Getting Along

Vincent

I got an offer to continue working as a medical doctor in the same hospital I completed my residency. I accepted and was given my office today. Mum had wanted to throw a huge party but I refused. I didn’t need all the attention. This made her pout all day. So, I decided that I’d take her out to dinner during the weekend to make it up to her.

The new office I was given was quite spacious with good interior design and quality pieces of furniture. I, however, didn’t have time to settle down because my schedule was full. I only had to admire the spacious office for a bit, then grabbed my stethoscope and some papers, and was out the door.

I was told earlier that a group of med lab students would be helping out today as part of their project, and we were to assist them however we could. This brought back memories of my school days. My father with his influence had made me do all my projects in his hospital. That was where he drilled me like a soldier day in, day out. Once he was up, I was up. Wherever he went, he took me along. It was a bitter-sweet memory.

I left my office and began walking down the hallway, towards my first task of the day.

I hadn’t made it far from my office when someone suddenly ran into me, sending both our papers flying in all direction

'I’m so sorry!' She said shuffling to pick up the papers. “Don’t you worry, I’ll fetch them all,” she said when she saw me bend over, picking some papers. After gathering the remaining papers, she came close and meekly handed my papers to me.

“It’s ok,” I said and made to continue down the hallway when a doctor stopped me.

“Hey wait for me!” the lady who just bumped into me yelled at someone ahead. A passing nurse cautioned her, but she had already succeeded in getting the attention of people in the hallway, including the person she called out to.

Both I and the doctor I was talking to turned at the same time towards the yelling lady.

“So-called medical student, huh?” the doctor standing beside me criticized, rolling his eyes. Unbeknownst to him, someone different from the yelling lady had caught my attention.

‘Anne.’

She had turned with a smile on her face when her partner called out to her, but when she looked further ahead, her smile slowly vanished as her eyes locked with mine.

I knew I was supposed to turn my face back to the doctor but I couldn’t.

“Uh….Dr. Sawyer?” the doctor called. I revved my head back to him. He had followed my gaze and had seen who I was staring at.

“Oh…sorry,” I said.

“Wow! She’s beautiful. You know her?” he asked with a knowing smirk.

“Sort of…Umm…that should be all, right?” I asked evasively.

“Yea,”

“Okay then. Later doctor.” I wasn’t about sharing with my colleague what I hadn’t even admitted to myself.

“Oh…Okay,” he replied and walked off.

I took in a huge breath, exhaled slowly, and was about to head off in my direction when someone else stopped me.

“Dr. Sawyer!” she yelled and mini ran towards me. The same nurse walked out from one of the rooms and shushed her.

“This is a hospital for crying out loud, stop yelling,” she chastised the second yeller.

“Sorry,” she apologized bashfully and walked the rest of the way to me. “Good morning Dr. Sawyer,”

“Good morning Miss Anne.”

“Uh…We're here on a school project,” She said. From the way she was moving from one foot to the other, I could tell she was uncomfortable standing there with me.

"So I've been told. I’ve got to go Miss Anne. If you need anything, I’m at your service, okay?" I said dismissively just to free her from her obvious discomfort.

"Yea....alright," she said and took off, moving quickly like someone in dire need of a restroom.

I couldn’t help but smile after her retreating figure. I found her weirdness cute and hilarious.

Two nurses suddenly stopped in their tracks and began gaping at me. Two other nurses who noticed the demeanor of their colleagues followed their eyes to me. They too began gaping. One of them even dropped the stainless tray she was carrying, just as another nurse ran into a patient on crutches. Their eyes were like saucers, with their mouths wide open.

Almost at the same time, they all got themselves and began shuffling back to their businesses, muttering and whispering amongst themselves.

I knew why they were shocked. They’d never seen me smile.

*******

I slumped on my seat, exhausted from the day’s work. I don’t know why they did it, but I was given more patients than I could handle. So it was like leaving this room and entering the next almost immediately. I didn’t even have time for lunch.

“9:30,” I muttered looking at the antique clock on the wall. I facepalmed myself while drawing in deep breaths, then began packing up the documents I wanted to go through at home.

The unpredictable weather of Alba has been dull since afternoon but didn't let up. As unpredictable as it may look, I had a feeling the clouds were nearing their limit and would soon drop.

