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A nurse named Les was seated at the desk, and he shot me a look and said, “You’re really early, by more than an hour”

“I knoanted to read to Oscar Harris in telve before my shift, but he dozed off” There was a copy of the daily schedule on a clipboard, and I reached for it over the high counter that fronted the desk I scanned it and asked, “If Doctor Koenig isn’t on the schedule today, why did I see hiot here?”

“He’s filling in for Doctor Abara He was just supposed to be taking calls, but he came in when I reached out to tell hiic reaction to her new antibiotics”

“Which patient?”

“Lizzy Kim in two-oh-six”

“Is she okay now?”

“Yeah,her every hour around the clock though, to be on the safe side”

Koenig was thorough, no doubt about it In fact, he was great at his job, except for the part that involved having any people skills whatsoever

I actually had a question I wanted to ask him about Oscar’s party, so I headed back to the row of doctors’ offices The whole section was e’s, but at my knock that ever-annoyed voice demanded, “What is it?”

When I opened the door and stepped inside, he stood up quickly and blurted, “What do you want?”

“Relax I just have a question for you”

He narrowed his eyes “What is it?”

“Would it be okay if I brought in cupcakes for Oscar Harris’s birthday next week? I’et them from a bakery, not bake them myself, if that makes a difference I know he doesn’t have any dietary restrictions, but I also know they’re just empty calories, so—”

“No, that’s fine Go ahead” After a pause, he asked suspiciously, “Was there anything else?”