working there, didn’t even recall his name from back in the day, and she and Ben should have, at the very least, crossed paths for a year or two in one hospital hall or another as she was thirty-four and he was only a couple of years older.
“No, he wasn’t. He just applied for the position. And was rejected.”
Shanna opened her mouth to speak but didn’t know what to say. “How?” she finally managed.
A passing sadness crossed Amanda’s face, followed by a smile. But not the cheery smile that had been there. “Bad attitude. Impeccable academic credits, medical aptitude that couldn’t be touched by anyone else. But a pretty big chip on his shoulder. Don’t worry about it, though. He eventually landed at a hospital in New York City that was a much better fit for him.”
Odd revelation. She didn’t know what to make of it. “So, how do I react to that?”
“You don’t. Ben doesn’t carry grudges.”
“Then I guess I should say that’s a relief because I want to stay here for a while.”
“It’s a relief only if you want long, hard hours, no pay and lots of bugs,” said Amanda as she swatted a mosquito on her arm. “Which is probably what you’d get at Brooks Medical Center, minus the no pay and bugs. Especially the bugs. ”
“Money’s not a problem, and bugs I can deal with. I liked entomology when I was in college. Used to torment my brothers with bugs instead of the other way around. Always found it was a good way to get even with them...drop some kind of bug in one of their shoes, put something crawly in a school backpack.” Smiling at the memory, she scooted to the edge of the bed, picked up the cup of coffee and took a sip.
“Now I feel human again,” she said on a sigh.
“Ben and I didn’t torment each other so much as conspire together. We were always out to conquer something...mostly the kids who lived down the street. They were bullies. Maybe not in the literal definition of how we see bullies today, but they called us names, threw things at us, ganged up to keep us from walking by their house. So Ben and I were allies early on.”
“That’s nice,” Shanna said wistfully. “My family was never close. Everybody was...busy. Stodgy. They worked, didn’t have much time to stay home. Consequently, John, Adam and I were raised by a very caring nanny who tried hard but who couldn’t quite instill in us that sense of family. So we weren’t close the way you and Ben were, and I think because I was the youngest I was the one who was always trying to get noticed the most. Hence the bugs.”
“Family dynamics,” Amanda said, patting her tummy. “I’m beginning to see them from the other point of view.”
“And it’s good?” Shanna already knew the answer. Amanda had the contented look of a woman who had it all. A look to envy.
“Like nothing I would have ever imagined. Anyway, take an hour. Get yourself up and ready for work, then have a look around the hospital. I’ve got you scheduled for our Emergency, which isn’t really much of an Emergency. But it gets busy, and we’re down one doctor until my husband gets back...”
“Jack Kenner, right?”
At the mention of his name Amanda smiled from ear to ear. “You know who he is?”
Shanna nodded as she took her next sip of coffee. “He’s a big deal in epidemics. We had a situation once at Brooks Medical Center, tried to get him to come and figure it out. He was tied up in Africa somewhere, dealing with malaria. My grandfather offered him an insane amount of money to drop what he was doing and come and help us. Wanted to send the family jet to get him. But your husband had integrity. Stayed where he was.” One more sip. “Can’t wait to meet him, and it’ll be an honor to step in for him.”
“I expect Ben will step into Emergency to check on you. But if he doesn’t, I’ll have one of the nurses help get you situated.”
As it turned out, getting situated was an understatement. An hour later, when Shanna
“No, he wasn’t. He just applied for the position. And was rejected.”
Shanna opened her mouth to speak but didn’t know what to say. “How?” she finally managed.
A passing sadness crossed Amanda’s face, followed by a smile. But not the cheery smile that had been there. “Bad attitude. Impeccable academic credits, medical aptitude that couldn’t be touched by anyone else. But a pretty big chip on his shoulder. Don’t worry about it, though. He eventually landed at a hospital in New York City that was a much better fit for him.”
Odd revelation. She didn’t know what to make of it. “So, how do I react to that?”
“You don’t. Ben doesn’t carry grudges.”
“Then I guess I should say that’s a relief because I want to stay here for a while.”
“It’s a relief only if you want long, hard hours, no pay and lots of bugs,” said Amanda as she swatted a mosquito on her arm. “Which is probably what you’d get at Brooks Medical Center, minus the no pay and bugs. Especially the bugs. ”
“Money’s not a problem, and bugs I can deal with. I liked entomology when I was in college. Used to torment my brothers with bugs instead of the other way around. Always found it was a good way to get even with them...drop some kind of bug in one of their shoes, put something crawly in a school backpack.” Smiling at the memory, she scooted to the edge of the bed, picked up the cup of coffee and took a sip.
“Now I feel human again,” she said on a sigh.
“Ben and I didn’t torment each other so much as conspire together. We were always out to conquer something...mostly the kids who lived down the street. They were bullies. Maybe not in the literal definition of how we see bullies today, but they called us names, threw things at us, ganged up to keep us from walking by their house. So Ben and I were allies early on.”
“That’s nice,” Shanna said wistfully. “My family was never close. Everybody was...busy. Stodgy. They worked, didn’t have much time to stay home. Consequently, John, Adam and I were raised by a very caring nanny who tried hard but who couldn’t quite instill in us that sense of family. So we weren’t close the way you and Ben were, and I think because I was the youngest I was the one who was always trying to get noticed the most. Hence the bugs.”
“Family dynamics,” Amanda said, patting her tummy. “I’m beginning to see them from the other point of view.”
“And it’s good?” Shanna already knew the answer. Amanda had the contented look of a woman who had it all. A look to envy.
“Like nothing I would have ever imagined. Anyway, take an hour. Get yourself up and ready for work, then have a look around the hospital. I’ve got you scheduled for our Emergency, which isn’t really much of an Emergency. But it gets busy, and we’re down one doctor until my husband gets back...”
“Jack Kenner, right?”
At the mention of his name Amanda smiled from ear to ear. “You know who he is?”
Shanna nodded as she took her next sip of coffee. “He’s a big deal in epidemics. We had a situation once at Brooks Medical Center, tried to get him to come and figure it out. He was tied up in Africa somewhere, dealing with malaria. My grandfather offered him an insane amount of money to drop what he was doing and come and help us. Wanted to send the family jet to get him. But your husband had integrity. Stayed where he was.” One more sip. “Can’t wait to meet him, and it’ll be an honor to step in for him.”
“I expect Ben will step into Emergency to check on you. But if he doesn’t, I’ll have one of the nurses help get you situated.”
As it turned out, getting situated was an understatement. An hour later, when Shanna
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