Page 104 of Life To My Flight

He never put up with bullshit, and he always had our backs when we needed him.

He was ex-military, and had zero tolerance when it came to patients badmouthing his ‘girls.’

“Cleo,” I said standing up and putting the chart I was looking at back where it went. “I’ve got to go. I’ll talk to you when you pick me up, okay?”

Cleo made a understanding sound and said, “Got it. Love you.”

I blinked rapidly as the sound of the dial tone rang in my ear. He didn’t say it that often. Only every now and then, and only when I least expected it.

So when I did get graced with hearing those words, I cherished them.

Walking away from the nurse’s station with a pep in my step, I came into the room of one Mr. Bowen Bloodsworth, and had to hold back the grimace that threatened to overtake my face.

The guy looked downright gross.

It was more than obvious that he hadn’t had a bath in a while, and to add insult to injury, he gave me the creeps.

“How can I help you, Mr. Bloodsworth?” I asked him as I barely breached the inside of the door.

I wasn’t comfortable going that close to him.

Not only did he smell horrible, but he was obviously juicin’ on some drug of choice, and I didn’t want to be close to him when he heard what I had to tell him next.

“I’m hurtin’ doc,” he groaned.

I rolled my eyes. I’d told him I wasn’t a doctor nearly ten times now.

“I’m sorry to hear that, Mr. Bloodsworth. What’s your pain on a scale of 1-10?” I asked.

Earlier he’d said it was a seventy two. I’d bet now was going to be even worse.

“At least an eighty,” he groaned pitifully.

My left eye started to tick. “Did the medicine you were given not touch the pain at all?” I asked tiredly.

He shook his head. “No, doc. Not at all. I told you those drugs wouldn’t work on me. Only Dilaudid and Morphine work. Sometimes, if I’m lucky, hydrocodone’ll work, too.”

I suppressed the urge to snort. “Well, I’m sorry to hear that. However, we can no longer prescribe you any narcotics. You’ll have to see your regular doctor to obtain your prescription. However, with that being said, I saw that you just had the last prescription filled only six days ago, so he’s probably not going to give you another one for another twenty four days.”

He lifted his lip in a snarl. “Listen, bitch. I need that now. The doc’s office isn’t open until Monday. And besides, I ain’t got no money to pay for that again.”

I squeezed my hands into fists to keep myself from throwing my hands up in the air and yelling, ‘dumbass’ out loud. What did he think? That when he came here it was free?

“I’m sorry, Mr. Bloodsworth,” I said again. “Your doctor is in the middle of signing your discharge paperwork, and you’ll be free to go soon.”

“I want to see my doctor now,” he snapped.

I turned without another word and found Doctor Norwood with dread.

Normally telling a patient that he wouldn’t be getting any narcotics would’ve been the doctor’s role. However, Dr. Norwood still lived to give me shit and found joy in making my day as bad as he could possibly make it.

I found him in his usual spot next to the corner, and stepped up to the counter so I was facing him. “Dr. Norwood, Mr. Bloodsworth would like to speak with you.”

“Here, tell him I have him ready. Thanks,” he said as he shoved a stack of paperwork in my direction.

I ignored the paper work. “He’d like to see you,” I repeated.

He looked up at me and glared. “Did you hear what I said?”

---