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Shelves lined all four walls with the office supplies to one side. The rest of the shelving had clinic supplies. I saw bandages and other things with containers neatly labeled.
I walked out of that room and crossed the hallway into another room to see more supplies and an empty refrigerated storage space. Leaving that room, I walked down the hallway. There were two examination rooms for pets and a surgery room. There was a break room with a circular table and a counter with a microwave, a small refrigerator, and a coffee pot. I smiled as I looked around before a dash of alarm struck me. I needed staff. I could handle cats and dogs and horses and more, but I needed help with the rest.
“Breathe,” I whispered to myself as I stepped out of the break area and went through a doorway that led to the front.
The front area had a circular desk with phones and a computer. The monitor was old, one of the big bulky ones. There was even a credit card swipe machine. I had so many things to contemplate.
I scanned the waiting area. Chairs lined the walls, and photographs of pets decorated the space, along with a bulletin board with thank-you cards and photos pinned on it. I sat down at the reception desk, wondering what to do now. I had a list of questions. My eyes landed on a notepad beside the phone. I slid it over and snagged a pen from the small mug filled with writing utensils.
Receptionist?
Vet tech?
Office supplies?
Billing?
When Amelia’s mother, Georgia, had called me about the job, she had explained I’d be taking over as the veterinarian. I hadn’t been prepared to take on the whole thing.
Motion drew my eye to the front door. Georgia was there, along with Natalie. They waved as Natalie slid a key into the lock, opening the door and walking in together.
Georgia smiled widely. “Come out here for a hug.”
I left my purse on the desk and stood, walking out to the waiting area. Georgia was like an aunt to me as she was one of my mother’s best friends. She had babysat me many times over the years when I was little.
She still smelled the same, a comforting, fresh powdery scent. She hugged me tightly and then stepped back, gesturing to Natalie. “You know Natalie, right?”
“Of course. You were the receptionist here.”
Natalie smiled as she pulled me into a quick hug. “I was. What do you think?” she asked as she stepped back and gestured around the space.
“Everything looks great, and it seems like someone cleaned.”
“That would be me, dear.” She grinned, her eyes twinkling. “Now, we need to plan.”
“We do,” I said, nervousness tightening in my chest. “When I took the job, I guess I didn’t realize how much I might need to do. I’m realizing I need staff, billing, and everything lined up. I feel foolish because I didn’t think this through,” I said honestly.
“We’ve got you covered,” Georgia said. “It hasn’t been closed. We’ve had temps covering the clinic a few weeks of every month. Natalie knows all the billing stuff and will show you what was set up before. I used to help with ordering supplies and things. We were thinking of giving it a month or two. We’ll get you up and running, and you can decide if you want to modernize things. There’s a waiting list.”
“A waiting list?” I squeaked.
Natalie nodded. “Honey, there’s no veterinarian nearby except for Anchorage. We can have you filled up with patients inside of a month.”
I took a breath, trying and failing to quell my nerves. “But I don’t even have any income to pay you two.”
Natalie shrugged, way more mellow than me about this. “There’s a surplus.”
“I’m sorry, what?”
“Look, I know this is a lot. We wanted you to get here and hopefully stay. Dan would like you to have the clinic. He remembers your parents and you. We don’t need the money from selling it. We’re all set retirement-wise. We’d rather it go to someone local who we care about. The accounts have enough money in them now to pay staff for a few months. You don’t need to pay Georgia and me, but we’ll find someone to help with the front. Once you’re up and running, you can hire a vet tech.”
I stared at her. “Oh,” was all I could say.
Natalie smiled. “It will be fine. It’s a fairly simple business.”
Georgia studied me. “When Natalie asked about you, I thought you’d be perfect. In a way, I’m doing this for your parents. Making sure you’re home and on your feet.”
My throat felt tight, but all I could do was nod.
