A Guardian Angel

Later that day, Beau stepped through the clinic doors, already dreading today, what was he going to do if yesterday repeated itself? He sighed and before his eyes could scan the clinic, he was greeted instantly by Kaya's unusually bright demeanour.

"Good morning, doc!" she chirped, practically bouncing on her toes.

Beau gave her a wary glance, unsure what warranted such enthusiasm. "Uh, good morning. What's going on?"

Before he could get a proper answer, Kaya grabbed his arm and guided him toward the back of the clinic. Beau was too tired, not yet refreshed from work yesterday, but he followed her.

"Well," she began, her voice filled with excitement, "you ordered medicine from a different company, and it is finally here! But they need you to sign for it."

Beau frowned. "I did?" What has gotten into her? He wondered.

At the back double doors, a delivery man stood beside a neatly stacked pile of boxes. Beau's confusion deepened as the man handed him a clipboard with a receipt attached.

"What is this?" Beau asked, scanning the document.

His eyes landed on the name printed alongside the signature: Zane White.

Beau sighed, feeling a mix of irritation and some sort of reluctant appreciation stirring in his chest. Zane must've taken it upon himself to arrange this delivery—and to ensure nothing went wrong, he had made sure Beau's signature was required to finalize it. 

"Guess he really wanted me to sign off on this," Beau muttered under his breath.

He quickly inventoried the shipment, verifying the contents matched the invoice. Satisfied, he signed the receipt and tore off his copy.

"Thank you," the delivery man said with a polite nod. He handed Beau a sealed envelope before offering a small smile and turning to leave.

"What's in there?" Kaya asked eagerly, her eyes glued to the envelope in Beau's hands.

Beau turned the envelope over in his hands, frowning slightly. Besides his name scrawled neatly on the front, there was nothing else.

"I don't know," he said to Kaya, handing her the delivery receipt. "Get this shipment checked and stored accordingly. Today, we can actually help people."

A genuine smile crept across his face as he turned and made his way to his office. He couldn't help the flicker of satisfaction at the thought. Even though he had concluded that he didn't like Zane, who would say no to such help?

Once inside his office, he shut the door and sat down. The envelope was still clutched tightly in his hand. Carefully, he tore it open and unfolded the paper inside.

It was from Zane.

Beau leaned back, his brows knitting together as he read the letter.

'Hi,

You probably think I'm an ass, and I do not blame you. I wanted to apologize for the things I said. Your sister didn't hold back—she'd rather die than let anyone treat you like shit. I greatly apologize for last night.'

Beau's eyes narrowed as he reread the line. Is Ariel stupid or something? She actually told him? He let out a frustrated sigh but forced himself to keep going.

'I'm more sorry for judging you. Although I'm not exactly thrilled with what you do, I can understand the why part of it.'

Beau's irritation softened ever so slightly. At least Zane had the decency to admit his flaws.

His heart skipped as he read the next part:

'I've sent a contract to your email. One of my companies will deliver medicine to you and ensure you never run out, money or no money, everyone deserves healthcare, I'm sure that's something we can both agree on.'

Beau blinked, reading the line again. Holy shorts. Is this for real?

'If the contract is not to your liking, please adjust it and send it back to me for review.'

The letter ended with a brief note of gratitude:

'Once again, I'm very sorry, and thank you for helping me even when you didn't have to.'

At the bottom, there was a casual invitation: 'Come to my beach house this weekend—bring Lanet and Teddy along. I promise it will be fun and relaxing. You need the time off to unwind.'

Beau stared at the letter, he was in disbelief, but at the same time, he felt gratitude and cautious hope. He quickly pulled out his phone and opened his email, scanning through the contract before forwarding it to Dr. Crane. He didn't have the authority to sign it himself, but the gesture felt monumental.

The day seemed to fly by after that. He worked with patients, treating each one with the renewed energy that Zane's delivery and letter had sparked. Some patients stared at him a little longer than usual, likely recognizing him from gossip tabloids, but thankfully, no one said anything too weird.

Before his shift ended, Beau met with Dr. Crane and the other doctors to discuss Zane's offer in the small break room.

Dr. Crane adjusted his glasses and looked over the printed contract Beau had brought. "This is… unusual," he said, tapping a finger against the table. "A wealthy benefactor offering somewhat free, consistent medical supplies, money or no money? It's generous—almost too generous. There must be a catch."

Dr. Lark, the oldest of the group, leaned forward. "It's not unheard of. Philanthropy's a thing, you know. Maybe he's just trying to make up for something."

"I don't doubt that," Dr. Crane replied, "but we need to consider the fine print. What if he expects exclusive rights to supply us? What happens if he pulls out later, leaving us dependent on his company?"

Beau shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "I thought about that too, which is why I forwarded it to you. I don't want us signing something that could backfire."

Dr. Patel, who had been quiet so far, spoke up. "The terms here are… straightforward. He's not asking for anything in return other than a verbal acknowledgment of his contribution. Still, I think it's wise to meet with him in person. Gauge his intentions."

Dr. White nodded. "Agreed. Let's arrange a meeting. If he's genuine, this could be a game changer for us."

Beau felt a knot of tension ease in his chest. "I'll reach out and let him know. I'll see if we can all discuss it then."

Dr. Crane gave a small smile. "Good. And Beau, well done. Whether this works out or not, you've opened a door that could lead to real change for this clinic."

Beau nodded, a sense of pride flickering in his chest.

By the time he left the clinic, the hopeful smile on his face hadn't wavered. With a lightness in his step and a new determination in his heart, Beau headed home, ready to make a real change for his town.