On Call for Someone Else

During the long holiday, to accommodate the travel plans of my hospital director wife, I—someone who hadn't taken a single day off all year—begged and groveled, burning through every last bit of goodwill in my department just to scrape together seven days of comp time so I could go with her.

But I waited at the airport from morning until night. After a hundred ignored calls, she finally rang me back, her voice totally casual.

"The signal's a nightmare out at the scenic area. I forgot to mention—Julian booked the tickets a day early by accident, so we're already at Tamoe Mount! Since you missed your flight anyway, just go back to the hospital and cover some shifts. It's the hospital's busiest time. Didn't you say everyone in your department was upset about you taking time off? Go make it up to them."

On the other end of the line, the wind was howling.

Her young colleague, laughing brightly, jumped in. "Hey, Rita, I had no problem switching my shifts. I guess he just slacks off too much—no wonder nobody likes him."

Not only did she not stand up for me, she actually agreed.

"You hear that, Kevin? Learn to play nicer with your coworkers. Stop obsessing over fun all the time. Then later, it'll be easier for me to push through your raise and promotion."

I didn't argue or make a scene. I just said "Got it," hung up, and walked straight to the hospital run by her biggest competitor.

"Are you still looking for a vice director? I work hard, I don't need weekends off, and as long as I get normal comp time, I'm good."

After deciding to jump ship to the other hospital after the holiday, I came back to Rita Owen's hospital and apologized to everyone in the department.

For the next seven days, I'd work my regular shifts so they could go enjoy their vacations.

As I was putting on my white coat, I heard people behind me slamming things around in frustration.

"Dr. Miller, do you think this hospital belongs to you? You take time off whenever you feel like it. You already wrecked my plans! I couldn't even take my son to the amusement park today!"

"Does he think he's Dr. Williams or something? Dr. Williams is the director's favorite. Some people have been here seven years and are still just attendings, yet they act like they run the place."

"Heh, he finally gets some time off and still gets stood up. I think his wife did it on purpose. Doesn't he realize he's being cheated on already?"

My hand paused while adjusting my collar.

Hospital policy required that out of the eight staff members in our department, at least five had to be on duty at all times.

Anyone who wanted comp time had to coordinate with their coworkers.

Because Rita and I had kept our marriage a secret, and because she bent over backward not to look like she was playing favorites—refusing to promote me or give me a raise—everyone assumed the director didn't like me and looked down on me.

After they figured out that Julian Williams was openly gunning for me, they started sucking up to him, and making fun of me became a daily routine.

This time, knowing I desperately needed their cooperation to swap shifts, they ragged on me mercilessly and piled on conditions before finally agreeing.

Last month, I submitted my promotion application for the seventh time. Half-jokingly, I told Rita that if I still didn't get promoted, I wouldn't be able to take the department's toxic atmosphere anymore and would quit.

She didn't give me a clear answer.

But when the promotion list came out, my name still wasn't on it.

Julian's was.

After just one year at the hospital, he had leapfrogged ranks and risen to the same level as me—yet she claimed she was just "helping out a junior."

In a fit of anger, I handed in my resignation letter.

Rita just smirked and said she wasn't falling for my little stunt.

Not even I had expected that I'd actually walk out for good.

Still, they'd gotten one thing right.

Rita's heart had stopped belonging to me a long time ago.

I turned around and looked coldly at the indignant crowd.

"You done? I don't owe any of you a damn thing. Every time you needed time off before, I covered your shifts without a single complaint. But the one time I ask for time off, all I get is nonstop grief.

"Don't mistake my patience for weakness. From now on, don't come asking me to operate on your relatives. I'm taking back the parking spots, too. And return every gift I ever gave your kids."

I'd always been mild-mannered and polite.

Seeing me suddenly lose my temper, everyone in the department looked a little shaken, though they still tried to talk back.

"We were just joking, Kevin. There's no need to be like this. We're all colleagues!"

"Exactly. Your wife stood you up, so don't take your anger out on us!"

I grabbed the patient chart folder and slammed it hard on the desk.

"In the past, I knew everyone had it hard, so I didn't bother keeping score. But since you all want to be so calculative, let's settle every single account fair and square."