Page 61 of Ruled By Fate

“Where do you stand on Dr. Matthews?” Brie asked hesitantly.

Cindy responded without missing a beat. “On his neck, if at all possible.”

Denise snorted with what was presumably a hard laugh and kept walking.

Brie shot Cindy a grin. “Oh, we’re going to get along just fine.”

“Weldon. With me,” barked Denise.

They parted ways with Cindy and stepped into another room. Brie assisted with a chest tube insertion as Denise watched. Despite all the caffeine and sleep deprivation, her hands remained steady. She even earned a curt nod of approval from El Commandant once again.

Twice in two days. Don’t get cocky, Brie, but you’re doing alright.

By the time her lunch break rolled around, she felt as though she’d run a marathon. Again.

“Can you multitask?” asked Denise, breaking into her thoughts.

“Can I — yes, I can multitask.”

“Good. Go get food. Come back here. Eat while working.”

Denise whipped out her cell phone and walked off without a backward glance. There was an economy to her every aspect and motion. She didn’t mince words. She didn’t even mince syllables. Everything about her was an excellent example of competence and efficiency.

Like a perfect machine.

Like the Terminator.

A little shiver raced over Brie’s shoulders, but she shook it off before quickly making her way down to the cafeteria. Her job might be a swirling mess of exhaustive chaos with high stakes and no end in sight, but today, she was grateful for the turmoil. It was keeping her mind off Cameron and how his little family reunion might be playing out.

As she worked her way through the line, absentmindedly choosing a salad, vegetable soup, and a lemonade to counterbalance the booze and junk food fest from last night, her mind started running through some unwanted scenarios.

What if he gets in huge trouble for saving me? What would that even look like? Would they excommunicate him, like they do in the Catholic Church? That’s a Catholic thing, right? But don’t Catholics also have some kind of way to make amends? Like you count prayer beads and say “Our Fathers” and drink Bloody Marys?

Wait, that can’t be right…

She paid at the commissary, remembering at the last minute to grab Rashida a chai latte and herself a cappuccino. Then she stopped by the morgue on her way back up to Denise.

Rashida opened the door on the second knock.

“As promised.” Brie held out the chai.

“Thank you!” the woman accepted happily. “No handsome escort today?”

“Not today, I’m afraid,” Brie replied, “and I can’t stay. Denise has me multitasking.”

“Ah, I see. Well, if you want to come here after your shift to chart and hang out, just let me know. I’ll be around. I have a bunch of cases to catch up on myself.”

“Oh, no. Busy day down here?”

“Bizarre. I’ll tell you later. You’d better get back to El Commandant before she—”

“Skins me alive to make an example of me?”

“Precisely.”

Brie grinned and started back towards the elevator. “Sounds like a plan. I’ll see you later.”

Denise picked up another stack of files at the nurses’ station, then turned and walked to an unused conference room. Brie followed and settled into one of the chairs at the giant table as Denise walked to the television that loomed over the room and started setting up a video.

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