AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Hello, Les. I’m looking forward to seeing you tomorrow. It is still tomorrow, correct?”
“Yes, we’re actually on the way back to Durham now. Is everything okay?”
“Yes.” The fist around her stomach loosened at the genuine assurance in Dr. Portland’s voice. “I just finished speaking to Martin Sully. The family is asking for any bills related to Llanzo’s care be waived, and the hospital to pay the legal costs they’ve accumulated so far. They’ve also asked for a sit-down with the ER department head and Dr. Redmond, to talk about what happened, to understand it in an official, off-the-record discussion. That’s all they want. If those conditions are met, they’re dropping the suit.”
“Wow. That’s…I’m glad to hear it.” Especially that Dr. Jack and Dr. Redmond wouldn’t be pulled into a lawsuit.
“Yes. It’s a good thing.” Dr. Portland paused. “Les, Martin Sully is here with me, and we want to ask you a question. I can assure you this is off the record as well. Did you meet with Mrs. DaCosta?”
Les glanced at Brick. His expression told her he’d support whichever way she went on it, but that he had no doubt what she’d do. She couldn’t lie.
“Yes, I did. It wasn’t that I didn’t care about the hospital, or Dr. Jack and Dr. Redmond. I felt…”
“It’s all right. I’m putting you on speaker.”
The next voice she heard was Martin Sully’s. The man really did have a compelling courtroom voice. She expected if he ever left law, he could read audiobooks. Or become a phone sex worker.
“Hello, Miss Wilder. First, I’ll confirm what Dr. Portland said. This is off the record, but given how many cases like these I handle, I was curious. For a long time, the standard operating procedure was to avoid any statements that could be construed as guilt. Including an apology.”
“How can we not say we’re sorry? It’s not about guilt. It’s about being a decent human being.”
“Out of the mouth of babes.” Les assumed Martin had made the wry comment to Dr. Portland, but before she could be offended by the dig at her youth, he continued. “The newer line of thought, though it hasn’t completely overcome the other, is there’s a fine line between guilt that points to liability, and true remorse. The kind that demonstrates the vital human factor, the weight that doctors and all medical personnel carry in practicing medicine.”
That wry tone deepened. “Essentially, what you just said. Expressions of true remorse toward the grieving family sometimes keep these situations from becoming lawsuits, costing the hospital money better spent on patient care.”
Les digested that. “So I’m not in trouble for going against what you told me to do?”
“I recommended not doing it. It’s not my job to tell you what to do.”
“You followed your heart, Les,” Dr. Portland said. “While it’s my opinion that choice can’t always take the lead in practicing medicine, the conscience often follows a different protocol. Do you have any other questions for us?”
“No, ma’am. Thank you. See you tomorrow.”
“Look forward to it.”
As she pocketed the phone, Brick still had a tight grip on her hand. “He’s right, you know.”
“On what part?”
“That it’s not his job to tell you what to do. That’s mine.”
“Hmm. Just remember that lesson about assholes versus Doms. I’m sure I can find a beer to pour on your head.”
He grinned. “I usually keep a 12-pack of Yuengling in the fridge. Just in case you need one.”
She gave his steel biceps a very ineffectual punch, but left her other hand in his. He’d pointed out she had a tendency to try to control things that didn’t need her to do that. She had a Dom determined not to let her stress herself out that way. It was part of what she needed. She might not always want him to know it, but on certain things, she was very willing for him to tell her what to do.
She also had a feeling he was about to remind her what kind of reward she could expect for her obedience. And her submission.
“Les!”
When they pulled up to the community theater, located on a county property on the outskirts of Matthews and Charlotte, Julie was in the parking lot with Des. They were loading furniture and other stage props into his battered old Ford truck. Hayes Roofing was lettered on the side in faded red and white script.
Julie set down the large white head of a bunny costume—Les didn’t want to know how that might have been used in an erotic performance—and bounced over to Brick’s vehicle. Her brown eyes shone with delight. A curvaceous brunette in dusty jeans, she wore a form-fitting hot pink T-shirt that had Yes, I am The Theater Manager printed over a harried female stick figure, juggling half a dozen theater masks.
“Oh, God, how I hated to miss Easter with you and your family.” Julie pressed an enthusiastic kiss to Les’s cheek and hugged her tight to her ample bosom. “If you can believe it, in addition to the show itself, my mother and father staged an out-of-the-blue visit. And with them, ‘staged’ is the operative word.” Her voice held resigned fondness.
“You could have brought them. Between the three family houses, we had more than enough guest rooms.”
