Chapter 4
Jordan
Jordan explained the clinic’s mission and volunteer onboarding process to Alex. He then wanted to introduce Alex to the clinic’s practice manager, Sophia Patel. He dialed her extension and waited for her to pick up.
“This is Sophia.” Sophia’s voice came through the line.
“Sophia,” Jordan replied with a warm smile. “I have Linda Skeens’ nephew here who’s interested in volunteering. Would you mind coming to exam room twelve? I hoped you could meet and walk him through the volunteer registration process. We need to onboard him in the system immediately to notify an owner about a surgical case.”
Sophia didn’t hesitate. “Of course, I’ll be right there.”
Alex looked quizzically at Jordan as he hung up the phone. “She knows my aunt?”
“Everyone here knows Linda. She’s the clinic liaison and department head of the team that oversees the clinic,” Jordan said. “You didn’t know?”
“No, I didn’t know. I thought she worked at Pacific Edge as a secretary,” Alex replied.
Jordan gasped and looked around the room. He was checking for an invisible presence that may have heard what the dreamy, dumb guy said. “We never use the ‘s’ word when referring to Linda Skeens.She’s more than some high-powered attorney's secretary. Once, a new attorney called her ‘Sacred Cow’ because of her role at Pacific Edge. He didn’t understand how she wielded so much power in the firm. He was very entitled and rude to his support team when he started. Poor guy suffered her wrath for months because of his behavior during the first two weeks. She molded him into a decent guy, eventually. She doesn’t take any shit. ”
Alex looked stunned by Jordan’s words.
“What’s a sacred cow?” Alex inquired.
Jordan smiled, “It’s a term that lawyers use to discuss their secretaries when another lawyer tries to poach them. Linda is the big cheese around here—we all adore her. She’s the one who recruited me to move here when the clinic was being built. Your aunt created everything that you see here today. It is all her brainchild.”
“I had no idea,” Alex said.“I’ve been going through some stuff for the last couple of years. I haven’t been the best nephew, son, or friend.Aunt Lynn is always asking about me. I’ve been bad at asking about her and what she’s been up to.She created all of this. I can’t believe how incredible it turned out. I was awestruck at this place when I drove up today.”
“It took her a year to write the business plan. She found the location. She scoured the country, assembling the best staff I’ve ever worked with, convincing us all to move to a town of 7,000 people. She even ensured all her favorite Iris varieties were on the property,” Jordan said proudly. “Don’t beat yourself up. I know your aunt and how she feels about you—according to her, you’re the best nephew ever.”
Jordan smiled, took his closed fist, and playfully hit Alex in the shoulder. “Ow, what are you made of—bricks?” He shook out his hand. “I have to operate with this hand.”
Moments later, the door to the exam room swung open, and Sophia entered with a friendly demeanor. She extended her hand to Alex. “Hello there, I’m Sophia Patel. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Alex shook her hand and returned the smile. “Nice to meet you too, Sophia. I’m Alex Bennett.”
Sophia began, “I’ll happily take him through the volunteer registration process, Jordan.”
“Sophia is fantastic at making everything run smoothly here. You’ll be in expert hands,” Jordan reassured Alex. “Sophia, this is a rush. Please find me as soon as he has his badge and login credentials so I can set him up to call a pet owner about her dog.”
Jordan left Alex in Sophia’s capable hands to complete the volunteer registration process .
He went to the recovery area to check on Shadow. According to Rebecca, Emily’s veterinary nurse, the surgery went well, but she didn’t know if he was out of the woods yet. She said they would know more soon.
Jordan came back an hour later when Emily was out of another surgery. He saw Emily gently stroking Shadow’s fur. She had a warm, reassuring smile. She turned to him and greeted him with a nod. “Hey, Jordan. He’s a fighter.”
He approached Shadow’s recovery pen, where the dog lay. They had cleaned and stitched his wounds. They had also provided fluids through an IV line. Shadow’s lethargic eyes met Jordan’s.
“How’s he doing?” Jordan asked, his focus still on Shadow.
