“What can I do for you, esteemed patient?” I asked sweetly.
“Damn it, Henry’s threatening me with a complaint, what choice do I have but to smile and play along?” I thought. I figured once I went through the motions, he’d leave me alone.
My tone was so artificially sweet I might as well have been a robot, and my fake professional smile made Henry frown repeatedly.
“Wipe that fake smile off your face!” he demanded.
I didn’t want to argue with someone as paranoid as Henry, so I stopped smiling altogether. I tilted my face away and stared lazily at the floor, adopting a nonchalant attitude.
I knew Henry too well–one look at his eyes and I could tell he was looking to start trouble.
Seeing that I was ignoring him, he cleared his throat, trying to get my attention. When I didn’t even bother to lift my eyelids, his anger
intensified.
“Am I your patient or not?” he asked through gritted teeth.
I nodded indifferently. “I suppose so.”
“More precisely, Dr. Violet is your attending physician. I’m just her assistant.”
Someone as junior as me wouldn’t normally be assigned to a person of Henry’s status.
Henry glanced at me sideways, his tone accusatory: “Then why aren’t you performing a physical examination? Don’t you need to check my blood pressure, blood sugar, oxygen saturation? Or are you just not treating me equally as a patient? Looking at me through colored glasses?”
In reality, a nurse had already taken those measurements that morning, but Henry was clearly trying to make things difficult for me.
I recognized Henry’s petty attempt to make things difficult, but kept my composure.
“Please wait a moment, Mr. Harding. I’ll get the equipment right away.”
From my previous experience as a nurse, I was quite familiar with these devices and could use them skillfully. The entire series of examinations took only five minutes. I noticed Henry looking at me with surprise. The woman who once only cooked and cleaned for him at home was now handling medical equipment with impressive competence.
While Henry was staring at me, lost in thought, I had already completed all the measurements.
I skillfully removed the pen from my lab coat pocket and quickly recorded a series of numbers.
“Your blood pressure is abnormal, likely related to your heart condition. I recommend that Mr. Harding avoid getting angry and maintain a positive attitude,” I said professionally. “Additionally, keep your meals light, and avoid spicy and stimulating foods.”
I placed all the medical equipment back on the cart and turned toward the door. “Currently, Mr. Harding has just undergone emergency surgery and needs proper rest. Don’t move around too much, and especially avoid getting angry. If you continue like this, your heart won’t last much longer.”
As I was about to leave, Henry suddenly clutched his chest.
“Ouch! Dr. Wilson, my chest hurts!”
I had just reached for the door handle when I heard his complaint. I immediately stopped and turned back, walking quickly to his bedside.
‘Where does it hurt? Show me exactly.”
Henry pointed to his chest. “Right here! It hurts!” he moaned, feigning pain.
Without hesitation, I lifted Henry’s shirt. My soft fingertips moved gently across his chest, like tiny insects crawling over his skin.
That ticklish, tingling sensation made him involuntarily let out a satisfied sigh. “Ahhh…”
I thought I’d pressed too hard and quickly lightened my touch. “Is this better?”
Henry didn’t respond, allowing my soft, seemingly boneless hands to caress his chest.
He was clearly enjoying it immensely!
When I saw the expression of pleasure on his face, I realized I’d been tricked.
With no warning, I pressed down hard on his chest before turning away.
“You disgusting pervert! Have you no shame?” I snapped, rushing toward the door.
As I fled the room in embarrassment, a smile spread across Henry’s lips.
You used me as a replacement?
From now on, neither of us is going to have peace!
