5. Silas
Chapter 5
Silas
"Hey, Luna. Can you bring me financial statements for each department of the hospital from the year before?" Releasing the button to the intercom. I breathe out deep and loudly. Shit, if what I saw last night happened the year before, this is going to be a bigger project than I realized. Randall had warned me that things were not great for the hospital. I just didn't expect this.
My head is already pounding.
The door to my office clicks open, and I hear my secretary's heels on the tile as she gets closer, I don't look up, keeping my eyes closed as I lean back in my chair, trying to plan the best way to give the news to the board. Better yet, how are we going to solve this problem?
"Here you go, boss." I hear her throw down a thick file on my desk. I can tell by the humph sound it makes. "Do you need anything else?" she asks.
Over the years, Luna has been my saving grace for my businesses. She makes sure I'm on track, and is professional as always. Not sure I would be as wealthy as I am if it wasn't for her keeping me organized.
"I already have those and some discrepancies I found are what have me wanting to look at the year before. But stay close by in case I need more." She nods as she makes her way back out to her desk, right outside my door.
"Thanks Luna," I mumble as her heels disappear.
Once I get an idea of what is going on and the best way to fix it, I'll need to set a board meeting. Then I'll pass all the information on to my accounting department. Finding out how deep this goes is a priority. You can't accuse people unless you have proof.
It feels as if I've been staring at these numbers for years. Glancing over at the clock, I mutter under my breath, "Shit. How is it only ten in the morning?"
It's going to be a long day. It already feels like it's been longer than it has. Time to get this over with. Taking a deep breath, I slowly open the file that Luna left me, preparing to spend the next few hours going over the spreadsheets and comparing them.
Halfway through, I shake my head because I know I'm going to have to make some hard decisions. Ones that won't make the hospital staff happy, such as reducing some budgets and even layoffs. This is the part of the job I hate. Most people think I let others make these types of choices, but it's not like that. I like to get my hands dirty and knowing what is happening in every single one of my companies.
My mind drifts to Kimberly and what she might think about these decisions. Would she be disappointed in the people who led me to this solution? Would she understand? She has such a heart of gold. Her advice and strength would be helpful at this moment.
Speaking of her, I wonder what she could be up to right now? It takes everything in me not to head to the hospital and track her down. The need to see her and talk with her runs deep. Especially right now.
Hunching my shoulders, I let out a breath. I would love to sit here and daydream all about how I'm going to get my little doe, maybe even picture her under me, imagining how she might feel. But unfortunately, I have work to do. I've got to finish up going through everything with a fine-tooth comb to see what we can cut to make sure this hospital is profitable.
Today I'm going to finish the budget business with the hospital. Tomorrow though, I'll hunt her down and let her know where she belongs. Next to me.
*****
"Sir, you can't go in there." Luna shouts from the other side of my office door. Her shout pulls my attention to the door. When it opens abruptly, I'm not surprised to see Randall standing in the doorway glaring at me. If all the emails he's sent me in the last twenty-four hours are anything to go by he wasn't going to take no for an answer. He's been trying to get a response from me since the moment I signed the check.
Standing up quickly, my chair rolls back as I glare back at him. "Well, did you come all this way to just stare at me or do you have something to tell me?" I try to keep any anger out of my voice. How dare he barge into my office as if I owe him something?
"We need to have a meeting with the board. They want to know what is going on," he demands, his hands clenched at his side. I can feel the fury radiating off him. I'm not sure why he's so angry though, it's only been about a week since I've taken over and a day since I last met with him. If anyone should be boiling over, it should be me. I'm the one who was left with this mess.
My expression hardens at his demand my blood boiling underneath my skin. Because yeah, we fucking do, but I don't think he'll like what I have to say. Showing my ire will not help the situation. It will not magically fix everything. Besides, I'm not the man to mess with when I'm angry. I would probably end up hitting him, and it would be a PR nightmare. Especially after what I've been finding in the budgets.
Tilting my head, I try to read more into what he wants out of this. It seems like it would be in his best interest for me not to talk with the board. "Yes, we do. But I'm curious. Why do you want me to talk with the board?"
"You've given no direction. The board wants answers. We need to figure out how to make the hospital more profitable. Didn't you have a plan when you decide to buy it?"
"Yes, I did. But it takes time, you should know that Randall. Things don't just magically fix themselves."
My gut is telling me there is more and I always listen to my gut. Pulling my shoulders back, I relax my stance. Maybe I should show them exactly what I've found. "How about you set the board meeting at two o'clock tomorrow? Will that appease you and the rest of the members?"
Nodding, it's his turn to relax. He starts to open his mouth to say something, but I cut him off. I don't want to hear anything else. "Now, if that's all. I have work to get back to."
Making sure he gets the message that he's dismissed, I sit back down in my chair and return to working on the budget sheets. I was hoping to call a meeting for later in the week, to give me more time to handle the situation delicately, give me more time to think everything through.
I was already planning how I was going to make the hospital a better place, and not just financially. I was going to take it slow, make sure we did everything by the book. But now it doesn't look like that's going to happen. Randall thinks showing up here demanding for a meeting, puts him in a position of power, when it actually does the opposite.
Once I'm done, he's going to wish he hadn't forced my hand.