Chimera

By Lisa Colodny

A chimera is an illusion, an idea of something that can never be. In mythology, the pseudo-creature has the head of a lion, body of a goat, and a serpent's tail spliced together into a freak of nature without a purpose or plan. Under the watchful eye of a scientist in a lab, it is a genetic anomaly whose presence exists as a contradiction to mot

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kingston Publishing Company
• Release date: Jul 25, 2019
• ISBN: 9781645331711

Book preview

Copyright

Chimera is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

CHIMERA: A NOVEL

Copyright © 2019 by Lisa Colodny

All rights reserved.

Editing by KP Editing

Cover Design by KP Designs

Published by Kingston Publishing Company

The uploading, scanning, and distribution of this book in any form or by any means—including but not limited to electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the permission of the copyright holder is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized editions of this work, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

Table of Contents

Copyright

Table of Contents

Dedication

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

About the Author

About the Publisher

Extras

Dedication

To my cousin, Leoda who has been my rock these last two years. I don’t have a memory that you aren’t in and I’m so grateful to have you in my life.

Chapter 1

Today’s newspaper folded neatly atop the far corner of her desk was a distraction. Catherine glanced anxiously at it again, before turning her attention back to the patient profile on her hospital’s computer screen. Just a peek, she thought, a quick look at the news to see what all the buzz today was about. But she didn’t reach for it, instead, she relaxed back against the worn cushions of her desk chair, trying not to notice the cracking sounds as the old leather of the chair moaned and groaned.

So many years, she thought as her eyes moved over the faded framed photographs hanging slightly uneven on her office walls. No matter how many times she adjusted them straight, the frames would reacclimate themselves crooked against the wall every time someone wanted privacy and closed her office door. Over the fifteen years, she’d been a hospital risk manager, her picture frames shifted often, several times a day sometimes. 

Hey? her visitor announced, causing Catherine to jerk in surprise as the newcomer rushed through the office door and fell into the empty wooden chair across from her desk. Like the other chair, it squeaked and cracked under the weight of the visitor, even though her visitor was a woman of small proportions.

I didn’t realize you were in the office already, Virginia. It’s early for you. Catherine smiled, pulling her reading glasses off her face and dropping them on the pile of paperwork in front of her. She took a moment to study her friend, recognizing how well Virginia had weathered the years. The hospital system had a reputation of aging people far beyond their years, yet, Virginia seemed to be unphased by the passage of time or the challenges faced.

Virginia had only recently come into the position of administrative assistant to the Chief Executive Officer at the hospital , but she and Catherine had worked together before on various assignments at the other hospitals within the system. Did you get him settled back into the office?

Virginia pushed her wire glasses tighter against her face and glanced over her shoulder before answering. Yes, Jay from facilities transported Andrew’s stuff back from the corporate offices. Mostly I just put everything back where it was before and retrieved his phone back from the corporate office.

You had to turn in his phone? Catherine didn’t have to relay she was confused. Her expression said it all. Why corporate would need his phone returned after his promotion was a mystery. After all, he was still part of the same system, just moving higher up on the food chain.

I’d already submitted his phone to the communications department to be reconfigured for his new role as Chief Executive Officer of the system. Virginia paused. Felt kind of bad having to ask for it to be changed back to the way it was since he didn’t get the promotion.

Did he say anything? Catherine didn’t know why she’d asked the question. She knew Andrew Caser well enough to know he’d never confide any of his true feelings to anyone outside of his inner circle.

You mean about the article in the paper or about not getting the job? Virginia tugged at her hair cropped close to neck, as if she were wearing a wig and it needed adjusting,

Both, I guess. I mean, Andrew’s spent the last ten years, waiting patiently for the incumbent, Alvin Erickson, to retire. She paused, rubbing her ice blue eyes before continuing. Everyone has known for years that the next CEO of this hospital system would be Andrew or Wesley Bowers.

Virginia rose to her feet, smoothing the front of her skirt into place. Just Wesley’s bad luck to get picked up for drunk and disorderly at a gay bar, Huh? She leaned in closer to whisper even though they were alone in the office. "It’s not like we can have a gay man running the system, right?’

