13. Whole Workplace Thing
13
WHOLE WORKPLACE THING
“D onuts,” Justine said on Wednesday. “Are you trying to get me and the staff here fat?”
Garrett grinned when he set the box down.
It was early and he knew Justine was alone so they could chat for a few minutes.
“I’m not sure that is possible,” he said. “You’re tiny.”
She laughed and opened the box, her hand hovering between a jelly and a Boston cream. He’d make a mental note of that while she took the jelly one out.
“I’m always the smallest in the room. At least it felt like that for most of my life. Kind of annoying.” She took a bite and it left white powdered sugar on her lip. “Are you going to have one?”
“I’ve got a box for my office,” he said. “I’ll have one then.”
“So it wasn’t just for me?” she asked, taking another bite.
He looked around and reached his hand out to wipe the white residue off for her.
She grinned. “Thanks.”
“No problem,” he said. “And it was for you. A reason to come down and see you. Then I bought some for my staff too.”
“You don’t need a reason,” she said. “Or do you? Yeah, maybe you should. You know how I feel about this whole workplace thing.”
One of the things they’d talked about on Saturday on their way back to Amore Island.
She wanted to keep it quiet that they were somewhere between friends and dating.
She had his head spinning, but he also understood that she didn’t want to put a label on it. No reason for him to push either.
Which was why they had one brief text on Sunday with them both saying they had fun. Monday he felt it was too soon to come down and see her and they didn’t talk at all.
It killed him not to reach out, but he didn’t know what her limits were and it was best to not test it.
Tuesday she was off, and she texted him. It made him feel better she reached out first.
It was nothing more than a picture of her on the beach in shorts and a sweatshirt. She’d gone for a walk and sat in the sand to relax.
The fact she seemed to get comfortable with island life warmed him up some because, a few months in, he realized he knew what his future plans were going to be.
But would he give them up if he found someone and they didn’t want to be here?
He’d always said that he would do what was best for the person he was with in his life. But that didn’t mean giving up his job.
This was a tricky situation because technically he had a job and a place in Boston. But he had one here too.
So did she. Both places.
He was getting way ahead of himself for four dates, a few light kisses and one that was more romantic.
She probably wasn’t counting the first three times they’d been together as dates, but he was.
McKay’s, Easter, and then dinner at her place.
Saturday was the fourth to him, but she could think the first.
And when did he ever even care about those things?
“Which is why I brought donuts,” he said. He turned his head when Troy opened the door to come in. “Because we know I’ve got to bribe you guys to keep getting our meds out first.”
“So it is bribing,” she said. She winked at him and she understood how he’d turned that around.
It was nice to know they were on the same wavelength for things. Though he wouldn’t care if anyone saw them together.
The more he thought of it, they had dinner in a public place. She went to his parents’ house. He ate at her place. They were on the ferry and spent the day together.
They weren’t hiding anything and many people who knew him could have seen them.
But they wouldn’t know her unless they worked here.
“It’s more like letting you know how much I appreciate the hard work you do,” he said. “Help yourself, Troy, before Justine eats them all.”
“Don’t mind if I do,” Troy said, opening the box. “Boston cream. Sweet.”
He watched Justine’s smile drop and held back his laugh.
When Troy was gone, he said, “I’ll get two of them and jelly next time so you can have one of each throughout the day.”
He was all but whispering it to her.
“Thanks, but my hips don’t need it.”
“No comment,” he said. “Because, you know, I shouldn’t be looking at your hips.”
She laughed. “No, you shouldn’t be.”
“I should get back to my office and put those donuts out before someone sees and helps themselves.”
“Bye, Dr. Mills.”
“Bye,” he said.
He left and went down the halls to his office.
When he let himself in, he saw Danica talking to Nadine.
“Dr. Mills,” Danica said. “Should be a quiet day.”
“It always is when we don’t have treatment patients in,” he said. “But the lines might be nuts with calls too.”
Danica would man those lines for all patient calls to give results, fill scripts, or answer any general questions.
“To me, if I get to sit at a desk it’s a quiet day,” Danica said.
“I’m not sure I could do that all day,” he said.
He liked to move around and talk to people.
Maybe he was more outgoing than most.
Not nosy, but trying to be helpful.
“Because you’re always running around the office,” Danica said. “You never sit down. Don’t you ever get tired?”
He wasn’t aware people thought of him that way. “I sit at night when the day is done.”
“That’s good to know,” Danica said. “I just can’t see you sitting still. I bet you gave your mother fits.”
He laughed. This was what being nosy was about, even if it was friendly.
“She never let on one way or another,” he said. “I’ve got donuts.”
“Sweet,” Danica said. “Though on a day I’m not going to burn it off, it might not be so sweet.”
“You can do jumping jacks in the office when you’re on the phone,” he said, smirking.
“I could, but then I’ll feel like I can come get a second one. Let’s get them so I can get the first pick before everyone else gets here.”
“I’m here,” Nadine shouted. She’d walked away but obviously could still hear them. “I want one too.”
