January 12th, 2015

"Morning Jess," I said passing by one of the nurses on my way out with a huge cup of coffee, I was getting addicted again but was in denial.

Jess was one of the top five and she was more to her own and the most competent than us all and she wasn't in with Harlan, who was doing everything he could to psych us out.

"Good morning Stella."

"Yes it is um I had two already," I shoved the last piece of donut into my mouth.

"My God where do you fit it all?" Jess joked about my enormous appetite.

"I think I'll donate my body to science, and here's the last two," I laughed and gave her the last two donuts so Harlan and his clique wouldn't since they had been stealing my food.

"Thanks you're my angel," she went into the coffee room to eat the donut and get tea, she drank earl grey like it was water. "So how is it going with Dr. Iceberg?"

"Well he hasn't stolen my parking spot lately so I say that's an improvement."

"Yeah sure Home Depot would be proud."

"I gotta go organize papers, see you later Jess," I said starting another day at the hospital.

It had been a hell of a start with my fellow competitors, and I was battling with the health records trying to organize it for the doctors, this had neutralized any overall feelings on my new job since paperwork was not my passion.

A couple days back I began to suspect the disappearance of my lunches had to do with Harlan and his two close allies from "the five". I thought they'd get tired of it but it seemed they liked getting on my nerves a little too much and well I wasn't going to just lie down and take it. But how much longer would they keep this elementary school bullying?

"What are you looking for cc?" Harlan asked as I looked for my lunch in the fridge.

"Cc? I thought it was quota filler?"

"Well we preferred the abbreviation of charity case."

"Your lack of imagination for nicknames is really disappointing for someone who went to a better college than I did," I closed the fridge and looked back at him.

"Cc talks!" Harlan said as I had remained unaffected every other time but this rock in my shoe was getting on my last nerves.

"Who's cc?" Dr. Herzberg, or as Harlan and others called him Dr. Iceberg, walked in and they all stopped laughing.

"Oh good afternoon Dr. Herzberg, how are you?" Harlan in a second turned into the ass kisser he was.

"I believed I asked a question," Dr. Herzberg continued putting the fear of God into Harlan by walking up to his face and staying there.

"I am," I spoke up as they rolled their eyes expecting me to keep quiet but playing the victim wasn't my style.

"Is that what you like to be called?" He directed his question at me.

"No I like to be called Stella."

"And so why would you be calling her by a name she doesn't approve of?" Dr. Herzberg used one hand to tap very strongly Harlan's shoulder and everyone's eyes opened twice their normal size. Who knew Dr. Herzberg would have such short fuse when it came to name calling?

"Just having some harmless fun, bonding you know," Harlan said ready to pee down his pants.

"Was it harmless?" Dr. Herzberg asked me without taking his eyes off Harlan.

"Um..." I was afraid of the results of answering yes or no.

"If I hear another offensive joke spoken from your mouth Harlan it will be your last not only in this race but in this hospital," he said it so clearly the temperature of the room dropped below zero.

"Of course Dr. Herzberg," Harlan's eyes were glued on the scientist while I enjoyed the victory.

"Good now go get the lab results I asked you for, you've bored me long enough with your lack of manners," he turned and Harlan left his untouched lunch on the table to follow him.

I stood around internally cheering after Dr. Herzberg did exactly what needed to be done to get back into my good graces. He had stolen my parking spot but I was confident that his warning would result in the end of the bullying at least for the week which was what I needed at the moment.

"Don't mind if I do," I grabbed Harlan's lunch and ate it as the other two girls were obligated to play nice and watch. The taste of revenge was not sweet, it did however taste of bacon burger with soda and cheddar fries which was good enough for my taste buds.

After lunch I went back to deliver my first round of testing to Dr. Fitzgibbons whom I was learning to appreciate more with the passing of time. Dr. Fitzgibbons was the most experienced of the doctors, he liked to "fix" everyone's way of working which made everyone crazy but it made me laugh. He was constantly mumbling in a grumpy tone and the only thing that put him in a good mood was if you let him tell you some story of when he was younger or listening to jazz.

While Dr. Fitzgibbons talked of back in the day to the nurses, I began settling into a sense of home at the hospital because of him. The wicked nurses of the west, where the neuroscience was ironically located, disliked his boring old folk stories though for me those stories were timeless.

"You're dismissed, thank you for the notes, I will see you all bright and early tomorrow," Dr. Fitzgibbons dismissed the nurses who had checked out mentally either way.

"Uh Estella?" Dr. Fitzgibbons said my name wrong but I liked it so much I didn't have the heart to correct him.

"Yes?" I stayed behind as the other nurses snickered at me as if I was being called to the principal's office.

"I heard of what happened earlier with Harlan."

"Oh are you worried it might affect my work?"

"Well..."

"Or has it already affected my work?"

"Ah Herzberg could you please come in here?" Dr. Fitzgibbons said as he saw Dr. Herzberg passing by outside.

Many times I had caught Dr. Herzberg casually walking by keeping a close eye on what each of us we were doing. I pretended to not notice him but just knowing he was around gave me a feeling someone was trying to fit something down my chest.

"Yes Fitz?" He stepped in the room with us and I continued cleaning up the room for the next patient.

"What do you think of that young nurse Harlan, the one with that awful modern haircut."

"What about him?"

"How should we handle the situation?"

"Excuse me?"

"After the incident this morning you told me about?"

"Well Harlan is simply bored, it's why he picked her to direct his passive aggressive behavior probably because he cannot get any attention otherwise. And some people just can't bear the thought of not being thought of and seek it out in the strangest forms."

"Uh..." I was caught off guard by the odd analysis of someone known to be oblivious to the matters outside of his lab.

"Good God, then I reckon Estella should be afraid of Harlan," Dr. Fitzgibbons was uncomfortable with the diagnosis.

"No, of course not , I am sure she knows how to defend herself," Dr. Herzberg swayed in his answer to please Dr. Fitzgibbons.

"Good then just report any problems back to us and we will take care of it alright?"

"Yes thank you," I nodded.

"Passive aggressive hm," Dr. Fitzgibbons huffed at Dr. Herzberg as he went out of the room.

"Don't worry he'll forget he's crossed in about five minutes," Dr. Herzberg told me.

"Right, but you don't trust Harlan do you? Is that why your helped me earlie?"

"Yes but I am naturally distrustful of everyone, it's how our species survives."

"Thanks for the heads up," of course he would think he say that, how obvious of him.

"So this means you're not mad about the parking spot anymore?"

"Uh..." He knew he did it? "No, not mad."

"Good," he tried to brush it off but I could tell he liked hearing it.

"I guess I should go... home, rest."

"Of course," I had begun to move on when he said my name the way it was meant to be said, "I will see you soon Stella..."

The words echoed, the room disappeared I don't even know what it was about him saying my name that differed from every other it was dear and familiar to my ears. As if a long lost memory carried me there for a moment and I stared at him through too many lenses. Every lens in a different color, like a broken mirror with different facets though his face was in all of them varying in styles.

"Bye doc," I said but Dr. Iceberg was gone in his usual unfriendly manner.

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Copyright: All Rights Reserved to A. Sena Gomes.