Chapter 11

The cafeteria was slow, but there were a few sitting around. This time there were a few other than medical people. Again Jason made six cups but grabbed three egg sandwiches. Two of which Kathy took and but back. He was arguing with her about it when there was a sound of quick running across the floor.

“Tina, stop,” a woman cried out just as Jason turned.

It was more comical than problematic as the child crashed into him. She sprawled on the floor, and he tried to control the coffee on his lap. He was mostly successful as the lids popped off of three. Spilling only a minor amount. It was just enough to look as if he had pissed himself.

“Oh no are you okay?’ a woman came running up. Jason was trying to fix the cups and wiping the coffee from his hand to pay attention. He thought she was talking to the girl. He looked up when she was lifting his head to her. His reaction must have worried her as she started checking every part of him.

“Are you okay?” she asked again, taking the coffee and setting it on the counter. “Are you burnt?” she asked as he stared at her, shaking his head. He jumped when she reached for the band of his sweats. “Relax, I’m a doctor. I just want to...”

Kathy was laughing as their audience was growing. She stood there with the young girl standing at her feet.

“Why are you laughing and standing there? Your patient could be severely burned.” The woman beside him yelled at her.

Jason let out a breath and rubbed his eyes before looking up again. She was again trying to pull down his sweats. “We need to get him to an ER room now.”

Jason swatted her hand. “I am fine. Considering the temperature they keep this coffee at, I have had hotter showers.” He returned her glare for a moment, then looked at the young girl. “The question is how you are? Any bumps or bruises?” she smiled and shook her head. “Are you sure? We seem to have a surplus of doctors to look at, just to be sure. You were running really fast. Took a big fall. They seem to think falling is a bad thing.”

Kathy pushed the girl forward. “Some falls are not considered a fall when you are tossed twenty feet and hit the concrete.”

Tina giggled and turned around. “I’m okay. I sat on Mr. Fluff,” she informed him as she wiggled the fluffy stuffed animal attached to her backpack.

“Well then maybe we need to have him cheeked make sure he is okay,” he again slapped the hand at his waist. She didn’t take it this time. She hit back. That got Tina to giggle again.

“Are you not going to back me up here? Or is it policy for a patient to tell a doctor what is what?”

Jason grabbed the wheels and shifted back as she went to gran the chair. “Last I checked patients are usually the ones to tell doctors if something is wrong.” He stopped a foot away. “The only thing I see wrong is that we have a bunch of people standing around and introductions have yet to be made.”

Kathy smirked. “Okay, everyone, the show is over. You can go back to whatever it is you were doing.” She waited for everyone to part before she picked up the coffee cups. “That takes care of the crowd. As for introductions, you have already met, but this is Tina, my niece, and the woman so ready to get your pants off is Dr. Karen Stanton, Tina’s mother, and my twin sister. Karen, this is Jason, a stubborn patient,” She handed the tray of cups to him.

She gave him a good view as she bent over face to face with him. “Are you sure you are okay? She has a point.”

Jason managed to pull his eyes from her chest to look her in the face. “Yeah, we all have points. Mine is about the temperature of the coffee. For the last time, I’m fine. Now, since you have company, I will make my way back up to the room on my own.”

To his surprise, it wasn’t Kathy that stepped in front of him, but Karen. “I’m not one hundred percent on letting you go. This may not be my hospital but I am still a doctor. I’m not letting you go without a full check.”

Kathy smirked and pulled Tina to her.

Jason’s hands tightened on the wheels. “Well, thanks for the clarification on that. Here I was thinking the title was rescinded in the last four minutes. Good to hear that it wasn’t.” He backed the chair up and spun it to the left to go around her. She just grabbed the handles making the cups slide on his legs. “Really?”

“Oh sh...” she glanced at Tina. “ ... ite.”

“Nice saver there. Is business so slow you need to create some doc?”

“I’m so sorry.” She looked panicked. “Look. It may not mean anything to you, but I made a pledge to myself when I went to med school. To help people. Even those that didn’t think they need it. People don’t always know they are sick or injured. It’s a better safe than sorry mentality.” She held the handled of the chair but put a foot in front of the wheel.

“Okay. Whatever. You will have to trust me here. I am fine. Now I have to get my coffee paid for and at least one cup drank before someone else decides to spill it. I may drink a lot of it, and jokes about floating a battleship on what I drink are not unheard of. But as of yet, I have not bathed in it. I’d rather keep that from happening. So all is forgiven, all is forgotten. Enjoy your time with your sister.”

She let go of the handles but didn’t move her foot. “Humor me. I have to wait here for my ... for Tina’s father. Let me buy the coffee, and you can sit with us and enjoy it. I can observe and tell if you are lying to me.”

Kathy stepped in her phone in hand. “You may as well Jason. She is very stubborn. And usually gets what she wants.” She waved her phone. “I just got a message. A young boy just came in with a broken arm. His mother is being admitted as well. She has several broken bones. Your test results will be delayed a bit longer.” Jason slid the tray off his lap and tried to stand with it in hand. “I need to talk to McCann.”

Karen took the tray as Kathy pushed him back into the chair. “He knows. Nothing can be done about it, Jason. He is keeping busy.” She took the tray from Karen. “Just go to a table. I’ll toss these and make up some fresh ones. Oh, and don’t get any ideas. This is my hospital, and I know a few very large orderlies that would be happy to carry you to the ER. Tina will go with you to be sure you behave. She is only five, so you know she can’t be left alone.” She urged Tina along to find a table to sit at before turning back to the coffee station.

