Distraction

Chapter Twenty-Eight

A staff meeting was not the way to start the day after his worst day ever, but Patrick dutifully sat in the waiting room, the only space big enough to house the McBride Veterinary Clinic staff. Along with himself and his parents were Fergus and Kate, his fellow vets, plus Grace, Lisa and the two other RVNs. He was fairly sure the two nondescript brunettes were called Sarah and Susan, but which was which, he had no idea.

'What's going on?' Grace whispered as she sat next to him.

'Did you cancel everyone?'

She nodded. 'I bumped Manor Farm to eleven and Mrs Dawson to five. Sorry, I know, but, you'll never get away from Tom's 'til after lunch. What's happening?'

Patrick leant in, so the others couldn't hear. 'Gloria died last night. Maybe an overdose, maybe natural causes. I don't know.'

Grace stared at him, her eyes filling.

'Oh for Christ's sake, Grace. You're worse than Libby for crying.' He regretted the words the minute they came out. Grace bristled, sulking at his mention of her arch-nemesis, and he couldn't help wondering how Libby was after their fight yesterday. He'd been harsh.

'But I called her a prescription drug junkie...'

'Pull it together,' he hissed. 'She was a prescription drug junkie. Everyone knew it.'

'So is that why they've got us all here, to tell us?'

Patrick sucked in his cheek for a moment. 'Partly. And I reckon they're going to talk about reshuffling.'

'What?'

'Gracey, they need a practice manager here. You know I don't want any of these muppets working for me. Christ, I've traded Lisa for you once already, but it'd be a promotion.'

She shook her head. 'That's not why I do it. I don't want to spend my time working out rotas and payrolls. I want to look after animals.'

'Look, I don't even know if this is what they're thinking.' He crossed his fingers behind his back. 'But think of the money. You wouldn't have to work at the pub.'

'No, I'd just work stupid hours here, instead. Forget it. They can find some other idiot.'

He tried not to grin. 'That's what I said you'd say.'

She glanced around, trying not to laugh. 'How much money are they offering?'

He shrugged. 'But please, don't take it. Ever.'

As predicted, his parents stood before the staff, his mum wiping her eyes, speaking of their sad loss. Gloria had died quietly at home, after a long fight against her spinal pain. Their thoughts were with her husband, Jonathon, and their two grown-up sons. Grace caught Patrick's eye and they both struggled not to laugh.

Rather than recruit an irreplaceable Gloria, Malcolm stressed his desire for his other staff to step up to the role. He struggled not to look with hope at Grace, but she had her arms crossed, fascinated with the floor.

Good girl, Gracey. Don't sell out.

Thankfully, by ten, the majority of the staff tears, platitudes and excitement of potential promotions, calmed down. He had an hour until he had to be at Manor Farm, so wandered away to get a coffee. Lisa's was still a waste of electricity.

Gloria, dead. If he was honest, he'd never really warmed to the woman. She twittered and fussed, always worrying if the biscuit barrel was full. Who gave a damn? His job was to look after the health and welfare of animals. But still, she was dead. Oh, he knew she'd struggled with back pain and prescription drugs, his mum had told him that, but to overdose? Sad.