Mine at Last

by Celeste O. Norfleet

  Dominik knew this was going to be a major blow to Shauna. Not only did she still blame this medical center for her mother’s death, but they were now going to be also responsible for ending her career. Cura was her biggest client. If they showed no faith in her, she could lose everything.

  “You said two things. What’s the second?” he asked.

  “I haven’t told anyone what’s going on. The board of directors knows, of course, but no one outside of this office. I’m depending on your discretion. I told you because of your close relationship with Shauna,” she said. Dominik looked at her curiously.

  “To answer the questions you’re not asking, no, I don’t know specifics, but there are rumors, and I’d have to be blind not to see how you look at her.”

  He nodded. “I don’t know what the rumors are, but yes, we’re together, and if I had my way, it would be permanent.”

  She nodded. “Far be it from me to tell you what to do in your personal life. That’s not my job. And because neither of you are breaking any hospital ethics rules, it’s none of my business. But I wanted you to know this was happening and like everything else, it will come out. If being permanent, as you say, is your goal, you perhaps need to consider her motives in all this. The lawsuit was thrown out. Now I wonder if she’s come back to finish what she started. Blocking Cura could do just that.”

  “Whatever her motives, they aren’t to close this facility.”

  “Are you sure? I hope you’re right.”

  Dominik knew in his heart Shauna held no malice toward the hospital. “I have to get back to the E.R. Thanks, Margaret. I appreciate the heads-up.” He got up and headed to the office door. Then he turned around. “Margaret, one more thing. Who did she cite in the malpractice suit?”

  Margaret sighed heavily. “Harris Bowman.”

  Dominik nodded and left.

  * * *

  Shauna’s cell phone rang. She checked the caller ID. It was her contact, the executive director from the Cura Group. She answered. “This is Shauna Banks.”

  “Shauna, it’s Simon Patterson. We need to talk.”

  “Yes, we do.”

  “I read your review, and quite frankly, we’re disturbed about the whole situation.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You compromised this review.”

  “Excuse me?” she said.

  “We understand you have a personal attachment to this medical center. Your mother died there.”

  “Yes, she did, but it’s not at all a personal attachment. I haven’t been back here in over fifteen years.”

  “Still, you should have told us. Now it looks like the process is tainted. There’s no way we can justify going in there now. Your judgment in this matter has been compromised.”

  “My judgment is just fine, Simon. That’s ridiculous. I have always done my reviews based on facts presented. I have never allowed my personal feelings to come into my reviews and certainly not this one.”

  “One of the doctors there seems to think otherwise.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean we have been given an official complaint citing your emotional and discriminatory practices. You’ve been distracted and you’re off the case.”

  “What? No,” she said and even as the words left her mouth, she knew that only one person knew about her mother and he was the same man distracting her.

  “I’m sorry. Pending a formal investigation, we’re removing you from these proceedings.”

  “What about the buy? Are you going forward with it?”

  “Taking everything into consideration, there’s no way. I can’t see how we can. We’re passing.”

  “I understand,” she said, knowing it was definitely for the best.

  “I’ll call you in a few days to let you know of our decision regarding the formal investigation of your actions.”

  “Goodbye, Simon.” Shauna just sat there. She was stunned. Dominik had betrayed her and he got exactly what he wanted—Cura out of the picture. Her heart trembled. She couldn’t believe he did this to her. But she couldn’t think about that right now. Key West Medical was running out of time and she needed to step up quickly.

  The facts remained. Key West Medical Center was still struggling and according to her assessment would close within a year’s time. She couldn’t let that happen. If Cura wouldn’t buy it, she knew someone else who was just as interested. The only thing stopping them before was the Cura Group’s interest.

  She called her contact at Relso Health Care and sent him some information about Key West Medical Center. Unlike the Cura Group, made up of businessmen and lawyers, Relso Health Care was mostly doctors and those in the medical profession. They had a long history of working closely with medical facilities to get them back on their feet and turning a profit.

  She knew Relso Health Care was looking for a purchase in the south Florida area. She stayed on the phone for the next hour and a half. She told them everything, even about her mother. To her relief and joy, they were definitely still interested, and with her urging, they wanted to move fast. As soon as Shauna got off the phone, she headed up to Margaret’s office to gauge her interest. “Margaret,” Shauna said at the open office door. “Do you have a few minutes?”

  “Sure, come in. Actually, I’m glad you stopped by. I need to speak with you, too. Come, have a seat.”

  Shauna went in and had a seat. For the next five minutes she listened to Margaret convey her regret and disappointment. Shauna sat quietly, seething inside. She had spent the past two hours trying to save an institution that had thrown her under the bus. When Margaret finished, Shauna stood and handed her the key to the conference room and a business card.

  “What’s this?” Margaret asked.

  “It’s not the Cura Group, but their pockets are just as deep. I also consult for Relso Health Care. They’re dedicated professionals and very interested in buying this medical center. I’d call them now if I were you.”

  Margaret’s jaw dropped as she stood up. Shauna walked out of the office.

