Medical Center. Emergency Room. Nurses' Station.
"Dr. Duncan!"
The sharpest little nurse, who'd been whispering with her colleagues, spotted Adam approaching and hurried over with a grin.
"Hey, Violet, what's the hot gossip today?" Adam asked casually.
"The nurses are gearing up for a group strike," she whispered, dropping the bombshell like it was no big deal.
"A nurses' strike?" Adam's eyes widened. "For real? They're actually doing it? When?"
The rumor had been floating around the medical center for a while now. It all started because the nurses were burned out—each one was pulling an extra 40 hours a week on top of their regular 40, totaling a brutal 80 hours. Forget about weekends; six days a week meant over 13 hours a day. Insane workload, right? 😓
Unlike Adam and the other interns, who could grind through this phase for a fat paycheck later, the nurses had almost no room to climb the ladder. Overtime pay? Barely worth mentioning. It was like working extra for crumbs. The real kicker? The hospital refused to hire enough nurses or schedule them fairly—pure exploitation.
The head nurses had tried passing the complaints up the chain, but according to the nurses, the big-shot doctors at the top were too arrogant to care. They genuinely didn't think nurses were irreplaceable. So, the issue just kept dragging on.
One nurse alone couldn't do much. But here's the thing: in the U.S., every industry has a secret weapon—unions! When the frustration hits a boiling point, the union steps in, rallies its members, and boom—collective strike time. It's how they force the bigwigs to budge.
Nurses have their own union too, and pretty much every nurse joins it. Once the union kicks into gear, even the ones who'd rather not strike—worried about their patients—can't say no. Peer pressure's a beast. It's all or nothing! 💪
"So, the union's official paperwork is ready. The head nurse handed it to the dean," Violet said. "It's set for ten days from now."
A strike can't just happen out of the blue—no heads-up would leave the hospital crippled and cause a total disaster. They've got to give some warning.
"What's the goal here?" Adam asked, rubbing his temples.
Hospitals can't function without nurses. Otherwise, doctors like him would be stuck with all the grunt work—pure nightmare fuel. And for Adam, a nurse strike would mess with his top priority: treating patients to extend his lifespan.
"The union ran the numbers," Violet explained. "For 'fair hours and fair pay,' the hospital needs to hire 40 more nurses. That's about two million bucks a year."
Adam sighed. "Oof."
Two million for 40 nurses? Pocket change for a huge medical center like this. They could scrape that cash from anywhere. But Adam knew it wouldn't be that easy. Capitalists pinch every penny, and giving in too quick might embolden the union to keep pushing. A tug-of-war was coming, no doubt about it.
Adam could cough up the money himself, but no way was he doing that. There's an old saying: "A small favor earns thanks; a big one breeds resentment." This wasn't like donating lab equipment or security scanners. If he stepped in, the nurses might be grateful at first, but greed grows. And behind them? The union—a monster waiting to pounce.
Union staff live off the members' dues. Sure, they start out protecting workers, but once they get big, they can flip the script—pressuring members into fights with management for their own gain. The nurses might know it could tank the hospital or even the industry, hurting their own futures, but they'd still follow the union into the abyss. Refuse? Good luck—threats and attacks aren't off the table.
Unions in the U.S. have a rep for turning into semi-open mafias or industry cancers. It's no joke. If they found out Adam, the billionaire doctor, was willing to pay, they'd be back in no time demanding raises again. Give once, then stop, and the nurses wouldn't be thanking him—they'd turn on him. People are selfish like that.
He was here to work, to save lives and extend his own—not to bankroll the hospital and get zero gratitude for it. 😤
"Dr. Duncan, they're planning to block the hospital entrance and call on the doctors to join them," Violet warned. "If the doctors ignore them and head inside, they might start throwing stuff. Oh, and at the Old Friends Bar—nurses will strike by day and drink there at night. Booze plus tension? Fights with doctors could happen. Watch out!"
Yikes. With a crowd that big, you get all types. Some of those tough, burly nurses? They've got tempers hotter than most guys. Drunken brawls during a strike? Totally predictable.
"What a mess," Adam muttered. "I'm a doctor—I support your fight for fair treatment, but I'm not stopping work over this."
No way was he pausing his lifespan mission for this chaos.
"I get it," Violet said with an apologetic smile. "I can promise the younger nurses won't chuck stuff at you, but the older ones—or some of the guys? Can't vouch for them."
"No worries," Adam chuckled. "Worst case, I'll camp out in the hospital those days. I barely go home anyway—just a few hours of sleep."
Work all day, side projects at night—Adam usually stumbled home at dawn and was back by 5 a.m. Sleep? What's that? 😂
"But the conditions here?" Violet frowned. "It's not like your place."
"It's fine," Adam grinned. "Ten days is doable. I'll rent a room next to Dr. Alice Gray's, fix it up nice—it won't be much different."
"Nothing fazes you, huh, Dr. Duncan?" Violet's eyes sparkled with admiration.
"Thanks for the heads-up, Violet," Adam said warmly. "I'd be clueless without you."
"It's nothing!" she beamed.
"Hey," Adam paused, thoughtful. "Violet, ever thought about being a surgical nurse? It's tough, but you'd avoid patients and families—less drama. You'd learn a ton, be harder to replace, and the pay's solid."
"Yes!" Her face lit up. "I'm not afraid of hard work. I'd love to learn more—maybe even join you in the OR someday!"
"Looking forward to it," Adam laughed. He loved her quick wit—she caught on fast.
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