CONVERSATIONS
Dane was working on a chart when one of the nurses walked up to him and told him that he had a visitor waiting for him in the cafeteria. He thanked her and gave the chart to the nurse at the triage desk giving her instructions for the patient on the chart. He put his own neatly into the pocket on his coat and began walking to the cafeteria. His mind kept trying to search who could possibly come to see him at work. He knew it couldn't be his ex-wife Shannon because she had made it clear that she didn't want to see him anymore. Dane didn't blame her for how their marriage ended but he wasn't happy about it either. He and Shannon had gotten married in his early years of residency. She was working as a librarian at the time at the public library and had just graduated college. He knew that she was in love with him and that was why she moved three states to marry him and start a new life. She had left her family and a life that she knew so well when she moved to Lanefield to marry him. Shannon's mother never wanted her to marry a doctor because she didn't like the long hours the job required. She felt that her daughter was a woman who needed constant attention and quality time all of which she never thought Dane would be able to give.
She wasn't wrong because Dane at the time was super focused on work and achieving his dreams that he thought Shannon would understand and put her emotional needs aside. Dane was the first in his family to graduate college. He was used to pushing barriers since he made up his mind at a young age that he would not end up like everyone else in his family. Shannon came at a time where he simply thought that he could do both marriage and his demanding job at the same time. But he had little experience with managing anyone but himself. He chose his work constantly over his marriage and didn't consider Shannon's feelings. Over the years, the inevitable finally happened and she filed for divorce. The eye opener for Shannon as she claimed in court was when she had gone into premature labour at six months. She had called Dane repeatedly and left dozens of messages for him but his cell phone but his number kept going straight to voicemail. She went through the horror of premature labour alone and lost the child. Dane agreed to seeing her calls but he didn't pick up because he felt he could call her back and she would understand that he was at work. Shannon couldn't come back from those words as she felt that he didn't prioritize her or care about raising a family. She called him selfish and that he loved his job more than he did her. Dane thought at the time that she didn't understand him and why he needed to be so committed to his job. But he soon realized that any good marriage thrives on communication, love and commitment. All of which he never gave or shared throughout the time he was married to Shannon. Three years later, he had realised how difficult it was to find a beautiful and committed woman who would be willing to support his dreams. He knew he could have done better but he realised it all too late. It was all in the past now, he was still hurting but he was learning to let it go.
Dane stepped into the cafeteria and recognized the shiny blue hat that rested well on a middle aged man with black hair. His cheeks bore a large scare that drew a horizontal line across his face. And his hands were large with his long fingers curled across the mug of coffee in his hands. Excitement brewed in Dane's stomach as rushed to the table where the man was seated. It was his long time friend and lawyer, Taylor. Taylor and Dane had been childhood friends and spent most of their life together until it was for them to go to college. Both of them had chosen different specialities and got accepted into different schools even though they wanted to both attend the same college. They had practically become brothers. Taylor had lived with Dane's family for a few years after he lost his parents and that further strengthened their relationship. It was Taylor's determination and commitment that made Dane decide to want to make something out of his own life. "Tay, is that you?" Dane asked as he looked at his long time friend in amusement. Taylor chuckled and gave him a big hug. It was a happy reunion as the duo hadn't seen much of each other since Dane got a job at Lanefield Memorial. After college, Taylor had gotten a job at a top Law firm in Southern California and Dane got his residency spot at Lanefield. They had a few times where they would catch up over the phone but they hadn't seen each other in years. After exchanging pleasantries they both sat down still beaming with smiles and excitement. Dane ordered a cup of coffee and settled in to enjoy Taylor's company. "It's so great to see you Tay. What the hell are you doing here man? It's a long way from SC you know" The smile on Dane's face hadn't worn off as he spoke.
