From my angle, I can see Julia trying to swallow her smile and I can practically hear her voice in my head repeating, “As per my last email!”
The lawyers introduce themselves, but I don’t bother committing their names to memory. They dive in, starting with the basics, but it quickly becomes apparent these men are not on Julia’s side. In less than two minutes flat, they go from confirming her home address to asking about her “emotional state” when she was filming the video of the doctor drinking.
“Who took the video you submitted to hospital administration?”
“You mean the video submitted to the anonymous whistleblower program, right?” Julia asks sweetly.
The lawyers ignore that. “Did you take that video or was it someone else?”
“I did.”
“And what did you believe you were filming?”
“I know what I was filming. It’s pretty clear. You have seen it, right?”
Janelle taps Julia’s forearm, her face pinched into an expression that can only be interpreted as: “Knock. It. Off.”
Julia shifts in her seat and then says, “It was Dr. Grimaldi, one of the resident physicians in the pediatric department, drinking from what appeared to be a flask before returning to the building.”
“What were you doing in the parking garage that afternoon?”
“Eating lunch.”
“In your vehicle?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you use any of the dining areas provided inside the hospital?”
“I needed a minute alone.”
“Is that a common thing for you?”
Janelle puts a hand out to keep Julia from speaking, “Can you clarify the question?”
“Do you often take your breaks in your vehicle?”
“No.”
“So this was a special occasion.”
“No.”
The lawyer sighs. “Why were you eating in your vehicle on this particular day?”
“We lost a patient that morning.”
“So you were grieving.”
“No. I just needed a minute alone.”
“How would you summarize your mental state that afternoon?”
I’m so angry, I’m shaking. After everything the hospital has put Julia through, all for doing the right thing, to have them come after her like this is… almost too much for me to take. The only reason I haven’t lost my shit is that I can see Janelle ready to spit fire, and I know it won’t help if I open my mouth right now.
Still, my heart is pounding away in my chest and I have to force myself to breathe at a measured pace. A soft cracking sound echoes through the room and everyone turns to look at me. It’s only then that I realize it came from my knuckles. My fists are clenched at my sides so tight that my joints are audibly popping.
Julia leans back in her chair to peer at me from behind Janelle. She raises an eyebrow, her eyes sweeping over me hungrily as she tries to contain that smile of hers. I stare straight ahead and spread my fingers out, forcing them to relax.