Chapter 15
*~* Jamie *~*
Being back at work hasn’t been the thrill I was expecting.
I still love my work, and the practice means the world to me, but being away from it and having the freedom to do my own thing, as and when I like, has been a bit of an eye-opener.
I can’t imagine not working, a life of luxury isn’t my ideal.
However, having that time and space to take a breath now and again?
That has certainly gained some appeal over the last few days.
Walking into work, I see Molly at her desk, pop through the open door and drop into one of the chairs she has for visitors.
She has more visitors than I used to have, as she keeps on top of all the HR stuff that I used to let slide.
I know she has done performance evaluations with everyone, as that was how she got on top of our Angel issue.
She checked out everyone here, and Angel’s record spoke for itself.
She has held interviews in here too and employed some good people.
I was lucky to find Molly, and I was right when I got the good vibes about her.
Breaker is a lucky guy to have locked her down when he did.
“How’s things with you, Molly? Not spending too much time here, are you?” I hope she hasn’t taken on too much, like I did.
“You’re kidding, aren’t you? I’m going around and getting under people's feet trying to find things to do. I want to talk to you about getting Tom and Simon on board with opening and closing the practice. I could cut back some of my hours that way and not be sitting around waiting for something to happen.” She leans back in her chair, and I notice she has a blouse with the practice name and a logo on it.
“Erm, since when did we have a logo? I couldn’t settle for one I liked, so only ever had the name on everything.
” I like the logo, and it looks professional and clean.
It is a red heart with a green cross in it, and a black stethoscope around the cross, as if it were wearing it. “Where did you get that from?”
“I didn’t get it from anywhere, per se. I asked everyone here to come up with an idea they thought would work, they’d judge it amongst themselves, and the winner would get a paid day off.
Four hours was all it took before they had the design and decided it was the one.
I happen to think it was genius, and Marie won first prize.
She thanked you but turned it down as she just saw it as a chance to let her artistic juices flow.
She is becoming a human dynamo, I tell you.
” Sticking her chest out so I can see the logo better, I squint at her.
Molly has certainly made this place her own. I feel a twinge of jealousy, but I put her in charge, and she is only doing everything I wanted, and more.
“Are you okay with it, Jamie? I didn’t stop to think that you might have an issue with it. It just makes your business more visible and to the next level.”
“Yeah, I’m good with it. It was a shock, but I’m on board. We need a sign for the building, though.”
“Oh, thank God. Tim knows someone, and he’s ordered one. Also, one for the parking lot and another to replace the old sign near the main road.” Molly smiles guiltily and shrugs her shoulders.
Placing my forearm across my forehead, I lean my head back and, in my most forlorn voice, I say, “Clearly I’m surplus to requirements in my own business. I’ve become a silent partner. Boo-hoo, boo-hoo.”
“What a drama queen. That is such a load of boll…baloney! Of course you are needed. My new schedule doesn’t work without you.” Molly smirks at me and I jump up and chase her around the desk. It only takes one circuit for me to be gasping for breath and throwing myself back into my chair.
“Are you okay? Shall I call Tom? Do you need anything? You should not be back at work so soon, that’s obvious.” Molly is squatting in front of me, her eyes full of concern.
Pushing her shoulders, she falls back onto her ass. “You’re such a schmuck, falling for that old trick. Now, what have you got in mind for me today?”
“I didn’t want you under my feet all day,” she grins, “so I asked reception to book you a couple of easy home visits. They didn’t stop to think though, and one is a check-up on Mr. Phillips.
If you’d rather not go out there, I understand.
I can get someone else to do it.” Molly watches me closely for a reaction, and I try not to give her one.
“No. That’s fine. I doubt there’ll be another van lurking in wait.”
Walking into my office, it feels a little alien.
I haven’t been away from here that long, but it does have a strange feeling being in here.
I’m sure it will all come right soon enough.
Grabbing my bag, I walk out to reception and say hi to everyone waiting.
There are a few ‘good to see you back’ comments and then I’m out in the fresh air.
The borders look amazing now, and they are flourishing. There are pretty blooms everywhere, and it looks so much nicer than it did just a couple of months ago. It must have looked austere and maybe a bit sterile back then.
My first patient has a stomach problem and can’t leave the house.
More accurately, she can’t leave the toilet.
Goldie owns one of our best diners, and she quite rightly wouldn’t go to work when she’s like this, even if she could.
I give her some loperamide and she shows me she knows what it is when she says, “Ah. Imodium.”
The drive to Mr. Phillips' is thankfully uneventful though I thought I saw a motorcycle following me at one point. I haven’t given Fury a lot of thought recently, but the bike does give me a tug on the old heartstrings.
I thought we had something that was going in the right direction.
How could he tell me he wasn’t looking for a relationship and then do all the things together that we were? It made no sense whatsoever.
I don’t mean the sex stuff, though I have missed that, too. Sitting on the couch, all snuggled up and watching movies. We went out for meals, bowling, and we did all the stuff that you do together in a relationship.
If he’d picked someone up at a bar or somewhere, it wouldn’t have been so bad, but Floss, for heaven’s sake.
