Sophie had just sat down on the elevator floor when the lights
came back on. Slowly, it started to move. Forty-five minutes
after they’d gotten on the elevator, it smoothly delivered the
nurse to the sixth floor, then Sophie to the eighth floor.
She stepped up to Ms. Cross’s secretary and explained why
she was so late for her appointment. Could Ms. Cross still see her?
“No,” the secretary answered without looking up.
“How about tomorrow then. Maybe the same time?” Sophie
asked.
Scowling at her, the secretary took a pencil and wrote
Sophie’s name in for the same time the next day. “Fine.”
Sophie left the office, happy to leave behind the secretary
with anger issues. She took the stairs down to the fourth floor.
The next morning, Sophie passed the bank of elevators and
climbed the four floors to the administrative offices. As she
opened the door out of the stairwell, slightly winded, she saw
Dr. Sheldon leave Madeline’s office and head the other way. She
waited to see if anyone followed him. Nobody else appeared.
Sophie continued down the hall to Madeline Cross’s office.
“Ms. Cross, as you may know, I spoke with Mr. Buckley about
Dr. Wagner’s inappropriate touching during my delivery.
Nothing has come of that, which is a disappointment to say the
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least.” Sophie paused. “But, right now, I have more pressing con
cerns about Dr. Wagner.”
Madeline removed her glasses and looked closely at Sophie.
She picked up a pen, prepared to take notes.
Sophie pulled out her own small notebook, the file that she
had started. She told Madeline all she had observed, starting with
her own induced labor and delivery. She spent the next thirty
minutes methodically making her case against Dr. Mitch Wag
ner. She spoke of three other mothers and babies in the NICU
who were induced and delivered weeks before their due date,
despite healthy pregnancies. Madeline scribbled notes. Sophie
told her about the baby who was brain damaged, and the mother
now partially paralyzed from a stroke. She added that Pitocin was
known to increase the likelihood of blood clots, possibly causing
strokes. She wrapped up by stating her intention to take this to
the state medical board if she didn’t get a response from anybody
here at the hospital.
“And you are convinced that Dr. Wagner is behind all of
this?” Madeline asked.
“Yes, I am.”
“Mrs. Young, I hope you’re wrong. Dr. Wagner is a well-re
spected physician in this hospital. He’s head of his department.
His reputation alone brings patients to our hospital, and Metro
has benefited from his loyalty. I can’t imagine why he would put
all that in jeopardy. Are you sure we’re talking about the same
Dr. Wagner?”
Undeterred, Sophie continued. “Take a look at his rates of
preterm deliveries. Then look at how long they stay in the NICU
and the problems they face because of their prematurity. Look at
the business those babies bring to the NICU. I know it sounds
crazy but—”
“Yes, to be honest, it does sound crazy, Mrs. Young.”
Sophie thought for a minute. Should she say something about
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Dr. Sheldon’s office lab? No, that wasn’t why she came here.
She took a deep breath. “He told my husband that the vials
he carries around with him, Pitocin and progesterone, are how he
helps the hospital make money,” she blurted.
Taken aback, Madeline worked to compose herself. “Are you
sure you’re not just trying to get back at Dr. Wagner?”
Sophie shook her head. “No, this has nothing to do with that.
I am not dropping my complaint about his inappropriate touch
ing, but this is more urgent; the lives of mothers and babies are
at stake here.” She pressed on. “He induces mothers who come
into triage to make them deliver prematurely so their babies get
admitted to the NICU. Please, I’m just asking you to look into it.
See what his numbers show you.”
“Okay, Mrs. Young. Honestly, I am struggling to believe that
what you’re telling me is true, but I’ll give you the benefit of the
doubt, and I’ll see what I find. If it turns out that you are right, we
have a big problem on our hands.”
“Thank you, Ms. Cross. I appreciate it, and so will the other
patients who have babies in the NICU.” Sophie added, “Oh, and
one more thing.”
Madeline sighed, clearly ready to be done with the conver
sation. “Yes?”
“I was wondering if it’s possible to check the Pitocin levels on
Dr. Wagner’s premature delivery patients.”
“Pitocin levels?”
“Yes. If they have unusually high Pitocin levels, wouldn’t that
help prove that he is causing them to deliver early—by artificial
and wrongful induction?”
“That’s quite a specific theory you have. But I’ll check with
the lab,” she answered, making more notes. “You mentioned
Charlie Buckley and Josh, the Kindred rep. Are you suggesting
that they’re a part of this too?”
“I don’t know. Maybe.”
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Madeline paused, playing with her pen. Sophie sat patiently,
picking at her pinky nail.
“I’ll see what I find. But, Mrs. Young, I don’t want you to
breathe a word of this to anyone, other than your husband. I’m
going to need to talk to Dr. Wagner.”
“Do you have to tell him it was me who came to you?”
“He has the right to know who his accuser is. He deserves a
chance to respond and defend himself.”
He doesn’t deserve shit, Sophie thought, but she just nodded.
Madeline added, “Sophie, eventually, if this turns out to be
true, I’m going to need your testimony and all the proof you have.
You will need to present your side of the story.”
“I understand. Thank you, Ms. Cross.”
Sophie left the office, relieved to know that someone was
finally taking her seriously. From the stairwell, she called Adam
and repeated the conversation to him.
“Sophie, he didn’t say that! He didn’t say those vials are how
he makes the hospital money. That’s a lie. It’s only a guess.”
“I know, but I had to get her attention somehow. We need
her to investigate him.