Wesley’s done okay since he transferred to the Booker system. Catherine reminded her. She folded her arms across her chest as if she were cold. Booting Erin out of the Chief Nursing Officer role at Booker was a good move. She paused and placed her hand over her mouth as if she didn’t want the rest of the words to spill out. Maybe it was a payback. He knew she’d show up here.

True, Virginia laughed, and checked her watch before making her way closer to the door. Still Andrew had to be disappointed. No one thought the appointment would go to anyone other than Andrew, not even Andrew.

Catherine pulled her glasses back on and reopened the file folder on her desk. Governor Smith has always been a wild card. We should have known he wouldn’t do what was expected. And his reputation at GHF wasn’t exactly one of transparency. She’d finished speaking. Yet, her thoughts continued to rattle around in her mind. It was no secret that in a corporation, any corporation, things were seldom as they seem. Healthcare was no exception; it was more the rule.

She paused, folding her hands out in front and laying them against the desktop as if she were a judge presiding over an arraignment. I mean, it’s still unfathomable to me how Smith was even elected governor in the first place. How many times did he plead the 5th during the state inquisition regarding fraudulent Medicare charges paid to the GHF system?

Too many to count, Virginia added, her mouth poised against a small piece of chewing gum she’d trapped under her bottom lip. Speaking of unexpected, I saw on Facebook that Ryan has a new friend? She didn’t post any pictures. Just that she was seeing someone.

Even without looking up from the file, Catherine knew Virginia was smiling, waiting for the details. Yes, it’s been a rough year for her. She lost her mother and her ex-husband announced his engagement about the same time.

There’s that and she’s the director of the pharmacy. Virginia wiped at her blouse where a soup stain from the hospital cafeteria was prominent. Seriously, I’m happy she’s dating again. She’s been divorced for as long as I’ve known her.

Although she won’t admit it, I think Ryan always thought she’d get back with her ex-husband. Her gaze settled on a framed picture on the second shelf of the bookcase near the office door. Catherine smiled, remembering her own wedding so many years ago. She’d been a different person then, young, fueled with the hope and dream of a content life. It was impossible to look at the old picture and not see how her eyes had been filled with purpose and determination. Sometimes she thought the woman in the photo was a stranger. It was like finding an old photo in a family trunk and not knowing any of the people in it.

Her stare transfixed on the picture and the way she smiled. She’d been confident in the life she’d chosen, the role she’d play in the lives of so many people around her. She’d never been happier or prouder as the day that picture was taken. She glanced quickly at a more recent holiday picture of her and her family, It was hard not to focus on Gordon’s receding hairline tinged with grey around his ears or how much her youngest son, Ronnie, looked like Gordon in the wedding picture poised close by. If Ronnie had been wearing a black tuxedo instead of a holiday sweater, he’d easily have passed for his father in the picture of so many years ago.

She exhaled a breath she hadn’t meant to hold and thought of another wedding, a marriage that preempted the one in her picture. A marriage her sons weren’t even aware of and she and Gordon seldom spoke of.  There were no pictures of that wedding but still, she saw the moment in her mind’s eye, flashing forward until it was over, almost as soon as it had begun. A storm, she thought. They’d come into each other’s lives like a whirlwind raging with white-hot streaks of lightning and the crash of thunder moaning just over the horizon. Her thoughts spun, intermingled, battling one over the other, the past and present merged like the start of a summer storm. The rain fell, dripping at first until it spilled into puddles already on the ground. Her mind stilled, made peaceful as the storm came to its end.

Catherine was proud, confident it the choices she made when she was younger. There had never been a moment of remorse, not once where she’d regretted any transgression of her youth. She was grateful for what she’d learned, what she’d taken away from both experiences. She was a better person because of it. Her first husband had been a good man, he had made her a better person.

She studied the folded newspaper on her desk again wondering what the bad news today might be. It was getting harder and harder to distinguish the good from the bad guys. She shook her head as if to still her thoughts and let the old memories settle to the bottom like sand.

