On Call for Someone Else

Rita pinned the blame squarely on me, instantly drawing contemptuous looks from everyone around us.

My heart felt as though it had plunged into a bottomless abyss. I roared, "It wasn't me—it was Julia—"

Before I could finish, Rita slapped me across the face and shouted angrily, "That's enough! Kevin, stop dragging other people into this. If you make a mistake, own it!"

The onlookers all assumed I was lashing out because I'd been exposed, and they began pointing at me in disgust.

One of the younger men from the patient's family rushed forward and punched me to the ground.

"You're still trying to argue? Are you refusing to compensate my sister?!"

My teeth cut into the inside of my mouth. A thin line of blood spilled from the corner of my lips and dripped onto my white coat.

Someone gasped.

"He's hurt?!"

Rita snapped back to attention and frowned sharply.

"What injury? He just got hit once. Stop exaggerating."

Afraid the situation would escalate further, several people hurriedly pulled the family member away and helped me into an empty consultation room to disinfect the wound.

Before leaving, someone sighed at me.

"Dr. Miller… you really handled this poorly."

I sat there numbly, holding a cotton swab as I applied medicine to my swollen cheekbone.

Not long after, Rita entered with a dark expression. She snatched the cotton swab from my hand, soaked it heavily in iodine solution, and pressed it against my face. Yet, her movements were unexpectedly gentle.

After calming her breathing, she said, "The patient's family made their demands. They want you to kneel and apologize, then pay fifty thousand dollars in compensation."

"Kevin, if this falls on Julian, it'll ruin his future. But for you, it's only a loss of reputation. Don't blame me. This is the best solution. Once everyone forgets about this, I'll promote you and give you a raise."

I shook my head.

"I'm not going."

After all, I was about to become vice director at another hospital.

Rita's expression darkened instantly. She threw down the cotton swab, and it bounced against my face painfully.

At that moment, Julian pushed the door open, looking as though he had suffered a tremendous injustice.

"Kevin, I apologized to the family on your behalf earlier, and they hit me. I know you hate me, but if news of a scandal like this spreads through the hospital and you refuse to step up, do you know how much damage it'll cause? For the hospital's sake, just admit it already!"

"You got hit?!"

Rita panicked immediately and lifted his clothes to examine him.

Julian pushed at her theatrically and pointed toward me.

Only then did she seem to realize how inappropriate her reaction looked. She coughed lightly.

"Kevin, look at how much Julian has sacrificed for you. Stop being difficult. Go outside right now and admit your mistake, or I'll have no choice but to fire you to satisfy everyone."

She was so worried about Julian that she couldn't even be bothered to keep pretending with me anymore. She actually threatened me with termination.

Clearly, this disaster had been caused by Julian, yet somehow it had become "for my own good."

The absurdity of it nearly made me laugh.

"Fine. Then fire me."

Rita froze.

I stood up and removed the bloodstained white coat.

"Rita, if you fire me without cause, then based on my seven years of employment, you'll owe me compensation. Thank you for your generosity."

Her face darkened furiously as she knocked the medical kit onto the floor.

"Kevin, are you so desperate for money that you're actually scheming against me now?!"

But Julian's eyes gleamed with delight, as though driving me away had always been his ultimate goal.

"Rita, so it was about the money all along! I never expected Kevin to be this materialistic. Forget it, just give it to him. His fourteen months of salary probably isn't even worth as much as the watch you gave me."

He deliberately raised his wrist, displaying the expensive Patek Philippe watch strapped to it.

Hospital regulations explicitly prohibited staff from wearing jewelry of any kind. Yet, Rita had broken the rules for him again and again.

The wife who constantly cried poor in front of me—who said running the hospital wasn't easy and begged me not to pressure her for promotions or raises—could casually spend hundreds of thousands on a watch for Julian.

Still, Rita acted as though she were entirely justified. She sneered coldly.

"Kevin, why don't you thank Julian? Your knees must be awfully precious. As long as you kneel and apologize, the money is yours. I'm taking Julian to get checked for injuries."

She shot me a glare before helping the "injured" Julian out of the room.

Then suddenly, the phone lying on the table lit up.

A person with a black cat profile picture had sent me a single question mark.