It was 7:50 am. A 24 year old woman named Elise Santini was on her way to
the Cook County General ER. She wasn't a new nurse or doctor applying for a
position, she was interviewing to replace Randi as the new desk clerk. She
had arrived the previous day in Chicago after driving all the way from Rye,
New York. Elise had wanted to take a new direction in her life, so she
decided to move in with her widowed and 30-year-old sister, Jeneva.
Jeneva's boyfriend of 11 months just happened to be Luka Kovac, who had
lined up the interview for Elise. Elise had gone from one family unit to
another, for Luka and Jeneva's two daughters, Laritza and Liberty also
lived at the gorgeous brownstone. Back to reality, Elise was trying to
follow directions that Jeneva had written down, but as she rolled down her
car windows to get some air, the paper slipped out the window.
"Damn," Elise said, "I'm never gonna make it."
She saw a nearby coffee stand and saw a doctor drinking coffee.
Elise rolled down her window and pulled up to the curb.
"Excuse me?" she called, "I'm trying to get to County for a job interview….I'm so lost."
The man laughed and said, "It's right in front of you."
Elise looked and sure enough, there was a sign that said, "Parking Garage for County General…this right."
She snickered at herself and said, "I'm so stupid. I should've just looked."
"It's OK."
"Thank you, though. Have a nice day."
"You, too."
As Elise drove towards the parking lot, she thought, "He wasn't too bad looking…maybe all of the doctors will look like that."
She found a parking spot and hurried into the ER, where she spotted Luka.
"Hey," she said, "I'm here."
"Good. Mark Greene is going to be interviewing you and he's waiting for you right now in the lounge."
"How long has he been waiting?"
"He just got in there."
"Alright. Wish me luck."
"You'll be fine."
Elise walked to the lounge door, took a deep breath, and opened it. Mark was looking through charts and didn't even notice that Elise had come in.
"Dr. Greene?"
He looked up and was stunned by Elise's beauty.
"Yeah, I'm Dr. Greene. You must be Elise."
"Nice to meet you."
"Same here," he said, carefully shaking her hand.
"Where should I sit?"
"We can sit right here at the table. Would you like any coffee?"
"Sure. Black, please."
"Black? You're brave."
"I think it's an Italian thing."
Mark made her the coffee and handed it to her.
"So, what are your credentials, Ms. Santini?"
"Well, I'm a dance major, so I worked at the same dance studio since I was 16. But when I was 19, I became co-owner. I did everything. I taught, answered the phones, handled finances…literally everything."
"Are you squeamish?"
"Not really. As long as I don't dwell on something revolting, I'll be OK."
"And how old are you again?"
"I'm 24."
"You look like you're 17."
"Thanks. I get that a lot, but I'm not sure whether to take it as a compliment or an insult."
"Oh, it's not an insult in the least bit."
"That's good."
"Well, to tell you the truth, you're the only person so far who's applied for this job who doesn't have a criminal background or something abnormal going on. The job's yours if you want it."
"Really?"
"You can start tomorrow if you'd like."
"I'd love to!"
"OK, it's settled then. Human Resources is on the 5th floor and you can go up there and complete everything you need to do."
"Sounds great. I-"
They were interrupted as John Carter came in. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Elise.
"Hey, you were the girl who pulled over and asked for directions at the coffee stand. This was the job interview you were trying to get to?"
"Yep. Thanks again, by the way."
"No problem," he said, extending his hand to hers, "I'm John Carter, Chief Resident of the ER."
"Elise Santini."
"Santini….you're related to Jeneva, aren't you?"
"She's my older sister."
"She was telling me about you, but obviously she left out a lot of details."
They smiled at each other flirtatiously and Mark said, "Carter, she's new. Don't scare her."
"Scare her? Me? Why would I do that?"
Mark laughed and said, "Welcome to the dysfunctional family we like to call the ER. It was very nice talking to you, Elise."
"Same here. I guess I'll see you tomorrow. What time?"
"I'd say….around 9:30?"
"OK. I'll be here."
As Elise left the lounge, John stopped her.
He said, "You know, I almost didn't turn around when you stopped and asked me how to get here."
"And why would you do that?"
"I thought that it was a homeless person or a salesman or….something. But something inside told me to turn around and I'm glad I did."
"Me, too- cause I probably wouldn't be sitting here talking to you."
"Well, I think you'll fit in here just fine."
"I'm hoping you're right. I've, um, gotta go up to Human Resources, but it was great talking to you."
"Yeah. I'm sure we'll see each other tomorrow."
"Bye, Dr. Carter."
"Bye, Elise."
Elise caught her breath as she walked out of the lounge and bumped into Luka.
"Hey," he said, "did the interview go well?"
"I got the job."