When Ryan’s ex-husband announced his engagement earlier this year, I thought she’d have a breakdown; sort of like losing him all over again. Catherine went on, After her Mother’s death in the spring, I wasn’t surprised at all when she went out on medical leave. 

I’m glad she’s back. Virginia stood, pushing the chair tight against the front of the desk.

Me too, Catherine smiled. There’s a few medication incident reviews I need her to prioritize, especially the error that happened in the operating room.

Virginia smiled before taking her exit. I’ve got to get back to work, see if Andrew needs anything else before his meeting starts. She stopped at the doorway and turned back to Catherine. Is your phone working okay now?

Yes, Catherine tapped on the phone lying nearby. Thanks for sending it out for me. I appreciate it. She grabbed it from her desktop in a single motion as if studying it. I really don’t know what happened. It just stopped working.

There were several phones with issues, not just yours. Virginia leaned in close so she could whisper. The new Chief Information Officer doesn’t play around. He had the phones turned back around in only a few days.

I heard he’s friends with one of the Commissioners on the board?

I heard that, too. Virginia smiled, pausing before adding. For all the good it did Warren, though. He and Commissioner Burns have been friends for years, she whispered, They worked together at Pine Bluff many years ago. Warren was a good guy; I don’t think he knew he was on the chopping block.

Does anyone ever know? Catherine laid her phone near a pile of paperwork, her mind racing to the next topic on her mind.

Have you spoken to Lorraine?

Beliard’s new administrative assistant? Virginia stopped at the door and announced in celebration, as if she had an award to present.

Yes.

Just in passing; she’s been busy moving Billiards stuff into the corporate executive suite?

Is she excited about the promotion? Catherine paused. I assume there’s a difference in pay between being an administrative assistant to a regional CEO, compared to the chief executive officer for the entire system.

Virginia looked at the empty middle desk. She didn’t really say.  I know she’s been helping him pack up his office. True, there’s probably not much to pack. Beliard’s spent the last eight years as the Medical Director for the Emergency Department. He really shouldn’t have that much to transport. I mean, he’s not going to actually see patient’s anymore, right?

Do you know Beliard? Catherine asked, glancing at her computer screen where notification lights of incoming emails left the monitor looking more like a well- lit Christmas tree than an electronic mailbox.

Not very well, no. Why?

We worked together many years ago before coming to this system. She smiled remembering him young and energetic as a third-year resident just as she was graduating from nursing school. "

According to the strategic plan he presented last month to the Board of Commissioners, Catherine went on, he’s going to run the entire system and still pick up a few shifts each month in the Emergency Department to keep his practice current.

Virginia disappeared through the office door. I will believe that when I see it.

My thoughts exactly. Catherine smiled again, thumbing through the first pages of the stack of paper. The time she’d worked with Beliard years ago seemed far away, distant as if she were reading It among the pages of documents under her nose. They’d both been young, single, care-free. She smiled remembering his laughter, his scent as he leaned in closer to her, and the feel of his lips on hers, sweet, soft, and warm. She shook her head, wiping at her eyes as if to erase the pictures playing on the imaginary screen in her mind. Was a long time ago, she whispered into the confines of her empty office.

****

The task had been difficult, focusing on her work when her mind kept wandering back to the time she and Beliard spent together.  As challenging as it was, she managed to get through several of the stacks of documents as evidenced by the large amount of empty desk space currently visible. She’d just started reviewing the last case when her work was interrupted by a noise from outside her office.

Virginia? She looked to the doorway. I thought you’d left already? Her desk chair made a loud noise as she stood on her feet and it scraped against the tile floor. She crept to the hallway where Virginia and the other administrative assistant’s empty desks were. Who’s in here? she asked, trying to control her anxiety. It was nearly seven pm, most everyone had been gone for hours.

She took several steps so that she was well in the middle of the room before noticing one of the office doors was ajar. Odd, she thought, all of the chief administrators locked their offices before leaving for the day, especially the chief financial officer. His was always shut, sometimes even during the day when he was still on site. Hello? she asked again. Cliff, is that you. She tried not to laugh; he’d been the first one out the door at five o’clock.

