Page 21

Ellie

Technically , I had weekends off. Yeah, like I didn’t have to work past five but always did. I did try to religiously take Sundays off to really rest and recharge. But people weren’t surprised to see me at the hospital on Saturday or that I even had meetings scheduled.

Normally, I had the most frustrating ones on the second and fourth Saturdays and then let Tommy take my stress away.

But that was over, and I was trying not to be too down on myself that I’d let it happen. All of it.

So my Saturday was light, and even a few of my staff agreed to switch days that week so we could get some “housekeeping” done. One just wanted the overtime and we were behind on invoicing and more. So it was justified.

Plus, the Clark pack was having a blowout blood drive as they promised.

It wasn’t just their pack, but they were handling it for all of the shifters in London and surrounding areas.

It was amazing and really great. They even had people from other hospitals and EMS donate their time to take blood, so it wasn’t all at a cost for us.

And like they had said, others followed suit. So there were three being held in Asia over the weekend, including Hong Kong and Moscow, which hopefully would be huge as well.

So while the reserves and our blood numbers were low, I had decided to take advantage of the situation and ordered a massive cleaning of everything. Like… Everything. Not just our normal cleaning. I wanted ceilings and everything done, repairs handled and any touchups.

All of that had been happening, and I started my Saturday early by inspecting everything and getting the updates. I was dressed casually since it was the weekend—something new I was trying—and it surprised people as well. I was known for always being pristine and professional.

Talking with Beth, I’d learned that I was a bit too rigid as well. Those who knew me well should be allowed to call me Ellie in passing and I didn’t have to call them doctor. The world had progressed past that and the assholes who didn’t behave would now be smacked.

I didn’t know if I was there yet, but she was right that we could relax a bit when it was the weekend or overtime.

Once I finished inspecting the blood facilities and giving the green light to get it all back on track once the donations came in, I had meetings with the cafeteria to approve all the menus for next month.

The only complaint they’d received was that more meat needed to be mixed in the menus instead of always so focused on seafood.

That was fair, but we had a really good deal for seafood and bought direct from a company with a dozen ships. The quality of the seafood we received direct from New Orleans was fantastic, but even if great, things got redundant.

I left it as needing the numbers of what they were proposing to use instead so I could make it work.

“Adding the partnership with the bakery has increased breakfast service by thirty percent,” the cafeteria manager told me as he flipped through numbers.

“The feedback we’re getting is the coffee carts are great—the quality, but people want more variety.

” He shrugged when I sighed. “Starbucks gets people through the door by offering new drinks. I even like it.”

I did too, so that was more than fair. It was just a headache. Everything was always a headache and needed to be adjusted.

Nothing was ever easy on me.

My meeting with Dr. James took a turn and he had some requests. I was a brat and threw down my pen and shot him a pissed look.

His eyes flashed shock but then understanding. “I know. I know, Ellie. Just hear me out because I’ve looked into this a bit and I think it’s what’s best for the hospital as well. You know I don’t bring you blind ideas.”

I nodded, mumbling an apology. “Okay, let’s go see the area so I can—I trust you if you say it’s needed. I just don’t know how to incorporate it.”

“I think I do with a bit of renovation.” He nodded when I sighed again.

We went over to the space and I frowned when it was next to Dr. Clark’s offices.

The way the hospital was set up was that each senior attending had their own practice inside the hospital almost. We handled everything so they didn’t have to do individual billing and carry that overhead, but it was why we paid them out and the bonus structures.

So they weren’t in charge really like their own practice. Physically, the hospital was set up that way, and they were way more in charge of their offices than in other hospitals, but… I was still the boss.

“Yes, it’s for Clark,” Dr. James confirmed when I glanced at him… No, Sean. Enough. We’d known each other forever and he’d helped build this hospital with me.

He was Sean.

“We don’t use this lounge anymore,” he told me.

“I checked. Now that you put in the massive spa basically for people who —there’s dust on some of the chairs and our janitorial staff is great.

We’re really not using this space. If it was closed off and an entrance worked into his—it could work. I haven’t seen the actual floor plan.”

