All Chapters of Zero Bonus for Saving Lives: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

I told Gerald Sneed I wanted a month off. Manager Sneed's practiced smile vanished, replaced by the look of a man savoring a petty little victory."That's more like it, Dr. Cole." He clapped a hand on my shoulder, his tone dripping with condescension. "A wise man bows to reality. You can be the best surgeon in the city, and it still won't matter once public opinion turns on you. Push back, and you risk dragging the whole hospital's reputation down with you."I stared at his oily face and felt my stomach turn. I didn't waste another word on him. I turned and walked straight out of the Medical Affairs Office.The smell of antiseptic in the hallway seemed sharper than usual today. My heart went cold.I'd given this hospital ten years of my life, wholeheartedly. I'd answered the two a.m. emergency calls. I'd stood at the table through surgeries that ran seventy-two hours straight. I'd pulled more patients back from the brink of death than I could count. My skill, my name—in the surgery

The lights in the livestream studio were harsher than any surgical lamp I'd ever worked under. Manager Sneed stood beside me, the corner of his mouth curled into a satisfied smile. On the phone screen in front of us, comments scrolled by in an endless stream.[Rotten doctor, get out of medicine!][Won't even let ten dollars slide, people like this should lose their license!][Glad the hospital's dealing with him, good riddance!]My heart went cold in an instant.Sneed nudged me with his elbow, his voice low. "Your turn to talk, Dr. Cole. Make it sound sincere."I lifted my head and looked into the camera. I took a deep breath, and when I spoke, my voice came out hoarse. "Regarding this incident, I admit my mistake. I failed the trust my patients placed in me, and I failed everything this hospital invested in training me."The comments exploded.[At least he knows it!][Admitting it now? Where was that honesty before?!][A doctor like this shouldn't be allowed near patients!]

The video seemed to have been filmed right in a hospital room. A burly, crew-cut man in his middle years sat with his left arm in a cast, suspended in a sling across his chest. It was Marcus, the patient I'd pulled back from the brink of death that day. His eyes were bloodshot, and he was roaring at a few people standing just off-camera."Get on your knees!"The camera jolted, and a middle-aged woman and two young people dropped straight to the floor with a thud. They were the same family who'd strutted around the Medical Affairs Office that day, throwing their weight around at my expense."You bunch of idiots! Have you lost your damn minds?" Marcus jabbed a finger at them, spit flying as he tore into them. "Dr. Cole pulled this arm of mine back from the grave, one cut, one stitch at a time! And you wanted to ruin the man who saved my life over ten dollars' worth of glucose solution? Did the dogs eat your conscience?"The middle-aged woman sobbed out a defense. "I... I didn't know

For a long moment, neither of us spoke. Then Director Higgins broke the silence."Dr. Cole..." He took a step forward, an almost ingratiating smile on his face. "Could we... come in and talk?"I said nothing. I just stepped aside and let them through the doorway.Manager Sneed gave a cold snort and pushed his way in first. Director Higgins sighed and followed, casting a careful, appraising look around my home."Sit wherever," I said flatly, then turned to go pour them some water."Don't bother!" Manager Sneed slammed a hand down on the arm of the couch, his voice sharp. "Don't push your luck! The hospital has already lifted your disciplinary action, and your bonus has been paid out double. What more do you want? We've all seen the videos going around online. Just because your name's clean again, does that mean you get to forget who gave you the platform to shine in the first place?"I carried two glasses of water over to them. I set one down gently on the coffee table in front of

Director Higgins's lips moved, but no words came out. For the first time, something like shame crossed his aging face.I understood. I'm no saint. When you've been wronged, betrayed, thrown out onto a public stage to take the fall, it hurts. It leaves you cold inside. A heart that's been burned raw doesn't just warm back up because someone finally says the right thing."Director Higgins." I walked to the door and pulled it open. "Please, see yourselves out. Lyntica General is a fine hospital, but it isn't the right place for me anymore. Sterling Union needs me. So do the patients who spoke up for me online. A doctor's hands belong on a scalpel, saving the people worth saving, not wrapped around a wineglass, smoothing over dirty office politics."Director Higgins looked at me for a long moment, then turned and shuffled out, shoulders bowed, looking utterly lost. As he passed Manager Sneed, he said only one thing."Tomorrow, you're going in front of the Ethics and Compliance Board to