Camile stands before my desk, and I gesture for her to sit. She sits graciously, her blond hair now neatly brushed.
Her flushed face returns to normal, and she has a forced smile.
"You can take the whole week off," I tell her, expecting a brighter smile, but she shakes her head.
“I don’t want to take the whole week off,” she replies. “My patient needs me to treat him.”
I shrug. "You see, that's why I have called you here this evening." I watch her form a frown.
"I am taking the patient from your care," I tell her. She wants to protest but waits for me to finish my sentence. "We are protecting you from future ugly occurrences."
"I didn't ask for that," she protests. "I am capable of caring for this patient, but only if you think so."
"I don't think you are incapable; I just think a man should handle a patient like that."
Camile frowns again. “Are you being sexist right now?”
My jaw drops, “no,” I reply. “I am making sure you are safe.”
Camile goes silent for a while; she looks down, trying to get something out of her head. "Whose decision is this?" she asks. "The board wouldn't have made a decision as quickly as this."
I sigh. This young woman right here is smarter than I think she is. "I am still the CEO of the hospital. I make the decisions here."
Camile knows the hospital's code of conduct more than I do. She reminds me that the board only makes decisions such as this.
"Okay," I respond. "He is still your patient until the board decides otherwise, but you will be duly supervised whenever you are with your patient."
She nods in agreement, motioning to leave my office, but then she turns to me. "Thank you for saving my life back there," she says. "I owe you one."
“If you owe me one,” I start to say, “you should pay me by coming to Richmond’s masked party.”
Camile doesn't smile, but she nods. "Okay," she says as she closes the door behind her.
I look at the door for a few seconds after she leaves. There is something about Camille I have yet to wrap my hand around.
I still think she has an ulterior motive for coming to the hospital and making friends with my family so fast.
But as the old saying goes: keep your friends close and your enemies closer.
Chapter two
Making Things Right
Camile
The weekend is the time I always look forward to. It is the day I have to rest, but my boss is taking that away from me.
I wonder if he has time to rest like the rest of us or if he is always about attending parties with state dignitaries every weekend.
He offered to take me to the state's masked party as a bribe for almost letting a patient kill me.
I know he made a good call that day but hearing that my boss doesn't care about me hurts.
Mother walks into the room after a knock. She stands by the door, leaning on the door frame. "Do you have a busy weekend?"
I exhale, glad that someone is coming to my rescue. I suck at knowing what to wear to parties, especially when it is a big social event.
"My boss thinks I should go to a party with him," I say, watching Mother's face lighten up, but I quickly add, "It's a sort of compensation for what happened at work a couple of days ago."