Chapter 204
[ 522 words ]
Chapter 204:
He had two impossible choices. Defy Harper, and she would unwittingly trigger the same chain reaction Caroline had warned him about. Cooperate with Harper, and Caroline — the woman who already held a nuclear bomb over his head — would have every reason to detonate it.
Finchley’s throat went dry. He needed time to think. He needed to buy himself room to maneuver.
“Miss Romero,” Finchley said slowly, each word measured, “I understand your concerns. Let me see what I can do about the scheduling.”
Harper saw the rigid, trapped look in his eyes. She didn’t see the calculation behind it. She only saw surrender.
“Good,” Harper said, standing up. She grabbed her bag and slipped her sunglasses back on.
“I will have someone watching the schedule,” Harper warned. “Do not disappoint me, Doctor.”
She turned and walked out of the office.
Finchley sat perfectly still until the door clicked shut. Then his hands began to shake. He picked up his desk phone and dialed the scheduling department. But he didn’t give the order Harper wanted. Not yet. He told the scheduler to put a temporary hold on Caroline’s weekend shifts while he reviewed staffing allocations. It was a stall. He needed to figure out which threat would kill him first.
Monday afternoon.
The Emergency Department was a war zone. The waiting room was overflowing, and the constant, rhythmic beeping of cardiac monitors blended with the groans of patients.
𝗔𝖽𝗱іс𝗍i𝗏𝗲 n𝗈v𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗈ո 𝗴a𝗹ո𝗈𝘷𝗲𝗹𝗌.cо𝗆
Caroline stood at the sink in trauma bay two, stripping off a pair of latex gloves covered in dark, coagulated blood. Her lower back throbbed with a dull, persistent ache.
She walked out of the bay and headed toward the main nurses’ station.
Brenna was leaning against the counter, holding a lukewarm cup of coffee. She looked up and smiled. “Hey. Only four more hours until shift change. I am going to sleep for two days straight.”
Before Caroline could reply, Dr. Finchley walked out through the double doors. His face was pale, and he refused to make eye contact with anyone. He held two freshly printed sheets of paper in one hand.
He walked directly up to Caroline and Brenna.
“There’s been a change,” Finchley said, his voice tight and unnatural. “We have a severe flu outbreak predicted for this week. We are critically understaffed. Your regular schedules are being adjusted.”
He handed them the papers.
Brenna looked down at the schedule. Her eyes widened in absolute horror.
“Are you kidding me?” Brenna shrieked, slamming the paper onto the counter. “These are back-to-back sixteen-hour shifts, with only four hours of turnaround time! And you put us entirely in the trauma ward? This is illegal! The Nurses Union will crucify you for this!”
Finchley wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead. He had prepared for this exact reaction.
He leaned in closer, lowering his voice. “If you two can cover these shifts, I will personally submit top-tier commendations to HR and the Director of Nursing. I will also authorize maximum double-overtime hazard pay and give you priority pick for next month’s schedule.”
Brenna’s mouth snapped shut.
Maximum hazard pay combined with a flawless administrative record was exactly what she needed to fast-track her career and pay off her student loans.
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