FIONA

Chapter Two: The Unexpected Encounter

Fiona held the two different brand name bottles of pain reliever in her hands, glancing back and forth from one hand to another. Confusion surrounded her mind like fog in the mid to late hours of the morning. Turning around to look on the rack behind her, she didn't see the man who was looking at vitamin supplements when she bumped into him, causing his carrying basket of items to fall to the floor. "I'm so sorry, sir. Please excuse me. I don't know what came over me," she said as she knelt down to help him retrieve the items from the floor.

"Oh, no harm was done. Accidents will happen," he replied while glancing up at her, "Fiona. It's good to see you after all these years. I don't know if you remember me. I'm Blaine Conrad. We went to high school together," he said while offering her a handshake.

While shaking hands with him, Fiona responded, smiling, "Yes, I do remember you. How are you? What have you been up to all of these years?"

"I'm great. I've been working, mostly. Not much time for socializing. After high school, I went to a technical school where I studied the construction trade. I'm a foreman for Delaney's Construction. My uncle on my mom's side of the family owns the company. And you?" He asked while he retrieved the bottle of iron supplements from the floor.

"I'm doing alright. I'm a trainer at Sorrels Department Store. It's not what I hoped to do with my life, but it's a job. I'm learning on the job as I teach others the fundamentals of performing the tasks needed to be done in the store. I hope to make manager sometime in the future. That's where the benefits lie," Fiona said while biting her lip, "Tell me something. Which of these pain relievers are the best for a tension headache and congestion in the brow bone area? I've been standing here for at least ten minutes trying to find the medicine that's right for my symptoms.”

"You say you have headache tension and congestion in the brow area. I think you should put those back. They'll make you drowsy. Although I'm not a pharmacist, I highly recommend the generic allergy medicine. It's the same thing as your brand name medicine but puts extra money in your pocket. How about this bottle right here? It's perfect for your symptoms, and the price is right. I use this particular generic brand allergy medication myself," he said while holding up the bottle, and offering it to her.

"Uh. I'm sorry, but I don't think it has anything to do with my symptoms. I don't have allergies. I have a tension headache and congestion in my brow bone area, remember?" She said while raising an eyebrow.

"That's right. Yes. Here we go. Now this one here has to be the right medication this time. It's for a sinus headache and sinus congestion. Your brow bone pain is most likely head congestion stemming from the sinus area," he said while removing the bottle of medicine from the shelf, smiling as he handed the bottle to her.

Accepting the medicine from him, she said, giggling, "So now you're a doctor?"

"Well, no. But I do know something about your symptoms, because I endure the same thing myself. Your symptoms are caused by seasonal allergies. I know. I read up on health and medicine in various health and medical journals for my own pleasure."

"But I told you I don't get allergies. At least not to pollen or any allergens in the air. If my symptoms are forms of seasonal allergies, I think it'll be something I'll consult my doctor about on my next visit," she said while leaning against the shelves, causing bottles of pain reliever medication to fall to the floor, "Here I go again, not watching what I'm doing."

While they both retrieved the bottles from the floor, they bumped their heads together. "Sorry," they said in unison while peering into each other’s eyes.