own to work
out." He took a sip of the coffee, sighing as the hot cup of joy slid over
his tongue, buzzing his taste buds awake. "Oh Essie, that would have to be
the best coffee I've had."
She stepped in front of
him, a hint of pink on her age-lined cheeks, and deposited a plate piled high
with pancakes in front of him. She added a small bottle of maple syrup and a
pot of butter curls to the side of his plate.
Russ reached out and
grabbed either side of her face, pulling her close for a fast kiss of
gratitude. Essie grinned and bustled away to clear up her dishes.
"Kate, aren't you
eating?" Russ asked before he cut a wedge of syrup-drenched pancakes and
jammed them in his mouth. He closed his eyes in bliss and groaned as he chewed.
"I'm all good,
thanks. Had mine already." She stood and walked to the sink, dropping her
mug into the hot bubbly water. "Back for lunch, Essie. You have a good
day, Russ. I expect you will knock them all dead in there. It's about time the
hospital had a handsome young doctor instead of the old fogies they’ve been
hiring. Place could do with a shake up."
Kate grabbed her hat
from the hook on the back door and jammed it on her red, wavy hair. With a
wiggle of her fingers she walked out the door, shutting it behind her.
"True, Russ. It
will be good to have someone a little bit younger than Dr Rivers. He was so set
in his ways, and that was a shame. I hope you enjoy getting into a small
community hospital and don't get bored with how quiet it will be compared to a
big Sydney hospital."
"Not a chance. It
wasn't so bad where I was, just too big and impersonal. I prefer knowing who I
work with. Blame it on being brought up as a small town country boy." He
ate contentedly until his plate was clean, resisting the temptation to lick the
plate. When he looked up, Essie watched him with a knowing expression borne of
familiarity on her face.
"I can just
imagine what's going through your mind. Put that in the sink and be off with
you. I have cleaning to catch up on and dinner to prepare for tonight."
She wiped her hands on her apron and took a cooler box from the big industrial
fridge. Essie held it out to him. "You enjoy your day."
Russ was taken back.
His wife had never made his lunch, even when he was struggling with late hours
and little sleep. He took the offering and wrapped his arms around her
shoulders before dropping a kiss on her grey hair. "Thank you, Essie. I
can always count on you to look after me."
"I'm glad you came
home, Russ. Now we just have to hope the others follow suit and stay."
Russ picked up his keys
and phone and waved her goodbye as he walked out the door.
By the time he got to
the hospital, the streets were busier than he remembered with early morning
traffic. Perhaps it’s market day at the cattle yards . He drove through
the car park looking for a space to park his BMW. When he got to reception, it
was five minutes past nine. "Dr Russ Williams to see Nurse Elizabeth
Stanley."
"Take a seat, Doctor.
I'll page her for you."
Russ walked over to the
window and looked out. The trees were just bursting to life with new foliage
erupting from tight buds and birds flitted in and out of the branches. He
smiled. He would enjoy working where there was space for trees and grass.
That’s what he’d missed most about living and working in the city—no nature,
just concrete and steel.
"Dr
Williams?"
He turned and faced the
woman who spoke. Russ guessed she was in her early thirties. Tall and slim, she
stood straight-backed and stiff with her hands clasped together. Russ let his
gaze rest on her face as he stepped forward. Her dark hair was twisted up into
a bun on the back of her head and her dark eyes watched him angrily, white
lines around her mouth. "Yes. Nurse Stanley?" He held out his hand.
"You are late,
Doctor. Follow me please." She turned on her heel and walked away, her
black shoes squeaking on the polished floor of the hallway. He watched her for
a second before his
out." He took a sip of the coffee, sighing as the hot cup of joy slid over
his tongue, buzzing his taste buds awake. "Oh Essie, that would have to be
the best coffee I've had."
She stepped in front of
him, a hint of pink on her age-lined cheeks, and deposited a plate piled high
with pancakes in front of him. She added a small bottle of maple syrup and a
pot of butter curls to the side of his plate.
Russ reached out and
grabbed either side of her face, pulling her close for a fast kiss of
gratitude. Essie grinned and bustled away to clear up her dishes.
"Kate, aren't you
eating?" Russ asked before he cut a wedge of syrup-drenched pancakes and
jammed them in his mouth. He closed his eyes in bliss and groaned as he chewed.
"I'm all good,
thanks. Had mine already." She stood and walked to the sink, dropping her
mug into the hot bubbly water. "Back for lunch, Essie. You have a good
day, Russ. I expect you will knock them all dead in there. It's about time the
hospital had a handsome young doctor instead of the old fogies they’ve been
hiring. Place could do with a shake up."
Kate grabbed her hat
from the hook on the back door and jammed it on her red, wavy hair. With a
wiggle of her fingers she walked out the door, shutting it behind her.
"True, Russ. It
will be good to have someone a little bit younger than Dr Rivers. He was so set
in his ways, and that was a shame. I hope you enjoy getting into a small
community hospital and don't get bored with how quiet it will be compared to a
big Sydney hospital."
"Not a chance. It
wasn't so bad where I was, just too big and impersonal. I prefer knowing who I
work with. Blame it on being brought up as a small town country boy." He
ate contentedly until his plate was clean, resisting the temptation to lick the
plate. When he looked up, Essie watched him with a knowing expression borne of
familiarity on her face.
"I can just
imagine what's going through your mind. Put that in the sink and be off with
you. I have cleaning to catch up on and dinner to prepare for tonight."
She wiped her hands on her apron and took a cooler box from the big industrial
fridge. Essie held it out to him. "You enjoy your day."
Russ was taken back.
His wife had never made his lunch, even when he was struggling with late hours
and little sleep. He took the offering and wrapped his arms around her
shoulders before dropping a kiss on her grey hair. "Thank you, Essie. I
can always count on you to look after me."
"I'm glad you came
home, Russ. Now we just have to hope the others follow suit and stay."
Russ picked up his keys
and phone and waved her goodbye as he walked out the door.
By the time he got to
the hospital, the streets were busier than he remembered with early morning
traffic. Perhaps it’s market day at the cattle yards . He drove through
the car park looking for a space to park his BMW. When he got to reception, it
was five minutes past nine. "Dr Russ Williams to see Nurse Elizabeth
Stanley."
"Take a seat, Doctor.
I'll page her for you."
Russ walked over to the
window and looked out. The trees were just bursting to life with new foliage
erupting from tight buds and birds flitted in and out of the branches. He
smiled. He would enjoy working where there was space for trees and grass.
That’s what he’d missed most about living and working in the city—no nature,
just concrete and steel.
"Dr
Williams?"
He turned and faced the
woman who spoke. Russ guessed she was in her early thirties. Tall and slim, she
stood straight-backed and stiff with her hands clasped together. Russ let his
gaze rest on her face as he stepped forward. Her dark hair was twisted up into
a bun on the back of her head and her dark eyes watched him angrily, white
lines around her mouth. "Yes. Nurse Stanley?" He held out his hand.
"You are late,
Doctor. Follow me please." She turned on her heel and walked away, her
black shoes squeaking on the polished floor of the hallway. He watched her for
a second before his
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