"Congratulations! Looks like we're going to be co-workers now."
"Yeah. I've gotta go up to Human Resources to do some paperwork. Wanna grab lunch in 15?"
"Can't. We've got a major trauma coming in 5 minutes. But I'll see you at home tonight."
"OK. Oh, and thanks for everything, Luka."
"No problem. Teach me how to play piano and we'll call it even."
"Sounds like a plan."
Elise smiled brightly and headed up to Human Resources. After she finished there, she took a detour through the ER to get to her car. As she walked, she heard someone calling her name.
"Elise, wait up!"
A young woman with brownish-red hair ran up to Elise. She was obviously a nurse and Elise spotted her ID, which read, "Natalie Carter."
Great, Elise thought, Probably John's wife.
"Hi, I'm Natalie. I'm the head supervising nurse here and I'll be training you tomorrow. I just wanted to introduce myself."
Elise extended her hand to Natalie and said, "I'm Elise Santini."
"Yeah, I know. John's already told me all about you."
"He has? I'm flattered. Is he related to you?"
"He's my cousin. His father and my father are brothers."
"Oh."
"You know, if you ever want to go on a date, John's always available."
"I'll think about it. I'll see you tomorrow."
"9:30, right?"
"Yep. Have a good day."
"You, too."
Elise left the hospital and stopped by the Au Bon Pain that Jeneva owned, having inherited it from her late husband. She went directly to Jeneva's office and knocked on the door.
"Come in!" she yelled.
Elise opened the door and said, "Guess who's the new ER desk clerk?"
"Oh, you got the job! Congrats, babe! When do you start?"
"Tomorrow at 9:30."
"See! Moving to Chicago has been a good decision for you so far. Now all you need to do is meet a guy and then you're set."
"Jen, I do not need a man to function. For the first time since I was 14, I am going to enjoy being single. Single, single, single."
"Yeah, that's what I said until I met Luka."
"Does Luka have a brother?"
"Shut up! So, what are you gonna do? It's only 9:45."
"I think that I'm just gonna relax. I think that working in an ER is gonna get crazy so I'm gonna chill all day and catch up on Days of Our Lives."
"I wish I could do the same. Hey, could you pick up Lari and Libby from school?"
"Sure."
Jeneva handed Elise directions that were printed from her computer.
"I always have these handy in case I have to send someone to pick up the girls. OK, this is how to get to Libby's daycare- Kids Kare USA. And then there's Lari's school- Hollingbrook Academy. Lari has soccer practice until 4, so you can get her first and she can run in and get Libby- she knows what to do."
"OK, I got it. Well, I guess I'll see you later."
"Bye, sweetie."
As Elise left, she thought about what a big change working in an ER was going to bring to her life.
Hope it's for the better, she thought to herself.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
To be continued…..
"Damn," Elise said, "I'm never gonna make it."
She saw a nearby coffee stand and saw a doctor drinking coffee.
Elise rolled down her window and pulled up to the curb.
"Excuse me?" she called, "I'm trying to get to County for a job interview….I'm so lost."
The man laughed and said, "It's right in front of you."
Elise looked and sure enough, there was a sign that said, "Parking Garage for County General…this right."
She snickered at herself and said, "I'm so stupid. I should've just looked."
"It's OK."
"Thank you, though. Have a nice day."
"You, too."
As Elise drove towards the parking lot, she thought, "He wasn't too bad looking…maybe all of the doctors will look like that."
She found a parking spot and hurried into the ER, where she spotted Luka.
"Hey," she said, "I'm here."
"Good. Mark Greene is going to be interviewing you and he's waiting for you right now in the lounge."
"How long has he been waiting?"
"He just got in there."
"Alright. Wish me luck."
"You'll be fine."
Elise walked to the lounge door, took a deep breath, and opened it. Mark was looking through charts and didn't even notice that Elise had come in.
"Dr. Greene?"
He looked up and was stunned by Elise's beauty.
"Yeah, I'm Dr. Greene. You must be Elise."
"Nice to meet you."
"Same here," he said, carefully shaking her hand.
"Where should I sit?"
"We can sit right here at the table. Would you like any coffee?"
"Sure. Black, please."
"Black? You're brave."
"I think it's an Italian thing."
Mark made her the coffee and handed it to her.
"So, what are your credentials, Ms. Santini?"
"Well, I'm a dance major, so I worked at the same dance studio since I was 16. But when I was 19, I became co-owner. I did everything. I taught, answered the phones, handled finances…literally everything."
"Are you squeamish?"
"Not really. As long as I don't dwell on something revolting, I'll be OK."
"And how old are you again?"
"I'm 24."
"You look like you're 17."
"Thanks. I get that a lot, but I'm not sure whether to take it as a compliment or an insult."
