“I don’t know why I bother,” grumbled Dr. Horvath.
“Because they hand you a paycheck, Keith.”
“They don’t pay me enough to have some punk spit on me,” he continued. “That’s for damn sure.”
Dr. Leo dumped several packets of sugar into his coffee. “I’m sure Blinderman could recommend a pill for that. Ask, and ye shall receive.” He sat next to Richard on the break room couch.
“Remind me to ask.”
“And there you sit, Richard,” Dr. Leo remarked. “Quiet as a mouse, probably thinking we’re two of the biggest assholes around.”
“No.” Richard looked up from the paper he’d been reading with a polite smile. He had been unsuccessfully trying to block out his co-workers conversation for the past twenty minutes. Running on just three hours of restless sleep the previous night, he had printed out several journal articles and brought them into work. He glanced down at the one he was reading. What I really need to do is go into the city and spend the day at the university library. Maybe even talk to some old professors of mine before I make a decision about Moira’s treatment. It would require him to cancel some appointments, he reflected, but that’s exactly what he needed to do. You’ve already made up your mind about her though, haven’t you? Richard dismissed the stray thought with a frown.
“Beat us here this morning too.” Dr. Leo’s voice broke through Richard’s thoughts. “You trying to make us look bad?”
“I had some work to do. Thought I’d grab breakfast here.” He eyed his unfinished breakfast tray.
“Didn’t want your office smelling like the food they serve, eh?” Dr. Leo continued with a chuckle. “What are you reading?”
“An abstract on a journal article that was just published,” Richard replied. “On…um, alternative treatments for schizophrenia.”
Dr. Leo gave him a doubtful look. “You need to put that away, my friend.”
“He’s still a newbie,” said Dr. Horvath. “Remember when we used read stuff like that?” He fed the coffee machine a dollar and punched the button. “Only thing I want to pick up these days is a copy of Travel and Leisure.”
“They don’t pay you extra for overtime, Richard,” Dr. Leo said. “Ah, you’ll figure it out.” He clapped him on the back. “You should have stayed at that big buck hospital in Tacoma. Only the underpaid and overworked get stuck here. No extra points for keeping up on the latest research papers.”
“If you’re not happy here, why don’t you transfer to a bigger hospital?” Richard asked.
“Eh,” Dr. Leo shrugged. “Why bother? I’ve been here for twenty years and own a house I couldn’t sell if I tried.”
“Stuck in a rut, is what we are,” added Dr. Horvath. “My wife’s set on living close to our kids. Waiting on the grandkids now, our big payoff.” He leaned against the counter and nursed his coffee. “But you’re young and have yet to settle down. Why’d you take this job, anyways?”
Richard’s hand involuntarily went to his collarbone. “I needed a change of scenery.” He saw the looks of disbelief on their faces. “The job was open.”
“Northeast Mental Institute to here?” Dr. Leo balked. “You’re nuts, Richard.”
“I want to make a difference in people’s lives,” Richard said. “I don’t need a big hospital to do that.”
“Such an idealist,” Dr. Leo chortled.
“Ignore him,” said Dr. Horvath. “I remember feeling the same when I started out.” He toasted Richard with his cup of coffee. “May a patient never spit on you.”