He went to his office with Danica on his heels and then Nadine catching up.
He opened the box and pulled out a jelly one first, then handed the box over. No reason to tell Justine that jelly was his favorite too.
But he couldn’t resist and when he was alone, he snapped a picture of his donut with a bite in it, the raspberry jelly coming out over his finger, then sent it to her.
He finished eating and looked at his schedule of patients for the day to get ready.
Before his first appointment, his phone went off and he pulled it out to see Justine asking if he cut himself, then adding a smiley face.
She had a nice little quirky sense of humor that he was thrilled he was getting to see part of.
He replied quickly, then put his phone in his pocket, slipped his stethoscope over his neck, and picked up his laptop.
“Good morning, Beth. I’m Dr. Mills. It’s nice to meet you. How are you doing today?”
“I’m great, Dr. Mills,” Beth said. “Nice to meet you too. It seems like I see a new doctor all the time on the island, but it beats taking the ferry to Boston for a six-month checkup.”
She was in her early forties and a four-year breast cancer survivor. Like many on the island, they might see a specialist on the mainland and then do their treatment here. At a certain point, their follow-ups could be done anywhere, but many at this stage of no issues tended to stay local.
“I’m glad that it’s available for patients,” he said. “Your blood work looks great. You said you feel fine. No issues or concerns?”
“Nothing,” Beth said. “I mean, I still have tingling in my hands and feet, but I know that is normal.”
He looked at the computer and noticed that she had her chemo dosage reduced four years ago for that.
“Neuropathy is a very common side effect of chemo. Have you noticed it getting worse?”
“Not really,” Beth said. “It’s more annoying than anything.”
“There are some medications that have been shown to work, but they are antidepressants, anti-seizure meds.”
“I’ll take a hard pass,” Beth said. “I know some meds for one thing work for others, but I don’t want to put anything into my body. I kind of hoped there was some physical therapy or stretches or something.”
“Actually,” he said. “If you’re willing, I’ll send a script to a physical therapist. They can tailor to your needs with strength training that will help it not get worse. There might be some massage that can be done too. I don’t want to answer that as it’s not my area of expertise.”
“Is there a therapist on the island or do I have to go to Boston?” Beth asked. Which was common.
“There is one on the island,” he said. “Not sure how soon you can get in.”
“I don’t care if I have to wait. I appreciate it,” Beth said. “Most times when I talk about this, I’m just told it’s a side effect and that nothing can be done.”
“I should have brought up physical therapy first, but it’s not necessarily as proven as some of the meds.”
“And many people would rather pop a pill,” Beth said, grinning. “At least most I know.”
“It’s everyone’s choice,” he said. “Any other things you’d like to talk about? Concerns physically or mentally?”
“Really?” Beth asked.
“Yes,” he said.
She waited a minute. “Is it normal to dread coming here?”
“I do every morning,” he said, laughing.
She grinned. “You know what I mean. My blood pressure is always higher here. I have these mixed emotions I like knowing someone is seeing me but then hate coming.”
“Completely normal,” he said. “One hundred percent. There is comfort in knowing someone is watching out for your health but some PTSD from the past and what you went through. I can give you some recommendations on sites to look into for breathing techniques to help you before you come. It will help with the blood pressure readings. One less thing to stress about.”
“I’d love it. I mean, I’m breathing already, so how hard can it be to do it another way to calm me?”
“Not hard at all,” he said, laughing. He loved her mentality.
“Do you do it?” Beth asked.
“More than people realize,” he said, still smiling. “Anything else? I’d like to listen to your heart and lungs.”
“I’m good,” Beth said.
Before he started his exam, he asked, “Did you want a breast exam? Some feel like they are fine and don’t need it, others like the reassurance of it?”
“I think a second opinion is always good,” Beth said.
“Let me get a nurse,” he said, going out and flagging down Danica to come to his room. They turned back in. “Here is a gown. I’m going to step out while you change.”
He moved into the hall and saw one of the nurse techs. “Everything okay, Dr. Mills?”
She looked nervous and young. Someone he’d just met this morning who was filling in from the hospital. “When I’ve got breast cancer patients, can you ask if they’d like an exam ahead of time so they are set before I come in?”
“Oh, I’m sorry. No one told me.”
“Now you know,” he said, smiling. “Not a big deal. She’s changing now.”
He knocked on the door when Danica made her way over and they went in together, he did the exam and Danica stepped back out.
“Thank you,” Beth said. “You’ve been really helpful today. I didn’t feel dismissed. Will I see you again?”
“You’ll see me in six months,” he said. He’d still be here, so it was easy enough to say that.
“Wish it was longer than that,” Beth said. “But I know how things are here too.”
“You never know,” he said. “Have a great day.”
But he did know.
He wouldn’t just do it for himself but for the patients too. They deserved it.
He was already seeing a life here and he was hoping that maybe he could use the next five months to get Justine to see that too.
First step, she’d have to see him as more than a friend.