Melissa Finds Her Soulmate

Mel was now able to spend more time at the hospital and having taken more units of study found herself assigned to theatres. Her competence was noted by the surgeons operating there each day and they missed her on her days off and sought her to assist when she was available. Dr. Philip Hansen the orthopaedic surgeon was particularly impressed with her, and he realized it was not just because of her competence in theatre nursing. His wife Bettina had been dead for two years now leaving him with two children very young to care for. She’d been involved with an accident while visiting her brother’s family and died on the way to A&E in the ambulance.

 He’d had to rely on his mother and sister to take turns to see the children were adequately cared for and recently his mother had confessed she was finding it hard to deal with the children as she had been diagnosed with a nerve condition slowly affecting her legs and found it difficult to move around now. She was in the process of surrendering her driver’s licence as she was unable to feel the control pedals on the car and feared she too could find herself in an accident like her daughter the family was still grieving over. This only left his sister, and she had a family of her own to consider. Should he hire a nanny for the children. He hesitated to do that. What about his duty to be a father to his children as they grew up.

Dr. Hansen was used to the personal grief he’d suffered each time an accident patient had been lost on the table because their injuries were too severe so had to harden himself against grief over time working as a surgeon. However, the loss of his wife had been different and despite that hardening process a surgeon has to go through just to survive the job the loss of his wife had hit him hard for a while until he summoned all the internal strength he could muster to not be a danger to his patients as he operated. He was now at the point where he could control his grief and, in its place, there was this desperate loneliness to deal with and worry for the future of his children with him on call so much. His wife had been a nurse so understood when her husband came home seeking comfort after losing a patient as she felt the same if a patient died on her ward. Only one on the front line in the health care industry could understand that feeling and be a comfort to each other in marriage. He saw the compassion Mel showed to her patients putting them at ease before the anaesthetic too affect if they were conscious on arrival at the hospital. She reminded him of his wife as he noted Mel’s skill in the theatre and concern for each patient. Perhaps he could share his frustrations after an unsuccessful surgery as she’d understand.

He’d been thinking about this possibility of a meeting of minds with Mel and one day after a successful operation as he went into scrubs before changing into his interview clothes for time in his medical specialist clinic attached to the hospital he came to a decision. He knew Mel would be in the same operating room supervising clean up to prepare for the next operation scheduled and she’d be coming off duty after that so phoned his office and asked his receptionist to reschedule appointments for the afternoon and find a time when he could meet with scheduled patients again even if it meant he’d have to take them after hours. Then he waited impatiently for Mel to appear from that operating theatre. She eventually emerged with the other theatre nurses, and he stepped forward to intercept asking if he could talk with her. She said goodbye to the other nurses and went to him wondering if she’d done something wrong in surgery.  Philip Hansen shifted uneasily on his feet and Mel trained to watch the body language of patients under her care became even more alarmed.

“Nurse Williams, I wonder if you have time to talk with me this afternoon as I know it’s the end of your duty time and am anxious to get home to your daughter. Perhaps if it’s convenient to you, we could have coffee in the cafeteria, and I promise to not keep you long.”

Mel was still alarmed the doctor in charge would want to talk with her and thought of all the possible things she could have done by mistake in surgery. She nodded and they moved to the cafeteria. Philip Hansen took out the chair so Mel could sit, and she nodded appreciating his courtesy. He then took his seat opposite her and stared at the table before speaking feeling Mel would quickly reject what he was about to propose.

“May I call you Mel and in informal settings like this I’d like you to call me Philip if you’d feel free to do that. I’ve been watching you Mel and you have all the qualities that make you high in my estimation not only because of your professionalism but also because of your empathy with patients. That in my thinking is the markings of a wonderful human being. You are pleasant with everyone even though you know how to show you’re in charge. As you know my wife died in a tragic accident two years ago and I’m struggling. I know you were deserted by that evil fellow called Gary Williams so can relate in some way to feelings of loss though yours was because the one who left is still alive and my loss was one of another kind of tragedy. I think you can understand the pressures medical personnel at the level we are at feel whenever we lose and I’ve been so at a loss to find someone who understands what we face as those involved in theatres when there is loss. I have no one to debrief with now and there’s no point in going to a counsellor as they’d not understand how we feel with loss in our profession. I know this is a lot to ask but could I call on you for help when I feel I can’t deal with the pressures this job produces. I can’t think of anyone else to ask and I know you have a full program with your own work.”

