Page 31 of The Criminal’s Cure

I love coming to work.

Even though the job isn’t exactly what I pictured, I still look forward to it, but these past few weeks filling in with the trauma team have been even better.

I feel like I’m in my element, finally getting a chance to prove myself and earn my spot here.

That, coupled with how great things are going with Roman and Ty, and I’m happier than I’ve been in a long time.

There isn’t much that can dampen my mood, but when I sit down for a quick break and my phone rings, the high is spoiled.

My dad.

I let it ring for a second, trying to decide if I’m going to answer. I could ignore it, but I’ll have to call him back eventually. At least if I’m at work, I have an excuse to cut the conversation short if I need to. Reluctantly, I hit the accept button and press the phone to my ear.

“Hi dad!”

“Hi Mads.” He sounds oddly chipper today. “Hope I didn’t catch you in the middle of anything.”

I roll my eyes, sliding the mountain of paperwork in front of me to the side. “Not at all. How are you?”

“Good! Busy with the awards ceremony and party this weekend. You’re still coming, right?”

Oh shit. I slap my hand across my forehead.

After Jake mentioned it, I put it to the back of my mind, and I forgot all about it.

I usually need months to prepare myself to make a trip home, and I’ve left myself with about twenty-four hours before I need to be on a plane if I have any hope of getting there.

As excruciating as flying home this weekend sounds, I know I’ll never hear the end of it if I miss it.

“Of course I am,” I answer, pulling up flights on the computer in front of me. “Wouldn’t miss it.”

“Fantastic!” he says. “Jake was telling us a bit about your new job. I’m interested to hear more about that. I can’t imagine you have much time for a second job with how busy St. Joe’s is.”

Technically, I don’t really even have a job anymore, but I’m not going to get into specifics with him. “Well, it’s not really traditional hours, so it all works out.”

“You know, if you needed more money, you could’ve asked your mom and I.”

I bite back a laugh. Of course, I could have, but that would’ve meant accepting defeat, and it more than likely would’ve come with about a billion stipulations requiring me to move home and drop the trauma track entirely.

That’s what I want to tell him, but I don’t. There’s no point in starting an argument that I never have a chance at winning. Sometimes it feels like my dad wants me to fail, so it proves that he made the right decision and gave the spots in St. Louis to my brothers.

And I don’t dare mention that I’m having doubts about the whole thing because that would only be more proof for him that I’m not cut out for this.

“It’s not about the money, Dad. I’m learning a lot and any experience is good experience, right?” I hope he doesn’t hear the bitterness in my voice.

“That’s right,” he says. “Well, anyway, we’re looking forward to seeing you this weekend. Mom and I have dinner on Friday night. You’ll be okay taking a taxi from the airport, right?”

“Yes, I’ll figure it out. Bye Dad.”

“Bye Maddie.”

Ending the call, I let my phone fall onto the desk and rub my temples.

I don’t know why I let him get to me that way, but it happens every time.

Like I expect more from him, just to be disappointed.

It’s stupid of me to keep setting myself up that way.

I'm dreading this weekend; celebrating another of my father's achievements sounds worse than walking across hot coals. But like the dutiful daughter I am, I’ll go.

Too bad I can’t bring Roman with me as any sort of distraction. The only thing they’ll hate more than me not coming is me showing up with a boyfriend they’ve heard nothing about. Especially a single father with tattoos and a pre-existing axe to grind with them.

“Oh, Madison, I’m so glad I caught you. Do you have a second?”

I glance up to see Dr. Bauer in front of me. Yeah, so much for my good mood.

“Hi Dr. Bauer. Sure, what’s up?”

“I have some good news. I got a call from one of my colleagues at our sister hospital in LA. You know, the one that runs the fast track program?” He sits down next to me.

“Of course.”

“He let me know that they’re opening up two additional slots in their program, and he wanted to know if I had any surgeons here who might be good candidates. I gave him your name as my recommendation.”

“Y-you did?”

Bauer nods. “I sent him your résumé, and he was thrilled. Offered you the job on the spot.”

I suck in a sharp breath, surprised. Three weeks ago, I had to beg him to let me work on any traumas at all, and now he’s recommending me for one of the top programs in the entire world? I should be over the moon about this. It’s exactly what I wanted, but something feels off and I can’t shake it.

“Wow! That’s…great! Why are they opening more spots?” I ask. That isn’t usually how these things work. You have to apply years in advance, and programs don’t just open up more spots without a lot of funding and resources. It doesn’t just magically happen.

