Chapter 2
Early the next morning, Robert summoned the ER staff to meet Anne. He enjoyed the shocked looks on their faces as he announced his intentions of taking her on as his student. "For the next two years, we will be inseparable," he told Anne after the others had left. "You will by my eyes and ears in the ER when I can't be here. This will be perfect!"
Anne didn't exactly know why he wanted her to act as his spy, but she knew he must have a good reason. "Don't they like you?" She asked him.
"Of course not. I'm their boss. Not that I care what they think about me, but I need you to help me make sure they stay in their place. I have to be careful. After my accident, some people could use it as an excuse to take over my job. But I won't let that happen."
Remembering the expressions on the faces of the doctors she'd met, Anne thought of the woman with the cane. Her look was a cross between astonishment and jealousy. "She's going to try to take your job. The woman with the cane. What was her name?" She asked.
"Kerry Weaver. How did you know? She's been nice to me ever since the accident so she can try to oust me later on."
"I don't know, I could just tell. I'm a pretty good judge of character."
Dr. Romano gave her the grand ER tour, introducing her to all the nurses and desk clerks. During the tour, Romano's pager went off and he had to leave her to tend to other hospital business. He promised he'd return to her as soon as he could. In the meantime, Anne stood at the Admit desk, looking around.
Abby Lockhart, the head nurse, came to the desk to grab a patient's chart and smiled at Anne. "So, you're Romano's new poor med student. My condolences." As Abby walked away, Anne was puzzled over her comments.
Just then, Dr. John Carter came over to the boards to wipe off a few names. "Wow, so you get to work with Romano for two years. Yikes! How did you manage that?"
"Actually, it was my idea. I can learn a lot from him." Even though Anne had only known Dr. Romano for a day, she already felt defensive of him. She'd heard that the student-teacher bond could be quite strong in some cases.
"Well, good luck, you're going to need it!" John said, as he ran off to help with an incoming trauma. Anne simply couldn't understand their aversion to this man. Robert had been nothing but a perfect gentleman to her.
One thing that Anne did not know was, as Robert's protege; she was in a unique position of power over the others in the ER. Even if Anne chose not to act as a spy for Robert, the threat of it would always be there. Nobody seemed to realize that, or if they did, they didn't care, nobody except Kerry Weaver. She held considerable power as Chief of Emergency Medicine and this new girl threatened that. Engulfed in the new trauma that had just rolled in, Weaver had no time to talk to Anne, but she would make sure she did as soon as she could.
Anne watched everything, taking it all in. She was startled out of her awe by a ringing phone. Looking around and not finding anybody at the desk, Anne picked up the phone. "ER," she said. Two hours and twenty-five phone calls later, Robert came back down for her. He insisted that it was time for lunch, even though Anne felt she was too excited to eat.
For her first day, Robert wanted to treat her to lunch at Doc Magoo's. Anne went happily with him across the street and sat in the booth he chose for them by the window. Robert ordered the double bacon cheeseburger, while Anne ordered the grilled chicken burger. As they waited for their food, they chatted amiably together. It was during this time that a red, curly-haired woman entered the diner.
"Lizzie, come over here and meet someone," Robert called out to her from across the room. The woman cringed slightly, like she'd been caught, then slowly made her way to their table.
"Lizzie, this is Annie, my new med student. Annie, this is Lizzie; one of the hospital's finest surgeons."
"Annie?" Anne thought to herself. "A nickname, so soon? Well, it's kind of cute, so whatever!" "Nice to meet you Dr..."
"Corday," supplied Lizzie. "Yes and it's nice to meet you too, Ms..."
"Miss, Knight, but call me Anne or Annie if you like!" Responded Anne.
Once again her name and the resemblance caused surprise to cross another face. "Of course, she knew her too," thought Anne.
At this moment their food arrived, and Dr. Corday took her leave to order her own lunch. Anne sat in silence, thinking about her day. She couldn't help but feel put on display by Robert. It didn't exactly bother her, but it wasn't the best way to be accepted into this group of people, to be so set apart from the beginning.
They continued to chat throughout lunch, then headed back to the ER where Robert had promised to spend the rest of the afternoon with her.
