Aknock at the door pulled Finn's attention from the patient file he'd been reviewing. Eric appeared in the doorway, tablet in hand. "Got a minute?" Eric asked, already moving to sit in the chair across from Finn's desk.
"Of course," Finn replied. "What's up?"
Eric set his tablet down beside Finn's nameplate.Finn Cochrane, Clinical Program Manager. "Just finished checking in with Jordan. She's doing great. Says she's feeling better than she has in months."
Finn pulled up Jordan's file on his computer, scanning the latest assessment data. "Her numbers back that up. Anxiety markers are down, sleep quality's improved."
He leaned back in his chair. "I'd say we're in the home stretch. Another few weeks and she should be able to complete treatment."
"She'll be glad to hear that," Eric said.
They had been in their new roles for months, and thingswere going swimmingly. Finn handled the clinical implementation: monitoring patient progress, adjusting treatment protocols, and managing the neurofeedback equipment. Eric, officially the Patient Support Coordinator, handled everything else. He scheduled appointments, fielded questions, and most importantly, related to patients in a way Finn never could. Eric had been through the same treatment, experienced the same struggles. When he told patients it would get better, it gave them hope.
After they finished the rest of their check-in, Eric leaned back in his chair. “So, you excited for your trip?”
“You should ask Miguel,” Finn said with a smile. “Every single night he gives a presentation on something we need to do while we’re there.”
“A presentation?”
“Yes. Literally a PowerPoint presentation.” Finn shook his head. “Last night he showed us this Michelin-rated restaurant in Maui. Went on and on about how the chef was trained under the stewardship of a legendary but reclusive chef known only as ‘Le Virtuose.’”
Eric’s eyebrows shot up. “Le what? I’ve never heard of them.”
“Yeah, that’s the thing. I googled it later, but couldn’t find anything. My suspicion is that Miguel made up the whole story to help sell us on the restaurant.”
Eric laughed. “Sounds like he’s got a future in creative marketing.”
Finn pulled out his phone, scrolling to find a picture from last night’s presentation. “That wasn’t everything either. Look at this flyer from a boat charter company he showed us. He was trying to sell us on the option at the bottom.”
Eric took the phone, squinting at the screen. “‘The Luxe Package. Includes a sixty-foot yacht equipped with a captainand crew prepared to service your every need.’” He scrolled up and then down again. “All the other packages show a price except that one.”
“Yeah, I noticed that too when he showed us.” Finn took the phone back, zooming in on the image. “See that white smudge? That’s whiteout. He covered up the price.”
Eric stared at him for a second, then burst out laughing. “How do you keep up with this kid?”
Finn was laughing too. “No idea. He is truly one of a kind.”
When the laughter subsided, Finn asked, “You guys still on for dinner tomorrow?”
“Absolutely,” Eric said. “It’s your turn to cook. Will you have time with all the packing and getting ready for the trip?”
“I checked with Elena this morning. We’re all set.”
“Awesome. I’ll come over with the family around seven then.”
They wrapped up with a few more logistical details about work while Finn would be on vacation. Then Eric headed back to his office, leaving Finn to finish up his notes.
By 4:30, Finn was shutting down his computer and gathering his things. His phone buzzed with a text from Elena: “Picking up Miguel from soccer. Home by 5:15. Love you.”
Finn smiled, typing back quickly: “See you then. Love you too.”
ELENA
"The preliminary results look promising," Alexis said, pulling up the latest data on the monitor. "But I'm seeing some inconsistency in the early sessions. Patient response times are all over the place."
Elena leaned across Alexis’s desk to study the graphs. "What about extending the baseline period? Give them more time to acclimate before you start the active treatment."
"I thought about that," Alexis said, scrolling through the data. "But it adds another week to the timeline. I'm thinking the issue might be the session frequency. Maybe we're pushing too hard too fast."