Not to mention I’ve been more cautious of Bauer ever since I found out what happened with Roman. It’s a big coincidence that all this falls into place so soon after Dr. Bauer found out about Roman and I.

“I’m not sure exactly, but it doesn’t matter. This is an incredible opportunity. I’ll draft up the transfer paperwork for you.”

“How long do I have to decide?”

The rush also makes me feel skeptical. They’re in the middle of a cycle right now. Why would they be introducing new people?

Dr. Bauer gives me a strange look. “Decide? What do you mean?”

“How long do I have to decide if I’m going to take the position or not?”

His eyes widen, like he’s completely baffled. I would even suggest such a thing. “Madison, this isn’t the kind of thing you pass up. And I certainly hope you’re considering declining because of your relationship with Mr. Molanari.”

“That’s not—”

“This is an incredible opportunity, Madison. It could set your entire career back if you don’t take it.

” His expression is hard, not leaving any room for protest. I wonder why he’s so adamant about this, and where his sudden change of heart came from.

He’s right, it is an incredible opportunity, and I hate that it’s tainted by these doubts.

Hopefully, I’m making something out of nothing.

Regardless, Bauer and my father are cut from the same cloth, and I know this is another argument I won’t win today. “You’re right. Thank you for putting my name in.”

He nods. “I’ll get the paperwork for you as soon as I can. In the meantime, I have a few first-years who need observation time in the emergency department and I just don’t have the time. They’re going to follow you around today.”

I press my lips into a firm line. “Great.”

He waves a group of students over; all three of them look like they have no idea what they’ve gotten themselves into. They’re wide eyed and timid, and I can already tell this is going to be a long day.

Dr. Bauer says goodbye, and I head toward the emergency room with my new entourage.

We are immediately hit with three patients. A suture job, a little girl who fell and potentially broke her wrist on the monkey bars, and a man with alcohol poisoning from the night before.

Two of the students watch eagerly, paying attention, and taking notes while I work, but the other one hangs back.

I don’t notice at first because I’m distracted by the LA news, but it doesn’t take me long to realize that he’s not like the others.

He doesn’t even know the basics of medicine, and he hesitates when I ask him to hand me a scalpel and gives me forceps instead.

Something seems odd about him, and my suspicions are confirmed when I notice a tattoo on his forearm.

It matches one that I’ve seen on Roman’s chest.

Unbelievable. He’s one of Roman’s men.

He mentioned sending someone to watch over me at work a while ago, but it never came up again, and I didn’t think he’d do it without at least talking to me first.

The last thing I want is one of his men playing bodyguard and following me around the hospital.

It’s already nerve-racking enough, and the guy isn’t even a decent actor.

It’s a matter of time before someone else realizes he isn’t a medical student.

I can handle myself, and this is a hospital emergency room for crying out loud.

It’s crawling with the police and security.

What exactly does he think will happen while I’m at work?

When the other two students are out of the room for a minute, I take my opportunity. “How long is Roman making you follow me around for?” I ask, snapping my gloves off and tossing them into the trash.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, ma’am.” He’s stone faced, not making eye contact with me at all.

“You can tell Roman that I don’t need to be babysat. This is ridiculous.“

A small smile pulls at the corner of his lips. “Pretty sure you are the only one who can get away with talking to Boss like that, ma’am. And this isn’t about someone babysitting you. It’s a precaution. There was a security breach earlier today.”

His words turn my stomach. A security breach? What does that even mean? Am I in some kind of danger? Is Ty? Roman? “What happened?”

“I just do what I’m told.” He shrugs. “Everybody is fine. We’re just amping up security for a while, so you’re going to have to get used to it, because I’ll probably be here more often. I’m sure the Boss will have more information for you once you get home.”

Either this guy really doesn’t know what happened, or he takes his loyalty to Roman very seriously. Regardless, he’s just following orders.

“Will you at least tell me your name? I should probably know that if we’re going to be friends.”

“Oh, I don’t want to be friends with you.” He chuckles. “I saw what Roman did to Russ for barely breathing in your direction that night at the warehouse, and I want no part of that. But my name is Ernie.”

A few seconds later, the other students come back in. I do my best to act natural the rest of the day, but it’s hard knowing that Ernie is watching my every move, and I have no idea what happened this morning.

The thought of Ty or Roman being in danger paralyzes me, and I’m a little irritated he hasn’t called me himself.

Then, my anxiety gets the best of me and my mind wanders.

What if he’s not calling me because he’s hurt?

Ernie’s been here for hours. What if something happened in that amount of time that he doesn’t know about?

I check my phone incessantly, but nothing comes from Roman.

This shift can’t be over soon enough.