Free My Sweetest Sasha: Cole's Story (Meadows Shore Book 2) by Eva Charles

patient’s life, and then you lied repeatedly to cover it up. As far as I’m concerned, you don’t belong in medicine. You don’t belong in any profession where people put their trust in you, because you don’t deserve anyone’s trust.  Now get off my unit, and out of my sight.”
    Smoke billowed from Cole’s ears as he made his way to the stairs.
    “Don’t you think you were a little harsh with him?” Alexa asked.
    “Harsh with him? He didn’t bother to run necessary tests on a sick patient so he could leave early last night. It delayed treatment for an eighty-year-old diabetic. Now she’ll be in the hospital an extra day at least. We need to get people out of here as quickly as possible.”
    She nodded. “Insurance.”
    He scowled at her. “Safety. The longer someone’s in the hospital, the greater the chance of something going wrong—an infection, a fall, whatever. The elderly are particularly vulnerable. This is just a big pain in my ass now. I’ve got to talk with the residency program director and fill out a mountain of forms.”
    Alexa didn’t continue to challenge him. He wasn’t in a frame of mind to even consider the possibility he’d made a mistake. She’d talk to him later.
     
    * * *
     
    At the end of the day they were back in the office, and Cole seemed in a better mood. It’s now or never . “I’ve thought a lot about Josh today,” she said.
    “Josh?”
    “Landry. Josh Landry. The intern you were all over this morning.”
    “I wouldn’t waste too many brain cells on him.”
    “Maybe you should rethink how you handled the situation. You weren’t fair to him.”
    “Really? Room 305—you go tell Mr. Wyniski why he’s sleeping alone again tonight. Why his eighty-year-old wife has to spend another night in the hospital. Ask him if he thinks I was unfair. Go ahead. Let me know how it all works out.”
    She ignored his condescending attitude. “You never gave him a chance to explain. You bulldozed right over him when he tried.”
    “That’s what happens to condemned property.”
    She wasn’t letting this go, she couldn’t. This was much more serious than sneaking women into the office under the cover of night. A young man’s future was at stake. “I’ve been watching him the last couple of weeks. He’s not cocky like Schuster, or disengaged from humanity like Parsons. He’s compassionate toward patients and respectful to everyone.”
    “Even Eddie Haskell could put on a good front when he needed to.”
    “There might be more to this than meets the eye. He at least deserves a conversation.”
    “He deserves shit.”
    She stood tall in front of Cole’s desk. “Now who’s the judge and jury? Human beings aren’t disposable commodities. We can’t afford to discard everyone who doesn’t meet our lofty expectations. But I get it. Only the mighty Cole Harrington deserves a second chance.” And she turned on her heel and left the office before she stepped any farther over the line.
     
    * * *
     
    She disappeared for about half an hour before coming back to the office and pulling out her laptop. He never once looked up. After about an hour of silence, a silence that wore heavily on him, he picked up the phone on his desk.
    “This is Dr. Harrington. Would you please page Dr. Landry? Tell him I need to see him in my office right away.” He hung up, never bothering to look in her direction.
    Twenty minutes later Landry appeared in the doorway, disheveled, looking like he’d been through the wringer.
    “I need you to tell me what happened last night. Everything. Don’t leave anything out. Not. A. Thing.” he said, glaring at Alexa.
    Landry hung his head. “You were right, I left before writing the order for the blood work. I’d planned on coming back, but it didn’t work out that way.”
    “Hot date?”
    “No, sir.”
    “Don’t give me that sir shit. Why did you leave? What was so fucking important that you needed to risk a patient’s health?”
    Landry