Chapter 2
"Go back and transcribe the medical handbook a hundred times. Then write a reflection letter and really reflect on your actions. Tomorrow, you're going to apologize to the patient's family," I snapped.
"If you stir up any more trouble, hand in your lab coat and leave," I warned.
With that, I flung my gloves in her face and stormed off.
"Wait a second," Leon called after me.
He blocked my way, standing protectively in front of Lauren.
"We're colleagues. Do you really have to go that far?" he said.
I stared him down, then pointed at Lauren, who was shaking all over.
"So why did she have to be so ruthless? Is she only happy if someone gets killed?" I snapped.
Lauren's tears just kept falling, one after another, like beads from a broken string.
"If Bethany wants to punish me, I'll admit I messed up," Lauren said, her voice shaking.
"Just take it out on me, okay? Please, leave everyone else out of it," she pleaded.
Lauren sniffled and added, "Could you maybe cut me some slack?"
"If I get punished... I won't be able to get my residency certification," she whispered.
My colleagues couldn't stand to see her like that and started sticking up for her.
"Why are you making such a big deal out of this?" one of them said.
"She didn't mean it," another chimed in.
"Yeah, are you just jealous because Lauren's so pretty and taking it out on her?" someone else added.
That was just how they always were.
Whenever something happened, they jumped to defend Lauren, without caring who was actually right or wrong.
No wonder she thinks she can get away with anything, never realizing there are consequences.
I cut them off.
"Even the tiniest mistake could mean a patient dies on the operating table!" I snapped.
"I'm not making such a big deal out of this. I'm holding myself to a higher standard for my patients, and for the responsibility that comes with this white coat!
"And she kicked the operating room door! She should be fired for that! Making her write a reflection letter is already letting her off easy!
"She screws up, then doesn't want to take responsibility? She wants to have it both ways? Is she still in kindergarten or what?
By this point, I'd had enough. I shot Lauren a warning.
"Go write your reflection letter. If you're still crying and making a scene when I'm done with my next surgery, you'll have to deal with the consequences yourself!" I said.
With that, I turned and walked away.
The next surgery dragged on for over ten hours, finally wrapping up the next morning.
By the time it was over, I was completely wiped out.
When I stepped out of the operating room, Lauren was waiting at the door with a whole crowd. The moment she saw me, she fell to her knees with a thud right in front of me.
"Bethany, I swear I didn't mean any harm," Lauren said, her voice trembling.
"See? The patient's okay, isn't he?" she added.
"Okay, maybe it was my fault, but I've really thought about what I did. Please, don't report me," she pleaded.
She always pulled this stunt. She messed things up, then turned on the waterworks and acted all pitiful, hoping to wriggle out of taking responsibility.
But I wasn't falling for her act.
"Save the kneeling for the patient's family, not me," I said, my voice ice-cold.
"If you know you screwed up, then you should take your punishment," I said.
I stepped around her and headed straight back to my office.
After pulling an all-nighter in the operating room, I could barely stay on my feet, and everything was spinning in front of my eyes.
I'd just changed out of my scrubs and hadn't even had a chance to sit down when a nurse came rushing over, out of breath.
"Dr. John, something's happened! You're blowing up online!" she blurted out.
My stomach dropped as the image of Lauren kneeling flashed through my mind. Something told me this wasn't good.
"Hot search? What's going on?" I asked, tension creeping into my voice.
"Look at this... 'Intern Bullied, Forced to Kneel Before Her Senior Doctor,'" the nurse stammered, handing me her phone.
Sure enough, it was the video of Lauren on her knees in front of me, and the view count was already pushing a million.
"When reporters went to interview Lauren, they happened to catch her attempting suicide by taking sleeping pills. She even left a note saying that as long as it would calm my anger, she was willing to die," the nurse explained, her voice trembling.
If she really wanted to end it all, would she be putting on a sob story for the cameras, trying to make herself look innocent?
I downloaded the video to my phone to keep as evidence.
"Her acting skills are something else. She could outshine those pretty boy actors any day," I muttered.
The nurse was practically panicking. "Dr. John, you need to figure something out. Maybe you should get out of here and lay low for now."
The office door burst open out of nowhere.
Adam Gallagher, the director, stormed in, his face thunderous with anger.
He looked like he was out for blood, clearly here to call me out.
"Bethany John! I trusted you to mentor Lauren, and instead of taking care of her, you're pushing her around and pulling workplace bullying stunts!" Adam snapped.
"First, you hit her, then you make her kneel. Do you think this hospital is some kind of mafia hangout?" he shouted.
Seeing Adam's dark expression, I said calmly, "Adam, do you even know why I hit her?"
Before I could get a word in, Leon jumped in and cut me off.
"Adam, Lauren has always been diligent and responsible since she started her internship," Leon said, sounding genuinely concerned.
"When things get hectic, she's gone more than thirty hours without sleep. I tried to convince her to take a break, but she refused to leave her post," he continued.
"She was so worn out from all those sleepless nights that her heart started hurting. She stumbled and bumped into the OR door, but she was just worried Dr. John would think she was interfering with the operation," Leon explained.
"Adam, Dr. John treats the interns like they're nothing, working them to the bone. Lauren's really had it rough!" Leon said, his voice full of sympathy.
I never planned to bring up the whole intern issue in front of everyone.
But come on, other interns could finish the same tasks in half an hour, while Lauren took five hours and still couldn't get it right. Was it really my fault if she ended up working overtime?