Emily continued to stroke Shadow’s head. “His blood loss was excessive, but we’ve given him several bags of blood and plasma. He’s responding well to it. His vitals are stabilizing, and he’s regained consciousness. He’s a strong one.”
Jordan’s face broke into a smile, relief washing over him. “That’s great to hear. He’s been through a lot.”
Emily nodded in agreement. “Absolutely. He’s got a long road to recovery ahead, but he’s got the spirit. We’ll watch him closely and keep him comfortable.”
Jordan told Emily that Shadow was a service dog, and they had tracked down his owner in Chicago. He still wondered how the injured dog had ended up in Oregon, so far from home. His thoughts turned to the owner. He hoped she wasn’t suffering without her faithful companion.
“I can’t imagine what it must be like for his owner,” Jordan said, his gaze still fixed on Shadow. “To lose her service dog and not know where he’s been all this time. I hope she’s okay, and Shadow’s safe return will comfort her.”
“It must be a relief for her to know that he’s in our care,” she said. “We’ll do everything we can to get him back to her once he’s fully recovered.”
Jordan looked at Shadow again. He couldn’t shake the feeling that this dog’s journey held a deeper purpose for the owner and himself.
He checked on Shadow and a few other recovering animals. Then, he went to the clinic’s break room. He needed a coffee. As he entered the cozy room, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee greeted him. It instantly rejuvenated his spirits. He was about to pour himself a cup when he noticed a tempting assortment of pastries neatly arranged on the countertop.
With a grateful smile, he treated himself to a pastry—a delectable-looking cinnamon roll. As he took a bite and savored the flavors, he overheard a lively conversation. Brenda and Lisa, two of the clinic’s staff members, were enjoying their pastries and coffee nearby.
“He is so rugged and hot, isn’t he?” Brenda said, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
Lisa nodded, her voice filled with excitement. “Oh! Did you see those muscles? And that smile? I was swooning.”
Jordan chuckled to himself, finding their conversation both amusing and endearing. He knew the ladies in the break room knew about his preference for men. They often teased him in good fun, trying to get him to ask out men they deemed worthy.
Unable to resist joining in, Jordan chimed in with a playful grin. “So, who are we talking about, ladies? Anyone I should know about?”
Brenda and Lisa exchanged knowing looks before turning their attention to Jordan. Lisa leaned in with a sly grin. “Oh, you know, the guy who brought those amazing pastries. Tall, dark, muscular, and handsome.”
Brenda added with a wink, “We were saying a couple of minutes ago that you should ask him out, Jordan.”
Jordan raised an eyebrow, his interest piqued. “Oh, really now? And who is this mystery pastry provider?” He knew who they meant, but wanted to play along.
The ladies exchanged mischievous glances again. Then Brenda leaned in closer, her voice barely above a whisper. “His name’s Alex, and he’s Linda Skeens’ nephew. He’s new in town, and from what we’ve seen, he’s quite the catch.”
“Oh yeah, I saw him. But I would have no chance there. He looks like Superman, and I look like Robin. Not the cool Robin with the nipple suit, but the one from the sixties TV show.”
Brenda and Lisa laughed and stood up to leave. “When will you realize you are quite a catch, too? We all know it—you must take our word for it,” Brenda said .
Jordan appreciated the friendly nudge from his colleagues. “Well, ladies,” he said with a smile. “I’ll update you on the small-town saga of ‘Muscles and the Shrimp.’ It airs daily on all local Brookings channels.”
The ladies both rolled their eyes and gave him a big hug as they exited the breakroom. Jordan returned to his coffee and pastry. He should feel excited and look forward to a potential new acquaintance. Instead, it was easier to stay silent.
The door to the breakroom swung open, and Sophia entered, followed by Alex, who was wearing a tight navy blue polo with the clinic’s logo and the word “‘Volunteer’” on the back. Sophia wore her signature warm smile and seemed pleased as she led Alex further into the room.
