A Moment At The Counter
The elderly man counted the single paper bill inside his worn leather wallet before setting it down on the pharmacy counter.
He looked across at the young pharmacist behind the register, his brow furrowed as he explained that twenty dollars was all he had for his fifty-dollar prescription.
Nora glanced down at the prescription bottle sitting on the glass surface, then looked back at the gray-haired customer.
She asked him directly if the medication was something he required right away, watching his shoulders sag as he prepared to turn and walk toward the exit.
Before he could step away, Nora opened her own purse beneath the register ledge and pulled out thirty dollars in cash.
She slid the paper bills across the counter along with the bottle, placing the prescription straight into his hands.
Strict Company Rules
The man pressed his hands together in appreciation, taking the medicine with a small, relieved smile before turning toward the doorway.
A male manager wearing a dark vest and a silver name tag stepped out from the back office and approached the register counter.
He pointed a firm finger toward Nora, asking why she had covered the remaining balance out of her own pocket.
Nora kept her stance straight, explaining that the customer did not have enough funds to cover his required medication.
The manager lowered his head, his face rigid as he reminded her that paying for customer items directly violated company procedure.
He told her to clean out her desk immediately and handed her a dismissal notice on the spot.
Packing Up A Desk
Nora gathered her belongings into a brown cardboard box, tucking a small potted plant under her arm as she walked out the glass front doors.
The elderly man was still standing near the sidewalk entrance when she stepped onto the concrete walkway with her head tilted down.
He stopped her as she passed, his voice tight as he apologized for causing her to lose her position at the pharmacy.
Nora swallowed hard, tears building in her eyes as she assured him that his health was more important than her employment status.
Later that afternoon, Nora sat on her living room couch alongside her sister, her hands resting tightly in her lap.
Her sister held her shoulder, listening as Nora explained that leaving a patient without their required treatment was not an option she could accept.
An Unexpected Visitor
A few days later, Nora stood outside near the storefront street corner carrying her handbag over her shoulder.
The pharmacy manager, dressed in a sharp navy suit jacket and tie, walked up the sidewalk directly toward her.
He held a thick brown envelope in his right hand, stepping close to her with a completely relaxed expression on his face.
He extended the envelope toward Nora, explaining that he had re-evaluated her actions and wanted to offer her a new role.
Nora looked down at the envelope, her eyes widening as a bright smile spread across her face.
She reached out both hands, taking the envelope from his fingers while nodding her head in gratitude right outside the pharmacy windows.
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