Chapter 5 - the doctor who remembered nothing
Dr. Michael Reed stood in the records department of St. Aurelia Medical Center, staring at a file that should not have existed.
The patient’s name was Lily Hart.
The address belonged to the house where Michael had grown up.
The emergency contact was Samuel Hart.
Michael read the name again.
Samuel Hart.
His father.
According to everything Michael had been told, Samuel died six years earlier after suffering a heart attack at home.
Victor Cross had shown him the obituary.
Lenora Vale had arranged for a therapist to help Michael process the loss.
Michael had not attended the funeral because he was recovering from the crash and could barely remember his own name.
For months after waking in the Meridian rehabilitation center, he had known only fragments of his past.
A garage filled with sunlight.
A woman’s laughter.
The smell of engine oil.
A silver locket held in his hand.
Victor told him his name was Michael Reed.
The identification documents supported it.
The medical license supported it.
His memories returned slowly, but whenever he asked about Samuel or Evelyn, Victor said they were dead.
Michael eventually accepted the story because he had no evidence against it.
Until now.
He opened Lily’s financial file.
Three charity applications had been submitted.
All three had been removed from standard review and placed under administrative restriction.
The authorization code belonged to Lenora Vale.
Michael printed the activity log.
The records clerk appeared behind him.
“Doctor Reed?”
Michael quickly closed the file.
“Who requested this patient’s restriction?”
The clerk looked uncomfortable.
“You saw the code.”
“I want a name.”
“Administrator Vale.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know.”
“Remove it.”
“I can’t.”
“You can under an emergency care override.”
“The system disabled overrides for this account.”
Michael turned toward her.
“That is illegal.”
The clerk lowered her voice.
“Then you should ask why your own access was used to approve it.”
Michael stared at the screen.
His identification number appeared beside the restriction.
“I never approved this.”
“I know.”
“How?”
“Because you were performing surgery when the authorization was entered.”
Michael printed the security log.
“Has anyone else accessed this file?”
The clerk checked.
“One person opened it yesterday.”
“Who?”
She hesitated.
“Evelyn Cross.”
The room seemed to tilt.
“That’s impossible.”
“The access was remote, but the credentials were valid.”
“Evelyn Cross is dead.”
The clerk said nothing.
Michael grabbed the file and headed toward administration.
He found Lenora Vale in the executive conference room.
She stood at the window, speaking on the phone.
When she saw the file in his hand, she ended the call.
“You shouldn’t be here,” she said.
“Why is a child’s emergency access restricted under my authorization?”
Lenora remained calm.
“It is a technical issue.”
“Her name is Lily Hart.”
For the first time, something changed in Lenora’s expression.
“You opened the file?”
“Who is she?”
“A patient.”
“She lives at my father’s address.”
“Your father died.”
“Did he?”
Lenora moved toward the door.
“You’ve been working too many hours.”
Michael blocked her path.
“Evelyn’s credentials accessed the file yesterday.”
Lenora looked directly at him.
“Then someone is using a dead woman’s identity.”
“Or she isn’t dead.”
“Michael, grief damaged your judgment once before. Do not let it happen again.”
His hand tightened around the folder.
“What happened before?”
“You became unstable after the crash.”
“You mean after Victor kept me in a private facility for eleven months?”
Lenora’s face remained still, but her silence answered him.
Michael stepped closer.
“What did you do to me?”
The conference room door opened.
Victor Cross entered.
He looked at Michael, then at the file.
“Give me that,” Victor said.
Michael did not move.
Victor’s voice hardened.
“You have mistaken our patience for weakness.”
“My father is alive.”
Victor closed the door.
“Not for long if he brings Lily here tonight.”
Michael felt the blood drain from his face.
“Why would he bring her here?”
May you like
Victor glanced at the clock.
“Because someone has arranged a reunion.”
