new story: Tokyo Relics: Only I Can See the Abnormal Equipment
Full story on Patreon: belamy20
The Day After Halloween.
"Praise Howard!" Adam muttered in the morning, tipping his hat to the robotics genius. Yesterday's frustration from dealing with reckless kids melted away, leaving him refreshed and buzzing with energy. 😊
"Violet, what's got you down?" Adam asked as he arrived at the medical center, spotting the ever-understanding nurse moping toward him.
"Dr. Duncan, I can't assist in your OR today," she said apologetically. "And maybe not ever again."
"What happened?" Adam asked, surprised.
"It's my own issue," Violet sighed, clearly bummed. "Two things went down yesterday, and now I don't want to be a nurse anymore."
"Tell me about it," Adam prompted.
"Dr. Duncan, you might not know this, but my mom's a nurse too," Violet said, not holding back. "She's been at a small county hospital for decades. One more year, and she'd retire with the max pension. But out of nowhere, the hospital brass yanked her from the job she'd mastered for years and dumped her in the ER—a place she knows nothing about.
She kept messing up, nearly killed a kid in a resuscitation. The ER head nurse wanted to report her, and rather than face the humiliation of a review board, she quit. Just what the management wanted—no max pension, no pension at all."
"Wow," Adam frowned.
Sure, healthcare's a lifelong learning gig, but it's natural—older folks don't pick up new stuff as fast. Sticking someone near retirement in the high-pressure ER, with its broader knowledge demands and totally different routines? It's a recipe for mistakes. One slip, and the hospital can "legally" ditch a dedicated veteran, snatching away their hard-earned top-tier pension.
It's a shady, ruthless move. Another classic case of the more laws, the more thieves. The finer the contract details, the more a slick lawyer can twist them— all within the law. How's an individual supposed to outplay the system? Contracts and "fairness"? Total BS when push comes to shove.
"Dr. Duncan, I'm not asking you to help my mom," Violet quickly clarified. "It's not just her. Other nurses nearing retirement at her hospital are getting shuffled too. I looked into it—same thing's happening in other areas. It's systemic."
"Didn't your mom and the others try a strike or something?" Adam asked, curious.
"Pointless," Violet said, her voice heavy with disillusionment. "Not every nurse is like my mom—spotless record, max pension material. Most just watch from the sidelines, some even mock her. Small hospitals like hers don't sweat a strike; it'd never get big enough to matter. They'd hire temp nurses and wait out the holdouts. Once you see the dirty tricks behind it, it's just… chilling."
Adam sighed inwardly. Divide and conquer—old-school playbook. Tag one group, take 'em down, then label the rest one by one. Pit the nurses against each other, let them burn out fighting internally. Minimal cost, maximum win. With consumerism as the ultimate weapon, most folks live paycheck to paycheck—no savings. Drag it out a bit, and the ones with mortgages or car payments cave. No choice.
Violet wasn't just upset about her mom; she was crushed by the whole rotten system. Adam couldn't fix that. Energy, finance, healthcare, arms—four mountains. Touch 'em, and you're toast.
"What's the second thing?" he asked, moving past the unsolvable mess.
"Went home to check on my mom and ran into my high school chemistry teacher. He collapsed on the street—sick. I kept him stable 'til the ambulance got there," Violet said, her tone shifting from cold to glum. "It should've been a happy moment. After all these years, he recognized me instantly—remembered I sat second row by the window. Said he only remembers the best students. Told me he always knew I'd make it, that I'm an amazing doctor now, and I saved him…"
"And then?" Adam grinned. He'd felt this vibe before, too many times in his past life.
"I told him I'm a nurse," Violet said, deflated. "He goes, 'A nurse?' in this tone that just… stung. He backtracked, said, 'Oh, that's great too,' but it didn't help. Clearly, to him, a nurse is nothing."
"So you're done with nursing?" Adam chuckled. "What's the plan then?"
"No clue yet," she shook her head. "But I can't assist you today. I'm too off—I don't want to mess up your surgery."
"Take a few days off, think it over," Adam suggested with a smile. "My mom's a nurse too, and to me, nurses are awesome. But if you've got the drive to prove something to others, why not hit med school? Become a doctor."
"A doctor?" Violet murmured.
"Don't tell me you've never thought about it," Adam teased. "I've seen you in the OR, eyeing Carter and the others with that jealous spark."
"…Could I do it?" she asked, unsure.
"That's up to you," Adam said, locking eyes with her. "If you crave validation, start by figuring out what you want. Get your own approval first, then chase it with everything you've got. Doctor, nurse—whatever. If you own it, give it your all, and nail it, people won't have a choice but to give you a thumbs-up!" 👍
Seeing her lost in thought, Adam smiled and left. It was her call now.
"Melendez, grab the clinical research applicant list," he said to the short guy with a grin.
"Yes, sir," the short guy replied, heading off.
"Dr. Duncan, are we doing the third case?" Carter asked, practically bouncing with excitement.
"It's a good day for it," Adam said, smiling. "Prep's done, improvements are locked in, new serum's ready to roll. Time to move forward."
The short guy returned fast with the updated list. Adam scanned it and checked a name. "Her. She's the one!"
(End of Chapter)