by B. B. Hamel
“I think we might get lucky,” I said, stepping closer to her. I wrapped an arm around her waist, and she leaned against me.
It was a simple gesture—like holding her hand, or touching her shoulder, but it was intimate, and almost unconscious. We’d been around each other so much, and whatever relationship we had developing deepened by the day. I leaned over and kissed her cheek, and she tilted her chin toward me, lips parted. I smirked a little, kissed her again, and held her there for a few steady beats of my heart.
“When this is over, you’re going to train me some more,” she said, blinking up at me.
“Yeah, you think so?”
“You’d better. What the hell am I going to do otherwise?”
“I don’t know, Dr. Baker’s a nice guy. And I bet you love being with all those other residents.”
She groaned. “Don’t joke.”
“I’ll train you,” I said. “Our promise still stands, remember? You’re going to be my witness in the trial.”
“I have a feeling we won’t get to that point anymore.”
“Probably not. But even still, I’ll train you.” I tugged her along, heading to the door. “Come on, let’s get out of here before Theodore comes back and changes his mind.”
She laughed and followed, and together we headed down the street holding hands, and for the first time in a long time, I felt like there was a future—not only for my practice as a doctor, but for our relationship.
29
Lori
I dropped a stack of papers in front of Rees, knocking aside his wireless mouse. It clattered down onto the hardwood floor.
I felt my cheeks flush. “Sorry,” I said, walking around the desk to grab it.
He took the mouse and placed it beside the papers. “To what do I owe this very annoying pleasure?” he asked, leaning back in his chair.
His office at the top of a downtown commercial tower that overlooked Center City. The cube farm outside his glass door was in constant motion as employees shuffled around each other, gesturing wildly, saying very important things, holding very important documents, nodding their important heads. It all seemed so real, and so intense, but I couldn’t imagine being in a place like that for long: the quiet fluorescents lighting, the recycled air, the sound of chairs and typing and conversation.
“I brought proof that Piers is innocent,” I said.
Rees arched both of his eyebrows as he laced his fingers together and held them up to his lips. “How good is this proof?”
“It’s everything,” I said. “There are recordings of his boss, Gina, admitting that some of the stuff is fabricated, plus documents showing the differences they created.”
He looked at the folder, then back up at me. “And how the hell did you get all this?”
I explained the whole thing: our meeting with Theodore, how he went to Gina and asked her questions, how he recorded her answers the whole time, with her total consent, since she assumed it was for the Tippett family, how she gave him all the documents he requested and more, and how he’d walked right out of there without anyone the wiser.
“And her boss doesn’t know?” Rees asked. “Surely she would’ve mentioned it.”
“I don’t think so. I mean, why would she?”
He grunted softly and paged through the files. He whistled and shook his head. “This is a lot.”
“I know, and if I had anywhere else to go—”
He held up a hand. “I’m not happy that I’m involved,” he said. “Frankly, I regret ever sticking my nose in your business, but I couldn’t deny your mother’s request, and here we are.”
“Thank you,” I said meekly, feeling like a child in front of him again. I didn’t know why, it wasn’t like he was my uncle or something, but he had that effect on me.
“This whole thing has been a pain in my ass, but of course I’ll fix your little problem for you, cousin.”
“Thank you,” I said again. “I’m sorry this all happened, you know I never asked for it.”
He nodded and tapped his fingers on the pages. “First step is we need a lawyer to go through all this shit. Then we’ll need to file criminal complaints, and get some lawsuits rolling—”
“Criminal?” I asked, frowning. “Lawsuits?”
He nodded and tilted his head. “You did realize that’s what would happen, didn’t you?”
“No,” I admitted. “I thought we’d just, you know, threaten them, and all this would go away.”
He grinned at me, and there was a savage edge to his smile. My cousin was a dangerous man, and I was very glad he was on my side, sort of at least. “Oh, no, people like Robert Tippett don’t simply go away. No, if I go after him, I shoot to kill. Do you understand? If you want my help, then you’ll get it, but I’m going the distance.”
I leaned back in the chair and bounced my knees, thinking about what this would mean. Poor Gina would go down, and Caroline, and probably Robert, and maybe other people that I didn’t even know about—and for one second, I almost felt bad. Gina had been nice to me, sort of at least.
But fuck them. She knew what she was doing when she got involved in this scheme, and I couldn’t waste my energy on pity. None of them deserved a second thought.
“Let’s do it.”
“Good.” He picked up the files. “Is everything in here?”
“Yes,” I said.
“And this isn’t your only copy, correct?”
“Correct. That’s for you. There’s a thumb drive with the recording in there.”
“Very good.” He put the papers down on a shelf behind him then swiveled back to the computer. “I’ll let you know when something happens.”
I sat there, not moving, as he stared at his screen like I no longer existed. I didn’t know how he effortlessly shifted his attention like that, as if I had already left the room, but it was unnerving.
“That’s it?” I asked. “You just… do your thing?”
“More or less,” he said, glancing at me. “Did you want more? Fireworks? Explosions? This is a falsifying documents case, it’s not murder.”
