Marcus: The M Series, Book Three (34 page)

I grin. “Matthew is questionable but I agree about Ryan. He did a great job finding Mariah last week. He amazed me with his skills.”

“Yes, he's very smart. Don't ever play scrabble with him,” she laughs. “I'll go get Marsha and we’ll follow you.”

“Sure. I'll grab the mothers and see who else is going.”

I approach my family and tell them I'm going to the hospital now. “Who's going,” I ask and they all jump up.

“All of us, Marcus,” Ethan answers. “Is something wrong?”

“No, nothing.” I turn to Rachel. “Vera and Marsha want to come as well.”

She nods and softly smiles. “Good. I like them both.”

“Okay, if everyone's ready, let's go.”

* * *

At the hospital, I set them up in the conference room then leave to find Melvin and check Mariah's condition.

“Why are you dressed up, Marcus,” Ira asks, frowning as I approach the nurse's station.

“Today was the funeral of the man who saved Lila's life.”

“Why didn't you tell me? I would've gone.”

“I needed you here for Melvin while he took care of Mariah, Ira.”

He nods. “I understand. How's Lila and the boys?”

“They're fine. Missing their mother, but coping. Anything new with Mariah?”

“I haven't heard anything, but I've been in surgery all morning. I'm just finishing up the day’s charts. I’m a visitor now, Marcus. I've been fired. Dr. Hickson told me as soon as I got out of surgery.”

I frown in confusion. “What? Why were you fired?”

“The feds brought that Guzman asshole in here. He was injured in a gang fight. I wouldn't even exam him. I recognized the name and took the next case, instead.”

“He fired you for that?” My jaw clenches. “Stay here.”

My blood boiled. I walk fast to the conference room and beckon to Thomas.

Thomas grips my shoulder, bracing himself. “What wrong, Marcus?”

“Hickson fired Ira for refusing to operate on the fucker that kidnapped your daughter,” I say through clenched teeth.

His mouth tightens. “Are you shitting me,” Thomas roars.

“What,” the family asks at once.

“Ms. Combs,” Thomas shouts. “Double page Hickson to this conference room.
STAT!”

Ms. Combs runs to the desk and picks up the phone.

“Dr. Hickson, please report to the ICU conference room, stat. Dr. Hickson, ICU conference room, stat.”

Thomas paces the floor. “Of all the fucking…”

Rachel comes up to him and grabs his arms. “What?”

“Hickson fired Ira,” I shouted. “Because he refused to operate on Guzman.”

“Guzman,” Monica asks. “Isn't that...?”

“Yes! The fucker that kidnapped Mariah!”

“What? Can he do that,” Rachel gasps.

“He can. But it's not final,” Thomas shouts. “I cannot believe...”

Minutes drag by as we wait for Hickson. Finally, he shows.

“Marcus, Thomas,” he nods. “What's the problem?”

Thomas grabs Hickson's upper arm and practically hauls him down the hall. I follow them to Mariah's room. I peek in and see Melvin examining her.

“Do you know who that is?”

He peers at the name printed on the door. “Says
M. Cannon
. Why? Who is she?”

“She's my wife.”

He looks in the room and back at me. “Her? She's not white.”

“What the fuck does that mean,” I roar at him. The nurses freeze and stare. The ones of color are practically praying.

“She's also my daughter, Hickson. You know I gained another daughter when I married and that is her! Do you know the hell she went through last week?”

“I've heard,” Hickson said in a bored tone. “I have things to do, Thomas. What is this about?”

“Did you fire Ira Burns,” I demand.

“I'm your boss, Marcus. Control yourself and your tone,” Hickson warns.

“You –”

Thomas steps in front of me, cutting me off before I can say
exactly
what I think of him.

“And I'm
your
boss, Hickson! Answer his fucking question, right now!”

“Yes, I fired him,” Hickson shouts. “He refused to treat a patient!”

“Are you aware the patient he refused is the same one that did
this
to my daughter?”

