Page 147 of Family Bonds: Coy & Angel

There were days he was glad he came from Catherine’s side and didn’t have the burden of the last name of Bond.

“Now I know,” she said. “I was just telling Dr. Mills that we have a procedure here and I’ll get to his scripts like I do the rest. I understand the urgency and can sympathize with his patients, but his patients aren’t the only ones I have to deal with. Especially knowing there is only one pharmacist on at a time here.”

He felt bad when she pointed that out. No one else had before and maybe he hadn’t realized it. In Boston, someone was assigned to the oncology department in the mornings from the group of pharmacists working all at once.

Guess he might have gotten a bit ahead of himself.

“It is a change for you here, different than in Boston. I know. I understand. But the pace isn’t as fast either. I’m positive you’ll catch on quickly.” He looked at his watch. “And speaking of fast, I need to get ready for my patients. Enjoy the donuts.”

He turned and walked back to his office, saw the reception area lights were on. He was the only doctor working today. Most days. Twice a week, another doctor came in, sometimes. Depended on his patient count. Today there weren’t that many in for treatment.

“Morning, Dr. Mills,” Danica said. She was one of his chemo nurses. He had two that moved back and forth between thepatients in the chemo room and fielding calls and questions from other patients.

“Morning,” he said. “I brought donuts in.” He got one and a half dozen, brought six to the pharmacy knowing there weren’t a lot of staff there, and then the rest for his staff here.

“Yum,” Danica said. “You’re the best. Dr. Sing never did that.”

“Dr. Sing was a health nut,” he said. “And now he’s retired and out on the golf course somewhere in Arizona.”

Dr. Sing had offered to come to the island for the past few years. Not many volunteered, but since he was close to retirement, he wanted a quieter life.

Garrett had been hesitant to offer to come here and asked if he could do it for a year as a trial. The administration in his department jumped on it, knowing they’d have time to figure things out in the future.

Well, his father was part of the administration now, but since it was a conflict, he’d stepped away from the final decision.

“Lucky him,” Danica said. “But we do live on an island, so it’s not so bad.”

He laughed. It wasn’t what he considered the same as an island in a year-round warmer climate, but he wasn’t complaining about waking up daily with his nice view of the Atlantic Ocean either.

Thank God he’d bought his weekend home a few years ago. Just a little cottage to retreat to and escape the daily grind of his job.

Now it was his home for a year.

“You’re right,” he said. “It’s not.”

And thirty minutes later, when he was stopped by Danica, he had to remind himself that not everyone had good things in their life.

“I’m sorry, Dr. Mills. I know you’ve got a patient waiting, but Kathryn is refusing chemo.”

He sighed, his shoulders dropping. “I just saw her five minutes ago and spent ten minutes boosting her up for it.”

“I know,” Danica said. “But she got to the chemo room and I went to put the IV in and she is freaking out. She asked if she could wait until she gets her port.”

He snorted over the conflicting responses. “She was adamant she didn’t want a port.” Which he tried to explain would make it easier, but she could get one in at any point if she changed her mind.

“Then she’s playing us both,” Danica said, shaking her head.

He opened the door to his next patient, popped his head in, and said, “I’ll be right back. I’m sorry but need to deal with an emergency.”

“No problem,” his patient said.

He followed Danica to the chemo room and saw Kathryn sitting with her husband in the corner by the window. Her husband was holding her hand and trying to talk to her.

Garrett took the seat next to Kathryn. “What’s going on?” he asked.

“I can’t do it,” Kathryn said. “I don’t want to lose my hair. I don’t want to feel sick. I don’t want to go throughanyof it.”

He looked at her husband. “I told my wife that hair grows back, but if she doesn’t do this, then I won’t have her in my life. I can’t get her past this.”

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