Curtis didn't text back.
"I'm not hungry. Go ahead without me." Leanne pocketed her phone and returned to the office.
Several colleagues had returned from lunch when Leanne walked in, and she could sense something was off.
"Sandra is an idiot. She botched another surgery. She took it upon herself to perform a vitrectomy, and now, due to a mistake, the patient has suffered a hemorrhage in the vitreous body and gone blind. The family is causing a scene."
Donna was visibly annoyed. "The patient's husband has a temper like a ticking bomb, ready to explode at any moment. He's even threatening to take it to the press. If it blows up, our department will be the one to take the fall!"
Leanne inquired further. "Is it the patient with intraocular lymphoma?"
"Exactly!"
Leanne was bewildered. She had given Sandra clear guidance, yet something still went wrong.
Given Sandra's experience level, which was notably below average, a vitrectomy, a complex procedure, required supervision from a senior surgeon.
Ruben had explicitly stated he would oversee her operation on Friday. How did she end up operating alone?
Just then, someone called her out. "Dr. Castillo, Ruben wants to see you."
As Leanne approached the office, she could hear Ruben chastising Sandra inside. His voice was stern. "With your half-baked skills, what made you think you could perform this surgery alone?" Sandra retorted, still not conceding, "If Leanne can do it, why can't I?"
"The difference is that she can complete the surgery without causing a disaster. Now look at the mess you've created!" Ruben scolded, exasperated, "That patient's husband is already difficult to deal with. Now he's got an excuse to make trouble. Even the hospital director can't cover for you this time!"
Attempting to be coy, Sandra pleaded, "Ruben, please help me."
"Just keep your mouth shut, and don't say anything later."
Leanne knocked and entered to find Ruben's expression softening as he offered her a chair. "Leanne, please, have a seat."
Expecting awful news, Leanne chose to stand, her hands in her lab coat pockets. "I'd rather stand. Just get to the point."
Trying to appear kind, Ruben began, "Here's the situation. Sandra had a slight mishap during surgery, and now, the patient's family is making a huge fuss. If this gets out online, you know how powerful online backlash can be. It could drown our hospital."
Leanne listened quietly, waiting for him to continue.
He slid a surgery report across the desk. It was for the patient in Bed Seven who had gone blind, but Leanne's name appeared as the lead surgeon.
Ruben got to the point. "I was hoping you could... take the fall for this one."
"You want me to take the blame?" Leanne was incredulous. "Do I look like a pushover?"
"It's not about taking the blame. It's for the reputation of our hospital," Ruben tried to reason. "If it's on Sandra, it's a scandal. If it's on you, it's a minor incident. You understand, right?"
Leanne didn't buy it. "Not really."
Ruben had to be more direct. "With your husband's influence, covering it up would be a breeze for you. Just consider it a small sacrifice for the sake of our hospital."
"Don't worry. I'll talk to the hospital director and ensure you're promoted to associate chief physician sooner. It's rare for someone your age to reach such a position. The last youngest associate chief physician in our hospital was thirty-two."
Leanne's hand emerged from her pocket, revealing a phone that had been recording for the last five minutes.
She held it up to Ruben. "Just to clarify, you fabricated the surgery report to make me take the fall for Sandra's medical mishap, and you promised to manipulate the situation with the director to secure my promotion, correct?"
Ruben was speechless, his face turning a shade of anger, his mouth twitching. "Turn it off."
Leanne paused the recording, saved the file, and returned the phone to her pocket. "If nothing else, I'll be leaving now."
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