Rowan wanted to stare at Lynn and ask her if she were crazy but he simply kept the pleasant smile on his lips as he considered her request. In the back of his head he heard, oddly enough, the song from Oklahoma! where the slutty chick just can't say no. He could say no. Rowan had no problems saying no.
"I'd be glad to."
That wasn't no. Inwardly, he cringed. What was he doing? Being helpful and nice was all well and good but he didn't want to be a department head. It was more meetings and paperwork and bureaucracy and less hands-on patient treatment and diagnosis.
Lynn was beaming at him. "I was hoping that would be the case. There will, of course, be appropriate compensation."
Rowan gritted his teeth. He had more money than he could ever spend in several lifetimes. He wasn't worried about his salary. Why not buy a new MRI machine instead? Could he turn it down without it looking unusual? He held up a finger to forestall Lynn from getting too involved.
"I'll do it until you find someone else suitable."
She opened her mouth to say something but Rowan continued to talk. "I like what I do, Lynn. I like treating patients and working with them and making things better. I know the department needs some leadership, but I don't want the job permanently."
Having already mostly agreed to it Rowan sought a compromise for himself. There were several part time pediatricians on the staff who already looked to him for advice and guidance, since he was there so often. He could fill in, sure. But Lynn shouldn't stop looking for someone who could take on the role permanently.
She sighed at him and Rowan wondered if he'd need to add in a little supernatural assistance, but she finally nodded. "Okay, Rowan, I understand." She shook her head and smiled. "You're good at what you do. I appreciate that you'll do this for us, and I'll keep trying to find someone permanent."
She was all business, though, that was Lynn. "In the meantime, I'd like it if you could sign these and accept the promotion. We can get you started this week; there's a department heads meeting on Friday."
Rowan bit his lip and quietly signed the appropriate forms in his un-doctorly flowing script.
"Excellent," Lynn said. "Oh, and since you are the new acting Head of Pediatrics, I'd really like it if you'd be the speaker for the Halloween benefit in a few weeks."
Rowan laughed inwardly. "The speaker, huh?" Why hadn't he seen that coming, either? Well. He could speak. About, um, things. "What's my topic?"
"The benefit is to raise money for a new pediatric oncology ward, so if you could discuss that, it would be good."
Lynn was sitting at her desk looking like the cat who ate the canary. Rowan shook his head. "Okay, okay. I'll get on it. Is there anything else?"
Bad question. He shouldn't even have given her the opportunity. But, fortunately, Lynn just shook her head and thanked him again leaving him free to go about the rest of his 48-hour stint. He walked out of her office in sort of a daze, trying to get his head back to his cases, which he figured he better enjoy taking care of now. It seemed he'd be cutting back on actual patients soon.
Not watching where he was going he nearly collided with the new receptionist, what was his name, Brand, as they both came around a corner. Rowan reached out and steadied the shorter man.
"Sorry about that, I was woolgathering," he said.
The guy didn't seem to mind, just gave him a smile and waved his hand dismissively. "No worries, I was just looking for you actually. Here."
He gave Rowan a phone message, a question about a patient he'd seen two nights ago. Out of reflex, and because of recent events, Rowan glanced down at the guy's handwriting. Completely different from the poem he'd plucked out of the air a few nights back. He hadn't expected otherwise, but he was keeping his eyes open.
"Thanks," he said, and they both went along their way without further incident.
((ooc: Rowan out))
I'm Just a Girl Who Can't Say No (private)
Rowan poked his head into the blind-covered doorway of his boss's office. "You rang?"
Lynn looked up at him and smiled. A middle-aged woman of about forty or so if Rowan had to guess, she was the quintessential 'modern woman.' She had worked her way up to being the chief administrator for three departments, one of which was Rowan's own, all while holding together a home life that consisted of a husband, two children, a dog, and several goldfish. Yet she never seemed stressed or lackluster. Rowan enjoyed having her as a boss for the most part.
Every once in a while he thought perhaps she pushed a bit too hard. She had asked him to work many double shifts and triple shifts once she knew he had a hard time turning her down. Rowan wasn't really a pushover, he just knew he was capable of helping and couldn't really deny her his time when it was so badly needed.
"Please come in, Dr. Murphy."
Always professional, even when asking him to work yet more hours. It had taken him a good deal more suggestion than usual to get her to bend on his personal dress code. Ethic be damned, Rowan had his own style and refused to work in a suit and tie. Unreasonably impractical for a working doctor, if you asked him, which no one had, but hell with that too. She still wasn't thrilled about his piercings but every time she seemed to want to complain she simply bit her lip. Rowan suspected that might not be entirely his fault... Lynn very likely didn't want to lose her full timer over a trivial matter like earrings and one little nose stud.
Rowan arched his eyebrows and entered the room, curiosity rearing its ugly head. Extra shifts did not come in the form of an invitation to visit Lynn in her office, and as far as he knew no one had a gripe against him. Aside from his one horrific oversight regarding Cris's windows, Rowan was usually punctual to work and his relationships with his co-workers were good.
Easing himself into the chair across from Lynn's desk Rowan leaned back and waited, curious but not terribly concerned. After a few moments of shuffling papers Lynn looked back up at him.
"I know you've only come here recently but I want you to know you've been invaluable to our hospital. I can tell you how much I appreciate your work but even more of an indicator are the countless patients you've helped heal."
Rowan blinked at her. "Ah, thank you. It's my job but I'm happy to do it," he said, wondering where the hell this conversation was going. He didn't really want or need any special attention for doing what he was trained to do. Granted, he generally enjoyed being in the spotlight but, well... not always at work.
Lynn tapped her papers on her desk. "In spite of your relatively recent addition to our family, we've come to rely on you a great deal. I'd like to be able to rely on you more, in fact."
"Is that so? You know I'll be happy to help," Rowan said. How many more hours could they have him work? As it was, he was already considering changing his home address to his tiny office here at the hospital. Wouldn't Cris just adore that.
"That's exactly what I was hoping you'd say." Lynn beamed at him and Rowan felt his heart sink. What had he just almost-but-not-quite agreed to here? Not an extra extra shift?
Lynn continued, unaware of Rowan's reaction as he had kept a pleasant smile on his face. "We badly need a department head of Pediatrics. It's been too long since we had someone capable of filling that role and I think you're capable."
Lynn tilted her head at him and continued to smile. "If you're willing."
Ah, shit.
Rowan Murphy
13 years ago