Page 50 of Hoofin’ It

The other three would be disputes on the costs of the operation, more things the insurer didn’t want to cover, and likely a charge for breathing air during my stay. I sat on my couch and tore into the envelopes.

My guesses weren’t far off the mark, and the new bills totaled five thousand dollars in bullshit claims involving pre-existing conditions, which I had proof I didn’t have. With my cheek twitching, I gave Dr. Yasolovic a call.

“Dr. Yasolovic,” he answered.

“Shane Gibson. I don’t suppose you can verify I don’t have certain pre-existing conditions, can you?”

The doctor sighed. “More insurance issues?”

“Yes.”

“Photograph and text me the documents. I’ll call you back in five minutes.”

I obeyed, snapping a picture of each bill and the request for a follow-up. True to his word, he called me back within five minutes. “I’ll have one of the CDC secretaries file this mess with your Species Anti-Discrimination claim. It’s bogus, and yes, the CDC can easily verify you have zero evidence of ever having any of these conditions—especially since we have your eye in our possession and have done a full scan of it.”

“So they didn’t toss it in a trash bin?”

“If they had, it would’ve been a five hundred thousand dollar fine.”

I whistled. “How much will I owe for the CDC handling and storing it?”

“Nothing. How much did they charge you for storage and preparation fees?”

“A hundred.”

“Do you have the receipt?”

“Of course.”

“I’m going to send you a list of documents I will need for your case. Do not pay those bills. I will have someone draw up a letter of refusal for you and file it on your behalf.”

“How much is this going to cost me?”

“Nothing. It falls under the same provisions as providing a lawyer for anyone accused of a crime. In this case, it protects patients from medical fraud. While the government would typically provide the lawyer, the CDC has the right to claim any case that falls under the Species Anti-Discrimination Act, especially if the case involves a government employee, which technically you are.”

“What’s the catch?”

Dr. Yasolovic laughed. “There is no catch, Mr. Gibson. Insurance companies would rather individuals weren’t aware that they have recourse available to them, especially if the case involves discrimination and insurance fraud with falsified claims about someone’s health. As the CDC is responsible for public health, it falls under our jurisdiction when something like this happens. Those documents you photographed support the discrimination case and the police department’s failure to provide proper and adequate health care for you. I’ll contact a few reputable insurance companies on your behalf. Your insurer is under contract with the CPD, correct?”

“Yes. I was set up with the insurance when I was hired by the CPD.”

“Are there any circumstances you can think of that might support a claim against the CPD?”

“Someone attempted to frame me for murdering Mark O’Conners, the individual who’d shot me in Lincoln. Someone neglected to update Captain Martins with information.” I explained what had happened at the station.

“I’ll contact the FBI and get someone on it.”

“The CDC can do that?”

“Your shooting is directly related to the discrimination case; we wouldn’t have uncovered evidence without it. Thus, the CDC has jurisdiction to request information. Since the case crossed state lines, the FBI has jurisdiction. Tell me, Mr. Gibson. How do you like the taste of just desserts?”

“I’d much prefer still having a career. I don’t need to read the writing on that wall. This will just nail the coffin closed.”

“Don’t write off work within law enforcement quite yet. The United States is a large place, and no matter what people here think, Chicago isn’t actually the center of the universe. Text me an email address where I can reach you. I’ll have one of our lawyers contact you with all the documentation we need for your case.”

“Thank you, Dr. Yasolovic.”

“It’s not often I get to actually mean this when I say it, but my pleasure.”