Chapter 6 - The Trap
Nora knew she couldn't use the hospital's internal pharmacy to test the syringe. If Britt was running a black-market ring, she likely had allies in the lab.
Instead, she called her former nursing instructor, Dr. Alice Sterling, who ran a private research lab at San Diego State University. Alice had always been a mentor to Nora, the one who had encouraged her to keep her gentle, patient-focused approach even when the corporate medical world tried to grind it out of her.
"Bring it to me after your shift, Nora," Alice said over the phone, her voice tense. "If what you're saying is true, you're in a highly dangerous position. Don't let anyone see you leave with that syringe."
Nora hung up, her heart pounding. As she walked back toward the trauma bay, she noticed Britt and Carla standing near the medication station, whispering frantically. When they saw her, they instantly separated.
The afternoon passed in a blur of tension. Nora stayed by the Admiral's side, refusing to leave his room for lunch or breaks. She checked his vitals every fifteen minutes, her whiteboard becoming a running dialogue of comfort and vigilance.
At 7:00 p.m., the night shift arrived. Nora prepared to hand over care to the night nurse, a quiet, neutral staff member named Dave who wasn't part of Britt’s circle.
As Nora walked into the locker room to change out of her scrubs, she felt a sudden hand grab her arm from behind. She was pulled into the dark supply corridor behind the clean linen racks.
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Britt Holloway stood there, her blue eyes cold and sharp as needles.
"You have the syringe, don't you?" Britt whispered, her voice a deadly venom.
