“I don’t know,” Avery admitted.“I asked him about it Monday morning, and he wanted to talk about Panama City instead.He briefly scanned over the list of supplies I’d made, but mostly, he just acted creepier than usual.”
“He’s hiding something,” Luciana said, her eyes narrowing.
“Si,” Ada immediately agreed.“He’s up to no good.”
Avery took a bite of her sandwich as she mulled that over.Although she didn’t like him much to begin with, she was starting to agree with the other nurses that something was afoul.In the month that she’d been there, he’d been getting more and more secretive.More closed off.They were never exactly friends, but he’d at least been cordial towards her.
Dr.Walters had even taken to disappearing at times during the day this week, leaving Avery and Luciana to handle things.While Avery had assumed he’d been seeing patients in the other medical tent, that wasn’t the case.Ada, Isabella, and the other nurses who rotated in and out of that tent said he was never there.No one knew where he went, and given the huge workload they had, it made no sense for him to essentially be AWOL in the middle of the busy day.
“We need to confront him about this,” Ada said seriously.“I don’t want to get into any trouble because of him and whatever those boxes contain.My family is counting on my paycheck.”
“I understand,” Avery told her, eyeing the other woman.Ada was married with young kids.She had elderly parents to support as well.None of the nurses here wanted any problems because of whatever Dr.Walters was or wasn’t hiding.“We’re going to get to the bottom of this.Do you suspect Dr.Brennan is involved in whatever Dr.Walters is hiding?”
“No,” both women said immediately.
Avery didn’t think so either, and she trusted the judgement of her nursing staff.“I agree,” she told them.“He seems clean and hasn’t acted suspiciously at all.I can either confront Dr.Walters directly, asking him about the extra boxes, or we can open any that we come across to see what’s inside.If he’s been hiding them all along, I’m certain that more will show up soon.Alternately, I could also speak with Dr.Brennan and see if he’s noticed anything suspicious.”
“Dr.Walters likes you,” Ada pointed out.“You could ask him, no?He wouldn’t tell Luciana and me, of that I am certain.But maybe he will tell you as a friend.”
Avery sighed.“I agree that he favors me, and I can’t stand that he’s so arrogant.I feel like he’s giving American men a bad name, and I promise they’re not all like that.”
“Like your Ryan,” Luciana said knowingly with a giggle.
“Oh stop,” Avery said with a laugh.“If I saw Ryan every single day, I wouldn’t be missing him so much.And let’s be real—absolutely no one is perfect.Not even me,” she joked as the other women giggled.
The women quieted as both doctors happened to come into the dining hall, talking animatedly about something.Brennan was raising his hands, looking agitated, and Walters was fuming.
“What’s that about?”Ada asked, nodding toward them.
“I don’t know,” Avery said, watching with interest.“I don’t think Brennan likes Walters too much either.I may have to chat with him after all.I’d rather find out what’s in the boxes first though,” she told the other nurses.“Then I can go to him with more information.I don’t want either of you getting into any trouble, so it’s probably best if I search them myself.”
“Avery,” Luciana said, shooting her a worried look.
“It makes sense for me to do it.I’m responsible for the inventory and managing the nursing staff here.If no more mysterious boxes show up, I’ll keep an eye on Walters but won’t question him.”
“And if they do?”Ada asked, leaning closer.
“I’ll open them, claiming I’m just doing regular inventory.If there’s anything illegal or harmful inside, I’ll confront him.Question what he’s doing.I’ll take it up the chain of command if I need to,” she said, growing angrier.“I don’t want any trouble here, and if Walters is behind something that is risking our jobs or our safety, he needs to go.”