Mel let out a sigh of relief. She was not in trouble.

“Dr Hansen, sorry Philip, I don’t know if you’re aware of it but I’m a qualified counsellor as well as theatre nurse so that means I do understand and would be very happy to help you when you feel the need and it would be a professional courtesy which would not cost you anything and I’d make time for you anytime you feel you need help as it’s important to keep you going because of your value to hospital. You have been very gracious to consider me when struggling as I have the highest regards for you and am sorry for your home situation. I have responsibilities this afternoon and need to get home but if you want to come to the Williams mansion this evening, I’d be happy to receive you. Better still, you can bring your children, and they can play with my Liz while we talk.”

Philip Hansen stared at her and then responded.

“Melissa that is such a generous offer. What time can I come this evening?”

  Dr Philip Hansen arrived at the specified time that evening with his two young children who were overawed as they were ushered into this impressive mansion. They stayed close to their father in this unfamiliar location and were shy when introduced to Melissa and her daughter Liz. But they warmed to this place very quickly when Mel took the three children to the playroom and showed them all the toys and instructed her daughter to let the children play with anything they wished and not to be jealous. Liz was glad to have the company of friends it was like having preschool in the evening and she hoped her new friends Teddy and June would be coming every evening from then on. Mel asked the nurse to keep watch over them and see Liz was not mean with her toys and the nurse settled in to supervise.

She then returned to the lounge to find Philip gazing around at the opulence of his surrounds.  Mel laughed as she came back into the room and saw the obvious admiration of what the doctor was observing. They chatted about work for a while and Mel put on her counsellor hat and drew out of the doctor the issues he struggled with in his life. She soon discovered the main issue was loneliness. He’d been used to sharing his day and debriefing after a difficult operation gone wrong and now there was no one who understood what he had to deal with, so it lay festering in his mind. He was concerned there was no mother figure for his children. His mother was now unable health wise to help and his sister had her own family to care for, and it was hard for her to do that and accommodate him. She further drew out of him he understood that from his own training but giving advice to patients was quite different to receiving advice from others but he was quite relaxed in pouring out what was eating him up inside to someone who understood and shared in much the same experiences.

Then to her surprise Mel started to pour out her own frustrations with injustices she’d had to bear with her husband’s lack of love and betrayal. The embarrassment of being bugged in the home by the FBI and watched wherever she went until her ex-husband was found to face the music. The anxiety of having to deal with a large mortgage and eventually sell her home wondering if she’d get any money out of that sale as the wife of a felon. The difficulty of bringing up a child without a partner to offer financial and emotional support. Then she realized what she’d just done and sat in shock.

She was supposed to be helping this doctor deal with his own issues and now she saw him sitting processing what she’d just said and looking sympathetic but she detected something else in his eyes and suddenly realized he was there not only to debrief with a professional friend but to try and establish a relationship with her to fill his need.  She thought of the pleasure she felt when he requested her to assist in theatre when he operated rather than one of the other theatre nurse supervisors. She’d developed a deep admiration for this man but was it only admiration.

Philip Hansen sat thinking. He’d felt attracted to this woman before but now he felt protective and wanted to help her through her issues. He moved over to where she sat opposite and put his hand on her shoulder and she knew he had no other motive than to share his sympathy. She felt electricity pass through her as his hand rested on her shoulder. He spoke softly.

“I’m so sorry to have unburdened myself on you Melissa when you have such a lot on your plate to deal with. Perhaps I should go and am sorry to have put you through these memories again.”

Mel stood in alarm. She didn’t want him to go now not after the feeling his touch on her shoulder had given her. She felt safe, she felt needed and she hoped she hadn’t misinterpreted the look she’d seen in his eyes. She spoke.

“I need a hug Phil.”

Phil quickly wrapped his arms around her and they stood together. Slowly she wound her arms around him in return and whispered.

