Page 8 of Hidden Desire

“Yep, see ya.” Lena waved and grabbed her next chart. She glanced over to the front desk but could only see the back of the other woman. She shrugged and hurried off to the room. Her patients were waiting, and she could worry about the new employee later.

“Hello Margaret, my name is Sage, and I’ll be your Occupational Therapist from here on out.” Sage put out her hand, and the woman’s eyes were dark and held a glazed appearance to them. Sage touched her hand and gave it a slight pat.

Sage turned to the younger woman beside her, and Sage reached out her hand. The woman appeared to have been crying. She allowed the handshake, but there was some apprehension on her face. Sage grabbed the wheeled stool and pulled it over, so she could sit near them. A new patient was one of the hardest things to experience. They were typically scared and unsure of the process.

“What’s your name?” Sage asked, addressing the woman beside her patient.

“Monica,” the woman replied. “I’m her daughter.”

“Well, Monica, I want to assure you I’m here to assist you and your mom. Tell me what brings you in here today.”

“My mom had a stroke. She’s having trouble speaking and acknowledging when she’s being spoken to. This is all new to us and…” Monica took a deep breath. Sage gave her a genuine smile and patted her leg. “They say this is her last step to recovery. If she can recover, that is.”

“You’re both in good hands. I promise you.” Monica nodded and appeared relieved. “While I care for your mom, why don’t you go to the cafeteria and get some coffee or something? Or better yet, tea. The coffee isn’t the greatest.” Sage laughed, helping Monica to her feet. “Give me an hour. Today will just be an initial consultation to see what level your mom is at. Once we’re done, I’ll be here for any questions from you. Does that sound alright with you?”

Monica eagerly nodded, and Sage could feel a weight being lifted off Monica’s shoulders. Sage was going to be the one that gave a break to this family member, and sometimes that was all they needed. The Occupational Therapists that worked with her grandpa when he was going through his stroke were always so pleasant and sincere, and Sage vowed that’s who she wanted to be when she grew up. She turned to her patient, and the woman’s eyes remained dark. It wasn’t always an easy job, but in the end, it was rewarding, and that’s what Sage held on to.

Sage checked her watch. Just fifteen minutes before lunch, she was through with her last patient from the morning. She grabbed some papers to copy and headed to the reception area. With any luck, she could officially meet the woman that Lena was referring to, but if anyone asked, she was merely going to speak with Darlene and ask how it was possible that she hadn’t heard of her marrying news.

When she got to the desk, though, no one was there. She glanced around until she spotted the woman standing at the copier. She was hitting the sides and mumbling something under her breath. Sage approached her with caution.

“You stupid thing,” Stassi mumbled before hitting the copier again.

“Not sure what the copier has ever done to you but beating it like that rarely fixes the issue.” The woman turned around and gawked at Sage. Lena wasn’t wrong. This woman was good-looking. With her eyes wide and pouting, she even had a certain glow. But as Sage stared at her, she was hit by a sense of familiarity. She knew this woman or had at least seen her somewhere. And it wasn’t too long ago, but she just couldn’t place it.

“I was given a simple task,” the woman said, huffing along the way. “Darlene went to lunch, and she ordered me to do one small thing, and I can’t even do that right.” The woman diverted her gaze away from Sage. There was definitely some pouting going on. Darlene was always so helpful and never left the desk without her smile. The impression that Sage now had of the new one left her knowing that this woman wouldn’t be another Darlene.

“I can see if I can give it a whirl,” Sage offered. “I mean, if you don’t mind.”

“Couldn’t hurt,” Stassi grumbles. “But you’d think there’d be proper equipment here.”

Sage gave a light chuckle as she moved in and began opening up trays and doors until she found an area where some paper had wedged itself. She knelt and tugged on the paper until it was all taken out of the copier. She closed the door, and the copier sprung back to life, paper shooting out properly.

“There we go,” Sage said.

The woman nodded, then eventually made eye contact. “Thank you so much. I could have been stuck here the whole time that Darlene was gone.”

“Glad I could assist.” Sage shrugged off Stassi’s thanks.

“The name is Stassi Hewitt. I’m the new receptionist here.”

“Sage Pembroke.” Sage put out her hand to offer a shake, which Stassi accepted. “I’m an Occupational Therapist on this floor.”

“Nice to meet you,” Stassi replied.

Sage nodded. “Likewise.” As their hands had touched, a slight spark coursed through Sage’s veins. Sage had to quickly pull back, so she couldn’t admit that Lena might actually have a valid point. She tilted her head. She definitely recognized this woman. She wouldn’t have been able to miss those eyes anywhere. Stassi returned to her print job and placed the papers into an orderly pile before picking them up in her arms. Sage shook her head to get that thought out of her mind. “Now that the copier is back up and running, I need to copy some things. Do you mind?”

“That’s my job,” Stassi said in a weirdly sing-song yet decidedly disappointed tone. For someone that was just starting in a position, she didn’t seem too interested in the work she was doing. And, this was after only one half-day of work. This woman would have a rude awakening if she wasn’t satisfied with her first day on the job.

“Thank you! You can put it at the nurse’s station once you’re through. Headed to lunch.” Sage tossed a wave over her shoulder, but as she walked away, she glanced over her shoulder, staring at the blonde that was back working the copier. She nodded and smirked. It now hit her exactly where they had once crossed paths. It was brief but caught Sage off guard. As she started thinking about bumping into the woman at the club the other night, Stassi turned around and headed back her way.

She gave Sage a curious look, and Sage cleared her throat and stood up straight. “Checking up on me?” Stassi asked, then her face fell into a genuine smile. Before Sage could respond, she gave a meek shrug. “I’m sorry about earlier. I was a bit gruff. It’s been a rough few days in my life, and I guess it’s kind of soured my expression. But I’ll get better.” She held out the papers. “Let me know if you need anything else.” She turned and walked away from Sage. Sage continued to watch her, curious about her life and interested in learning more.

“Sage?” Sage jerked and spun on her heel. Lena tilted her head. “Everything alright?”

“Um yeah, why wouldn’t it be?” Sage shrugged and hurried towards the nurse’s station. She slipped the papers onto a tray and glanced at Lena. “Ready for lunch?”

“Are you kidding me? I’m born ready.” Lena laughed and headed to the elevator, but Stassi hadn’t left Sage’s mind. Everyone had a story, and Sage was intrigued by the idea of learning Stassi’s.

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