I smiled a little. "No need."
Joyce pushed the door open and gave a soft laugh.
"Filing a complaint won't do anything either. Isaac is the director. Every year he brings in millions in research funding for this hospital. You think they're going to let him go?"
"Even the State Health Department would praise him for putting the bigger picture first, for being fair and clean."
I ignored her. Pearl stormed off too, still fuming.
Joyce walked over to my desk, pulled up a chair, and sat down.
"Marion, Isaac wants you to hand over the surgical plan for the official from the State Health Department. The full procedure, the staffing, the family's contact information, the post-op precautions, everything. Put it together properly and give it to me."
"Isaac says there can't be a single mistake, or it'll cost us the top-tier hospital rating. And you can't afford to be the one who caused that."
I didn't look up.
"No."
She froze.
"On what grounds?"
"Hospital rules. Whoever performs the surgery uses their own plan. It keeps the operation clean and it makes responsibility clear. If you use my plan and the surgery fails, whose fault is that?"
"Yours, obviously—"
"If it's mine, then I do the surgery, and you don't need the plan at all."
That shut her up. She bit her lip hard.
"Marion, don't think you can corner me like this. If you won't give it to me, I'll have Isaac come and ask. He's the director. You wouldn't dare refuse him."
I said nothing. Right in front of her, I dragged the surgical plan into the trash, then formatted the computer.
Joyce stared, dumbfounded.
"Marion, are you insane? You wiped everything. Do you want to lose your job?"
I glanced up at her.
"Yes. I'm done."
Joyce lunged and grabbed my hand, gripping so hard it felt like she'd snap the bone.
"Marion, even if you're quitting, that's the hospital's patient data. What right do you have to wipe it?"
The pain made my vision go black. "What I wiped was my own work. The patient records are all in the system. You can pull them anytime. It's none of your business. Now let go of me!"
Joyce didn't let go. She looked at my belly, and something vicious flashed through her eyes.
She pretended to lose her footing and threw her whole weight into me.
My feet slipped and my lower back slammed into the desk.
The pain tore through me all at once. My hand went to my belly on instinct, cold sweat breaking over me.
Joyce took two steps back, a smug little smile on her face.
"Oh no, I'm so sorry, Marion. My foot slipped. I lost my balance."
I was so furious I raised my hand to slap her, but the door banged open and Isaac caught my wrist and flung it away hard.
"Marion! What are you doing?"
The same spot took a second blow, and I couldn't straighten up from the pain.
There was a dull, dragging ache low in my belly, and cold sweat soaked through the back of my shirt.
I clenched my teeth and couldn't get a single word out.
Isaac acted as if he saw none of it, planting himself in front of Joyce, his eyes cold on me.
"Marion, are you done? This is a hospital, not somewhere for you to throw a fit. Apologize to Joyce, now!"
I forced my head up, my face slick with sweat.
"Isaac, are you blind? She shoved me on purpose!"
He caught the wrongness in me and his expression stalled, but it went cold again fast.
"All I saw was you about to hit her. She knows you're pregnant. Why would she push you? Don't stand there slandering people!"
"Marion, you never used to be like this. Coming to blows over a title. You've truly outdone yourself in my eyes."
Right on cue, Joyce's eyes reddened. She hid behind Isaac, her voice thick with tears.
"Isaac, let it go. Marion's pregnant, her emotions are all over the place, I understand. She has more seniority than me. Why don't we just give her the Chief Physician spot after all, and let her be lead surgeon on the official's operation too—"
