Bella nodded and muttered, "Brooklyn, Charlotte just brought her thug friend into the changing room again."
"He almost saw us half-naked. I told her that wasn't appropriate, and she just rolled her eyes at me."
I looked toward the end of the hallway.
A tall figure slipped past, the tattoos on his arms looking fierce and wild.
Before, I would've rushed over without hesitation. I would've driven him out and enforced the rules on the spot.
But now, I slowly sat back down.
I took a sip of the red date ginger tea my brother made for me and said flatly, "Those who dig their own graves will fall into them eventually. As for everything else—see less, say less, get involved less."
Bella froze, then smiled and nodded. "Got it. I'm heading home first. You should rest early too."
Dealing with smart people really is easier.
I still don't know what kind of freak Charlotte is, or where she crawled out from.
Only after dying once do you realize—you can't stop some people from chasing their own destruction.
So I can only keep my distance. That way, when the blood splatters, it won't hit me.
Just as I was about to leave, glass shattered near the lab window.
Then came Charlotte's exaggerated yelp. "Sorry! Little Lamb didn't mean to, okay!"
I sighed, got up, and walked over.
Charlotte stood frozen beside a puddle of dark red liquid. Shattered test tubes lay scattered across the floor.
Her tattooed childhood friend had his arm around her shoulders. "It's fine, Charlotte. Just a few bottles of blood."
The moment she saw me, Charlotte's eyes reddened. "Head Nurse, I just wanted to help deliver the samples..."
I looked at her, expressionless. "This blood was just drawn from a patient. It needs to be disinfected and handled immediately."
Raymond glared at me. "It's just a broken bottle. Do you have to be this nitpicky? You've scared Charlotte to tears!"
I let out a short laugh. "This sample may carry HIV. Blood has splattered everywhere—including on your little sweetheart's pant leg."
Charlotte's face went pale. She stumbled back two steps.
Raymond pulled her into his arms. "Who are you trying to scare? How many AIDS patients could there even be in a hospital? You're just making things hard for Charlotte on purpose."
Nurses and patients' families had already started gathering to watch.
Charlotte tugged Raymond's sleeve and said softly, "Raymond, forget it. Head Nurse Harding has always had it out for me. Don't fight with her because of me."
"I'm the best little lamb. I'm not afraid of being bullied!"
The way she said it—wronged yet restrained.
Raymond's anger flared. He pointed at my face and snarled, "Don't think you can bully people just because you're head nurse. This is workplace harassment!"
"It wasn't easy for Charlotte to test her way out of the mountains. She shows up to work every day, and you, you old hag, pick on her constantly."
I almost laughed. "Your Charlotte is 27. I skipped four grades and I'm only 25. Who's older?"
"And this is a hospital, not whatever street corner you crawl out from."
"Now leave. After disinfection, Charlotte will write an incident report."
Raymond's fist swung up, eyes bulging.
I didn't flinch. "Go ahead. Assaulting medical staff will land you behind bars."
Charlotte rushed over, tears brimming. "It's all my fault. I'll take responsibility, okay? Don't make things hard for Raymond..."
I rolled my eyes and let out a cold laugh. "If this sample is positive, can you take responsibility for the infection risk?"
"Nursing isn't playing house. That uniform isn't a costume for your little victim act."
