Page 6 of Remedy: Love In Scrubs
"I'm still trying to figure out what that has to do with you being behind the bar."
"She's gonna be my wife, man!" he replied, still not providing an answer that made any sense.
I really didn't have the mental capacity to deal with Marcus' shit. The man was forty and fell in love with every woman hedated; then found a stupid ass reason to fall out of love with them a few weeks later. The shit was ridiculous.
"So, you found your future wife last night, and now you're a part of the business?"
"Something like that."
"Well, then get me my usual," I told his stupid ass.
Thankfully, Marcus flagged down the real bartender and told him to get us two bourbons, neat. Then he came around the bar and took a seat on the stool next to me.
"It's early for you, to be drinking. What's up with you?"
"I've been practicing for years and now I'm the chief orthopedic surgeon, trying to do my best to keep my head down an do my job..."
"Nigga, you're the loudest, cockiest muthafucka I know. The fuck you talking about you do your best to keep your head down?"
I sipped my drink and let out a chuckle. I guess he wasn't wrong. When I finished medical school, at first, I wanted to be the smart man, the leader, the Black man that kept his shit quiet, but then I thought about it, and realized that the world wanted to squash me, and my voice. Other surgeons expected me to be humble because I was the Black man who made it through the vigorous years of education and residency without seeing others who looked like me around. My peers tried very hard to use their numbers against me. So, one day I woke up, remembered who the fuck I was, and realized I didn’t have to be humble or quiet. From that moment on I thrived being loud, proud, and confident in my skills. I was just as proud, as the doctors around me, of all I accomplished. Why did I have to chill because I was Black? Nah, fuck that! If anything, my further starting point proved that I had what it took. Fuck humility. Hard work and dedication got me to where I was in life, and I was going to celebrate that shit.
"My point is, I don't need any negative shit following me at the moment, and recently, the hospital has been put on notice of a potential lawsuit. I know for a fact I didn't commit malpractice, but you know all everyone is going to see is that the Black man messed up."
Marcus placed his hand on my shoulder. "Damn, bro, I'm sorry this is happening to you. I'm sure the hospital assigned a good attorney to you. You're the chief ortho surgeon. They're not just gonna leave you stranded."
“Nah, they set me up with a fine ass Black female attorney, but for as good as she looks, she’s a fucking pain in the ass. Do you know she canceled one of my surgeries?”
“Now, I do,” Marcus replied laughing. “I take it your ego didn’t take that very well.”
“Fuck you, Marcus.”
“Aww! Sexy lawyer hurt your little feelings?”
I downed the last sip of my bourbon and prepared to get up. “My day was shitty enough. I don’t need any shit from a nigga that falls in and out of love faster than a fourteen-year-old girl.”
It was my brother’s turn to rebuke me.
“Whatever, fool. At least I’m not being sued for millions of dollars.”
“You’re so damn immature, Marcus.”
Before I could turn to leave, a beautiful woman walked up to us with a bright smile on her face. For a second, I thought about turning on the charm and getting her to come home with me. Getting lost in some pussy wouldn’t be so bad right now. She definitely had my attention.
Then my annoyance only intensified when Marcus opened his mouth.
“Angela, baby, come meet my brother, Aries.”
Get the fuck outta here,I thought.
Not that my brother couldn’t pull a fine ass woman, but damn, Angela was fine as hell. Then, it hit me… Marcus and Angela… what in the Boomerang hell was this? This had to be the corniest, yet most prophetic shit ever.
“Hi, Aries. It’s nice to meet you.” She looked down at my empty glass. “You want another?” she asked.
“I was getting ready to get out of here, but what the hell… why not.”
“See, I told you,” Marcus leaned over and whispered in my ear as Angela turned to grab the bottle to pour us another round.
"What? That she's fine as hell? I'm not blind," I told my brother, accepting another drink from Angela.