The door swung open quickly causing Catherine to jump out of the path as Michele, the cleaning lady, pulled her cart from the private office and into the waiting area of the administrative offices.

Michele? Catherine clutched at her chest. You scared me to death. What are you doing in there?

Michele pushed a long strand of gray hair behind her ear and yanked the earphone from her ear in the same motion. I’m sorry, Miss Catherine. Michele smiled largely, so that her many missing teeth was evident. I didn’t know you were still here.

I’m always here at this time, Michele. Catherine stepped back so that Michele could pull the cleaning cart the rest of the way from the office. Which is how I know, you usually aren’t. How did you get into Cliff’s office? It’s usually locked.

I switched shifts with Bertha. Michele pulled at her hands until the knuckles popped. Bertha said there was a note on the schedule to clean the CFO’s office. She turned to look at the name on the door, running her fingers under the plaque where the name was printed. Did I get the wrong office?

No, Catherine felt badly, knowing Michele couldn’t read very well. It’s the right office. I’m just surprised you were able to get in. Do you have a key?

Michele shook her head. No, it was unlocked. I just turned the handle. I’m sorry.

Don’t be, Catherine smiled. We’ll have to sort this out in the morning when everyone is in the office. Are you cleaning out here now?" She pointed to the three desks of the administrative assistants.

Yes, I’ll try not to disturb you. Michele replaced the earbuds and collected a fuzzy duster from her cart as Catherine made her way back to her office. She had a deceased new mother’s chart to review. She doubted anything Michele might do would be enough of a distraction. Over the years there was hardly anything she hadn’t encountered at least once. There were parts of her job, she just didn’t like. Dead babies and mothers were at the top of that list.

****

The walk from the parking lot to the hospital seemed longer this morning, mostly because of the building’s new construction. No one was happier about the hospital’s expansion than Catherine but, maneuvering around the temporary parking areas was becoming more and more challenging. She glanced from side to side checking for traffic before running across the street and through the physician’s parking lot.  Although it was only a two-lane street, sometimes the cars flew by so quickly, it felt more like an obstacle course than a pedestrian walkway. It had been a miracle no one had been hurt trying to cross the street from the makeshift parking area to the hospital.

Once she was safely on the other side of the street, she cataloged the parked cars. Jaguar, Mercedes, Porsche, the luxury car list was endless. Yet the doctors carried out food from the cafeteria and lounge as if they hadn’t a penny to their name. Ironically, Dr. Lee emerged from the physician’s exit, a green cloth grocery bag over his shoulder filled with food and drinks from the hospital cafeteria.

Morning, she said, as he passed by, his face searching the pavement as if he’d lost something. 

He smiled at her but didn’t respond. Instead, he gripped the straps of the bag tighter atop his shoulder and made his way quickly around to the far side of the parking lot where his black BMW was parked.

Her gaze drifted to an unfamiliar vehicle, a white van whose front doors were faded several shades lighter than the rest of the vehicle’s body parked a few spaces away from Dr. Lee’s. Curious, she made her way closer, waving to the doctor as he slid behind the steering wheel without responding to her greeting.

She blew of sigh of frustration. Surely the driver of the van had seen the huge sign that read no parking. How could he have missed it; he’d nearly ran over it. As if the driver had read her thoughts, a male figure wearing gray work coveralls and a baseball cap emerged from the shadows of the building’s easement. At first, she thought he’d come from the older part of the hospital but, as she closed the gap between them, another worker emerged from the alley between the old building and the new building still under construction. It was obvious they were both exiting the new building. Wherever they’d come from, they’d been together.

Good morning! she called, still a fair distance away.

The first man waved her off as he slid into the driver’s seat and started the vehicle waiting patiently. as the second man made his way toward the van.

You can’t park there, she called out, walking faster hoping to catch up to them before they left the physician’s parking lot.  She thought she might actually engage them before they could pull away as the second man’s pace was slow as if he were injured.

Sorry, the other man called out, as he swung the passenger door open and eased himself onto the passenger seat.

Do you need medical attention?

No, the driver yelled back as he rolled the window up.

