Chapter 9: Nurse Tasha
The room erupted.
Tasha took one step backward.
“Jasmine…”
The little girl pulled the blanket toward her chest.
“Don't come closer.””
Andre immediately moved between them.
Tasha raised both hands.
“I would never hurt her.””
Monica shook her head.
“No one said you would.””
Jasmine stared at Tasha.
“You were there.””
Tasha's eyes filled.
“Where?””
“Six months ago.””
Tasha looked at Monica.
Then at Calvin.
Then at Whitmore.
Andre noticed.
“You were there?””
Tasha swallowed.
“Yes.””
The administrator looked shocked.
“Why wasn't that in the report?””
Tasha's voice trembled.
“Because I wasn't assigned to the case.””
Andre stared.
“Then why were you there?””
“I was asked to help.””
“By who?””
Tasha didn't answer.
Andre's patience snapped.
“By who?””
Whitmore smiled.
“I asked her.””
Tasha turned toward him.
“You told me to help a child.””
“You knew what you were doing.””
“No.””
“You signed the paperwork.””
“I was twenty-nine years old and working my first year in that department.””
“You still signed it.””
Tasha looked at Andre.
“I thought it was a consent form.””
Andre's expression softened slightly.
“You thought?””
“I didn't know they were using Jasmine's name.””
Monica stepped forward.
“What did you see?””
Tasha's eyes moved to her.
“I saw Jasmine arrive with you.””
Monica nodded.
“And?””
“You told me she was there for a routine blood draw.””
“That wasn't a lie.””
“No.””
Tasha swallowed.
“But then Dr. Whitmore took her into another room.””
Andre's jaw tightened.
“You weren't with her?””
“I followed.””
Whitmore snapped, “You were instructed not to.””
“And that's when I realized something was wrong.””
Andre looked at Jasmine.
“What happened?””
Tasha's voice became quiet.
“They drew her blood twice.””
Monica closed her eyes.
Andre looked at her.
“Why twice?””
“I don't know.””
Tasha shook her head.
“The first sample went to the lab. The second one never did.””
Calvin stepped closer.
“Where did it go?””
Tasha looked at him.
“I don't know.””
“You saw who took it.””
“Yes.””
“Who?””
Tasha hesitated.
Andre stepped forward.
“Tell me.””
Tasha's eyes filled with tears.
“It was a woman.””
“Who?””
“She worked here.””
“Name?””
“I don't know.””
Whitmore laughed.
“You remember perfectly.””
Tasha looked at him.
“I remember her face.””
Andre asked, “What did she look like?””
Tasha closed her eyes.
“Black woman. Mid-forties. Gray streak in her hair. Small scar above her eyebrow.””
Monica suddenly gasped.
Andre turned.
“You know her.””
Monica whispered, “Yes.””
“Who?””
“My mother.””
Silence.
Andre stared at her.
“Your mother is alive?””
Monica nodded.
“But she hasn't spoken to me in twelve years.””
Calvin's expression hardened.
“That's impossible.””
Monica looked at him.
“You knew?””
“I thought she was dead.””
“She isn't.””
Whitmore stopped smiling.
Tasha looked confused.
Andre turned toward him.
“You know Monica's mother too.””
Whitmore said nothing.
Andre's voice became dangerous.
“What's her name?””
Whitmore looked at the floor.
Monica answered.
“Evelyn Hayes.””
Andre's face changed.
“Hayes?””
Monica nodded.
“My mother took your last name after she married my father.””
Andre looked at Jasmine.
“Then why was she involved with her?””
Monica whispered:
“Because Evelyn wasn't just my mother.””
She looked at Whitmore.
“She was his employer.””
Andre stared.
“What?””
Whitmore's silence answered for him.
Calvin pulled out his phone.
“I have to make a call.””
Andre stopped him.
“No.””
Calvin looked at him.
“We need to find Evelyn.””
“We need to find out why she took the sample.””
Tasha stepped forward.
“I know where she kept it.””
Everyone turned.
“You said you didn't know where the second sample went,” Andre said.
“I don't know where the sample is.””
She reached into her scrub pocket.
“But I know where she took the records.””
She pulled out a small metal key.
Andre stared.
“What is that?””
“The key to a locker.””
Calvin's face changed.
“Another locker?””
Tasha nodded.
“Evelyn gave it to me the night she disappeared.””
Monica whispered, “She disappeared?””
“Three weeks ago.””
Andre looked at Whitmore.
“You said she was working here.””
Whitmore didn't respond.
Tasha continued.
“She told me if anyone came asking about Jasmine, I was supposed to give this to her father.””
Andre took the key.
“Why didn't you give it to me?””
Tasha's eyes filled.
“Because I was afraid.””
“Of what?””
“Of the person watching the hospital.””
Andre looked around.
“Who's watching?””
Tasha pointed toward the ceiling.
“The cameras.””
Everyone looked up.
A small security camera blinked red above the examination-room door.
The administrator immediately reached for his radio.
Tasha whispered:
“They've been recording this entire conversation.””
Andre looked at the camera.
“Who has access?””
The administrator's face went pale.
“Only senior administration.””
Whitmore smiled.
“That's not true.””
Andre turned.
Whitmore looked directly at him.
“There's one more person.””
“Who?””
Whitmore leaned against the wall.
“The person who has had access to every camera, every medical record, and every test result involving Jasmine.””
Andre stared.
“Name them.””
Whitmore smiled.
“You already know her.””
Monica suddenly shook her head.
“No.””
Andre looked at his wife.
“You know who he's talking about.””
Monica began crying.
“I didn't know she had access.””
“Who?””
Monica looked at Jasmine.
Then at Andre.
Her voice broke.
“Your mother.””
Andre froze.
“My mother?””
Monica nodded.
“Your mother has been watching Jasmine since she was born.””
Andre couldn't speak.
His phone suddenly buzzed.
A photograph appeared on the screen.
It showed Jasmine as a newborn.
Andre stared at it.
The timestamp was from the night Jasmine was born.
May you like
And beneath the photograph was one sentence:
*ASK YOUR MOTHER WHY SHE CHANGED THE BABY'S NAME.*
