Chapter 180
[ 505 words ]
Chapter 180:
“Ms. Thompson, your tactic of deflection is unprofessional,” the director warned, his voice taking on a threatening, bureaucratic edge. “This isn’t about Nurse Rostova. A significant portion of the ER staff has co-signed this complaint. Their collective voice has institutional weight. You are facing a formal review and immediate suspension pending its outcome.”
Caroline let out a low, dark chuckle.
She placed both of her hands flat on the polished wood. She pushed herself up slightly, leaning her upper body across the table. The sheer, physical intimidation radiating from her instantly sucked the oxygen out of the room.
She locked her eyes onto Eva.
Fiո𝘥 n𝘰𝘷е𝗹 𝖯DFѕ 𝘰ո g𝖺𝘭𝘯о𝘃𝗲𝗹ѕ.com
“A formal investigation is an excellent idea,” Caroline said. Her voice was quiet, but every single syllable struck the air like a hammer hitting an anvil. “I welcome it. But a thorough investigation must be truly thorough.”
Eva’s breathing hitched. Her eyes darted nervously to the HR director.
Caroline tilted her head. “Let’s start by pulling the access logs for the hospital’s pharmaceutical dispensary. Specifically, for the last three months. Let’s run a full audit on the inventory of Schedule II narcotics, particularly fentanyl and OxyContin.”
All the color instantly drained from Eva’s face. Her skin turned a sickly, ashen white.
“I’m sure it’s just a clerical error,” Caroline continued, her voice dropping into a lethal, freezing whisper, “but I’ve noticed minor discrepancies in the nightly counts on shifts where certain senior staff are present. A full DEA audit would be messy for the hospital’s accreditation. But if we’re investigating professional conduct, we should probably start with the potential federal crimes first, don’t you think?”
The two junior nurses stared at Eva, their faces masks of dawning horror. They had signed on for a power play, not a federal drug investigation.
Dr. Finchley’s spine snapped straight. His face went from pale to ghost-white. He shot up from his chair, pointing a trembling finger at the HR director. “This meeting is over,” he choked out. “Now.”
As the head of the department, he knew Caroline had just armed a nuclear bomb in the center of his hospital. He didn’t know if the accusation was true, but the mere suggestion of a DEA audit was enough to destroy them all.
Eva’s psychological armor completely shattered.
She pushed her chair back so violently it tipped over and crashed onto the carpet. Her hands were shaking uncontrollably.
“This… this is blackmail,” Eva stammered, her voice high and breathless with pure terror.
She didn’t look at the HR director. She didn’t look at her allies. She grabbed her purse off the table, turned around, and sprinted out of the conference room like she was running from a burning building.
The two junior nurses sat frozen for three seconds. Then, as if controlled by a single string, they both muttered panicked apologies, grabbed their phones, and bolted out the door after her.
Caroline slowly sat back down in her chair. She smoothed the fabric of her scrub top.
She looked at the HR director. The man was sweating.
“So,” Caroline asked, her tone perfectly polite. “Are we continuing with this complaint?”
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