Page 15 of Paging Dr. Douche

Tripp's words bounce around in my mind and no matter which way I turn it, I just can't see any truth to it. "Nah man, she's too cocky and for someone who's only going to be here a few months I'm not sure that I appreciate her coming in and trying to change shit from the jump. If I needed further medical training, I'd go to a refresher course."

Tripp shrugs one shoulder and plays with the rim of his glass, "If things keep going the way you described, you're not going to need to go anywhere for a refresher course. That nurse got all the lessons you need." He winks at me, and I flick the top of my apple juice bottle at him to get him to shut up.

I don't dare ask him what the hell he means by that because I can already infer from the goofy ass look on his face.

I'm not crushing on this woman.

Fine, she's knowledgeable. I'll give her that.

And efficient. She did pretty much learn our entire workflow in a few hours. She did seem to get along with everyone else around her and most importantly she put the needs of the patient first. I overheard Ardi basically having to force Nyla out to have lunch.

My mind jumps back to the one interaction I observed where she wasn't challenging me at every turn. She was standing at the nurses station with Ardi and Nurse Lee. I don't know what they were talking about because I was supposed to be looking at the patient board, but I did notice how everyone seemed to be so at ease around her. Patients came up to her willingly without hesitation and though I wanted to melt through her head with my gaze when I think back on it now, I realize she was actually quite entrancing. So much so that I can remember all the details.

The way her laugh starts low and then crescendos at the end, and how she leans close when she's talking to someone, letting them know they have her attention. She's a beautiful woman, but I know myself better than anyone. Being a beauty has no bearing on who someone is as a person. And Nyla Thimble as a person is the bane of my present existence. I don't need a distraction like her following behind me, not when I have an entire hospital to run.

7

nyla

Gettingunder his skin is so easy, it’s almost criminal.

I smirk as Dr. Dracos walks by me in a huff after dealing with the last patient. Mr. Graff came in with complaints that his hypertension medication was making him feel weird. It didn't take long for me to figure out that the weird he was referring to was the fact that he could no longer get an erection.

It took me all of two minutes to pry the information out of him, which is something Dr. Dracos didn't try to do. Instead of trying to dig further into the patient’s concerns, Dr. Dracos was just going to address the problem straight out by giving him a different form of the same hypertensive. Exactly what was on the paper.

He didn't really appreciate the fact that I'd been able to get the true reason the man paid us a visit out into the light. At least that's what it seems like since he's been walking around here grumbling and sighing ever since the patient left. It's just too easy sometimes.

I've been here for about three weeks now, and it feels like for the most part I've got everything down. I know the schedules and even some of the people who come in for one thing or another.

The nurses all trust my judgement, and the doctors seem to breathe a sigh of relief when they know it's me helping them. I've always enjoyed my job as a nurse, not only is it interesting, but it fulfills me. The only added benefit of working here at Grand River Community Hospital is I get to go toe to toe with Dr. Nic Dracos.

Sometimes it feels like the man thinks himself a god. The world doesn't end or begin on his word, but I don't know if anyone has ever told him that.

After our first tiff, we're still tense around each other, but at least he hasn't tried to put me in my place about who has what degrees again. He even allows me some leeway in the room when I do something that is not of his usual way. It's actually quite impressive to watch him adapt to everything going on around him.

Ardi was right about one thing, though. The man is damn good at his job. I've watched him clear out full waiting rooms on his own while still being able to go up to the inpatient floor and do his rounds all thoroughly and efficiently. He may not pay much attention to the patients' emotional state, but physical medical care, the man is a damn genius. I watch in wonder sometimes as he manipulates and finds alternative ways to resolve the problems that come in. Even if people don't like him, they respect what he does.

Another fact that I've noticed in the small amount of time that I've been here is that the man never, and I mean never, cracks a smile.

How lonely and depressing must that be to have to come into a place every day and not have one single person to talk to. Ardi tells me that he's been this way since he started working here, which is about ten years now. No friends for ten years. I can't imagine.

The other day, one of the other nurses had a small celebration in the break room because she finished her master’s degree, and of course everyone was excited for her.

We got her a cake and flowers but though everyone else came in and had some cake Dr. Dracos wasn't there and furthermore I don't think he was even invited. The chief medical officer, the man who pays the bills to keep the lights on in this place, and no one even thought to offer him a piece of cake.

I don't blame the nurses or the staff at all, it's just the monster that Dr. Dracos has created.

In a hospital full of people, the man has stranded himself on a little island of solitude, and either he doesn't know how to or he can't get off it. I don't believe anyone should have to live like that.

While I do enjoy antagonizing him, I think I might do more good if I try to humanize him a little bit. He's a blessing to this small town, and I'd hate to see him burn himself out simply because he's trying to fight all these battles on his own.

"Hey, what did you do to him now?" Nurse Lee, or Megan as she tells me to call her, asks as she drops her completed chart paperwork in the to be filed bin. She's got a smirk on her face, and she is looking in the direction that Dr. Dracos just went in.

"I've done nothing to that man. It's not my fault he doesn't know how to pick and choose his battles." I shrug but join her in a quick chuckle before I look over to the patient board to see who's next to be seen.

Dr. Mason has a man waiting for vitals and assessment in room six and seeing as Megan just finished one I pick up his chart to go handle it.

I'm a team player. I hope they appreciate that about me.

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