  Chapter 16

  Dominik sat out back in the ambulance bay taking a break from a momentary lull in the ordered craziness of the E.R. Earlier they’d had a car accident, an almost-severed finger, two broken arms, a bar fight with bruises and cuts, and a young couple in for food poisoning. The near insanity of the bustle and commotion finally afforded him a much-needed moment to himself. In the stillness of the approaching evening hours, his thoughts wandered. He looked out as the sky slowly tinted to a darker hue.

  A sheriff’s car pulled up and parked in the reserved space. His cousin Stephen got out of the car and came over. “Man, you look like crap,” he said.

  “Thanks.” Dominik smirked.

  “Nah, I’m serious. For real, you look like crap,” Stephen repeated as he sat down beside Dominik on the bench.

  “Yeah, I know, I heard you the first time. Thanks,” he snapped.

  “Whoa, what’s going on with you?”

  “Sorry. What brings you out to this neck of the woods?”

  “I had a domestic backup call a few blocks away and thought I’d stop by and see you. Plus, when I left, they didn’t look too pleased. I thought I’d hang out in the immediate area just in case something jumped off again.”

  Dominik shook his head. “I don’t know how you do it. Between you and Natalia, you’ve taken care of most of the lost souls on this island.”

  “And you’ve patched them up and healed their broken bones. But looking at you now tells me this is a little deeper than patient drama. So, what’s going on with you? How’s Shauna?”

  Dominik shook his head. “I just spoke with Margaret. It looks like Shauna had a lot more interest in this place than I thought.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Years ago she sued the medical center.”

  “Really? And how did that work out?”

  “It was a malpractice suit and she lost. Now Margaret and the board are concerned that thi
s was vengeance. That she wants this facility to close down because she thinks we’re responsible for her mother’s death.”

  “Hmm,” Stephen said, shaking his head, “that doesn’t sound right.”

  “Yeah, I know. I don’t believe it. She’s not like that. But the bottom line is, Cura will probably pass on the buy.”

  “But you didn’t want them to buy anyway.”

  “No, I didn’t want the Cura Medical Group. I don’t trust them. They’re in this business for the wrong reason. But after seven months into this, it’s too late to start the process up again with a new company. I hoped we had more time, but the writing’s on the wall. It’s only a matter of time now.”

  “Still, the revenge thing doesn’t sound right,” Stephen said.

  “The hospital’s legal files are closed, but Margaret read the transcripts. The medical center policed themselves and cleared the E.R. and the doctor involved. I’m sure she was furious after it all went down. Her mother was the only parent she had left.”

  “Okay, I know you told me not to, but I did it anyway. Yes, Shauna lost the malpractice suit with the hospital, but she won the suit filed in civil court. The hospital settled for an undisclosed amount out of court. It was huge back in the day and in the newspapers for weeks—her father’s crime, her mother’s illness and then her death, and then the huge lawsuit. But as I understand it, the medical center didn’t admit any wrongdoing, but a huge amount of money changed hands in her favor.”

  Dominik shook his head. This was the part of the story he hadn’t heard. “I don’t know what all this means, but I know she’d never intentionally close a hospital.”

  “How do you know?”

  “I know it because I love her.”

  “Yeah, I know you do,” Stephen said. “I also know that I’ve never known you to even utter those words before. It’s all over your face, my man.” They both smiled in the joy of feeling love and being loved.

  “I love her. From the first moment I saw her sitting in the E.R. wearing a baseball cap, I knew she was going to steal my heart. I also knew there was nothing I could do about it.”

  “You tell her yet?”

  “I told her. We went out to Cutter yesterday. I was ready to set the GPS and head out to Antigua or Jamaica.”

  “Ah, yes, the wedding bells. What stopped you?”

  “We made love instead.” They both smiled.

  “Will she stay?” Stephen asked.

  “I don’t know. She’ll probably be without a job. The board sent an official complaint to the Cura Group about her undisclosed history with the medical center. They probably won’t be happy about it.”

  “How did the board find out about her mother in the first place?”

  “I told them. Actually, I told Margaret and she told them along with everything else. They’re desperate.”

  * * *

  Shauna was on her way out, but needed to make one last stop. She went to Dominik’s office. The door was closed. She knocked but there was no answer. She went into the E.R. area. He wasn’t there, either. She found Nora Rembrandt, his assistant. “Hi, Nora. Have you seen Dominik?”

  “That’s funny, he was just looking for you about fifteen minutes ago.”

  Shauna looked around. “Do you know where he went?”

  “No, but if I see him, I’ll tell him you’re looking for him. Where are you gonna be?”

  “Don’t worry about it, I’m headed out.”

  “If it’s an emergency, I can page him,” Nora added.

  “No, that’s okay.”

  “Oh, wait. Check out back at the ambulance bay.”

  She exited through the huge extra-wide double doors. She immediately saw two men sitting on a picnic table with their backs to her. She overheard the last part of their conversation. Her heart dropped. She was stunned. Dominik betrayed her and told the board about her mother. She took a deep breath knowing this was the end. “Dominik,” she said.

  Both men turned around. “Shauna,” Dominik said.

  “Hi, Shauna,” Stephen said, smiling.

  She smiled at him. “Hi, Stephen. It’s good to see you again.”

