This story is submitted for the 2025 On the Job Story Event.
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Maya's Bistro
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"Good morning, Doctor. Another rough night on call?" asked the server at the hospital cafeteria line.
"Ah, no, Maya. You must know by now that dermatologists rarely have emergencies, and being on call means just keeping a cell phone nearby."
"That must be a major sacrifice for you, Doctor," she laughed before going on, "This morning we have prosciutto and feta cheese omelets in addition to our usual offerings."
"Please, Maya, you know I'd prefer you call me Kyle and, by the way, I'd like to try the omelet. What's the special occasion that you're offering omelets, anyway?"
"I kept begging Christine to let me vary things a little and she finally let me. Hope you like it."
"I'm sure I will. Put this and a cappuccino on my account, please. Have a good one."
"You, too,
Doctor,
" she laughed.
Kyle Berlin was in the last year of his dermatology residency at County Charity Hospital and dropped by the cafeteria most mornings to grab a quick breakfast before going to the clinics. Of all the residencies at County, dermatology was by far the easiest; at least he wasn't dealing with gunshot wounds or diabetic comas like his surgical and medical colleagues had to. He had done his internship in medicine before switching to dermatology for the three-year program. Most of his time at County was spent in the clinics although he had to consult on inpatients occasionally and spent half a day each week working at the burn unit with the plastic surgeons dealing with skin grafting issues. All in all, he was quite happy with his professional life and looked forward to having his own practice someday.
His personal life, however, was not that exciting since his girlfriend dumped him some six months earlier. He had thought they were doing well together but she apparently found a neurosurgeon to be far more to her liking. Although no promises had been made, he still found himself upset by her leaving him. He broke the lease on his apartment after she left and moved into a small efficiency unit owned by and next to the hospital. He rarely cooked in the tiny kitchenette and relied on cafeteria food for most meals.
Maya was a bright spot in his day. She was a few years younger than him, definitely attractive and seemed to put more into her work than most of the cafeteria workers. She always teased him, called him 'Doctor,' even when he requested she use his name and had a warm smile whenever he came through the line.
A week later she greeted him with an offering of eggs benedict, a week later it was a Mexican breakfast quesadilla, but the next time she offered yet another special, his curiosity got the best of him.
"Doctor, today we are offering a special breakfast of Mexican rice with poached eggs. Can I dish some up for you?"
"Maya! It's Kyle. How many times do I have to say that?"
"Apparently more than you have, Doctor. Interested in the special?"
"Yes, I am. Looks delicious."
"And a cappuccino?"
"You know me well. Ah, who's making these wonderful meals every now and then?"
"I am. I think I have convinced Christine to let me do this once a week. People love them and we're not losing any money. Plus, I like coming up with new ideas."
When Kyle looked around to see no one near them, he leaned over the counter slightly, speaking softly, "Your culinary skills belong in a real restaurant but you need to stay here for another half year, please."
"What happens then?"
"My residency will be done and I won't be here anymore."
"Oh, Doctor, what's good news for you will certainly not be good news for me. I'm sure we'll miss you."
"Thanks, Maya, but it's Kyle. Remember?"
"I'll try to remember, Doctor," she laughed as he turned to leave the cafeteria.
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On one rainy, nasty night, Kyle decided to work on his research project. Although his residency did not require it, he felt doing one might improve his chances of finding a good position after he finished his residency. He was still doing background reading on his chosen topic and needed, even in this day of online journals, to do some library reading. It was late and he knew the hospital library would be deserted, just as he preferred it. He walked from his small apartment over a sky bridge to the hospital, swiped his ID card to open the hospital door and headed for the elevator. After swiping his card again, this time for the elevator, he wondered if 'they' knew everything about him. Certainly, the hospital could track his movements without trouble.
On the deepest basement floor, he swiped his ID to open the library door. He had expected to find no one there and was surprised to see the lights on. They were motion-activated so someone had to be there. He nosed around for a few seconds and other than a book, a few opened magazines and a computer in sleep mode, the place looked empty. He grabbed a bound volume of the journal he needed to review and settled in.
A few minutes later he heard a distant sound of water running before becoming aware of someone behind him.
"Well, Doctor, we meet again," chuckled Maya.
"Oh, Hello, Maya. You studying here tonight?"
"Yeah, well, more like looking for ideas."
"Ideas about what?"
"Recipe ideas. I don't have a computer and I'm tired of trying to read them on my phone. I decided to log on here and look at magazines for a change."
"So, this is where you come up with those great breakfast ideas, huh?"
"Some of them, yeah. What are you doing here?"
"I'm going to be writing a review paper and need some more background info before I start."
"What's it about?"
"Kinda complicated, but I want to review the factors which influence the migration of lymphocytes in the skin of people who have pemphigus vulgaris."
"Wha? That would sound so exciting," she giggled, "If I only knew what you just said."
"Well, lymphocytes are a kind of white blood cell and..."
"What are white blood cells?"
"They fight infection. Part of the immune system."
"Oh. And...?"
"So, I'm going to look at certain factors which..."
"Stop!" she laughed, "I was just teasing you. There is no way I'm going to understand anything you're talking about. You lost me way back at the beginning."
"But it's kinda exciting and I was gonna tell you more."
"Look, I'm a cafeteria worker and can't follow all those details, even though you think it's exciting."
"Yeah, you're right. Uh, so, you're getting more ideas for fancy food you can serve upstairs?"
"Maybe. You know, it isn't as easy as it looks. A top chef may have a few things prepared ahead of time but the final product is usually made to order. Upstairs we can't work that way. We have to prepare things in bulk so my job is to figure out which of these fancy foods we can prepare at the cafeteria."
"Sounds a little more complicated than I thought."
"It is, but not nearly as complicated as vulgar pimples."
"Vulgar pimples?...Oh, you mean pemphigus vulgaris," he laughed, "But if you put me in a stressful kitchen situation, I'd be just as lost as you would be with my research."
"OK, so we need to agree not to bore the other with our job details. Uh, tell me a little about you."
Kyle was generally fairly reserved with strangers but could easily open up with people he had come to know. Somehow Maya was a comfortable person to talk with so he plunged in.
"Grew up in Colorado. Since I am an only child, I joined the scouts where I learned the love of the outdoors. Did well in school, went to college on my parents' dime and then to med school."
"Wow. Kinda expensive, isn't it?"
