Welcome back. The journey between two worlds continues.
Chapter 05 – Connection
Seeing her, he felt energized again. He found her and now he only needs to talk to her. Soon he will find out that it will be harder than imagined. For now, he has been reenergized. So much so that even the waiting for another few more hours felt joyful. From time to time, he asked one of the nurses if there was another exit, to make sure he would not miss her just because he was waiting at the wrong door. And then, here she was. For a split second their eyes met. She smiled, and continued walking towards the door.
“Sarah” – said Nathan, forcing himself not to shout and grab her by the hand. But… nothing. No reaction. Not even a little change of her pace. As that name tells her nothing. “Doctor” Nathan said a bit lauder. She stopped and turned.
“Yes?… If you like information of a patience, our colleagues from the nurses’ station can help you”
“No… That’s not it. Please doctor, don’t you recognize me?”
“This is quite bold and new. Hookup line in a hospital. You look decent though” she said without hiding her smile
“Seriously…”
“You need to excuse me now. I really need to go. Have a nice evening.” That’s when he understood that forcing her now would only push her away, and he couldn’t afford that.
Once home, he came up with a plan of “coincidental” encounters. A plan with details that made him imagined a detective saying to him “Teach me sensei!” which made him laugh.
The first step was to gather as much information about Dr. Bannev as he could, without rising any suspicions.
First day with well placed questions to her colleagues and nurses, and through different pretenses, like “her birthday surprise”, “surprise dinner”, “family reunion” and even “surprise registration to The Voice audition”, he was able to gather enough information.
He knew her preferred restaurants, when and where she had her coffee in the morning and how she liked it, the usual way to work and where she prefers to eat and where she sits in the hospital’s cafeteria. With all these in hand, he could finally put his plan into action.
Dr. Olivia Bannev is her name in this world, a name that still cannot resonate with Nathan. Not as Dr. Sarah Thomas. There she’s a psychologist and here she’s a general surgeon. And a good one too. The differences are obvious and yet he couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to Olivia. The same feeling he had with Sarah. He had hoped to find out more about her family and origin, but at least he did find her habits and hobbies.
First, the morning coffee. Olivia likes to take her time each morning, around 5:45, to have a fresh brewed coffee at Madison’s Brew. A small family coffee shop with a very retro atmosphere and quiet jazz in the background. Here she sits at the same high table at the window and enjoys about 30 min of peace. This is her secret. To take her time to recharge before she faces the madness that normally lives in the hospital’s emergency and operation rooms.
Nathan, sitting at the table next to her usual one, was sipping coffee when she came in. He picked up fast the newspaper and starts “reading” it, even though was obviously upside-down. She doesn’t need to order. The barista knows what she wants and starts preparing her coffee as soon as she comes in. She pulled her long overcoat to sit on the tall chair, placed her leather backpack on the chair next to her while watching the early morning sweepers and garbage collectors’ precise movements. Even when the barista placed the coffee on the table, she said softly “Thanks Lidya” but without turning her head.
“I call it “the morning ballet”. And, if you really listen, you can hear the music” Nathan said while folding the paper realizing it was upside-down and hopped she did not saw that.
“Indeed…” she murmured
“Watching them, it gives me a sense of purpose. It reenergizes me in a way. Isn’t it… doctor?” he said, specially pausing before saying “doctor” to be sure she hears him. It worked. She broke her gaze away from the world beyond the glass and looked at him. She even lingers a bit as she tries to remember something but couldn’t. And, without any words, she returned to window gazing.
“If you wonder if we met before, we did. Yesterday. Indeed, not in the most elegant way but…”
“Yes…” she cut him off softly. “I do remember. You tried to hit on me. Classic and weird at the same time.”
“Well… doctor… doctor…” Nathan stumbles to remember her name. “Oh, Bannev. Yes. Dr. Bannev, would you believe is I would say that if you allow me to tell you my story, you might change your mind?”
She didn’t answer. She smoothly cleans her sweeting left hand on the overcoat, and with the other hand picks up the cup and sips the remaining coffee.
“Not a good idea. Don’t you think?” and without waiting an answer, she stood up and left. Just before exiting and without stopping she said, “See you tomorrow, Lidya!”
Nathan wished she could stay longer but he knew that it was time for her to go. However, by his norms, this encounter is marked as successful. He feels happy. Happy enough to believe that her greeting to the barista was also meant for him to her. It didn’t matter if it didn’t. He checked his notes. Today she will be busy with surgeries and later she will have a lecture for the Medical Association. Unfortunately, his presence at either of these places would be too suspicious.
Next morning Nathan arrived before the young barista opened the shop. He waited patiently, bravely enduring the sharp cold air.
“Morning … Lidya. Right?” said with a smile, happy that he remembered her name.
“Yes. Morning” said Lidya with a smile that hides “I know why you are here so early”.
He orders a large coffee, mentioning that there is no rush and then he took a seat at the same table. This time he didn’t even bother to buy a newspaper. “Oh, and a scone please” he said, took a deep breath and started gazing through the window. After a few minutes Lidya came with his order.
“Thank you” he said looking at her smiling.
“Lady doctor will be here any minute” she said slightly mischievous “Enjoy!” she said and left while twisting the round tray.
