THE CLERICAL OFFICE

Tracey sighed and switched off the 2nd alarm, her boyfriend had already left for work. If she’d have got up on the 1st alarm there would have been time to have a shower, put some makeup on and style her hair. Her procrastination had been going on for over 3 months, and Tracey knew trying to appeal to her work colleagues would help, but she was over it.

‘They don’t like me any way and any effort will just rise them jesting and teasing again’.

Jeans, T-shirt on with a pair of trainers of no significant label and her boyfriend’s jacket, she grabbed her keys to leave. The smell of her boyfriend on his jacket always made her feel safe. Tracey jumps in her mini, slides back in her soft metal tape, rewinds it and sings along as she drives into work.

Tracey recently took the job as Clerical Officer for Pathology Unit at the local NHS, as her old place under Maggie’s rule had been enforced to close and the government were selling the Hospital. Conservatives were filling their pockets by selling off old and unique buildings with land to developers and turfing out the Psychiatric patients who had been there since before the war into assisted accommodation units. All made from prefabricated wood, cheap tin roofs and with a “temporary” measure in place. So, all employees were to try and source work themselves or be transferred. Tracey found this Clerical officer job, and it sounded great.

At first, the group of women were welcoming, they were mostly around Tracey’s age and had held jobs there for some time. The job consisted of holding a reception area for the general public and the NHS internal staff to drop samples in, the girls logged the details on to a system, tagged and dispatched to the relevant departments. On an early occasion Tracey was left alone and was told only to accept samples that had clear information written on the container. Well, that was not the complete truth!
Tracey received a specimen from A&E, and the nurse said to her ‘its blood gas, it needs to go to lab now’
‘But there is no name on it, I’ve been told not to accept it’.
‘it’s urgent, doctors are waiting!’
‘I’m sorry but everyone is on their break, and I’ve been told not to accept without a name on it’.
The nurse left running back to where she had come from.
Within minutes the manager came out ‘I have just had a call from our A&E Consultant, you didn’t take the sample? Why? Its not acceptable, we cannot turn those samples away, did no-one tell you?’
Well, no-one had, so Tracey faced a meeting with her manager, and at that point, Tracey knew the girls were not being helpful at all, well definitely one in particular!

There was other trip hazards placed for her, the printing of the reports was a daily task, this involved 2 people to lift and load the green and white paper on to the machines. But Tracey’s partner – Donna – would always disappear leaving Tracey to struggle aligning the rolling machine.

Donna was one of the first to befriend Tracey, and although Tracey was quite shy, she accepted the friendship. Everything seemed genuine at the time, it was just over these past 3 months Tracey has realised that Donna was a controller, and had eliminated any potential friendship she could have had with any of the other girls. It seemed that Donna was the head of the roost as no one would speak out against her, and always follow her lead.

On one occasion Tracey decided that maybe she should invite Donna and her boyfriend out to join them down the local little working man’s club, have a game of bingo, watch the assigned act and generally have a good time, in some hope of getting Donna out of the work environment. Sharon and Barry were also there, good friends of Tracy’s boyfriend. It was a nice evening but then Donna made vile accusations about Sharon in the ladies, ‘why do you hang out with that loser’. This is when Tracey’s alarm bells started, this is not a friendship at all, it’s a form of control.

So today, Tracey arrives at work, as usual, goes to her locker and puts on the lab coat required, sanitizes her hands, and checks what she has been allocated to. Tracey also checks where Donna is, and she sighs, another 2 shifts without Donna ‘thank god’.
Kim, Kerry and Babs today, so a nice team. Babs is on the main reception, Kim, Kerry, and herself doing the lions share of uploading today and Tracey is assigned to Microbiology team. This is great news for her, as she gets to go to the lab, and sit with the lab technician team as the computers are still in their preliminary stages. All the work Tracey uploads today, will go on a floppy drive, and then connected directly to the printers on print run.
In Microbiology they get a lot of stool samples, so the humour is good with the team. They also get miscarriages and skin noods, this part is not fun but the team conduct necessary tests requested by the Consultants and these are interpreted into figures and percentages. Stuff Tracey doesn’t understand as after all she doesn’t have a degree in the sciences. It’s a long day, and Tracey takes a break with Sash, who is such fun, and allows Tracey to smile and feel unjudged.
‘What is it with that Donna’ Sash says one day, ‘she’s so vile, just because her dad is on the board she thinks she owns the place’ Tracey didn’t know this, and perhaps that’s what Donna’s issue is, with her dad?
Time goes by, and Donna announces she’s got engaged and getting married in Disney Florida.
Everyone is invited to their welcome home “congratulations” event except Tracey.