I’d like to see your identification? Her words were lost amidst the roaring of the van’s engine as it backed from the space and pulled away toward the exit gate.

She rumbled quickly through her purse, searching for something to write with and on, all she needed was the license number to pass along to the hospital’s captain of security. 

Hey! a familiar voice called from the back of the physician’s lot.

Catherine turned to see her friend, Ryan, stepping from a silver Mazda. Welcome back.

Ryan moved the briefcase from one hand to the other and pulled anxiously at the strap of her purse slung over her shoulder. Saw Dr. Lee as I was driving in. Is today grocery day?

Yeah, not much has changed while you’ve been away. She looked past Ryan to where the van’s taillights were barely visible. Did you happen to notice any markings on that van?

No, just that its doors were an odd color. Ryan spun around, searching for the van.

I noticed that too, the driver parked in the fire lane. I think they’re working in the new building. Probably didn’t want to park down the street with all the other construction workers.

Did you tell them they can’t park in the physician’s lot?

Didn’t get the chance. They took off before I could get close enough to tell them.

Guess they thought they were in trouble and bolted.

Catherine nodded. Probably, she paused. Glad to have you back. We’ve missed you.

I know that’s your own way of telling me you have lots of things pending for me.

Yes, I do. But I did miss you. She paused, taking a moment to assess the younger woman with perfect blonde hair, wearing an expensive suit and conservative heels. She looked exactly like the picture hanging outside the pharmacy offices except she was older.

It was her eyes, however, that held Catherine captive. The pain was evident, intermixed with the green and blue hues of color. Catherine knew her friend’s personal losses had changed her; she knew her friend was different and would be for the rest of her life.

I missed you, too. Ryan stopped before entering the building, her attention focused on a window several floors above them. I’ve already told Andrew; I can’t round in CCU right away.

Catherine held the door to the employee entrance open and motioned for Ryan to go first. No one expects you to do any more than you’re comfortable with.

I’m just being silly? Ryan’s heels clicked loudly against the hallway tile before coming to a stop at the intersection of the hallway. It’s just a hospital room, right. CCU bed four?

It’s the room where your Mom died, Ryan. Catherine's eyes were watery. Everyone understands. You aren’t superwoman. It’s not silly at all.

I’ll see you at lunch? Ryan asked abruptly, wiping at her eyes and disappearing around the corner and into the back entrance to the pharmacy. No doubt, Catherine thought where she’d slip quietly past the pharmacy assistant and into her office.

Sure, Catherine answered anyway, knowing Ryan couldn’t hear her and was probably already inside the pharmacy.

Chapter 2

Virginia handed Catherine a Styrofoam cup filled with coffee and paused at the doorway watching as Catherine pulled  items from her briefcase. She seemed okay? Virginia asked.

She will be, I think. It will help her to be back at work. Just not in CCU. Catherine watched as her mind’s eye replayed her own Mother’s death years earlier. It had been a hard time for Catherine and her family, coordinating work and school around her mother’s deteriorating health. At first, the assisted living facility had seemed a good, albeit expensive idea. However, her mother hadn’t been there very long at all before the calls for assistance started, calls from nurses and administrators that her mother really wasn’t able to live alone independently. She needed more one on one care, something more extensive than the assisted living facility was able to provide. 

Ironic how her mother fell just before the plans to move her from one facility to another could be finalized. Once she’d been admitted to the hospital, Catherine’s intuition was more like a sixth sense than true nursing skill. She’d known as soon as she’d walked into the emergency room and took the chair next to her mother’s frail form. She knew her mother was dying; It was simply a matter of time. 

I wouldn’t imagine she’d want to go up there for a while. Catherine thought briefly about triage room fourteen in the trauma area, the room her mother had been treated in. It was the same room she’d died in; a room Catherine hadn’t been inside since.

I’m just glad she’s back at work. Catherine tapped several file folders. I’ve got a feeling she’ll be over at some point today, once she catches up on her emails. You know she hates for things to be unresolved.

If she doesn’t make it over here, I’ll take a walk to the pharmacy. Virginia smiled.

