My Forbidden Doctor (Forbidden Medicine 7)

Did the hospital somehow find out about what happened with Melissa? But there were no cameras in the exam rooms, and it wouldn't have shown anything, anyway.

Oh, fuck— did she report me for harassment or something? Melissa didn't strike me as the kind of person to do something so— so underhanded, though. Considering how she dealt with her dad, it's entirely likely she'd just ignore me and trudge on. Maybe, if I got persistent enough or something, she'd find a new pulmonologist if she were desperate.

But she wasn't desperate, and I sure as shit didn't push my luck or make her feel threatened or uncomfortable.

Sticking my Bluetooth in my ear once again, I straightened out my summons to scan the paragraph again. There wasn't even a hint of why I was being investigated, and my tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth.

"Shit— Laurie, we might have something to talk about. I just got summoned to HR for an investigation."

She gasped, the line crackling sharply and whipping my brain, and I covered my mouth to hide my grimace.

"God. I haven't even been here for two whole months yet, and I'm already being investigated for something. It says here I've been suspended pending the outcome! What the Hell!"

Panic heightened my tone, and I crumpled up the letter to stuff it roughly in my jacket pocket.

"I cannot believe this!" Hissing as I stormed out of my office, I instantly bristled as eyes immediately scanned my body.

My head whipped up, and frustration turned my blood to sludge in my veins when I saw Eva leaning against the wall outside her own office. She looked so smug, so haughty, and my eyes narrowed into slits.

"You didn't have anything to do with that, right? Because whatever you're trying to do to get me to have sex with you, it's not gonna work, Eva. What kind of stupid do you have to be to think initiating an investigation with HR on me is going to make me sleep with you?"

Eva's jaw dropped to her non-existent chest at my extremely candid words, and surprise flashed in her wide, blue eyes. Today was not the day for this, and my lip curled in a vicious snarl. Straightening to flounce toward me in her tight pants-suit, she picked up her jaw enough to frown and stabbed my chest with her polished nail.

"You should've slept with me. Now, you're going to suffer the consequences. I hope you like scrubbing toilets, Carl, because even having an inquiry about sleeping with patients is going to get you fired."

I was speechless, fuming as she strutted past me with a flick of her hair and a little huff. To be so brazen...! All I could do for a long few seconds was glare at the spot Eva had just been, my face flaming so hot it could melt off my skull.

"... Carl?" Sucking in a sharp breath at my sister's call, my cheek twitched in agitation. "Do you want me to go with you to HR tomorrow?"

"I— I don't even know. I need to think. I don't understand what the Hell just happened? Did she really just say that?" My question echoed down the empty hallway, and Laurie grunted lowly into my ear. "I would never sleep with a patient."

"But she's right, Carl. Just having the investigation on your record is something you may not be able to recover from. I'm not a lawyer yet, but I know enough about ethics violations to acknowledge she's got you pinned. You never mentioned you were having trouble with someone?"

Disgust and panic mingled a volatile storm in my chest, and I practically growled as I turned on my heel to take the stairs. I was shaking, my eyes stinging and disbelief slowing my mind.

Was this really happening? Right now? After my appointment with Melissa earlier, I just had to get served with false allegations? No matter what the fuck I told myself, what I did with her was still inappropriate.

Mel just looked really heartbroken, and it reminded me so much of Laurie when her dad died. I couldn't stop myself from comforting her, and then I noticed the gold flecks in her eyes, and...

"Carl!" I jumped at my sister's shout, clutching my chest as a gasp flew from my dry mouth. "What kind of problems have you been having with that woman from just now?"

"She's tried to grope me a few times— been really aggressively pursuing me despite the rules against inter-office romances. I've always brushed her off. About two weeks ago, she saw me with another woman and lost it. Just was really upset for some reason. I've never given Eva any indication I was interested in her." Dismalness struck my chest like a hard fist, and I started down the stairs after taking a deep, stabilizing breath. "I haven't seen much of Eva since, but she'd find reasons to come to my office to talk to me or have a 'consult'. A week after I started here, she and I were in the elevator and she shoved her hands down my pants."