"Oh, that? That is just something I prescribed for her back pains. She came to me with the pain and I...she had a tough delivery. She's supposed to see a specialist. I thought it would help."

"Oxycodone is too powerful and addictive for that kind of prescription."

"She has anemia, other issues. It was the best fit considering her work schedule and the job she does. Look, it was my call. I was her original physician and I don't owe you any answers. I resent this line of questioning on a patient's private care."

"A patient that is no longer yours?" Mathew asked.

"I already explained that. Anything else?"

"No." He turned for the door, and then stopped with his finger pointed north, tapping it at his temple. "Oh by the way, I'm sure you've filled out the 1380 Form on this, prescribing a narcotic to a nurse that works for you. Murphy is a stickler for details."

"Of course I did," Patel said stiffly.

Mathew smiled. "Of course you did."

She was running late. It was almost lunch. There just weren't enough hours in the day to balance out her life. Hurrying to the elevator, she checked her watch, barely dodging staff and patients. She wondered if Mathew was in surgery. She stopped at the bakery and got him a treat. A small thank you for being a friend. The elevator doors closed on the secretive smile she wore. Smiling was becoming a new habit of hers. When they opened her breath caught at the sight of Murphy and Patel near the nurses' station. The sight of them together immediately set her teeth on edge. There was something in the way Patel looked up at her, the way Murphy frowned. With no other choice, she approached.

"Kim, you're just in time. Were you aware of a breech in the medical supply room?"

"Breech?" she asked, removing her purse. She looked to Patel who smirked, then back to Murphy. "No, what happened?"

"Patel says that the sample box of Vicodin was opened. He and Dr. Ishmael are the only ones prescribing on this floor. Were you aware?"

"It's the first I heard of it."

"That settles it. I want a full investigation, Nurse Jensen. If we find that we can't track which nurse distributed the Vicodin and to whom, we will do a mandatory drug screening. You see to it."

"Yes, yes I will."

Dr. Murphy walked off. Kim held to her calm, barely. "Good luck," Patel said, strolling off. Finally she allowed her lungs to expand and take in the air she denied during the brief questioning. She closed her eyes to the short-lived relief. She waited for the panic to pa.s.s. What was she going to do? Whatever it was she had to do it fast.

"Boo!"

Kim jumped. She whirled to find Mathew behind her smiling. She rewarded him with the smile he had missed all day. "What are you trying to do, put me on one of those stretchers behind you?"

Mathew looked back at the stretcher and remembered how nice her body felt last night while he held her. "Think it can fit in my office?"

She hit his arm playfully, and moved to drop files in their folder. He peeked over her shoulder. "Paperwork?"

"Murphy wants an investigation," she sighed.

"On?"

"A drug screening on my nurses. Thanks to Patel."

He caught the strain in her voice. Saw how her hands moved quickly over one thing to the next. "Why would Patel want the nurses to have a drug screening?"

"Huh?"

"Why would Dr. Patel request that your nurses be tested?"

She looked back over his shoulder, flashing that smile that made him lose his way in every conversation.

"Because he's a jerk and wants me to spend all my time behind the desk filling out forms. You know why."

Mathew stepped back so she could go to the bottom file drawer. Her bending over gave her rounded romp a s.e.xy lift that he had no choice but to notice. She closed the drawer and turned around. "It's not a test yet. I have to investigate a mistake in the medical closet. Someone opened a sealed sample box and didn't report it. So I just need to clear that up."

Mathew looked back to the medical closet then to the keycard on her hip. "Aren't you the one in charge of that closet?"

"Well, yeah, but, sometimes I pa.s.s the keycard off on the charge nurses, so you know it gets busy and I get buried, so sometimes I do."

"Okay."

"So what time tomorrow?" Kim perked up.

"Tomorrow, huh?"

"My day off, your day off, you sure about this, my boys are cute when they're in their house but terrors on the open sea." Kim laughed.

He laughed. "Oh I'm more than sure. Let's get out early so we can set sail and enjoy the day. How about I pick you up at seven?"

"Nope, I got my car fixed," she grinned. "I'll meet you down at the marina. Besides you can't get their car seats in that monster thing you drive."

"I got skills, darlin''."

"Yes you do," she smiled.

"Dr. Donnelly, you're needed in the ER," Lacy said. Mathew gave Kim another wink then withdrew. She blushed so hard Lacy stopped and frowned. She looked from her to the leaving doctor then back again. "I know... there's no way you and Dr. Hottie are getting it on?"

"Of course not. He's a colleague," Kim mumbled.

"Been over a year and I can't get you to date, Jerry but you grinning for the white boy surgeon? Interesting."

"What does his being white have to do with anything?"

"Nothing, everything. I just didn't think you were down with the swirl."

"I'm married." Kim stopped herself. "I mean I have no time for romance, swirl or not. Besides, cute comes in many flavors." Kim shot her brow up. "You need to taste the rainbow."

Lacy laughed, and so did she. When Lacy moved on, she sat down, her smile slowly fading. She couldn't find one patient that she could pin the Vicodin on. She was stuck. If they tested her it would come up in her system along with the Oxy, and it was all over. The only choice left to her was to cover her tracks with another lie, manipulation. Dig a deeper hole for her self.

Rising, she marched from around the nurses' station and headed for Dr. Patel's office. She threw his door open to find he wasn't alone. He had a nurse pinned to his file cabinet. Both looked back, shocked at her appearance. The nurse had the same humiliated trapped look that she wore when cornered by the slime. "Andrea, leave."