Did you need something? Catherine asked, hoping her question wouldn’t be unwelcomed, wouldn’t be perceived by Virginia as prying.

No, I just have to have her retake possession of the department phone and sign for it.

You’d think corporate would be too busy to police the phones the way they do. She paused. I mean, what would have been the harm if her phone were locked safely in her office while she was on leave?

New corporate policy implemented by the system’s new chief information officer, Virginia called out, as if she were rehearsing in a church choir.  God forbid anyone might make a personal call on a corporate phone.

Catherine motioned for Virginia to follow her toward the CFO’s office. Did you know Cliff left his door unlocked yesterday? After you left last night, I found Michele, coming out of it. She said, she was told to clean it.

Who unlocked it? Virginia asked, her words were loud and rushed as she stopped what she was doing, her attention focused on Catherine.

She said It was unlocked. Catherine monitored Virginia’s reaction, hoping her words didn’t sound accusatory. Virginia was efficient and responsible; there was never ever any doubt, she’d locked it before leaving.

All the offices were locked when I left Virginia advised. I checked; I always do.

It was reopened at some point.

I’ll check with the Supervisor. Greg knows no one can be in these offices after hours.

Check what with Greg? A tall, thin man asked, as he entered the office and sped past where Virginia and Catherine were standing.

Morning Cliff, Virginia said. Did you come back last night for something and leave your office unlocked?

No, he rubbed at the red hairs of his goatee. I left at five and didn’t return. He slid out of his suit jacket and draped it across the back of his chair. Why?

Michele was here last night cleaning.

How’d she get in?

We aren’t sure. Catherine asked her and was told the door was unlocked.

He opened and closed several drawers, his eyes reconciling its contents. No one should have access to my office except me. The janitorial service needs to clean it before five o’clock. Greg knows that.

I’ll put in a variance report, Virginia advised.

Don’t bother, Catherine responded. I’ll submit it. All the variance reports come to me to review anyway. Will save me a step.

Cliff held up the morning newspaper. Has Andrew seen this morning’s article?

Virginia looked to the closed door of the chief executive’s office. Yep.

How’d he take it? Cliff made his way to the breakroom and made a beeline for the coffee pot, pouring a large cup to sip on as Virginia answered.

The article implies that Andrew didn’t get the system CEO job because of our hospital’s current quality and patient satisfaction scores. This reporter, Tim Hartmann, implied that Andrew is incompetent and shouldn’t be the CEO here, much less the system. Virginia paused. How do you think he’s taking it? He’s mad as hell.

Best thing to do is to just focus on work. No one except Beliard and the Governor think this change in leadership is a good thing for the system.  I don’t think Beliard will be in charge long. Then Andrew will get his shot. He’s been groomed for it for years. Right? Cliff fell into his chair, not bothered by the creaking of the wood and crackling of the worn leather.

Right, Virginia nodded, making her way to her desk with Catherine following close behind her.

Virginia? Catherine asked, once Virginia was comfortably seated behind her desk. Do you happen to know if Aiden is back from vacation? She hesitated, her attention on the physician’s parking area clearly visible from the window of the chief operations officer’s empty office.  From her perspective, it was easy to see the fire lane was empty. There was no sign of the white van with the mismatched doors. 

He’s back in the morning, Virginia answered, as she scrolled through her computer’s address book looking for a specific phone extension.

Who’s covering for security until he’s back?

Jessica is listed as the officer in charge until Aiden is back. Virginia read from the computer screen. You want her number?

No, I completed an incident report regarding a white van parked in the fire lane of the physician’s lot this morning. Two men emerged from the building without any identification, and I wasn’t able to confront them before they jumped in their vehicle and drove away.

Did you try and question them?

Yes, but they took off. Catherine smiled. More than likely, it’s nothing. Probably thought they were in trouble because they didn’t park in the approved construction area.  She walked back toward her office. If Jess comes while I’m out of the office, can you just give her the envelope with the incident report in it?

Of course, Virginia said, as she typed rapidly on the keyboard, not looking away from the monitor.

****

Why didn’t you call me? Ryan’s question hung pregnant in the air between them, as if watching a tennis match and the ball was in a holding pattern waiting to be returned.

