"Hey, are you guys ready for this?" Doyle asked, pulling Logan and Rory aside as everyone headed into the press room.
"Do we really have a choice?" Rory asked.
"You did really well outside. You guys got a few tough questions, but you handled everything very well. This should be even easier."
"What exactly is the plan here?" Logan asked.
"As of right now, everything will go the same as our original plan. Rory welcomes everyone to HPG and introduces you. You step up and explain the clinic. You can say as little or as much as you want to, but you need to be aware that the less information you share, the more questions you will have to answer afterward. When you are done, Honor wanted to say a few words, so we'll let her do her thing, then we'll open the floor up for questions, unless you guys think that it would be better to take questions before Honor speaks."
"What is Honor planning to say?"
"I honestly have no idea. She hasn't told me anything other than that she wants a minute to speak."
"So then maybe we should take questions first? Logan, what do you think?" Rory asked.
"I have no idea, but we can do whatever you want. It's your company, so it's your decision."
"How am I supposed to make this decision? I don't have any experience doing this kind of stuff."
"It's up to you Rory, we can do whatever you want." Doyle told her.
"Where is my Grandpa? I want his opinion on this."
"Do you want me to go grab him for you?"
"Would you mind?"
"No problem, I'll be right back." Doyle said, then hurried away.
"So you want Richard to make the decision for you?" Logan asked.
"Well. . . Maybe? I don't know, I want his opinion. My Grandpa is really good at this kind of stuff, and I'm just not. Plus, he's on the board, and he'll be able to give us a good idea of what the board and everyone else will expect, and want to hear from us."
"So you want Richard to make the decision for you."
"My Grandpa is a professional at this kind of stuff. I think that getting his opinion is a really good idea."
"I thought you said that I was a professional at this stuff."
"Well you aren't being helpful right now."
"I think that you're over thinking things."
"How am I over thinking things?"
"Rory, you are stressing out over when to take questions from the press."
"This is a really important day for you, and I just want to do what is best."
"You are over thinking things."
"Hey Honey, Doyle said you needed my advice." Richard said, finding Rory and Logan in a corner outside the press room.
"Hey Grandpa, we need to know when a good time is to take questions."
"A good time to take questions? Alright, walk me through the schedule here."
"Doyle said that I'm supposed to welcome everyone and introduce Logan. Then Logan steps up and tells about the clinic. After that Honor wants to say a few words, but we don't know what she is planning on saying, so we aren't sure if we should take questions first, or have Honor speak first. Logan says that I'm over thinking things, but he won't give me any kind of opinion on what he thinks is best."
"Because I don't think that it matters either way." Logan commented.
"So I need your opinion on what you think would work best. Would it be better to take questions after Logan finishes, or would it be best to do it after Honor? What is your personal opinion, and what is your opinion as a board member? And what information do you think is pertinent that we need to make sure to cover. What questions do you think people are going to ask? Is there anything that you think we shouldn't say?"
"Ok, Rory, Honey, I honestly agree with Logan, and think that you need to calm down a little bit. There honestly isn't anything for you to really worry about here. You are more than prepared for this. You just did an amazing job out on the press line, all you really have todo is repeat what you just did. You can take questions at whatever point you want to. It doesn't really matter at all. There are both pros and cons for taking questions at either point in the conversation. But since we don't know what Honor is planning to say ,maybe you should wait to take questions until she's finished, just incase. You don't really want to have to take questions twice, so while it would be pretty easy to open the floor up as soon as Logan finishes, it might be better to wait until Honor is finished, just in case her words inspire other questions."
"So you are saying that we should wait then."
"I think that it is completely up to you, but that maybe it would be better to wait, given that there could be additional questions wanting to be asked after Honor finishes, if you decided to take questions first."
"Ok, so Honor first, questions second."
"Rory, you are more than ready for this. You've been preparing for weeks. There is absolutely no reason for you to be so stressed out. You need to calm down, ok? Stressing out like this isn't good for you, and it's definitely not good for the baby. Let's take a deep breath, ok? Inhale . . . Count to ten . . . 1 . . . 2 . . .3 . . . 4. . . 5. . . 6 . . . 7 . . . 8 . . . 9 . . . 10 . . . Alright, exhale slowly. Count to ten again . . . 1 . . . 2 . . .3 . . . 4. . . 5 . .. 6 . . . 7 . . . 8 . . . 9 . . . 10 . . . Good, good. Are you feeling any better?"
