Page 23

Ha-joon

I was thrilled the board was truly listening and heard the true idea on the merits and intent instead of brushing it off as I’d worried… Or looking at the dollar signs like my last hospital had.

“But I also want there to be a bit of subterfuge or—ASH has so much to offer, but its size makes certain aspects available that—”

Ellie immediately caught on. “People are embarrassed to be seen going to certain doctors. Yes, we know that well and have ways around it.”

“Yes, yes, ASH does,” I agreed. “I want to use that. Specifically, for—a doctor I worked with—she’s amazing and…” I stifled a snort when I immediately scented annoyance from Ellie.

“Move on,” Ellie said firmly when people started looking at her.

“ Professionally , she’s amazing,” I clarified.

“She’s a shifter OB-GYN and specializes with those who have a hard time carrying to term.

My previous hospital was so busy bragging about how great she was that she barely had any patients.

People who needed her were too ashamed to see her—too embarrassed to be seen needing that help—”

“Or admitting they failed as a woman that they couldn’t give their partner a child,” Dr. Greer said sadly. “Yes, we are more sexist as shifters than we like to say. Poor women. So you want to steal her?” She waited until I nodded. “Forgive me, but this sounds like a shifter addition, Clark.”

“Not at all,” I said firmly. “This is just what I know. This is the starting point. I do know that some new vampire mothers have problems because not only are they breastfeeding but giving their babies blood and—”

“Our society still treats female vampires like broodmares too often and who cares if they suffer,” Dr. Carpenter grumbled.

“Yes, we’ve seen it many, many times and how it can basically strip the vampire of their immortality.

” He nodded when I couldn’t hide my shock. “Every species has such dirty secrets.”

“Yes, yes, we do,” I agreed sadly. “But with ASH’s reputation, even the most sexist father would want their children to come here to be checked over by the most advanced new addition and doctors.

That’s when we can help these mothers. That’s how we change things, and those mothers tell sisters and cousins—we change the mindset and stop the shame and insanity. ”

“So you’re saying this new addition would focus on those who fall through the cracks most,” Ellie muttered before looking at Dr. James. “And that’s why you thought of Renee. There’s still too much stigma against mental health, but this could be the lead-in or even excuse someone used to be at ASH.”

“I hadn’t thought of that,” Dr. James said the same time I did, but he continued. “You’re saying instead of a weekly session, they could say they’re helping teach a free teenage group counseling.”

Ellie shrugged. “Why not? Or that could be the price of help if they’re worried about their mate finding out with insurance.

We could have all kinds of free education that people could sign up for.

Hell, work with schools and get it on community service points.

Make them as a bonus for college applications that they took seminars here learning about magics as shifters. ”

“Oh, I like that,” a different department head said. “So not a medical spa but medical outreach and education addition. The next step in the best healthcare and knowledge for supes so that we continue peace and the harmony we all want.”

“We could work in something free for vampires so they feel valued,” Dr. Greer suggested, clearly knowing as much as Da and I did.

“The humans have their support groups. We could do more of them for our police and—we have to do better. Fine, our military doesn’t kill, but even support groups about how they feel pigeonholed into roles could help. ”

“Agreed,” Ellie muttered, jotting down more. “Speaking as someone who was pigeonholed for a role—yes, it would help. It’s not lost on many of us that we went from one type of pigeonholed role to another, and most aren’t thinking it was a step in the right direction.”

A thrill of fear raced through me. That was worse than even Da or I knew. I really needed to talk to him that this was serious and a concern he needed to make more understand.

There was actually a great discussion and more points brought up.

More and more was thrown out there for different species and how to evolve the foundation of my idea.

After another twenty minutes, Ellie called it and told all of the department heads to seriously consider this and discuss it with their senior attendings.

But not to tell them where the idea originated.

She shot me an apologetic look and I understood. I had too many gold stars on my name already and they didn’t want to start trouble.

Well, that kind of trouble.

Fair enough, and I accepted it mostly because I knew Ellie would be fair with me later when people learned the truth and how things actually came about.

“This was really great, and we will include you in the meetings going forward,” Dr. Carpenter promised as the others stood.

