Human Blend by Lori Pescatore

the morning newspaper. “There's
coffee and bagels over on that table,” a voice from behind the
newspaper addressed her, “if you're hungry,” the man finished, then
poked his head around and smiled. He looked to be somewhere in his
early forties, graying at the temples and wearing jeans and a light
colored blazer.
    “Thank you,” Julie replied, but made no move
to help herself to any.
    “You know what they say,” the man continued
his conversation, “breakfast is the most important part of the
day.”
    “So I've heard,” Julie answered. She was not
in a talkative mood, her mind was focused on what she wanted to
accomplish that day.
    The man folded his newspaper and placed it
onto the table next to the chair he was sitting in, before standing
up. “We'll I'm certainly going to partake in some. Sure I can't get
you anything, Miss...” The man asked, expecting Julie to fill in
her name.
    “No, thank you,” was all Julie replied. The
man did not give off good vibes, and Julie was not about to provide
him with any information. She didn't recognize him, but something
about him made her uneasy.
    “Suit yourself,” the man said and made his
way over to the food.
    “Miss Miller, your cab is here,” Patricia
called over to her.
    “Thank you,” Julie answered back and walked
out the door to an awaiting cab, unaware of the man's eyes
following her all the way.
    The cab driver met her at the awning with an
umbrella and escorted her to her seat. Nice touch , Julie
thought. “Where to, ma'am?” the driver asked once he was back
behind the wheel.
    “Smyth County Community Hospital, please,”
Julie requested.
    “Hospital it is,” the driver said and put the
cab in gear. Thankfully, this driver was not a talkative one, and
they made the 10 minute journey in relative silence. They pulled up
to the hospital. “That'll be eight dollars,” the driver said. Julie
passed a ten dollar bill up to him.
    “Thank you,” she said, and opened the cab
door. She was underneath the hospital's overhang, and easily made
it into the building nice and dry.
    She was early. She didn't have to be in
Kathy's office for another 45 minutes. There was no one at the
courtesy desk, so Julie looked at the hospital directory located
near the elevators. The cafeteria was listed as being on the third
floor. She caught the next elevator up to that floor and quickly
spotted the cafeteria. It was a busy area, with doctors, nurses,
and orderlies all milling about at tables or in line getting food.
Julie immediately felt a sense of belonging. She got into line
behind a man in what appeared to be an orderly uniform and waited
her turn.
    The line moved quickly. The kitchen staff
seemed to be in tune with the fast pace required in a hospital
setting. “What can I get for you, my dear?” the woman behind the
counter asked Julie.
    “A plain toasted bagel with butter and a
small orange juice, please,” Julie requested. As she gave her
order, she noticed the man in front of her turn to look at her. He
looked more like a boy than a man.
    “Hi,” he said, smiling when she glanced his
way. Julie gave a quick return smile before looking away. “Are you
visiting someone?” he asked her.
    “Yes, and no,” Julie replied, and for some
reason this bought an even bigger smile to the boy's face.
    “Cryptic, I like that,” he said.
    “Neal, quit bothering the young lady and take
your food,” the woman behind the counter admonished him.
    “Spoil sport,” Neal replied to her, but took
his food and moved on.
    She handed Julie her food next. “Don't mind
him, sweetie. He's like a puppy; harmless. If you give him
attention, though, he'll follow you around all day long,” she
advised.
    “Thanks for the warning.” Julie laughed. She
picked up an apple before heading to the cashier to pay for her
food. She found an out of the way, partially obscured table, and
sat down.
    As soon as she had taken the food off the
carrying tray, Neal sat down next to her.