Page 17 of The Orc's Sweetheart
Breaking me out of my reverie, Doc Calla says, “You come highly recommended by everyone who has worked with you. I know they’ll miss having you on the team at the hospital, but I also know why you applied for this position. We don’t need to talk about it right now, unless you want to. But just so you’re aware, sometimes words tend to get wings in the clinic.” She glances toward the door and I nod in understanding, having already come to the same conclusion.
“I’d prefer not to elaborate on the incident at this point, but I appreciate the offer,” I say, truly thankful for the doctor’ssensitivity. “Also, I wanted to thank you for sending Annamae with dinner yesterday. That was really kind of you.”
Wincing, Doc Calla fidgets with one of her large earrings. “It was a gamble on my part, but I didn’t want you blindsided later. My home will always be open to you if you feel like talking about…”
“Here’s your tea,” Katie announces brightly, setting a rather large tray on the desk between Doctor Calla and myself. “I made a pot of rooibos that needs to steep for a minute or two before it’ll be ready to pour. And here’s a pot of honey, fresh from our Starry Hill hives. I didn’t know if you take milk in your tea, Doc Calla doesn’t, but I put it on the tray just in case. And the cookies are fresh from The Flowering Teapot, that’s Annamae and Richard’s shop. And—”
“Thank you, Katie. Let’s not overwhelm Nurse Tilly on her first day. Pace yourself with all that information.”
I almost expect Katie to blush at another light reprimand, but this must be a regular occurrence because she just shrugs and whispers, “There’s a lot of information to dish on later. Come to me for the real tea.”
A very unladylike snort escapes me and I try to cough to cover it. When I look up, both females are staring at me with grins that tell me I somehow unknowingly passed a secret test.
Katie places a hand on my shoulder and her grin softens. “You’re going to fit in just fine here, Nurse Tilly.”
I turn back to Doc Calla, only to find the goblin’s shrewd eyes already studying me. “Those were my exact sentiments after our first phone call. I think you belong with us, Tilly.”
My heart speeds up and it feels like I know what they’re saying, but also not. I’m someone who deals with scientific evidence, facts. However, working with nonhumans for a living has also taught me that there’s a whole different magic they possess and sometimes I just need to trust their instincts more than my facts. It’s not easy when I rely on logic, but I myself had a good feeling about Starry Hill, and here I am.
Finally, after a moment to digest the doctor’s declaration, I answer in a small voice, “I think you’re right. I do belong here. At least, I want to.”
“Right, now let’s get to the daily running of this place,” Doc Calla says in a level voice, switching gears on me faster than Bodin.
No, Tilly. Don’t even think about him now. You’re at work. He’s of no consequence to you.
Doc Calla forges ahead without requiring input from me. “I’d like us to slowly transition to you taking over full time. I won’t throw you into the deep end on the first day. That’s just cruel. So for this week, how about you sit in on all my consults and you can slowly get acquainted with our regulars? In the afternoons I’d like you to take the time to get settled in at home, unpack all your boxes, maybe meet some of the other residents around town, pop into the shops and such.”
I breathe out a heavy sigh of relief. “That sounds absolutely wonderful.”
Giving me a self-satisfied smirk like she knows how good her ideas are, Doc Calla continues, “Next week you can take over morning consults and I’ll sit in on them. In the afternoons we can maybe let you do a couple of house calls and meet some ofour creatures who tend to keep to themselves and avoid coming into town. After that we can slowly progress to you working full time, and my hours decreasing as retirement approaches. My main priority for now is to get you settled in well.”
Shaking my head in disbelief at her generosity, I say, “This is really more than I could ask for. I’d honestly never even think to request such a nice schedule.”
“You’re in Starry Hill now, dear. We look out for each other.”
“I’m coming to see that.”
“I want you to rest assured that even if I’m not in the clinic, I’ll remain on call for any serious cases. Those rarely happen and shouldn’t cause you much concern. And despite Katie’s first impression, she’s really knowledgeable and trained in basic triages and CPR. She usually gets our patients’ pulse, blood pressure, temperature, and takes general history and symptoms before they meet with us.”
“That’s a huge help. And don’t worry, I’ve learned not to underestimate anyone nor form any prejudices based on short encounters.”
“I’m glad to hear that. Now, sometimes we do have interesting cases with bodily fluids, so please keep some scrubs in the office to change into. I’d hate for a patient to ruin that pretty blouse.”
“I didn’t want to show up in scrubs on my first day, but I brought some with me.”
“You’re smart, considerate, and pretty. I think I’ve lucked out in snagging you for this job.”
A blush heats my cheeks, but before I can come up with a reply, Doc Calla says, “Talking about pretty faces, I need to letyou know that my son lives in the apartment upstairs. It’s a recent move from his previous cottage, so he’s not quite used to walking with light feet yet. If you happen to hear some stomping, please excuse him as he adjusts to apartment living. He shouldn’t be home much during the day, but I wanted to make you aware of it just in case it does become bothersome.”
Knocking softly on the office door, Katie says, “Sorry if I’m interrupting, but your first patient is here.”
Doc Calla narrows her eyes at Katie. “Is it Viggo?”
Katie grimaces and nods before disappearing back to reception.
“Is he a regular?” I ask.
“Yes. He’s our resident kraken and comes in frequently with the same symptoms.”