“We’ll get something scheduled for next week after office hours and another round of brainstorming after we talk with our respective attendings.

Both ideas were impressive, and clearly bringing you on was the right move to—”

“He’s not done, Alan,” Dr. James chuckled.

“Pardon?” Dr. Carpenter asked, glancing between us.

“I’m not done,” I confirmed. “I have two more ideas.”

“The last one is the one I think will be your favorite,” Dr. James added with a smirk. “It’s something you’re always pushing for but the board shut down.”

“Huh,” Dr. Carpenter huffed, blinking at me for a full minute. “Okay, well, I need to use the restroom and then I think we reschedule the other appointments, yeah? I want to hear what Clark has to say.”

“Whatever you all agree to,” Ellie accepted. “I think it’s best I abstain.” She gave me a subtle wink when they all agreed they wanted to hear my ideas over whoever was scheduled.

Nice.

After the break, I jumped right into my idea of scheduling portals to be opened all around the world just for appointments at ASH.

Also for them to be opened back to the same area at certain intervals throughout the day starting from a few hours later.

There was no need for every hour or at will.

That would be too costly but five times starting at noon was worthwhile.

The tension in the room shocked me and I was just about to crack and demand what was going on when Dr. Carpenter cleared his throat. He gave Ellie a look and nodded.

She sighed. “You aren’t the only one with this idea. That’s what you’re feeling.”

“More than that, it’s the map,” Dr. Bass muttered. “It’s been a few days since I’ve seen it, but—seriously, pull it up.”

Ellie sighed again and pulled a drive out of her bag before coming over to the laptop I was using. She checked that she could interject and seemed tense when I agreed.

I understood when she brought up what Dr. Bass had referred to. It was a world map marked up like I had for my presentation.

Now I understood, and they were worried I would think someone stole my work—or someone would think I stole theirs. Shit.

“I presented this to my last hospital and I can prove that,” I hedged.

“No one worries you stole an idea and we know it wasn’t stolen either as it was presented here at ASH before as well,” Dr. Carpenter said firmly.

“I knew the idea briefly, but—I didn’t see the map,” Dr. James confessed. “His other ideas had my focus and I zoned out as he spoke about getting more patients in. I apologize, Ellie.”

Right, this wasted time. Double shit.

I slapped on a calm smile. “Theirs is even a better map with more information than I’m privy to.” I moved closer and pointed to a few spots in Asia. “I didn’t know any of this or the issues—even this development. This is someone better connected than I am.”

“I am, thank you,” Ellie said with an amused tone.

I did a double take, the amusement in the room shooting up.

Except what I was going to say next died on my tongue.

“You have something to add and now don’t want to,” Dr. James immediately noted. “You never have to worry about Ellie taking feedback as long as it’s smarter and benefits ASH.”

I nodded but still gave her a worried look.

“My pride is fine, Dr. Clark,” she promised. “This is something I pushed with the board many, many times and they said lots and much harsher than I know you could ever be.”

Fair enough.

I moved to the other side of her map where the legend of dates was listed and tapped on them. “You have these set and that could be a problem because—”

“Of lunar cycles,” Carla figured out. “Yes, you couldn’t have a big metropolis always be right by the full moon. You would need a rotating calendar of say seventy-five days instead of your neat sixty days.”

“Yes, but also I have a text reminder line set up for people to sign up in their area and a designated app with calendar and—I have it outlined,” I told them.

“That is an improvement on what I had,” she easily accepted, studying the slides I pulled up next.

“Yes, and—I made it too efficient and tight. That’s too much on our warlocks and the couple I added to hire.

We have pretty tight hours and more already.

But you’re right that I am better read in on areas and where to make the locations. Good. Well done.”

I felt way too much like a pup being praised for the first time than I should have, but… Everyone liked to have their ideas accepted and valued.

“Oh, this last idea should be a doozy if you’re the most worried about this one and you barely were about the others,” one of the department heads I didn’t know drawled. I felt bad for not knowing his name, but there were over twenty of them, and… I’d had a lot going on since the move.

I still didn’t know all the names of the doctors in my damn department.