"A little bit."
"Everything is going to be just fine, alright? I promise you. This is just your anxiety kicking in. Everything is going to be alright. You can do this. And I am going to be right here with you the entire time. Just try to relax."
"I'm trying. Thank you Grandpa."
"It's my pleasure Sweetheart. You are going to do just fine today. Just trust your gut, alright?"
"I'm trying. Thank you so much for being here Grandpa. It really means alot to me."
"You are very welcome Sweetie. Now, let's get you in there. Come on, I'll walk you in." Richard said, offering Rory his arm, and escorting her into the press room, with Logan following behind them.
"Good morning everyone!" Rory said as she stepped up to the podium a few minutes later, to start the morning's press conference. "Thank you so much for joining us this morning! It's a pretty chilly day here in New York, so we definitely appreciate you all braving the cold to be here. Today is a really big day at HPG, and an even bigger one for the Huntzberger family. Today we celebrate two big events. Not only are we opening our very own medical clinic where we will provide low cost medical care for all of our wonderful, invaluable employees, but we are also celebrating the birthday of the doctor who will be running that clinic. Twelve years ago, when I first met my husband, and was introduced to the Huntzberger family, none of us ever would have expected to be here today. No one in this family ever expected anyone in the Huntzberger family to go to medical school. Heck, had you told any of us that within 8 years, Logan would become a doctor, I think that even Logan would have laughed in your face. But here we are today, and not only is Logan an incredible doctor, but we are opening his very own clinic, right here at the Huntzberger Publishing Group. I can't possibly say enough about what an amazing man my husband is, and just how proud of him we all are. But the one thing that I can tell you, is just how excited I am to be here with him today. I am only here with all of you, because of Logan. When Mitchum got sick and someone needed to step in to run HPG, no one expected it to be me. Especially not me! Most people actually expected it to be Logan. But in true Logan fashion, Logan had other ideas. Logan has a career that he absolutely loves. A career that he is good at. A career where Logan saves lives every single day . .. A career that this family is incredibly proud of! In the twelve years since I met Logan, he's gone from being the irresponsible self-centered frat boy that a lot of us in this room couldn't stand, to the most amazing, completely selfless man and wonderful doctor that he is today. Twelve years ago, if you had told me that I would someday marry Logan Huntzberger, I would have laughed in your face. But today, I couldn't possibly ask for a better husband. Logan, I am so unbelievably proud of you. You have accomplished the unimaginable, and you do it all with unwavering grace and dignity. While I will always question where the heck you get all of your endless energy, I will never question your love and devotion to not just your family, but also to your patients. We are all incredibly lucky and grateful to have your in our lives, and we are so excited for you to be taking this huge step in your career. So, without further ado, to tell you all about our brand new Huntzberger clinic, it is my pleasure to introduce you all to the pride and joy of the Huntzberger family. My amazing husband, Doctor Logan Huntzberger." Rory proudly stepped back, and held her arm out toward Logan as the crowd applauded.
"You are incredible!" Logan whispered, giving Rory a quick hug and kiss, before stepping up to the podium. "Stay with me."
"Ok."
