Her Remedy

by Rose Marini

  “Ms. Williams,” Allison flinched as she noticed the intentional removal of “doctor” from her title. “You do realize that without any evidence of this so-called weekend vacation or the corroborative testimony of your travel companion, you will be released from the residency program. Your career will be effectively ruined. And that doesn’t even address the legal ramifications of your actions. You mean to tell us that you are willing to throw away a career you’ve worked so hard toward just to protect some other person? You must see how that’s a difficult story for us to believe. So just tell the truth about what really happened that weekend, and we’ll even put in a favorable word with the police, letting them know that you’ve been cooperative.”

  It was Mr. Ortiz who spoke, one of the several hard-faced officials seated around the conference table, surveying Allison like hungry lions playing with a wounded deer.

  “Sir,” Allison protested, “I have just presented you with evidence that I was in Tennessee that weekend. The gas station receipt, the picture of the mountain trail we hiked—”

  Mrs. Duran cut her off, waving her hand dismissively, smugness etched into the lines around her mouth. “A smudged, barely-legible receipt and an undated photo hardly constitute proof, Ms. Williams.”

  Allison faced her, jaw clenched at the injustice. “All due respect, ma’am, but I also showed the screenshots of my credit card transactions, showing that I purchased dinner and gas in Pigeon Forge that weekend.”

  “Neither of those transactions state that they occurred in Pigeon Forge. Those companies have locations all over the US; there are restaurants and gas stations by those names right here in town. Those receipts prove nothing.”

  Allison fought to speak calmly. Mastering her emotions, she replied, “I recognize that you might wonder about that, which is why I provided a statement from the credit card company indicating that the specific store numbers listed on those transactions correlate to the locations in Pigeon Forge, not any other location. If you look at the letter, the bank explains that each store has a unique ID number that appears on the credit card statement when a transaction takes place. That confirms that I could not have made these transactions at any stores besides the ones located in Pigeon Forge.”

  Allison took a deep breath, furious that the committee had completely discredited the evidence she and Devon had spent hours extricating. Her heart sank like a stone as she scanned the unfriendly expressions surrounding the table. It was crystal clear that they were not interested in finding the truth, only in wrapping up the situation as quickly and quietly as possible. She clenched her fists and her nails dug into her palms. She wasn’t going to go down without a fight. If this didn’t work, she would have to hire a lawyer to sue, promising a costly, messy, and lengthy battle—if she managed to stay out of jail.

  She made one last attempt towards a reasonable discussion, trying and failing to keep a respectful tone in her voice. “What about the technical issues I had with my account access? Can you recognize that it’s at least possible that someone accessed my account, gaining the information needed to get medication out of the dispensing machine?”

  “It seems rather convenient that you just remembered these IT problems,” Mrs. Duran commented, disdain dripping from her words. Allison pointed towards the stack of documents a second time. “I understand the concern, which is why I sought documentation from the IT department. I’ve provided copies of their report and our interactions, which happened three times in total. Will you not even consider that this might be relevant?”

  Frowns greeted her question. Desperate, she added, “Look, don’t you want to be positive about who did this before you make a decision? This person obviously needs help and might be a danger to patients. Opioid addiction doesn’t just get better without treatment—they’ll probably steal medication again. It’s in the best interest of the hospital to be absolutely sure that you have the right person.”

  “Enough!” Mr. Simmons snapped. “You are hardly in a position to lecture us on what is best for this hospital. Is this your final answer? You refuse to provide further information about your so-called vacation on the weekend in question?”

  So many thoughts overwhelmed her mind that all she could sense was a blinding whiteness. She opened her mouth to speak, to name Emma as her companion, hovering on the edge of an irreversible decision. Mr. Simmons’ eyes bored into her, hauntingly reminiscent of Emma’s. A vision of sapphire eyes, twin pools of warmth and kindness, swam in front of her gaze. She closed her mouth, took a deep breath, and responded, “I won’t share who was with me. It’s not my secret to tell—it wouldn’t be the right thing to do.”

