Page 14 of Chosen Beta

“You’re welcome, Doctor Clarke.”

Chapter Four

Lana

Istride back to my office, slowing down when I spot one of the older Omegas from the academy waiting on the bench across from the slightly ajar door. The long red hair and floor-length silky dress are instantly recognisable. Erika looks up from the sheets of paper in her hands and smiles brightly at me.

“Oh, thank goodness! Lana … I mean Ms. Cole! I didn’t know where you were, and your office door opened when I knocked on it, but you weren’t there, so I thought I’d better wait around. You know, just in case someone else walked by and decided to be a snoop, or whatever. I’m sorry, I’m rambling. I was just looking to talk to you about the changes.”

She holds up the papers and I realize she’s talking about the forms I gave the teachers to pass out amongst their students.

“I have a phone call to make. Just give me a few seconds and I’ll call you in.”

She nods and then breathes out a relieved sigh.

I leave her sitting on the bench while I step into my office.

I guess I probably should have locked the door before I left the room.

It doesn’t feel like there’s anything that important in here, but considering how many feathers I’ve been ruffling, it’s probably not the smartest idea to leave the room I’m stuck working in for most of the day unlocked and unattended for any amount of time.

I’ll try to remember to lock it.

Closing the door behind me now, I go straight to the phone and call the security office.

The head guard assigned to watch the bank of security cameras picks up in two rings.

“Yes, Ms. Cole?”

“I need someone to cover a patient’s room in the medical ward from noon onward. Can you reassign whoever you need the least, please.”

I hold my breath while he takes in that information.

The sound of typing lets me know he’s checking schedules.

I know we’re short this week. Employees are entitled to vacation time. I just kind of wish it wasn’t something we had to deal with on top of the mass exodus of the bulk of our security staff.

“I can send Rickett over at noon, but he can only work until eight. Night shift we’ve got skeleton crew, and no one can cover an extra shift, not tonight.”

“If we need someone for a little longer, I’ll call back later. Worst case we pull someone from the gates for a few hours.”

“Okay,” he says, not sounding sure. “But just so you know, we literally have one perimeter guy, these days. Just one on the gate and me, in here watching the cameras.”

“You?” I ask, realizing it’s Melvin, the same head guard who covered last night’s shift.

I called him after seven to confirm one of the nurse’s regular visitors.

“Yep,” he admits. “Me, again. It’s fine. I’m willing to pull double-shifts until we get some new boots on the ground. I just hope we get more cover soon. I’ve got a hell of a lot of vacation days building up.”

Shit.I bite my lip.

The staff I do have left believe in what I’m trying to do here. I know that. I really need to do better to make sure they don’t have to suffer for it.

“Thanks for your help, Melvin,” I tell him. “Hopefully we’ll have some more cover soon. No more double shifts once we do, and I expect you to hand in vacation requests then, too.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

I hang up the call, and my stomach starts to grumble.

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