"Isn't she beautiful? I'm the luckiest man in the world!" Logan said proudly, looking to his side. "Thank you all so much for being here today! As my wife just said, never in a million years did anyone in this family ever expect me to go to medical school. Twelve years ago, even my parents considered me to be the family screw up. But things change, and I think I've more than blown everyone's minds with everything that I've accomplished. Medical school was never a goal of mine. It was never something that I wanted for myself. Heck, I never really had a desire to even go to college. It was just something that was expected of me. My entire life, it was drilled into my head that I would someday graduate from Yale University, and then take over HPG when my Dad decided to retire. My future was predestined, and set in stone. But as Rory said, in true slacker Logan fashion, I of course had other plans. Nine years ago, I got this completely insane idea, and decided that I wanted to go to medical school, and become a doctor. As I was sitting home with Honor one night, moping about what a complete disaster my life was, and how all of my friends had these great careers, but here I was, doing nothing, it was my sister who gave me the reality check that I needed. I was having a pity party for myself, because once again, slacker Logan had blown everything up. Everything good that I had going for myself, I had blown to pieces. It was my pattern. It's what I did best. But as I was sitting there being miserable, my amazing sister, Honor, told me that if I wanted to fix things, I needed to get my act together, and actually do something to better myself. She told me that I could go back to school and figure out what I wanted to be, and where I wanted my life to go. I could pick my own career, doing anything I wanted. I could be an astronaut, a pilot, a doctor, an engineer . . . And it got me thinking. I had a friend going to medical school. Doctor Paris Gellar. Paris had dreamed about going to medical school, her entire life. And like her best friend Rory when we first met, Paris completely hated me. Paris even told me so. I was a spoiled, worthless jerk. A complete waste of a trust fund. But somehow that fueled me. If Paris could go to medical school, why couldn't I? My grades were just as good as hers. I couldn't possibly let Paris and her self-righteous attitude show me up, could I? I couldn't let her be right about me being pathetic and worthless. I had to be better than that. I needed to pull myself up, and do more with my life than just mope around my sister's house, feeling sorry for myself. So I took Paris to lunch, and she laughed in my face. Paris didn't believe that I had what it takes to go to medical school. She knew my past, and she had watched me blow things up in spectacular fashion. Paris knew that I couldn't hack it, because I wasn't her. But Paris' words somehow fueled me. I couldn't let Paris be right about anything. I had to do everything in my power to prove her wrong. So I went to medical school. I stayed up all night studying. I even begged Paris to help me. She of course made me majorly kiss up to her, and basically treated me like her lap dog. But I did it. I got through school. Paris became an Obstetrician and Gynecologist, working in her own practice at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital. I of course had no interest in majoring in the same field as her, so I got my PhD in Immunology and Genetics, and an MD in Internal Medicine, and I started my residency at Columbia Presbyterian, where I got to spend time learning different areas of the hospital while I figured out exactly what it was that I wanted to do with my degree, and where I wanted my career to go. Somehow I fell in love with working in the emergency room. Every day was a different adventure. I got to work with patients who were sick, patients who chopped their fingers off, kids who fell off their bike and broke their arm, patients with dementia who took a fall down the stairs, patients who were in a car accident and hit their head, causing them to have a concussion and sometimes amnesia. I loved having a variety of work to do. I got to give people stitches, put a cast on their arms and legs. I learned how to read various x-rays, and MRI notes. I learned to diagnose a concussion, and how to treat amnesia. I learned about the importance of vaccines, and how to start an IV for my patients. For the first time in my life, I was finally happy. I was finally fulfilled. I had found something that challenged me. Something that actually kept my attention, and didn't completely bore me. Something that changed every day, and allowed me the variety I needed to keep going. Something that was actually helping someone other than myself. I was saving lives, and it felt really good! A few months ago, Rory and I were at a family gathering over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, and a close friend of ours was telling us about some companies she had heard about who had opened medical offices for their employees. They were all large corporations with at least 1,000 employees. They opened clinics inside of their offices, and provided medical services to their employees at a discounted cost, less than they could get by going anywhere else. All of the services were completely covered by the company's healthcare plan, and available to any employee who needed it, as well as to their dependents. I thought it was an interesting concept, and our friend wondered if maybe in the future, that might be something for HPG to look into. Being slacker Logan, I filed it away in the back of my brain, thinking that maybe one day when I'm older and ready to settle down more, I might consider it. But then that night I really started thinking about it, and I brought it up to Rory. We started researching these companies, and taking note of the different things that they were doing for their employees. Those who know Rory and I well know that we don't like to do things the way we are expected to. We like to be different, and we are very competitive. Or at least I am. When my Dad got sick, and Rory took over here at HPG, we decided that it was in