Chapter Seventy-Six

“Leah!” shouted Trapper from down the hall.  She slowed down to let him catch up.  “What’s the hurry,” he said, smiling and walking next to her.

“I have a training session with Frieda…” she looked at her watch.  “…in five minutes, I have to get ready for the board meeting this afternoon, and I’m interviewing Calvin Keller today for a job.

“I haven’t seen you all week.  I thought we could have lunch together today.”

“I can’t today,” she said, stopping in front of the elevator and pushing the up button.  “I’ll probably be eating at my desk.   I’ve looked for you in your office a couple of times, but I was told you were in surgery.”

“Yeah, it has been a busy week.”  The elevator door opened, and when Leah turned to step in, he pulled her back.  “Wait.  We have to plan some time together…even if we have to make an appointment.”

“I’m sorry, Trapper.  It can’t be today,” she said, tiptoeing and giving him a quick kiss.  “Maybe this evening.   I’ll stop by your office,” she said as the elevator door closed and she was whisked away.

Moving a hand to the metal frame of the elevator, he leaned and moved his other hand to his hip, scowling at the elevator door.  His first thought was that her job was getting in the way of their romance, but then he snorted.  His job was as much to blame.  They would have to figure out how to tame their work schedules.   Turning abruptly to head back to his office, he almost ran into Gonzo.

“Trapper, I was just looking for you.  Do you have time to take a look at some x-rays?  I’m getting ready to get tissue from a kidney donor to see if he’s a match for a patient, but I see something suspicious on his x-ray.”

“It seems work is the only thing I do have time for these days,” Trapper answered sourly.

“Oh, well, later would be okay,” said Gonzo apologetically.

Smiling, Trapper said, “No.  Let’s look now.  I have a little time.”  As they walked down the hall to the x-ray room, Trapper asked, “How are things going with Frieda?”

“They’re not.  Anymore, at least.”

Trapper opened the door and held it for Gonzo.  “Oh?  What happened?”

As Gonzo pushed the x-rays under the clamps on the light box, he answered, “I never thought I’d say this about anyone, but she’s too much for me.  So much that she found someone else to fill in the gaps.  It’s not that I mind the occasional other date, but she seems to find someone everyday…maybe even several times a day.  I don’t think I want to share that much biology with a bunch of other men.”  Grinning from ear to ear, Trapper stood in front of the light box chuckling.  “What’s so funny?”

“Leah did warn you.”

“She also said Frieda was looking for stability.”

“No, that’s what Frieda said.  Leah said that wasn’t possible.  Maybe next time you should listen to her.”

Gonzo flipped on the lights and both men looked up at the x-rays.  “There won’t be a next time…at least not with Frieda,” said Gonzo, pointing to a dark spot on the film.

“Hard to tell,” said Trapper, stepping closer.  “It could be stone.”

“I think I’ll take the tissue from two spots; that one and a clear one.”

“That’s fine as long as you inform the donor.  He didn’t come for a biopsy.  He came to give you a tissue sample for matching to the patient.”

“What harm would it do if I just took the tissue?”

Looking at Gonzo over his glasses, Trapper said, “No harm, except that he could sue you for doing a biopsy without informing him.”  Moving to the door, Trapper opened it.  Before he left, he turned and said, “Get his consent for a biopsy.”

***

Frieda and Leah worked through lunch, eating sandwiches in Leah’s office as they went through flow charts and program listings.  “We have change requests stacking up for approval by the board, so you should have some good hands-on experience very soon,” said Leah as Frieda gathered her paperwork, preparing to end the session.

“I hope so.  Reading technical manuals and source code isn’t my idea of a good time,” she said, heading for the door.

“How are things going with Gonzo?”

Frieda stutter stepped before she came to stop at the door, hesitating when she turned around.  “Well, they aren’t…anymore.  Gonzo is a nice guy, but he’s not…how do I put this…spontaneous enough.”

Moving her mouth to say ‘oh’, Leah ended up laughing the word.  “What happened to stability?”

“I decided forty is still too young to start thinking about stability.  Maybe forty-five.   Off to the mines,” she said, leaving just as Calvin Keller arrived.

“Ah, Mr. Keller, please come in.  Let me move some of this paperwork out of the way,” said Leah as she walked around the room picking up large graphs and charts and listings on burst paper that had been unfolded and spread across her desk and her table.   “There,” she said, taking a breath.  “Please, have a seat.”  Smiling slightly, he sat down.  Leah studied him for a moment before she said, “I understand if this is too soon.”

“No, it’s…” he sighed.  “I don’t think it will be any better for a long while, and I have to feed my family.  I didn’t get to thank you at the funeral for all you did.  Your chaplain told us that you paid the bills for crematory and the cemetery plot.  I intend to pay you back.”

“How about we get you settled in your new job and your family settled in a new home before we think about that,” said Leah, smiling.  “I was able to go over your resume and check your references and everything looks fine, so the job is yours.  Mike Stanley will be your supervisor and will train you.”  She looked at her watch.  “It’s too late to get started today, so why don’t we make tomorrow your first day.  I’ll want you on day shift to begin with, but once you learn the job, the shifts are rotational, so there will be times you’ll be scheduled in the evenings and on the grave shift.”

“That won’t be a problem,” Mr. Keller said with a smile.

“Here are the particulars of your position including your salary,” she said, handing him a piece of paper.

“This is more than I expected, especially not knowing anything about the job,” he said surprised.

“I don’t think you’ll have any trouble picking it up, and with your leadership experience, I think you’ll be able to advance fairly quickly.”

Folding the paper and putting it in a pocket on the inside of his jacket, he smiled.  “I don’t know how to thank you for all you’ve done for us.   May I ask you a question?”

“Of course.”

“Dr. McIntyre said that you’re driven to this.  May I ask why?”  Leah smiled, took a deep breath and bowed her head.  “I’m sorry.  I shouldn’t have asked.”

Looking back up, she sniffled.  “No, it’s alright.   The pictures you see on the walls and shelves are of my family.   They were all killed in a car accident a few years ago.  I survived, but only because of a heart transplant.”

Mr. Keller’s eyes widened.  “Oh, I am sorry.  That’s terrible.  N-n-not that you survived, but that your family didn’t.   I understand now.”

“I won’t lie to you, Mr. Keller.  It still hurts.  It still hurts a lot.  I don’t think the pain will ever completely go away.”   Leaning forward, she looked him in the eye with certainty.   “But it does get easier…as time moves on.”    He met her eyes and the two held each other’s gaze for a long minute until he gave her a quick nod.  “We have an Employee Assistance Program here at the hospital.  It’s a free service.  I encourage you and your family to take advantage of it.”

“I’ll talk to my wife about it.  She’s…well, it may take more time for her.”

“How are the children?”

“They’ve been really upset, but we’ve started them in school, and with that and new friends, they seem to be bouncing back…better than their parents.”

When Leah stood, so did Mr. Keller.  “Give it time.  You can’t rush this.  It has to happen the way it happens,” she said, walking him to the door.

He nodded.  “What time should I be here tomorrow morning?”

“Eight.  Take the elevator to the basement and when you step off, go left.  Mike will be at the desk on the raised floor.”

“Raised floor?”

Chuckling, Leah replied, “You’ll know it when you see it.”