Page 70 of Must Be Love - Irresistible Bachelors

“Oh my God, what was it?” Jasmine asks.

“The hammer!” Tammy screams.

We all burst out laughing.

“Damn, he must have been into some kinky stuff,” Daisy whistles. “A nail in the hand and a hammer in the ass.”

“It’s kind of poetic,” Nicole adds.

“Luckily, the head of the hammer was still out. It took some yanking, but the doctor finally managed to unplug his hole. It was crazy, though. That’s probably the strangest issue I’ve ever encountered.”

I could never work at a hospital. Not only am I a bit squeamish about bodily functions, but I also don’t have a good bedside manner. I know Tammy had a stoic face as she talked to her patient. I would’ve been laughing the entire time.

Good thing I chose to go into the marketing field instead of med school. It would’ve been a huge waste of money, anyway. I’d have to quit any doctoring job as soon as I got pregnant. Being a stay-at-home mom is more important to me than any career.

We pause our conversation to order our meals. It’s a deli-style restaurant, so we go to the register to order. I order a chicken tikka masala meatball sub on hearty, multi-grain bread. The bread I’ve had before, but the meatballs will be different. I love tikka masala, so I’m sure I’ll love the sandwich.

I fill my drink cup as I wait for my friends to order. Being around them is lifting my mood more than I thought it would. I don’t feel miserable anymore. Coming was a good idea.

When we sit back down, we pick up the conversation where we left off.

“This isn’t a patient story, but I do have a nurse story,” Tammy says.

We all lean forward.

“What happened?” I ask.

“Well, I guess this nurse’s boyfriend broke up with her or something. She came in and was in a bad mood, which is terrible for a nurse. We’re supposed to start in a good mood and end in a bad mood. Anyway, about halfway through her shift, she freaks out. She couldn’t find a vein in her patient’s arm, and she just lost her shit. She started throwing things and screaming that it was the patient’s fault. Security had to restrain her.”

“What the hell? That’s crazy. She had a full breakdown?”

Tammy nods. “It was kind of sad, honestly. She was a good nurse, and now, she’s not allowed back in our hospital. I’m not sure she’ll be hired anywhere else if word gets around.”

“That sucks,” I say. “She lost her job because she didn’t take a mental health day.”

“Yeah, and that’s the thing – we get paid mental health days. It’s a new policy that started this year. The head nurse’s daughter gave a huge presentation about it. I’ve used a couple already this year. They make all the difference.”

“She should’ve taken the day off. Then she’d still have a job.”

“Exactly. I get that she had a rough day, but…I don’t know. It could’ve been prevented. The head nurse sent out an email after her breakdown reminding us that if we are a danger to a patient or ourselves, we need to call out. It’s better to be short-staffed than to have someone volatile working.”

We go silent for a minute. That story wasn’t as upbeat as the hammer-in-the-butt story. It’s not all fun and games at the hospital.

“On that happy note,” Jasmine says. “Did you guys hear about Tabatha?”

“Who is Tabatha?”

“Right, sorry, Tam. Tabatha was the accounts receivable manager at our company. She got fired on Thursday for trying to steal money. Apparently, she forged the books. It was the first time she’d ever done it, but she got caught and fired on the spot.”

Daisy rolls her eyes. “Good! I never liked her. She seems like exactly the kind of person who would forge the books.”

I agree. Tabatha was never nice in the few times we interacted. She also lives in a real house in White Plains and dresses in designer clothes. Sounds like she was living outside her means and needed some extra cash to keep up the ruse. Disgusting.

“Oh! I have a happier piece of news. Do you guys remember Jenny Johnson? We went to college with her.”

Nicole and I nod, but Jasmine and Daisy didn’t go to our university, so they have no idea who we’re talking about. The thing about our group is, we take this in stride. No one ever feels left out. We just avoid talking for too long about people and stories that the entire group won’t understand.

“She’s going to be on Broadway! I saw the announcement on Facebook. She’s been cast as a major character in a long-running show!”

“That’s amazing!” I say. “I remember seeing her perform in one of the plays the school put on. She’s so talented; I’m not surprised she made it. Maybe we should go see the show to support her.”

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