The Reluctant Mafia Boss

Chapter 10

Lorraine POV

"Good morning Marilyn." I smiled greeting her as I entered the kitchen.

"Hey good morning." She smiled back. "I made waffles with eggs and sausages."

"They smell amazing." I said to her before pulling out a stool, and sitting at the counter.

"Do you have a day off today?" Marilyn asked as she poured some coffee into a mug and place it in front of me. "Here you go."

"Thank you." I smiled before lifting the cup to my lips, blowing the steam before taking a sip. " I worked a late shift last night, so I'm going in at ten."

"Ten tonight?" Marilyn asked while sharing my plate.

"No ten this morning, in the next two hours."

"That's barely enough hours to get sufficient rest." Marilyn said to me.

"I'm used to it. Besides, I'm going to be on a month leave, starting next week." I said to her. "I was only going to take two weeks break, but Dr. Samuels encouraged me to take a month."

"You deserve more than a month." Marilyn said placing my plate with waffles in front of me. "You've been working for years, and you hardly ever take breaks."

"Thanks Marilyn." I said taking up the knife and fork and cutting a piece of waffle. "Not going on leaves, is totally my decision. You all know that I love working, besides, I don't have anything else to do, so I'm usually fine with it."

"You are such a workaholic Lorraine." Marilyn said shaking her head. "You need to make something for other things besides working."

"Like what?"

"Like getting more rest, going out, hanging out with friends, going on a vacation, visiting your family more often, go on a date."

"You know I don't date." I said to her as I finished chewing.

"Because you don't want to or because you don't have the time to?"

"Both." I said to her. "Marilyn you know that dating isn't a priority right now, and I've had so much bad experience with dating, I just think that it is better if I don't."

"Just because you've had a couple bad experiences with some guys who didn't deserve you, means that you should swear off dating." Marilyn said to me. "Look at me? I've gone through plenty breakups in my younger days, and I've been to the alter two different times before I found Stanley. If I had given up on love after a few unsuccessful marriages and dates, I would have never been able to find a man like Stanley. We've been wonderfully happy for over thirty years."

"I'm happy for you and Stanley Marilyn, and your relationship with him worked out because Stanley is a good man. The men I've dated weren't exactly good for me. I seem to attract the worst type of men so I think being single is what's best for me. You know, not everyone is meant to get married and have kids and the fairy tale life Marilyn."

"And that is nonsense, everyone is meant to find that special someone and have their happily ever after. Some people's happily ever after just comes before others." Marilyn said to me.

"Lorraine, just because you haven't met the guy who is right for you as yet, doesn't mean that you will never find him. Sometimes you just have to kiss a few frogs, before you meet your prince charming."

**********
"You're finally getting out of here." I smiled at Nicolo as I removed the IV from his arm. "Aren't you excited."

"Yes, I am." Nicolo nodded.

"You can finally go home and sleep in your own bed, eat other food besides hospital food, not having me or the other nurses bugging you every second." I chuckled as I put a plaster over the small wound from which the IV was taken. "Today must feel like one of the best days of your life."

"Uhm, being in here wasn't so bad." Nicolo said shrugging.

"It's okay, you don't have to worry about hurting my feelings." I said smiling at him. "Can I tell you a little secret?"

"Yeah." Nicolo said nodding eagerly.

"I don't really like hospitals much either."

"Really?" Nicolo asked in surprise.

"Really. No one likes hospitals."

"Well that seems unbelievable." Mr. Romano was the one who joined in. "You're a doctor who spends most of your time here at a hospital, it's somewhat hard to believe that you hate hospital like everyone else."

"Just because I spend most of my time here doesn't mean I like it here, it just means that I love my job." I said giving him a smile. "You too must be relieved to finally have Nicolo home now Mr. Romano. You won't have to be worrying about coming here every single day and having to leave Nicolo. You can finally start getting back some good rest now."

"Same as you doc." Mr. Romano smiled. "I know that since Nicolo has been admitted, you probably have to work twice as hard considering the pressure I've put on you."

"It is my job Mr. Romano, to make sure that ever patient's wellbeing is thoroughly considered."

"Exactly, yet I practically threatened and forced you to solely looked after Nicolo." Mr. Romano said sounding remorseful. "I want to apologize for being so much of a demanding and controlling asshole. Being so stressed and fearful that I was going to lose my son... it made me become a real jerk, and I am sorry about that."

"It's okay. We're very much used to dealing with assholes here Mr. Romano." I said laughing. "We get hundreds of assholes here daily, it's understandable in cases like this. I won't hold it against you, that was your way of grieving and coping. We're all human, and we deal with our problems differently. I'd probably react the same way if I were in your position."

"Thank you for understanding doc." Mr. Romano said to me.

"It's a part of my job to understand you, and it is part of being human and knowing about empathy."

"Do you have children as well doctor?" Mr. Romano asked me.

"No, I don't. But that doesn't make me less understanding."

"Okay." He said nodding. "So do you really think that everything is healing quite well with Nicolo?"

"He's healing fine Mr. Romano, you don't need to worry. Just make sure that he's taking his medication, not doing any straining activities and keep that wound dry." I said to him. "I'll tell you what, I'm going to give you my numbers. And if after he's discharged and you have any concerns at all you just call me okay? But I assure you, Nicolo will be fine."

"Thanks again doctor."

"No problem. Remember to take him back in two weeks for a check up. I'll be on leave then, but nurse Partridge will take care of his wound. If there is anything else, then like I said before, don't hesitate to give me a call."