Free Healing Tides by Lois Richer Page B

liver.
    GloryAnn was tired, fed up and way beyond cranky.
    She pointed to a chair.
    “Sit down, Dr. Steele. You and I need to have a little talk.”
    He opened his mouth to protest, but she shook her head, clapped a hand around his arm and pulled hard. She met his glare with her own.
    “You and I need to get some things straightened out, Jared.” She used his first name deliberately, striving to achieve the forceful tone he used on everyone else. “This situation has gone from bad to worse. And it cannot continue. So I am instituting some changes, as of now. And I expect you to go along with every one of them—no, don’t talk. Just listen.”
    He raised one eyebrow, crossed his arms over his chest and waited. Two staff stepped through the door with food trays, took one look and scurried away.
    Jared plucked a leaf from her hair, almost ruining her moment.
    “Well?”
    “As of this moment you are relieved of duty, Dr. Steele.”
    “I’m what?” His jaw dropped in stunned consternation.
    “Relieved of duty.” She thrust out her chin. “As second in command, I have that authority. And I’m using it. You are in no fit state to treat anyone and you know it. Go home, go to bed for at least six hours. If you argue with me I’ll be forced to go over your head.”
    “Really?”
    The gauntlet was thrown. There was no way Glory could backtrack. She was a walking zombie, but at least she’d caught a few hours’ rest. He looked like death warmed over.
    “Yes, really.” She looked him in the eye. “The board would back me if they learned the hours you’ve been working.” He bristled at that, but she cut in before he could protest. “I understand you’ve been sitting with Sister Philomena. That’s laudable, but you can’t do that and continue your work here without someone suffering.”
    “Are you accusing me of negligence, Dr. Cranbrook?”
    He surged to his feet, towered over her, marble jaw flexing as he controlled his temper. His eyes burned silver-blue with outrage, but something else lay hidden in the depths.
    Glory shrugged off her nervousness. Get this over with now.
    “I’m accusing you of working too hard. You’ve been harping about burnout ever since I arrived, Jared. It seems to me that you’re well on your way to that yourself.”
    “I’m fine.”
    “No, you’re not,” she scoffed into his red-rimmed eyes. “But this is not a debate. Go home, go to sleep. At seven you’re going to take the night shift here so the rest of us can get caught up.”
    “But—”
    “I’ll be making some changes in the scheduling, Jared. From now on everyone is going to take their days off as scheduled—with no exceptions.”
    He glared at her, thrust a hand through his hair. Finally he nodded.
    “All right, I’ll go. I’m too tired to do anything else. But if anything happens here—”
    “If you show up in this building before seven this evening I will contact the board,” she promised, ignoring the bulge of muscle in his forearm.
    “You won’t,” he asserted, but a soft huff revealed his doubt.
    “Try me. No one is indispensable. But each member of this team is necessary for us to function properly. We’re already short two staff members. Dr. Xavier and Dr. Potter are doing their best, but we can’t afford to lose another doctor. There are too many children counting on us—on you.”
    Indecision scribed a pattern over his face. And suddenly she understood.
    “I’ll find someone to stay with Sister Philomena tonight.” Surely she sounded more confident than she felt? “You go home. Now.”
    His jaw worked for a moment. The tic returned to the corner of his mouth. But finally he wheeled around and strode to the door. He paused for an instant.
    “Thank you.” Jared disappeared.
    Glory exhaled, sank onto a chair and counted the cost of what she’d just done.
    “I have no clue how I’m going to accomplish this, Lord. There is no one to sit with Sister Philomena. Please don’t let me mess