Page 53 of Ellie 1

“You’re doing amazing, Ellie. I know this was humiliating, but I think it’s for the best. People are seeing you in a new light and paying attention for themselves instead of being assholes and jealous people.”

I snorted.

And she sighed. “Hastings is an asshole to you because hewants you, Ellie. Seriously, you do not understand how many fans you have and how many are assholes because you’ve turned them down. They’re not looking down on you. Theirpridecan’t recover being denied.”

I couldn’t have been more shocked if she’d told me the sky was going to be purple that night. Yes, Hastings had hinted he wanted some fun after he was hired… But that wasit. It wasn’t a dinner date invitation or anything real.

And he was so offended years later from just that?

Wow, people really needed to get their shit together and stop being so petty.

Unfortunately for my annoyance, I kept seeing Dr. Clark with the absolutelystunningDr. Carla Geer who was the head of dermatology. Every time I turned around, she was laughing with him and they were looking over things.

Why? Just… Why? They were completely different departments in different buildings even. Why were they always together the few times I left my damn office?

So I was less than friendly when she showed up to discuss the situation that had happened with her people.

She laughed about half an hour into the meeting. Full belly laughed and I had no idea what set her off. “Oh, darling, you are too adorable.”

“Do you have a death wish poking me right now with all I have going on?” I asked coldly.

She lost some of her mirth, but I saw it dancing in her eyes. “Jealousy is adorable on you. I stand by what I’m saying. I’venever seen you be so cute and petulant and we’ve known each other a long,longtime.”

We had. She was one of the few who knew a lot about me and I trusted her with it. Others who had helped build the hospital had moved on to other endeavors or to lead less stressful lives, but Carla had always been there like Alan and Sean.

But we weren’t really friends. Trusted allies, but… There was always a wall or something between us that kept us from ever being friends.

She curled up on the chair and put her head on her arms. “All that time with that fuckhead Fitz and all the people he slept with, flaunted in front of everyone, and you never cared. You’re not even with Ha-joon and you’re so jealous that you’re adorable.”

I frowned. “What does this have to do with Dr. Clark? We weren’t even talking about him.”

She gave me a look like I was kidding myself. It confused me, but I knew I was acting… Unlike myself. I wasn’t sure I’d call it jealousy or whatever.

Shewasn’t wrong calling it that either. Probably.

“Don’t be jealous,” she teased me. “He’s not my type and has only been professional.” She nodded when I gave her a look that I didn’t believe her. “He’s been helping the mess in dermatology. That’s what I was trying to tell you. I didn’t come to talk gossip about the cutie or—when have I ever done that?”

Never. I sighed and accepted her laughing now. “Wait, how is he helping?”

“He did a fellowship and is taking any shifter patients—doing an amazing job with them even. So he’s been a huge help after booting those two assholes out. Some of their staff as well.” She shook her head, her amusement gone.

Yeah, we both felt that way. The fact I’d gotten the heads-up before four of the five dermatology practices had pulled thatstunt was the only thing that saved us. I hadn’t even had a chance to warn Carla and I’d apologized for that.

She apologized that it was her department that gave me such trouble when she adored me and always would. I saw how true and genuine her upset was and felt bad for both of us.

The perk was getting two toxic senior attendings out of our hospital.

The problem was dermatology was now a mess since we didn’t have people to take the needed positions.

Except, Carla wanted to redo her department since this had happened. She wanted to split the five practices into three. I listened to her proposal that she’d been working on with the loyal doctor who hadn’t pulled shit on us. Basically, they wanted more residents and to put ASH back on the map for training.

They were willing to change the bonus structure to do it or share cuts with those under them. Carla and the doctor agreed that the bonuses were great but part of the toxic culture and petty that had come about. They wanted to take more attention off of that and focus where it should be.

I pulled out a map and nodded. It could work. Especially since it was one practice from each floor. It would be some redesign and whatnot, but for the time being, they could move into the other empty spot. Have the renovations done while we hired more residents and baby doctors and… Yeah, it would work well.

Of the two senior attendings left who had started trouble—one thought Carla was in on the move and would be dead meat if she didn’t do it as well. She was telling the truth. I wanted to be mad at her, but after hearing what she had going on in her personal life, I mostly forgave her.

The other one was still a problem but not enough to fire him.

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