Right Through Me

T H R E E

"New management?" the girls screeched once I told them the unnerving news. "Are we going out of business?"

"What? No, no," I said quickly, shaking my head. "There's just new regulations now, the new management is charging me more for rent which means I'll have to charge the patient's more and...and I can't do that."

"Have you met the new owner of the block?" Amanda asked. 

I shook my head. "No, I haven't. I probably should go and speak to them myself. I can't charge more."

"No need," a pleasant voice said from behind me, causing me to turn around. She was gorgeous, tall and thin, her eyes held wrinkles from years of smiling and her hair was dark with light strands of gray treading through them. She wore a tight-fitting pencil skit with a loose white blouse, she looked amazing for being an older woman.

"I am Diane by the way," she introduced herself, holding her hand out for me to shake. I smiled and shook it firmly. "I am the new owner of the block. Diane Ander. I love this clinic you got here, it is so beautiful. I was a patient here, remember? The woman with a bad case of carpal tunnel?"

I stared at her with disbelief, Ander? I shook the deja vu away and smiled, remembering her coming in a few months ago. I smiled and nodded my hand. "Yes, I remember. How is that going by the way? Did the medications work well for you?"

"Oh, dear--they worked like a charm! I've been to so many other expensive specialists but when I finally came to you, I got results and good ones. I have free motion of my wrist now thanks to you," she explained, smiling so brightly at me. "It was such a great experience coming here I just had to buy the block to ensure that this place stays in business, forever."

"Business has been as good as it's always been, I would've doubted if it had gone out of business any time soon," I said. "Is there anything I should know about the new management?"

"No, nothing has changed, dear," she said happily. "Although, I wanted to ask if I could work here."

Now it was my turn to choke on my breath. "Work here?" I choked out. "Do you have any experience in the medical field?"

"None at all," she said, smiling happily. "But I have plenty of experience with being a receptionist. I can check in patient's for you so you have three nurses rather than two."

"Right, right," I said, laughing quietly. "Well, Diane. If you already know how to do the front office stuff, you can start today."

Her eyes lit up and I could've confused her for a teenager in that moment. She looked very young for being fifty years old. "Wonderful! I won't need any help, I already know insurance and everything like that."

"Senorita Lina?" a little boy, Damien, asked, running up to me and showing me his horribly bruised knuckles. "I-I...I punched someone."

I knelt down in front of him and gently grabbed his hand, inspecting the swollen knuckle. "Why would you hit him?" I asked, looking up at him but he was already crying. 

"He was bullying my sister!" he wailed, throwing himself on me and crying heavily. "He called her names...he was a jerk!"

I smiled softly and picked him up. "It's alright, Damien. It'll be fine. You did a brave thing protecting your sister, but there are more options than violence."

"He wouldn't leave us alone!" he cried and I carried him to one of the exam rooms and began wrapping his hand and placed an ice-pack on it. 

"You're free to go, Damien. Be careful next time," I told him, ruffling his hair and giving him one last hug before he ran out of the clinic and onto the street. "He's a good kid, I'd hate for anything bad to happen to him."

"It is moments like this that really make me happy," Diane said from beside me, smiling so softly it hurt. "I have never seen anyone be so...gentle. In a town like this, everyone is tough; rough on the edges but you...I'd hate for anything to happen to that purity."

"I see a lot of things in this field, especially in this town," I said quietly, looking at her. "Being positive is the only thing I got left."

Clearing my throat, I turned away from her and faced the three nurses. "Alright ladies, we got a room full of people waiting. Let's get this show on the road."

* * * * *

"Do you need a ride home, Diane? I can call a cab for you," I asked, helping her close down the clinic. 

"Oh, no dear. No need, my son is coming to pick me up," she said, smiling at the thought of her son. "He's a busy man, he finally has time to take his mom out to dinner tonight."

Just then, the bell to the front door rang and Diane gasped, waving at the person who walked in. I didn't turn around, I continued to file away documents and then turned to face the two, only to choke on my breath. 

I knew I recognized the name Ander.

Donovan Ander, the massive Gladiator stood at the front entrance of the clinic, speaking with his mother. Shit, I just let the mother of a ruthless fighter work in my clinic. I should've gotten a background check.

"And this is Doctor Lina," Diane said, suddenly their attention on me. 

I looked up at Donovan, feeling unbelievably small under his cold stare. I smiled and held my hand out for him to shake. "It seems I've already had the pleasure of meeting you--sort of--I apologize about the other night," I said, feeling even smaller as he clasped my hand and shook it, nearly breaking my arm.

"Don't mind him, he is a man of little words," Diane said, Donovan shouting a glare towards her. 

"No need to apologize," I reassured her, catching Donovan's look. "A big fighter has to keep up good appearances, right?" he narrowed his eyes at me and I only turned to look at Diane, shooting her a pleasant smile. "Have a good evening, you two."

"Bye, Lina. I'll see you in the morning," she said warmly, catching Donovan's arm and exiting the clinic.

I locked the door behind them, shut the lights off and went up to my home, locking that door too. I was hoping to never have to meet Donovan, or see him, again after what happened at the restaurant but now it seems there will be no escape.