everyone's best interest to make some changes. We decided to take on running the business differently than my Dad did. And because of the changes that we implemented, our profits were rising, and our employees were happier. We brought in new teams to work in various departments, and we lightened the work load in a lot of areas, shifting priorities around, and stepping in to assist our employees where needed. We started really looking into what we could do to help our employees do their jobs better, and give them the tools that they need in order to be successful. One of the big things that you have to look at when you are an employer, is your staff needing time off work. Everyone has families, and everyone gets sick. But what could we do to help our staff out? Rory and I came up with a plan. If other companies could open these clinics, and offer their staff discounted medical care, why couldn't we? Being a doctor, I decided to go talk to my boss, which led to Rory and I sitting down with the hospital's board of directors. We presented our plan for HPG, and what we thought would work best for our company, and we asked for their thoughts. And then we came up with an even better idea. We decided to partner with the hospital to open our own clinic. Rather than incurring all of the expenses ourselves, then having to find and train our own staff, then research how to provide our patients with the services that they need outside of our practice, why not partner with the hospital, and be able to provide all of those services in network? The Huntzberger Clinic is a collaborative partnership with Columbia University and Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, that will provide every member of not just the HPG staff, but also those at both the hospital and university, with all of the medical care that they could ever need. Every single employee under the HPG and Columbia umbrellas, as well as all of their dependents, will be able to come right here to the HPG offices, to get medical care. At the Huntzberger Clinic, we will provide our patients with all of the same services and care that they would get going to any other doctor in the country. We have portable x-ray and ultrasound machines, we have vaccines, we can do stitches and casting, we can do well visits, and sick visits. Anything that our patients need, we can take care of, just by coming into our little clinic. And because we are a subsidiary of Columbia, we are able to give our patients the continuity of care that they both need and deserve, by referring them to our 60 different specialty departments within the hospital. Our patients won't be subjected to a one or two week wait for referral processing because they will be referred in network. Our patients will be able to call their needed specialist within 24 hours of receiving a referral, to schedule their appointment. We of course can't guarantee any appointment times, because specialists often have a two or more week wait for their services, but we can at least guarantee that the referrals have been instantly processed, and that our patients haven't been lost in a pile of paperwork, and completely forgotten about. Here at HPG we believe in going above and beyond the call of duty for our customers, and our staff. We take pride in being the best we possibly can, and helping our employees rise with us. Our employees are the face of our company, and by providing them with discounted medical care, we are able to not just keep them healthy, but also to provide the overall care that is needed by each individual person both under our corporate umbrellas, as well as in their homes, all while saving them money. By taking care of our employees, they in turn take care of us. Being a doctor at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, I love my job, and I love the people that I work for, and with. And I can't imagine ever leaving to go anywhere else. By partnering with the Hospital to open this clinic, I am able to remain on staff with a company that I consider family. I have rights at the hospital, and if one of my patients is admitted, I am able to go treat them there. I am also able to go work at the hospital any time that I want. If I get bored, I can call and ask where they need help, or if they get slammed during flu season, or if some random virus takes over the town, or there is a mass casualty, they can call me in to help out. This partnership benefits so many people both on the medical and patient level. By partnering with the hospital, we are able to get all of our medical supplies directly through them, and also use their lab courier service. Here at HPG, we have provided Columbia a clean and safe space to have a medical clinic, completely free of charge to them, and they are providing us a doctor, two nurses, and medical supplies. We've also reached an agreement on my salary, where both companies share the cost, which allows me to work in both places simultaneously. When I am not busy with patients, I will be available elsewhere in the building, helping out wherever I am needed. I will basically always be on call. Hereat HPG, we have programmed a medical appointment scheduling app, directly into our computer system that allows our employees to schedule their doctor visits, directly from their computers. There is no need to call the office, and sit on hold, or leave a message for someone to answer at a later time. Appointments can be scheduled at any time, by the patient themselves, and the scheduling app will immediately add the appointment to my calendar, and send an alert right to my phone. It won't matter if I am with a patient, or out of the office. I will get an alert letting me know that I have an appointment scheduled, and when I need to be back in the clinic. It also allows me to schedule my own time off around when my patients need me. Whether I need to be in a shareholder meeting, visiting a newspaper in another area, or helping out in the emergency room, I can just add my availability directly to my calendar, and patients will be able to schedule their appointments around those times. HPG employees will also be able to schedule their appointments at anytime during their regular