  Several floors below, Emma hunched over herself, wavering, oblivious to the noise of the crowd in the hospital lobby. Her damp hands stained the folder that wrinkled under the force of her grip. Unlike Allison, who paced when she was anxious, Emma sat perfectly still, eyes fixed on the floor in front of her. As if hearing an invisible cue, she sprang to her feet. Her footsteps pounded on the stairs, echoing the fear thudding in her heart. The door to the conference room hit the wall with a bang as she threw it open. Surprise registered on every face around the table. Oblivious, she strode forward and thrust the folder to her father.

  “Allison didn’t steal that medication, and I can prove it.” She looked at her father’s stunned face; her voice wavered but she plunged ahead. “I was with her that weekend in Tennessee. We were celebrating our six-month anniversary.”

  She glanced away, too afraid of his reaction. Her voice grew in strength as she continued, regarding the rest of the committee. “In that folder are a receipt from the cabin we rented, wristbands stamped with that day’s date from the national park, and pictures of us from that weekend, timestamped and marked by my phone’s automatic location tag. The original files are in this USB drive.”

  She tried to hand the USB to her dad but he simply stared at her blankly, motionless. She set it on the table with hands that shook.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.” Here she spoke directly to her father. “I didn’t know how… I was afraid of what you and Mom would say. But I was with her all weekend, and I’m willing to testify under oath if necessary.”

  Dr. Liu broke the silence that followed, saying crisply. “Well, it appears we need to suspend any further decisions in this matter until the new evidence can be reviewed. Dr. Simmons, thank you for coming forward with this information. You will be contacted with further questions, but at present you are dismissed.”

  Emma nodded, began to glance in Allison’s direction, stopped herself, and left. The door swung shut behind her.

  Allison’s skin, which had gone icy cold at Emma’s entrance, flushed red-hot. Heart racing, she looked around the room at the committee; their expressions ranged from surprised to displeased to sudden understanding. A small smile lit Dr. Pacheo’s face as he gave her a nearly imperceptible nod. Leaning forward, he glanced at his companions and commented, “Well, it seems we are faced with more questions than answers today. Allison, is what Emma shared with us true?”

  She took a deep breath and returned her mentor’s steady look, avoiding Emma’s father’s eyes. Delicately, she replied, “Yes. It’s all true. Given the sensitive… circumstances of our trip, I didn’t feel as though it was my place to share… certain information. But yes, Emma and I were in a relationship and she surprised me by taking me a trip that weekend to celebrate six months of dating.”

  “Completely understandable, and quite commendable, Allison,” Dr. Pacheo remarked. Nodding to the folder that lay in front of Mr. Simmons, he continued, “Assuming the documentation in that folder supports your and Dr. Simmons’ testimony, we have further digging to do. In light of this evidence, and the revelation that Dr. Williams has had recurring issues accessing her account, I believe we need to examine Allison’s digital footprint more closely to determine who could have accessed her ID number and the email containing her confidential PIN. May I suggest that we involve an external inves
tigative company in this matter? Given the circumstances, I believe it would be best to utilize an unbiased, unrelated person rather than our internal IT department.”

  “Seems like a wise decision to me,” Dr. Liu agreed. She had snagged Emma’s folder from its place in front of a frozen Mr. Simmons and was perusing its contents. Nodding approvingly at the documents, she looked up at Allison.

  “Allison, thank you for your patience and integrity. Although we need to review these documents before we can officially clear you, it’s becoming clear that you were not involved in this situation. We need to conclude the investigation before we can reinstate your hospital access and you can resume your regular duties, but we’ll do our best to finish this up quickly so your life can return to normal. We appreciate your cooperation and we’ll let you know if we have any further questions, okay?”

  Tension leaked out of Allison’s muscles. Lightness spread through her veins, making her dizzy. Dazed, she nodded and began to gather her things. She made her way to the door and, remembering her manners, turned around to squeak her thanks. Some of the committee nodded or smiled at her; Mr. Simmons looked up for the first time since Emma had left the room. Confusion, frustration, and something indiscernible—was that guilt?—flashed across his features.