With a long sigh, he followed the girl. She went right to the nearest table and took a seat. Despite the training not to Jason turned his back on the door to face the other way. He watched the sisters. They were identical physically and it seemed mentally as well. Tina got off the seat she had picked and climbed into the one beside him.

“I’m sorry I bumped you,” she said. “Mommy said we wouldn’t see Aunty Kathy today. I got excited.”

The sisters were having a very heated discussion. “No worry, kiddo. Things happen.”

“Mommy said I shouldn’t run inside the hospital. Too many hurt people.”

He pulled out his phone. He never had any kids, and he was rarely around any that did. She came across as older than a five-year-old. He started a text. “There are many here for sure. She is probably right. Running is not a good thing here for so little. Just got to be careful. Running is great sometimes, but usually, you will still get to where you are going if you walk.”

He watched as the sisters were heading toward them, trying to find any differences. Karen set down the tray, sitting opposite Tina. It had more cups on it than expected. Six in a carrier and four others. One a small one.

“She usually talks people’s ears off,” Karen said as she put the small cup in front of Tina.

Jason reached for one of the cups in the carrier, but Kathy put one of the other cups in his hand. He cautiously set it down to take off the lid.

“I think she is thinking about something,” he said as he looked at his phone. “We have until your ex gets here, or I get a message I am waiting for. That should be plenty of time for your observation.”

Karen stared at him. “You are odd. Most men wouldn’t mind being seated with twins and pretty ones if I do say so myself.”

Jason took a cautious sip of the coffee. It was hotter than his previous cup, but not by much. “Well, Doc, under normal circumstances, that would be a great treat. But like doctors, I have work that never seems to be done, on or off the clock. Tasks I can’t put off. Calls I need to make or take. Now, a delay is making things more difficult. It’s nothing against the company, mind you; today is just not a good day.”

“Sounds like you are some kind of executive officer of some kind. Big business.”

“You could say that,” Jason answered quickly with a slight shake of his head at Kathy. Not that it mattered if she knew what he did, but was hoping to avoid any questions about what was going on.

“It can take its toll on a person. So we can avoid work talk and give you a breather for at least a few minutes.”

She didn’t take her eyes off him as she sipped her cup unless it was to look at Kathy, but then it was right back to him. They did talk just about anything. They included Tina as well. He found out that Karen was older by two and a quarter minutes. They went to different medical schools. Karen married and divorced her last year of residency. She had gone for surgery where Kathy opted for primary care. Karen got pregnant just before the divorce.

Tina was getting anxious as most children do get when they are getting bored and stuck in one place. Fortunately, that was when her father arrived. Karen composed herself but she was far from the glare in her eyes she was less than pleased to have to deal with the man. She bent over slightly to pick up Tina’s bag. She only softened when she took Tina’s hand and walked her over. It didn’t take long for them to get into a heated discussion.

“What do you think of her?” Kathy asked as she tried not to watch the two discussing whatever it was.

“Hard to form an opinion with a fifteen-minute conversation. But I can say the two of you are a lot alike. Not just in looks but mannerisms as well. I had a feeling I was being evaluated the entire time.”

“You were. She takes the job very seriously. She hasn’t let a patient dictate care in years. I can assure you she is not going to rest until you are fully checked out.”

Jason shrugged. “I’ve been poked and prodded enough. Her rest, or lack thereof, is not my concern. Perhaps you should take her home and get her into bed.”

Kathy muttered something into her cup. She simply smiled when she looked at her questioning.

“You should go do something together, have some fun together,” he told her. He part hoped she would, just to have one less person in the mix.

“Not likely. She is off to work herself. As a surgeon or just a regular doctor, she is always busy.”

“Well, you should spend what time you can together. I’m feeling a bit like a third wheel. I should just go back upstairs anyway. A thousand things I can do.” He finished the cup and grabbed for the others.

Kathy snatched them and stood up. “I got a better idea.” She rushed around and started pushing him toward the door. Karen was walking back toward them and stopped.

“Something wrong?” she asked, an instant concern.

“Maybe. Maybe not.” Kathy handed her the coffee, and they hurried out the door.

“What is it? Pain? On what level?” Karen asked as she followed along.

“Nauseated is more like it. Where is the fire, Doc? The room will still be there in five minutes. At least, I hope it doesn’t disappear. That would be very strange.” Jason held onto the coffee as they rounded a corner. “I think you just passed the way to the elevators.”

She patted him on the head. “Hush. It’s not like you have anything better to do, and you’ll like this, I promise.”

Jason sighed. “Doc, it’s not a good day, as you know.”

She stopped at an office door at the far end of the hall. “Dr. Heeds is a psychologist and is on vacation. I don’t think he will mind if we use his office.” She gets the door open and a concerned Karen rushed inside ahead of them.

“Cathy, what is it?” she yelled.

“Nothing,” Jason assured her. “I’m thinking your sister may have been working too long and needs a break.”

Kathy pushed him to the inner office. She stopped and hurried around to take the coffee and put it on the desk.

“Kathy, explain now,” Karen put her hands on her hips.

Kathy didn’t speak. She did, however, walk over to her and planted a very unsisterly kiss on her lips. Her fingers were very fast in getting the buttons on her shirt undone. Her hands slipped under and over her sister’s chest as they kissed again.

Karen didn’t seem to object as she melted into the embrace and sighed at the touches of her sister’s fingers. Neither of them seemed to remember Jason was even there, at least until he got up and moved to the desk.

“Kathy, we can’t do this. We have company,” Karen whispered, her hands were on the back of Kathy’s scrubs firmly planted on her ass cheeks.

Jason waved at them. “Oh, ladies, please carry on. Don’t mind me any. I’ll just grab this and be on my way.”