“I guess you’re right.” I stood up. “Thank you for helping.”
I turned to leave, but he said my name. I stopped and looked back. He regarded me with flat lips and hooded eyes.
“We’re even now,” he said. “After this, I’ve done my duty to your mother.”
“Okay,” I said. “Uh, sure, that’s fine.”
“And you won’t come barging into my office anymore just because we’re cousins. You will make an appointment.”
“Right. Appointment. Sorry.”
He shook his head and waved me on. “Goodbye, Lori. I’d say it’s been a pleasure, but…” And with that, his attention shifted back to the computer once again, like I had disappeared.
I left, walked through the chaotic bullpen as well-dressed people moved from cube to cube, talking to each other with lots of hand gestures and business clichés, and it felt more like a play about an office, instead of an actual, active office.
Piers waited for me outside on the front steps. He sat hunched over his phone, and I lingered over him until he looked up.
“How’d it go?” he asked, getting to his feet.
“He’s going to help,” I said.
Relief flashed across his face. “That’s good.”
“But he’s going to destroy them,” I said. “I mean, he used those words. He wants to go for the kill.”
His lips tugged down as he pulled at the hem of his jacket, and looked out toward the street where cars rolled past lazily, heading toward a red light. “I’m not sure that bothers me,” he said. “Maybe it should.”
“That’s how I feel too.” I laced my fingers through his and he tugged me closer. That simple movement, getting near him, holding his hand, that little act of affection felt so strange still, like it was taboo for us to be together.
And frankly, it was. I wanted him to be my attending after all this was over, but if our rel
ationship continued, then we’d have to deal with a lot of shit at work.
But I fully intended for this relationship to continue. He made me too happy—and made me feel too good.
We walked down the steps and headed toward his apartment. He walked slow, like there was no reason to rush, and there really wasn’t. He didn’t have to go into work anymore, and I’d taken some time off, used up most of my vacation days to deal with all this. Sooner or later I’d be back, doing rounds, standing in during surgeries, working with the other residents, but for now—we could be normal, or something approaching it.
I liked normal.
“I’ve been thinking about what we’ll do after,” he said, gazing forward.
“After? I hardly know what that looks like. It feels like we’ve been running around forever.”
He squeezed my hands. “There’s always an after.”
“You’re training me. That’s all I need to know.”
“Beyond that, even.” He looked down, head tilted. “I’ve always wanted to start a private practice. What do you think? It could be fun.”
“Fun?” I laughed a little. “A lot of work, more like.”
“I don’t know. I found that list of clients pretty easily, and I think they’d all come work with me, assuming they’re still around when we make the move.”
I stopped walking and he turned to face me. “We?” I asked.
“I thought you’d like to be a part of it.”
“Come on. I’m still a resident.”
“You won’t be forever.” He touched my cheek, lips parting. “There’s always an after.”
I stepped forward and let him kiss me. His lips were sweet, plump, delicious. He stayed there as his hands lingered on my skin, slowly moved down to my hips, and wrapped around my waist.
“If you’re asking, then the answer’s yes,” I whispered when we broke apart.
“I wasn’t really asking,” he said. “More like informing.”
I grinned and put my hands flat on his chest. “You’ll have to stop being such a dick though.”
“We can work on that.”
“Seriously, at our practice, HR is going to be pretty intense.”
“I’ll run HR. You don’t have to worry about it.”
I laughed and got up on my toes to kiss his neck. “That’s actually terrifying,” I said, and we started walking again.
“I have other plans, you know,” he said. “Dog, children, big house—”
“Are you asking me to have your babies?” I nudged up against him. “A little early for that.”
“Not yet,” he said, and glanced at me. “But one day. I assume you want them too.”
“I do,” I said, trying not to smile. “And a dog. And a big-ass house, which you’ll buy me when our practice makes us very, very rich.”
“Exactly,” he said. “I want a life that’s not just… surgery.”
“You want more than work. I want that, too.”
He pulled me against him, and I had to marvel at how much he’d changed since we first met. I could still see that man, sitting at his desk, annoyed that I was even talking to him—and the difference was incredible. Piers hadn’t fixed himself completely, he was still short-tempered and difficult, but he cared about me. He looked at me like I was the light he’d been missing from his life all this time, and that feeling, that incredible rush of emotions I got every time he kissed me, every time he pulled me close—that was worth everything.
“Come on,” he said. “Since we have a day off, I figured we’d spend it in bed.”
“That’s presumptuous. What if I want to see a movie?”
“I have a TV in the living room. I guess I can have you on the couch, too.”
I laughed and chewed my lip, but didn’t argue as he tugged me faster down the sidewalk.
30
Piers
The town car parked outside of my building and the window rolled down. Lori shifted from foot to foot beside me, brimming with nervous energy.
Rees stared out at us. “Get in,” he said, gesturing with his chin.
I glanced at Lori then led her around the car. I opened the door, let her get in first, then followed after. The car pulled out when we were settled.
Rees watched out the window like he was bored. “I didn’t want to do this,” he said. “But the lawyers talked me into it.”
