𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐨𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 (𝟏𝟖+) 𝐎𝐍𝐆𝐎𝐈𝐍𝐆 ✎

Chapter 4

The tranquillity of the quiet library is something I've desperately missed, it certainly beats the busyness of the hospital and the noisy machines I was hooked up to for weeks. It's still early in the afternoon, the only people here are seniors or parents with children that are still too young to be in school. It's just another peaceful day here.

"Julia, can you sign this off for me?" Malia asks, breaking my train of thought as she steps into my office and hands me a few pieces of paper.

"The new shipment is finally here? They're late," I comment as I sign off on the delivery papers.

"They said there was an accident on the way here and they were stuck in traffic," she replies as I hand them back to her.

"I hope whoever was in the accident is okay," I say as I follow her from my office to the conference room where a pile of boxes awaits us. A blonde-haired man is checking somethings off on his tablet but when he sees the two of us his eyes practically light up.

"Well look who it is, Julia Arelli in the flesh. It's good to see you again, I heard from Malia here you weren't well for some time," the delivery man Lucien says joyously as he moves to give me a quick hug.

"It's good to see you too Lucien," I reply as I hug him back. "I'm still in recovery mode but I'm just taking it one day at a time," I say as we let go of one another and he moves over to Malia slinging an arm over her shoulder while she gives him a soft smile. Lucien was an acquaintance when I first started working here after university as our local delivery man but when Malia joined us two years ago, he turned from being a face we saw every so often to at least three to four times a week.

It's been a year since Lucien tried winning over Malia and she made it hard for him, making sure that he was serious and not looking for a quick fuck. But when she saw that he was being genuine in his feelings she decided to give him a chance and even when she gushes about him when she brings him up, it's plain to see that she doesn't regret giving him a chance. One day I want to be like her, having a happy and healthy relationship, the thoughts of my previous one going through my mind but then the image changes as a figure in a doctor's coat pops up replacing the image. Let's not go there Julia, no matter how sexy or hot you find him. He's your benefactor after all.

"So long as you're taking it easy and following your doctor's orders your recovery should go well," he answers. Well, I am following the doctor's order, got my own personal doctor at this point to make sure I do.

"Let's start bringing these to the back office," I tell him. "We'll be going through this shipment tomorrow but for now you should probably head back to the front desk. You'll have plenty of time to see your man later," I tease Malia and she smacks my arm jokingly as I walk past them back to my office.

"Your phone's been ringing for the past couple of minutes Julia," Ross calls out from his office as I walk by. "Seems like they're pretty persistent." Someone calling me numerous times? If it's not work-related then it's absolutely about Jade and if it's her school then it's nothing good. My ears pick up the sound of my phone ringing and my stride hastens so I don't miss the call again. I pick it up from my desk,  glancing at the screen and seeing it's Jade's school before answering.

"Is this Jade's mother Julia Arelli?" a female's voice questions through the phone.

"Yes, this is her speaking," I reply as I go to grab my jacket and my wallet plus keys from my bag.

"We wanted to inform you of an incident during the afternoon recess. There was a woman here at the school during recess standing at the fence and trying to engage your daughter into talking to her, she called her by name. Thankfully your daughter ignored her but the woman continued to be persistent and her friends took her away from there. The saving grace in this situation is that one of your daughter's friends brought, although it's not allowed, her phone to school to show to her friends and she took a picture of the woman before they left that area. Although recess was a while ago the girls just informed their teacher right now of the situation," the secretary tells me. What the fuck? A random woman coming to the school who knows Jade by name? "We wanted you to come in so we could talk about possible next steps for this situation and if you could identify the woman."