Chapter 2 - The Emergency Protocol
“Who is this?” Daniel’s voice shifted from annoyed to guarded. “Where is Emily?”
“This is Dr. Bennett, head of pediatric intensive care at St. Matthew’s,” the doctor replied, his voice laced with absolute authority. “Your wife is in no condition to negotiate right now. Did you just confess to intentionally withholding a critical, life-saving biologic from a registered pediatric patient?”
“I’m a senior pharmacist,” Daniel tried to bluster, though a slight tremor leaked through the line. “I have administrative discretion over inventory allocation during shortages—”
“There is no shortage of the pediatric dosage unit,” Dr. Bennett interrupted coldly. “And even if there were, reallocating restricted pharmaceuticals to an unregistered individual outside the protocol is a felony under federal healthcare fraud and tampering statutes. Furthermore, you have violated medical ethics to a degree that requires immediate reporting to the board and hospital compliance.”
“Wait, Dr. Bennett, let’s not get dramatic—”
“You have forty-five minutes to bring the full, uncompromised dosage back to St. Matthew’s Hospital,” Dr. Bennett said, cutting him off entirely. “If you fail to do so, I will personally bypass internal HR channels and contact the state medical licensing board, the hospital’s legal counsel, and the local police department. Do you understand me?”
The line went dead.
Dr. Bennett handed the phone back to me. His hands were steady, but his eyes burned with fierce professional anger. “Mrs. Carter, the nurses are stabilizing her with secondary anti-inflammatory infusions. It’s a temporary patch, but it will buy us a few hours. We need that specific drug, and we need it fast.”
“He won’t come,” I whispered, looking down at Lily. Her breathing was shallow, little beads of sweat forming on her forehead despite the cool room. “He thinks he’s untouchable. He’s been managing the hospital pharmacy budget for six years. He knows every loophole, every security blind spot.”
“He might know hospital logistics, Emily, but he doesn’t know criminal law enforcement when a child’s life is on the line,” Dr. Bennett said firmly. He placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “While he’s panicking, you need to make another call. The one you mentioned. Who were you planning to call?”
I pulled my phone back, my thumb hovering over the screen. My heart hammered against my ribs, but the grief and shock were rapidly hardening into something much colder, much sharper.
“My father,” I said softly.
For five years, ever since I married Daniel against my family’s wishes, I had kept my distance from them. Daniel had convinced me that my family was controlling, that they looked down on his humble beginnings as a pharmacy technician. He had slowly isolated me, making me feel like he was my only anchor in the world.
It was all a lie. My father wasn't just a retired corporate litigator; he was the senior founding partner of Sterling & Vance, one of the most ruthless commercial law firms in the country, and he sat on the board of trustees for the very healthcare network that employed Daniel.
I dialed the number I hadn't used in over a year. It picked up on the second ring.
May you like
“Emily?” My father’s voice came through, sounding older than I remembered, yet instantly sharp and alert. “Is that you?”
“Dad,” I choked out, the armor cracking for just a second before I forced it back into place. “I need you. Lily needs you. Daniel just tried to kill our daughter.”
