"Dr. Martin! We have something to discuss with you, when you have a moment," a voice called.
Martin turned around, "I have a moment now, what is wrong?"
"I will need to talk to you in my office," a stern man glared over round glasses.
Martin shrugged. "Ok."
He followed the tall man into the extremely organized, clean, white office.
"Have a seat Martin," the man ordered.
Martin sat on the white cushion chair and watched his boss take a seat at the mahogany desk.
Martin's boss pulled his spectacles off and cleared his throat, "Dr. Martin I'm afraid I have a… rather… delicate matter to discuss."
Martin shifted in his seat, "Ok…"
"We have, uh, received complaints about your, uh, methods," the man stated.
"What kind of complaints?" Martin asked.
"We have received many reports of your breaking several hospital and medical protocols," the nervous man explained.
"Like what?" Martin asked.
"Well, for one, with this new patient, Mr. Alex Pane, you broke a lot of HIPPA laws," the man sighed.
Martin rolled his eyes. Oh the HIPPA laws, the genius plan to keep medical records secret from even the closest family members. He always thought the laws were stupid, something lawyers came up with because they were bored. He disagreed with the intense protection of the laws. Yes, a person's medical information should be protected, but the HIPPA laws just took it too far.
"His wife deserved to know," Martin stated.
"It doesn't matter. HIPPA protocols states…" the man began to explain.
"Yes, yes, I know about the stupid protocols and the cabbage heads that created them. But she is his wife, with him for better or for worse. She needed to know," Martin argued.
"It is not your place to decide that. It was Mr. Pane who was supposed to voice his opinion. May I remind you as a doctor you must follow these laws," the man glared.
Martin's eyes seemed to hold a blue flame as he spoke calmly, "You may remind me, but I disagree with them."
"You would do well to remember your place, Dr. Martin," the man cautioned.
Martin rolled his eyes again in response.
The man looked back down at the list of complaints, "We also have record that you interrogated the patient, Mr. Pane."
Martin's mouth hung open in shock. Now that, he really knew was against the rules, but he didn't know how his boss knew.
"You are not a cop, Dr. Martin; it was not your place to question him. Especially if the patient was sensitive from the trauma he experienced," Martin's boss scolded.
Martin tried to keep back his laughter. If there was anything Alex Pane wasn't, it was sensitive. But what Martin really wanted to know was how his boss found out.
"This isn't a funny matter," Martin's boss chided, catching Martin's grin.
Martin cleared his throat, "Of course not, but how do you know that I questioned Mr. Pane?"
Martin's boss smiled, "Oh, Mr. Pane told us. As a businessman he makes it his job to know different laws. He wanted to know if what you did was lawful. Mr. Pane reported you."
Martin silently cursed under his breath, "That… that… prat!"
"Excuse me?" Martin's boss questioned, "What was that?"
Martin cleared his throat, "Nothing. Is there any other complaints concerning Mr. Pane?"
"Not Mr. Pane, but we do have other problems to discuss," the man stated.
"And they are?" Martin probed.
"Well, Dr. Martin you are a very successful surgeon, sometimes too successful," his boss began to speak.
"I fail to see how that is a problem," Martin interrupted.
"Well, you see, we can't explain your success. Patients that should not have pulled through miraculously recover in your care. You never can explain your methods, and, well, the board wants to know them. Yet, we can't explain it. You seem to use unauthorized methods and we can't allow that," the man nervously explained.
"What are you saying?" Martin calmly asked, fighting his inner panic.
His boss nervously fidgeted in his chair and leaned forward, "Dr. Martin I'm afraid with the questioning of the board and your violation of the HIPPA laws we are going to have to, well, release you from your duties."
"Release me from my duties?" Martin repeated, his voice strained.
The nervous man nodded, "Yes Dr. Martin. I'm afraid that you are, well…" the man swallowed hard, "fired."
"Fired?" Martin asked, his voice thick with anxiety.
"Yes," his boss nodded again.
"But, I'm the best surgeon here. You just said I was successful," Martin protested.
"I'm afraid so, but your methods are just too mysterious. We can't keep you on because you will hurt this hospital's great name," the man tried to explain.
"I have a wife and young daughter. I am a good surgeon, it is all I know how to do," Martin argued.
"I'm sorry, but you won't be without employment. Luckily, someone else really wants to hire you for your skills," the man smiled.
"Who?" Martin asked, suspicious.
"Mrs. Pane would like you to be Mr. Pane's personal caretaker and help him till he recovers," the man smiled.
Martin's mouth hung open in shock, "What?"
"Before you get upset, she has offered to pay double the salary you made here. If I were you, I would take the job," the man explained.
"So I am supposed to be this man's… servant?" Martin scowled.
"No, no. You are just going to help him around the house, with his physical therapy, help him change, eat, and just be there for him," the man hastily replied.
"So I am going to be his servant," Martin repeated.
"No…" the man squeaked.
"I'm going to be a servant to that… that…" Martin huffed.
"Watch your mouth, he could be your next boss," the man warned.
"I don't want to be a servant!" Martin shouted.
"It isn't like he is a king. For goodness sake, don't over dramatize the situation," the man sighed, leaning back in his chair.
"He sure thinks he is," Martin responded, through clenched teeth.
"Well, you have a decision to make, and if you want my advice, I would take the job, for your family's sake," the worn out man sighed.
Martin stood up, "Thank you for your advice."
Martin trudged out of the office. What was he going to tell Feliciana?
Author's Note:
See I told you I would address his breaking hospital protocols. ;) Thanks for reading.