Chapter 9
Taking notes as he usually did, Ethan wondered how the other people in the room remembered in detail anything that was being said.
None of them took notes. One of them was even playing on his phone under the table.
If he could see him, he was sure that the director of the hospital could as well.
Maybe they didn’t care what happened in their departments?
After the meeting, he waited around to talk to Mr. Humphrey.
He’d been new to the role of hospital president and wanted to get his take on the things that he’d seen so far.
But he rushed out of the meeting so quickly that he barely got in a hello before he was gone.
He did end up talking to the director, Mrs. Challenger. He had a couple of questions for her.
“Who was that man playing on his phone?” He said his name before he could think that he should have kept his mouth shut.
“I don’t know why they don’t allow me to take phones from people when I have a meeting.
They’re a distraction, and I don’t care for them.
I suppose they have their functions, but for the life of me, I don’t know what it would be in a departmental meeting. What can I do for you, Ethan?”
“You mentioned that there were going to be cutbacks in certain departments. I’d like a heads up if it’s going to be in mine.
I have everyone working now, and it would be a shame to have to redo the schedule again.
” He smiled at her when she smiled at him.
It was a creepy smile she gave him, and he took a step back. “Is everything all right?”
“I only said that to see who was paying attention.” He didn’t like that but kept his mouth shut. I suppose I should have figured that you’d be the only one. You’re the only one that pays attention in my meetings, and I couldn’t love you more for that.”
“Yes, well…” He felt uncomfortable with her words of love and took another step back from her. “I do the best that I can with what I have before me. Also, before I forget, remember that I take the first two weeks off in October again. We get together as a family yearly to celebrate life.”
“I have it on my calendar. Don’t you have like, a really large family that you get together with?
That must be difficult for you. All those people that you’re related to at one time.
If you really don’t want to go I can fix it so that you don’t have to.
I could accidentally schedule you to work and get you out of it all.
” He said no, that he loved it. “I can’t imagine getting with my family on purpose every year.
The things that I could tell you would make your hair turn white.
We can barely stand each other when there’s a funeral going on, I can’t think that getting together would be all that fun that I’d plan. ”
“It’s the only time we can get together without work involved.
We all work hard throughout the year so that we can get together for these two weeks.
We even take all the kids with us when we go.
” She pretended to faint, and he didn’t know what he was supposed to do.
“If you could just make sure that I have the time off, I’d appreciate it.
I put it in about a month ago, and it’s been approved by my department. ”
“Yes, so I see. Well, if you change your mind, let me know. I could certainly use you around here when things are going to shit.” He wanted to be away from her now and couldn’t think of a single reason to leave.
Just turning on his heel and leaving, she called him back for a second, she said, and he went back reluctantly.
“Next month I’ll be job shadowing you, don’t forget.
It’s the highlight of my year getting to follow you around for the day.
You do such a good job that I want to do it daily just to be in your presence. ”
Moving away from her, he decided that he needed to talk to Shawn.
What he really needed to do was to hold her.
He felt dirty talking to Mrs. Challenger and wanted his wife around so that he could tell her what happened and see if it was just him.
It felt like she was coming onto him, and he didn’t know what to do.
“Tell her to back the fuck off, you belong to me.” He said what if he’d been wrong about what she’d said.
“If she’s made you feel uncomfortable, then you’re not wrong.
She was coming onto you. She’s in a position of authority over you and is making lewd comments.
I don’t like that she’s thinking that you don’t want to go on the cruise in October. That sort of pisses me off.”
“I’m just going to avoid her from now on.
I wish you were here with me. I could use some of your magical hugs.
” He’d been calling them that since they started seeing one another.
“Remember the first time we were together? You and I were having lunch at your dining room table when you told me to move in with you.”
“I remember. It was to piss off Finn.” Yes, there was that.
Her son had caused trouble for the three of them for months before he was killed one evening.
He’d hired men to beat him up, and they’d done such a good job at it that he died from his injuries a few days later.
“There are times when I miss him. But we have Finny here. Did I tell you that he’s remembered more treasures around the place?
We’ll dig them up this weekend when you’re off. ”
“All right. I’d love that.” He tried to put the lewd comments out of his mind and concentrate on his wife. She was the world to him, as were their children. “Are we taking the kids with us this time? They sort of got out of hand the last time we took them treasure hunting.”
He laughed at the memory. What they’d done was found a muddy spring and had jumped in it until they were dirty with mud all over them.
It took them three baths before they were clean, and the clothing had to be thrown away, it was so caked with the stuff.
Even their shoes couldn’t have been saved, they were so bad.
He had loved every second of it, and so had Shawn.
The kids thought they might be in trouble, but in reality, he wanted to join them.
He felt a good deal better when he got off the phone with his wife.
They were going out to dinner tonight to celebrate one of his daughters getting on the cheer team, and he was thrilled that she’d been able to do it.
They’d have a little more running around to do, taking her to practice and games, but they’d love it because she was doing something that she loved.
They had five kids, and he couldn’t love them anymore.
Treasure hunting was something that they did as a family, and he loved the antics that the kids got in.
With three girls and two boys, he thought he’d be having more dolls around than anything else, but they were just like their mom, into everything around and learning a great deal from it.
He was so proud of his family that he wanted to take out billboards to proclaim that he had the best there was.
But it would just make his brothers jealous, and that wasn’t good.
There wouldn’t be a billboard left around town that had anything but the best kids on it.
After getting off the phone with Shawn, he did feel a little better.
He decided that he was going to avoid Mrs. Challenger for the rest of the day and see if it had been him or her when she’d made him feel dirty.
He’d never felt like that before, and it really had made him feel like he needed a shower.
He wondered how women felt when the same thing happened to them.
Going down to lunch, he was glad to see his brother Jack.
He was picking up the donations that the hospital had given for the next Power Dinner.
It was a dinner where all the heads of departments got together and had some fun.
He’d never gone and wasn’t planning on going this year either.
But he did get to hear about it from his family.
Jack and Dakota would cater the meal yearly, and he’d get the first-hand scoop about everyone who went.
“Are you planning on going this year?” He said that he wasn’t, one of his kids had a recital that night. “You don’t even know when it is, do you?” The two of them laughed.
“It’s sometime next month. But I’m not going.
They usually try to make me come to it, but I have better things to do than be at an open bar kind of thing when there are those around that can’t hold their liquor and keep their mouth shut, too.
” He asked if he was talking about last year.
“Yes. Last year, the department head of nursing made a fool of herself by telling people about her nursing staff. Some of those stories were private, and I’m betting if they knew that she told the stories, she’d be in trouble with them all. ”
“The bar is cash only this year, and I would imagine the reason why is that so many of them got nasty drunk. They had to call cars in to take them home when they got out of hand. I don’t even want to go, and I’m part of the food.
” He said that he was sorry for that. “Not as much as we are. David had to be a bouncer a couple of times, and I know that he didn’t care for being the heavy in those circumstances.
” He said he knew that he’d not enjoy it.
“You should come and stay sober and watch them. Even your department head is something of a lush.”
“No thanks. I have better things to do.” They talked about the food that was going to be at the Power Dinner, and Ethan was impressed.
It sounded to him like the hospital was going all out on the food because the bar wasn’t going to be open.
No one in his family drank; it took a great deal for them to get even a buzz off alcohol, so they didn’t bother with it at all. Same with over-the-counter drugs.