The Pleasure of the Dean (6 page)

Chapter Nine

           
Sophie’s
temporary reprieve from clinical duty was over.
 
When she arrived at the hospital, her
usual line-up of patients awaited her.
 
The morning passed by in a blur of consults, x-rays, throat swabs, and
chart readings.
 
Only the grumbling of
her stomach reminded Sophie it was past time to eat lunch.
 
Sophie pulled out her phone and texted
her friend Osmond, a former classmate who was now working in the Department of
Infectious Diseases.

           
Hey
Oz, want to meet up for lunch?

           
Long
time no see, S!
 
Sure thing, see you
in the Big C in 10?

           
Yes!
Taco Tuesday!

The Circulata, or Big C, was the hospital’s
most centrally located cafeteria.
 
During their medical student days, Sophie and Osmond met there
regularly.
 
It was the scene of long
study sessions and carb loading on cafeteria fare before their grueling intern
shifts.
 
Now, Sophie was immersed in
her clinical residency and Oz had shifted his focus to research.
 
With their busy schedules in different
sections of the sprawling building, they didn’t get the chance to meet up as
often.

As Sophie walked down the long hallway to the
Circulata, she couldn’t help but let her mind drift back to the past couple of
days with Cole.
 
Cole touching
her.
 
Cole kissing her.
 
Cole filling her up.
 
He was unlike anything she’d ever known
before.
 
Sophie wasn’t a virgin, but
she wasn’t very experienced.
 
Her
previous sexual encounters were mostly quick hook ups with fellow students.
 
Sophie’s studies were her life and
finding a boyfriend was low on her list of priorities.
  

Even still, Sophie enjoyed the experiences
she’d had.
 
Nice, safe boys her own
age that she’d had nice, safe nights with.
 
But those boys didn’t hold a candle to Cole.
 
Sophie started to worry.
 
Was she falling for him?
 
“No.
 
I need to finish my residency.
 
I’ve worked my whole life for it, “ she
thought.
 
“Sleeping with the Dean
was not part of the plan.
 
I have to
be smart.”

As she walked through the cafeteria’s doors
Sophie immediately spotted Osmond.
 
She broke into a wide grin.
 
Oz was surrounded by three young female undergrads.
 
“Some things never change,” Sophie
thought.

Oz was always popular with the ladies.
 
He had an easy, playful charm that women
instantly reacted to.
 
Of course his
taut, muscled body and long flowing dark brown mane of hair was a big part of
his appeal too.
 
Osmond sang and
played the guitar in a local band, the “Recombinants,” and he looked every inch
the rock star.
 
The contrast between
his work persona as a brilliant postdoctoral researcher with a promising career
in Infectious Diseases, and his rock and roll persona as a bad boy, tight
t-shirt wearing, sexy guitarist, was an irresistible combination to women.
 
Well, most women.
 
For some reason, from the minute Sophie
and Osmond met back in Chemistry 101, they knew they were only going to be
friends.

           
They
were randomly assigned as partners for a lab experiment.
 
Oz, ever the player, looked her up and
down, smiled appreciatively, and declared, “You must be a science major,
because I am feeling some amazing chemistry.”

           
Sophie
rolled her eyes.
 
“You must be a
History major, because that line is so old.”

They
both burst out laughing.
 
From that
point on they were study buddies and best friends.
 

           
Oz
was wicked smart with an innate knowledge of the natural and chemical sciences.
It wasn’t surprising he decided to pursue a career in research rather than
practice clinical medicine.
  
Once Oz completed his
two year
postdoctoral
appointment in Infectious Diseases, he could apply for big money research grant
funding.
 
Sophie knew every research
institution in the world would be clamoring to hire him.

“Sorry to break up the love fest girls, but I
need my lunch date,” Sophie said, interrupting their fawning.
 
“Noooo,” they moaned in unison.

           
“Sophie!”
Oz exclaimed, turning his attention away from the women.
 
He gave her a warm hug.
 
While in Oz’s embrace, Sophie made a
shooing motion with her hand.
 
The
three ladies dejectedly wandered off together.

           
“I
see you’re still being hounded by scrubs,” Sophie teased, using their nickname
for the young co-eds who hung around the medical center, hoping to score a rich
doctor.
 
Or a potentially rich
doctor.
 
“Are you ever going to grow
up?”

           
“Grow
up?” Oz said in mock horror.
 
“Why
would I want to do that?
 
Why would
I want to trade in my life of easy women and rock and roll?
 
I’d only give it up if you’ve finally
fallen in love with me, like I’ve been secretly dreaming all these years.”
 
Oz clutched his chest and pretended to
swoon.
 
“Sophie, you know you’re the
only girl who can set me straight.”

           
“Well,
I guess it’s a life of easy women and rock and roll for you,” Sophie
laughed.
 
“Let’s get some tacos.”

           
They
got in the long cafeteria line and waited for their greasy, yet awesome,
tacos.
 
“How can this place serve
food that is so revolting, yet so fulfilling at the same time?” Sophie mused
aloud.

           
“It’s
a secret chemical in the food.
 