“Not your actual daughter. She's not even adopted, she's your step-daughter, Thomas. Big difference.”

Rage flies across Thomas' face. He throws the punch before Ira and I can stop him. Tom and Ethan run down the hall toward us with Matthew and Joshua chasing after them, catching them just before they get to Hickson.

“What the hell is your problem, Hickson? Mariah's his daughter as much as Lisa is, you son of a bitch,” Tom shouts, struggling against Matthew’s hold.

“She's not blood related, Tom! Even if she was, Burns had no right to refuse a patient service. He took the oath just like you and I did!”

“He's fucking human, asshole! His friend was kidnapped by that fucker! Look what the fuck he did to her,” Ethan shouts as he tries to free himself from Joshua's grip.

“Mariah is my sister,” Tom shouts again. “And if you insult her or my father again, I will make sure
you
are the next one to be refused service!”

“Are you threatening me?”

“Do you have a hearing problem as well,” Ethan roars. “I think he was very clear! Let me go, Josh!”

“No, Ethan! Not until you calm down!”

Matthew pulls Tom toward Joshua and Ethan and whispers something to the both of them.

Tom calms immediately and looks at Matthew in awe. “Seriously?”

“Damn right. I've done it before. Now, can we release you two,” Matthew asks. “I’d like to get on this right away.”

“Oh, hell yeah,” Ethan says. “I'm good now.”

“Me too,” Tom smirks. They release them and Tom goes over to Ira and takes over his hold on Thomas. Matthew pulls out his cell and talks quietly into it.

Ethan looks at his father and mutters, “Come on, Pops. Fuck this guy.”

“One minute, Ethan. Dr. Burns,” Thomas calls, glaring at Hickson. “Do you want to keep your position? Are you happy here?”

“Absolutely,” Ira nods. “Never had any intention of leaving CMH, Dr. Harvey.”

“I'm vetoing Ira's dismissal, Grant.
You're
fired, effective immediately. Get your shit and never step foot in this hospital again.”

I notice a few of the nurses smile and high-five one another.

“You can't fire me for upholding the rules with this fag!”

A fist flies across and lands on Hickson's nose. Yeah, that's broken. I turn and see Melvin shaking his fist.

“I'll pack up my office, Dr. Harvey. I'll be out in an hour at the most,” Melvin says, walking away. “So fucking worth it.”

“Melvin!”

“It's all right, Marcus. I broke the rules, so I'll just quit. Trust me, it
was
well worth it and a long time coming. Dr. Harvey, you should poll your staff. Hickson here has a problem with minorities and gays. Ira and I have been putting up with his shit, as well as a few others.”

“It's true,” Rob says behind me. “He's referred to me as a –”

“Don't say it,” a woman shouts behind us. “Please don't say that awful word!”

I turn. Vera is trembling, tears pouring down her face.

“You stay out of this,” Hickson says as he holds his nose. “I'm suing this hospital and you, Henderson!”

“Fine,” Melvin mutters taking out his cell. “Mom, I slugged a doctor, now he's threatening to sue ... He insulted Ira ... Yes,
him
... I knew you would ...Yeah, about ten, at least ... I've quit ... Fine, I'll see you when you come. Call me when you get here ... Oh, really? Good, come to the eighth floor, ICU conference room.” He looks at Hickson. “My lawyer is Sheila Boston. Have your lawyer contact her.”

Ethan snickers, then breaks out in to a full-on laugh.

“Ethan,” Joshua calls. “Are you cracking up? Do I need to get your mother?”

“I work for
his
mother! We call her Bad-ass Boston! That woman could make Trump cry and Kanye shit himself. She's gonna have this asshole's lawyer crumbling and begging for his mother to wipe his ass!”

“You don't intimidate me, Harvey,” Hickson shouts.

“I don't have to, asshole. Just wait until you meet Mrs. B.
She
intimidates
everybody
.”

“Great. Another ni–”

That punch came from Nathan.

