A/N: Am not sure this chapter will end up any longer than Chapter 1. Somehow for now it
seems to be flowing short and sweet.
I apologize for spelling and/or grammar. Tried using spell check when I uploaded, but my
computer skills are even more challenged than my spelling... which also explains the
weird spacing! Please review.
Chapter 2: Monday
Reid stormed from his office down the hall to the Exit sign and hit the stairs going down.
"God, how I hate Mondays" he swore under his breath.
Luke knows this nickle and dime administrative stuff drives me straight up a tree. Why does
he insist I attend these damn meetings. And, why do they always have to be at 8 a.m. on
Monday mornings! Some day he knew, when he became Chief of Staff, he'd have to deal with
all of it. But, he was hoping he could fence it off to a really good administrative assistant. Or,
better still, get Dougie Hughes to take over that part of the job. It might work...
Reid hit the 1st floor exit from the stairwell and headed to the Coffee Kiosk in the main lobby.
He knew he needed a double espresso, 1 sugar, and a twist of lemon. All he could think is
the Barris-ta better not be perky today. That'll just send me straight over the edge. What is it with
people in the Midwest that they need to be so damn polite? In Boston people were rude all the
time and nobody thought a thing about it. Here in "Oakhell" everyone insisted on saying " good
morning" and expected a "please" and "thank you" for every request. Having grown up in the
'rude' world of the Big City all this 'niceness' made him feel like he'd dropped in some "Leave It
To Beaver" episode on Retro-T.V.
Reid looked up and realized that, Thank God, Pearl was manning 'the coffee forte' today. Pearl
had been a fixture at Memorial Hospital since before Bob Hughes had even thought about going to
Med School. She'd started out washing dishes in the Cafeteria and ended up running the place.
Over the years she'd become the hospital's very own "lunch lady" and everyone adored her,
from the Chief of Staff, down to the lowliest intern. She was way past retirement, but she just
didn't think the hospital could make it without her. So, she manned the register at the Coffee
Kiosk a couple of days a week. Pearl knew it was the best spot in the hospital to keep an
eye on things. Everybody stopped to talk and nothing got past her.
It hadn't taken Dr. Oliver long to realize she was the one person at Memorial, you shouldn't piss
off.
"I know - don't even say it Dr. Reid, I've already heard all about how you went off in that
meeting! Those suits don't know the first thing about running a hospital. All they care
about is the linen count and how many boxes of plastic gloves have going missing from
the supplies."
Reid kind of smiled at Pearl's carring on.
"I don't blame you for being ticked off. And, I don't know what Luke Snyder thought he was
doing bringing those men here. We all know he couldn't have done any better than hiring you!
But, you know Dr. Reid, he's still a young man and he doesn't know enough to trust his own instincts.
"Besides" Pearl lowered her voice " You and I both know if something were to go wrong, The Hospital
Board might think it had something to do with the two of you being together."
"Better off just biting you tongue and going along with it."
Reid thought he might have actually blushed. He hadn't said a word the whole time Pearl
had been talking to him. He didn't need to. She'd gotten her point across.
He handed her $7.50 for the coffee plus tip and said,
"Thank you Miss Pearl"
"You're welcome Dr. Reid. Don't be to hard on those interns now."
Reid took the stairs back up to the 3rd floor and thought, those interns' don't know how lucky
they are.
Well, maybe.
Not really.
It was still Monday...
The Great Doctor chuckled, before he opened the door and met them with a scowl.