“Jordan,” Sophia greeted him. “Look who I’ve brought back. Our newest volunteer.”
Jordan rose from his seat and extended a hand to Alex, offering a friendly smile. “So nice to have you join us, Alex,” he said with a crooked smile.
Alex shook Jordan’s hand, his blue eyes twinkling. “Thanks for making this possible.” There was a hint of playfulness in his voice.
“Sophia, Alex brought us these delicious pastries, and the staff couldn’t be happier,” Jordan said as he made a toast gesture to Alex with his cinnamon roll.
Alex blushed a little.
Sophia nodded. “Ah, yes, I saw those in the breakroom earlier. Thank you for the treats, Alex. It’s a rare occasion that our staff gets spoiled like this.”
Jordan looked admonished. “Hey, I spoil the staff!”
Alex chuckled. “Well, it’s the least I can do after all the help I’ve received today. Sophia guided me through the onboarding process—she got me my new badge, see?” He pulled out his new volunteer badge. Showing Jordan the picture of him forcing a smile beside the Pawsitive Vibes logo. He turned to Sophia and thanked her for her help.
“Finding a polo shirt that he didn’t bust out of was a bit like searching for a needle in a haystack—we found three that fit snugly,” Sophia quipped. Her eyes twinkled with amusement. “But we managed, and now he’s officially part of the Pawsitive Vibes team. ”
Jordan smirked and gave Alex a playful once-over. “I guess we’ll have to ensure we don’t leave you unsupervised.” Pointing to the T-shirt in Alex’s hand.
Sophia chimed in with a laugh. “Stop picking on him on his first day, Jordan. And Alex, we’ve set you up with computer access, too. You can join our volunteer training programs. There are twenty-six modules for you to work through before you are on your own. For now, I’ll assign Erika as your volunteer coach. She will help you get acclimated.”
Jordan added with a friendly grin, “Welcome aboard, Alex. Thanks, Sophia. I’ll take it from here and get him all set up to call the owner. I appreciate you dropping everything to do this personally.”
“Are you kidding? If you need anything, Alex, let me know. Your aunt is one of my favorite people in the world. It was so nice to put a face to the name finally.She has told us all about her wonderful nephew,” Sophia said sweetly.
She reached up and hugged both of them, and then left the room. Jordan noticed Alex was hesitant to accept a hug, but leaned to it once she committed.
“I’m sorry about all that. I didn’t have time to explain to her I wanted you to volunteer so you could call Shadow’s owner. Once we’re done today, I’ll let her know you won’t volunteer anymore,” Jordan said.
Alex was quiet and turned to face Jordan. “Any word on Shadow?”
Jordan got up and walked his coffee cup over to the sink. He stood next to Alex. “I spoke with Emily, his surgeon. She said he was coming out of the anesthesia, and his vitals were getting stronger. We gave him extra blood and plasma to help with what he lost. He may be out of the woods, but he has a long road ahead for recovery. He sliced a tendon in his paw, so he will most likely not regain full use of it and will have a permanent limp.”
Alex smiled and turned his body toward Jordan. “As a volunteer, could I help with Shadow’s recovery and rehab?”
Jordan smiled at the possibility of seeing Alex every day at the clinic. “Yes, if you would like to volunteer to help in his care and rehab, we can train you with everything you need to do for him. Is that what you want? It is an enormous commitment.We need our volunteers to work here fifteen hours a week. This allows them to be here enough to know our operations and procedures.”
“Yeah… Yeah, I would be grateful if you would give me the opportunity. I don’t have a lot going on right now, and I have the time to commit to helping him recover. I also have a good reference if needed,” Alex said playfully.
Jordan smiled. “We are kind of hard up right now, so I guess when you’re desperate, you take whoever you can get.”
Alex’s face looked appalled, but he smiled and said, “Oh, okay, so this is how you’re going to be, huh?” He laughed as he held out his hand to shake Jordan’s.
Jordan reached out and shook his hand, admiring his firm handshake. “Welcome to Pawsitive Vibes, Mr. Bennett.”