Page 6 of Bear Creek Father's Day
“Excellent! Is next Wednesday too soon? There’s a lot of work to do on the patient records left by Dr. Brewster, and it would be helpful to get those sorted out before the grand opening.”
Crew didn’t say it out loud, but this job sounded perfect for him, and he couldn’t wait to get started.
“Next Wednesday is fine with me. Thank you for giving me this chance, Dr. Hall.”
Zak handed him a thick envelope full of onboarding forms and information as they walked towards the door.
“You’re welcome, and feel free to call me Zak unless there are patients in the room. Bring all that paperwork back with you on the twenty-second, and I’ll see you at 7a.m. sharp. If you have any questions, my cell number and the clinic number are included in the packet. Welcome aboard, Mr. Bishop.”
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Second interview, two p.m.
“Hello? Anyone here?”
Dixy Vogal had arrived for her interview to find the lights on but no one in sight. The scent of two males assailed her nose—one human and the other a human/shifter mix. A loud voice from deeper inside the clinic called out.
“Sorry! I’ll be right with you.”
Moments later, a striking man strode towards her, carrying a folder and wearing a warm smile. He lookednothinglike she’d imagined—lacking the outward physical traits all shifters shared, despite his mixed DNA. She also noted an empty piercing hole in his left earlobe, confirming his mostly human nature.
“My apologies, Dixy. I was back in the office ordering a few supply items that I missed on the first go-round. I’m Zak Hall.”
Zak extended his hand, and Dixy grasped it while scenting him deeply. DeeDee had told her that Hall was a quasi-shifter, but she’d never met one before and found his scent intriguing. Warned not to mention it, she pulled back and stifled her ursine curiosity.
“It’s wonderful to meet you in person, Dr. Hall. I’m sure you’re eager to get the clinic up and running as soon as you can—which, by the way, looks terrific.”
Zak laughed, though he had the feeling he would be hearing that comment a lot at first.
“Thank you. I’d like to start with a quick tour, and then we can go over some basics and I’ll answer any questions you might have.”
Dixy was quite familiar with a standard clinic setup; all pretty much the same from place to place. What she observed here, however, had been given a great deal of thought and held a few surprises as well. Her estimation of Hall rose steadily as she looked around, and the man showed more confidence than most freshly graduated physicians she’d met through the years. While his looks were certainly disarming, it was his attitude and efficiency that impressed her.
Meanwhile, Zak watched, listened, and noted Dixy’s scent as they interacted. Aside from the brown hair and stormy blue eyes all shifters had, she came across as friendly with a touch of mama bear attitude that no doubt served her well in healthcare. Zak had literally worked with hundreds of nurses during his education and residency, and he knew what to look for. So far, nothing she said or did raised any red flags, and he used his heightened senses to gather even more information. Once the tour was over, Zak led her back to the tastefully appointed waiting room for some conversation.
“Before we get to the nuts and bolts, I have two questions. First, I would enjoy knowing more about you, though only what you feel comfortable sharing. Second, can you tell me why you’re looking for a new position?”
Both were fair questions, and Dixy understood why the information would be helpful.
“I grew up in Blakeslee and moved to Bear Creek for college. After earning my BSN, I began working in pediatrics at Wilkes-Barre General, which is where I met my mate, Solomon. He was doing some landscaping work on the hospital grounds and our bears knew right away that we were mates. We also have four ten-year-old cubs who keep things interesting at home.
“Anyway, a few years back my job was eliminated, and I went to work for the VA Medical Center. I love my patients, but the facility is chronically understaffed, and the twelve-hour shifts are more difficult to handle with a mate and family to care for. Like everyone else, I suppose, I’m looking for something with regular hours and less stress.”
Zak liked what he was hearing.
“I think the position here provides exactly what you’re looking for, Dixy. I recognize that having school-age children can interfere with life on occasion, so I’m curious how you and Solomon balance everyone’s schedules.”
It meant a lot knowing that Hall understood the challenges that most working couples faced.
“Honestly, it’s never been a problem. Solomon has his own landscape design business and works from home. Between the two of us and our parents, there’s always someone available to watch the cubs if necessary.”
Zak was relieved. The primary nurse was like the second in command, and he wouldn’t be able to run the clinic properly if that person were missing frequently.
“Excellent. I’ll be needing someone to redesign the highway frontage in the spring. Please let Solomon know that I would love to work with him on the project.”
Dr. Hall seemed to be full of surprises, and Dixy pulled a business card out of her purse.
“No problem. Here’s his direct number, or you can request a consultation through the website.”