You were on medical leave, Catherine’s response was calm, precise. She was hoping to avoid an argument but knew there was only a slight chance of that. Ryan wasn’t the kind of woman who liked to be excluded from discussions where she was responsible and accountable. Catherine compared it to peering through a dirty window and only able to ascertain a portion of what was on the other side. She knew it could go either way.

A pharmacist helped a thief empty all fifteen operating rooms of controlled substances. You don’t think that warrants a call to the person legally responsible for all those narcotics?

First of all, it wasn’t like that. Theo didn’t know the person pretending to be a doctor at the pharmacy window as a thief. She told him she was a new anesthesiologist and needed immediate access to the automated dispensing cabinets.

So, he gave her access without getting an approval from anyone in the OR? Even though she asked the question, she didn’t wait for a response. Then proceeds to walk upstairs with her to make sure her access was working. Ryan paused. I bet she was pretty, right?

He said he was trying to be helpful. Catherine didn’t respond to the second question and for good reason. There was only one way the discussion was going to go down, avoiding an argument was going to be impossible. It was like the calm before the storm.

Sounds like he was helpful, very helpful. Over the next hours, the pharmacy was inundated with calls from the operating room, reporting that their dispensing cabinets were empty and needed to be refilled. All fifteen! She paused, She emptied them all.

There was a moment Catherine thought the tantrum might be over. Instead, it was like Ryan needed the time to recover. She took a deep breath before continuing. Were we at least able to identify her on the camera for the police report?

Not exactly.

Don’t tell me the cameras weren’t working.

Oh, they were working. Catherine opened the file folder and handed Ryan several black and white photographs taken from the cameras that were outside the pharmacy, and along the hallway to the operating rooms. In all the photos, the woman had her face down, baseball cap pulled low against the bridge of her nose. In every frame, only the pharmacist was identifiable.

Ryan flipped through the photos one by one. You’ve got to be kidding me?

No, it’s almost like she knew where the cameras were and when to look away. Catherine tapped on the photo. She might have some kind of tattoo on her shoulder. She pushed the photo closer to Ryan and indicated to the image. I can’t make it out for sure, but I think it might be a bird of some kind.

Unbelievable! Ryan shook her head, holding the picture tight against her face for a better look. It could have been anyone. I’m not even sure it’s a woman.

Hi ladies, the young man said, as he tapped against the door frame. Sorry, to bother you. Virginia isn’t at her desk. And I have the rest of Andrew’s things for his office. He leaned in closer to the photo and laughed, You guys don’t take pictures of us in the mechanical room, do you?

No, of course not. Catherine closed the folder.

I didn’t mean to interrupt—

It’s okay, Jay, Ryan said, standing. We were done here anyway. She pointed to the big office across the room. Andrew just went inside.

Just tap before you go in, Catherine advised.

Will do, he hummed, before pulling a large, plastic-wrapped pallet of furniture from the hallway and into the executive office. Am I putting everything back where it was?

Yes, Catherine called out, following Ryan to the door. I’ll see you for lunch?

Sure, am I notifying the police or do you want to? Ryan paused at the door.

Police? Catherine was frantic, thinking she missed something. She thought back to several years ago when she’d found the remote control in the refrigerator at home. If had been missing for several days.  It felt just like that. For what?

Controlled substances, Ryan words were in cadence. OR rooms?

Let me get with Andrew first. I’m not sure how he wants to handle it.

Handle it? Ryan paused at the door and retreated back inside Catherine’s office. Do we have a choice? She chewed on her bottom lip. Shouldn’t we have actually reported the incident in real time instead of waiting?

We don’t usually involve the police when we suspect a healthcare provider is diverting? Catherine felt the tiny hairs on the back of her neck stand at attention. There was no way around the discussion, and she knew Ryan was not going support where the dialogue was going.

This isn’t as simple as a nurse diverting controlled substances. Someone posed as a physician and stole a significant amount of controlled substances from us, Ryan argued, her words bold and almost angry.