"Yeah you're right. I mean it's been a hell of a journey in SC man. I mean the law firm is great, no trouble there. But I got a notification last month that I was being transferred. And guess who now works at Thorne's and Breach's Law firm?" Taylor asked with his hands hanging in the air to show his excitement. "Wow, that's a good one man. You're going to love it here, that I can tell you". Dane said as he sipped his coffee. "Yeah it is. The firm is sorting out accommodation and a few other modalities. I think it's a great opportunity to work in a different place. You know somewhere different from a place I've known all my life. I would say that it's something I've been waiting for. I just didn't know it would be Lanefield. But you know, when I saw that I was coming here, I was like mennn, I get to see my brother and friend. I'm so happy to be here, man." Taylor's face was beaming with smiles as he spoke. "I'm glad you're here too man. So where are you staying?" Dane asked. "Cherry and Fawn." Taylor replied, wondering if that was far from where Dane lived. "Oh I see, that's about thirty minutes from my house, but what's thirty minutes compared to hours away from here. I'm sure we can make thirty minutes work" Both men burst into laughter. "Yeah sure thirty minutes is a whole lot better than miles and miles away" Taylor replied. "Now enough about me. What's going on with you bro? Tell me everything. Don't leave any single detail out. Taylor was nibbling on his chocolate cookies as he spoke making it obvious that he was chewing as he spoke. " There's nothing much man. It has just been work and work and more work. You know how the job is. It can be crazy out here" Dane replied.
"I'm sorry about that. How have you been since the divorce? That must have been really hard" Taylor had dropped his chocolate cookies and now had his hands tucked into each other as his arms rested in his thighs. Dane's countenance fell as Taylor mentioned his ex-wife. "It's been hard man. You don't quite realize what a good thing you have until you lose it. She deserves someone that would love her and prioritize her. I can't stop her from having that. I just had to sign the papers" Dane replied. Taylor could feel the sadness in his voice so he decided to change the subject. "I'm so sorry D. But hey, we don't have to talk about that. Let's talk about something else" Dane's spirits were lifted immediately Taylor offered to change the subject. So he leaned back into his seat and gave a faint smile, waiting for the discussion Taylor would bring up. A part of him knew it was still going to be about women but at least, it wasn't going to be related to his ex-wife. "So any mystery woman in the picture?" Taylor asked, sipping his coffee and wearing a mischievous grin on his face. Dane chuckled so hard at Taylor's question that his cheeks began to hurt. "Really man? What is it with you and the women?" Dane asked, trying to wipe the smile off his face. Taylor simply shrugged his shoulders and smiled. "What can I say brother? I love women. So tell me what's up?" Taylor pressed further.
"Well, it's strange but there's this woman who came in here last week. She bruised all over from her husband hitting her and she had passed out from the pain" Dane's voice was filled with pity at this point. "That's pretty awful, man" Taylor added but didn't say anything more so that Dane could finish talking. " I never date my patients no matter how hot they look. But I couldn't just explain the connection I felt with her Tay. Turns out she had signed this pretty bad prenuptial agreement that required her to have a child within a year. That wasn't happening soon and her husband was furious and hit her so badly that she landed her at Lanefield Memorial. She's beautiful Tay, more than that her voice is the sweetest thing I've ever heard in my life. I don't know if she felt the connection too but she seemed to me like an angel. I think I may have done something stupid though. I offered to be her sperm donor so she could have a child. Maybe her husband would stop hitting her when he learns she's pregnant. I offered to help with an IVF procedure since her husband wouldn't agree to a sperm donation. Man,I don't even get why I'm attracted to her" Dane was expecting a judgemental expression on his friends face, he didn't find one but Tay did express his shock in his words. " Dane, this has got to be a joke right? You do realize that you could be getting yourself into a serious mess by choosing to do this? I mean that child would be your child. I do hope you know that? Besides, there are certain legal procedures for things like this. Do you have a death wish?" Taylor was trying to show how concerned he was but he was trying to keep his voice down. So, he used more of his hands and body to gesticulate, making him look like a spring toy bouncing up and down. Dane looked at him wondering if he should drop the last bombshell on him or not. Well, he was his brother, it was now or never. "That's not the worst part man. Her husband is Tyler Sinead" Dane said . Taylor lost it at this point. He stood up paced a bit with his hands on his head. He finally walked back to the table and let his hands rest on them. " Man are you crazy?" Taylor's voice was so loud that the entire cafeteria went silent. Dane motioned with his hands to get him to calm down and lower his voice. Taylor eventually agreed and sat at the table but he kept talking this time in hushed tones. "You know what D? I'm convinced you have a death wish. Tyler Sinead will kill you" " I haven't figured it out. She hasn't even agreed to it" Dane replied. " Well she better not agree cause I'm not ready to roll your skinny ass into a casket" Taylor replied, pointing his fingers in Tyler's face. "That's not going to happen man" Dane replied . "Well,I hope you are and I pray that you know what you're doing D. Tyler Sinead is not a man you mess with" Taylor replied. Dane simply nodded his head in agreement. He knew deep down that Taylor was right