Don’t Fall for the Doctor by Lacey Bolt
Chapter 31
Ashley tapped on the open door to Gwen’s windowless office. Gwen looked up, eyebrows creased. That was as much of an invitation as Ashley could expect. She stepped inside cautiously and sat down in the cracked chair opposite Gwen’s desk.
Nothing could ruin her day today. Not when things were finally working out between her and Michael. She felt stronger than ever before. Almost immune to Gwen’s influence.
She cleared her throat and focused on controlling her facial expression. Steady and calm was the best way to ask Gwen for a favor. “I talked with Rachel, and she and I would like to formally switch main assignments. Specifically, she wants to take over my primary shifts in the cardiac units while I take over her shifts in the oncology wards.”
Gwen crossed her arms, leaned back in her chair, and said nothing.
Ashley clasped her hands on her lap. “It’s just that she and I both want to switch, and since we work the same hours, it won’t create too much extra work for you to rearrange the shifts.”
Gwen remained silent. Ashley couldn’t read her face. It was as blank as a brick wall.
She held her breath, waiting. This was the last little hurdle to jump through. She thought about Michael’s look last night when he left her apartment and sat up a little straighter.
Finally, Gwen blinked and pursed her lips. “Was this your idea, or Rachel’s?”
“Mine, but she said that she’d like to switch.” That wasn’t completely a lie. It was actually Michael who asked her if she would consider changing cleaning areas in the hospital. He said he’d feel awkward asking her to clean up his exam rooms in between patients. Rachel was willing to switch in exchange for some peanut butter brownies next week, but that was hardly a bribe. She would have baked the brownies for Rachel even if she wasn’t asking for a favor.
“Fine.” Gwen looked down at her desk and jotted something on a paper before glancing back up at Ashley. “Rachel can switch primary units if she wants. Tell her to let me know by the end of the day which unit she wants.”
Ashley’s heart leapt. “So I can switch to oncology?” She tried to keep the smile from spreading across her face.
Gwen stared at her, eyes unblinking. “No. You’re fired.”
Ashley froze, her mouth stuck somewhere between a smile and shock. Her chest tightened like all the oxygen had been sucked out of the room. She moved her head forward and tried to focus. “W-what?”
“You heard me. Have your locker cleaned out by the end of the day and turn in your badge to security on the way out. Your last paycheck will be mailed to you in two weeks. That’s all.” Gwen turned away from Ashley and shuffled through a pile of papers.
Ashley sat for a moment because she didn’t trust her legs to support her. Gwen had finally done it. Finally fired her. It was over. She was a failure. And now everyone else would know.
She pursed her lips together and studied Gwen’s face. The woman didn’t care that she ruined everything. She sat behind that desk like she ruled over a cleaning empire. She didn’t.
Ashley stood up and balled her fists. “Why do you hate me so much? You’ve been trying to fire me for months, and I haven’t done anything wrong!”
Gwen didn’t look up. “I don’t hate you. It’s not personal. You were late last week. You are clumsy and waste time cleaning up messes that you make. One of the cardiac clinic nurses, Theresa, let me know that last week, you caused a delay in their patient schedule because you spilled a bucket of water when you should have been cleaning up vomit in an exam room. She also let me know that you were making out in a stairwell yesterday.” Gwen’s voice was as cold as ice and devoid of any emotion.
“You can’t fire me for what I do when I’m not on the clock!”
“Doesn’t matter. You wasted an entire container of medical supplies when you spilled them on the floor last month. You broke a vacuum two months ago, and a package of tissue boxes were destroyed when you spilled a bucket of water. A stack of patient robes had to be rewashed when you spilled hand soap on them. A box of gloves was destroyed when —”
“Fine. I made mistakes. But I’ve never missed a shift. I’ve never complained about last-minute changes to my schedule. I’ve come in on weekends and evenings to cover for other people. That has to count for something.” Ashley spoke firmly, willing her voice not to crack.
“You already said that. I considered your past performance, which is why you weren’t fired weeks ago. But now I’ve changed my mind.” Gwen’s voice remained flat and bored as if she was discussing an upcoming budget meeting instead of someone’s livelihood.
“What’s the real reason?”
Gwen finally broke her frozen expression and looked away. She almost looked guilty.
Ashley sat back down, her mind made up. “I’m not leaving this office until I get the real answer. You’ve been threatening to fire me for months, and I have the right to know why you are firing me now.”
A shadow crept over Gwen’s face. She wouldn’t look directly at Ashley and focused on the wall behind her. “Arguing with me won’t change my mind.”
“Then tell me why you decided to fire me when you’re already short-staffed and can barely get all the shifts covered.”
Gwen finally looked at Ashley again with the familiar, disapproving glare that she must have perfected years ago, judging by the way the wrinkles were etched around her mouth and eyes. Ashley stared back. She wasn’t going to break eye contact first. Either she or Gwen would crack first, and it wasn’t going to be her.
After an eternity, Gwen finally looked away. “Fine, Ashley. You really want answers?” Gwen’s face changed, and she looked tired. Ashley nodded. Gwen’s face stiffened again, and when she spoke, her voice was as sharp as steel. “You are fired because you don’t belong in housekeeping. You were the worst cleaner I had on staff. I made a mistake by not firing you a long time ago. Stop by Human Resources on your way out to complete the paperwork for your severance pay.”
Ashley felt like she’d been slapped. She was mad. “Gwen—”
“Do I need to call security to escort you out?”
Ashley’s words caught in her throat. The fight was clearly over. Gwen won.
She stood up, gave Gwen one last glare, and left.