students. Each student checked his or her paper. The test results were in and all the students had passed the test. Blake was not one who wanted to fail students. He was a very compassionate teacher and believed in helping students learn more through experience than in the classroom.
“Everyone just review your answers, please.” Blake repeated.
The class noticed that Blake was not focused and lacked motivation. He was not his usual bubbly self. But the class did not question his behavior. The students were more than happy to just take any day off from school and they would take this one.
Blake himself seemed to be in another place. His mind and thoughts were flying and it was clear that he didn't feel like teaching. He kept glancing at his cellphone. The inbox still registered no new messages. And his outbox registered 8 sent messages.
'What's wrong with Josie? Why isn't she responding to my texts?' He thought.
Blake was beginning to think all sorts of things. A part of him was worried that something had happened to Josie. But he immediately dismissed it as some kind of irrational thought. He knew that Josie could more than take care of herself, and besides, she was scheduled to be at the hospital the whole day. No signal perhaps? That was possible, but highly unlikely. The signal was often pretty good at Lenora. An operation? Maybe. Operations and other medical emergencies often came up. And Josie did have the heavier, meatier work schedule among the medical personnel. But Josie would usually tell him if some emergency came up. Even a brief text was often sent. But today, nothing. What was going on?
'This just isn't like her. What could be the problem?' Thought Blake.
He sent another text.
“What's wrong? Are you busy?” It read.
But even before it was sent, something told Blake she would not respond.
“I better call her up.” Thought Blake.
“Class is dismissed.” Blake said to the students.
“Whoa! Yeah!”
“All right!”
There was more than one excited voice from behind Blake. The students were more than happy to take the period off. They had already begun to be noisy. And they had good reason to be excited. Blake had dismissed the class a full 15 minutes early. There would be consequences to this, but Blake didn't care. He just had to somehow contact Josie. He turned his back on the class and held his phone to his ear. He kept dialing Josie’s number but she did not answer.
“That's it. I'm going to the hospital.” Blake said to himself.
19. The Secret Schedule
Blake drove faster than he thought and slammed his brakes in the hospital parking lot just in time to avoid crashing into another car.
“Jesus! What the hell am I doing?” Blake asked himself.
He shook his head and left his car. Blake ignored the near-hit. What was important was that he talk with Josie. He locked his car door and walked briskly to the hospital.
Blake entered the hospital and immediately saw Milla, the receptionist.
“Hello, Mr. Ingram. You seem a bit stressed today?” Milla said as she smiled.
Blake had been visiting the hospital frequently and that made him familiar with Milla and some other employees.
“You don't know the half of it, Milla. Is Josie here?” He asked.
Milla's smile turned into a frown. “I'm so sorry, Mr. Ingram. But Josie left an hour ago.” she said.
“What? But her schedule isn't supposed to be over for a while.” Blake said.
“She changed her schedule.” Milla said.
“Could I take a look at her new schedule?”
Milla hesitated for a moment. There was a moment of silence and it was clear that Milla was hesitant to answer Blake.
“I...I'm sorry. It's confidential.” Milla said.
Blake almost fell back at what Milla said.
“What? But this is a hospital. She's a doctor. Her schedule is supposed to be open to anyone!” Blake said.
“Y...yes, it should. Unless the doctor personally specifies not to reveal her schedule...” Milla said.
Blake felt like he was struck
“Everyone just review your answers, please.” Blake repeated.
The class noticed that Blake was not focused and lacked motivation. He was not his usual bubbly self. But the class did not question his behavior. The students were more than happy to just take any day off from school and they would take this one.
Blake himself seemed to be in another place. His mind and thoughts were flying and it was clear that he didn't feel like teaching. He kept glancing at his cellphone. The inbox still registered no new messages. And his outbox registered 8 sent messages.
'What's wrong with Josie? Why isn't she responding to my texts?' He thought.
Blake was beginning to think all sorts of things. A part of him was worried that something had happened to Josie. But he immediately dismissed it as some kind of irrational thought. He knew that Josie could more than take care of herself, and besides, she was scheduled to be at the hospital the whole day. No signal perhaps? That was possible, but highly unlikely. The signal was often pretty good at Lenora. An operation? Maybe. Operations and other medical emergencies often came up. And Josie did have the heavier, meatier work schedule among the medical personnel. But Josie would usually tell him if some emergency came up. Even a brief text was often sent. But today, nothing. What was going on?
'This just isn't like her. What could be the problem?' Thought Blake.
He sent another text.
“What's wrong? Are you busy?” It read.
But even before it was sent, something told Blake she would not respond.
“I better call her up.” Thought Blake.
“Class is dismissed.” Blake said to the students.
“Whoa! Yeah!”
“All right!”
There was more than one excited voice from behind Blake. The students were more than happy to take the period off. They had already begun to be noisy. And they had good reason to be excited. Blake had dismissed the class a full 15 minutes early. There would be consequences to this, but Blake didn't care. He just had to somehow contact Josie. He turned his back on the class and held his phone to his ear. He kept dialing Josie’s number but she did not answer.
“That's it. I'm going to the hospital.” Blake said to himself.
19. The Secret Schedule
Blake drove faster than he thought and slammed his brakes in the hospital parking lot just in time to avoid crashing into another car.
“Jesus! What the hell am I doing?” Blake asked himself.
He shook his head and left his car. Blake ignored the near-hit. What was important was that he talk with Josie. He locked his car door and walked briskly to the hospital.
Blake entered the hospital and immediately saw Milla, the receptionist.
“Hello, Mr. Ingram. You seem a bit stressed today?” Milla said as she smiled.
Blake had been visiting the hospital frequently and that made him familiar with Milla and some other employees.
“You don't know the half of it, Milla. Is Josie here?” He asked.
Milla's smile turned into a frown. “I'm so sorry, Mr. Ingram. But Josie left an hour ago.” she said.
“What? But her schedule isn't supposed to be over for a while.” Blake said.
“She changed her schedule.” Milla said.
“Could I take a look at her new schedule?”
Milla hesitated for a moment. There was a moment of silence and it was clear that Milla was hesitant to answer Blake.
“I...I'm sorry. It's confidential.” Milla said.
Blake almost fell back at what Milla said.
“What? But this is a hospital. She's a doctor. Her schedule is supposed to be open to anyone!” Blake said.
“Y...yes, it should. Unless the doctor personally specifies not to reveal her schedule...” Milla said.
Blake felt like he was struck
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