11
Ridge
The conference room is packed. I stand at the back with my arms folded, taking in the rows of faces. There are nurses in scrubs, a few doctors still in their white coats, and the admin staff clustered near the windows. Carla is off to one side with a tablet balanced on her knee, scribbling notes every time Robyn makes a point.
Robyn is at the front, running through an agenda that’s clearly been carefully thought through. She’s wrapping up now, voice steady, eyes moving around the room as she talks.
“Last item before we move on to the most important part of the meeting,” she says. “We’ve had three near-misses this quarter with controlled drug logs. Nothing that ended badly, but near enough to worry me. From Monday, every controlled pharmaceutical, and I mean every single one, gets signed by two people at the point of dispensing. I’ve made it a rule. It’s been added to the SOPs.” She glances at a lady sitting at the front. “Jaki will send out an email before she goes home today with the update and the new form.”
“You’ll see it in your inboxes by end-of-day,” Jaki says, looking around the room at nobody in particular.
There’s a small murmur around the room. A nurse in the second row writes something down.
“I know it’s more admin,” Robyn continues. “I know we are all stretched thin as it is, but I would rather we all do a little more paperwork than risk what comes if we get it wrong. Thank you for your understanding.”
She pauses, takes a breath.
“Which brings me to the current situation.” Her voice shifts, gentler now. “I want to address this, because I know it’s on everyone’s mind. For now, it is business as usual in this hospital. A lot has changed since the incident at the vaccination center. We all know that. The war between Mistveil and Draig is still ongoing. There have been more casualties since the news about the Mainland’s deceit broke than in the months prior. That is the hard truth of it.”
The room goes still.
“Even if a ceasefire is called tomorrow, there will not be peace overnight. These things take time. Months, even years. We are not going to fear monger or jump to conclusions. We are all going to remain professional and keep doing our jobs, so I want to be very clear with all of you. Every single one of your jobs is secure. Nothing is changing. We carry on doing what we do, which is saving lives. At this point, there is no reason for anyone in this room to be concerned about their position or about their safety here at this facility.”
She lets that land and a few shoulders relax around the room. There are even a few sighs.
“Which brings me to my next point,” she says. “Some of you may have heard that we are undergoing a security review. The Council has identified this hospital as one of several high-priority sites on the island that need an upgrade. I am fully on board with it.”
Her eyes find me.
“This is Commander Ridge from Security Central. He is going to be with us for the week, possibly a little longer. I will let him tell you the rest.”
She steps aside.
I walk up to the front. Every pair of eyes tracks me across the room.
Robyn is a step to my left, hands folded in front of her. She’s still in her scrubs.
“Good afternoon.” My voice carries. “I’ll keep this short. I run Security Central. I’ve been reassigned here by the Council to do a full review of this facility.” I go over all the aspects I will be investigating and why they’re pertinent, keeping it brief and to the point.
A male in scrubs near the door crosses his arms.
“I am not here to catch anyone out. I am not here to get anyone in trouble. I am here because this hospital is one of the most important buildings on Draig, and right now it is not protected to the standard it should be. My job is to change that. By the time I leave, you’ll have upgraded systems, better protocols, and a dedicated security detail that reports to my office.”
I glance around, making sure I have them.
“As Dr. Keller said, I’ll be around for a week, possibly longer. If I stop you in a corridor and ask you to walk me through something, I am not interrogating you. I am learning how this building runs. The more cooperative you are, the faster I am in and out. I hope to make this as quick and painless as possible. I’m here to ensure your ongoing safety.”
I give them a second to absorb it, then step back.
Robyn moves in smoothly. “Thank you, Commander. As I said, everyone, please make yourselves available. If Commander Ridge or any of his team need you, drop what you’re doing, unless critical, of course. Know that he is here to keep this facility and each of you safe. I want full cooperation across the board. He has been granted full access to all areas, all files, all computers, all personnel…all of it.”
She glances at her watch.
“That’s everything from me. Thank you and keep up the good work.”
Chairs scrape back. The room starts to empty in pockets. A couple of staff look my way as they go past. Most give me a small nod.
Carla gives me a huge smile. “Are you all settled, Commander Ridge?”
