Free A Fallen Heart by Cate Ashwood Page A

get him talking either.”
    Ford wasn’t surprised. He hoped Joel felt comfortable enough to talk sooner rather than later, and not only to help the cops with their investigation. Joel desperately needed psychological help to work through what he’d experienced. Without speech it would be more difficult to help him.
    “If it’s okay, I’ll try back later,” Ford said.
    “Definitely. I’ll be here all night.”
     
     
    “AH, JOSEPH. Just the man I was looking for,” Hugh Greene, administrator and general pain in Ford’s ass, said as Ford walked toward the ER.
    “Hello, Mr. Greene,” Ford said, the faux politeness dripping from his words.
    When Ford’s alarm went off at 4:00 p.m., he’d forced himself out of bed and thrown himself into the coldest shower he could handle in the hopes that he would be somewhat conscious by the time he made it to Saint Joe’s. He hadn’t been as successful as he would have liked, and an ambush by Greene was exactly what he needed to start his day off right.
    “I wanted to have a word with you about our quarterly budget.”
    “I don’t run the ER, Mr. Greene. I only work there. If you want to talk numbers, you’re going to need to discuss them with Susan.”
    “Well, yes, of course. I have. But in the last month, we’ve been auditing resource usage in your department—”
    “Susan’s department,” Ford reminded him.
    “Yes. Susan’s department. In any case, we’ve applied several algorithms to determine where the hemorrhages are taking place.”
    Ford glanced at the clock. There were fewer than five minutes until his shift started.
    “Mr. Greene, if you have something you need to say, I would appreciate you saying it quickly. I have charts to review.”
    “Oh, yes. Right. Joseph, we’ve discovered that you’re using more resources than anyone else in your department.”
    “And?” Ford asked petulantly. He knew he sounded rude, but frankly, office people like Greene had no idea what life was like on the front lines in a hospital. Ford was exceptionally good at his job, and never had he squandered what meager resources were provided to him. It was difficult enough as it was to save lives with Greene cutting as many corners as he did.
    “And I’d like to meet with you to discuss how to better streamline your use of hospital supplies.”
    Ford bit his tongue before he told Greene exactly what to do with his hospital supplies. He had a pair of forceps sitting in a cabinet he thought he could get pretty creative with.
    “According to the audit, am I wasting resources? Mismanaging them? Am I taking supplies home for personal use?”
    “Well, no, but—”
    “Then if you’ll excuse me, I have patients who need me.”
    “Yes. Right. Fine. Go ahead, but tonight, please be mindful of the costs you’re incurring with each of them.”
    “You mean you want me to see dollar signs and deficits instead of people hurt and dying? Is that what you’d like me to do tonight?” There was only so much Ford could take before he snapped, and Greene had to talk to him on a day when he’d had much less sleep than he needed.
    Greene’s eyes narrowed, his chubby face becoming sweaty and mottled as his lips drew tight. “We will discuss this later, Joseph.”
    “I look forward to it. Have a good evening, Mr. Greene.” Ford breezed past him to the nurses’ station, where Amanda and Lissa were huddled together over a file.
    “What did he want?” Amanda asked as Ford approached.
    “To discuss my use of hospital resources.” Ford relayed what Greene had said, feeling a little jolt of affection for the women as their expressions turned to mirrored disgust.
    “Maybe you use more resources because you work more than anyone else in the department. Your hours are insane. Did they take that into account?” Lissa protested.
    “No idea how it was all calculated. I don’t give a fuck about the budget, and I never will. If it’s going to cost an extra hundred, thousand, whatever to