"Yes, Kim," Andrea said, moving away from the doctor, keeping her eyes down. Kim closed the door on her.

"What was that?"

"It was you over-stepping your boundaries and entering my office uninvited," he seethed.

"No, it was you hara.s.sing my nurses again. It's time for this to stop."

"Or what? You're going to report me?"

Kim glared at him. He sat down. "Shouldn't you be investigating a thief in the medical supply closet?"

"You're not that bright are you, Patel?"

"What does that mean?"

"You keep robbing me of choices and the only one I'll have is to take you down with me."

He laughed. His laugh chilled her, but she didn't dare show it. He leaned forward on his desk. "You're the junkie, not me. What do I have to be worried about?"

"Prescribing me drugs for one."

"Who said I did?"

"You know you did, and I got the empty pill bottles to prove it."

"There's no paperwork to prove that I did. It's your word against mine. And when they find that c.o.c.ktail of drugs in your blood stream-"

"You gave them to me!"

"You're a nurse. You forged it for all I know. Who do you think they will believe when they find out what you did with that sample box? What you took? Even your little boyfriend will have to turn on you."

"My what?"

Patel shot up. "I told you we could do this nice. Gave you a chance to play it out my way, but you had to go and tell him about the Oxy."

"I didn't."

"The h.e.l.l you didn't. You did and he knows. In here this morning busting my chops. You think I'm going to let you ruin my career? My reputation? All roads lead back to you, the junkie nurse that took advantage of my kindness and spent every day putting the hospital in jeopardy. Treating patients while high, the list goes on. Murphy and the board will crucify you to save Mercy. I'm on that board, so I'll see to it."

"Why would you do this?"

Patel smiled. "Because women like you make me sick."

Kim's mind raced with the situation and the consequences. She could go to Mathew and tell him about Patel. Just confess it all and then they could go to Murphy. Surely Patel's offense was worse than hers.

"We don't have to go this route. I can back Murphy off." He waved his hand in the air, gesturing. "I can say the sample came out of my orders for a patient. No one has to know our secret."

She didn't say a word. She knew the trade off. He walked around the desk. "You think about it, Kim. We're talking about you losing everything. Your kids, your job, your hero doctor, everything." He stopped in front of her. "Or you can play nice and keep it all. I'll even sweeten it with another prescription of your favorite candy."

The stench of his coffee breath on her face clogged her nostrils. She wanted to throw up. "How long do you have before you have to give Murphy an answer, a week? I want my answer before that."

He touched her. She smacked his hand away. "This is my fault. I gave you this power. But if you think I'd give you more, you don't know me at all." She could hear his laughter as she slammed out of his office.

Kim swallowed her panic, her fear, mostly her rage. She feared she might really act on it this time. There were consequences for her actions. She knew that. Somehow she had to summon the courage to do what Diane never could. Face them.

Then as if G.o.d had heard her prayer she saw him. Mathew walked down the hall staring into a folder. He happened to look up and see her standing there on the verge of tears and he knew. One look into her eyes and he knew.

She walked toward him. "I'm in trouble. I need your help."

He nodded. "Okay."

He put a hand to her shoulder, turned her to the offices, to his. Once inside she went into his arms. She held tight to him, waiting for her heart to stop racing. Eventually he pulled her back to look her in the eye.

"What is it?"

"The medical supply room. I-I opened the sample box, and gave a patient what was inside. I didn't register it. Patel knows, and he's threatening me. I made a mistake."

"Threatening you?"

"I made a mistake, but it could cost me my job. I just need to get Patel off my back. He's been hara.s.sing me, he-" she paused at the anger she saw flash and darken Mathew's normally cool grey eyes. "No. Don't. I know he's been hara.s.sing other nurses. Don't go charging after him. Just help me get rid of him. The right way."

Mathew nodded. "Don't worry. I think I know how to deal with Patel."

"You do? What about what I did? The medical supply closet?"

"I'll take care of it. Let me handle it." He cupped her face. "I knew something was wrong with the way he fixated on you. He's gone too far. Get me a list of names of the nurses you know he's hara.s.sed. Can you do that?"

"Yes, yeah. I just saw one in his office. I can do it."

"Good." he kissed her forehead. Then smiled. "I'm glad you came to me. I'll help you."

Kim bit back on her guilt. She couldn't tell him the truth about the drugs. That truth would shatter her world beyond repair. Her plan was simple. Get rid of Patel, kick the habit, and no one need ever know. G.o.d help her. It was her only choice.

Chapter Sixteen.

Epiphany Simone "Interesting night, wasn't it?" Maryanne asked, running the brush through her golden mane. Cain looked up as he removed one shoe and then the other. Seated at the edge of the bed, their eyes locked, silent and watchful from her perch in front of her vanity mirror, staring at the reflection of his image.

"Your idea that they join us," he shrugged.

"Right, one you seemed to take to a bit too easily."

"Take to what?" he said standing and unb.u.t.toning his shirt. She continued to brush her hair. Long methodical strokes that he once found sultry, he now found excessive. Then she stopped. She set the brush down carefully, bristles pointed up. With the toss of her hair, she turned in her chair and smiled at him. "Not a what sweetie, a who. Simone Livingston."

Cain peeled off his shirt and dropped it on the bed. He should have seen this one coming. If he had cared as much as a husband should, he would have reigned in his adoration of another man's wife last night.