“What are we doing, exactly?” Lori asked.
“Giving the hospital a chance to settle.” He glanced at her, then at me. “You’ll have to play this hard, you know. They’re not going to want to give in so easily.”
“I’m not too concerned,” I said. “Whether they fold now, or in front of a judge, it won’t matter.”
Rees only grunted, and looked back out the window. Her cousin was a strange man. Whatever he did for a living, he must have been very, very good at it—otherwise, I couldn’t imagine anyone letting him get away with being such a bastard.
And for the first time since meeting him, the irony of that fully set in. I wasn’t rich like him, but I hadn’t dedicated myself to making money. We were two of a kind, I realized, both of us driven intensely, willing to go to great lengths to become the best in our respective fields. I had a grudging admiration for him, and maybe one day we could be friends.
Actually, no, that would never happen. One of us would end up dead.
The driver let us out in front of the hospital, then went to circle the block until we were done. Rees strode forward in a smart, sleek black suit, his dark hair pushed back. Two men in long brown coats and suits approached from the bench nearby and fell into step with Rees, and I glanced back at Lori, who only shook her head, as confused as I felt.
The trio of men led the way into the lobby, where Caroline was already waiting to greet us. Her face flickered from Rees to the men with him, then finally settled on me.
Her complexion paled. She was not pleased to see me again. For some reason, that felt fantastic.
“Mr. Court,” Caroline said, shaking Rees’s hand.
“Caroline,” he said. “These are my lawyers, Mr. Hammond and Mr. Druthers.”
“Hello,” Caroline said, shaking their hands next. Neither man spoke. They looked more like mafia goons than lawyers. She didn’t approach me, and I wasn’t about to touch her slimy palm.
“You know Lori and Piers,” Rees said. “Come on, let’s go get this over with. I have another meeting in an hour.”
Caroline stuttered something then awkwardly led the way across the lobby and down a short hall. A suite of conference rooms lined one side, and she took the group into the largest. A woman in a light gray pant suit stood, a clutch of papers under her right arm. She wore black glasses, her dirty-blonde hair pulled back in a sleek, professional bun.
“This is the hospital’s lawyer, Trisha Lumber,” Caroline said, taking a seat beside the woman.
“Hello, Ms. Lumber,” Rees said, and went around making introductions. When everyone was sitting and settled, a silence dropped down like a curtain, and I leaned back in my chair to study Caroline’s face.
I should’ve hated her. And I did, except now that I was faced with her, across the table and in possession of documents and proof that would ruin her, I began to feel almost bad.
Her job wasn’t easy. In a city like Philadelphia, in a hospital of Westview’s size, there were always competing interests pulling you in all directions. The hospital administrator must’ve felt it worse than most, and it likely drove her crazy, trying to balance all those competing interests.
Still didn’t excuse her for trying to destroy my career, but still.
“We don’t need to spend too much time discussing this,” Mr. Hammond said, the taller of the two lawyers, with thinning hair and a trim, dark beard. “Evidence has come to light that Ms. Pincher has falsified documentation relating to Dr. Hood’s suspension.”
The hospital’s lawyer frowned a bit, glanced at Caroline, then held out a hand. “I’d love a copy of that, if you can pr
ovide it.”
“Of course.” Mr. Hammond passed over a folder. Caroline glanced down at it, but showed nothing. If she was worried, she was doing a great job of hiding it.
“I’m not sure what I’m looking at here,” Ms. Lumber said.
“Let me explain,” I said, interrupting Mr. Hammond. He glanced at me, clearly annoyed, but I barreled forward. Rees didn’t seem to give a shit either way—he had his face buried in his phone, reading and texting. “The hospital alleges that I made some negative comments in my notes about Mr. Tippett. I dispute those claims. We have proof that those comments were falsified—which would negate the absurd lawsuit against me for malpractice.”
Caroline laughed lightly. “This is a little much, even for you,” she said. “Do you really think I’d go to these lengths to try to screw you over, Piers? I could just fire you, you know.”
“No, you couldn’t,” I said. “I’m too valuable.”
She rolled her eyes. The hospital’s lawyer continued to page through the papers, her frown deepening, then looked up. “There’s a reference to a recording,” she said. “Is that available?”
“Of course,” Mr. Hammond said.
Caroline seemed to freeze. Her sneer slowly melted away. “What recording?” she asked.
“You didn’t know?” I said, unable to stop the smug grin from spreading across my face. Even Lori looked a little gleeful. “Gina admitted everything.”
“That’s crazy,” Caroline said. “There’s nothing to admit.” But she looked around the room, her eyes getting wild.
Mr. Hammond produced a tablet from his briefcase, opened up a file, and hit play.
The recording was superb. Theodore really was good at his job. The conversation was straightforward: Gina answered all his questions as if they were at a job interview, and it was a matter of course that she would tell the truth. She admitted everything, all the fraud, all the lies. Caroline’s face turned pale, then green, and I thought she might be sick all over the table.
When the recording finished, she looked at me. “What do you want?” she asked.