Chapter 97: The Storm Subsides
Sophia strolled out of Emily's office, and a recent photo that Ella had accidentally snapped popped into her head. In the pic, Emily and Joseph were chilling at a café, having breakfast, looking all cozy and natural. Even though it was taken a few days ago, thinking about Emily's "breakfast" today made Sophia wonder, 'Are she and Joseph a thing?' Lost in thought, she found herself at the door of her own therapy room and walked right in.
Her assistant was at the desk and noticed her coming in with a pensive look.
"What’s up? Took you forever to drop off a record sheet. Judging by your face, did something happen?" the assistant asked, curious.
Sophia snapped out of it, realizing she might have seemed a bit out of it. She shook her head, trying to get back to reality, then walked to her chair and sat down with a slight sigh. "It's just those nurses gossiping about Dr. Johnson's breakfast. They were all hyped, saying it was 'boyfriend-made breakfast'. So I reminded them not to get carried away."
The assistant chuckled. "Those nurses love to gossip about everything. Dr. Johnson bringing breakfast turns into a big deal for them."
Sophia shook her head, a bit helpless. "But to be fair, that lunchbox was pretty fancy. No wonder they speculated. Anyway, how's your data organization going?" She switched the topic, asking about the assistant's work.
The assistant nodded. She sensed something else was up, but since Sophia didn't say, she didn't push it.
"I've finished organizing the data and put it on your desk. Now I'm prepping for the afternoon meeting," the assistant replied.
"Thanks," Sophia said with a smile. But she was still thinking about Emily and Joseph. She couldn't figure out why she cared so much about Emily or why she felt relieved seeing that the lunchbox, though fancy, wasn't from a high-end brand or a posh hotel.
She thought for a moment and then decided to stop overthinking, focusing on her work instead. After all, her job was the priority, and she couldn't let these random thoughts mess with her mood and work rhythm.
After composing herself and reviewing the data organized by her assistant, Sophia looked up and said, "The organization is very clear. By the way, how's the prep for the afternoon meeting?"
"Almost done, just a few minor details left. Let me walk you through the process so you can get familiar with it," the assistant answered.
"Sure, go ahead." Sophia nodded.
The assistant then walked over and started detailing the meeting arrangements. Sophia listened closely, gradually pushing her earlier doubts out of her mind.
"Alright, no major issues. Just fine-tune the details, and we can keep rolling." After hearing the assistant's report, Sophia zeroed in on the tasks ahead.
The assistant nodded and went back to her seat, diving into her work.
Meanwhile, over at the nurses' station, the head nurse caught wind of the gossip about Emily's breakfast. With a stern look, she gathered all the nurses together.
Standing at the front desk, the head nurse's face was serious, and her eyes showed a hint of displeasure. The nurses stood around her, heads bowed, looking a bit uneasy. They knew the head nurse had high standards for work attitude and professionalism and wouldn't tolerate any behavior that could tarnish the team's image.
The head nurse glared at them and sternly said, "This is the student health center, a place for medical treatment, not for gossiping!"
Her voice was severe and authoritative. The nurses, heads bowed, stayed silent, regretting their rash behavior.
"Do you know what you're doing?" The head nurse's voice carried clear reproach, not loud but full of deterrence.
She frowned slightly, her eyes sternly scanning the row of nurses.
"As healthcare professionals, our primary responsibility is to care for patients and maintain a professional work attitude at all times. But here you are, gossiping about a colleague's private life, which is extremely unprofessional," The head nurse paused, then continued, "Have you considered that your behavior might hurt Dr. Johnson? Dr. Johnson works diligently and has contributed so much to the student health center, yet you gossip about her behind her back. And don't forget, this is not just a health center, it's a school! Students or parents could pass by at any time. If they hear you gossiping, what will they think? They will question our professionalism and our ability to do our jobs. Have you seriously thought about the negative impact this could have on the school and the health center?"
The nurses, heads bowed, showed expressions of shame. Some even had reddened eyes, realizing their mistake and feeling remorseful. One nurse timidly said, "We know we were wrong. We won't do it again."
Seeing their remorseful expressions, the head nurse sighed deeply, her tone softening a bit. "I know you are young and like to chat and share. But we must maintain professional conduct and respect every colleague's privacy. After all, Dr. Johnson's private life should not be a topic of conversation during work."
The nurses nodded in understanding. Then the head nurse looked at them and continued, "From now on, focus on your work. If I catch you doing this again, it won't just be a simple reprimand, but I will handle it seriously."
"Yes, we understand," the nurses replied in unison, their voices sincere and determined.
The head nurse nodded, signaling them to return to their posts. The nurses immediately dispersed, each busy with their tasks, their actions more swift and focused, clearly having taken the head nurse's words to heart.