Work Text:
Joan walked down the hallway from the hospital executive offices. She wanted to wrap up the planning portion of this project, and she was about ready to just produce the TV spots with their asinine ideas, take their money, and return to New York. But she felt obliged to at least try to make them better. Her company’s name would be attached, after all.
“Oh, good morning, Joan,” the chief resident said, emerging from the nearby elevator.
“Hello, Kerry. How are you?”
“Fine,” she replied brusquely.
“Good to hear,” Joan replied. She had surmised that some people around here took offense to Kerry’s tone, but it was what was needed to get people to do what one needed them to do without delay. Tricky enough around an office, but absolutely vital in an emergency room.
“I’m heading to lunch, if you’d like to join me,” Kerry said.
“I definitely need something after that meeting with the executives just now,” Joan laughed. “But how about something other than the cafeteria? My treat.”
“How about across the street?”
“Sounds good to me,” Joan said.
They walked over to the nearby diner and sat down. It was a bit earlier than most people came for lunch, so they were the only customers in the place.
“They expect an older crowd here, don’t they?” Joan asked.
“What do you mean?” Kerry asked, looking around.
“The playlist on the radio,” Joan said. “It’s an oldies station.”