Chapter 4 TROUBLE IN THE HOSPITAL II

The next morning at St. Havens Hospital felt heavier than the last. The hallways bustled with nurses rolling carts, the low hum of machines, the echo of hurried footsteps. The smell of disinfectant clung to everything, seeping into Nora Daniels' skin as she walked down the corridor with the rest of the interns.

Her stomach twisted with dread. Every step felt like walking into a storm she had no umbrella for.

Adrian Cole was waiting for them at the nurses' station, clipboard in hand, his posture as commanding as ever. He didn't need to raise his voice to command silence-the interns hushed themselves the second his eyes swept the group.

"Today," Adrian began, his tone clipped, "you'll be introduced to the rhythm of the hospital. Patients don't wait. Records don't wait. Neither do emergencies. If you fail to keep up, you will fall behind-and once you fall behind, you're useless."

The interns nodded, some scribbling notes furiously.

Nora just kept her head down, wishing she could disappear into the floor.

Adrian's gaze cut across the line of interns, landing squarely on her. He didn't even blink. "Daniels."

Her heart plummeted. "Y-yes, sir?"

"You'll be in charge of both the surgical ward and the emergency unit records. Alone."

The words hit her like a slap. The other interns gawked. A few smirked. Someone whispered under their breath, "He's setting her up to fail."

Maya's head snapped toward Adrian, her brows furrowed. "Sir, that's usually split between three people-"

Adrian didn't even look at her. "Is there a problem, intern?"

Maya's lips pressed into a thin line. She didn't dare answer.

Nora's hands clenched at her sides, but she forced her voice out. "No problem, sir."

A faint smirk tugged at Adrian's mouth before he turned back to his clipboard. "Good. Then prove you belong here."

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The day bled into chaos.

The surgical ward was a mountain of charts-patient notes, post-op updates, endless medication lists. Nora's pen scratched desperately across the pages, her handwriting slipping into a shaky scrawl. Every few minutes, a nurse would drop another pile on her desk.

By noon her fingers cramped, her back ached, and her stomach growled. But there was no time to eat. No time to breathe.

And then came the emergency unit.

The automatic doors burst open every other minute with new patients-an accident victim bleeding from his arm, a child coughing violently, a woman screaming in labor. Doctors shouted orders, nurses rushed past, and Nora sat at the tiny desk in the corner, her pen flying as she tried to keep up with every detail.

Her vision blurred from exhaustion.

"Intern!" a nurse barked. "Did you log the tetanus shot?"

Nora glanced down at her notes. Her chest squeezed-she couldn't find it. She must've missed it.

"Yes, ma'am," she lied, her voice trembling.

The nurse gave her a sharp look but hurried off before pressing further.

Her hands shook. One mistake could kill someone.

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By evening, the hallway was quieting down, but Nora was still at the desk, drowning in unfinished charts. The other interns had gone home hours ago, their laughter echoing faintly down the stairwell.

Only Maya lingered, her bag slung over her shoulder. She leaned against the wall, arms crossed, worry all over her face.

"Nora," she said softly. "This isn't normal. He's targeting you. Can't you see that?"

Nora shook her head quickly, forcing her pen across another line. "I can't stop, Maya. If I don't finish this, he'll use it to kick me out. I can't... I can't lose this chance."

Maya stepped closer, her voice fierce. "Then I'll help you."

"No." Nora's voice cracked. "He said I had to do it alone."

Maya hesitated, her jaw tight. Then she whispered, "Then let him try and fire both of us."

Nora's chest squeezed painfully. Tears stung her eyes, but she blinked them back. "Maya... please. I can't let you risk your future because of me."

For a long moment, silence hung between them. Finally, Maya sighed and sank down beside her. "Then at least I'll sit here with you. I don't care what he says."

Nora's throat burned. She wanted to argue, but she didn't have the strength. So she just whispered, "Thank you."

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It was past midnight when Nora finally stumbled out of the emergency ward, her eyes heavy, her arms aching from carrying stacks of files back to the archives.

She thought she was the last one in the building.

But as she turned the corner, Adrian Cole stepped into view.

Her blood ran cold.

He was leaning against the wall near the stairwell, his hands in the pockets of his white coat, as though he'd been waiting. His gray eyes flicked over her disheveled hair, her wrinkled scrubs, the sweat clinging to her temples.

"You're still here," he said simply.

Nora gripped the files tighter against her chest, her knees trembling. "I-I was finishing the records, sir."

Adrian's expression didn't change. "And did you finish them?"

"Yes, sir," she whispered.

He stepped closer, his voice low and sharp. "Good. Because this hospital doesn't have room for weak links. If you can't keep up, Daniels, I'll cut you out before you get the chance to hurt anyone."

Nora's lips parted, but no words came. The weight of his gaze pinned her in place.

Then he leaned just slightly closer, his words a knife disguised as calm. "One more thing. Don't think I don't know your type. Money-hungry. Willing to use anything-" his eyes swept her face in cold disdain, "-even your body-to get ahead. That won't work here."

Nora's breath caught like she'd been slapped.

"I-I would never-"

"Save it." His voice sliced through hers. "If I even suspect you're here for anything other than medicine, I'll have your license revoked before you can blink. Do you understand?"

Tears blurred her vision. She nodded quickly, unable to trust her voice.

"Good."

With that, Adrian turned sharply and walked away, his footsteps echoing against the tiles, leaving her standing frozen in the corridor.

The files nearly slipped from her arms as her knees buckled. She pressed against the wall, tears streaming silently down her face.

She had never felt so small.

And in the hollow quiet of St. Havens Hospital, one truth burned like fire in her chest.

Adrian Cole wasn't just trying to humiliate her.

He was trying to destroy her.