Chapter 20
SAM
"Good work, Maxwell," Bobby, one of my colleagues, said as we both entered the doctors’ lounge.
"Back at you," I replied.
It had been an exhausting and grueling day, but at least we hadn't lost any patients. That always meant it was a good day. All I wanted to do was grab an energy drink and a vending machine sandwich, shower, and leave.
I stood in front of the vending machine, toying with the card in my pocket. Everything looked like crap.
"Maxwell."
I turned around at Robinson Matthew's voice. He’d just come in. In fact, he was still holding the door open.
"Come to my office,” he said. “I've got some news for you."
I instantly felt wide awake, as if I’d already drunk the energy drink. I tried to read from his expression which way this conversation would go, but I was too exhausted to figure it out.
My family always said they were in awe of my people-reading skills. Right now, though, I wouldn't mind some of my legendary skills kicking in. No such luck. I was too tired.
I followed Robinson through the corridors, all the way to his office. The hospital was eerily quiet in the late evening hours. Most patients were asleep, unlike during the day when they were wide awake and being tended to.
I was anticipating Robinson's news. Two weeks ago, we’d spoken about my plans for a clinic, and I hadn’t heard anything since.
He guided me inside his office, pointing to the seat opposite him. He sat down behind his desk, and his shoulders sank. That was my first clue. "They don't want it, do they?"
"It's more complicated than that.”
“You can just be up front with me. I know how to take a no."
"That's just it, though. It's not exactly a no."
I narrowed my eyes, leaning farther back in the seat, putting the ankle of my right leg on top of my left knee. "What does it mean?"
"It means they are interested in a clinic."
"That's great news." I was certain I could set it up with very little capital. My heart was thumping harder as I contemplated the next steps. "If it's a matter of funds, I can always chip in."
"Maxwell." His voice was hard. "I’ve told you repeatedly. Never throw your personal money at a state hospital. It's a losing game, trust me. If you're so intent on blowing your trust fund, build your own damn private hospital."
"Setting up a hospital from the ground up is a nightmare," I said. "The paperwork alone would take my entire lifetime. I'm a doctor, not a businessman. What else did the board say?"
"They’re opening a satellite hospital in Maine. They would be able to include a clinic there."
I felt as if someone had punched me in the face. "In Maine?"
"Yes. I know this is not ideal."
"What do you mean, not ideal? It's not what I asked for. If they can open one there, then why not here?"
He massaged his temples, like a headache was brewing. "Because that one is being built from the ground up. The layout is flexible. Everything is still flexible. Apparently trying to do something here is too daunting for them to consider.”
“I'll talk to them."
"No." He stood up. I’d pissed him off, but I couldn’t help it.
This was important not only to me, but to the community, and it would help so many people.
Besides, I was a Maxwell and used to getting what I wanted.
"You listen to me, Maxwell. I like you, but this is my goddamn hospital, and you will not go over my head, got it? "
"I'm sorry. That’s not what I meant. I just know that if I pitch it to them, I can convince them. Surely they’d understand how beneficial this would be to the underprivileged in the area."
"You think I haven't pitched this well enough to the board? That's all I've been doing for the past two damn months. They’re not budging. There’s no profit in a clinic, and the board is leery of building it here. In Maine, they have a larger budget. When starting a hospital from scratch, they can design a section specifically for the clinic and all its needs. Sorry, Sam, but it’s Maine or nothing.
That's their final say on the matter. Think about it. They don't need an answer right away."
I stood up. Needless to say, I was not happy, though I didn’t want to be irrational either. I’d give it time. "When do they need to know?"
"A month, give or take."
"Okay, I'll think about it."
"I know you. You're a hothead, but don't discard it. It's a great opportunity. And with a new hospital being opened, there will be no egos to toss aside, no cliques to fit in. You know how hospitals can get. Everyone on the team will be a fresh hire."
"I know. It definitely has its perks, but it wasn't what I wanted."
"I've emailed you the list of doctors they want to pull in. Big names."
"You think they'll convince them?"
"They stand a good chance." He pointed at me again. "Don't discard this opportunity."
"I won't."
"I can already see you're rolling your eyes into the back of your head."
I held up my hand in defense. "What can I say? I wasn’t expecting this. I was looking for a yes or a no. Not a ‘Here’s our offer in fucking Maine.’"
