It Happened Again

   It all started with an email. There was a conference call. It was important. Be sure to be on it. The entire relief pool were copied on the email. I wasn't worried. There had been some changes regarding rules on opioid dispensing. It was probably an update to make sure all the relief pharmacists knew about the rules and what to do.
  C and I ate dinner and C mentioned that this might be something serious. More serious than what I was thinking. Well, I thought, perhaps they were going to close a few stores. I wasn't too worried.
   It was time for the call. A male voice came on the line and started to take a roll call to make sure all stores were in on it. I began to feel sick. The upper level management in the pharmacy department were all women. This was not going to be good. The fact that they were taking roll to make sure all the stores were represented make me feel sicker.
  Then the president of the company came on. He announced that in one week all the pharmacies would be closed. I put my head down on the kitchen counter. I couldn't believe it. In less than six months I had lost another pharmacy job, one that I really liked. A place where I thought I might have a future. A place where I thought I could do some good. A place where I felt safe.
  The president went on talking about how they had sold the files to a major chain because they felt this chain would offer our customers the best customer service. I knew better. Most of the people who came to the pharmacy were fleeing from the big chains. They wanted a place where the pharmacist knew them and where they could get the advice and help they needed with their medications. I felt even sicker.
  He continued to talk about all the financial losses that the company had sustained and how they just couldn't afford it. They'd done all they could do. They had no choice. It was a hard decision.
  I didn't want to hear it. The president wasn't losing his job and his health care providers were not going to change. He wasn't going to have to face people and tell them that the pharmacy they depended on was going away. His world was going to be just fine and now he would have some extra cash in his pocket. I don't believe it was a hard decision for him.
  I couldn't believe this was happening again. I didn't think I could handle it. It was so hard the first time. Why did this have to happen again? Why was I going to be forced to look people in the eye and tell them that they would have to find another place? How was I going to deal with angry people and people with special needs who would no longer get needed services?
   I didn't listen to the part about severance and vacation time and all that. I had only worked for the company for less than six months. None of this applied to me. The only thing I was going to get was some happy memories and my employee discount through the end of the year. Big deal.
  At least I had someplace to go. I had been working on helping to license a pharmacy in an ENT clinic. My goal was to work at both places to help our finances a bit. It looked like I would be working at the ENT clinic only. Perhaps this was for the best. In order to get the new place up and running it would take time and now I had it. I was luckier than some of my colleagues who had no idea what they were going to do.
  Knowing that I had a job made me feel calmer. Last time I had no place to go and put in applications wherever I could. At least I wouldn't have to compete with my former colleagues for available jobs.
   The last week of work was hard. I had hoped to avoid participating in closing, but the scheduler begged for help. The extra money would be good and I could help my struggling coworkers as I'd been through this before and could empathize. While I was working one pharmacy manager came in to clear out his personal belongings. He took an award out of a cupboard and threw it forcefully in the trash. Obviously he was very angry.
  One of the first things I did was to email the scheduler to tell her how much I enjoyed working with her. I emailed the head of the pharmacy department to express concern for her and how difficult this would be. I also thanked her for giving me the opportunity to work for the company even for a brief time. I wanted to start out the new week with positive "vibes". I wanted to try as best I could not be sad or hurt at work. The customers would need someone calm and reassuring.
  I had actually worked for this company a long time ago. For six months I was a pharmacy manager and then I left. On my first day of work so long ago, I wore a necklace with a horseshoe made of tiny peridots. I chuckled when I realised that I was there when the company started and I would be there when it ended. I decided to wear the necklace on my last day of work. It just seemed to fit.
   My last day was yesterday. I have a few things left to do. I need to turn in my mileage to the bookkeeper. I need to inform the Board of Pharmacy I have a new job. I need to clean out my work bag and recycle my book with a page of notes for each store.
   Then I can start over. Again.