I’m not disagreeing with you, but we have a chain of command that we have to follow. I just want to make sure everyone is on board. Catherine knew she was towing the company line and she also knew Ryan would as well in the end. It would just take her a little longer to get there.

Ryan shook her head, before disappearing into the hallway and pulling the door closed.

Catherine turned toward Andrew’s office and looked back at her own, where piles of work were waiting for her. She walked past Cliff’s office and the empty office of the chief nursing officer to Andrew’s office. Jay was moving a table to one side to accommodate a black sofa into the corner.

Andrew left? she asked, once she paused at the doorway.

Yeah, Jay didn’t look up from his work. He said to lock the door on my way out.

She nodded.  Are you happy with the transfer out of the Information services department? She really wasn’t sure why she was making small talk. She had plenty of her own work waiting across the hallway. Yet, she waited for him to respond.

Yeah, he smiled. It was hard for Catherine not to notice how perfect his smile was. He was either born with perfect teeth or for sure, there was an orthodontist in the family. I like working with my hands more than my head. He smacked at his stomach. Besides, I was getting fat!

I’m glad you were able to find something you like to do, she laughed. It certainly makes life more rewarding if you enjoy what you do, don’t you agree? As she waited for his answer, she recognized she was only partially speaking in reference to him. Job satisfaction had always been important to her, even as a youngster growing up in a rural community.

Was she as happy with her career path today, as she was when she first started out? She thought again of the wedding pictures she didn’t have anymore. Old, she whispered to no one. She felt old.

Yes Ma'am, he smiled, his lips clenched around his teeth and not looking up from his task.

He aligned the table in front, as if it were a coffee table before pulling a large knife from a pocket sheath and slicing the plastic wrap away from the boxes.

Her attention was on the knife, weapons of any kind were not allowed on hospital property, except by police officers. That’s quite a knife, Jay.

He smiled, his dark eyes lighting up. Thanks, I’ve had it for a long time. He paused. It was my grandfather’s, I think, before it was my dad’s.

"I see. Do you have family nearby? she asked, but she wasn’t sure why she kept bringing up new topics to discuss. She could hear her stack of work calling her from inside her office, screaming louder and louder with each passing minute.

Not really, he slashed the plastic ties holding the plastic around the ends of the sofa, so that it fell away in a thick pile at his feet. My father was a marine. He died when I was very young. I don’t remember my mom at all. She died when I was a baby. He bent at the waist and wrapped the thick string of plastic around his arms, before thrusting it into a black recycling bag. My grandparents raised me. He paused. Got a few cousins up North, but I don’t know them, not really.

I’m sorry, she said, as she watched as he cut a large cardboard box away from a large color printer. His strokes with the knife were almost artistic and she found it hard to look away. She folded her arms across her chest like she used to do when her boys were in trouble. When you were hired, did Steven talk to you about weapons not being on hospital grounds?

No, he continued cutting the plastic away. My orientation was with Barry, not Steven. Neither mentioned anything. Why?

You can’t have that knife on hospital property. It’s in the guidelines of conduct and is grounds for termination. From the look on his face, she knew he was expecting her to pull the code of conduct manual from her pocket and show him.

He stopped cutting the plastic away from the pallet, folded the knife closed, and returned it to the sheath on his belt. All of us in facilities use them, Catherine. Jay paused, wiping his chin and forehead. I didn’t mean to do anything wrong. I’m sorry. He pulled the knife from his sheath again and held it out to her. Here you can have it.

No, she stepped away, toward the hallway, surprised he’d part so easily with a family heirloom. Just take it home and don’t bring it back here.

She mentally negotiated if the event required an incident report or not. God knows she was still a dozen or so reviews behind. But, she reasoned, if in the future should there be an event or question unresolved from this event, she didn’t want the liability of knowing and having reported nothing. 

Do you need help? she asked, hoping he didn’t. She had plenty of her own to do.

No, he dropped an armload of books on the top shelf. I won’t be very long. Only one more load to bring back. It’s mostly stuff that sets on his desk, I think.

I’m going to send Steven an email about the knives. She turned to take her exit. I’ll be in my office in you need something. She paused at the door. Make sure you take that knife home.