I saw him walking down the hallway as I came out of the bathroom. He was headed in the same direction as me. I assumed he was going to talk to the office manager again, about something new. He’s an altogether adorable man, the way a little girl would adore her grandfather. He is a grandfather, in fact, recently so. Dr. S stands about 5 feet 6 inches, shorter than the average American man. But then again, he’s not American. His thick South American accent gives him away, as does his preternaturally tan skin (especially for this time of year). I noticed he limped a little, probably the stress fracture in his foot acting up again. He was also wearing sneakers, another tell-tale sign of a runner’s foot acting up. Running shoes are a dress code violation in our office. Normally he wears his alligator-skinned pointy loafers. I’m sure the former are much more comfortable, even on a good day. His white coat hung long, almost touching his calves.

He took a right at the end of the hallway. I thought for sure he was headed to talk to the manager, but then again she was out on vacation for the week. He was going to talk to Dr. Tao. Apparently I intervened before he could talk to her. It was not my intention to interrupt, I was simply trying to get back to my desk. I had to almost step over him in the tight hallway as I tried to pass. “Excuse me, Dr. S,” I said as I passed between him and Dr. Tao’s office, still in the hallway. “Well, hiiii, happy neewww yeaarr,” he said as he noticed me passing. “Hey, Dr. S. Happy New Year to you, too.”

His teal eyes looked across at me as his tan skin sparkled. Beneath his white coat he wore a plaid button up shirt, with the top button undone. I wondered for a moment if he’d be heading to the fitness center after work for a swim, even though it was early January. He was impressively fit for a man in his 70s. His short black hair was combed back neatly. A few white specks were interspersed throughout. He smiled and spoke softly, as if about to spill a burning secret. “Did yooouu—get druunkk?” he whispered. I couldn’t help but laugh. “No. Did you?” He smiled widely and said simply, “no.” I wondered if he thought I was some sort of 20-something partier. I was far from it – happily in bed by 9:30 on New Year’s Eve. That was all of our conversation as he continued on toward Dr. Tao’s office.

As much as I enjoy the autonomy of my job, I often wish that I could have more interactions with my co-workers, especially the more seasoned physicians. I know they must be stressed out with so much work to get done, but they are always so kind to me. I often wish our jocular conversations were longer than quick hellos in the hallway. I carried on with my work at my desk, another day in a new year.