The dean blinked.
I slid a signed document across her desk.
"Chad performing a single-handed thoracotomy? That was personally approved by Nellie."
"We're shouldering enormous risk, all to clean up the mess these two made. So, Dean Edwards, I can handle the fallout.
"But Chad Armstrong isn't the only one who needs to face consequences."
I pressed both hands flat against the desk. "If you don't deal with Nellie Sullivan properly, this will happen again.
"And next time, I'm not sure I'll be able to save this hospital."
The dean's expression turned grave.
Nellie was her protégée, someone who'd been at her side since medical school.
But when the hospital's core interests were at stake, even a protégée had to be dealt with.
Especially now, when she still needed me to save Ms. Henson's brother, Gregory.
"That ungrateful wretch! She thinks my patronage gives her license to do whatever she wants!"
She slammed the agreement down on the desk.
"You have my word. Not only will I block the research fellowship she's about to apply for, I'll kill her promotion report too.
"After this, she'll be stuck doing grunt work on the ground floor. She'll never get near a core position in this hospital again."