Early the next morning, Robert summoned the ER staff to meet Anne. He enjoyed the shocked looks on their faces as he announced his intentions of taking her on as his student. "For the next two years, we will be inseparable," he told Anne after the others had left. "You will by my eyes and ears in the ER when I can't be here. This will be perfect!"
Anne didn't exactly know why he wanted her to act as his spy, but she knew he must have a good reason. "Don't they like you?" She asked him.
"Of course not. I'm their boss. Not that I care what they think about me, but I need you to help me make sure they stay in their place. I have to be careful. After my accident, some people could use it as an excuse to take over my job. But I won't let that happen."
Remembering the expressions on the faces of the doctors she'd met, Anne thought of the woman with the cane. Her look was a cross between astonishment and jealousy. "She's going to try to take your job. The woman with the cane. What was her name?" She asked.
"Kerry Weaver. How did you know? She's been nice to me ever since the accident so she can try to oust me later on."
"I don't know, I could just tell. I'm a pretty good judge of character."
Dr. Romano gave her the grand ER tour, introducing her to all the nurses and desk clerks. During the tour, Romano's pager went off and he had to leave her to tend to other hospital business. He promised he'd return to her as soon as he could. In the meantime, Anne stood at the Admit desk, looking around.
Abby Lockhart, the head nurse, came to the desk to grab a patient's chart and smiled at Anne. "So, you're Romano's new poor med student. My condolences." As Abby walked away, Anne was puzzled over her comments.
Just then, Dr. John Carter came over to the boards to wipe off a few names. "Wow, so you get to work with Romano for two years. Yikes! How did you manage that?"
"Actually, it was my idea. I can learn a lot from him." Even though Anne had only known Dr. Romano for a day, she already felt defensive of him. She'd heard that the student-teacher bond could be quite strong in some cases.
"Well, good luck, you're going to need it!" John said, as he ran off to help with an incoming trauma. Anne simply couldn't understand their aversion to this man. Robert had been nothing but a perfect gentleman to her.
One thing that Anne did not know was, as Robert's protege; she was in a unique position of power over the others in the ER. Even if Anne chose not to act as a spy for Robert, the threat of it would always be there. Nobody seemed to realize that, or if they did, they didn't care, nobody except Kerry Weaver. She held considerable power as Chief of Emergency Medicine and this new girl threatened that. Engulfed in the new trauma that had just rolled in, Weaver had no time to talk to Anne, but she would make sure she did as soon as she could.
Anne watched everything, taking it all in. She was startled out of her awe by a ringing phone. Looking around and not finding anybody at the desk, Anne picked up the phone. "ER," she said. Two hours and twenty-five phone calls later, Robert came back down for her. He insisted that it was time for lunch, even though Anne felt she was too excited to eat.
For her first day, Robert wanted to treat her to lunch at Doc Magoo's. Anne went happily with him across the street and sat in the booth he chose for them by the window. Robert ordered the double bacon cheeseburger, while Anne ordered the grilled chicken burger. As they waited for their food, they chatted amiably together. It was during this time that a red, curly-haired woman entered the diner.
"Lizzie, come over here and meet someone," Robert called out to her from across the room. The woman cringed slightly, like she'd been caught, then slowly made her way to their table.
"Lizzie, this is Annie, my new med student. Annie, this is Lizzie; one of the hospital's finest surgeons."
"Annie?" Anne thought to herself. "A nickname, so soon? Well, it's kind of cute, so whatever!" "Nice to meet you Dr..."
"Corday," supplied Lizzie. "Yes and it's nice to meet you too, Ms..."
"Miss, Knight, but call me Anne or Annie if you like!" Responded Anne.
Once again her name and the resemblance caused surprise to cross another face. "Of course, she knew her too," thought Anne.
At this moment their food arrived, and Dr. Corday took her leave to order her own lunch. Anne sat in silence, thinking about her day. She couldn't help but feel put on display by Robert. It didn't exactly bother her, but it wasn't the best way to be accepted into this group of people, to be so set apart from the beginning.
They continued to chat throughout lunch, then headed back to the ER where Robert had promised to spend the rest of the afternoon with her.