Although there were just a few minutes of waiting for Dr. Bannev to come it seemed so long that Nathan started to imagine how to take revenge on relativity. “Dr. Bannev… Olivia Bannev… Why do I have this feeling that this name does not fit her at all? Sarah Thomas fits better,” he thinks while time to time was looking at the door, not to miss Olivia’s appearance. “Hair’s shade and style is… different, I guess. Here she’s a surgeon, not a psychologist. She dresses… No idea. Probably somehow different. And yet… I cannot shake the feeling that she’s the same and not a carbon copy…” He was so lost in these thoughts that he didn’t even notice her arrival or when she greeted Lidya. He snapped out when she sat down.
“Morning…” he said rather rushed
“Good morning…” she said extending the “g” while looking at him right in his eyes.
“Oh… Goodness… Nathan. Right! Sorry. Nathan Crossword…” he replied visible embarrassed.
“How’s this morning ballet?” she asks casually following his remark from the previous day.
“As gracious and efficient as yesterday. Except that today there seem to be more early risers than yesterday. Don’t you think doctor?”
“Olivia. Olivia, it’s fine. I have a feeling that we might meet again in the future. And… I don’t know. I didn’t noticed. Maybe there are.” she said, glancing out the window, right before Lidya brought her coffee. “Thanks Lidya”
“Would you like a refill mister?” she asked Nathan. “This must be cold for a while now.” Continued with a light smile
“Aaa… no, thanks. I’m good.” – He replied quickly, glancing at her so as not to give himself away which triggered a radiant smile from her.
“Very well then” said Lidya and left while playfully playing with the tray.
“Tell me… Nathan, considering our first encounter, should I consider these meeting as coincidental or prepare the pepper spray and restriction order type?” said Olivia calmly.
“If I say that are only partially coincidental, will you search for the pepper spray?”
“No need,” she said lifting her hand” It just happen to have it already in my hand.” She continued smiling while under the table she was shaking as she had a spray on her hand. Nathan slowly leaned back, just enough to slide off the chair and nearly fall, which started Olivia’s laughter. A laughter that he knew so well. “Relax Nathan. This is not for you. Not yet at least.” Said smiling and showed him her empty hand
“Nice! Funny. I fel right into that, didn’t I?”
“Pretty much” she replied still openly smiling
They both sat quietly for a few minutes, looking out the window. Nathan looked at his phone and realized that she would leave soon.
“Olivia, is it be OK for me to believe that… someday you will listen to my story?”
“One day? Maybe. I don’t know. What I do know is that it’s time for me to leave. Until next time Nathan!” she said and left. “By Lidya”
“By doctor,” said Lidya then she looked at Nathan and showed him the thumb up.
If all goes as planned, today she would eat around 1PM at the hospital cafeteria. The only problem is that while at work, lunch is not as predictable. Plus, what reason he may invoke for this “coincidental” encounter? The most plausible one would be to have a relative or a friend who was admitted there. But that means having some illness history or something. Plus, she’s an actual doctor and she will spot any inconsistencies from a mile away. If he simply says that he tried his luck, he might look too eager.
The plan sounded simply enough but now everything seems too obvious and too sudden. And the last thing he wanted was to have a taste of her pepper spray. But his desire to see her again was too strong to resist the temptation. So, until the time came, he walked aimlessly in the park. Sometimes he stopped on a bench, watching the ducks and swans or the seniors feeding the pigeons. After a while, he had an empty stomach feeling. He was genuinely hungry, from stress from the meeting’s emotions, or both.
12:35… He will need about 15 min to reach the hospital. Without delay he went straight to the hospital.
Reaching the cafeteria, he almost forgot the main reason of being there. Guided by hunger, he filled up the tray with a bit more than he normally eats, paid and turned around with the tray in hand looking for an empty table. Eventually near the window, as Olivia likes. That’s when he saw her sitting with a colleague, at a window table. The table on her right was empty. He wished to sit with her, but that seemed inappropriate. Luckly, right after Nathan sat down, Olivia’s colleague left. Nathan was stealing glances at Olivia, hoping to be seen. And soon he was seen. She smiled, and with a wrist gesture, invited him at her table.
“How comes that I’m not surprised seeing you here?” she said while Nathan sat down, realizing the contrast between his filled tray and hers.
“If I say I have a friend in this hospital, will you believe me?”
“Not really. Even though I first met you in the emergency lobby, but still… The way you looked at me then tells me there is something else. Maybe that you have something on your mind. Am I right?”
“Yes… I would love to tell you… my story. If you only have the time to spare for met.”
“Yes!” she said happily. “I knew that minor in psychology will pay off someday! Judging by your tray, you are either very hungry, or you took enough to keep you busy until we meet”
“I am hungry, indeed. But I will not negate that I was hoping to see you again” he said while Olivia put her hand in the robe’s pocked making him to stop with the filled fork in the air. “Not the pepper spray please” he said making her laugh
“No. Not yet…” she said playfully, showed him that it was the phone. She listens attentively for a min. “Hm… OK. No, no… It’s risky to increase the dosage. Let the body do its job. Otherwise, he will never recover… OK… Yes, I will pay him a visit later, See you”
In this short time, Nathan finished more than half of what was on the plate.
“So, you are indeed hungry. Enjoy your meal. I’m afraid that I need to go now” she said and before she could stand up, Nathan grabs her hand gently.
“Olivia, would you agree to meet and listen to my story?”
“Later Nathan, later” she said retracting slowly her hand and left, letting him hopeful.
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