An Audit in the Dark
At 7:30 AM, Nathan met with Dr. Miriam Ross in the physicians' private lounge on the sixth floor.
Miriam was sixty-two, a veteran OB/GYN with silver-streaked hair and an uncompromising moral compass. She examined the mass spectrometry prints and the exported dispensing logs Nathan laid on the coffee table.
"This is criminal manslaughter, Nathan," Miriam said, her hands trembling with rage. "Arthur Vance and Marcus Croft have completely compromised the integrity of this institution."
"We can't take this to the hospital board, Miriam," Nathan said. "Three of the board members are major shareholders in Apex BioPharma. The moment we file an internal grievance, the server logs will be wiped, the remaining capsules will be incinerated under the guise of 'routine disposal,' and Hannah and I will be blacklisted."
"Then where do we go?"
"The Office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania," Nathan answered. "Specifically, the Healthcare Fraud and Pediatric Protection Unit. I have a contact—Special Agent Thomas Miller. He's been investigating clinical trial discrepancies in Delaware for six months."
Before they could finalize the coordination, the lounge door was pushed open.
Two hospital security officers stepped inside, followed by Arthur Vance and the hospital’s chief legal counsel, a sharp-featured woman named Diane Sterling.
"Nathaniel Reyes," Diane Sterling stated, presenting a formal laminated document. "As of 7:15 AM, your clinical privileges and nursing license at St. Jude Memorial have been placed on emergency administrative suspension."
"On what grounds?" Miriam demanded, standing up to confront the attorney.
"Unauthorized breach of the central pharmaceutical vault, theft of proprietary research data, and unlawful harassment of patient families," Sterling replied smoothly. "Surrender your hospital identification, your master keys, and your personal mobile device immediately."
Nathan did not flinch. He slowly unclipped his hospital ID badge and placed it on the table. He produced his locker key and set it beside the badge.
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"You can suspend my badge, Diane," Nathan said calmly, looking straight into Arthur Vance's eyes. "But you cannot suspend the laws of analytical chemistry. Every grain of that compound is already cataloged off-site."
"Escort Mr. Reyes off the hospital grounds," Vance ordered the security guards, his voice trembling with barely controlled panic. "If he steps foot on this campus again, have him arrested for criminal trespass."
