Page 112 of The Golden Hour

“I told them I was scared because something was wrong. I told them I felt sick. I told them my body felt wrong.” Honey’s voice rises, but she does not care to temper it. Not now. Not with this. And no one in the room looks eager to tell her to calm down. If anything, they would rile her up more. “They’re making me sound unstable and hysterical⁠⁠—”

A tiny hand smacks against her cheek.

Honey looks down to find Daisy staring up at her, with a very serious expression and one chubby hand pressed to Honey’s face like she is trying to comfort her. The hot rage thrumming through Honey’s veins shifts. Not gone. It will never be gone, but it’s just more controlled and focused.

Grabbing the chubby little hand, Honey kisses Daisy’s palm before looking back at Lorraine, who is watching the scene with a small smile.

“I’m not crazy,” Honey says firmly. “I’m not unwell. And they have no right to make it seem like I am.”

“Exactly,” Lorraine says. “Honey, you were right. And that is exactly why they are trying so hard to make you look unreliable and unstable. But it’s not going to work. Not on my watch.”

“So, what do we do?” Phil asks, his knuckle cracking as he uncurls and curls his hand back into a fist.

“I’ve already requested the audit logs and original charting before the edits,” Lorraine says. “Every addendum. Every alteration. If we can prove that they edited and softened the language after the fact, that is going to look very bad for them.”

Honey feels the corners of her mouth curling.

“Of course,” Lorraine continues, “they’re taking their dear old time. But they cannot hide them forever. The judge will not let them play keep-away indefinitely. And they’ve already started making moves to try to satisfy you.”

Honey nods. The hospital reached out—through Lorraine, of course—to say that Dr. Mortimer has decided to retire. His choice, they said. She knows it wasn’t. They forced him to—partly to cover their asses and hope that they’ll drop this suit, partly to try to save him from another malpractice suit.

“It’s not enough,” Honey says firmly. “It’s nowhere close to enough.”

“And we’re not going to stop until it is enough,” Lorraine says, before softening her voice enough that Honey’s stomach starts to sink. “But I want you to be aware of everything this process is going to entail.”

Honey nods, and Lorraine takes a very deep breath.

“St. Mary’s is privately owned and incredibly well funded. They have insurance and more lawyers on retainer than you can even imagine. They are more than prepared to turn this into a game of chicken.”

Honey’s arms tighten around Daisy, and her little girl seems to sense the turmoil in her mommy because she rubs her sticky little hands against Honey’s forearm.

“They have more money than patience, Honey,” Lorraine says simply. “And they are counting on you having less of both. They are going to delay. They are going to bury us in paperwork. They are going to make this process so damn miserable that they hope you give in first. It is going to be long and painful.”

“Do you think we can’t win?” Honey asks, her shoulders dropping.

She hates that Lorraine doesn’t answer her right away.

Instead, she tilts her head from side to side, considering her words.

“In a just world, this would be an open-and-shut case,” Lorraine says finally. “But this is not a just world. And the people with the most money are usually crowned the winners. It’s unfair, and ridiculous, and I wish I could give you the words you’re looking for, but I can’t. I don’t think you really want bullshit anyway.”

Honey shakes her head no.

“So, as your attorney, I’m not going to back down from a fight, especially for you,” Lorraine says. “What I am saying is that this is going to be a very difficult process, made even more difficult by your very unique situation.”

Honey frowns at her words before she realizes. “Mason.”

“You are suing your husband’s employer,” Lorraine says plainly. “His residency, his references, his future career, your family’s livelihood—right now, all of that is tied to St. Mary’s.”

Her stomach turns.

The massive weight of their debt hangs over their heads like a guillotine.

“What are you saying, Lorraine?” Melissa asks, frowning. “That they’ll use Mason against Honey?”

Lorraine raises an eyebrow. “Do you think they’re above that?”

Phil snorts. “Nope.”