Page 1 of Patch's Bride
Chapter 1
Patch
Iarrive at my office bright and early to find the opening medical assistant looking a bit rattled. Before I can make it across the empty waiting room Maggie glances up at me, “You have a walk in, Dr. Patchett. Mrs. Martin has brought Jake in. He’s got a fever and says his ears are hurting,” she says worriedly. Maggie is our newest hire, and everything freaks her out.
“I’ll take a look at him,” I tell her. “It could be something minor.”
I glance around. I opened my medical office just over a year and a half ago. I’d always wanted to have my own place. It might not be as fancy as some of the doctors’ offices I’d worked in, but it was all mine. It made all the hard work worth it, to see my name go up on the sign outside.
After a thorough exam, I discover he has a significant inner ear infection. I explain to his mother, “I’m going to start him on an antibiotic. If he doesn’t get better in forty-eight hours, bring him back in. In the meanwhile, he needs lots of fluids and rest and you can give him acetaminophen or ibuprofen for the pain. You’d best keep him home from school for the next couple of days.”
She nods, looking grim. “I understand, Dr. Patchett.” There is a brief hesitation before she adds, “I hate to ask, but is the medication going to be expensive?”
“Not at all. And you don’t have to worry about payment. We still have you signed up for the community fund that you applied for on your last visit. It’s good for a year. I’m going to code the prescription, so the pharmacy knows to bill the fund, rather than charging you for it. All you have to do is swing by the pharmacy drive-through and pick up the medicine.”
She nods, somehow managing to look both grateful and embarrassed. “Thank you so much, Dr. Patchett. I don’t know what our family would do without you.”
I shoot her a polite smile. “No worries, ma’am. I’m glad to be of service.”
Then I hand Jake a lollipop and put a sticker on his shirt that says, ‘World’s bravest patient’. He’s normally a cheerful kid, but looking at him right now, you’d never know it.
“You’re good to go, Jake. Time to get your fill of cartoons while you’re home from school. Take it easy, kiddo. You’ll probably start to feel a bit better in a day or two.”
When they leave, Maggie leans on the doorframe with the tablet hugged to her chest. “We have a community fund?”
“Not exactly,” I say. “We just don’t bill for our services, and I have an account at the pharmacy. The owner and I went to university together. He lets me pay wholesale prices for the meds for my patients that can’t pay. Jake’s amoxicillin costs less than five bucks.”
Her eyebrows fly up in surprise. “A small price to pay to resolve a child’s medical issues.”
I nod. “I worry that he might do without while his mom is scrambling to come up with the money. Five bucks might not seem like much, but for someone living hand to mouth it mightbe the difference between Jake not getting his meds or not getting a meal.”
She looks me over. “I like that you’re doing good work, the last doctor I worked for was all about the money. Thanks for hiring me.”
“You’re welcome,” I say with an easy smile. “We’re glad to have you on board.”
“I won’t let you down,” she says with a firm nod, before heading back to the front office.
When I make it back to my room, I find a cup of coffee and a muffin on my desk. That must mean Sharon’s arrived. Crow’s old lady is one in a million. I’m glad that she came to work for me after her ordeal, she’s a fantastic nurse and a great addition to the team. She’s also pregnant, and I get a flash of guilt that she’s looking after me when I should be making life easier for her. I lean out the door of my office and call out, “Thanks for the java, Sharon.”
She leans back in her chair to look through the doorway at me. Grinning, she replies, “You’re welcome. Just don’t get used to it.”
I chuckle at her gentle teasing. “I would never. Mostly because Crow would beat my ass.” I can hear Maggie and Regina, my billing specialist, giggle.
Our tight-knit team continues with our day. Things get interesting towards the late afternoon when a construction worker comes in with a nasty hand injury. I stem the bleeding and send him to the radiologist across the street before deciding on a course of care.
At six, my staff changes out. I have two employees who work in the evenings because I have extended hours twice a week. We end up seeing forty-three patients before the end of the day, which is an extremely busy day for my small practice.
By nine, we begin wrapping things up and once everyone is gone, I lock the front door. Truth be told, I’m dog tired. I love what I do but it can be exhausting. As I shut down my computers and lock my filing cabinet, I decide to kick back at the Savage Legion clubhouse for a couple of hours.
I should probably go home and get some sleep because I need to be back here bright and early in the morning, but I’m not the straight-laced doctor everyone thinks I am. On the inside, I’m a bit of a rebel. And a nice, cold beer and shooting pool with the other prospects sounds good after a long, hard day. I swap out my lab coat for my prospect’s cut and head out of the building.
Just as I’m slipping out the back door, my phone buzzes. I throw one leg over my Harley and tuck the helmet I’m carrying under my arm so I can pull my phone out. It’s my mother and I’m not in the mood to have another conversation with her about my current wifeless situation. My mom is desperate for grandbabies and keeps reminding me that the clock is ticking.
I’m not totally opposed to the idea. The problem is I don’t have enough time to give all the women she throws at me the attention they need to decide if I’m husband material, much less to decide if they are a good fit for me.
I turn my ringer off, deciding I’ll deal with her calls later, cram my phone into my pocket, and strap my helmet on. By the time I rev the engine, excitement begins to build because being on the open road is my happy place. Pulling out of the parking lot, I head for the Savage Legion’s clubhouse, with the windwhipping through my clothing and the moon rising high in the sky.
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