Francis’s hands shook. He adjusted the badge hanging from the breast pocket of his nurse’s uniform as he waited for his boss to be done with her call. He’d been summoned upstairs, and while he knew what it was about, he couldn’t help the panic that tried to crawl up from his stomach to his chest and constrict his lungs.
The door opened. “Francis, come on in.”
He got to his feet and walked into Talia’s office. She was a strict boss, but understanding and friendly, and things would be fine, right?
“Have a seat.” She went to sit behind her desk and leveled a look at him when he sat on the visitor’s chair. “So, I think you know why I called you here?”
“Uh, yes, I think so. I—” He stopped and took a deep breath, steeling himself against the nausea.
“Hey, Francis, look at me,” Talia said in
