people waiting to see a doctor were unsurprisingly diverse. Some were dressed in business attire, while others looked as if they were homeless. No one seemed bothered by the two young men covered in tattoos sitting among them.
From what she’d seen so far the staff was equally diverse. Only one physician was permanent, but they had quite a few volunteer specialists on rotation. There were also two full-time registered nurses, a physician’s assistant and student nurses from the nearby hospital who came and went in order to accrue hours and experience. The same with medical students, although they were fewer in number. At least that was what it had said on the Moss Street Clinic website.
Lisa turned her attention to the African-American woman sitting beside her. Her eyes were sharp as they lit on every person in the room. Her tight lips, the small disapproving shakes of her head and her expressive eyebrows hid nothing.
Lisa figured if anyone knew the dirt on Dr. Cassidy, it would be her observant seat mate. “Excuse me,” Lisa said. “I’m new to the clinic. Do you know anything about Dr. Cassidy?”
The woman turned to look at Lisa. She’d expected to get the once-over from her, but it still felt intrusive. “Why you askin’?”
“I’ve come to see him. For an exam.”
“You mean a test? You one of them student doctors from Lincoln?”
“No. A patient.”
Leaning back, the woman took in as much of Lisa as she could. “You don’t look like nothin’s wrong. You from the tabloids?”
“Uh, no. Why? Are the tabloids interested in Dr. Cassidy?”
“How should I know? What’s your name?”
“Lisa Pine,” she said, surprised when her mother’s maiden name popped out. There was really no reason for her to use an alias. Though she kind of liked the idea. “And you are?”
The answer didn’t come quickly. But finally she said, “Mrs. Alexis Washington.”
Lisa held out her hand. “Nice to meet you. It’s scary coming to a new place when you don’t know anyone.”
Mrs. Washington hesitated again, but eventually took Lisa’s hand. “Where you live at?”
“I’m staying at the Days Inn by Yankee Stadium. Just for a while, though. I would have gone to Lincoln Hospital, but I heard someone talking about Dr. Cassidy. They said he’s a neurologist. A really good one. And since I don’t have any insurance...”
“You ask me, you come to the right place. I ain’t been seen by Dr. Cassidy myself, but my neighbor Iris, she did. Said he was real nice. Listened to everything she told him. Didn’t cut her off, or work on something else while she was talking, you know what I mean?”
“I do,” Lisa said. “It’s so difficult now. No doctors want to listen. They just want you in and out, don’t forget to pay when you leave.”
Mrs. Washington laughed, and it was as if Lisa had been given a seal of approval. “You got that right.” Then she leaned in closer and lowered her voice. “You’re real pretty. You got something going on with one of them Yankees?”
It took Lisa a moment to make the connection to the Days Inn near the stadium. “No, Mrs. Washington. I don’t. I’m single. No job. And a whole lot of headaches.”
“Okay, now Iris, she came to see him because she was getting dizzy all the time. Almost fell over at the Burger King on Grand Concourse. Had to sit down. They gave her some ice water. Then she came straight here. Dr. Cassidy sent her over to get a CT scan—you know that’s serious business—and they took her blood. They said she got some kind of disease that make you dizzy, and there ain’t much to do ’bout it. But she’s okay most the time.”
“Sounds like he’s a good doctor.”
“Oh, yeah. You know, he don’t get paid. Someone told me but I can’t remember who. Not the woman who helps run the place, though. Eve is her name and she works for his daddy or his brother or somethin’. She been comin’ down here to volunteer for a few years now, but she keeps her mouth shut, especially when it comes to Dr. Cassidy. He came a couple months back. I can’t remember when. Too many things I got to worry ’bout in my own life.”
Lisa nodded. “I hope you’re not here for anything serious.”
“Me, I’m fine. Strong as an ox. I’m here with my grandson.” She glanced over to the corner where there was a small space for kids to play with books and toys. “Spider-Man today. All this year, pretty much. Here for a vaccination.”
“Grandson? Wow, you don’t look old enough to have grandchildren.”
“I had ’em too young and they had ’em too young.” Mrs. Washington leaned closer again, clearly pleased at the compliment. “They all nice here, for the most part. They don’t have all that fancy equipment like in Manhattan, but if something bad happens with your headaches? They’ll help find a way to get you right.”
“Thank you. That makes me feel much better.” Lisa reached into her purse and pulled out her cell phone. “Ah, it’s my brother. Would you excuse me?” She stood and walked to a relatively quiet corner near the watercooler.
Logan hadn’t actually called, but she wanted to get more than one opinion on Dr. Cassidy. She decided to focus on the staff next. There was a line at the reception desk, and the poor guy behind the counter had to answer the phones in between fielding questions. Lisa didn’t mind waiting. From where she stood she could see down the hall toward the examination rooms. Occasionally, someone in scrubs or in a lab coat would appear and then enter another room. She’d hoped for a peek at Dr. Cassidy but hadn’t had any luck so far. She would’ve known him right away...
“Can I help you?”
Lisa turned back to the reception desk. “I’m—”
Loud shouting pulled her attention back to the waiting room where two men were almost down each other’s throats screaming so furiously she couldn’t make out a word they said.
The receptionist rushed around the desk. “Volunteering?” he asked, and she nodded without thinking. “Third door down the hall.” Then he was gone, along with two other staff members, to stop the escalating fight.
Lisa started to follow them and had to stop herself. The instinct to help wasn’t something she could easily ignore. But she had no business getting involved. When one of the men shoved the other, one of the nurses whistled so loudly, it could have been heard in Brooklyn. The electric danger in the air mellowed.
She sighed as she did an about-face. Why couldn’t she get it through her thick skull that she wasn’t a cop anymore? Her job now was to be invisible. Minor altercations probably happened all the time in a place like this. They were handling the situation just fine.
The receptionist had mistaken her for a volunteer, which was perfect. Something she should’ve thought of herself.
She hurried down the long green hallway, saw two doors and entered the one that was open. It looked more like an exam room than an office, but there were three tall filing cabinets in the back, so they probably talked to potential volunteers in whatever room was free. On the wall,
