CHAPTER 109 Time of Death


    Ford Martin


    If someone had told me Theodore Cohen was going to die today, I would have never believed


    him.


    However, nightmares can turn into reality.


    “Code Blue. Cohen. I repeat. Code Blue. Cohen.”


    As I pushed the people aside to reach the VIP suite, a cold dread washed over me. I couldn’t believe


    this was happening. Theodore was alive and well when I changed his IV bag and gave him his


    medication earlier. He evenined about the food.


    He wasn’t supposed to die… he was supposed to be dischargedter this afternoon to


    continue his recovery in thefort of his home.


    “G od, save him,” I prayed while I took the stairs two at a time. “G od, help the doctors save


    Theodore.


    After giving T


    Theodore his medication, I roamed the third floor, deciding whether I should ept Liam’s proposal


    and be Theodore’s private nurse. The pay he was o


    offering


    ng was


    three times my sry and I would have the privilege of living with them at the Cohen Mansion… just


    like family.


    It was a great offer, but if I were to ept, it would mean I would no longer be the king of my own


    pce. Here at St. Elizabeth Hospital… this was my yground. I was King Kong seated atop a throne


    while the rest were insects I could crush within the palms of my hands. Here, I could stomp my feet,


    beat on my hairy chest and scream!


    This dreadful hospital was my kingdom and I could not allow someone else to sit on my throne.


    Before returning to the nurse’s station, I took a little detour and headed to the office of the nurse


    administrator on the fourth floor. I had overheard that Rodney Marshall, a fellow male nurse, was


    petitioning the female nurses to voice out their concerns at my uing evaluation. Although a few


    agreed, most of the female nurses refused and he was having trouble convincing them otherwise.


    Rodney didn’t know who he was up against. I had an ace up my sleeve….


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    CHAPTER 109 Time of Death


    Unbeknownst to him, I had a collection of naked pictures of almost all the nurses employed at St.


    Elizabeth’s. Out of fear of a scandal, these women would never talk.


    But still, I had to get rid of Rodney. He was going to ruin me just to protect that new nurse,


    Emma rke.


    This job Liam needed filled would be the perfect alternative for Rodney. He would earn the big bucks


    working at the Cohen Mansion while I could keep my position as the big man at St. Elizabeth’s. I didn’t


    need money… what I wanted was control.


    It was a win-win situation for everyone.


    I couldn’t do this alone though. I needed help from our nurse administrator, Lindsay Hartman, who was


    an elderly woman nearing her retirement. She was my mother’s aunt and has been working at this


    hospital for over forty-five years.


    Since we were rted, Lindsay Hartman always took my side. It didn’t matter what it was. In


    -her eyes.


    o wrong…


    colleagues were jealous of that.


    ed on my grandaunt’s office door, my thoughts went to Emma’s first day here eth’s. Emma, the s tupid


    cu nt that she was, thought she was doing everyone a eporting back to the administrator. Little did she


    know, the joke was on her.


    iced the surprise in Emma’s eyes when I casually walked into the nurse administrator’s ice without


    even knocking.


    “You wanted to see me, Great Aunt Lindsay?” I asked, smirking. I saw Emma close her eyes.


    when she realized we were rted.


    “Yes, I did, Ford. Please take a seat,” Great Aunt Lindsay said while she pointed at one of the chairs in


    front of her desk. “Nurse rke, please tell Nurse Martin what you just told me.” My aunt looked at


    Emma, urging her to speak. “Go on, Nurse rke. If you can tell me then you can tell the person you’re


    using. I believe everyone should be given the chance to properly defend themselves given the


    circumstances.”


    I watched Emma bite her lip nervously. She didn’t expect a confrontation.


    “I-I don’t like how you touch me,” Emma finally spat out, her chin raised in defiance. “I don’t like the way


    you speak to me too. You make me feel ufortable.”


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    CHAPTER 109 Time of Death


    “I make you feel ufortable?” I asked bewildered. “You practically threw yourself at me, then you


    use me of touching you? I’m sorry, Great Aunt Lindsay, but you can’t possibly


    believe her?”


    “What do you mean, Ford?” My grandaunt asked


    “She’s obviously lying,” I pointed out. “She was flirting with me at the nurse’s station, practically


    unting herself at me. You can’t me me for misinterpreting her actions.”


    “I wasn’t flirting with you,” Emma said, boldly denying the allegations. “I was merely introducing myself


    to you.”


    “Sure, you were, Emma,” I scoffed. “First day on the job and you’re already creating a me too


    movement. I bet you do this to all the male nurses youe in contact with. That’s not fair to me or to


    any of us male nurses.” I moved forward to my grandaunt’s desk to plead my case. “Great Aunt


    Lindsay, in my defense, I was just being friendly.” I was about to say more, but saw the warning look on


    my grandaunt’s face and decided to shut up.


    “Nurse Administrator, if you don’t do anything now, you yourself may face charges in the future for not


    reporting Nurse Martin’s actions,” Emma argued. “I assume you know what happened to the people


    who were responsible for covering up Larry Na ssar’s sexual abuse. They were sued by Na ssar’s long


    list of victims.”


    I stared at Emma, stunned she was using the term sexual abuse.