work day, at no penalty to them. We are making medical visits part of their regular day, and not requiring them to even clock out, as long as they remain on company property. While we are opening our services to our employees families, as long as our employee is on our property, they are able to remain on the clock while receiving medical care. The only time they will need to clock out, is if they need to run out to pick up a dependent for an appointment. But even then, as soon as employee steps back onto our property, they are able to clock right back in. We are asking our employees to please use discretion when scheduling their appointments, and to schedule them around their work deadlines, so we can assure that all work continues to be completed on time. But otherwise, as long as deadlines are being met, and work isn't falling through the cracks, our employees are free to take a break whenever they need it, in order to receive the medical care that they need. The Huntzberger Clinic may not have been something that I dreamed of having my entire life, but it is something that I am incredibly excited about, and proud to call my own. It is something that I never in a million years expected to happen to me. Especially not with my slacker history. But things change. People change. Never in a million years did anyone in the Huntzberger family ever expect me to do much with my life. At least not outside of following in my father's footsteps and eventually taking over HPG when he decided to retire. But thanks to my awesome friends who have always been therewith me, encouraging my delinquency and laughing as I learned to have some maturity, my amazing sister who endlessly loves and supports me through absolutely everything, whether I deserve it or not, and my incredible wife who taught me that it is good to grow up, mature, and work toward a future goal, that I have grown into the man I am today. Before I met Rory, no one had ever challenged me. I was always given whatever I wanted, and I never had to really work for anything. But this gorgeous woman standing next to me, completely changed everything. Never in my life had I met someone who was as quick witted as I was, and who could so easily hit me with an educated comeback. Rory has opinions, and Rory has the education and knowledge to back them up. The only person I have ever known who possessed any of those traits, is my father. But to experience it from someone my own age, from a beautiful woman, is incredibly intriguing. Rory has always known exactly what she wanted out of life, and from a very young age, she's had an entire game plan of exactly how to get there. And that completely baffled me. I have never met someone so dedicated and hyper focused on one specific goal, that nothing else in the world mattered to her. But from the day I met her, Rory sucked me into her world, and taught me to be a better person. She taught me to dream, and that I should want more from my life than to be the drunken pirate I had dreamed of as a child. Rory taught me all about having goals and aspirations. She taught me about having hope, and planning for the future. Rory challenged me intellectually, and that terrified me, but also inspired me. She made me want to be better. She made me want to grow up, and actually do something with my life. Nine years ago, I decided to go to medical school. And it was one of the best decisions that I ever made. This clinic that we are all here to open today, the Huntzberger Clinic, is a testament that a worthless slacker jerk can actually become a productive, meaningful member of society. It's a testament that if you actually apply yourself, and work toward a goal, someday, you can achieve it. And it's a testament that bossy, opinionated Doctor Paris Gellar was wrong about me. I may be your children's second favorite doctor, but I'm a doctor nonetheless. This worthless slacker finally made something of himself, and I have you to thank for it. So thank you Paris. Thank you for constantly busting my balls, and always motivating me to prove you wrong. I couldn't have done this without you." Logan said, looking directly at his friend, sitting in the front row, next to her husband. "It's all you, Ace." Logan whispered, taking a step back from the podium.
"Thank you so much Logan. Now, before we open the floor up to questions, I would like to introduce Mrs. Honor Huntzberger - Rothschild, who would like to say a few words on behalf of the Huntzberger family."Rory said, then stepped back to stand her husband, off to the side of the podium.
"Thank you Rory." Honor said as she stepped up to the podium. "Oh behalf of the entire Huntzberger family, I just want to tell you all how incredibly proud we all are of my little brother. He has worked so hard to get to where he is today, and it has been such an honor to be his older sister, and to have a front row seat to watch his growth. In the last few months, there have been a lot of changes being made within HPG, and the opening of the Huntzberger Clinic is just amazing! Rory and Logan have made an incredible team since taking over HPG. In just four months, HPG has shown significant growth in all areas, and that is entirely due to the new teams that Rory and Logan have put into place. Our newspaper subscriptions and readership are up, advertising profits have tripled, our employees are all happier, and more productive with their lightened workloads, and we have new equipment allowing everyone to do their jobs more efficiently, without as many problems as before. When Rory stepped in as CEO in October, HPG owned 327 newspapers throughout the United States and 100 overseas, with plans to expand to a total of 500 over the next year. Currently, we are up to 350 papers, and we are working on acquiring our first published book and magazine. HPG is growing at a rapid rate, and it is because of the amazing teams that we have in place, and the incredible leader at our helm. Now, with all of that said, there is one more person who would like to say a few words today . . . Dad, would you like to join me?" Honor asked, watching as Mitchum confidently stood from his seat in the front row, and made his way to the podium.
