Chapter 5 Not Your Slave

She theorized that it was all an act.

He spoke to the patient for several minutes before something happened. The glimmer of opportunity peaked through, delighting her. He gave her the opportunity to correct him. Most nurses would ignore it, but Irene was keen on the discussion because she had the best intentions for the patients.

Of course.

The devil on her shoulder cackled incessantly.

“I’ll change your pain meds,” he said. “You can have one to two tablets every six hours if you need it. Just ask your nurse. Do you need something for the pain right now?”

The patient nodded. Irene cleared her throat but Dr. Warren ignored her.

“Miss…”

“It’s Irene,” she said, her voice saccharine. ‘He forgot my name after all. Fucker.’

He gave her ‘the look.’ “Irene. Will you get her something for the pain, please?” he asked coldly, dismissing her. It was a stark difference from the tone he used with his patient.

Irene didn’t leave. “Dr. Warren, I don’t think your choice of pain medicine is a good idea,” she commented instead, gathering all the steely strength her father displayed over the years. This was unlike her, but she had to see it to the end for Sine’s sake.

She could practically hear him straining every muscle in his body to stop himself from fighting her. He looked at her, his eyes dark with warning. “Unfortunately, I’m the doctor and I get to make the call.”

‘Oh, I’m just the nurse, is it?’

She wanted to punch him in the face.

His voice was so dark and cold, someone else would have flinched away, but that would be a display of weakness. And one thing Irene refused to show the obnoxious Dr. Warren was a nurse who would cower under his authority.

“I’m simply considering the welfare of my patient, Dr. Warren.” She turned to the patient, who regarded the pair with wide, cautious eyes. “Isn’t that what you hope from us?” she asked the patient directly.

“Go on, ‘Irene,’ why do you think my choice of medication is bad.”

The argument was enough to piss him off, which was what he intended to do. She sucked in a breath. “She was admitted in with a history of chronic pain, which is constant. We can assume she will be relieved by the medicine to some capacity, but with from my experience, it is unlikely. Assuming one dose is not sufficient, she will be requesting the maximum dose of two every four hours. At the end of twenty-four hours, the total would be too much for a seventy-year-old woman, don’t you think?”

And she had done it: called him out in front of his patient, chipping away at his credibility. Just like he had done with Sine.

She looked him in the eye, her voice unwavering. If looks could kill, she would be six feet under. Dr. Warren’s glare was lethal.

She wanted to inch back, but stood her ground. It was too late to back down, not without looking like a fool. An outcome she refused to fall to.

“Irene,” he lowered his voice. And she had to curse him for using her name so often. “I set the parameters for a reason. It is your duty as the nurse to monitor her intake and ensure she is not being overdosed.”

Oh, two could play at this game!

“Dr. Warren, I understand your justification but the nurse on the next shift is going to give the pain medication when it’s due and the patient is in pain. Just the way you ordered it. And it would put her in danger of liver failure.” She stared at him unblinkingly.

His eyes flashed to the patient, who looked thoroughly entertained by their argument. If she had a bucket of popcorn, she would be throwing it back.

Then, his eyes were back on hers, dark and angry. “We will finish discussing this outside.”

She swiveled around, not bothering to wait for him. She was not sure how long she would keep up with the bold front. It was unlike her. She could stand up for herself, but initiating a fight? With someone as intimidating as Dr. Warren on top of that?

But when she thought of Sine’s tearful look, she realized it was worth it.

She felt a tight grip on her hand spinning her around. She was pressed against the wall, all the anger in him channeled towards her through that scowl on his face. He didn’t release his grip but she eased into it, knowing he wouldn’t do anything to her.

“What do you think you are doing?” he hissed, his face inches from her. She was wary and peeved that he was touching her while flaunting his ass this way. She didn’t mention the how she was turned on… just a little.

‘What is wrong with me?’ she groaned internally as she snatched her arm away from his grip.

