“She would blackmail them. And if that didn’t have the desired effect, she would resort to causing harm to them.” Bella had her own information that she’d been working on with her. Lach had also spoken to a few of the nurses that had committed suicide when it got to be too much for them. Bella explained that as well.
Just as she was handing out other paperwork that had come into their hands, Grandda walked in with about a dozen women that had been hurt while working here. Not just mentally by Nurse Handy and her aptly named crew, but also physically. Being on the list of this woman meant you quit or you were hurt badly.
“I’m sure all of you know Mr. Marshall,” Harris continued. “With him today are past employees of this establishment. There are a great many more of them, but these people could travel here today. These women are no longer in the medical field, thanks to the treatment they received here. It proved too much for them to have been harassed by this woman. Not just at work, but she also caused them a great deal of issues at their homes. Husbands left them. Wives were told about nonexistent affairs.”
“My God. What have you done to us? Do you have any idea what this is going to cost us? Not just monetarily, but with our reputation as a good hospital?” Doctor Whit looked around the room, shaking his head. “I had no idea. You were right, Mrs. Marshall. I’ve been a lazy doctor if this has been going on under my nose. You’ll have my resignation by the end of the day.”
“I’m not asking for you to quit, Doctor, but to know that you’re coming up on some serious lawsuits that will be won by them. These women alone will drain the hospital of all the profits that have come to this place in the last several years. And they deserve it. What I want you to do is to make sure this doesn’t happen any longer.” He promised her it would not. “I’m glad to hear that. These women are good nurses and will, with one condition, come back here to work.”
“Let me guess. They want me fired. Well, it’s not going to happen. I’ve been here for nearly thirty years. Well before any of you should have been sticky on a sheet. I’m in charge of this place, and it wouldn’t be where it is today without me. Firing me would be monumental to closing this place down, and then what will all you whiney asses do for help? You’ll not be able to run this place without me.” All six of the other department heads stood up. When they looked at Handy, Harris was sure they were going to tell her they did need her. Harris was going to kick their asses if they even tried that shit. “You all should be giving me a raise. Do you have any idea how much work it takes to make sure we have only one race here? As well as no foreigners? A great deal, let me tell you. This worked for us once when they weren’t even allowed around white people. It’ll work again, but only if you get your head out of your asses and let me do what I do best. Christ, you’d think I was breaking all kinds of laws here. I’m only bending the ones that matter.”
“Mrs. Marshall, if you’d be so kind as to call the police—or if you can, arrest this woman—I’d greatly appreciate it. Not only has she admitted to being a bully, but she’s been promoting biases against people of different cultures and races as well. I, for one, would like…. No, scratch that. I would love to see her out of here as soon as possible.” Harris thanked Doctor Whit and went to the door that closed off the other part of this large office. Her men were there, recording the events of the meeting, as well as standing ready to arrest whomever she told them to. “Thank you.”
As they were dragging Handy out, she was calling the men taking her out every racial and religious slur, as well as a few that Harris was sure she was making up. Christ, this had turned out a good deal better than she ever thought it would. Looking at the women that were still there, she started to tell them thanks for coming in as well. But Doctor Whit spoke before she could.
“I would like to offer you all your jobs back. I’m not sure where we’ll put you for now, but I assure you that I’m going to be more observant than I was before. As well as taking an interest in the things going on around here.” The nurses, all of them, said they’d like that. “If you know anyone else that has been fired or hurt by Handy, I’d appreciate it if you were to ask them to come to see me. Or any other of the men and women here.”
That took another three hours. Each of the department heads spoke to each of the women that had come in and not
