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Cora
Dr. Cora Hope wasn’t watching her phone.
Okay, maybe she was, but she was at least pretending to work while sneaking peeks at the screen out of the corner of her eye. Of course, watching it wasn’t going to help. It certainly hadn’t helped for the last few hours. Her fingers itched to grab it and send Ella a message, but Cora didn’t want to bother her when she had no news. Ella had promised to call as soon as she knew anything.
Cora was trying to read the article on emergency limb removal in trauma units when no operating rooms are available for the fourth time when her phone finally rang.
She snatched it up, seeing Ella’s name flash across the screen.
“Ella! What did she say?” Perhaps it would have been polite to exchange pleasantries first, but she was too anxious to bother with that, and she knew Ella wouldn’t take offense. They had been friends for over five years and Ella knew how important this was.
“Good news—she just finished looking over all the case files you sent, and she’s impressed. She’s going to recommend you to Dr. Frame.”
“Yes!” Cora punched the air, a wide grin suddenly stretching across her face.
“This isn’t a guarantee,” Ella warned. “Just because Valerie recommends it doesn’t mean Agnes will take her advice, and even if she does give you an interview, that doesn’t mean you’ll get the job.”
“I know.” Cora tried to temper her excitement. “This is a good first step, though. A personal recommendation from the famous Dr. Valerie Bush will put me a step above all the other candidates, and that’s all I can really ask for at this stage. I’m confident that my work will speak for itself, once I get Dr. Frame’s attention.”
Or at least, she was trying to be confident. There were moments when she had her doubts, but she was sure everyone did. Cora knew she was good at her job. The East Side Trauma Department had offered her a lot—both in money and benefits—to try to convince her to stay, and she may yet take them up on it.
However, the opening in the trauma department at Sweet Hill Hospital really was the opportunity of a lifetime. They had one of the biggest trauma departments in the state, and she’d get to work alongside some of the best trauma surgeons in the country.
When she saw that there was an opening, she had known that the competition would be fierce. Cora knew herself and her skills, and she was fairly certain that once Dr. Frame looked at her case record, it would speak for itself. However, she first needed to get Dr. Frame to notice her amidst the droves of other candidates who were surely applying right at this moment.
Fortunately, she remembered Ella mentioning that her wife was friendly with Dr. Frame, and Valerie was happy to look over Cora’s charts to see if she was willing to recommend her to Dr. Frame.
“I’m sure it will. You’re the best candidate for the job, no question.”
“You haven’t even seen the other candidates.”
“Yeah, but you’re brilliant. Sweet Hill will be perfect for you. Valerie is talking to Agnes now. I’m sure you’ll be getting a call soon.”
“In that case, I’d better get off the line with you. I don’t want to miss that call. Thank you, Ella. I really appreciate this.”
“Any time, Cora. That’s what friends are for.”
They hung up, and Cora spent a few minutes composing a thank-you email to both Ella and Valerie. Once that was sent off, she was back to watching her phone. She knew it was silly. Even if she did land an interview, it could be days before the phone rang.
Still, she was nervous to leave her phone alone and carried it around the house with her like a baby, jumping every time it buzzed, but each time it was just messages from various friends or colleagues.
It was nearly five when her phone finally rang. The unknown number sent a thrill of anticipation through Cora’s veins. This could be it—the most important phone call of her life.
“Hello, Doctor Cora Hope speaking.”
“Hi, Cora, my name is Elissa. I’m Doctor Agnes Frame’s secretary. I’m calling about the resume you sent in. Doctor Frame would like to schedule an interview with you.”
Cora resisted the urge to whoop and endeavored to keep her voice even. “That sounds great, Elissa. When would suit Doctor Frame?”
“Would tomorrow work for you?”
Cora quickly ran through some calculations in her head. It was only an hour’s flight to Sweet Hill Hospital, and it couldn’t be that difficult to find a hotel nearby.
“Would tomorrow afternoon be doable?”
“Tomorrow afternoon is perfect. Say at three?”
