A Devious Doctor
“Jeremy! What on earth are you doing here? Does Em know you would be here today?” Dez really had not heard a car. Her brother-in-law usually swept into the yard with a flourish to make certain everyone knew he had arrived. “Shhhh! Don’t be so loud. No, she thinks I’m working a week of nights. Is she home? I don’t want her to know I’m here.” He had let himself into the house thinking no one would be there. “Let me come in and I’ll tell you what’s going on.You’re sure she’s not home.” He looked so very nervous, Dez almost laughed out loud. “Let’s go downstairs and get something to eat and drink.” Jeremy almost jumped out of his skin. “No! No one is to know I’m here……unless they see my car.”
~~~~~
For the remainder of the morning and into afternoon, he told his story. Dez finally convinced him that they really needed to eat. “You’ll have to go down and get us something. If Cook, or anyone, asks who you’ve been talking to up here…..”
“Jeremy they’ve probably seen your car! I’ll just tell them to warn us if Em shows up. While I’m getting our lunch go park your car behind the rose bushes. They’ll blooming early this year. If Em shows up suddenly you won’t want her to see your car. After all, she thinks you’re at work!” Dez laughed and went down to see Cook about lunch.
He tore into the sandwiches like a man who’d never eaten before. “Slow down! When did you eat last?” Dez had no sooner set the hearty roast beef sandwiches down on the table than Jeremy started eating. “You’re not going to leave anything for me!” He finished his sandwich, sat back in his chair and groaned. “I haven’t eaten since five this morning. Then it was just cold cereal. I had one more short TV shift to do before I could leave.”
“TV? How many surprises do you have for me? Since you got here today you’ve told me you’ve been isolating for the last 10 days, that it’s your first anniversary and that you have plans to spirit Em away up island for a second honeymoon. Now you’re telling me about TV? How? Why?”
“I really didn’t know how I was going to pull it off, Dez. Do you watch the TV interviews with different docs about the Covid or Omicron status?” He turned his chair so he could face Dez. “I’ve seem some, but try to avoid any kind of news reporting. It makes me too upset. What does that have to do with you?” Jeremy refilled his water glass. “More? No? Well, at lunch one day I overheard a conversation between our medical director and one of the main reporters. The timing couldn’t have been better. I needed a way to get some time off the Covid wards so I could arrange all of this. What I overheard was that a replacement doc was needed to present the latest data on the TV slots. It was going to be for two weeks. The doctor working with the TV crews would be away from any active hospital floors for that time. I only needed ten days before I could take some vacation time. I approached the medical director, who hesitated and seemed about to turn me down. Then I’d really be in a fix. I already have a bed and breakfast booked for the from tomorrow for a week. Had to pay upfront.”
He stopped to take a breath. Dez was amazed. She didn’t think Jeremy could be this devious, but wasn’t really surprised. She’d known him long enough to have seen his mischievous side. This was a bit different though. She could see that he needed a break from it all. “Did you bring some luggage at least for tonight? Let’s go for a walk and get it. I’ll show you the work Samuel and I have done in the last while. Em could be back by the time we get back in the house.
~~~~~
Emelina was on her way home from the city. She was troubled. Turning the radio on, she had heard Jeremy’s voice in an interview. The interview was cut off for more of the political news about the Ukraine. “Oh, heavens! It’s our anniversary and I’ve forgotten!”
~~~~~
“The best thing to hold onto in life is each other.”
~ Audrey Hepburn
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