Babs one day speaks to Tracey ‘You know, none of us dislike you, its all Donna, just rise above her’ Babs was an older lady, worked part-time and was not attached to any of the drama that Donna loved creating. Tracey appreciated her words and began to just ignore Donna. It was a brave move to leave the room when Donna walked in and move seats at break from her.
Donna was livid and was letting everyone know that Tracey was to be avoided. Some of the girls did ignore it, but mostly when Donna was not on the shift with Tracey.

And then, Tracey found out she was pregnant! Jeez, that was a surprise for her. Tracey’s boyfriend proposed immediately, and although no-one at work knew, it felt like a shot gun wedding.

At the point it was safe to share her news, Tracey announced it in the staff meeting under any other business. All the girls screamed with joy, and many came up and congratulated Tracey apart from Donna. She had a face of thunder, and her face went red, she left the room slamming the door behind her.

Over the next few months, more and more of the girls were speaking to Tracey, and not about just work. When Donna was on the same shift as Tracey, the girls allocated her to the front desk away from Tracey. She was grateful of this subtleness, but also still wary of the girls as her trust had been ripped out of her by Donna’s actions.

Extra shifts were being required, and the income was of immense help to Tracey. However, Tracey could not see who was on the extra shift with her, it was only revealed when you turned in to work.
Today it was Donna, what a huge disappointment. Tracey ploughed through the endless task of uploading and linking patient details to pathology reports, methodical and focused she didn’t notice how long Donna had been stood behind her.
‘Your hairs a mess she said. Tracey just ignored Donna and focused on her job in hand.
‘I said your hairs a mess, and you look like a tramp’ again Tracey ignored her. Donna was sly, she was whispering her words and leaning into Tracey, there was no way management would here the conversation.
‘Donna, can you just sit on your station and get on with the work please’. Tracey had finally found it, her tiger inside! ‘Donna, you’re leaning over me and distracting me, please can you go to your station’.
In that moment, the door opened and Wendy the manager was standing there, staring at Donna. No words were said, and Donna moved over to her station. Inside Tracey’s heart was thumping so hard, that’s all she could here! The clock, ticking away was louder than it had ever been.

The next day Babs was in, and whilst changing out of the lab coats and sterilizing hands she leaned over to Tracey and spoke gently ‘You know she’s jealous, your pregnant, and your bright, she doesn’t like that as in her eyes you have beat her’ Tracey was taken aback, beat her? There was never a competition.

It wasn’t long before Tracey’s baby was due, and work seemed to have got a little lighter from Donna’s revolting personality. The girls all clubbed together and gave Tracey a huge array of baby items, and some mum-to-be treats on her last day.

It had taken months of Tracey’s now husband to persuade her, to not go back after maternity leave. He worked on the roads, and it was mostly cash, never a regular amount. He promised her he would support Tracey and their 1st born. This temptation was so great for Tracey, and although over the last 2 months, or so, the girls and the team in pathology were much better to be around, Donna was still there and would always be.

There was so much to consider for Tracey, money would be tight, and the would be no routine of going into work for herself, and then the thought of being a full-time mum felt daunting. Well that was a job she felt she had to do and could do, without any bullying or narcissistical person around to content with. But the cherry on the cake was finding out that Sharon and Barry were expecting!

Tracey’s last day was wonderful; all the lab technicians came with little thank you’s and good luck. Even the nurse from the incident had become a familiar face and had popped in too to wish Tracey luck with being a full-time mum. Her mini was pumped out with balloons and streamers, there were a few hoots from other cars as she went home for the last time.

**
A few weeks later, Tracey’s little baby was born at the NHS place she worked. And many people came to visit and have a cuddle with her newborn. Donna couldn’t bring it upon herself to visit, but that was the last thing Tracey needed to ever think about again.