Broken Oaths in White Coats novel · Chapter 19 of 24

Chapter 19: Your Badge

The founding chairman got to his feet without his cane.

He walked to the base of the stage and read the message aloud.

"From Dr. Alastair Falkland to the chief executive. The twelfth of April."

The ballroom was silent.

"She is going to leave me in the fall. I'm sure of it. I won't be the one left." He paused. "Draft a medical leave in her name. Date it for the day of my award. If she goes first, we say she was unwell."

He lowered the page.

"And the CEO's reply. 'Understood. The program goes under Surgery while she's out. Nobody reads the foundation statements.'"

Nobody moved.

Four hundred people in evening dress sat looking at the head table.

The CEO's face had gone white.

"This was taken out of context," he said.

"It was sent in context, on a Tuesday afternoon," said the founding chairman. "Sit down, sir. You're no longer chief executive of this hospital."

"You can't do that on your own."

"I can do it with six signatures. I collected five at the bar before the soup." He nodded toward the board's table. "Would the sixth please wave."

A woman in silver lifted her hand.

The CEO sat down heavily.

Alastair had not moved at all.

He sat with his hands loosely folded on the cloth and looked at the screen.

Then he stood and buttoned his jacket, the same way he had in the boardroom.

"May I say something?"

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