This is a three-part Romance story that slowly unwinds. I can barely apply a band-aid, so take zero medical advice from this story. Everyone having sex is at least 18. This is a work of fiction; I made it all up. Check reality at the door and enjoy it for what it is, a fun story. Special thanks to rancher46 and RF-Fast for editing my story and improving it.
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Chapter 1 -- Job Hunting
Molly tells Kate, "Kate, wake up; you got a live one."
My head is on my hands as I rest my eyes. I'm bored. I open my eyes and see a nice pair of men's slacks on a thin body. Possibly a bit too thin. This must be a teen. My eyes slowly look up, and the body is in excellent condition. He's no body builder, but he's athletic with broad shoulders. I continue looking up, and he's clean-shaven.
Seeing his eyes, this is a man. Oh my. He is handsome. I want this man. Is he a patient? He isn't leaking blood, doesn't look sick, isn't holding a body part. Oh my, what a rugged face. He reminds me of a classic lumberjack or a magazine model with jet-black hair styled and short. Is he military?
Why is this stranger standing at the front desk of the ER in Ness City, Kansas? This city only has 1,200 residents, and I know most of them. The main highway is far to the north. You don't just end up here.
I smile at this man, "Hello. Welcome to Ness County Hospital. How may I help you?"
The man is nervous, "Um. I'm looking for a job."
Oh wow. Soft-spoken and courteous. He seems surprisingly cautious like I might bite. It's been a quiet day, so I indulge myself. This is the ER front desk, not HR. We would be busy with farm accidents if this were planting or harvesting season. They still happen, but we see a far higher number of injuries at those times of the year because they rush to get seeds in the ground or harvest products for sale. Timing is critical for both tasks.
I ask, "Do you have the qualifications to work in the ER?"
At the time, I didn't think his answer was odd. Yet I would wonder for days later.
He replies to me, "I don't want to work in the ER."
DAMMIT. Why can't I get a good-looking guy down here?
I open my browser, bring up our HR portal, and look for jobs.
I suggest, "There are several nursing positions available. Are you qualified?"
Again, his answer was correct, yet I would later think hard about it.
The man timidly says, "I'm not certified."
That told me he has some medical training.
I ask, "There are two open positions for medical coders. Do you know your CPT codes?"
The shy man actually smiled, "Yes, I know about Current Procedural Terminology codes. I'm rusty, but I can do that job."
I pick up my phone and call Tala, my friend in HR.
Tala answers, "Hi Kate, what's up?"
It's too bad she can't see my smile, "Hi, Tala. Are you still looking for a Level 1 Billing Coder?"
Tala laughs, "Sure! What, did you just grow one for me?"
I giggle, "No, he just popped in down here. Shall I bring him your way?"
Tala laughs, "NO! If you want to deliver him, he must be handsome. I will allow you to stare at him a bit longer. Walking will allow me to perform a test. I'll be right there."
I tell the ruggedly good-looking man, "Tala is from HR. She will be down in a few minutes. You can have a seat over there, please."
He sat exactly where I pointed out without any protest, leaving me with a great view. I wonder what makes this man so timid. No. Not timid, he's sad. Depressed? Maybe. A whole lot is going on with this guy.
Chapter 2 -- HR
Tala's point of view:
Because we serve such a large area, we are a larger hospital than average in western Kansas. The city population is 1200, but farmers, migrant workers, and smaller towns come to us from hours away. We have several specialists that other hospitals don't have, including an exceptional surgeon. It takes several minutes of walking to enter the ER waiting room.
There is one man in the room. He is handsome, athletic, well maintained, and I don't know him. What the hell is he doing in Ness? I don't care; he's mine.
I walk up to the man, stick out my hand, and introduce myself, "Hi. I'm Tala Carter."
The man stands up and towers over me, "Peter Chapman, mam."
I instruct him, "If you follow me, I will take you back to HR, where we can talk privately."
I start walking with what I call a "nurses walk." Every nurse I know walks about twice the average pace as any other person alive. I can now match them. I test nurses by walking fast to see if they can keep up. I take off briskly to see if he can keep up. Being a guy, he won't be able to. I want his eyes glued on my ass.
This man has worked in a hospital before. He keeps up with me with no effort at all. I'm practically sucking air, and to him, it's effortless. Fuck him.
I'm opening the door to HR in no time, and we use conference room #1. We only have one conference room.
On the desk is a standard job application. While I'm checking out his application, he fills out a simple one-page test about CPT codes. He doesn't list any advanced education, certifications, or training. He only lists grade school, high school, and the University of Kansas Pre-med.
One look, and I know he aced the test. Surgery is the hardest to bill; I want to test him.
I ask Peter, "What codes might be typical for a heart attack?"
Peter asks, "You need to be more specific. Are you talking a blah, blah, blah, or a blah, blah?"
I have no idea what he just said.
I think my reply is killer, "How about the first one?"
He smiles at me, "It had more words?" I look sick and nod yes.
He smiles for the first time and then spends two minutes explaining the difference and the standard codes used. I have no idea if he's right or wrong.