“I saw what I think you were communicating with your eyes Phil. Am I misinterpreting? I hope not because this hug feels like what I need to solve all my problems. Talking is good but sometimes that isn’t enough. But are you over grieving for your wife as that could be an issue. Remembering is natural and acceptable but to be a second-class substitute is not going to satisfy either of us, is it?”

Philip tightened his grip on Mel and she responded in kind.

“Mel you rightly interpreted what I thought I was hiding but my eyes obviously betrayed me. I came here tonight hoping that I could begin establishing a relationship with you, but it looks like we already have one and while I’ll always remember my wife fondly my love would be exclusively for you if you’d accept me. I just want to be with you now if you’ll accept me.”

Mel nodded and they stood holding each other a while longer but then she pushed him away.

“You have surgeries tomorrow, so you better take the children home as it’s getting to be about their bedtime. Just to make sure I’ve not been dreaming about what happened this evening do you want to ask me something before you go?”

“Melissa Williams, would you make me the happiest man in the world and marry me?”

“I’d be the happiest woman in the world to marry you Philip Hansen and to change my name to Melissa Hansen and love your children as my own. Let’s just get a marriage licence and a ring as soon as possible so we can be together and help each other deal with what life throws at us. I’m going to be so happy to be your wife.”

Phil bent down and kissed Melissa on the forehead and Mel protested.

“That’s the way you treat your future wife. I think you can do better!”

Phil didn’t need a second invitation and eventually Mel pushed away to get some air and told him it was time for him to collect the children and go. She expected him back every evening he was off work and suggested he and the children should move into the Williams mansion where a nurse could care for children’s needs from now on while they were on duty. That would solve Phil’s concern for his children’s needs now his mother and sister were struggling to help him. She’d see the proper space was set aside in the mansion to care for their combined needs now and knew Stewart would have no problem with that. Stewart was grieving for his departed wife and jailed son now disinherited and to be in a larger family setting would be in his interests too particularly having grandchildren to pour his affections on.

During the next week despite their busy programs they managed to go to the government office and get a marriage authenticated in front of an approved government representative and hasty trip to the jewellers to buy wedding rings. They also set in motion the change of name registered for Elizabeth Alma Williams to the surname Hansen. Liz was too young to understand the need for that change. That done Phil took time off and moved his personal belongings into the mansion where Mel had already arranged for rooms for Teddy and June. They had to decide on what to do about Philip present home now furnished but unoccupied.

Stewart who was just beginning to experience the effects of ageing along with the stress of his wife’s death and son’s betrayal welcomed the enlarged family. Phil with his experience noted some issues in Stewart that could use diagnostic tests and insisted Stewart take those tests. The results required further tests, and it was determined Stewart needed urgent heart specialist attention.

Stewart was apprehensive. He was already feeling the strain of top administration at his age and expected his gifted son would shoulder the load when needed. That was no longer possible. While he had competent people running his pharmaceutical company, he felt it needed someone with his entrepreneurial skills to pay attention to what was going on. A huge company like his could prosper if someone with financial and organizational skills kept a close eye on each department to see research money was going to eventuate in profits. Huge amounts had to be investment in scientific discovery for new products which would have marketability otherwise that huge investment in new products would be wasted and potentially bring the company down to bankruptcy. Stewart was particularly skilled in sensing when a new development was not going to be accepted to repay that investment in sales and cut losses and look at other opportunities. Knowing the heart operation would require extended rehab and time off work who would care for this top oversight. Each of his vice presidents were competent in their area of expertise but he didn’t feel they had that ability to sense what would sell in future and what would be a losing investment. He shared this with Mel who remembered her brother taught entrepreneurship at university and managed a consultancy that included forensic accounting. Perhaps that may be of help, so she shared that with her father-in-law.

Stewart thought about this for two days and because his operation was scheduled for two weeks in future and he was being monitored in the interval he asked Mel to arrange for a meeting with Benjamin. Benjamin’s program had now become very intense as his fame spread but he agreed to come to the mansion and talk with Stewart. Next day Benjamin had his personal assistant reschedule appointments and went with Stewart to spend the day looking over their factory and research centre supplying products around the world to familiarize himself with the operations. Then Stewart called an administrative meeting with his vice presidents and had them make presentations on what was happening under their supervision with profitability statements for each product and their position on the bell curve as competition increased in each product.

