Chapter Three

Sangela City Regional Hospital was located on the outskirts of the city, precisely ten kilometres due west. Sitting on three hectares of land, it was the fifth largest hospital in the country and the largest in the southwest region. Founded in the early nineteen nineties by a group of local businessmen trying to make inroads into a growing private healthcare system, the hospital had steadily grown over the last two decades. Apart from an increase in the bed spaces from three hundred to just over two thousand, there were also a variety of specialist services included and thus it was one of the foremost medical centres in the country.

Morgan arrived thirty minutes past seven in the morning, wondering what he had done to warrant being summoned to his boss’s office. His mind had been combing over all the possible reasons but nothing stood out in particular. Five minutes later he was seated across from the man, trying his best to look unbothered. Doctor Steven Shay was a tall, slender man with thinning grey hair and thick rimmed round glasses that barely hid a pair of piercing blue eyes. He wore a navy-blue two-piece suit, a white shirt and a blue necktie. At the age of sixty-two, the man’s face looked weary from the many battles he had faced in his thirty-plus years of practice.

“Good morning Dr Shay I-” said Morgan before a raised hand cut him off.

“Morgan, I’m sure you are wondering why I called you into my office, this early in the morning,” he continued, “There will be a three day conference, out of town, discussing prospective new strategies in the diagnosis of lung cancer that could help curb not only its morbidity but also its mortality rates.”

Morgan nodded, understanding its importance but also hoping it would help the old man get to the point sooner rather than later.

“With that said, I expect that you will be in attendance this time around.”

Morgan squirmed a little in his seat upon hearing those words. He had many reasons for not attending them, chief of which was the depression he was currently battling against. Morgan always limited the amount of time he spent interacting with people because he found it mentally taxing. He was an introvert by nature, preferring his own company to that of other people.

After composing himself, Morgan replied, “With all due respect sir, I will not be attending the conference. I was made to believe that attendance of these events is optional. Undoubtedly, I will be up to date with any and all information from the conference once it has been released in this month’s medical journal. This approach has not proven to be a problem before, sir.”

A smile crept across the old man’s face, a mixture of amusement and astonishment. The facts that were laid before him were indeed true but not enough to sway his decision. With his mind already made up, Dr Shay straightened his tie, made a steeple with his hands and cleared his throat.

“Indeed, you made a valid point. However, my earlier statement still stands. A change of scenery will do you a lot of good. A very generous allowance will be provided and if the rumours are anything to go by, you really could use the money.”

Morgan Drake’s features remained inscrutable despite the fact that he was furious at what he had heard. What he did in HIS personal time with HIS money was his business and his alone. He quickly rose from his seat, thanked the doctor and stormed right out the door. The rest of his morning was spent doing a major ward round with the other resident and the attending doctors. Patients as well as their files were reviewed to see whether they made any particular progress in their treatment. While some patients were discharged, others had their treatment plans altered as the current ones gave the doctors unsatisfactory results. All in all, it took three hours to finish the major ward round in both the male and female wards covered by the unit.

As noon approached, Morgan’s phone vibrated. When he saw who the message was from, he could not help but smile. The text was short and to the point: Payaso, meet me at Pop’s diner for lunch in thirty minutes. BTW you’re paying.

Of course, the only word he knows in Spanish is clown.