The New Light of Hope: Books I to VI.

Chapter XXV: Serious Matters.

TW:

- Topics of workplace harrasment and sexual harrasment.

Sadie:

Date: June 25, 2020.

On one rainy afternoon, my phone rang. I looked down at my phone to see Scarlett's phone number on the screen-- curious to see what it was about, I picked the phone and heard Scarlett in such a dull voice say: "Hey, Sadie." I was suddenly shocked by this sudden tone of voice as I had never heard her sound like this before and this was the first time I have. Worried about what had happened, I asked: "Scarlett, is everything okay? What happened?"

Scarlett: "I would say everything's fine, but that would be a lie. I just... I-I just need to vent right now because I'm struggling to even process what I've been told."

Sadie: "Well, of course! Lay it on me and tell what exactly were you told."

Scarlett: "Well, as you may know by now, my mom is a nurse at the Felecity Oak Hospital but she is also a surgical nurse as well and she is currently attending to Silverville Police Department's Lead Investigator, Autumn Smith-Williams after a failed stint placement during one of her treatments and apparently the anesthisia that was given to her by Doctor Brian has worn off mid-surgery and she woke up in pain and her heartrate was dropping rapidly and she went proceedure as always but it went fast for her though she managed to save her, but when she came home that same evening, I could tell just by the look in her eyes that she looked stressed, burned out, and traumatized, she didn't tell us the full story until dinner and then stayed quiet afterward. But last night, she was sitting on the couch and when my dad, brother, and sister went to bed, I decided to ask her what was wrong and she told me."

Sadie: "If you don't feel comfortable talking about it right now, then I'll give you some time."

Scarlett: "Okay."

She took her time away from the call before she got back on the phone and began: "When I sat down to talk to my mother last night, she told me that she was sitting outside not long after she managed to stablize Autumn, she saw Nurse Holly dashing over towards Doctor Brian trying to confront him and when she saw what was going on, she decided to leave the scene because she did not want to get involved, but as she walked passed Brian, he grabbed her by her waist and ran his hands down to her hips, squeezed her tightly and whispered to her: 'I would think twice before walking away from conflict if I were you, Amy.' And this led to him and Holly having a screaming match about what he did. Which also explains why she looked a bit uncomfortable when she came back home. And the worst about it is my mother told me that this isn't the first time something like this has happened in the hospital; it's happened with two other nurses and counting my mom, it's happened three times."

Sadie: "Oh my god, Scarlett, I am so sorry to hear about that. What happened afterward?"

Scarlett: "Well, just this morning not long after she left for work, I told my dad exactly what she told me last night and he was rightfully furious not long after I told him what had happened. He got ready, left my brother in charge and dashed out of the house and headed straight to the hospital where I told my siblings about the situation and they were just as disturbed as I was about the situation. We've just been quiet all while doing stuff aroud the house and I can tell that whatever he's doing right now is probably going to end up on the news."

Sadie: "Well, if he went over to the hospital then he's certainly fighting with Brian and given him what he rightfully deserves for all that he's done this past month. And if it does make headlines and becomes the talk of the town, it's best to just ignore it."

Scarlett: "You're right. I just don't wanna know what's going to happen next and I kinda don't want to know either."

Sadie: "Well, Scarlett, we'll just have to wait and see what happens next. Just let me know if anything else comes up. I am really sorry to hear what's happening at your mother's workplace, I know it must be hard for you and your siblings knowing that your own mother was harrassed."

Scarlett: "I'll keep you updated and thank you for your concerns. Just please keep us in your prayers."

Sadie: "I will."

"..."

Scarlett: "Hey, Sadie."

Sadie: "Yeah, Scarlett?"

Scarlett: "Can we talk for a little bit longer? I just need somebody to talk for a while."

Sadie: "Yeah, sure, Scarlett. I'm listening."

And from there, Scarlett and I talked for hours up until 6 p.m. where after a while, we said goodbye to each other and hung up and I went on with my usual routine.

And that night as we went to bed, Jemma and I both knew that soon enough, Brian would soon be held accountable for all that he had done and justice would finally be served once and for all.

And please know this, my friend: If someone puts their hands somewhere on your body and your are comfortable about it and you know that it is wrong, please, tell someone that you can trust; it can be a parent, a guardian, your sibling(s), a teacher, a friend, or anyone that you trust in that matter. Don't stay quiet about the situation, please, tell someone that you can trust.