Page 66 of Booked for Theft

I smiled, and I struggled to keep my bitterness contained. “I know I can’t change the past, but sometimes, I wonder how many lives I could have saved if only I’d been allowed to become a nurse like I wanted.”

“With your abilities, had they been legal to work in the medical field, you would have become a doctor. Your ability to diagnose and treat is exceptional, and as a doctor, you would have been able to handle all elements of care. Don’t get me wrong, nurses are important, but with your abilities? You would have done the most good as a doctor. And you’re plenty intelligent enough for the work. You’ve learned how to treat how many diseases experimenting in the operating room with minimal guidance from doctors?”

“More than a few,” I replied, conceding with a nod. “But I became a bodyguard and then a librarian instead.”

“Your work is just as important, especially now.”

That I could believe. Knowledge would become power in my hands eventually. All I could do was hope the government’s tyranny would come to an end in a peaceful fashion. I supposed it all depended on what the military chose to do. If the military sided with the government, I foresaw a great deal of death and tragedy.

Time would tell.

“Can I still make special requests with the funds should I use the website forms?”

I nodded. “You’ll have a comment box when you make the donation. Add a note that you have put in special requests with me, and that will be sufficient to have the funds earmarked as necessary.” That element of the forms would drive the accountants insane, but I had no problems getting into fights with them over the appropriate usage of the funds. “We’re trying to make everything easy.”

“I appreciate that. Let’s go ahead and process these payments, shall we? However much I’d love to hang around all day to chat, I have several meetings I must attend this afternoon.”

I didn’t have to fake my loathing over the thought of meetings. “My condolences.”

He laughed. “Had I truly understood how much of my life would be dictated by meetings, I never would have gotten into politics. Oh, well. It is what it is, and as such, I must at least try to keep to my schedule. And if I’m late, well, at least I have a good story to tell.”