  Allison was too overwhelmed to spend much time considering Mr. Simmons’ feelings. She went straight to the Emergency Department to find Emma, only to discover that she wasn’t scheduled for the day. She skidded past Devon in the hallway and turned to smack him gently on the shoulder. “You told her, didn’t you?”

  Devon nodded warily, waiting for her outburst, but instead Allison gave him a brilliant smile. “They believed us! I owe you so big, Dev!” She kissed him on the cheek and was gone, dashing madly towards the parking lot. Startled staff and patients hurried out of her way, unnoticed by the determined woman. Desperately hoping that Emma hadn’t left yet, her feet pounded the pavement; familiar blonde hair appeared in the corner of the ramp.

  Her voice cracked as she called, “Em—wait!”

  Panting, she skittered to a stop in front of a shocked Emma, looked at her for a single, sunlit second, and threw herself at the blonde woman, wrapping her arms around her and fitting their lips together. Emma stood frozen for a second, then returned her embrace with equal passion. They settled into a deep kiss, heat rising through their cores. Their kiss was transcendent—lit by rekindled love, fueled by adrenaline, and intensified by months of desperation and need.

  Allison was trembling slightly when she pulled away.

  “I just wanted to say… thank you. For what you just did for me. No one has ever done anything like that for me before.” Allison’s eyes filled with tears; she swallowed and continued in a quavering voice. “And I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have left that night—I shouldn’t have been so quick to give up on us.”

  Emma tightened her arms around Allison’s waist. Nuzzling her face into Allison’s neck, she murmured, “Hush, we both played a role in what happened that night. Maybe you were too quick to walk away, but I was too cowardly to come after you. And I should’ve recognized how much it was hurting you to go back into the closet with me. As to your first point, there’s no need to thank me; you need to get used to it, because I intend to love you for the rest of my life.”

  “I could get used to hearing you say that,” Allison murmured as she pulled Emma’s face down to hers.

  Allison’s giggle broke their kiss after what felt like ages. Emma made a frustrated noise as Allison pulled away for a second time. “What now?” she practically growled.

  Emma raised an eyebrow at her. “What’s so funny that you have to interrupt a very enjoyable kiss?”

  “Well, I was just thinking… You didn’t just come out. You dramatically threw yourself out of the closet. That was the single most epic coming out story I’ve ever seen.”

  “Well, what can I say? I always told you that you make me braver. You’d better get used to me telling you that I love you in dramatic, epic ways.”

  As far as Emma was concerned, Allison’s dazzling smile lit the entire parking garage. “I love you too, Em.”

  “I know you do. Now please shut up and kiss me again,” she demanded.

  “Mm, someone’s getting a little bossy,” Allison retorted, obliging anyways.

  That evening, Sarah watched Allison and Emma laugh on the couch, Allison curled up under Emma’s arm with her head on the taller woman’s shoulder. She hadn’t seen Emma this happy in months. It was good to have her joyful friend back.

  “You guys are so cute it’s disgusting,” Sarah deadpanned.

  “You’ll just have to get used to it because I’m here to stay,” Allison shot back over the edge of the couch.

  Sarah grinned. “I’m glad. It was too quiet here without you.”

  Even Louie had welcomed Allison and Sammy back with open arms. The cat seemed to view Sammy as a combination of personal entertainment and arch nemesis, alternating between bouncing around him and batting at the air around his head. Sammy’s tail thumped the floor next to them; he was quite amused by Louie’s antics.

  A thought struck Emma and she shook her head, rolling her eyes.

  “What?” Allison asked defensively.

  A smirk played on Emma’s lips. “You were so determined to do the right thing that you almost ruined your career. You are so damn stubborn,” she murmured even as her lips sought Ally’s.

  “Oh my god, get a room!” Sarah yelled at them, pitching a pillow at their heads. Giggling, Emma stood and offered Allison her hand. Allison looked up at her, sank into those blue eyes for the thousandth time, and, intertwining their fingers, followed her to what was sure to be an enjoyable, albeit sleepless, night.

