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Laurel agreed. “It will. For sure. But, needless to say, if Abe accepts, Dr. Boyd will be out of the picture.”
“Not to mention the money Boyd will lose out on,” Iris added.
Laurel nodded. “Kip said Boyd is furious about it all. You know what an egomaniac he is. Apparently, he’s been spending the money before he’s made it. And now he’ll do anything to see Abe discredited.”
Hannah asked, “But why not just file the complaint? Why force Ally to resign? What does that accomplish?”
“I’m guessing the complaint isn’t strong enough or is completely bogus,” Laurel supplied. “But he’s hoping the threat of it will be enough.”
“What do you mean?” Hannah asked.
Tag, who had been quietly absorbing the information until this point, chimed in, “It means he’s not going to stop at simply forcing Ally out, is he?”
Laurel answered, “Exactly what I’m afraid of, Tag. His plan seems to hinge on Ally resigning. After which, he’s going to leak false information about her use of alternative treatments on a disgruntled patient. She will have already quit, giving credence to the claim and making herself look guilty. Then he’ll discredit both Abe and Ally in one fell swoop. This will create a scandal and, if you were still running, your association with Ally would look really bad. It could be disastrous for your campaign.”
Shay asked, “What can we do?”
Flynn said, “I have an idea. Ally, remember the patient you sent to me a couple of weeks ago? The young woman?”
“Yes, of course.” Gareth’s friend, Kyla.
“She told me a story about a doctor who, against her wishes, gave her parents information about her medical condition.”
“She told me the same story. It was the reason she was scared to see a doctor.”
“Yeah, well, she told me the name of the doctor.”
Ally frowned at Flynn. “Flynn, are you saying what I think you are? Because you can’t use her name without her permission and she wouldn’t give it. And I wouldn’t want her to. She’s afraid of her father.”
“But Boyd doesn’t know that. We don’t need to use her name. I don’t think we even need a formal complaint. If Laurel is right, he doesn’t have one, either, not a good, solid one, anyway. I think I should pay him a visit and gently suggest that one could be filed against him as easily as the one he’s contrived against Abe.”
Ally raised her hands in protest. “Flynn, no. If you go to him with this and threaten him, he will hate you, and I think we’ve all seen what hatred does to the man. He’ll make your life, your job, unbearable. He could find a way to get you fired.”
“I don’t care.”
“I do. You have to finish your internship at the hospital.”
Iris agreed. “She’s right, Flynn. You have to stay out of it.”
“I’ll do it,” Tag volunteered. “I’ll take care of this.”
“I’ll go with you,” Abe said.
Bering stepped forward. “Tag, if you go and threaten him, he’ll rescind your contract with the hospital. Even if you’re not running for office, he could smear your name over this. Ruin your reputation. He could harm your business, too.”
“I could not possibly care less about my business, Bering. Or my reputation. I care about the patients, but if I can’t transport them someone else will. No one else can do what Abe and Ally do.”
Ally felt a fresh wave of love for the man standing beside her. If she had any lingering doubts about what he’d told her outside, they were gone now. Despite the crisis raging around them, she was happier than she’d ever been in her life. She knew now that no matter what life threw at them, their love would be more than enough. Tag had just put her first, exactly like he’d vowed. And in the grandest way.
By consensus, it was decided to strike while the iron was hot. A group discussion ensued, dissecting the complexities of the situation. Flynn advised Tag and Abe on how they should handle Boyd. Laurel added her knowledge of what was at stake for Boyd. Shay called Jonah and had him write a letter outlining the unnamed patient’s complaint against Boyd. It had no legal teeth, but their goal at this point was to scare him into complying.
