Memory Lane

8th December (Tuesday) - I counted the days from September. It has been more than four months since I assisted Dr So-and-So. Was it that long? As I was preparing the new appointment book (finally got it for around MYR 30, so worth it), drawing lines and filling in the public holidays, it got me thinking back to the first day we met.
I had never seen him before from my first day. The only thing I knew about him was when I went to the first floor to get something after a month or so, I saw a big sign with his name that says he's shifted to the Fifth floor. I got a good look at his previous room. (I say room, because currently he's allocated in a suite) It's really small, and there's no places for nurses to sit, like one doctor whom I assisted (I had to sit by the doctor's table because there's no other places to sit). And it's really cramp because there are three people sharing, all of different specialty. I asked the girls there how do they manage it, and their answer was, "Imagine all three asking you to shift their desk, and all of them have different times and stuff that you need to arrange." Oh boy, I really can't imagine that. No wonder why he shifted upstairs. His suite is definitely a big improvement, with a proper nurse's desk and with a bigger room for doctors. Oh joy. :D
When I first came up, armed with appointment book and MC in hand, the first thing that came to my mind was he must've really liked paintings. Because everywhere I looked, it's all paintings, mainly from Thailand and his certs and qualifications. He has a lot of them, I doubled check his specialty and it says mainly he's a Spine consultant, but it also wrote Orthopaedic and Trauma. Wow, previously before I came up to him, I assisted a pure Spine surgeon together with his PA. 2 weeks after I assisted them, I was tasked to him. Thank you to the kind PA who taught me the tricks of handling a clinic.
When we first met, he seemed strict and serious-looking. The first thing he said to me was, "They gave me such a young girl? How innocent-looking you are." Yep, God knows how I look innocent.
Let's just say for a month plus I never talked to him, and vice versa. It was his regular customers, the one who had stuck by him for more than 10 years who encouraged me to talk to him. "He's a very nice man. Cute, you should try talking to him. He won't bite." It was these words that spurred me to talk to him. And she was right. Once I started opening up to him, he did the same. He really is nice, and he never raises his voice. If you do wrong, he just go hmph, but never says much. He reminds me a little of myself. Quiet, not the type to open up too much. I can see why most people are afraid to talk to him. But that's how I find myself acting as the middle person. Doctor <-> Nurse <-> Patient / Vendors
So yes, I get to know him better, and he knows all about my depression issues (The psychiatric office is just next to his) since I often have to leave the clinic for a while since the psychiatrist is only in the mornings. He was okay with it and often whenever I come back from my appointed sessions, he'll ask me whether I'm okay or whether do I need to take a break. But compared to the mess I was in last time, this is nothing.
As I prepare to go for a few days leave to relieve my stress, he wished me luck and told me to take it easy, although he made a joke, "Who's going to take care of me when you're gone?" I told him that other girls will take my place until I come back, and that he'll be fine. I settled all the appointments and OT cases and his clinic blockings, so he should be fine. The one thing that I'm not done yet is the new appointment book, which I'm only half way. Well, it could wait. ;)