“Dr. Walker, if I might have a word.” I look up at Dr. Eldridge, and I want to scream. I don’t have time for this idiot. It’s Thanksgiving, and I had to work. Holidays for a doctor, kind of suck—especially when you’re the low man on the totem pole. Plus, I took Monday and Tuesday off so Bull would calm down. That meant when Walter fixed the rotation, he put me on duty yesterday and today—most likely because he’s a douchebag. Still, I put in my time, and if I hurry home I will still get to have leftovers. Bull and Matty are already at Blair and David’s. They get to have dinner with them and while that lessens the guilt of not being able to cook dinner for my family, it doesn’t make me feel any better for not being there.

Family. I know there’s a goofy smile on my face as I let that word repeat in my mind. Matty and Bull are my family. For so long it’s just been me and Matty. Now, everything feels different. One look at Doctor Asshole, and the goofy smile is gone.

“Is there a problem, Dr. Eldridge?” I ask, trying to keep the hate out of my voice. I don’t think I succeed.

“Cut the sarcasm, Dr. Walker.”

I start to point out, I haven’t used any yet, but it’d be pointless.

“Were you aware that you prescribed Mrs. Case in Room 402 the wrong antibiotic?”

“Excuse me?”

“You prescribed Bactrim for her infection. She’s allergic to sulfa based drugs, if I hadn’t caught it, the results could have been disastrous.”

“There were no notations in her chart about a sulfa allergy. I checked and asked the patient myself if she had any allergies,” I tell him, reaching for the file.

He holds the file away from me, and then puts it under his arm, looking down at me.

“I read it myself. The notation is there, and Ms. Case is in her eighties. You know better than to rely on a patient’s word. Especially, with her age and the symptoms she was presenting.”

“I’m telling you, when I had the file, there were no drug allergies listed.”

That’s when he whips out the file and opens it to the correct form. Sure enough, under known allergies, sulfa antibiotics is listed. The only problem is, that form was not there earlier today, and that handwriting is definitely Dr. Eldridge’s. I’m smelling a rat, but there’s nothing I can do about it.

“I apologize Dr. Eldridge, I can only reiterate that, the allergy form was not in Ms. Case’s file earlier today.”

“So, it just appeared out of the blue?”

“Or someone put it back in after the fact.”

“Good Lord, Dr. Walker, at least own up to your mistake, don’t go trying to lay the blame at another’s feet. What possible reason could anyone have for doing something as heinous as that?”

“Make themselves look good? Ruin my career? I’m sure there are any number of reasons.”

“Really, Dr. Walker. I’m afraid I have no recourse, but to report this to Dr. Reynolds.”

Of course you don’t. Normally it wouldn’t bother me, but I already know I’m not on Walter’s good list. There’s little I can do here though. I turn to leave without saying another thing.

“Have you nothing to say for yourself Dr. Walker?”

“I have plenty to say, I just know it wouldn’t help. Do whatever you want Dr. Eldridge, we both know you will anyway. Just be very careful, because believe me when I tell you, I will make it my life’s mission to make sure you reap what you sew.”

“Are you threatening me, Dr. Walker?”

“Whatever do you mean? I just said I wanted to make sure you got every reward you’ve worked for. Right? If I was threatening you, I would have said something about knowing the right combination of drugs to use so that your tiny pencil dick, that seems to be the talk in the nurse’s lounge, never gets hard again. Now, if you don’t mind, I have a family to get home to.” I leave with my parting remark. Dr. Eldridge is yelling, demanding to know what I’m talking about. I feel like my work here is done.

“Fucking bastard,” I mumble, and then laugh.

If Bull heard me, I bet he’d reward me. I may have to let him know tonight after dinner. Lord knows, I’m going to need something to help me relax. Because, despite my bravado in front of that asshole, I know my meeting with Walter will not go well. Shit, maybe I should transfer out to another hospital? There’s one in Corbin, I just hate the thought of the extra hour commute it will add to my day. My time with Matty is already limited. With a weary sigh, I exit the hospital. Time to be like Scarlet again, I decide. I’m just going to think about it tomorrow.