Chapter 48
[ 503 words ]
Chapter 48:
She pushed open the door and walked to her locker. Sitting right on top of the metal vent was a venti-sized Starbucks cup. It was a caramel macchiato—expensive, and exactly what she liked.
“I hope it’s still warm!”
Caroline spun around. Melanie, a nurse who had actively tried to sabotage Caroline’s patient charts last week, was standing near the sinks, beaming at her.
“I figured you might need a pick-me-up after everything,” Melanie said, stepping closer.
Caroline stared at the cup. A flicker of cold, professional caution went through her. She remembered the training lectures from her certification course—never accept food or drink left unattended in a high-security ward. She gave a tight, polite smile. “Thank you,” Caroline said, her voice flat. She didn’t touch the cup.
𝗔𝘥𝗱𝗶𝘤𝘵i𝗏е 𝘀𝗍𝗼𝘳іe𝘴 o𝘯 𝘨a𝗹𝗻𝘰𝘷𝘦𝗹𝗌.cо𝘮
She changed her shoes and walked out to start her rounds.
It only got worse.
When she tried to push the heavy medication cart down the hall, a male orderly practically sprinted over, shoving her hands away. “I got this, Miss Thompson. You shouldn’t be doing the heavy lifting.”
When she went to update a patient’s chart, Dr. Cromwell, the Chief of Staff who had tried to fire her, suddenly appeared.
“Ah, Caroline!” Cromwell beamed, sweating slightly. “I trust you had a restful weekend after… well, after everything. If your shift schedule is too demanding, just say the word. We can adjust your hours immediately. Whatever you need.”
Caroline felt a cold sweat break out on the back of her neck.
This was Jarrod’s doing. His violent display of power in Cromwell’s office had sent a shockwave through the hospital hierarchy. To them, she was no longer an intern. She was the untouchable property of a billionaire military commander.
She was suffocating. The fake smiles felt more dangerous than the open hostility.
By the time her lunch break arrived, Caroline was desperate for isolation. She bought a cheap turkey sandwich from the cafeteria and slipped into the deserted B-wing stairwell.
She sat down on the cold concrete steps, resting her head against the metal railing. She took a bite of the dry sandwich, closing her eyes.
Creak.
The heavy fire door above her swung open.
Caroline’s eyes snapped open. Her muscles instantly tensed.
Melanie and two other young nurses walked down the steps. They didn’t look surprised to see her; they had clearly been hunting her down.
They sat down on the steps surrounding Caroline, effectively boxing her in. The fake, sweet smiles were gone, replaced by a hungry, calculating gleam.
“So, Caroline,” Melanie started, leaning forward, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “We’ve all been dying to know. How did you manage to hook Colonel Romero?”
Caroline stopped chewing. She swallowed hard. “I didn’t ‘hook’ anyone. It’s a professional relationship.”
One of the other nurses snorted. “Professional? He threatened to defund the hospital for you. Come on, share the wealth. Does he have any single friends in the Defense Department? Or better yet…”
Melanie pulled out her phone, her eyes locked onto Caroline’s face. “Just give us his private number. We just want to… thank him for keeping the hospital safe. That’s all.”
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