LITMIR.BIZ

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predicted, all but one of the other employees filed into the clinic at the same time. The habitually late crewmember was not among them. He gave his staff a big smile and a cheerful good morning.

      “As some of you know, we’ve been expecting a new physician. Dr. Gabrielle Grinage arrived yesterday and is on duty now. For those who didn’t meet her during orientation, you’ll get the opportunity to do so today. She’s currently touring the facility. Would anyone like to join her?”

      Three new female staffers raised their hands. The two veteran employees, Morris Carey and Dean Anderson, didn’t show much enthusiasm one way or the other. Meeting the newly arrived doctor didn’t seem uppermost on their agenda.

      Cameron knew exactly where the guys’ heads were when they headed straight back to the break/lunch room, where the aroma of fresh coffee had summoned them. “Ladies, I plan to speak with each of you in an informal meeting.” It was his normal procedure to speak to new crewmembers individually. “I’ll take a half an hour or so with each of you. But for now, I’ll take you back to meet Dr. Grinage. Did you get a chance to do any exploring on the ship last evening?”

      Nurse Candi Simmons smiled broadly. “I can’t believe the size of this ship. I know I haven’t seen the half of it, but I’m eager to explore the entire thing.”

      “Good for you,” Cameron remarked. “How about you, Carolyn?”

      Carolyn Jackson clapped her hands enthusiastically. “Candi, Joanie and I hung out together last night. We plan to see everything during our free time.”

      Joanie Caldwell shook her head in disbelief. “I was so overwhelmed by the experience. I know we’re here to work, but I’m also looking forward to playtime.”

      “Ah, playtime,” Cameron remarked. “You’ll get enough hours off for that.”

      * * *

      Gabrielle took a thorough inventory of two of three good-size treatment rooms. She mentally charted the lay of each one and wrote lots of notes on a pad she’d picked up off her desk. Locked metal cabinets appeared to be chock-full of supplies. Large pieces of sterilized medical equipment had been stored away for easy access. Everything appeared pristine. There was a sterile scent in the treatment cubicles and lab areas, but it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary.

      She turned around when she heard a noise behind her. Seeing Cameron and three relatively young women, she smiled. “Are these lovely ladies a part of your staff?”

      “Our staff,” Cameron corrected. “They arrived the same day as you.” He then introduced her to the three nurses scheduled for duty five days out of the seven.

      “Once all employees are in house, I plan to have a short staff meeting with each new nurse. You’re welcome to sit in if you’d like.”

      Gabrielle glanced at the large wall clock. “Shouldn’t everyone be here by now?”

      Cameron shrugged, raising an eyebrow. “Recall my earlier comment?”

      Just as the words left Cameron’s mouth, a man appeared in the doorway. “Morning. Sorry I’m late. That darn alarm clock in my cabin gives me fits.”

      “Maybe you should consider getting a new one,” Gabrielle said in a no-nonsense tone. She stepped forward and extended her hand. “I’m Dr. Gabrielle Grinage. Nice to meet you. Since I feel at a disadvantage here, what’s your name?”

      He shook Gabrielle’s hand. “I’m Joseph Clark, a nurse and senior member of the crew.”

      Coffee mugs in hand, nurses Morris and Dean walked into the treatment cubicle.

      Cameron moved to the center of the room. “Now that we’re all here, we can welcome our new staff members. I present Dr. Gabrielle Grinage, second in command, and our three newly assigned registered nurses, Joanie Caldwell, Candi Simmons and Carolyn Jackson.”

      The group acknowledged each other politely. Gabrielle made a mental note to get to know the individual work ethics of the nurses.

      Cameron gestured toward the three men. “Nurses Morris and Dean have been with us well over a year. Joseph is a two-and-a-half-year veteran staff member. Everyone will get to meet during our regular staff meeting at the end of the week.”

      Gabrielle walked around and shook everyone’s hand. “I’m happy to be assigned to this ship and its clinic, and I’m looking forward to working with each of you. I’ll probably ask questions of the veterans every now and then, so I’d appreciate your help.”

      “No problem,” Joseph said. The other two male nurses nodded.

      The front-desk buzzer interrupted the informal gathering.

      “I’ll take care of it,” said Joseph, hurrying from the room.

      To see how the front desk was run, Gabrielle excused herself. She made her way out to the front, where she quietly observed a middle-aged woman writing her name on the patient intake sheet. She listened closely to Joseph as he asked her reason for coming into the clinic.

      The woman’s hand went to her stomach. “I have nausea like you wouldn’t believe. I can’t keep anything down.”

      “How long have you been nauseated?” Joseph queried.

      “It started right after lunch yesterday, even before we sailed. It may’ve been caused by a slice of cheesecake I ate for dessert. As soon as I finished it, I got sick.”

      Joseph had the patient sit down in one of several chairs lined against the wall opposite the front desk. He walked over and took her temperature and blood pressure. Nausea was a normal occurrence among passengers and the number one problem the clinic dealt with.

      Gabrielle continued to watch Joseph work in an expedient manner. She liked his warm, professional demeanor. She’d noticed the concerned look on his face when the cheesecake had been mentioned. Nausea was a relatively simple problem unless it was related to food poisoning, then it could impact a large number of guests.

      Joseph went over to Dr. Grinage to consult with her in private.

      “Give her antinausea medicine and recommend she consume only clear liquids for the next twenty-four hours. She should also take it easy and report back to the clinic if the symptoms continue.”

      No sooner had the first patient of the morning left the clinic than several more passengers came in with a variety of ailments. Traffic continued to flow into the treatment center, and the staff found themselves running from one cubicle to another. For the next few hours, there wasn’t an opportunity for anyone to take even a short break, let alone take time for Cameron to speak with the new personnel.

      At 2:15 p.m. the clinic finally closed for lunch, which was a good bit of time after the normal closing at one o’clock. The clinic doors would reopen at 3:00 p.m. regardless, and Cameron and Joseph would be the on-call staff.

      * * *

      Seated at the dining table in her suite later that night, Gabrielle dined on a delicious bowl of vegetable soup and a chicken salad sandwich. Instead of calling room service before leaving the clinic for the day, she had prepared her own meal from the groceries and deli items she had stocked. It had become a very busy shift at the clinic, and passengers had come in up until the last few minutes before closing time.

      Glad that the workday was over, she planned to lie down for a while after finishing her meal. If she hadn’t gotten up so early and had slept properly last night, she probably wouldn’t have been so drowsy. Clinic visits had gotten hectic, with one person after another trooping in for medical care. The fast-paced day had her feeling slightly fatigued. No matter how busy the clinic had gotten, Gabrielle was thankful that no life-threatening situations had occurred.

      Despite how busy the staff had become, Gabrielle had gotten an opportunity to learn quite a bit about the job throughout the shift. Cameron had been very clear in explaining to her proper patient-care procedures and had been very specific about the proper way to store and secure

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