An odd sort he was. My grandmother used to say that people like him were born old. They were never children. Never blew bubbles, jumped in puddles, or pulled pigtails. Well, I wasn’t quite sure about the pigtail part. He lay in the hospital bed, his eyes closed, his breathing deep and even. Every once in awhile he’d shift his position. However, he ( Read more... )

...I'm sorry I have to say it, but I told you so.

Told me what? That this is all there is? That there is no afterlife, nothing to look forward to after death? How could you know this? Have you been there?

Ah, I see you have... twice. What you witnessed or didn't witness proves nothing. Or, perhaps, it proves everything. Cogitate on this: What does ( Read more... )

Chapter Eight

“Don, please sit down a moment. You’re right, none of this matters in your determination of your employee’s behavior. However, we may have other problems.” Dr. Cuddy’s voice had become calm and soothing. My boss sat down and waited. Dr. Cuddy turned her attention back to Doc House, seating herself once again.

“Explain yourself.”

( Read more... )

“Frank, where have you been?” The voice of my supervisor, Don, rang through the hallway like a bullhorn.

I froze, knowing this would happen. I’d been waiting for it, actually. I had absolutely no idea how to explain my absence from the hospital during work hours. This was it.

“You realize I could terminate you right here on the spot, don’t you? You ( Read more... )

“Uh, Doc, isn’t this what got you in trouble to begin with?” I’m not sure why I was whispering. The house was empty after all.

Doc House grunted that funny little laugh of his. “See what happens when you listen to rumors? I’ve never been here before in my life.”

For somebody who’d never been there before, he not only knew how to get in the place, ( Read more... )

The furor had died down simply because there was no new news and gossip-mongers had moved on to juicier, more current topics. You’d a-thought that was the end of it. And you’da be wrong. So was I, in a big way. A few days later I decided I’d do an end run around Doc House. I got in about an hour early, hoping to beat him into his office to do his ( Read more... )

My day ended in the clinic, mopping out the exam rooms, replacing paper towels, and wiping down all the exam tables with heavy duty germ killer. The nurses at the desk were finishing their paperwork. It would be the night crew who would mop the nurses’ station and wipe down the waiting room chairs.

“Frank, we’re heading out, you want me to lock the ( Read more... )

After lunch, I was making my rounds, answering broken light bulb calls and pitching in with the cleaning girls. The place was literally abuzz. Everybody and every floor was talking about the ‘underwear drawer’ incident, as it had been dubbed.

“Where does he get off sneaking into other people’s houses? My husband would kill him!”

“What the heck was ( Read more... )

“HOUSE!”

I stuck my head out the door of the men’s room to see what all the hubbub was about again. Second time this week and it was only Wednesday. Here he comes, rounding that corner like hell’s biting at his behind. I got the mop bucket out of the way as fast as I could, cause I knew where he was going. The only place he could hide from her, at ( Read more... )

Springtime in Princeton NJ. Warm days, cool nights. Finally the snow I’ve been shoveling all winter is melting. Birds chirping, flowers blooming and trees turning green again. And all 400 of those hospital windows have to be washed. Guess who has to do it? I really hate this time of year. The front of the building isn’t so bad. Getting access is ( Read more... )