"Oh, it's not an insult in the least bit."
"That's good."
"Well, to tell you the truth, you're the only person so far who's applied for this job who doesn't have a criminal background or something abnormal going on. The job's yours if you want it."
"Really?"
"You can start tomorrow if you'd like."
"I'd love to!"
"OK, it's settled then. Human Resources is on the 5th floor and you can go up there and complete everything you need to do."
"Sounds great. I-"
They were interrupted as John Carter came in. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Elise.
"Hey, you were the girl who pulled over and asked for directions at the coffee stand. This was the job interview you were trying to get to?"
"Yep. Thanks again, by the way."
"No problem," he said, extending his hand to hers, "I'm John Carter, Chief Resident of the ER."
"Elise Santini."
"Santini….you're related to Jeneva, aren't you?"
"She's my older sister."
"She was telling me about you, but obviously she left out a lot of details."
They smiled at each other flirtatiously and Mark said, "Carter, she's new. Don't scare her."
"Scare her? Me? Why would I do that?"
Mark laughed and said, "Welcome to the dysfunctional family we like to call the ER. It was very nice talking to you, Elise."
"Same here. I guess I'll see you tomorrow. What time?"
"I'd say….around 9:30?"
"OK. I'll be here."
As Elise left the lounge, John stopped her.
He said, "You know, I almost didn't turn around when you stopped and asked me how to get here."
"And why would you do that?"
"I thought that it was a homeless person or a salesman or….something. But something inside told me to turn around and I'm glad I did."
"Me, too- cause I probably wouldn't be sitting here talking to you."
"Well, I think you'll fit in here just fine."
"I'm hoping you're right. I've, um, gotta go up to Human Resources, but it was great talking to you."
"Yeah. I'm sure we'll see each other tomorrow."
"Bye, Dr. Carter."
"Bye, Elise."
Elise caught her breath as she walked out of the lounge and bumped into Luka.
"Hey," he said, "did the interview go well?"
"I got the job."
"Congratulations! Looks like we're going to be co-workers now."
"Yeah. I've gotta go up to Human Resources to do some paperwork. Wanna grab lunch in 15?"
"Can't. We've got a major trauma coming in 5 minutes. But I'll see you at home tonight."
"OK. Oh, and thanks for everything, Luka."
"No problem. Teach me how to play piano and we'll call it even."
"Sounds like a plan."
Elise smiled brightly and headed up to Human Resources. After she finished there, she took a detour through the ER to get to her car. As she walked, she heard someone calling her name.
"Elise, wait up!"
A young woman with brownish-red hair ran up to Elise. She was obviously a nurse and Elise spotted her ID, which read, "Natalie Carter."
Great, Elise thought, Probably John's wife.
"Hi, I'm Natalie. I'm the head supervising nurse here and I'll be training you tomorrow. I just wanted to introduce myself."
Elise extended her hand to Natalie and said, "I'm Elise Santini."
"Yeah, I know. John's already told me all about you."
"He has? I'm flattered. Is he related to you?"
"He's my cousin. His father and my father are brothers."
"Oh."
"You know, if you ever want to go on a date, John's always available."
"I'll think about it. I'll see you tomorrow."
"9:30, right?"
"Yep. Have a good day."
"You, too."
Elise left the hospital and stopped by the Au Bon Pain that Jeneva owned, having inherited it from her late husband. She went directly to Jeneva's office and knocked on the door.
"Come in!" she yelled.
Elise opened the door and said, "Guess who's the new ER desk clerk?"
"Oh, you got the job! Congrats, babe! When do you start?"
"Tomorrow at 9:30."
"See! Moving to Chicago has been a good decision for you so far. Now all you need to do is meet a guy and then you're set."
"Jen, I do not need a man to function. For the first time since I was 14, I am going to enjoy being single. Single, single, single."
"Yeah, that's what I said until I met Luka."
"Does Luka have a brother?"
"Shut up! So, what are you gonna do? It's only 9:45."
"I think that I'm just gonna relax. I think that working in an ER is gonna get crazy so I'm gonna chill all day and catch up on Days of Our Lives."
"I wish I could do the same. Hey, could you pick up Lari and Libby from school?"
"Sure."
Jeneva handed Elise directions that were printed from her computer.
"I always have these handy in case I have to send someone to pick up the girls. OK, this is how to get to Libby's daycare- Kids Kare USA. And then there's Lari's school- Hollingbrook Academy. Lari has soccer practice until 4, so you can get her first and she can run in and get Libby- she knows what to do."
"OK, I got it. Well, I guess I'll see you later."
"Bye, sweetie."
As Elise left, she thought about what a big change working in an ER was going to bring to her life.
Hope it's for the better, she thought to herself.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
To be continued…..