this situation. By all accounts the buyout process was looking favorable, but this new development has definitely put a wrinkle in the process. Without an acceptable director, I can’t completely do my job, and it would be very unlikely that I can...”
“Well, actually, Ms. Banks, we’ve recently elected an acting department head. He’s accepted the position and we’re thrilled and honored to have him. He’s a brilliant doctor with very deep roots in Key West and in this community. His medical record is exceptional and his ethics are without blemish. He’s extremely respected throughout the medical community.”
“I see. Okay, that’s wonderful and a very positive step in the right direction. Hopefully we can complete this process within the next few weeks. So, that said, might it be possible to meet your new acting E.R. director today?”
“Yes, of course, definitely. I can have him here in a few minutes,” Dr. Gilman said, then picked up her phone to call. Just then, there was a knock on the door. “Come in,” she called out. A young woman opened the door and walked in.
“Excuse me, Dr. Gilman. The attorneys are here for your five-thirty teleconference with the board of trustees. It’s set up in the main conference room.”
“Oh, no, it completely slipped my mind,” she said, frowning. “Ms. Banks, I really need to speak with our attorneys. If you’ll excuse me, I should be no more than fifteen to twenty minutes.”
“Yes, of course. Our meeting wasn’t scheduled. I completely understand. Take as much time as you need.”
“Thank you for being so understanding.”
Shauna began gathering her things. “I can leave and come back.”
“Oh, no, that won’t be necessary. Please, wait right here. I’ll have the acting head of the E.R. department, Dr. Coles, join you,” she said, nodding to her assistant to make it happened. “The two of you can meet and plan out the next few weeks together and...”
Shauna’s stomach had dropped and her eyes had widened. “Wait, excuse me, who did you say was the E.R. head?” Shauna asked hesitantly.
“Dr. Coles, Dominik Coles. He’s our new acting E.R. department head. He’ll be right here.”
The sound of his name stopped her heart. She froze in place.
Chapter 4
The offhand “It’s gonna be one of those days” remark Dominik made earlier that morning turned out to be a gross understatement. He’d been running around since dawn and every minute of his day had been rationed out to paperwork, lawyers, staff and intermediate medical services. He was a bureaucratic paper pusher. Years in medical school and intense training had been wasted to sitting behind a desk and on the phone placating staff and begging for more money from the powers that be who had nothing to spare.
He sat back and looked at his desk, taking a much-needed moment to chill. There was a never-ending battle going on pitting him against a massive montage of need-to, have-to and should-have-been-done-six-weeks-ago facing him. Making headway was more like running backward up a steep mountain on roller skates in the middle of a snowstorm.
He tossed his pen down on the desk and rolled his neck from side to side. Since taking over this position, he’d been faced with every imaginable no-win situation. There were irregular stockroom shortages, underpaid, undertrained staff, daily threats of walkouts and work slowdowns, and of course the lawsuit of the wrongful death filed just before he took over the position. It was a respectable job, but he was a doctor through and through. And right now, playing doctor, as he so often put it, had been put on hold for a while.
His phone rang.
“Can it wait until Monday morning? I’m meeting my chief nursing officer in fifteen minutes,” he said, glancing at his watch.
“All right, I’m on my way,” Dominik said, then hung up. The first thing he thought was there was another legal charge against the E.R. department. Nowadays they averaged two
“Well, actually, Ms. Banks, we’ve recently elected an acting department head. He’s accepted the position and we’re thrilled and honored to have him. He’s a brilliant doctor with very deep roots in Key West and in this community. His medical record is exceptional and his ethics are without blemish. He’s extremely respected throughout the medical community.”
“I see. Okay, that’s wonderful and a very positive step in the right direction. Hopefully we can complete this process within the next few weeks. So, that said, might it be possible to meet your new acting E.R. director today?”
“Yes, of course, definitely. I can have him here in a few minutes,” Dr. Gilman said, then picked up her phone to call. Just then, there was a knock on the door. “Come in,” she called out. A young woman opened the door and walked in.
“Excuse me, Dr. Gilman. The attorneys are here for your five-thirty teleconference with the board of trustees. It’s set up in the main conference room.”
“Oh, no, it completely slipped my mind,” she said, frowning. “Ms. Banks, I really need to speak with our attorneys. If you’ll excuse me, I should be no more than fifteen to twenty minutes.”
“Yes, of course. Our meeting wasn’t scheduled. I completely understand. Take as much time as you need.”
“Thank you for being so understanding.”
Shauna began gathering her things. “I can leave and come back.”
“Oh, no, that won’t be necessary. Please, wait right here. I’ll have the acting head of the E.R. department, Dr. Coles, join you,” she said, nodding to her assistant to make it happened. “The two of you can meet and plan out the next few weeks together and...”
Shauna’s stomach had dropped and her eyes had widened. “Wait, excuse me, who did you say was the E.R. head?” Shauna asked hesitantly.
“Dr. Coles, Dominik Coles. He’s our new acting E.R. department head. He’ll be right here.”
The sound of his name stopped her heart. She froze in place.
Chapter 4
The offhand “It’s gonna be one of those days” remark Dominik made earlier that morning turned out to be a gross understatement. He’d been running around since dawn and every minute of his day had been rationed out to paperwork, lawyers, staff and intermediate medical services. He was a bureaucratic paper pusher. Years in medical school and intense training had been wasted to sitting behind a desk and on the phone placating staff and begging for more money from the powers that be who had nothing to spare.
He sat back and looked at his desk, taking a much-needed moment to chill. There was a never-ending battle going on pitting him against a massive montage of need-to, have-to and should-have-been-done-six-weeks-ago facing him. Making headway was more like running backward up a steep mountain on roller skates in the middle of a snowstorm.
He tossed his pen down on the desk and rolled his neck from side to side. Since taking over this position, he’d been faced with every imaginable no-win situation. There were irregular stockroom shortages, underpaid, undertrained staff, daily threats of walkouts and work slowdowns, and of course the lawsuit of the wrongful death filed just before he took over the position. It was a respectable job, but he was a doctor through and through. And right now, playing doctor, as he so often put it, had been put on hold for a while.
His phone rang.
“Can it wait until Monday morning? I’m meeting my chief nursing officer in fifteen minutes,” he said, glancing at his watch.
“All right, I’m on my way,” Dominik said, then hung up. The first thing he thought was there was another legal charge against the E.R. department. Nowadays they averaged two
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