“Welcome. Where did you come from?”
“Just finished my ER rotation. But I’m really excited to be working with you. I’m thinking of pathology as a specialty.”
Niyah raised a brow. “Why?” she asked out of curiosity.
“It’s the mystery of it all,” she answered with a grin. “I don’t like unanswered questions when it comes to death.”
“I see.” It was a good answer, but the hint of trivialism in her response rubbed Niyah the wrong way. She pulled her keys from her purse and unlocked her office door. “Well, I’ve been off for a while, so I’ll need a little time to get settled.”
“Oh, I understand,” Katima said as Niyah entered her office.
She closed the door and walked over to her desk. On top, of course, a pile of neglected cases needed her attention. But Niyah was looking for one chart in particular. And as she sifted through the pile, she realized it wasn’t there. She walked over and checked the file cabinet. It wasn’t there either. With her hands on her hips, Niyah sighed and wondered where the file could be.
A knock at the door diverted her attention. “Come in.”
Niyah smiled when her assistant entered her office. “Helen!” she chirped, excited. “How was your vacation?”
“It was wonderful,” she responded with a wide grin.
Helen was a beautiful woman with flawless black skin and icy, gray pixie curls. She and her husband had vacationed in Venice for their thirtieth anniversary. After five years of working together, their relationship surpassed employer-employee. Niyah considered Helen a friend.
“When did you get back?”
“Yesterday.”
“Yesterday!” she exclaimed. “After a two-week vacation, I would definitely need at least four days of recovery before coming back to work.”
Helen chuckled. “Sweetie, we’re in our sixties. What exactly do you think we were doing that needed so much recovery time?”
Niyah wiggled her brows. “I can think of a few things.”
Helen laughed and smacked her on the arm. “Go on, little nasty girl. We got work to do. Have you met your new intern?”
“Just now. What do you think about her?”
Helen shrugged. “Don’t know yet. But time will tell.”
“Okay. Well, let’s get caught up.”
Niyah walked over and took a seat behind her desk. Helen sat in the chair in front of her. “I’m already caught up. It seems that I’ve returned to theTwilightZone.”
“Tell me about it,” Niyah grumbled. “I need to send flowers or something to Mario’s family.” She’d had every intention of doing so, but there was so much going on that she’d completely forgotten.
“You did,” Helen revealed with a smirk. “When I got the news, I sent his family flowers and a cheese basket on your behalf.”
Niyah’s head fell. “Thank you, Helen,” she whispered.
“No worries, ladybug.”
Niyah looked up with a smile. “What would I do without you?”
Helen chuckled and muttered, “Girl, I don’t know.”
Niyah laughed. “Well, let’s get to it. I can’t find the chart for my John Doe.
Helen raised a brow. “John Doe?”
“The hospital shooter,” Niyah clarified.
