Brave Enough To Love Again

Chapter 48

Eden

Time always flew by so fast at work, and that first shift wasn't any different. Soon it was time for me to go home and I couldn't wait to see Keane again. However, before I could get changed out of my uniform, the head nurse asked me to go to the hospital director's office as she wanted to speak to me before I left.

Hmm. This seemed awfully familiar. The exact same thing happened before I was asked to work at the Holloway's mansion. What was going on? Will they ask me to work there again? But why?

I knocked at the office door of the hospital director, Dr. Neumann, and entered after hearing her say, "Come in." With a smile, I approached her desk. "Please, have a seat." She motioned at the chairs in front of her. I did as I was told and waited patiently for her to speak and tell me why I was being summoned again.

"Uhum," she cleared her throat before she began, "I'm sure you're curious to know why I asked for you before you could go home today." I nodded in agreement. "Well," she took out a newspaper from her drawer and placed it on the desk in front of me, "We met at the party, remember?"

"Yes, I do."

"I'm going straight to the point here, okay?" Her tone of voice changed a little, sterner of sorts. "Look here, Nurse Simmons." She pointed at pictures on the paper, from me and Levi. In one image he had canapés in his hands while I drank directly from a bottle of champagne, while in another I was depicted munching on the little bites. Ugh. Oh no. What the fûck. Shît. I look awful in all the captions. Yikes. Oh my god! What am I thinking?

Before I could say anything Dr. Neumann began again, "I must say, I'm very disappointed and displeased about this pictures, Nurse Simmons. I thought I made it perfectly clear that my assigning you to work at the Holloway mansion was to be taken seriously as if you're working here at the hospital itself." I nodded my head vigorously, I felt the strain from my neck from the severity of it. "I know that, Dr. Neumann, of course."

"So, imagine my dismay when I looked at the paper and saw this," she explained pointing at the pictures once again, "You drinking during your work hours." My mouth opened and shut several times, I couldn't say anything as I didn't know what to say. "I didn't say anything about your clothing when we met at the party. However, do you think it was proper attire for a nurse who was officially on duty to make such an appearance?"

I shook my head with a vehemence that I even heard my neck make a small cracking noise. "No. Ma'am. I'm sorry. I mean. Those clothes weren't even mine. They were provided by Levi, I mean, Mr. Holloway's son. He insisted that I couldn't be seen in my nurse's uniform at the party because Mr. Holloway's condition wasn't to be made public."

Dr. Neumann's eyebrows rose in surprise, "I see." She nodded her head in understanding. "Well, then. In that case, let's ignore the issue with your uniform then. But what about the drinking? Did Mr. Holloway insist that you drink while you were still officially working?"

My shoulders sagged in defeat and shame. I looked down at my clenched fingers on my lap and shook my head slowly. "No, ma'am. I'm sorry. It was a mistake. I'm really sorry. I don't know what to say." When I lifted my head and gazed back at her she nodded her head in acknowledgement of my words of apology.

"I believe that you really are sorry about what you did. However, I hope you understand why I can't excuse such misconduct." My head moved in a gesture of compliance. "I'm hereby suspending you for a week without pay, Nurse Simmons." I gulped visibly at her words. "Do you think it's too harsh a punishment?"