“Fucking hate that word,” Nathan snarls at Hickson. “And anyone who thinks that way. Tell your mother she's got another client, Melvin. Sorry for the spectacle, Thomas. I'll pack up my office, too, as soon as I ice my hand. Come on, Melvin.”

Vera walks up to Hickson. “After all these years, you're still a bigot. How dare you attempt use that word! Your nieces are of color! Oh, but you don't care about them either, just because of who their father was. Look down the hall, Grant. Tell me, which two are my daughters?”

“Get out of my face, Vera. I no longer know you. You disappointed everyone when you married that... Just get out of my face!”

“Joshua,” Matthew growls, glaring at Hickson as he removes his jacket. “You still have your checkbook?”

“No, Matthew, don't!” I say, stepping in front of him. “Mariah's in the room behind us. Enough of this. You know what you need to do.”

“Already done,” Matthew smirks.

“Call security,” Thomas shouts. “I want this asshole out of here, now. Go get Melvin and Nathan, Tom. I'm fine.”

“I'm going to pray for you, Grant. You have some serious issues. I hope that doctor's mother rips you and your lawyer new assholes and leaves you nothing to buy extra toilet paper,” Vera snaps. “You continue to disgust me, just like
your
father.”

“Not as much as you disgust me for letting that man have you! You should be ashamed to claim those things as your children!
My
father thought the same thing on his death bed! I cannot believe you and I are related, let alone siblings! Thank God Constance can’t see you, now! She wouldn’t deign to even acknowledge you!”

“Good for me,” Vera shouts. “She’s just as bad as you are and so was that no-account bigoted husband of hers! God, I hope her son is nothing like them or you!”

“Don’t hope anything about him. He has no idea you exist, no idea a descendent of his grandfather married one of
them
! How could you be that thing’s whore? Do you know how deeply you destroyed my father?”

“Hey! What the hell is going on here,” Daniels shouts as he and Parker swiftly walk toward us. “Who the hell is that?”

“Did he just call my mother-in-law a whore,” Parker loudly demands. “And on the day she buried her husband?”

“Thank God,” Hickson chuckles. “Took him long enough to leave this earth. One less for the world to look at.”

Matthew talks quietly to Daniels while Hunt runs up and stands in front of Parker, trying to get him back down the hall. Daniels nods then goes back down the hall, talking on his cell. Two guards approach.

“You called for security, Dr. Harvey?”

“Yes, I did, Eddie. Dr. Hickson is no longer welcomed in this hospital. You and Jonas remove him immediately, please.”

“With pleasure, sir,” another guard says as his face lights up. He's an African-American.

“Jonas?”

“Yes, Dr. Harvey?”

“Have you had problems with this trash, too?”

“Absolutely, sir.”

“Escort him out and come back. There's a lawyer coming I would like you to speak with.”

“Yes, sir.” Jonas grins as he manhandles Hickson and shoves him toward the elevator. The Eddie guy laughs and watches as he walks behind them.

Thomas walks over to the reception desk and picks up the phone.

“Barbara, Dr. Harvey. I want you to contact every employee of the hospital and tell them there is a mandatory meeting in the auditorium at seven. I need you to take minutes and call a restaurant, several if you have to and get whatever food and drink you can. Charge it to me.”

“Joshua,” I murmur.

Joshua nods. “I'll call Cavatappi and Lila's, Thomas. We'll handle it.”

“Never mind about the restaurants, Barbara. Just get every employee that is not working in the auditorium at seven. Thank you.”

Melvin turns the corner with Nathan and a tall, beautiful African-American woman is between them. A couple of other people are behind them writing, furiously. She smiles when they get us.

“And who are these handsome men, honey?”

“Dr. Marcus Cannon, Dr. Thomas Harvey, Dr. Tom Harvey and Matthew Cannon. The guy on the phone is Joshua Cannon. This is my mother, Sheila Boston-Henderson. Mom, they witnessed the punch.”