Chapter 4 - THE COLONEL'S SECRET
Nathaniel Reed had spent the previous six months investigating a private military rehabilitation contractor.
The company, Sentinel Recovery Solutions, provided medical and residential services to injured veterans.
Nathaniel served on an independent veterans' advocacy board.
Several former service members had complained about improper billing, inadequate care, and unexplained charges.
Nathaniel began reviewing records.
Then he suffered a serious fall during a visit to one of Sentinel's facilities.
His shoulder was injured.
He required surgery.
But the hospital where he was supposed to receive care wasn't ours.
Evelyn explained that Nathaniel had requested transfer to a military-affiliated medical center.
Instead, he was brought to St. Catherine's Memorial Hospital.
The transfer authorization contained another suspicious signature.
Jonathan Reed.
His dead brother.
I sat in my apartment that evening, staring at the documents Evelyn had sent to the patient safety investigator and copied to me with permission.
The same name appeared twice.
The same impossible signature.
My roommate, Clara, walked into the kitchen.
“You look terrible.”
“Thank you.”
She sat beside me.
“What happened?”
I told her as much as I could without disclosing protected patient details.
Clara listened.
Then frowned.
“Are you safe?”
I hesitated.
“I don't know.”
That night, someone slipped an envelope beneath my apartment door.
Inside was a photograph.
Me entering the hospital.
Taken that morning.
On the back, someone had written:
GOOD NURSES FOLLOW ORDERS.
May you like
I stared at it.
Then called the police.