    “I have never abused anyone sexually. All my sexual encounters WOTD


    with consent. And who


    is this Larry Nas sar anyway and what does he have to do with any of this when there has.


    been no abuse?” I asked angrily. She was really pushing it.


    “He was an orthopedic doctor who worked for the USA Gymnastics Organization and is


    currently incarcerated serving over 3 life sentences. His victims, gymnasts of the national team, were


    all used of lying… just like what you’re using me of doing right now. But it was proven that his


    victims weren’t lying,” Emma pointed out. “I’m not lying, Nurse Administrator Hartman and despite what


    Nurse Martin has said, I can distinguish friendly from harassment.”


    Ford, I want you to apologize, my grandaunt suddenly said while she studied Emma through her


    sses.


    “Apologize for what?” I asked her. “I didn’t do any of the things she’s using me of doing!”


    “It’s her first day at work. Ford. Please understand she doesn’t know you like I do lu


    CHAPTER 109 Time of Death


    can keep the peace, I need you to apologize to her.” Great Aunt Lindsay lowered her sses, gesturing


    with her eyes for me to apologize. I fell back on my chair and crossed my arms in front of chest like a


    petnt child.


    “I’m sorry, rke, I mumbled under my breath, my apology insincere. I nced at Emma and found her


    smiling smugly at me. My apology was like an admission of guilt.


    However, her small victory was short-lived. Ha!


    “As for you, Nurse rke, never in my life has anyone used me of covering up a molester. I can


    assure you, Nurse Martin is a smart, charming young man who was raised by G od- fearing folks. Any


    woman would be honored to have him shower her with attention,” Great Aunt Lindsay said, peering at


    her th rough her bifocals. “I don’t know how they do it where you’re from, but here we treat our


    supervisors with respect. If you evere into my office again telling me I’m just as bad as a rapist, I


    will call the Sheriff and have you thrown in jail.”


    Emma’s


    widened in horror. “You can’t do that!”


    an. Here, in New Salem, we know our ce. You should learn yours,” Great


    y said before opening a folder. “Both of you… get back to work. I don’t want to


    d for the rest of the day.”


    out of Great Aunt Lindsay’s office that afternoon feeling vindicated while Emma d an important


    lesson… I was a hard man to bring down.


    ter witnessing how my grandaunt put Emma in her ce, I knew she could help me. If anyone could


    convince Rodney to be Theodore’s nurse, it was her.


    I fixed my hair before knocking on her door and waited for her to let me in.


    “Good morning, Great Aunt Lindsay,” I greeted her enthusiastically. She was wearing a light. blue


    business suit with a white silk blouse underneath. Her short salt and pepper hair was neatly styled


    while a string ofrge pearls adorned her neck and bronze framed eyesses


    rested on her weathered face.


    She appeared to be reading something on thatrge tablet of hers before I interrupted.


    “Ford, what do I owe the pleasure?” She asked as she curiously looked at me over the lens of


    her bifocals. She gestured for me to sit in one of the chairs in front of her desk.


    “I was hoping to talk to you about someone,” I replied before I seated myself.


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    CHAPTER 109 Time of Death


    “Sure. What’s on your mind? Great Aunt Lindsay asked, putting her tablet down and giving me her


    undivided attention.


    “You know Rodney Marshall, right?” I asked her.


    “Of course, I know Rodney Marshall. I’ll be promoting him soon, she answered.


    “Promoting him?” 1 croaked. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.


    “Yes, Ford. Promoting him. I’ll be retiring soon and I need a recement. I had initially wanted you to


    take my ce, but there is no denying your inappropriate behavior. I even took the time to speak to


    your mother about this, but the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, does it? Your mother is the same


    way, always canoodling with that collegiate boyfriend of hers,” she scoffed disapprovingly as she


    mentioned my mother’s current beau.


    state of


    “Are you promoting Marshall to be your recement?” I managed to ask despite mys


    an you do this to me, Great Aunt Lindsay? How could you betray your own


    shock


    tongue, Ford Martin,” she scolded me, her face turning red with fury. “I didn’t do you. Whatever is


    happening is your own doing. Did you think the board wouldn’t our behavior? That the doctors would


    turn a blind eye? Did you think Rodney


    or any of the other nurses wouldn’t go against you?” She suddenly chuckled, finally ing why I wanted to


    speak to her about Rodney Marshall. This is why you’vee to me. You want me to fire Rodney


    Marshall for you. I’m sorry, Ford. It’s out of my hands.”


    “Actually, I wanted you to offer Marshall a job working for the Cohens. Liam is willing to provide three


    times the pay and free board and lodging at the Cohen Mansion on Prairie Hill,” I said, showing her the


    sheet of paper Liam gave me earlier.


    “Why don’t you take it?” She asked.


    “I would rather stay here and be the nurse administrator,” I said, smiling. Sheughed and shook


    her head at my answer. My smile quickly disappeared. Even with Marshall gone, I


    still wouldn’t be considered for the job?


    “Grandnephew, I submitted three candidates to the board and you were rejected outright. Marshall was


    their first choice and Pam Reese was their second. It’s a shame, but it was based on merit, and you


    Ford,cked the necessary credentials. For now, Rodney Marshall will be my junior administrator


    while he trains under me. When I retire, Pam will then take the vacant junior position and work under


    his tutge,” my grandaunt exined.


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