Page 44 of Ellie 3

How could they? We were the ones who it came from.

But also, they didn’t relinquish control of their screens and equipment. They gave it over for the data when I handed over the footage from our security and more. They could quickly flip through that while things got set up and decide what they wanted to play.

I also promised to give them full access to the “guests” to interview as they pleased so they heard it from their mouths. I thought that was more than fair.

The president must have gotten word of what was going on because he tried calling me from his personal line. When I didn’t answer, he texted asking me not to do what I was and to talk.

I simply responded that he’d had his chance and I would do whatever I had to so my hospital and people were protected. Always.

The interview started from the beginning. I was honest that my president asked us to aid South America because we were the best trauma center in the world—or one of the top. I could be modest sometimes.

But that things had quickly spiraled out of control, and magics opened portals to ASH without authorization, mocking us as they did.

“Forgive me for saying this, but you sound like you might have some animosity towards magics,” he worried.

“My best friend is a witch,” I snickered. “I previously had a long-term lover who is a warlock. No, I have nothing against any supe species. What I have a problem with is egotistical, entitledjackasses who try to use a crisis to settle scores or… Whatever this was. Your station has the security footage with audio.

“You have the proof this wasn’t about helping people but trying to stick it to a North American private hospital. I don’t know why. Jealousy? They know their president hates me because I won’t allow ASH to be named a UN hospital? I can’t tell you for sure, but they used the suffering and deaths of many to try and make this worse for everyone.”

“We’ve been reporting on the excessive push to shout everywhere that ASH is a UN hospital,” he accepted. “There have been slips here and there, but now it’s been—it’s been incessant.”

“Because they want access to our research, including how we formulate the blood additive. I’ve been threatened so many times over the years to hand it over to the South American government—this president in particular—it’s ridiculous.

“They want it to make money. Not to help their citizens, but with a private company. I believe there are many,manylaws about presidents not making money off their time in office, yes? It’s a level of corruption any sane person agrees is over the line. It’s a conflict and they weren’t elected to office to make themselves richer. They were elected to make our livesbetter.”

“I agree, but there are many who are saying this is all a ploy to skip out on the bill which is the agreement in place between the governments when aid is given, yes?”

“There is,” I answered, glad he was on the ball. “But ASH isn’t money-hungry like some accuse us.” I brought up the slide that was relevant. “This was the total of everything we spent and services when the earthquake hit Asia and we jumped in.”

He whistled. “That—no one knows it cost that much. It’s an exorbitant amount.”

“Saving lives isn’t cheap,” I chuckled darkly. “Take into account all of the overtime—double timesince most of the staff didn’t leave the hospital for days. We had extra people comein. Not to mention all our families volunteering and bringing in supplies, food—there’s no way we got all of those costs.”

“Plus the cost of our military involvement,” he added. “We heard you gave free extra blood to our military and first responders.”

“We did. Food was always available to them and more.” I waited until he nodded. “However, most of our doctors are salaried, so they didn’t demand the overtime or double time they could have in such a crisis. Other medical staff who came to help didn’t request payment for services. A lot of people donated their time.

“But that doesn’t mean the value of their work isn’t there. We had to reschedule four days of appointments because of this crisis. I have doctors and practices that will be working weekends for months to get their schedules back in order when we’re trying to provide health care to more. There are also costs we can’t forgive because we’re billed for them.”

“Laundry services—”

“ASH has its own in-house laundry but yes, you’re on the right track. Our water and added energy consumption doesn’t get waived. Medical waste costs are a lot to handle. We had to put in a rush order for more surgical equipment because of this last crisis. That bill will make me cry and cost about the same as hiring a new nurse for a year.”

I went over all the numbers, saying what we didn’t charge for and the discounts we gave to Asia because of the promises to help us restock our blood supply. Which they did and even offered some of their personnel to cover for ours while they recovered. I basically pumped up Asia on how they handled the situation even if it hadn’t been smooth at the time.

It was still a whole lot better than what was going on now.

“I had no idea ASH ate so much of the cost,” he muttered. “That’s not what was reported at all.”

“Shocking that certain governments in particular were pushing that narrative while referring to us as a UN hospital,” I drawled. “We’re not, and the department heads are so upset how everything happened, the way their staff was treated, and what’s being reported now, that we’re discussing magically locking ASH from portals.”

The horror on his face and those of others in the studio at the threat would have been amusing if the situation wasn’t so serious.

But it was.

13

Ellie

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