“Nurse Young, this interview isn’t about Nurse Greene. It’s about us getting to the bottom of Dr. Reynolds’ behavior to the rest of the staff.”
“And why would that even matter in the issue between him and Nurse Greene?”
“It could speak to a pattern of behavior with Dr. Reynolds. Now—”
“A pattern of behavior?” I moved forward in my seat. “Have you checked with human resources?”
The three lawyers looked between one another, but I kept going.
“I’m sure people in your positions have surely taken the time to check with HR to see if there have ever been any complaints made about Dr. Reynolds on or before this incident. Have there?”
The other female lawyer who’d spoken very little during this meeting pinched her lips.
“I’ll take that as a no. And what about patient complaints? Lawsuits?”
Same reaction.
“Right. Dr. Reynolds may not be the friendliest doctor in the surgical unit but he’s professional and courteous when he needs to be. He’s never been inappropriate to staff to the level in which they have even gone to HR to complain about him. Granted,” I held up my hand when the male attorney started to talk, “I understand none of that negates the seriousness of the current issue at hand. And yes, there are supposedly witnesses to what happened in his office, but how do you know they have the full story? Aren’t you taught in law school or somewhere that eyewitnesses can be the least reliable?”
That’s what some of the Crime TV shows I’d watched over the years reported.
There was no response, but some very frustrated expressions.
“Nurse Young, this is not a matter for you to argue. This is not a court of law, you are not on the witness stand, and Dr. Reynolds is not being prosecuted.”
“Yet.”
I shot daggers at the male attorney who just had to add thatyetin.
“And if he is, that will be out of our hands. It is our job to ensure the safety of the staff and patients at Memorial Hospital. If a doctor,anydoctor is a threat to that safety, we need to be aware of it and let them go. Unless you have more to add on that matter, we ask that you simply stick to answering the questions asked of you.”
I huffed and clenched my teeth but didn’t verbally respond. She was right, I didn’t have anything else to add. I wasn’t there in the room when the incident took place between Jacob and Suzanne, nor did I have any proof that Suzanne was lying. Or at the very least, exaggerating what happened.
Hell, maybe I was just digging for more information on her because I didn’t want it to be true. I didn’t want to believe that Jacob could be capable of putting his hands on a woman in that manner. But I’d seen him after he left the hospital that day. He wasn’t himself. Yes, he could be surly at times and withdrawn, but he’d gone past that point. He was angry and hostile and reactive to the point that he actually injured himself because he was so out of control.
I kept remembering back to watching him at the Underground, in the ring. Something in him snapped and he began kicking, punching, and fighting as if someone was trying to steal his very life. Joshua Townsend, and another man I heard named Damon, had tried to pull him off the new guy but he wouldn’t stop. That was when I ran into the ring and began yelling his name, to get him to calm down. He’d looked at me, his eyes cleared for the length of time it took me to inhale a breath. Then someone was pulling me out of the ring, telling me it wasn’t safe.
That was when Jacob yelled for them to get their hands off of me, and he was out of it again. He slammed his fist into a guy who tried to stop him and then another, but the second guy ducked, causing Jacob to punch one of the concrete cylinders that was attached to the roof. I heard the cracking of the bone in his hand and my knees nearly buckled, but Jacob didn’t stop. He just kept swinging and punching whatever stood in his way.
“Nurse Young.”
I shook my head, lifting my gaze to meet the three pairs of eyes that stared back at me.
“We have been told that you and Dr. Reynolds’ relationship goes beyond just co-workers. Is that the case?”
I frowned at the man who asked, especially the way he was asking, as if he had played hisgotchacard and won.
“There’s no hospital policy against co-workers dating, is there?”
Again, the woman who still hadn’t said much cleared her throat and the man’s eyes darted over to her. She was warning him to tread lightly.
Yeah, Arturo, be careful,I thought.
“No, there isn’t, but your romantic relationship with Dr. Reynolds might lead one to believe that your opinion of his behavior at work, or with other staff, might be biased.”
“In that case, yes. It’s true. Dr. Reynolds and I are more than mere co-workers, and you’re right. It does make me biased in my assessment of this situation. However, I will say that even before Dr. Reynolds and I began our relationship, I could see that he was an especially skilled surgeon and doctor. He’s attentive, hard working, and doesn’t let things like petty hospital gossip get in the way of performing his job to the utmost of his abilities. With that said, I think we’re done here.” I stood from my chair and glared down on the three other people in the room.
Arturo was the first to stand. “Nurse Young.” He nodded.