He chuckled at that and said, "You got a yes but with a twist. Flexibility isn't your thing, is it?"
I shrugged. It wasn't something we Maxwells were known for, that was true. "Thank you for everything you've done. See you tomorrow."
"See you, Maxwell."
My mind was spinning while I changed in the locker room.
Robinson was right. I couldn't just discard this. An opportunity like it wouldn’t come my way again.
I was certain there wouldn't be a second chance to build a clinic.
Having the option to start one at a brand-new hospital was a once-in-a-lifetime chance these days.
After leaving, I was restless. I did my laps, completing my five miles, but my head was still spinning.
I needed more than a run tonight. I didn't want to go home like this. Avery would be there, sensing something wasn’t right, and I didn't want to bother her with my confusion.
We were just figuring things out; there was no need to put this kind of pressure on her, or on our relationship, for that matter.
I knew just what I needed—the Maxwell gang.
My first impulse was to write in the WhatsApp group.
I was still new to it. My cousins set me up when we’d had lunch, though I typically had to skip most of the conversations because they happened while I was on shift, and I always put my phone on airplane mode.
I decided to simply call Kimberly.
“Hey, cousin," I said when she answered.
"Hello, Sam."
"Do you have plans tonight?"
"Why? Do you need my help staging a successful date again?"
I laughed. "I wasn't staging it.”
“That's what I call it, because… you know what? Never mind. Why do you ask?"
"Got some news at work, and I could use the Maxwell perspective."
"Okay, I'm on it. Just to make it clear, when you say Maxwell perspective, do you mean just me? Me and Reese? Me and everyone else?"
"I'd like as many opinions as possible."
"Wow. I didn’t think I’d ever hear someone say that. Tell me you didn’t screw things up with Avery already."
"I told you it's about work."
"Hmm. Okay. You can always write in the WhatsApp group."
"Honestly, it moves so fast that it boggles my mind."
She laughed. "Then I'm on it. Want to come to the hotel? Travis and Reese are here already, but I think Travis is going to go home soon. Anyway, we can all go to the bar."
“Sure."
My brothers used to hang out at the bar in the building where they all had their offices, but ever since Travis opened the hotel, it kind of became the family's new headquarters.
On the way to the hotel, I did glance in the WhatsApp group. There were already sixteen new messages, and I scrolled through them. All my brothers were going to be there. Good. I was hoping they would bring their better halves, but that was too much to ask because this was very short notice.
There was a lot going on in the lobby of the Maxwell Hotel when I arrived. It looked like a new group of tourists was waiting to check in, but the receptionist nodded at me. The staff here already knew the members of the family.
“Everyone's at the bar," he mouthed.
I nodded as a thank-you, then took the staircase, needing the exercise despite the run around the hospital.
Upstairs, I scanned the bar for my family.
It looked much like the rest of the hotel, a mix of modern tones that had a twenties vibe in smoky gold colors.
I usually liked that the space was dark and the lights were dim—it made everything intimate—but tonight, it was so busy that it made it hard to see my family.
But that meant business was good for my brother.
I was happy for him. He was doing a great thing keeping the family legacy going.
I finally noticed them in the corner to the right of the bar. Declan rose from the group, meeting me halfway through the room.
“Hey, brother,” he said.
“Thanks for coming. By the way, did you have a chance to look over Avery’s contract?” She’d emailed it to me a while ago, and I immediately forwarded it to Declan.
“Yes. Even I can’t find any loopholes, unfortunately. And I also looked into her ex-business partner, Sophia, like you asked me to.”
“And?”
“At first glance, nothing seems shady. Although she is about to open a store in New York. I think we know where she got the money from.”
“Fuck that. Can’t we do something about it?”
“Not yet. We need more info about her new business.”
“Right. Keep me posted, okay?”
“Sure. Let’s join the others.”
I nodded.
"No one came with their better half, huh?" I asked as we approached them. They’d put several small tables together.
Travis sighed. "We leave our families at home, and this is how he repays us."
"It's the best we could do with the short notice, brother," Tyler said.
"We were concerned when Kimberly wrote in the group." That came from Declan. He sat opposite me, frowning.
"So tell us. Also, what do you need to drink?" Tate asked.