“I’m protecting the patient from harmful medical errors,” she goaded maliciously.

“There is a time and place to discuss those things and it is not at the bedside. And definitely not in front of the patient.” He kept his voice low so that it didn’t travel down the hallway, but it could still cut through steel. “You questioned my credibility in front of the patient, making them doubt me. That is unwarranted.”

She smiled tightly. “Yes, and there is a time to discuss your complaints with the nurse if you don’t like what they are doing. ‘And definitely not in front of the patient’,” she bit back.

His brows furrowed in confusion, but he was no less angry. “What are you talking about?”

“I am referring to you humiliating Sine in front of her patient the other day.”

Realization dawned but he swept it away immediately. “What happened between me and another nurse is none of your concern. You should worry about yourself if you have so much free time, Irene.”

Her raised her finger and placed it on his chest. “I find it difficult to do that when my friend is crying in the bathroom over something you did.” She jabbed him in the chest several times, committing crimes she shouldn’t. She belatedly wondered if she could get into trouble for it. Or if he could get into trouble for his behavior.

Then she felt bad for outing Sine.

“Your friend needs to grow a spine and fight her own battles. Not everyone is going to coddle her going forward.”

Yup, Dr. Warren was no different to the stereotypical cocky doctors she had met throughout her career. Actually, he won the title of king that day! And she had enough of him.

She pulled away from him, away from the wall and luckily, he stepped back, giving her space to move. If he hadn’t, she would have given in to her impulses and kneed him. She was done.

“It’s called basic human decency,” she seethed. “Don’t look down on your coworkers. We work as a team, not as your slave.”

She stormed back to the nurses station, leaving him scowling in the hallway. Unsure what to do next, she wondered how she should act. Pretend like she didn’t blow up just then? He would come back in a moment to finish charting…

She didn’t get an opportunity to decide. Talia found her, eyes wide as she grabbed Irene by the arms and dragging her into the med room.

“What the hell just happened?” she demanded, her chest heaving with excitement. Irene was confused by the glint in her eyes.

“What?” she answered innocently, not wishing to give herself away.

Talia cocked her brow. “Seriously? You’re going to deny the show you two just put on?”

Irene glanced behind her, worried. The door was closed and there was no one else. “Did people see us?” she asked anxiously.

“Just me, I think.”

She sighed in relief.

“What was it about, anyway?”

She saw no point in lying. If there was one person at work she could trust at the moment, it would be Talia. “I called him out in front of his patient,” she explained. Talia’s eyes widened comically, so Irene added quickly, “On purpose. To piss him off.”

The explanation made the situation worse.

“Oh my!” she whispered excitedly. “Was it because of the phone call the other day?”

Irene went on to tell her the whole story, leaving out the part about how nice he smelled as he tried to restrain himself from murdering her in the hallway.

Talia laughed loudly. “I can’t wait to tell Andy,” she chortled.

Irene gasped, her eyes widening in alarm. “No! You can’t tell Andy,” she argued.

“Why not?”

“I don’t want people to know, Talia. I’ve been here a week! Please don’t tell Andy.”

She frowned in disappointed but eventually nodded. “I won’t. Your secret is safe with me,” she assured. She looked like Irene had snatched away her only source of joy.

She sighed and thanked her.

Slowly, they made their way back to the nursing station. Irene considered hiding in a patient’s room but refused to give Dr. Warren the satisfaction. Moreover, the door to the med room was visible from where he sat. She hoped he was already gone, though.

As she exited the room, she saw him still there, brooding over the chart and flipping through papers with more force than required. He didn’t see her until she passed him in the station.

His green eyes met hers, more heated than she remembered. She could have melted at their intensity. He was practically inviting her for a rematch.

She escaped into the break room, trying to calm her heavy breathing. She had to figure out what she was feeling. Dr. Warren obviously had the qualities of a snake charmer, because she would have to use every fiber of her being to avoid being bewitched by him.