Page 26 of Ellie 1

“She works for Dr. Hastings who was recently reprimanded and told to clean up his department,” Ms. Reed cut in, seeming to recover from her shock. “I think we’re all a bit too stressed, so let’s chalk it up to that and get back to saving people who need it.” She looked at the nurse and thanked her, politely dismissing her.

“Sorry,” I mumbled as I switched out her blood bag next.

She was quiet until it was done and slid on her shoes. “I appreciate the support, but you’re new here. Don’t make enemies for me, Dr. Clark. I’m more than able to shoulder what I need to, and you’re going to burn bridges you will regret.”

I stopped her before she got to the door, turning her to face me and getting lost in her pretty golden eyes. “I don’teverregret being on the right side and saying what someone should. That’s where my head was lost earlier about my family. I started a stink and my grandfather kicked me out of his house. Years later and I don’t regret sticking up for my aunts. Someone should have.”

She gently pulled her arm away. “You’re old enough to make your own decisions and yes, it’s your morality. Thank you, but I don’t need the help. I can fight my own battles, Dr. Clark.”

Liar.

I let her walk out the door and down the hallway with her IV pole but not before I smelled the sadness she was feeling. She was lying to me as much as herself.

Ellie Reed had more than she could bear and needed help. Anyone with eyes could see that if they gave a shit enough to pay attention.

7

Ellie

We made it through helping with the earthquake and slowly transferred stable patients back to Asia. I was more than a little annoyed with the hospital we were dealing with given how much help we’d been. It wasn’t the time for them to be petty, but apparently people took any chance to get more for themselves.

But I wasn’t losing our super nice patient beds we were transporting them in and getting back cheap, falling-apart gurneys in return. It was ridiculous, and I wasn’t going to allow that disrespect andtheftafter all we’d done.

The president wanted me to let it go, but after I told him how much each bed cost us, how many had been stolen, and asked if he was covering the cost—his answer changed. I wasn’t surprised, but it led to me having to threaten the head of the hospital with going to the press that during the disaster and tragedy where people lost their lives they were stealing from us.

And I had the receipts to prove it, and the media loved details like that and images like video of crumbling gurneys coming back through the portal.

The lecture I received about how I was too selfish and not willing to share when they were hurting and still in crisis irked me.

“No, you don’t get to turn this around and play the victim when you didn’t ask for help but stole from my hospital and then dismissed me and my staff,” I said evenly though I was seething. “If you had asked, we would have helped. You just thought yourself special and helped yourself to what wasn’t yours and we’ve done enough. Ask other hospitals for new beds.”

We went back and forth a few times, but finally he agreed to return all our beds by lunch our time or I was giving an interview to show ourfortymissing beds. And they cost ten grand a pop with our bulk discount and other niceties but more at normal price.

So no, they didn’t get to steal half a million dollars in our equipment and bitch I was being selfish for demanding it back. Pathetic.

And if that wasn’t enough to tell the day to fuck off, my next phone call was from an irate member of the board. I pinched the bridge of my nose and let her go off for a good ten minutes before I ran out of patience.

“If youeveryell at me like this as if I’m one of your children, it will be your last day on the board, Ms. Boyd,” I told her evenly, but icily.

That shut her up immediately, and I was glad because my head was throbbing.

“You are also yelling at thewrong person, Ms. Boyd,” I pushed before she could recover. “You need to yell at your colleagues on theboard. You were there when I objected to their stupid rule. You satright thereand nodded along with them—the men and their sexist drivel. So go look in the mirror and let out that tirade.”

“I beg your pardon, but I don’t even know—”

“They were tired of the worldwhiningabout sexual harassment and every little thing being an issue, always with us silly women,” I reminded her. “So any valid sexual harassmentor issues had to be reported withintwenty-four hoursto even be considered. Because if it wasn’t bad enough to report right away, then they were just getting lost in their hormones and blowing it up.

“And there had to be an open HR investigation which basically embarrasses anyone filing the complaint. That part is even against the law and we don’t allow it, but that was what the board demanded and you agreed with. So you helped them rig the system to shame any victim from reporting it and letting the doctors and staff run wild.

“Now you care because it’syour niecewho got caught up in it all. I also find it less than amusing that you call me to handle it all when she snorted at me the other night that I was actually in charge around here. So your niece is part of the problem and toxic culture listening to Dr. Hastings a bit too much that everyone’s too professional.

“And I have reports that she constantly whines that she has to even work and can’t just marry a rich husband yet. So she wanted to become a successful doctor’s wife and jumped into bed with one and now is calling foul because he didn’t put a ring on her finger.However, he should not be sleeping with all of the staff so carelessly. I agree with you on that.

“I said that from the beginning and how this toxic environment the board has created has hurt us over and over again. We lose talented staff because they don’t want to be the subject of constant sexual gossiplike your niece now. It is the main reason for turnover, and even people who aren’t involved don’t want to work somewhere where people behave like this.”

She cleared her throat. “I wasn’t aware it was such a problem. I will—”

“Convince the other women on the board that it’s enough and we will be changing the policy to follow the law and other hospitals,” I finished for her firmly. “Otherwise, I wish you thebest in your next endeavors because both you and your niece have acted as anything but professional. So you will rectify this mistake and start being shining examples or you’re both out, savvy?”

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