"What is going on?" Logan whispered, sharing a worried look with Rory as some quiet murmurs spread throughout the room.
"I have no idea. Honor only told me that she wanted a minute to speak. She didn't say anything about your Dad being a part of this."
"Good morning everyone." Mitchum started. "As most of you know, HPG is my family's legacy. I've spent my whole life here, building this company from the ground up, with my father. And for the last 30 years, I've been the CEO and majority shareholder. I have overseen all of the day to day operations for every department, I have hand-picked every newspaper we have acquired, and worked with each one individually, as they have transitioned into this company. HPG has been my baby. I have worked endless hours to build this company into what it is today. Four months ago I suffered a massive heart attack, causing me to have to take a step back. And then a few weeks later, I experienced a second one. In the time that I have been away, I honestly expected this company to crash and burn. But what I didn't expect, was that my son and his wife would step up, and run everything together, as a team. Logan has never wanted to run HPG. This was never his dream. Logan became a doctor. He went against everything he was raised to be, defied his mother and I, and went to medical school. Logan did everything he could to distance himself from this family, and prove to me that he had no intention of ever being who I raised him to aspire to. But in the last four months, I've come to realize that I was wrong about Logan. My son has done more with his life that his mother and I have ever given him credit for. Logan has taken it upon himself to be the head of my care team. No matter how busy he has been, Logan has put my health and my recovery front and center. He has made me his priority. And he has done the same for his mother. Logan is a much better person than I am. He's always been able to admit when he's made a mistake, and he's always tried to fix it without asking for my help. He of course always asks his sister to help him, but he's rarely asked me. Logan has stepped up to the plate on numerous occasions, and proven that he has what it takes to be a leader. Logan would have been a great CEO here at HPG. But Logan wants what Logan wants, and taking over for me is not on his list. So Logan appointed his wife. An outsider. Someone I never thought would ever run this business. Someone who I once told, would someday make a good assistant. But again, I was wrong. Rory, much like my son, has continued to prove me wrong in everything that I ever thought about her. Rory has been able to get through to my son, unlike his mother and I. Rory has stood by him, and loved him unconditionally, through all of his shenanigans. She has supported him, and been there to help guide him to become the man he is today. When I got sick, it was Rory who stepped up, and kept this company afloat. It is Rory who has made all of the positive changes here at HPG. And it is Rory, who deserves just as much credit for our new clinic, as Logan does."
"What the hell?!" Logan commented, sharing another look with his wife.
"He's up to something." Rory whispered.
"The question is WHAT is he up to?"
"For the last 34 years, it has always been my goal, to have my son takeover the company when the time comes for me to step down. But in the last four months, I've realized that maybe there is someone else who is better suited for succession. Someone who is actually more capable than originally thought, and definitely more so than both Logan and I. And it is at this moment that my wife and I have made the difficult decision for me to step down and appoint the new CEO of the Huntzberger Publishing Group. As of this morning, Lorelai Leigh Huntzberger will permanently fill my position. All of my shares, all of my duties to this company are officially hers. Congratulations Rory. You've earned this." Mitchum announced, leaving everyone in the room completely stunned as he stepped back from the podium, and walked over to where Rory and Logan stood together. "It's all you guys now." Mitchum told them. "You two are the future of this company."
"Dad. . ." Logan whispered, as Mitchum held his arms out, and pulled them both into a hug.
"You'll do great. Congratulations to you both."
"I'm sorry, but we won't be taking any questions today. If you would all like to join us in the reception room next door, we have tons of refreshments available, and we will be giving tours of the clinic at the scheduled time." Doyle said as he stepped up to the podium a moment later, then quickly stepped back, and immediately went to Rory and Logan who were still hugging Mitchum. "Take it to your office, right now. You're about to get hounded. I'll have security escort you."