Light ► JACKSON AVERY

chapter eleven

A CROWD HAD GATHERED IN THE LOBBY. Attendings, residents and nurses alike stood around the stairs, chatting with each other, while they waited. Ever since the news had gotten out about the Chief stepping down, nobody had been able to stop gossiping. Layne stayed hidden near the back of the mass, having just arrived with her friends. She fidgeted with her fingers, not knowing what to expect of it all. She pursed her lips together, as she stood on her tip-toes, hoping to spot something; to get any sort of information that would explain it all.

She didn't like change.

Elizabeth placed her hand on Layne's shoulder, pulling her back down. The latter looked at her, before glancing down at her sneakers again. Unlike Layne, Elizabeth embraced the change that was about to come. She was flexible like that. She didn't clamp down on things, because she preferred how it used to be. She let herself be guided by her own wishes and wants. She did whatever she wanted. Hell, she was even the type to cut her hair and dye her hair to show a new beginning.

(Elizabeth had cut her hair into a long bob and colored it black, after Astrid Lennon — one of the inhouse lawyers that she liked — had rejected her advances. She had felt embarrassed, so she figured a new hairdo might make her feel better.)

(It had!)

"I still can't believe it."

"What do you think made it happen? It must've been something big, right? I mean, you don't just throw someone out on the curb for nothing. And it's the Chief, too? Did he do something bad?" Imogen tapped her finger against her cheek. "This is quite exciting, don't you think?"

Layne crossed her arms over her chest. "I don't know. It's so strange. The Chief seems like such a good person, so I doubt he would do anything illegal —"

Imogen put her hand in front of her mouth, as her eyes widened. The cogs in her head started turning, coming up with all sorts of theories. "What if he committed fraud? That could be totally plausible. Maybe he put some of our money in our own pocket. Would explain our lack of funds, no?"

" — Imogen! That's going a bit too far, don't you think?"

"You never know, sweetie. People can have whole other sides that you don't know about. I told you about my uncle, right?"

Ned, who had been busy on his phone, looked up and popped his head in between Imogen and Layne. "Was he the one who used to organise those underground fighting rings? Or is that someone else I am talking about?"

Imogen nodded. "No, no, you're right. It is him! He would always pretend to be mister perfect with his white picket fence house. He would send everyone birthday cards and presents on their birthdays. He would help out everyone he could with a big smile on his face. And then we found out, he did stuff like that... You can never truly know everyone, Lanes."

Elizabeth pulled at her nail beds. "Oh, stop it with you and your horror stories, Imogen. Make up whatever you want, but I doubt it'll be close to the truth. We'll probably never know what happened. They're not that open."