Chương 6
Nora opened the door.
Denise turned.
Her eyes moved immediately to the burn, then back to Nora’s eyes. She crossed the driveway slowly.
“I can leave this and go,” she said.
“What kind of soup?”
“Chicken and rice.”
“From where?”
“I made it.”
Nora stepped aside.
“That answers nothing about quality.”
“It has salt and heat. My standards changed during residency.”
Denise entered and set the bag on the table. She nodded to Samuel, whom she had met once at a hospital fundraiser.
“I came as a friend,” she said to Nora. “Unfortunately, I am still your manager, so there are a few things I can’t pretend not to see.”
Nora sat again.
“Such as?”
“You are injured. Police were at your home. Your husband called the staffing office this morning and said you were having a mental health crisis.”
Samuel’s chair scraped the floor.
Nora’s body went cold beneath the medication haze.
“What exactly did he say?”
“He said you had become paranoid about money, assaulted him with a suitcase, and were refusing treatment for a burn you caused while throwing coffee.”
The room narrowed.
Denise took out her phone but did not unlock it. “Staffing transferred him to me. I told him I could not discuss your employment. He said he was your emergency contact and had authority to request medical leave on your behalf.”
“He doesn’t.”
“I know.”
“How?”
“Because you changed your emergency contact three months ago.”
Nora had changed it to Samuel after Derek failed to answer the hospital when she fainted during a night shift. Derek said his phone had been on silent during a client dinner. Later she learned he had been with Tessa.
At the time, replacing his name felt petty.
Now the decision stood between him and her personnel record.
Denise continued. “He also emailed patient relations.”
Nora stared at her.
“He alleged you had diverted medication and were emotionally unstable.”
Samuel said, “That is retaliation.”
“Yes,” Denise replied. “It may also trigger an internal review.”
“There is no basis.”
“I agree. But controlled medication allegations are documented. Pharmacy will audit access records. Employee health will contact Nora. Security needs a photograph of Derek and a copy of the protective order.”
Nora stood too quickly.
The dining room tilted. She gripped the chair.
Denise stepped forward, then stopped before touching her.
“I’m fine.”
“You almost fainted.”
“I stood up.”
“Sit down.”
The managerial tone slipped out so naturally that Nora obeyed.
Denise crouched beside her. “Look at me.”
“I’m not having a stroke.”
“Then indulge my hobbies. Any dizziness before now?”
“No.”
“Nausea?”
“No.”
“Vision changes?”
“Only when water hits the burn.”
“Have you eaten?”
Nora looked at the peaches.
Denise rose and opened the soup container.
Samuel found a bowl.
For five minutes, nobody discussed forged deeds, assault charges, workplace accusations, or Derek. Denise heated soup. Samuel searched the wrong drawer for spoons. Nora watched steam fog the microwave door and thought how absurd it was that appetite could survive disaster.
The soup was too salty.
She ate all of it.
Denise sat across from her. “The audit will likely show nothing.”
“Likely.”
“I won’t promise what I don’t control.”
Nora appreciated that and resented needing to appreciate it.
“Will I be suspended?”
“Not based solely on an outside allegation. You are already on medical leave through the end of the week. Occupational health may extend it.”
“I don’t need a week.”
“You have a second-degree burn across your face and neck.”
“Partial thickness.”
Denise gave her a flat look. “I am aware of terminology.”
“I can work.”
“You cannot tolerate shower water.”
Nora looked at Samuel.
He lifted both hands. “I said nothing.”
“The dressing is on the counter,” Denise said. “Your discharge papers are beside it.”
Nora had forgotten Denise noticed everything.
“I need work,” Nora said.
The sentence came out before she could make it less honest.
Denise’s expression softened. “I know.”
“No, I need the floor. I need people asking for actual things. Pain medication. Blankets. Discharge instructions. I need a problem with a dose and an answer with units.”
“You need somewhere he has not contaminated.”
Nora looked down.
Denise folded her hands. “Let us keep it that way. Give security the order. Let the audit happen. Let employee health document your injury. Do not come back early and give him an argument that you are impaired.”
“I’m not impaired.”
“You are taking prescription pain medication and slept perhaps two hours.”
“Three.”
“Congratulations.”
Samuel hid a smile by drinking cold coffee.
Denise stayed until Nora agreed to provide the hospital with Derek’s photograph and the court paperwork. She did not ask for the story. At the door, she handed Nora a small packet of gauze and burn dressings.
“I stole these from the supply room,” she said.
Nora raised an eyebrow.
“I am joking. They are from employee health.”
“That joke was poorly timed during a diversion audit.”
“Yes. I heard it after it left my mouth.”
For one second, they both laughed.
Pain caught Nora’s cheek. She pressed her lips together.
Denise’s smile disappeared. “Call me tonight.”
“I’ll text.”
“Call.”
After she left, Nora returned to the table.
Samuel had opened a message from Tessa.
“She sent the archive.”
“How much?”
“Four thousand eight hundred and twelve messages.”
Nora closed her eyes.
“Any attachments?”
“Hundreds.”
“I don’t want to read them.”
“You may need to review some.”
“I don’t want to know how he described me.”
“That part may not be legally important.”
“It will be important to me.”
Samuel rotated the laptop away from her. “Then let me start.”
She went to the living room and lay on the couch.
May you like
Derek had chosen the couch because he said the previous one looked cheap. It was cream-colored and too firm. Nora had kept a blue blanket folded over the back to make it less severe. Her father’s old dog had once torn a hole in that blanket chasing a moth.
Derek hated the repair seam.