Hurrying down the hall, I greeted the night staff, some of which wanted to have conversations, mostly the female staff, to which I declined politely. I needed to go home and rest.

On reaching my car, the clouds finally let up, pouring down heavily, and almost getting me drenched before I could enter my car.

“You could have just waited a little bit longer,” I said to the clouds which responded with bright lightning and heavy thunder.

I started my car and drove out of the driveway. Moments after I made it to the road, the rain became a distant thought even though it was still pouring down with reckless abandon. My mind had wandered to a certain brown eye girl.

Whenever I ran into her, or just merely think of her, a smile always found its way to my lips, just like they were stretching right in my car. I was smiling when I should be worried about the thunderstorm delaying my drive home or even causing an accident.

It’s been 2 years since I’d been with a woman. So, my best diagnosis was that that was the only reason for the churning in my stomach and a more disturbing stir at a certain place, further below.

Speak of the devil, or in this case, think of the devil and it will appear. Right under the bus stop stand was the girl in my thought, holding a tiny umbrella that was doing little to protect her from the haphazard downpour.

Without hesitation, I swiveled my car in the direction of the bus stop and screeched to a stop right in front of her.

"Anne get in!" I yelled, swinging the car door open.

She had flung her umbrella in shock and had taken steps to flee had she not recognized me. Now tell me why I wouldn’t smile.

She stalled for a second as if contemplating whether or not to enter. When she eventually made up her mind, she raced against the rain and jumped into the passenger’s side, banging the door shut.

"Sorry,” she said sheepishly, “thank you, Doctor," she added with chattering teeth, holding tightly onto her wet clothes.

I turned up the heater and slowly pulled out of the bus stop. I could see her visibly relax to the heated-up car.

"For a moment there, I thought you were going to refuse?"

She glanced at me. I could almost hear her head working on a reply.

"Honestly…I had wanted to but who would I be kidding. It’s almost ten o'clock and I was soaking wet under this annoying rain, freezing my butt out. I couldn't let the chance of getting a ride out of here pass me by, could I?" She poured out.

I smiled internally at her frankness.

"And besides,” she continued, “if I had wasted time, we would both be swimming in rain inside here,” she finished, gesturing to the car.

I let out a chuckle at the last part. I turned to look at her when I got no other response and saw her staring wide-eyed at me like I just grew another head.

"What?" I asked perplexed.

"I didn't know you had it in you to smile, let alone chuckle," she admitted in amazement.

Now she made me speechless.

"Well, surprise then,” I stated.

Now I knew why she got along with Andrew. As he said, she's easy-going when she's not mad at you. Come to think of it, the hostility she directed towards me during those times at the hospital seemed to have vanished.

As if reading my mind, she solemnly said, "I’m sorry for my behavior toward you. it was immature and insulting…” she said with her head bent over from what I believe to be embarrassment.

I guess that was the reason she was uncomfortable earlier today.

"It’s ok Miss Anne. One, it's all in the past now. Two, you can call me Vincent."

“Only if you call me Anne or Anny,” she said, giving me the sweetest smile that began creating a minor earthquake inside my pants.

‘Sweetest! Vincent! Where did that even come from?’

The rest of the drive was in comfortable silence.

By the time we got to her hostel, the rain had reduced, making it possible for her to make a run for the entrance. I watched her jump over potholes. She almost slipped on the muddy ground but managed to catch herself. She did stomp into a pothole, splashing muddy water all over herself. It was hilarious to watch. I couldn't stop myself from smiling as I drove home.

She is an interesting lady.

******

Anne

I was so exhausted that I didn’t even bother to read. After having a hot bad, I went straight to my cozy bed and snuggled my huge teddy bear.

I looked towards where Pamela and Jane lay and saw them fast asleep. It was a hectic period for all of us.

At the hospital earlier that day, my partner and I, with the help of nurses collected test samples that we ran under the strict supervision of the lab scientists. We also ran errands that included buying their lunches, getting them coffee, and other servant stuff. It was stressful and we both felt used, but I got to practice. That alone was worth all the stress.

I had passed doctor...no…Vincent once or twice in the hallway. He didn’t even notice because he was so fixated on his tasks. I found that sexy. Oh, I ogled him the entire time. Even during the car ride, I peeked at him when he wasn’t looking which was almost throughout the ride.

Phew! He was definitely a masterpiece of God’s creations.