always happen.
His office didn’t open for another thirty minutes. He liked to get here early and get everything in order before his day started.
He pulled his bag out that held his laptop and lunch, then reached for the two boxes on the front seat.
The crisp morning breeze of early April woke him up after a great night’s sleep.
Something he hadn’t had in a long time.
The decision to spend a year in his weekend home and work on the island to recharge might have been exactly what the doctor ordered.
He grinned over that thought.
The doctor being his mother...who was actually a retired nurse.
It’d been her idea after she and his father, who was a doctor, sat him down and laid it all out.
Since he looked up to his father and followed him into this field of medicine, he was going to listen to the guy who managed to balance the emotional toll this job took better than anyone Garrett knew.
On his way into the building, he waved at several more people. On an island this small, most knew anyone that was part of the Bond family—which he descended from.
He unlocked the door to his office, pulled his laptop out, set it up, and then left with one of the boxes in his hand, locking his office behind him.
After going through a few back halls, he came out in front of the pharmacy and went to the counter. They were open twenty- four seven and since the new pharmacist was starting today, he might as well begin by introducing himself.
“Can I help you?” A woman asked him after he’d stood there a few minutes. Didn’t seem as if there were many working just yet. But it was early and most likely not as busy to have too many on.
“Yes,” he said, looking at her nametag. Yep, she was the one he wanted to meet. Damn, he hadn’t expected someone so young or attractive either. Her shoulder-length blonde hair was almost so light it could be white, yet he could tell it was natural. Her eyes were a clear blue like the summer sky and he was trying not to get lost in them. “I just wanted to welcome you to the hospital. Garrett Mills.”
She accepted his hand and shook it. “Oh,” she said. “Justine Keller.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” he said. “In the oncology department, we tend to start early.”
She frowned. “So you thought you’d come down to get a nudge ahead of other medications to be filled?”
He smiled, trying to keep this friendly. “Not a nudge, but just like to meet who we are working with. And bring donuts,” he said cheerfully.
He set the box on the counter. She laughed, but he could tell it was forced. “So a bribe?”
“Bribe is such a harsh word,” he said, grinning. Her smile was better than the frown, even if it might not meet her eyes. He wasn’t sure what to make of her and was going to give her the benefit of the doubt.
Not everyone liked being forced to work on the island.
He’d asked around at the hospital and had been told she recently moved to the Northeast and no one knew much about her other than they felt bad she barely got settled in Boston before she had to shift to the island.
“Not if it’s the truth,” she said matter-of-factly. “I don’t give anyone special treatment. I’m here to fill scripts as they come in.”
He kept the frown from his face. “We both know the way it works. You push some ahead of others,” he said. “I’m just saying, I’ve got patients coming into the office to stay for hours on end. They are anxious to begin with. The last thing they need to do is sit there waiting while their treatment is being filled.”
“I do know how it works,” she said. “I also know I can’t fill anything until their blood work is approved for them to begin. Once that is sent over, we’ll do what needs to be done. There are a lot less staff here than in Boston.”
“I know that,” he said. This wasn’t going nearly the way he thought it would.
He was a pretty laid back guy and didn’t butt heads with anyone. Yet he seemed to be getting off on the wrong foot here and wasn’t sure how that happened.
“Dr. Mills,” he heard and turned his head. “Sweet. Donuts. You’re the best.”
“Hey, Troy,” he said to the pharmacy tech that walked in the door. He’d been working with Troy for years. Even though Garrett had only filled in here every few months prior, he remembered the staff well that he relied on.
“I haven’t had breakfast yet either,” Troy said. “Oh, you must be the new pharmacist.” Troy pulled a donut out, wiped his hand on his scrubs, and then put it out for Justine. “Nice to meet you. I’m Troy Winters.”
“Justine Keller,” she said. “I was just talking with Dr . Mills. Though I wasn’t aware he was a doctor.”
Garrett laughed. He’d had his badge on, but it was clipped to his belt. He didn’t always like it around his neck. He wasn’t formal enough to wear a lab coat around. He didn’t need to. When he was back in the office, he’d have his stethoscope around his neck.
“I don’t normally introduce myself with my title. I find it pretentious as if I’m throwing my weight around.”
Troy snorted. “He’s a laugh a minute,” Troy said. “As if anyone doesn’t know who you are.”
Which meant who his family was and his relationship to this island.
He always hated that but knew at times it came in handy too.
There were days he was glad he came from Catherine’s side and didn’t have the burden of the last name of Bond.
“Now I know,” she said. “I was just telling Dr. Mills that we have a procedure here and I’ll get to his scripts like I do the rest. I understand the urgency and can sympathize with his patients, but his patients aren’t the only ones I have to deal with. Especially knowing there is only one pharmacist on at a time here.”
He felt bad when she pointed that out. No one else had before and maybe he hadn’t realized it. In Boston, someone was assigned to the oncology department in the mornings from the group of pharmacists working all at once.
Guess he might have gotten a bit ahead of himself.
“It is a change for you here, different than in Boston. I know. I understand. But the pace isn’t as fast either. I’m positive you’ll catch on quickly.” He looked at his watch. “And speaking of fast, I need to get ready for my patients. Enjoy the donuts.”
He turned and walked back to his office, saw the reception area lights were on. He was the only doctor working today. Most days. Twice a week, another doctor came in, sometimes. Depended on his patient count. Today there weren’t that many in for treatment.
“Morning, Dr. Mills,” Danica said. She was one of his chemo nurses. He had two that moved back and forth between the patients in the chemo room and fielding calls and questions from other patients.
