Page 31 of Doctor Frost

Irritation flooded me as Rose nodded toward the two empty chairs.

“What is this about?” I barked, opening my suit jacket and sitting down beside Amelia.

“Well, Dalton, Amelia, a formal complaint has been brought to my attention and what it contains is rather disturbing,” Rose said, opening a folder on her desk.

“Care to enlighten me?” I questioned.

“It’s been brought to my attention that you are currently involved in a relationship with Amelia, your nurse on staff.”

I kept a straight face and waited for her to continue.

“That you have been caught engaging in sexual relations in many parts of the hospital?”

I saw Connie turn and look at the pair of us from the corner of my eye. I cleared my throat and stood up, causing Rose to stop speaking.

“I think this meeting is over for now. I’ll be getting in touch with my advocate, and I’d recommend Amelia do the same thing.”

Rose looked over toward Amelia, who at first didn’t move, but then stood up and nodded.

“I’ll be getting in touch with mine as well.”

I didn’t hesitate. I opened the door to the room and walked out. Once I heard the door close, I turned and saw Amelia coming up behind me.

“I’m glad you followed my lead. Those accusations are…”

“Ridiculous,” she finished.

“Yes. Let’s head on home and call our—”

She held her hand, which stopped me from continuing. She looked to the floor, then to the wall behind me, anywhere but directly at me.

“Amelia, it’s going to be—”

“No, Dalton, it won’t be okay. This is a disaster. To be honest, I just want to be alone so, I think for tonight, and for the next little while, I’m just going to stay at my place instead.”

I didn’t know what to say to her. I didn’t want her to be alone, to have to deal with these things on her own, but I knew it was probably for the best, so I let her go.

Amelia

It had beenfive days since the meeting with Rose. When I’d gone into work the next day, she met me outside of the elevators and told me I would no longer be working in Dalton’s office. Instead, I was being moved to the emergency department until further notice. I wasn’t allowed to go in and get any of my things from the office until after hours, and I was to have no contact with Dalton, either.

As I made my way past the office, I saw Connie wave at me from behind the desk. Irritation flooded me, followed by anger.

I made my way into the emergency department, thankful that today was the last day of my work week, and was immediately greeted by Sawyer.

“Hey, Amelia. Constance is here to see you. You can use my office.”

I frowned, not having a clue who Constance was. Sawyer must have seen the look on my face because he stopped and gave me a small smile.

“Constance is your employee advocate.”

“Thanks.”

My stomach turned as I made my way toward Sawyer’s office. I did not know what to expect, what sort of things had beensaid in that formal complaint because when I’d gotten my copy yesterday, I was too upset to read it. Instead, I’d drank down a bottle of wine and passed out after work.

I stopped outside of his door, my mind racing with all the things that I imagined Connie would have or could have said in that complaint.

I took a deep breath and then pushed the door open, stepping into the room to see a woman sitting behind Sawyer’s desk making some notes. She looked up, lowered her glasses to the tip of her nose, and cleared her throat.

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