“We’re already looking into that,” he replied, wiggling his phone at her.
“Good, thank you.” She focused back on me and opened her mouth, but the door flew open again and my boss and a few doctors came through the door.
Including one of the attendings of the emergency department who had told me to live like I was dead and begrateful for the janitor job or he’d send me back to jail. He looked amused like I was in trouble until he put the actual pieces together and Ms. Reed was upset with him… Then my death was in his eyes.
“As of this moment, you’re suspended, on unpaid leave while we investigate why employees wehandpickedto be in the parole program to give a new life have been working inmaintenancewhen trained to be EMTs and—”
“What?” another doctor bellowed. “How the fuck did that—”
“I just found out, Alan,” Ms. Reed sighed, rubbing her face. “Actually, Aurora did and brought it to my attention. So we need to figure this out and—”
“Wait, I’m not taking the fall for this,” the attending said. “Everyone knows it’s a bullshit program that—”
“The fuck it is when I fucking started it,” Alan reamed him, shocking the doctor. “Yeah, it’smyprogram that I got approved in North America. I went through hell to get it through Congress and a president to sign it. All the time people threaten to kill it because felons shouldn’t be first responders or kick shifters out.
“But if they’re a shifter who fucking held it together throughprison, then they can handle being a first responder and there are always,alwaysexceptions to the rules. We handpick them—completely dig into their pasts and validate why they deserve a new life and a realchanceto rehabilitate! It’s not bullshit.”
“Forgive me, sir, but it has been the whole timeI’vebeen here,” he argued. “Fitz said it right in front of you when I was new here and—”
“No, we’re not playing the game of blaming everything on the guy who got in trouble and kicked out on an apology tour just because people think I won’t push back,” Ms. Reed cut in. “If you throw him being my former lover in my face next, I’ll—”
“I’m not that petty,” the guy sighed. “But I’m also not just throwing Fitz under the bus to—”
“You know she’s the head of the fucking hospital, right?” I cut in, rolling my eyes when the attending gave me a confused look. “You’re deferring to that other doctor with ‘sir’ and respect andshe’shis boss. She’s everyone’s boss here. I’ve been here like two seconds and I know that.”
Rage filled his eyes. “I’m not taking shit from some fucking criminal, and now I plan on making a call to your PO about the shit you started—”
“Oh yeah, you’re so innocent in all of this,” Ms. Reed drawled, moving her hand to my chest and backing me up, even if I hadn’t stepped forward.
I glanced down at her hand and then met her gaze, clearly saying it wasn’t necessary. She studied me with a funny look on her face and shook her head before focusing back on the attending.
“Look, I know what conversation you’re referring to and trying to use as your bullshit,” Alan told the attending. “It was thatone guyFitz had a problem with and he was clear about that. The asshole warlock was connected and basically bribed his way into the program under our noses. His whole resume was bullshit and Fitz was calling him on it.”
Ms. Reed frowned. “I remember that guy. We booted him and it was a huge problem with that coven.” Her eyes went bug wide. “Are you saying everyone from the program has been forced into maintenancesince then?” She turned to my boss and he flinched. “How could you allow this?”
He sighed and shot me a look, but it wasn’t pissed, more confused, before focusing back on her. “They were put under my hierarchy by HR, Ms. Reed. I’m sorry, but I wasn’t looped in on the original program or the inception. The hospital attorney at the time said we had to employ them and that was it, but after someone made a mess of the program, it wasn’t worth the risk.”
“He might actually have done it to help or meant for the moment and with other issues it fell through the cracks,” Alan grumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. “We both didn’t like him, but he was a huge advocate for the program.”
“Right, his cousin was one of the first people to go through it,” Ms. Reed muttered. She rubbed her hands over her face. “What a fucking mess. Okay, let’s get a meeting with the ones getting screwed and get them on the right path. And clearly, we need new people overseeing it—”
“Forgive me, Ms. Reed, but the four of them in the program are by far my best workers,” my direct boss interjected. “I’d need three people alone to make up for Creed.” He nodded when everyone focused on him. “He busts hisass. Always. Always on time, works hard, lunch break, back to work on time, and then gets more work done than anyone else.”
I gave a half shrug. “I’d offer to stay late, but my PO is a hardass. He looked for reasons to write us up, and getting back after time is his favorite kind.” I rolled my eyes. “‘No one gives overtime to ex-cons. You’re getting into trouble so don’t fucking lie.’”
“Okay, my next headache to handle,” Ms. Reed drawled.
“No, I will,” Alan said. “I was the one who went over this with the damn governor. They’re all supposed to get the same PO.” He looked truly upset when he met my gaze. “I’m so sorry. I cannot tell you how sorry I am for this. This was my baby and—I wanted to do good with this, but so much has happened and—I didn’t realize it—I just had to look away—”
“It happens, man,” I forgave. “No foul if you really fix it. I worked hard for this chance and I wanted it.”
Ms. Reed cleared her throat. “Okay, so I didn’t realize you didn’t know who he is. This is Dr. Alan Carpenter, Head of Trauma and Emergency Services.”
Whoops!
I apologized and then looked at Ms. Reed. “Could you extend the program for maintenance? This is a good job if everyone stopped hassling me that I am an ex-con. My manager is great and understanding. He isn’t an asshole to us about our past, and the other guys wanted this chance too even if it wasn’t what we thought it was. If we need to be replaced anyways…” I shrugged.
“That’s actually a fantastic idea,” she muttered. “I just don’t know that I have the capacity for that or—”