She’s been around the block, up the mountain, and had every traveler, troll, and mountain goat in her caves.
Eww. Just the thought of having anything inside me that’s been there is utterly disgusting.
He’ll need a full medical before he comes near me again, that’s for sure.
Not that that is an option of course. I’m not going backwards.
I cast a glance in my rearview mirror, but there’s no sign of a bike there.
As I park in the Phillips’ driveway, I notice how beautiful his lawn is looking. There are some new borders too. Slipping around the back of the house to check on the rear garden, I’m more than a little shocked when I see what looks like the beginnings of a substantial veggie plot.
As I’m about to go back and knock on the front door, Mrs. Phillips appears at the back door. “Come in, Dr. Grant. Come in.”
Walking into their kitchen, I see Mr. Phillips at the kitchen table with a sandwich and a hot drink. I have to say the sandwich looks like it’s homemade bread and there is a decent slab of ham in there too.
“I’m just making us a quick bite for lunch. Have you had anything, doctor?” Mrs. Phillips asks, and I can’t bring myself to refuse such an offer.
“I’d kill for one of whatever your husband is having, Mrs. Phillips. It looks amazing.” Mr. Phillips grins as he takes another bite, and I think he’s telling me it’s delicious, but his mouth is so full, I can’t make out his words.
When she puts a plate in front of me, I can immediately smell mustard. Picking up one of the sandwich triangles, I take a bite and oh my goodness, I just let out a moan as the flavors burst in my mouth.
After making herself a much smaller version of the sandwich, she joins us at the table and we eat in silence.
A cup of coffee has magically appeared beside my plate, and I have to admit, I never saw where it came from.
After having finished the sandwich and the coffee, I thank them both for their hospitality and then turn a stern gaze on Mr. Phillips.
“I told you so. I said you’d be in deep shit when the doctor saw the lawns and your vegetable plot. I’ll let you try to talk your way out of this one,” Mrs. Phillips snaps at her husband.
I launch into a stern lecture on his health, angina, all the risks, his age, everything I can bring to mind. He sits there taking his ‘talking-to’ in what I assume is the same way he takes a ‘talking-to’ from the good Mrs. Phillips. When I stop to draw breath, he grins.
“I’m fine. I have a gardener, Dr. Grant.”
“Well, whatever, you can’t be exerting yourself and doing all this work. I applaud a man of your age wanting to stay active and keep fit, but you’re no spring chicken anymore, Mr. Phillips. Start taking better care of yourself.”
“I’m fine. I have a gardener, Dr. Grant.”
“If I hear ‘I’m fine’ from one more of my male patients I swear I’ll perform a lobotomy on the next one and see how fine he is after that!”
“Dr. Grant. Seriously, it’s okay. I have a gardener now.” Mr. Phillips smiles at me and I could slap him silly to make him see sense.
“Gardener? What do you mean, a gardener?” I suddenly realize what he is trying to tell me.
“There’s a young man down the road and he heard that I’d been ill and struggling with my lawns.
He very kindly offered to do them for me.
He wouldn’t accept anything for it, and we were talking over a coffee one day when he told me he’s saving to have his own homestead.
He doesn’t know much about growing his own food, but he’s reading everything he can about it.
I said that I used to grow a lot of my own vegetables, had pigs and chickens, and one thing led to another.
I’ve agreed to teach him everything I know, and he’s turning a part of my garden into a vegetable plot to get his practical skills. Win, win.”
“Oh, well, that’s excellent for both of you then.” Turning to Mrs. Phillips, I give her my best stink-eyed look. “You knew that I’d go straight to town on your hubby, and not listen to a word that came from his mouth, didn’t you? You planned this.”
“I didn’t plan it Dr. Grant, but I told him he was for it when you saw the front lawn and the veggie plot. I guessed you’d do the same as I would’ve and checked the rear lawn, too.” She laughs, and it takes the sting out of me making a fool of myself.
It doesn’t take long to check Mr. Phillips out, and I have to tell him that I think the friendship with the young man is doing a lot more for him than just getting his lawns cut.
He has a spring in his step and a glint in his eye.
The mental stimulation he is getting by teaching that young man is doing far more for him than a week at any gym would do.
My second home visit done, and I enjoy a steady drive back into town. I love this truck. I thought my old one was something special, but I should write to whoever chose this at the insurance company and tell them they have impeccable taste in vehicles.
I’m reaching for the radio, some country would suit my mood right now, when there’s a bang. I look up and see a stone chip in the center of my vision. Goddamn it. Before I get to slow down or react at all, there are two more bangs on the windshield. Where the hell are stones flying up from?
Two more bangs and I realize they aren’t stones but bullets!
Hitting the brakes, I duck below the level of the windshield and grab my cell.
Pushing the first speed dial that comes to mind, I wait for someone to pick up.
When a voice answers, I scream at them. “Someone is shooting at me. I need you to come and get me, quick.”
“Jamie, first of all, stay in the truck. You hear me? Whatever happens, do not get out of the truck. Where are you? I’m on my way.”
“I’m on the road where I got hit by the van. Hurry.”