The words hit like a physical blow. “You’re suspending me?”
“It’s PTO. Paid leave,” he clarifies. “Just until we sort this out.”
“And did you do this with Dr. Wesley?”
“We have no proof of your accusations, Aston, and patient safety is our priority.”
“Jesus Christ. This is unbelievable.”
Weinberg stands. “His allegations are strong, especially with proof of the issues.” He holds up his hand as I go to argue. “The alternative is restricting you to supervised procedures and someone double-checking your orders, which would be noted in your permanent record. This way is cleaner. Take the leave, Dr. Hughes.”
I cover my mouth with my hand and breathe through my fingers as I try to process what’s happening. My career, the thing I’ve worked my entire adult life for and sacrificed almost everything for, is hanging in the balance because of a jealous ex who can’t let go.
And Skylar is caught in the middle of it. He’s doing whatever it takes to get rid of me and win her back. She’s carrying his child, even if he doesn’t know it yet.
I clench my jaw and give him one firm nod. “Fine. I’ll take the rest of the week off. But I expect a full investigation, or I’ll contact an attorney.” With that, I leave, walking along the back of the ER to the elevator. The doors of the surgical floor open, and I’m in no better shape than I was when I stepped on.
I have to find Skylar and tell her what happened. I have to get my stuff and leave the fucking hospital. There will be rumors about this. Hell, there already are. My reputation will forever be tarnished.
As if summoning Josh from my thoughts, I find him at the far end of the hall, just outside the PACU doors. He’s watching me with a barely concealed grin of satisfaction. He knows. I’m sure Weinberg told him this is what he’d do. Our gazes lock, and a strange sort of smirk curls up my lips.
I should feel afraid. I should feel defeated. And part of me does. But superseding all that is a strange calm that settles over me. He doesn’t know what he just started. If he thinks this will win him Skylar back, he’s in for a rude awakening. Skylar is mine.
35
SKYLAR
“Oh my god, I can’t watch,” my patient’s mother shrieks as I start the procedure to suction the patient’s ET, or endotracheal tube. My patient was working a little too hard to breathe, and when I listened with my stethoscope, I could hear the raspy, rattling of secretions, which isn’t uncommon with this size of ET tube. We typically suction them every twelve hours, but this little one needed an extra go.
“Close your eyes or step out, Mom. I’ve got her. I promise.” This is why I hate it when parents insist on staying in the room for procedures. It’s not helpful for them or us.
“But she’s not hooked up to the vent.”
“I explained this to you before we started, and we’re doing everything by the book. Michaela used the bag mask to help her body oxygenate, and her vitals are holding. Rose is doing just fine.” Making sure the catheter is lined up to the correct number, I apply suction as I slowly pull the catheter back using the pill-rolling technique while keeping an eye on the patient and her vitals. Once the suction catheter is out, we put the ambu bag back on the end of the ET tube and bagher up. I give a listen with my stethoscope and nod to Michaela. “She sounds clear. Let’s hook her back up to the vent.”
Michaela removes the ambu bag and hooks her back up to the vent and turns it back on. I watch Rose for any signs of distress and keep an eye on her vitals.
“All looks good,” I announce, and the mom races around to hug me.
“Thank you. Oh my god, this is horrible.”
I hug her back. “I know. I know this is hard. But she’s responding very well to treatment, and the infection appears to be clearing.”
She had a spider bite on her leg that got infected, and before her parents knew what hit them or Rose, she went septic. Poor kiddo is only a year and a half old.
Michaela and I leave the room, and I blow out a breath. Sometimes pediatrics is the best, and sometimes it’s the worst. “Thanks for the help,” I tell her, sanitizing my hands with the station outside my room.
“No problem.” Before I can go back into the room, she stops me with, “Hey, question. Is everything okay with you and Aston? Rumor has it your marriage isn’t doing well and that you’re unhappy with him. But you didn’t say anything to me, and I know Aston is having issues in the OR and with orders?”
Before I can answer, the X-ray tech arrives.
“Hey, Skylar,” Dawson greets me. “I’m here to do the portable chest on your patient.”
“Great. I’ll be right in,” I say to him and turn back to her as Dawson heads into the patient room. “I have a lot to say about that, but the simple answer is, none of those rumors are true.”
She scrunches her brow at me. “I don’t know what you mean. He has had issues in the OR and has made medication order errors.”
I shake my head. “No. Someone is messing with him.They’re altering the orders and screwing with the equipment. It’s not Aston. In fact, I think we all know who it is.”