I nodded, knowing the floor plan in my mind. He wasn’t wrong. It could be a bit of a walk-around to get there once closed off, and patients would have to go past Clark’s private office, but… It could work.

Sean flinched, hearing something I missed and headed for Clark’s offices. I hurried after, curious what was going on and walked into something comical that I truly needed.

“This is a cartoon I’ve seen, right?” I asked trying not to laugh, but a chuckle slipping out.

Sean snickered. “Yeah, but it was a Chinese character.”

I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, that was the offensive part not comparing the wolf with a chubby panda.”

Dr. Clark wasn’t able to say anything yet because he was trying to hurry to finish what was in his mouth. I burst out laughing when he swallowed loudly and his cheeks weren’t so puffy anymore.

“You’re seriously in your new practice stuffing your face with dumplings when no one is around?” Sean asked, rubbing his hand over his head. “Oh, pup, you are too much.”

The large Alpha wolf actually blushed. “I skipped breakfast because I had so much to do. I was starving and needed to check the new steamer worked.”

Each practice had a break area with kitchenette. Nothing too much given our massive and impressive cafeteria. A few round tables, fridge with freezer, microwave, and small dishwasher.

And apparently, now a dumpling steamer in Clark’s.

That was too fucking cute if I was honest.

“Want some?” he asked, gesturing to the loaded steamer that smelled heavenly.

Sean snickered. “Ellie never says no to dumplings.”

“Only the spicy ones,” I hedged.

Clark shook his head. “I don’t like spicy dumplings—I mean prepared spicy. I dip into spicy.”

Fair enough.

Sean and I sat with a plate of dumplings and some iced tea that Clark had made while he reloaded the steamer. He simply shrugged when we chuckled.

“I had this setup at my last offices,” he explained when we were clearly curious and checking things out.

“This line of work is stressful and snacks in the afternoon just help. It’s not always dumplings, but—the freezer is stocked and I’ll keep it that way.

Some of the staff—hopefully—will pick up a bag here and there and add to them. Some to try maybe.”

“You’re building a team and working to keep everyone happy not petty,” I praised before gesturing to what else was set up. “Even the teas. You’re British, so you have the kettle, but you made sweet tea for others. Very inclusive and—nicely done.”

“Thank you.” He cleared his throat before dipping a dumpling and popping it in his mouth. “I realized it was going to be a bit of a minefield. I just about got my arse kicked for asking for unsweetened tea at the place I tried the other day.”

I frowned, shooting a glance at Sean. That hadn’t ever been my experience.

Sean snorted. “I think it’s you asking in that accent, Ha-joon. They probably took it as an insult or that you were about to start a fight.”

That made more sense. I asked for half sweet and half unsweetened tea all of the time. I loved Southern sweet tea, but it was a lot of sugar.

“Okay, so, as long as you’re here, walk me through this idea of a physical therapist on your staff when we have a huge department already,” I said to Clark as we enjoyed our dumplings.

Which were really good. I needed to know what brand they were because they did not taste like factory-made frozen dumplings. Or maybe it was the way he steamed them? Either way, they were delicious.

I nodded along as I listened to Clark, Sean jumping in with his thoughts and how he saw it working as well.

“Okay, I’ll make it work, but there are a few things I want in return,” I said when they were done, hurrying on when heat filled Clark’s eyes.

“I want them cross-trained with our physical therapy department. Ortho has one of the best in the world. I’m not allowing this to be some area of contention and problems.”

“I fully agree and think that’s great,” Clark hurried to say. “And I asked Dr. James for an intro to the ortho docs so we can get on the same page. No one has been doing anything wrong and—I sense more. For shifters. I also want to be available for any consults they might want.”

I couldn’t hide my surprise. That was very giving of him especially when he was new… Because it wouldn’t pay out to his bonus structure.

Nothing was perfect. I knew that. I saw the flaws of my hospital.

And one of them was different practices taking over patients like they were clients and commissions sometimes instead of just lending a hand like other hospitals with consults.

There should be a lot of back-scratching and joint handling of patients, but supe doctors who were mostly Alphas got territorial and competitive.