Staying ahead of the game by producing new products competition couldn’t match was the secret of their success to date. Benjamin asked questions as reports were given that showed while he may not have had pharmaceutical training, he understood the relationship between research and profitability, so they listened to him with respect. Stewart watched it all and then came to a decision. His future was now unsure. The company would eventually go to his daughter in law, and her training was in the healthcare industry, so it needed someone who had Stewart’s analytical skills to keep a watch on how all the parts of his company added to profitability. The mechanics of operation were safe in the hands of his skilled vice presidents, but it needed someone with entrepreneurial skills. For the time being he’d employ Benjamin to watch over that part of organization while he recovered and then he had to make long term decisions if he survived as it was becoming too much for him physically now. Benjamin agreed and set a moderate fee for his services in acknowledgment of this man’s care of his sister.

Stewart did survive but realized that operation had taken a lot of his vitality and doctors had warned him he now needed to settle into a more relaxed lifestyle. It was time to consult with his daughter in law as she was the one to eventually inherit his wealth. The option was to sell the company or find someone like Benjamin to take on the responsibility. Mel asked him to check with her brother to see if he had any interest or not and then make his decision. She realized she didn’t have the expertise to make such a decision. So, Stewart contacted Benjamin again and Benjamin said he’d think about it as it would mean he’d have to give up his university teaching. If he did that, he was confident he could handle both jobs.

A week later Benjamin responded he’d be happy to help out did Stewart want to proceed with the understanding his personal business he’d retain an interest in would occasionally deliver guest lectures to the university and work with Stewart on the understanding he’d take no fees for service but the equivalent of his usual fees would accumulate as shares in this pharmaceutical company and that would amount to a considerable shareholding each year as he took his services in that way. Stewart thought that was a novel plan as it would not affect the cash flow of the company with Benjamin’s services paid for in stock issues. Benjamin had quite enough flowing in from his other business to satisfy the needs of his family. Stewart settled back to take a decreasing role as the president of the company.

Five years later Stewart lay on his death bed and the family gathered around him. He was happy to have recovered the respect of the business community, and the memories of his son’s evil theft was a fading memory. The company was prospering under the leadership of Benjamin whose stock holding was increasing each year, and Benjamin was beginning to like running this company and considering letting someone else head up his consultancy business and just take a dividend from his investment there. But the consultancy begged him not to do that as Benjamin was their main draw card there in the business world and it would affect their profitability there. Stewart longed for the presence of his son by his side but realized he hadn’t changed and was a lost cause to him now, but his absence was more than compensated by the presence of his precious daughter in law and grandchildren by his side. He died in peace knowing he was loved.

Mel and Philip were deliriously happy in their marriage and poured their love on their children. Mel determined to pull back from her intense work at the hospital as the children reached their early teens to help steer them through that difficult teenage period. Philip was looking into going into private practice with a group of orthopaedic surgeons so they could have a less strenuous program setting aside more time for family rather than being on call in emergency at the hospital at any time. There were sufficient new graduates coming up to take his place there at the hospital.

After the funeral had been completed with a significant showing of the city elite to pay their respects Philip and Mel put the children to bed and sat in their recreation room to unwind. The children got along well together. Philip had his arm around his wife reassuringly as she mourned her father-in-law who she’d come to love in his later years. He bent down to whisper in Mel’s ear.

“Thank you, Mel, for making my life such a happy one. I know you miss father-in-law, but you still have your parents and Benjamin and Kate and my extended family who love you.”

Mel lay down on his lap looking up at his face and she reached up and touched his cheek.

“I’m the luckiest woman in the world to have found such a wonderful husband. You’ve erased all the horrors I’ve experienced in the past so well and I love you so intensely I often don’t know how to express it. Thank you for rescuing me.”

“You’re the one who rescued me Mel and nothing will stop me from shouting how much I love you for the rest of our lives.”

Mel closed her eyes to savour the moment, but she was so tired she fell asleep instantly. Philip smiled and carried his wife to bed where she’d be more comfortable luxuriating in her touch and the smell of her perfume as he manoeuvred through the door and placed her carefully on the bed pulling a sheet over her.

“Sleep soundly Melissa dear I’ll see you in the morning.”

Conclusion.

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