Chapter Two
Pushing the already slightly opened door, Trapper leaned in. "Arnold?"
"Trapper, come on in. I understand you've already met Ms. Haverty, so I'll dispense with the introductions."
Nodding, Trapper observed Ms. Haverty as he slowly sat next to her. She sat at an angle with her legs crossed and one foot wrapped around the other leg.
"Now Trapper, you have to take this training. It's not voluntary."
"Arnold, why are we doing this? I haven't heard any complaints about the way we do things around here."
"I'm sure you haven't. It's not our people who are complaining. It's our investors. We have to find significant ways to save money and modernize our operations. Using a computer system is one of the ways we can do that. Trapper gave him a blank stare. "All the other hospitals are doing it."
"Dr. McIntyre, you were in the board meeting when this was presented months ago. All of the department heads bought into it, except you. Weren't you listening?" asked Ms. Haverty. She received a glare. "Alright, you weren't listening, so I'll give you the gist of it. The first phase will put computers on the desks of key personnel. As the Chief of Surgery, you are one of those. It will save the hospital about three quarters of a million dollars a year. After the following two phases are implemented, the hospital will save around three million dollars a year."
Trapper turned to Arnold. "And when you do expect me to have time to learn how to use this machine?"
"It really won't take that long, if you'll just do it," said Ms. Haverty.
Smiling, Trapper said, "I believe I was addressing Mr. Slocum."
"Trapper, find the time," answered Arnold. "I'm not asking. I'm ordering."
"When would you like to start, Dr. McIntyre?" asked Ms. Haverty, leaning toward him, wearing a triumphant smile.
He regarded her, noticing she had quite a nice smile. Too bad it didn't match her haughtiness. "I'll have my secretary set up an appointment."
"In the next three days, please. Otherwise, you're compromising my schedule." She stood, shook Arnold's hand, and left the office.
As Trapper bit the end of the arm of his glasses, Arnold stood and leaned over the desk. "Trapper, give it a chance. It might mean you can actually leave the hospital on time."
Standing, Trapper turned to leave, talking as he walked out the door. "I doubt it." When he arrived back at his office, he walked past his secretary's desk, but then stopped and turned back. "Why the boxes?"
"I thought you knew, Trapper. The hospital is moving to secretarial pools now. Actually, they aren't even that. They're data entry. I either test for one of those positions or I'm laid off as of the end of next week."
"Oh no," he said angrily. "We'll see about that." He picked up the phone on her desk. "Arnold? You're laying off my secretary?"
"Now calm down, Trapper. She'll have a chance to test for a new position."
"Arnold, I need my secretary. You can't just take her away."
"You'll be doing most of the work she does for you on your computer. And there's no point in you writing out a letter for her to type when you can type it yourself on your own computer. Economic times are tough, Trapper, and they're just going to get worse. We have to remain competitive. Get used to it."
Before Trapper could say anything else, he heard a click and a dial tone. Groaning, he continued into his office.