Christmas Lights

1.

"I'm very sorry about this." I breathed as steadily as I could through my nose. "It was a misunderstanding with the paperwork."

The family looked back at me stunned and slightly angry, that didn't even measure how the patient was looking at me.

"A misunderstanding?" she huffed as her eyes filled with tears "I just made a hundred hate calls over the phone because I didn't want to die with all that pent up anger."

"Again, I apologize."

"Your apology isn't good enough." Her husband scoffed "I think we need to speak to a lawyer."

I pressed my lips together and did my best not to scream.

"Very well." I said as calmly as I could "I will send out hospital lawyers up to speak with you shortly."

I gave them one last apologetic smile before backing out of the room and then turning with the force of an angry bull and charged down the hallway to the admitting desk and slammed my chart down on the counter, making Patricia jump.

"Chief Shepherd." She said slowly "Is there something I can help you with?"

"Yes." I hissed through my teeth as I held up the chart "You can tell me who put the most recent lab results in the chart for Lisa Davidge."

A skinny blonde next to her lifted her head up and slowly raised her hand. "I did...why?"

"Why?" I scoffed "Why....because the latest results from the lab that were put in her chart, weren't for Lisa, they were for Angela McCleary down the hall with end-stage breast cancer. So my intern just told a perfectly healthy woman who came in for breast enhancement surgery that she was dying; that's why, you incompetent little—"

"Hold on!" Patricia snapped "I will not have you berating my staff Chief Shepherd, it's a human mistake."

I almost reeled back on my heels as I felt my anger point boil higher "A human mistake!" I nearly screamed "That human mistake just cost my hospital a couple million dollars in legal fees!" I looked at her suddenly timid green eyes and glared "Pack your shit, you are fired."

"You can't do that." Patricia wheezed "You cannot fire my staff. You are a surgeon, I am admitting. You have to go over my head if you want to fire her."

"Fine." I smirked arrogantly "I have a meeting with the board of director's tomorrow morning; I'll have them can her useless ass!"

I turned and stormed off as I heard Patricia mutter something unprofessional under her breath and turn to console the woman whose job here was in its last hours. I huffed into my office, ready to call the hospital lawyers to hopefully form a settlement with the woman and her family when my phone rang.

"Jesus Christ." I hissed as I picked up the phone from my desk and growled into the receiver "What!"

"Derek Christopher." The woman's appalled voice on the other end suddenly had my tail tucking between my legs.

"Ma." I sighed "I'm sorry...you caught me at a bad moment."

"So I see." She scoffed "If you want me to call at better moments perhaps just give me a schedule. I never know with you anymore."

"No, no." I sighed remorsefully "I'm always happy to hear from you...but I do have a busy afternoon, so what's on your mind?"

"Well I won't keep you long dear, I just wanted to let you know that your sisters and I are planning on making this Christmas a west coast one."

I tried not to let the sound of my panic ring through the phone as I gulped in fear. "What!" I gasped "Ma..no...you girls don't have to come all this way. Really, I'll be working through the holidays as it is. Please, just stay on the east coast."