  12

  The next few weeks passed in a mostly-happy blur for the two women. Two clouds marred their joyful reunion: tension in Emma’s family following her announcement, and the pending drug theft investigation. Allison had been allowed to return to work, but she couldn’t relax until they determined the identity of the real perpetrator. Meanwhile, Emma had endured several painful conversations with her family. Her mom cried and wondered what they had done wrong in raising her; her dad didn’t say much but radiated silent disapproval. Luckily, she had easily recruited her brother, Warner, to her cause. He barely batted an eye when she shared the news of her and Allison’s relationship, shrugging and commenting that he had guessed about her sexuality a long time ago. His supportive presence helped mitigate the hurtful comments from Emma’s parents as they grappled with the news of her sexuality. She knew they weren’t trying to hurt her, but their judgmental criticism stuck like barbs under her skin.

  Seeing the sad look on Emma’s face, Allison slipped her hand under the table to squeeze Emma’s. The blonde woman gazed at her love, hoping Allison would sense the gratitude that she couldn’t find words for. Allison smiled gently and pressed their knees together. Emma didn’t need to say anything. She knew.

  Devon interrupted the moment as he hailed them from across the courtyard. He put down his tray on their picnic table with a huff, running his fingers through his perpetually messy hair.

  “Uh oh, what is it now, Dev?” Allison asked, recognizing her friend’s penchant for dramatics.

  Devon shot her a look but ignored the teasing jab. “Look, I know we’re supposed to take care of all patients equally, but if I get one more person in the ER because they have a sore throat I’m going to scream. It’s such a waste of resources! There are people who actually need my attention while I’m stuck pandering to a paranoid, whiny middle-aged woman!”

  Allison and Emma’s laughter grew along with the volume of Devon’s rant. He glared at them. Choking back her giggles, Allison said soothingly, “Next time, just send them to me. I don’t mind the easy patients.”

  “I wouldn’t call this one easy,” Devon muttered darkly, but he agreed all the same and calmed down enough to eat his sandwich.

  Birds chirped in the trees around them; the sun
warmed Allison’s dark hair. Life was good. The sun was shining after weeks of rain, she was with her two favorite people in the hospital, and she was looking forward to a weekend full of adventuring with Emma. She closed her eyes and turned her face up to the sun’s rays but was startled when a shadow came over her a few seconds later. She glanced up to meet the gaze of Mr. Simmons. His typically stern demeanor was somehow friendlier than Allison had seen in the past. He nodded to Devon, said hello to Emma, and then turned to Allison. “Dr. Williams, I wonder if you would be willing to have a word. It will only take a moment, and then you can get back to enjoying this beautiful day with your companions.” Here he inclined his head towards Emma and Devon.

  Allison glanced at Emma, who looked between her girlfriend and father with concern. Nodding, she rose, touched Emma on the shoulder to let her know that she was okay, and led the way towards a private bench surrounded by trees. She stood next to it uncertainly. Mr. Simmons gestured towards it, saying, “Please, let’s sit.” Allison settled onto the cool stone, resisting the urge to cross her arms and settling her hands in her lap instead. Mr. Simmons looked at her, and for a moment she was struck by just how similar his bright blue eyes were to Emma’s.

  “Dr. Williams… Allison. The committee—no, that’s not quite right,” he stuttered. “I owe you an apology. I suppose the committee does as well, but I take responsibility for much of the fault. We judged you and the situation too rapidly. This experience has shown me that I’ve made a number of mistakes, actually. Just one of those was failing to conduct a thorough investigation before deciding your guilt.” He pressed his lips together as he looked down and sighed deeply.

  “I hope it will provide some reassurance that we have officially concluded the investigation. The outside counsel determined that one of the IT personnel accessed the emails of several employees—not just you—in order to retrieve their login information and use it to steal medication. That’s what caused all of your email login issues. Apparently, he had a vendetta against some of the staff here. Is the name Ian Bowers familiar to you?”