Dr. Belliveau's Dream Job Chapter 9 [Fiction - Humour]
I can’t see the screen, complained HR lady #1. Can you share it with us? she asked.
Stacey saved the clip and forwarded it to HR lady #1, who then forwarded the clip to HR man #1 and HR lady #2.
She waited, reminding herself to take deep breaths or to remember to breathe at all. Finally, Hr lady #2 looked up from her phone. We can’t see him accessing the dark web. This doesn’t prove anything.
Stacey looked at her, noting the woman’s plunging neckline and hint of an old tattoo peaking out from her left breast. What the heck was it? It looked like the tip of a wing. Angel? Butterfly?
The woman tapped her pen on her mobile phone screen. All this tells us is that he works late, she said smugly. The other two nod in unison.
Keep watching, Stacey insisted. She’d watched the entire clip earlier, and while they were right about the video not showing him directly download and install a torrent file, it did show peculiar behavior. I mean, just watch. You’ll see this man clearly shouldn’t be seeing patients!
What do you mean by that? asked HR man #1.
Stacey sighed. Just watch it.
Again, all three heads went down, each person watching the clip in its entirety. Stacey watched their faces, looking for any signs of acknowledgement, validation that Stacey’s instincts were right.
Something was wrong with Dr. Belliveau.
She waited and watched eyebrows twitch, raise, and lower. HR lady #1 chewed on her lower lip. HR lady #2 cradled her head in her left hand, elbows on the table. HR man #1 set his phone down first.
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When the other two were finished watching, they did the same. Now they waited.
Well? Stacey asked. Isn’t this a bit unusual for a doctor?
Silence.
Can you explain to us what you see in this video clip? HR man #1 asked.
I see a crazy man still at work late at night who isn’t doing any work. He’s stalking around my office, rifling through papers, banging his fists on my keyboard, and, at one point, he’s talking to someone who isn’t there.
Stacey tried to keep her voice level. It was clear to her that they weren’t on her side.
Watch it again, she demanded. Look at him. He’s looking for something under my chair as if he’s going to find a You Get A Car sticker from Oprah Winfrey. He took a picture off the wall, took the whole thing apart, and looked under the canvas for something.
Did you hide something from him? HR lady #2 asked, her arms crisscrossed over her chest.
What would I hide from him? This is insane! Stacey cried. Why am I being fired when he is the one doing questionable things in my office late at night!
The threesome got quiet. Stacey noticed them side-eyeing each other. They pursed their lips, took sips of coffee, and smoothed their hair back.
Well? Stacey asked. Why am I being fired?
Because it’s your computer stuck in the dark web, said HR man#1. Your computer has compromised our entire health system. If it isn’t fixed soon, it won’t be long before hackers take us down.
HR lady #1 and HR lady #2 nodded.
I have no idea how to get into the dark web! There’s no evidence of me doing that.
There’s no evidence of Dr. Belliveau doing that either, they countered.
Stacey shook her head in disbelief. She stood up. Thank you for your time she snarled.
You’ll get a small severance package along with….
Stacey didn’t care. If they were obligated to send her a severance package, they would have to do it whether she sat there and listened to the spiel or not.
Minutes later…
Stacey returned to the doctor’s office. She barged in, not caring if he was with a patient or not. She was pissed.
She stopped in her tracks. What are you doing? she asked.
He was dictating his notes.
You don’t have a secretary to transcribe that. You gonna do it yourself?
Mr. Belliveau’s mouth twitched. He dropped the recorder on his desk and cleared his throat. His office was a mess. There were half-opened boxes all over the floor, files spilling from all sides. She noticed he had lined up 6 new, pristine staples on the left side of his desk.
Suddenly, Stacey felt very tired. She shoved a stack of books off a chair and plunked herself down.
Why are you staying on this job if you hate it so much? she asked. He dodged the answer.
My brother thinks I should get a nicer apartment. Something bigger. Maybe even buy a house.
What are you talking about? Stacey asked.
I’ve got 16 patients coming in today.
Stacey looked around the office, taking in the mess, the piles of pens and pencils stacked like firewood on various surfaces of the office.
Tell me the truth, Stacey said. What were you looking for in my office? And how did you get onto the dark web?
The doctor flushed.
I…I…I d-d-d-d-don’t recall, he answered.
I’m losing my job because of something you did! You'd better start remembering right now!
Stacey watched the doctor’s face subtly change. His skin appeared to shrink against his cheekbones. His shoulders slumped forward, and his bushy eyebrows sank lower, towards his nose. She watched the hair on the top of his head sway back and forth, slowly at first and then with more force.
Dr. Belliveau shook his head roughly from side to side. Stacey wondered if he was sweating because she couldn’t imagine the wetness on his cheeks might be tears.
Suddenly, he snapped his head up and looked her in the eye.
Shit, Stacey thought. They are tears.
I don’t remember. I don’t remember. I don’t remember.
Stacey was quiet. She waited for him to continue.
I can’t remember anything these days. I wanted your password to get into your computer so I could get access to the patient files.
Stacey was perplexed. I know, she said. You told me that, and I already told YOU that YOU have access to YOUR patient files!
BING BONG BING BONG
Someone was out in the waiting area. The doctor looked panic. He jumped from his desk and then went to his knees, searching for something in a box of files on the floor.
I can’t do this, he said. I don’t know who my next patient is. I can’t find today’s list of patients, and I can’t remember my password to get into the patient files.
Instinctively, Stacey got down on her knees with him, helping him rifle through papers and files without really understanding what they were looking for.
Why didn’t you just click on “forgot password”, she asked.
I forgot, he said.
You forgot that you can change your password?
I forget a lot of things. Even if they’re right in front of me. It’s not as if I forget so much as I don’t know what to do next. The doctor stopped rifling and pushed his body up against the wall where he could rest his back and stretch out his legs.
Stacey still didn’t understand what he was saying. She figured he was readying himself for a murderous rage or, at the very least, a spectacular and public breakdown.
BING BONG BING BONG
More patients were streaming in. It was clear to Stacey that the doctor wasn’t up to the job.
Why do you want to be a secretary? she asked him.
I believe the preferred term is Administrative Assistant, he replied.
Stacey sighed. Okay, why do you want to be an Administrative Assistant? You took an oath to do no harm or whatever, didn’t you? Aren’t you tied to being a doctor for life at this point?
It’s too much, the doctor said.
What’s too much? Your student loans?
The doctor rolled his head left and right.
The stress. I can’t remember much anymore. I keep repeating the same questions to my patients. They’re on to me. They know something isn’t right. That’s harming them, I believe. I believe that’s harming them.
The doctor’s voice grew soft. He looked like a completely different man. A tired man. A man who didn’t appear to have the energy to get up off the floor.
Come on, Stacey said. She jumped up and offered her hand.
Again…no paywall. I promise.
I can’t, I can’t see those patients today. Can you cancel them for me? Rebook them for another time,” he pleaded.
Stacey withdrew her hand, the pity for him quickly diminishing.
I’m not your secretary anymore, remember? You got me fired.
When he didn’t answer, she held out her hand again. Get up. We’re getting out of here.
This time, Stacey had a plan that would solve all of their problems.