“Morning,” he said. “I brought donuts in.” He got one and a half dozen, brought six to the pharmacy knowing there weren’t a lot of staff there, and then the rest for his staff here.
“Yum,” Danica said. “You’re the best. Dr. Sing never did that.”
“Dr. Sing was a health nut,” he said. “And now he’s retired and out on the golf course somewhere in Arizona.”
Dr. Sing had offered to come to the island for the past few years. Not many volunteered, but since he was close to retirement, he wanted a quieter life.
Garrett had been hesitant to offer to come here and asked if he could do it for a year as a trial. The administration in his department jumped on it, knowing they’d have time to figure things out in the future.
Well, his father was part of the administration now, but since it was a conflict, he’d stepped away from the final decision.
“Lucky him,” Danica said. “But we do live on an island, so it’s not so bad.”
He laughed. It wasn’t what he considered the same as an island in a year-round warmer climate, but he wasn’t complaining about waking up daily with his nice view of the Atlantic Ocean either.
Thank God he’d bought his weekend home a few years ago. Just a little cottage to retreat to and escape the daily grind of his job.
Now it was his home for a year.
“You’re right,” he said. “It’s not.”
And thirty minutes later, when he was stopped by Danica, he had to remind himself that not everyone had good things in their life.
“I’m sorry, Dr. Mills. I know you’ve got a patient waiting, but Kathryn is refusing chemo.”
He sighed, his shoulders dropping. “I just saw her five minutes ago and spent ten minutes boosting her up for it.”
“I know,” Danica said. “But she got to the chemo room and I went to put the IV in and she is freaking out. She asked if she could wait until she gets her port.”
He snorted over the conflicting responses. “She was adamant she didn’t want a port.” Which he tried to explain would make it easier, but she could get one in at any point if she changed her mind.
“Then she’s playing us both,” Danica said, shaking her head.
He opened the door to his next patient, popped his head in, and said, “I’ll be right back. I’m sorry but need to deal with an emergency.”
“No problem,” his patient said.
He followed Danica to the chemo room and saw Kathryn sitting with her husband in the corner by the window. Her husband was holding her hand and trying to talk to her.
Garrett took the seat next to Kathryn. “What’s going on?” he asked.
“I can’t do it,” Kathryn said. “I don’t want to lose my hair. I don’t want to feel sick. I don’t want to go through any of it.”
He looked at her husband. “I told my wife that hair grows back, but if she doesn’t do this, then I won’t have her in my life. I can’t get her past this.”
He’d been gentle with Kathryn in his office. He’d been her cheerleader. He could do it again, but he was positive it might not work.
It was time to be firm.
“How many grandchildren do you have, Kathryn?”
“Five,” Kathryn said.
“And their ages?” he asked.
“Two, three, six, seven and ten.”
“Do you want to see them for their next birthdays?” he asked softly.
“Yes,” Kathryn said, sniffling.
“Well,” he said. “You have a great prognosis to see them for decades of their birthdays if you have this treatment. Nothing is guaranteed in life. We all know it. As for your hair falling out. It might not happen. This chemo isn’t as harsh as others. When you were given the side effects they were just what could happen , not that you would experience all of it.”
“Really?” Kathryn asked.
“Dr. Mills explained this to you. So did Dr. Colin in Boston,” her husband said. “You’ve got this. I know you do. I’ll be here with you. It’s only four treatments. We’ll count them down together. You can do this. You know it too, but it’s normal to feel this way.”
“It is normal,” Garrett said, nodding to her husband. “Has anyone talked to you about some anxiety medication during this time? It can help.”
“Can I get something to relax me today?” Kathryn asked. “I’m just scared with the first one. What if I have a reaction?”
“It’s very possible,” he said, rubbing her hand. “I’m not going to lie to you. That is why you’ll be here so long. We are going to monitor you closely. I’m here the whole day also.”
“Will you come check on me too?” Kathryn asked, her eyes not quite as wide as they were when he walked in.
“Of course,” he said. “And if you need me or want me to come out and give you a word of encouragement, you tell Danica that and she’ll come get me. I promise.”
Kathryn was nodding her head. “Thank you.”
He stood up and waved Danica over. “Are we ready for this?”
“Yes,” Kathryn said.
“Good,” he said. “You’ve got this. I know you do.”
He started to move back down the hall but stopped when Kathryn’s husband called his name.
“Thank you. You were so good with her. I know she’ll be fine. It’s the fear of the unknown. I’ll make sure she isn’t bugging you too much.”’
“She can call me as much as she wants today,” he said. “I mean it. Anything I can do to get her to start. She’s strong and in good health. She should tolerate the drugs well.”
Not that it meant it would happen. Statistics were there for a reason.
He returned to his other patient’s room and opened the door. “Everything okay, Dr. Mills?”
“Yes, Sharon. It’s all good. Some first-day jitters.”
Sharon had been cancer-free for ten years. It was her annual visit and he’d met her once last year when he was filling in here.
“I remember it as if it was yesterday,” Sharon said. “Glad to not have to deal with it again. They don’t know how lucky they are to have a treatment center here and not have to go off the island for it like I did.”
“I know,” he said. “But I don’t think she is thinking anything along those lines.”
“I wouldn’t want your job,” Sharon said, smiling. “Day in and day out of it. It’s depressing, I’ve got to imagine.”
Didn’t he know that!
“But it’s also rewarding,” he said. “Especially visiting with patients like you. So, how have you been feeling?”
“Wonderful,” Sharon said. “Loving life.”
“See,” he said, smiling. “Rewarding.”
He just had to keep reminding himself of that.