Chapter Four

At 7:15 AM, Troy swaggered into the bar and ordered his usual bottled Bud. Troy was a typical Texas boy, even though he didn't come from there originally. About 80 pounds overweight and six feet tall, the guy was always smiling no matter what. Very knowledgeable at his job as an ER nurse, he’d left the Air Force a few years ago with a full retirement and only worked to maintain a lifestyle. What the hell,he was in his early forties with a military pension. The designated staff voice of reason, Mister By-the-Book was easy to make fun of but a hell of a guy to have at your side.

"They're pissed that you didn't call back last night, buddy. State was looking for you this morning."

"Good morning to you too, Troy. State who? Who the fuck is State?"

"State as in Health Department, dumbass."

"Bad night, Troy? Even stressed, I've never seen you so serious. Have a beer, Jesus."

"I'm just trying to help you, buddy," Troy said, raising his eyebrows.

"What do you mean State was looking for me? Why me? Fuck them."

"Have you been here all night sucking down White Russians?"

"No, of course not. This is only my third one. Also, are you my dad?"

Ignoring Bill’s response, Troy continued, "They talked to everyone over the last few days, but the rumor is they asked for you every day. They seemed irritated at your absence. Management seems to be shitting bricks,which turns out to be the real reason they called you last night. They didn’t give a damn that we worked short; they wanted you there for State this morning."

A little dumbfounded and now paying closer attention, Bill asked, "What kind of stuff were they asking?"

"From what I can gather, they asked everyone the same thing they asked me, which was: do I watch the actual wastes I sign off on in the Pyxis."

His brain spinning with possibilities, Bill pictured the Pyxis in his mind. A computerized medication cabinet designed to account for every med taken,especially narcotics. It required a login ID and password or, in some cases, a fingerprint, depending on the machine. Nurses and pharmacists were the only people in the hospital with access, except for limited access by respiratory therapists. Doctors didn’t have access at all. When a nurse took out a narcotic packaged in a higher dose than the patient was supposed to get, a second nurse was required to witness the first nurse waste the extra.

"What did you tell them, Troy?"

"Of course I told them I witness each waste."

Spitting a mouthful of milky White Russian on the bar in his effort not to burst out laughing, Bill replied, "You do not, you fuckin' liar. No one gives a shit or has the time to watch."

"Well, I mostly do, but that’s what they wanted to hear, and I didn’t want to disappoint. They wouldn’t understand reality if it signed their paychecks, and I’m not interested in spending my time and energy on their education."

"True," Bill mused, chewing on his swizzle stick. "Any idea where they were going with this whole thing?"

"Nope. Everyone is buzzing about the fact they keep asking about you and Kristi."

Clicking through the possibilities in his head, Bill couldn’t imagine why him and Kristi. Other than having great curves, nothing really stood out about Kristi. Well, she was smart and ambitious too.

"Oh goody. I’m wondering if I should go to work tonight as scheduled or call them now and face whatever the hell is going on. They haven’t talked to Kristi yet either?"

"Apparently not."

"Well, thanks for the heads-up, man. I’m sure it’s all bullshit of some flavor or another."

"Sure, buddy."

Both men fell silent long enough to finish playing their $20 on the machine in the bar and get a refill on their drinks. Each $20 played was good for two free drinks,three if you played slow or won some and kept playing. These little corner bars had much better odds than the big casinos, so it wasn’t uncommon at all to walk out with more cash than you walked in with after drinking and eating for free.

Bill, lost in thought, was throwing away good hands,obviously not paying attention. He turned to his partner with his mouth half open, as if a light bulb had gone off, and paused before saying, "Dude, I'm guessing that narcs are getting diverted. But then again, the hospital would do that investigation, not the Health Department. No way would State act on a diversion,not that I’ve ever heard of anyway. The hospital would have no reason to report it to them, right?"

"Exactly what we’re all thinking at work. The facility investigates and reports to the Board of Nursing, and whoever else might apply,like law enforcement,but not State Health."

Bill continued digesting what Troy said. "If the diversions were being sold on the street, it would be cops investigating after having made a bust, I would think. There are no other ways to use a diverted narc, right? Either for your own consumption or for sale." Bill was just thinking out loud now. "I mean, any nurse with half a brain can divert narcs without leaving a trail, right?"

Before Troy could swallow his beer to answer, Bill muttered something about calling Kristi and headed for the door, leaving a couple of dollars on the bar and $4.75 in credit still on the machine.