  “You, too. Well, I’d better get back to work. I’ll talk to you later. See ya, Shauna.”

  “It was nice seeing you,” she said, then watched as he got in his car, backed up and pulled away. Dominik stood and walked over to her. “I can’t believe you told them about my mother. Does the word confidence mean nothing to you?”

  “Shauna, calm down. It wasn’t a secret.”

  “It was to me. Who did you tell?”

  “I told Margaret. She found out the rest and told me.”

  “My family life was a circus once before. Now my life is private. It was nobody’s business about my family and certainly not Margaret’s or the board of directors’ or the Cura Group, or did you forget to mention you told them, too?”

  “You’re talking about the complaint to Cura? What happened?”

  “What do you think happened?”

  “They fired you.”

  “You never told me how you found out in the first place.”

  “I was curious, so I looked up your records and then your mother’s. Why didn’t you tell me the rest of it, the lawsuit? You sued Bowman.”

  “Yes, as I recently found out, I was the first of many. And you told the Cura Group and got exactly what you wanted. They will not be purchasing the medical center.”

  “Yes, that is what I wanted. They’re nothing but a gang of medical raiders,” he said quickly, then turned, hearing the sound of an ambulance in the distance. “The question is, did you get what you wanted?”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “The medical center is closing.”

  “And you think I would want this place closed?” she asked.

  “No, but a lot of people are going to.” Dominik looked up and saw the rage in Shauna’s eyes. “Shauna, am I missing something?”

  “What could you possibly be missing? And tell me, how could you love a woman if you think she is so bent on revenge that she’d close a hospital, making thousands suffer?”

  Just then, an ambulance came barreling up the driveway toward the bay. Dominik’s attention was immediately diverted. The doors opened and several attendants gathered beside him. They looked at Dominik and Shauna, but then focused on the ambulance backing up into the bay. Shauna stepped aside, out of the way.

  The ambulance’s back doors opened and a perfectly performed ballet of chaos ensued. People were yelling, orders were being barked out and everyone was in fast-forward mode. Someone yelled “Flatline” and things got even more chaotic. Dominik was in the center of it all. She watched as everything they were discussing vanished and his focus was on saving the life slipping away on the gurney.

  A few minutes later everyone disappeared inside. Shauna was left alone in the bay. She looked around. How could her silly problems compare to the person whose life they were desperately trying to save? This place could never close down. She waited another minute, then headed around to the front of the building.

  She was midway to her car when she heard someone calling her. She turned and saw Donna running toward her. “Donna, what is it?”

  “You need to come with me now,” she said.

  Shauna’s heart dropped. “What? What is it?”

  They started running. As soon as they got inside, Donna swiped her card and led Shauna through to the back. “Wait here,” she said, then hurried down the hall to where several doctors, nurses and attendants gathered in one room.

  Shauna was anxious. Ten minutes later Donna came back. Shauna stood, then saw Dominik coming toward her quickly. Donna smiled and kept walking. She met Dominik halfway. “What’s going on?” she asked. “What happened?”

  “Shauna, the person on the gurney is Pearl Tyson.”

  There was a loud rushing sound as her breath escaped. Her legs trembled and buckled. All she could see was the ceiling as she slowly felt herself fa
lling. Then strong arms caught her. “Shauna. Shauna,” Dominik said, moving to sit her back down. “Shauna, listen to me. Pearl is fine.”

  She nodded. Donna was there with a cup of water. Dominik helped her sip it. Then she caught her breath. The words were finally beginning to make sense. “Pearl,” she said.

  “Yes, that was Pearl in the ambulance. She has you listed in our files as her next of kin.”

  “Why is she in your files?”

  “She’s stable. She just had a small episode.”

  “A small episode. What are you talking about? Are you kidding me? I saw what happened out there. She flatlined.”

  “She’s fine. I need to get back in to see her. Are you going to be okay?”

  She nodded. “Go, take care of her. Please, she’s all I have.”

  He leaned in and kissed her gently. “No, she’s not. You have me, always and forever.” He walked back to the room. Nora and Donna smiled, as did a few other staff witnessing the kiss.

  Chapter 17

  Shauna waited by Pearl’s bedside in ICU for hours. Then the hours turned into the next day. Pearl had woken up only two or three times since she was admitted. And then she was groggy and incoherent. But Shauna had no intention of leaving her side anytime soon. Several nurses stopped by to tend to her, including Donna, whose reassuring words comforted her. They brought by a few sandwiches and a tray of food, but Shauna couldn’t eat.

  As time passed, Shauna looked out the window, then watched the respirator go up and down and then tried to figure out what the machine was doing each time it beeped. But mostly she stood vigil. She only left the room when Dominik came in to check on Pearl.

  She laid her head down on the side of the bed and closed her eyes for what seemed like a brief moment. She dreamed that Pearl was talking to Dominik. He said that he loved her and that they would be married. Pearl said that she and her mother had already planned her wedding. She felt his gentle kiss on her lips and then the dream was gone. She opened her eyes just as Dominik walked out of the room. It wasn’t a dream, at least not all of it. He’d been there with her.