It wasn’t proven yet, but it appeared that Pat had kept at least one nurse from coming in to help solidify the case against Monica. The whole thing was stupid.

Monica sat in with Mrs. Levine, the HR representative, who began with the facts, and then started to embellish them.

“It doesn’t help your case that you were on the island enjoying the sights.”

“Enjoying the sights,” Monica practically yelled. “What are you talking about? I worked my ass off the whole time I was there.”

Mrs. Levine, with a polished expression of disbelief, peered at Monica over her cheaters. “According to one nurse at the clinic, you left on more than one occasion with a local for a… an affair.”

Monica felt steam come out her ears. “An affair? What the hell?”

“We still need to obtain her statement, but she said it was well known that you slept in this man’s home instead of the accommodations provided by Borderless Nurses.”

“There weren’t any damn accommodations. I was transferred to a clinic far away from anything. Dr. Eddy and Dr. Klein were both there. They’ll vouch for me.”

Mrs. Levine removed her dime-store glasses from her nose and crossed her arms over her chest. “Are you saying you didn’t spend time with a man on the island? A man who wasn’t a colleague or a patient?”

Monica stood at that point and crumbled her pink slip in her grasp. “I feel like I need a f**king lawyer.”

“Cussing at me will not change the facts. And that wasn’t an answer, Miss Mann. It’s one thing to leave your post with the intentions of helping others abroad. But to do so and use the good of our system for a free vacation with a lover…”

Monica wasn’t prone to violence, but she’d never wanted to punch someone so bad in her entire life.

She hobbled out of the building and practically ran into a familiar and unwelcome guest. “Dammit. What are you doing here?”

John tucked his hands in his pockets and peered behind her. “That bad?”

“They’re stupid. Have no idea what I’ve had to go through.”

“Wanna talk about it?”

Yes, but she didn’t think that someone to talk to about it was him. Her conversation with him held a whole different set of words.

In her haste to get out of the building she stepped down the stairs with the wrong foot and damn near ended up on her butt. John managed to keep her upright, his hand lingered on her arm longer than she wanted.

“Thanks,” she said as she stepped away.

“C’mon. I’ll buy you a drink.”

She rubbed a hand over her face. “John…”

“Just a drink. I know we have a lot to talk about. That can wait. Let’s just pretend we’ve only worked together and we’re shooting the crap after a bad shift. OK?” Some of the charm he’d held that encouraged her to go out with him the first time presented itself with his smile. She didn’t want to be his enemy, or the bitch in his life that he would judge all others against.

“Just a drink?”

His smile started to crack. “One cocktail. Or soda… your choice.”

Soda wouldn’t do for this day. “One drink.”

He smiled. “Want me to drive?”

Yeah, but she didn’t want to be without a car, or have an excuse to have more than one drink. “I’ll meet you at Joe’s.”

Joe’s was around the block from the hospital. The jukebox held some of the latest pop favorites and several from the eighties and beyond. The music wasn’t rap and filled with hate, which made it a decent spot for the staff to meet up after work. The last thing they needed after twelve hours was headache-inducing bass.

The cocktail waitress took their order and disappeared after leaving a bowl of salty pretzels on the table. Smart move. Monica started nibbling on them the minute she walked away.

“Pat’s been bad-mouthing you ever since you left,” John told her once their drinks arrived. Monica opted for a beer. It would take a while to get through and wouldn’t leave her hungry when she was done.

“I’m sure she had an audience with you.” Monica wanted to slap the words back into her mouth instantly.

John shrugged. “I wasn’t happy with you when you left, but I didn’t join her tirade. We had a really busy shift the day Shel called in sick.”

“I can’t help the fact that my replacement was ill. What was I supposed to do an ocean away?”

John tipped his drink back. “More than one person called Pat on her shit. Didn’t stop her from going to the DN.”

The director of nursing was Pat’s best friend. They’d known each other since nursing school, back in the Stone Age. “Great.”

“I wasn’t at work the day we heard you were missing. Deb called me at home.”

For once, Monica felt bad for John.

He took another swig of his drink, popped a few pretzels in his mouth.

“I survived.”

“Not before we all thought the worst. God, Monica, when I think of how our last conversation went—”

“Not our last conversation,” she reminded him. “I’m here now.”

He gave her a half smile. “Well. Pat seemed to have some remorse. Word got out that some of the fire guys took off to look for you, Pat didn’t even come to work. Then when she found out you were rescued… I don’t know, it’s like there was never any hitch in her plan. She went right back to bitch mode. Said if you were there only for work then what were you doing in a cave to begin with.”