Page 186 of Her Wicked Plan

Here I go again. Thinking about the situation.

Closing the folder, I head to Dr. Bennett’s office to ensure I can take on Olivia. Turning right out of my office, I take my time down the hall to his. It’s quiet down here—almost too quiet—and on any other day, I wouldn’t mind, but today? It’s utterly silent, and the devil's wicked words are attempting to flood my ears again.

Twitching my head, I shake the thoughts away and lightly knock on the opened door. Henry is sitting at his computer, scrolling through emails, I’m sure, given how bored he looks. When his eyes meet mine, they light up.

“Leo! To what do I owe the visit?”

I hold up the manilla folder in my hand. “Scarlet brought this to me, and I wanted to tell you I’d be happy to take Olivia on as a new patient.”

His head tilts, confusion dulling his eyes. “Olivia?”

“Yeah...” I say hesitantly. “I was informed she was doing better and was being brought down to this ward. Scarlet said you mentioned me being Olivia’s new doctor.”

His eyebrows raise in slight recognition. “Ah, yes, Olivia. Sorry, there are so many patients here to keep track of.” He takes his glasses off, setting them beside his laptop. “As happy as I am to hear your interest in taking Olivia on as a patient, I never suggested you be her doctor.”

My hand drops to my side, still holding the folder. “What?”

“Well, I knew Olivia was coming to this ward, of course, but I was going to give her to Dr. Calton. I figured that with you focused on Veronica and Ruby and all the progress you have been making with each of them, you wouldn’t want to take on another. I didn’t bother suggesting it.”

“But Scarlet specifically said that you were the one who proposed that I’d be a good fit.”

“I’m not sure why she would say it when it’s untrue, but she isn’t wrong. If you’d still like Oliva to be under your care despite how things came about, I would be more than happy to allow you of that.”

I suppress the anger that seems to have found a permanent home in my body. “Yes. I would like that very much.”

“Wonderful! She won’t be coming down to this ward for another two weeks. That should give you time to set up scheduled sessions with her. Rearrange the others if you have to.”

“Okay.” I nod once. “I’ll be going home this weekend. If something comes up here beforehand, I would appreciate it if someone could take my place. I need to see my mother.”

“Of course,” he responds thoughtfully.

With that settled, I tell him goodbye and go to find the woman who lied to me. Hopefully, she isn’t back in her ward, but if she is, then it looks like I will be visiting Ward R.

Scarlet was in her ward. It’s four floors up, far away from the doors to the outside, and it is one of the most dangerous wards in the building.

The building is older meaning the elevators are out of order until further notice. I guess that it’s not an important issue on Dr. Bennetts's to-do list.

Four flights of stairs are nothing, though; it keeps my adrenaline pumping as I ascend the stairs to speak with her.

Normally, I’d let it go. The old me would have brushed off the fact that she lied, but I’m not the same person I used to be. I slide my key card in the slot using this option because I don’t know if they have a different code than ours.

The layout differs from my ward. Walking through the door, I am immediately met with a nurse's station. It is square, with two entries on either side and four monitors sitting on the desk.

Two women pay attention to the screens while others walk around the halls. Doors line those halls, and as I approach the desks, I can tell that those rooms are the patient's bedrooms. They don’t have their own hall like the patients in Ward B do.

As I stand in front of the station, the nurse's eyes are still glued to the computer screen. I clear my throat, slowly pulling her attention away from whatever she was looking at.

When her eyes meet mine, they shine brightly. A smile tugs at her lips before she speaks, “Hi. How can I help you?”

“I’m looking for Nurse Scarlet Jeane.”

She eyes me up and down, a knowing look in her eyes. “She is with a patient right now but should be done any minute.”

“I’ll wait,” I tell her, glancing around the area. Patients don’t roam freely, and if they do, there is always someone at their side.

Guards follow the ones who walk around in case they cause trouble. Multiple of those patients stare at me, evil grins on their faces. One even calls to the nurse I was just talking with and says, “Is he a newbie coming to bless our eyes?”

I bite back my laugh. The nurse behind the desks rolls her eyes. “No, he is not.”