Page 25 of Drake Eternal

“What’s up? You sound exhausted.”

“Just finished a delicate surgery, and I was up late dealing with matters. I want to talk to you about that complaint Sam filed against you. I spoke with her, but she was unwilling to retract it. Then, I had to speak with the board about it, and they want to remove it from the record. They’re willing to overlook it and understand what happened.”

I frowned. “That’s good. What’s the problem?”

“Sam said she couldn’t withdraw it and was going to file a report with the local police. She claimed you were harassing her in private and it was interfering with her ability to work. She claimed that you wanted to re-establish your old sexual relationship and she didn’t, so now you’re punishing her because she refused.”

I sat in silence for a moment, remembering her most recent comment. “She passed me today in the cafeteria and said, ‘Don’t think you’ll get away with this.’ I didn’t know what she meant at the time, but I knew it wasn’t a good sign. Should I be worried about her going to the police?”

Michael let out a sigh at that. “I don’t honestly know. She was very angry when I spoke with her about it. I tried to talk her out of going to the police. They have a notoriously bad record of investigating such complaints, but she seems out for blood.”

“It’s pure retaliation. Her comment says everything. I’m not worried, though, because we have only ever spoken briefly and have never even touched. It’s bogus and in the end, is her word against mine.”

“I know,” Michael said. “I know it was, but this has thrown a huge monkey-wrench into things. I have to fire her and that’s going to make her even angrier, and at this moment, losing another surgeon is just too much.”

“I understand. Keep her on. I can deal with whatever comes my way from her.”

“She’s trying to hurt you because she believes you hurt her. I still want to fire her. In fact, I just might, anyway. I can’t have this bullshit going on in the hospital. Not now. Not when we need to all work our hardest and get the work done.”

“Don’t do it on my account,” I said and held out my hand. “We need every surgeon we can get to keep up with the workload. If you fire her, we’re one neurosurgeon short.”

Michael sighed and leaned back, rubbing his face with his hands. “I could see if there’s anyone else available to replace her. Let me do some calling around. I might have a few chips I could call in.”

“It’s up to you, but I’m seriously not worried about her. She can’t hurt me even if she wants to.”

“‘I’ll see,” Michael said, shaking his head. “What a nightmare. The very last thing I need is this kind of staff issue. I need surgeons who can focus and put petty things aside while we deal with an emergency. You know, I’ve decided.” He slammed his fist down on the tabletop. “I’m firing her. I have enough grounds to do so, according to the contract and ethics rules. It’s her damn fault for breaking them, and now, she’s going to pay the price.”

I frowned. “Don’t,” I said, hating the thought that my presence here was the cause of all this mayhem. “Wait until we have a new surgeon on board if you feel you must. If you do fire her, you’ll create an enemy for us both. Who knows what she’ll do in retaliation? You don’t need it, and neither do I.”

“She shouldn’t get away with making a false allegation and for sleeping with her resident.”

“Just wait. Get someone else on board first.”

He sighed. “I’ll think about it.” Then he checked his watch. “I’ve got a meeting with the board right now. I’ll talk to them and see what they think.” He stood. “I’ll let you know either way.”

I nodded and watched as he went to the door. He turned back and faced me. “Sorry Drake, about all this. I thought she wouldn’t be any trouble, but I guess she’s the same old Sam.”

I shrugged. “It is what it is. We’ll manage.”

With that, he left my office and closed the door behind him.

Sam was already mad at me for telling Michael about their illicit relationship. She would be angry that the board would not move on her false allegation of sexual harassment. She would be mad that Paul broke the relationship off.

Being fired from her plum position would send her ballistic…

CHAPTER 9

That afternoon when Sophie and I called Drake to say goodnight to him, he told me about the nasty business with Sam when Sophie gave him an air kiss goodbye and turned back to her coloring book.

“I knew she’d be a problem,” I said quietly so Sophie wouldn’t hear our conversation. I took Drake off speaker for a moment and put him on earphones.

Drake sighed. “She is being a real pain in the proverbial butt.”

“You’ll be done in a couple of weeks. Then, you can say goodbye to Sam for good. Just try to avoid her if you can. Don’t let her win.”

“I don’t plan on letting her win, but she’s a strong-willed woman.”

We spoke for a while longer about my plans to come on Tuesday after I spent the weekend with my father and Elaine, and how I would be going to the party on Friday night before going out to the beach house on Saturday for the day to see my dad.

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