Chapter 2 - Someone Wanted Him Sick
I waited thirty seconds before pressing my ear closer to the door.
Not professional.
Definitely necessary.
Vincent spoke first.
“You've embarrassed the family long enough.”
Dominic's answer was weak but sharp.
“Funny. I thought getting shot was usually embarrassing for the shooter.”
“You don't know who shot you.”
“No?”
Silence.
Then Vincent said, “You should sign the papers.”
“What papers?”
“Temporary authority. Until you're healthy.”
Dominic laughed once.
“You mean until I'm dead.”
I stepped away as footsteps approached.
The door opened.
Vincent emerged.
He saw me.
“You listen at doors?”
“I monitor patients.”
“From hallways?”
“Sometimes.”
His smile disappeared.
“You won't be here long.”
“People keep saying that.”
Vincent walked away.
I returned to the bedroom.
Dominic was lying back again.
“What papers?”
“Not your concern.”
“Your brother wants control of something.”
“Everything.”
That answer came too quickly.
I checked his temperature.
103.1.
“You need a hospital.”
“No.”
“You could become septic.”
“No hospital.”
“Why?”
“Because the last time I was in one, someone entered my room dressed like an orderly.”
I stopped.
“What happened?”
“Leo noticed he wasn't wearing hospital-issued shoes.”
“And?”
“He wasn't an orderly.”
That explained the fortress.
“Fine. We treat you here.”
“You're staying?”
“You haven't fired me yet.”
“I fired you ten minutes ago.”
“You said get out. Very different.”
Again, that almost-smile.
I prepared his medication.
Then stopped.
The antibiotic vial looked normal.
The label didn't.
I held it toward the window.
“What?”
“Who prepared this?”
“Doctor.”
“Which doctor?”
“Dr. Bell.”
I inspected the seal.
Something was wrong.
“Don't take this.”
Dominic's eyes narrowed.
“Why?”
“The cap has been punctured.”
“So?”
“So this is supposed to be unopened.”
He sat straighter.
I called Leo.
He arrived immediately.
“Who has access to Mr. Rossi's medication?”
“Dr. Bell. Me. The nurses.”
“And family?”
“No.”
“Security?”
“No.”
I showed him the vial.
Leo's face changed.
“Where did you get that?”
“His medication cabinet.”
He took out his phone.
Dominic spoke.
“Nobody leaves the property.”
Leo nodded.
I looked between them.
“I'm going to need replacement antibiotics.”
Leo said, “I'll contact Bell.”
“No.”
Both men looked at me.
“I want medication from a pharmacy chosen randomly. Sealed package. I open it myself.”
Dominic studied me.
“You really don't trust anyone.”
“I worked emergency medicine. Trust is something you verify.”
Leo left.
Dominic watched me wash my hands.
“You think someone tampered with it?”
“I think I'm not injecting anything questionable into you.”
“Six nurses came before you.”
“Maybe they didn't look closely.”
“Why did you?”
I shrugged.
“Because I need this job.”
“That doesn't explain it.”
I looked at him.
“My father died because somebody missed something small.”
Dominic didn't ask for details.
For once, I appreciated his silence.
An hour later, Leo returned with sealed antibiotics.
I administered the first dose.
Dominic grimaced.
“You enjoy this?”
“Immensely.”
“You're strange.”
“So I've heard.”
That evening, his fever began dropping.
At midnight, I was reading his chart when he spoke.
“Nora.”
It was the first time he'd used my first name.
“Yes?”
“If something happens to me—”
“No.”
His eyebrow lifted.
“You don't even know what I was going to say.”
“You were about to give me some dramatic final instruction.”
“I was.”
“Save it.”
“You're remarkably disrespectful.”
“You're remarkably alive.”
He stared at the ceiling.
Then said, “Vincent wasn't always like this.”
I waited.
“He's my half brother. My father raised us to compete. Every meal. Every deal. Every mistake.”
“And now?”
“Now my father is dead.”
“So Vincent wants your chair.”
Dominic looked at me.
“My chair comes with enemies.”
“And money.”
“A lot of money.”
“How much?”
“Enough that you would never worry about rent again.”
“Sounds exhausting.”
That made him laugh.
Actually laugh.
It turned into coughing.
I handed him water.
“You're terrible at being intimidating while dehydrated.”
His fingers brushed mine around the glass.
For one second, neither of us moved.
Then Leo burst into the room.
“We found something.”
Dominic's expression hardened.
“What?”
“A camera.”
“Where?”
Leo pointed toward the ceiling vent.
“Inside your bedroom.”
Dominic looked at me.
Someone had been watching everything.
Including me discovering the medication.
Leo's phone rang.
He answered.
His face went pale.
“What?” Dominic demanded.
Leo lowered the phone.
“The pharmacy courier who delivered the medication yesterday is dead.”
The room went silent.
Then Dominic looked directly at me.
“You need to leave this house.”
I shook my head.
“No.”
His voice hardened.
“Nora, this isn't about your rent anymore.”
“I know.”
“They know you've seen the vial.”
“I know.”
“You could die.”
I met his eyes.
May you like
“Then maybe you should stop trying to.”
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