The Loveable Resident Chapter 11

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(c) Copyright Mary Faderan 2018, 2019



"MIKE WALKED INTO THE hospital with his eyes straightforward. He didn’t want to talk to anyone at this time; it was a businesslike attitude that he had never assumed when working as a resident at Yale New Haven Hospital. He didn’t see anyone on his way up to the sixteenth floor. Several nurses glanced at him when he got off the elevator, and when he ignored them, they looked at each other. “He’s back,” said one of them. “Yeah. He’s looking mighty tasty!” another replied. “Well, does Missy know?” “I have not heard her tell. Usually she knows about his business.” “Huh,” said the first with a shrug. “I think that’s a finito thing.” “He’s not wearing his white jacket.” “Oh, I hadn’t noticed.” Both nurses looked back at the end of the hall where Dr. Leon Bartholomew’s office was and saw Mike enter it. Leon Bartholomew was in his late fifties, tall and spare. His gray-tinged hair was tousled, and his face was tanned from his last trip to Bermuda with his wife. He wore scrubs today, a testament to his already-busy day. When the door to his office opened, he looked up with annoyance. He saw Mike enter, and his face became less annoyed. “Hello, Oates. I was just thinking of you.” Mike closed the door behind him and stepped toward Bartholomew’s desk. “Yes, I saw your message.” “Let’s talk, shall we?” Mike said nothing.
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“Have a seat.” Bartholomew’s slight English accent came through. “I was looking at the next set of appointments for the year. As you know, Cody Tripp is leaving, and he’s done a great job for us. I know that you expressed interest in replacing Tripp. Are you still interested?” Mike paused. His thoughts were jamming up in his mind. He remembered Dr. Levy’s ashen face. He remembered the smiling and bright face of Missy. He remembered the streets of New Haven. “I am not,” he replied finally. “I have decided that surgery is not for me anymore.” Bartholomew’s eyebrows lifted. “Oh?” “I’m finding it’s not what I had hoped it would be, Dr. Bartholomew.” Mike explained. “Well, that’s too bad, Oates,” the elder surgeon commented. “When do you wish to end your term here?” Mike took out an envelope from his jacket pocket and gave it to him. “I’d like to end it effective today.” “Fine.” Bartholomew accepted the letter and put it aside. “I think you would make an excellent surgeon, Oates. What are your plans?” “I don’t know . . . I will take a longer vacation and think of my options.” “OK. Let me know if there is anything I can do for you.” When Mike left Bartholomew’s office, he hoped that he wouldn’t see anyone he knew. He decided to take the stairway down to the lobby and avoid anyone that he might run into that knew him. Unfortunately, he wasn’t too far into his descent when the door opened from one floor and Corcoran stepped out in his path. “Hey, hello, Mike!” Corcoran smiled at him. “Hey, how was the time off? Your mom doing OK?” “What? Oh, my mom. She’s fine now.” “Are you . . . what’s up?” “Cor, I went to see Bartholomew.” Mike decided not to keep his friend hanging. “I’ve quit. I’m no longer working here.” Corcoran looked at him intently. “I’m shocked.” Mike shrugged. “I’ve decided it’s not the life for me. I’m leaving town in a day or so.”

 “Mike, this is me, Cor! Tell me you aren’t leaving!” Corcoran looked at him pleadingly. “Think of all the fun crap we’ve had!” “Don’t worry, I’ll still cover you. I just found it too hard to keep up with all the demands of surgery. I’m not cut out for it. I can’t lick ass anymore. I’ve destroyed my self-respect. Sorry, Cor. That’s the way it looks.” Mike turned to go forward downstairs. Corcoran shook his head slowly. “Damn, Mike.” He had a second thought. “Hey, does Missy know?” Mike paused. “No. Not yet.” “Well, don’t tell me to tell her. She’s your girlfriend.” “I’ll talk to her.” He turned again, shoulders hunched, and went up the stairs in search of Missy. Mike had a churning feeling in his gut as he got up the last steps to A6. He didn’t want to talk to Missy. He wasn’t good at dumping girlfriends. He never was. They always made a scene. He didn’t think this one with Missy would be any different. For this reason, he wanted to avoid seeing Missy. He could hear his father’s voice in his head. “Damn, Mike! You can’t just love them and leave them! You need to pare down all these women that you’re seeing! Grow up!” He bent his head as if to duck his father’s words. Mike tried to forget his father. They were never able to see things the same way. It was a relief when his father died. Mike found Missy chatting with the other nurses in the hallway. She saw him, and her face had a look of surprise. Then when he approached nearer, she excused herself from the girls and went to him. “Hey, what happened? You didn’t call me. When did you get back?” She had a hushed tone in her voice. Her eyes searched his face. “What? You look serious.” “We need to talk.” He steered her to an empty room. “OK. Can we talk later? Maybe go for a drink?” “No. Now.” He took her to a small alcove. “Missy, I’m leaving the hospital.” “What happened?” “I can’t go into all the details.” His face was expressionless. “I think I’m finished with medicine. I’m going to take a long vacation and figure out what I need to do. But I want to tell you so you won’t wonder.”

“Mike, what about us?” Missy pleadingly asked. “Missy, just forget about us.” “No! I won’t!” She began to cry. It was a cry of a woman that began to realize this was an ending for them and that her prized possession was being wrested from her grasp. “Mike, you know how much I love you.” “I’m sorry, Missy. I’m sorry for all the problems. I know you will find someone you deserve better.” Missy couldn’t speak. Tears fell from her reddened eyes. “God, Mike,” she sobbed. “Why? We were doing so well. I even told my friends we were going to be married.” Mike looked at her with dawning horror. “No, we never spoke about it. It didn’t get that far.” “We were lovers!” He felt almost sick at the idea they had gotten that involved. Missy to him was only an object. It wasn’t serious at all. What had been his whim became her commitment. “Oh god,” he said. “I’m sorry. Goodbye.” “You can’t leave me!” she shouted at him as he turned away. When he kept moving away, she threw herself at him. “You can’t leave! Mike, no!” Mike realized that they were creating a spectacle, and he quietly removed her clinging arms from him. “Goodbye, Missy.” She staggered away and slid to the floor, sobs shaking her whole body. Several of the nurses who saw what happened gathered around her, whispering softly."