Page 120 of Toxic Temptation
“Dr. Fairfax?”
I turn to find Miranda behind me, her face pale.
“Where are all our supplies?” I demand.
“I paged the department manager. He’s coming up now.”
Adrian Vasquez appears moments later, looking concerned. I’ve always liked Adrian. He’s one of the good ones.
“We have a problem,” I tell him, gesturing toward the empty shelves.
He checks his tablet, frowning. “According to my records, this ward was fully restocked two days ago.” He shows me the screen, which matches what he’s saying. “Everything should be here.”
“But it’s not.” My stomach drops. “Who handled the distribution?”
“Looks like… Eric Chapelle.”
I feel sick. Eric is Jeremy’s lackey. Which means this isn’t an accident.
“Fourth floor,” Adrian says quietly in answer to the question I didn’t even ask yet. “Admin department.”
I don’t thank him. I can’t speak past the fury clogging my throat.
The elevator ride feels endless. When the doors open, I march straight to Eric’s office and burst through the door without knocking.
“Eric Chapelle?”
The rat-faced man behind the desk looks up. His eyes immediately drop to scan my body in a way that makes my skin crawl.
“Who’s asking?” His voice has a sleazy quality that makes me want to shower and scrub my skin until it’s red and raw.
“The doctor who almost lost a child because you stole my supplies,” I reply. “That’s who the fuck is asking.”
He stands up, still leering, but his throat bobs with a nervous swallow. The sound of it is disgusting. “L-listen, I just follow orders.”
“Where thefuckare my supplies, Eric?”
“J-J-Jeremy told me to redistribute them to other wards.”
I don’t waste another second on him. I turn and walk out, my mind already forming a plan.If they won’t give me what I need to save children’s lives, I’ll take it myself.
I grab a cart from Radiology and start raiding every supply room in the hospital. Nurses stare. Colleagues try to stop me, asking if I’m okay. “Everything’s perfect,” I tell each and every one of them, my voice too bright, too manic. “Just taking what my patients need to survive.”
By the time I make it back to the pediatric ward, my cart is overflowing. When it reaches my floor, the elevator doors open, and I’m face to face with…
… Jeremy Fleming.
“Well, hello there,” I say sweetly, ramming the cart at his legs.
He jumps aside just in time. “Dr. Fairfax, what the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“Restocking supplies. You know, those things doctors need to keep children alive?” I keep pushing the cart forward, forcing him to walk beside me.
“You’re stealing hospital property.”
“I’m keeping it in the hospital.” I pause and muse out loud, “Unless you don’t think sick kids deserve medical care?”
“This ward has what it needs.”
