Jo heard a low rumble coming up behind her as she crossed the carpark, so she stepped aside in between two cars and waited. She saw a motorcycle pull into a space just further a long from her and frowned as she looked at the figure sat astride it. She was sure she recognized the form and as they dismounted and stood to one size, her mouth fell open.
"Audrey Lim! What on earth is that?" Jo asked as she pulled off her helmet and shook out her hair.
"What does it look like?" Audrey replied flatly with a little smirk.
"It looks like a motorcycle" she said in disbelief.
"You're powers of observation astound me!" Audrey quipped. "And it's not a motorcycle, it's a Ducati. It's different."
"So is this an early midlife crisis?" Jo asked with a smile as they turned and started towards the hospital.
"Kash took the car, so I needed something to get back and forth. I thought I'd treat myself. I think I deserve it" she smiled.
"Oh" came the simple reply. "I didn't think of that" she said. Audrey hadn't spoken to her much about Kashal leaving and Jo didn't want her to shut the conversation down. She felt they should probably have talked about it more, but Audrey didn't do feelings so she didn't push.
"It actually suits you" Jo smiled. "It's unique, just like the rest of you and you definitely deserve it."
"Thanks, I think" Audrey laughed. "I'll take that as a compliment. Let's grab a coffee before we start, I feel I haven't seen you much over the last couple of weeks."
X
"So what really made you finally go for it?" Jo asked as they sat next to each other watching the comings and goings of the lobby. "You've been browsing brochures almost as long as I've known you but I still can't believe you finally got one."
"One what?" came the voice from behind them, making them jump as their heads turned on a swivel.
Kevin and Neil stood, grinning widely at them, seemingly amused at the fact that they'd managed to startle their friends so effectively.
"Audrey got a bike" Jo blurted out which received a withering stare from her friend.
"A bike?" Neil asked. "What kind of bike?"
"Not a bike" Audrey repeated for the second tine that morning. "A Ducati, it's different."
"It's a Donor Machine" Neil teased as the guys took the two free seats opposite them. "How many patients have we seen injured by those things?"
"Don't be such a drama queen" she retorted making him smile widely. "I'll be fine."
Their relationship over the last few weeks had gone back to the familiar. The gentle teasing had returned and their friends were extremely relieved to see it. The past few months had been a challenge for them all but now, as they headed into their third year together, they were back to being a force to be reckoned with.
The gentle ribbing continued until they were due to start their shift. They walked to the elevator bank as a four and as the doors opened a few floors higher, Jo and Kevin stepped out first. Neil reached forwards and gently put his hand on Audrey's forearm and pressed the hold button to stop the doors from closing.
"Serious Aud" he started. "The thought of you on that thing freaks me out a little. If you ever need a ride, because of the weather or anything, promise you'll call me?"
"I promise" she smiled at him. "Thanks."
X
They joined the others at the main desk and waited patiently. They had been summoned by Dr. Glassman and none of them know what for.
"Good, you're all here" Glassman started. "We're coming to the end if the year so we're going to mix things up a bit in addition to your usual assessments."
They looked at him with some trepidation, they couldn't have guessed what was coming next.
"Here are two cases. You will take this one" he said handing a file to Neil and Kevin. "And you will take this one" passing the other file to Jo and Audrey. "Both are challenging in their own ways but here's the incentive" he said pausing for dramatic effect.
"Whichever team gets the highest patient satisfaction scores when all is done, gets their pick of the surgeries next week."
Both teams grinned at that and looked keen to get going. Glassman smiled to himself as he watched them open their files and chuckled as sense of amusement drained from their faces.
"Good luck" he announced, before turning heel and walking away.
"What have you got? Jo asked, wondering if the boys case was going to have a better chance of success. There was currently not much chance of a score even being submitted for her and Audreys.
"Great case" Neil said, obviously lying through his teeth and trying not to laugh. "Good luck."
"Neil?" Audrey called as he turned to leave. "Fancy making this a little more interesting?"
"What do you propose?" he asked, smiling.
"The usual stake" she said, smiling back.
He held out his hand for her to shake, both of them holding on for a little longer than was necessary.
"Deal" they said in unison before heading off to see their patients.
X
Neil and Kevin attended the bedside of a gentleman in his early thirties presenting with a fractured penis. However, unlike most patients they would see with this issue, he'd waited two years with his penis bent at almost a 90-degree angle.
Neither of them could quite believe what they were seeing on examination but the patient had been convinced to come in by his wife as they were looking to conceive and thought the bend might interfere.
"It is highly likely that the current... position, would have an effect on efficiency" Kevin began. "Why did you wait so long to be seen?"
"I Googled the procedure and totally freaked myself out" the patient admitted sheepishly. "I just couldn't." His wife placed her hand on his shoulder to comfort him at that point.
"I understood for a while" she continued. "But it's causing other issues now and we need it sorted."
"Of course" Neil agreed. "We'll do the best we can" before they both exited the room to update the patient file.
During surgery, they exposed the fracture and began to make repairs using suturing techniques. After the length of time that had passed, it was impossible to repair it fully but they were able to straighten it significantly and once they were finished, they wrapped in a bandage and sent him off to recovery.
X
Audrey and Jo had a case which had come in via the Emergency Room and were equally as perplexed by their patient - another man in his early thirties, accompanied by his wife.
"Patient records show arrival in the ER with his wife simply stating "it's stuck, it's stuck" over and over. When the nurses asked him for more information, he replied 'I put a candle in my... you know...and can't get it out!'
All sorts of things were running through their minds, and they were certainly hoping the candle was a votive or similar and nothing more.
After consulting the X-ray it showed that it was actually a round candle that was still in the glass container! It was one of those standard 3-4inch round candles in containers that most convenience stores sell. The patient had stuck it up there and had no way to retrieve it so he was taken into surgery immediately for a basic procedure to carefully dilate his rectum to remove the object.
X
The four of then sat in the break room after discussing and teasing each other about their days work waiting for an update from Dr. Glassman.
"He felt stupid and embarrassed" Audrey said shaking her head. "I doubt he'll even fill in a patient review. Who wants to relive that?!"
"I'm wondering if ours will complain because it's not dead straight" Kevin laughed. "Honestly, who lives like that for two years!"
"He was married" Jo laughed. "Maybe he doesn't use it much normally!"
With that, Dr. Glassman arrived, reviews in hand. They all sat a little straighter, waiting to hear the results.
"The highest scoring review goes to Dr. Lim and Dr. Walker. Congratulations, you get first dibs next week" he announced to a the shocked audience. "The patient was impressed by your compassion and care whereas your patient..." he turned to Neil and Kevin. "Your patient was disappointed that it wasn't totally straight" he smiled.
"Aw come on!" Kevin exclaimed. "Nobodies is totally straight, the guy is crazy!" And with that, the whole group laughed loudly.
Dr. Glassman took his leave, followed shortly by Kevin and Jo leaving the others behind.
"Pay up" Audrey smiled putting out her hand. "You owe me."
Leaning forward to get his wallet out of his pocket, he stopped and smiled.
"Double or nothing next time?" he suggested raising his eyebrows holding out a folded dollar bill.
"I think I'll quit while I'm ahead" she smiled plucking it from his hand.
"Yeah, yeah" he laughed. "You can't resist a little wager. You'll be back for more" he said getting up and heading back to the floor.
"No doubt" she said to herself, smiling, tucking the bill safely into the pocket of her white coat.