The
Biochemistry Department supplies it to the cafeterias,” Oz said, straight
faced.

           
“Funny,”
replied Sophie.
 
“Or, at least I
hope you’re being funny.
 
Sometimes
I can’t tell with you.”

           
In
short order they purchased their tacos and sat down in the Circulata’s table
section.
 
It was a large round room
with
forty foot
columns reaching the domed ceiling.

           
“What’s
new, Soph?” Oz asked before taking a bite of his taco.

           
“Oh,
nothing much,” Sophie replied with feigned nonchalance.
 
“Just getting kicked out of my residency
program.”

           
“What?!”
Oz exclaimed, the shock causing him to choke.
 
Sophie pounded Oz on the back until he
stopped coughing.
 
He took a sip of
water and asked, “How is that possible?
 
You’re the best clinician I know.”

           
“I
know, right?” Sophie said.
 
She knew
she was good.
 
“Unfortunately, I got
caught moonlighting.”

           
“Every
resident moonlights,” Oz scoffed.
 
“As long as the resident continues to fulfill his or her obligation to
the hospital, attendings turn a blind eye.
 
Everyone knows that.
 
Without
the extra money residents make moonlighting, they would be homeless, starving,
or in debtor’s prison.
 
Do they
still have debtor’s prison?”

“I don’t think so,” Sophie answered, hoping
Oz wasn’t about to go off on one of his
fifteen minute
tangents.

“Okay.
 
As I was saying, the measly salary residents make barely covers rent in
Seattle!
 
It’s almost as shitty as a
post doc’s pay.”

           
“Well,
Dr. Mapleton seemed to care.
 
He
punished me by placing me on probation and then, after I worked my butt off for
three months trying to prove myself, he decided to terminate me.”
 

           
“Mapleton?
 
Bruce Mapleton?
 
The Leprechaun?
 
That’s who’s in charge of your residency
program?” Oz laughed.
 
“How can you
let a munchkin tell you what to do?”

           
“Hey,
you know he’s more like Napoleon than any other diminutive creature.
 
Dr. Mapleton is also the Director.
 
I have to listen to him.
 
I don’t have a choice.”

           
“I
hear he’s a real bastard.
 
So what
happened?
 
You’re still here, so you
obviously changed his mind.”

           
“Well,
I didn’t change his mind.
 
Dr.
Mapleton moved forward with the termination process.
 
I got called into Crystal Bridges’s
office.”

           
Oz
grimaced.
 
“The Iron Giant?
 
This just keeps getting worse.
 
The one and only time I was in a meeting
with Crystal Bridges, my balls receded up into my body.
 
That’s how scary she is.
 
Everyone knows getting called into her
office for a meeting is the kiss of death.”

           
“Oh,
she’s a real bitch all right,” Sophie continued.
 
“She sat in her pristine office and
calmly handed me my termination notice, as if it wasn’t something that would
totally destroy my life.
 
She seemed
to enjoy it too. When I got upset, she handed me a Sharelink brochure and
threatened to call security!”

           
“Oh
my god, she brochured you!
 
Crystal
Bridges is the worst.
 
I would have
punched her.”
 
Oz looked upset.
 
“How did you save yourself?
 
Did you sell your soul to her?”

           
“I
was considering it, but then Dean Armstrong interrupted the meeting.
 
He told Crystal only he, as the Dean,
has the authority to terminate Residents.
 
Dean Armstrong declared he was not authorizing my termination.”

           
“Wait
a minute,” Oz looked confused.
 
“Dean Armstrong?
 
As in “The
Dean”?
 
As in the man in charge of
this entire medical institute?
 
He
personally involved himself in a residency program matter?
 
That doesn't make any sense.”
 

           
Sophie
blushed.
 
“The evening before I met
with Crystal, I made a personal appeal to the Dean.
 
He told me there’s some political
wrangling going on between him and Dr. Mapleton.
 
I don’t know the whole story, but I’m
caught in the middle of it.
 
Dr.
Mapleton targeted me for termination because he’s under the impression that
Dean Armstrong’s interest in me isn’t only professional.” Sophie squirmed in
her seat, and prayed Oz kept the rest of his questions to himself.
 
Unfortunately, she wasn’t that lucky.

           
“Like,
he’s interested in seeing you naked?”
 
Oz laughed and Sophie blushed beet red.
 
Oz’s laugh turned into a look of stunned
surprise.
 
“Sophie, you’re doing the
Dean!” Oz stage whispered.

           
“Shhh,”
Sophie said, looking around the Big C to see if anyone was listening.
 
Everyone appeared to be focused on their
own conversation and taco platters.
 
“It isn’t like that!”
 
Sophie
was silent for a moment while Oz sat on the edge of his seat, anxiously awaiting
her next words.
 
She shot him a
sharp look.
 
“Okay you pervert, it’s
kind of like that, but it isn’t funny and I don’t want anyone to know!
 
It would mean big trouble for me and
Cole if anyone found out.
 
Besides,
I don’t think we’re going to see each other again.
 
It’s too risky for us both.”