Family Hospital: A Novel

By Joseph Pasquarosa

Family Hospital, located in suburban New Jersey, is part of a hospital system that was absorbed by a larger corporate medical company that has five hospitals and treatment centers scattered throughout the northern part of the state. Though these entities perform their daily duties independent of one another, nevertheless are required to report to the corporate office.

Retired Detective Nick Moore, now working as a corporate investigator, utilizes the talents he acquired both in the public and private sector invites the reader to share and see through the eyes of the protagonist, the skills he developed over his lifetime in the investigative field.

Investigator Nick Moore must once again rely on his talents at Family Hospital, where a fundraiser for the hospital held at a local venue, appears to be the scene of a variety of crimes that has the local authorities with unanswered questions that all lead back to Family Hospital.

Nick Moore, working with a new partner, must try to unravel the crimes and pitfalls that appear to be spreading throughout the hospitals in the system. Unsure who he can trust and believing in his gut instincts that the antagonist is his old nemesis from years past, he feels he is on a slippery slope. Nick knows he has to juggle investigations and his very life in order to stop these atrocities.

The reader will be taken on a ride through the dark side of life in this thrilling and suspenseful novel where the reader regrets when it ends.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Mar 1, 2023
• ISBN: 9798886545890

Book preview

cover.jpg

Family Hospital

A Novel

Joseph Pasquarosa

Copyright © 2022 Joseph Pasquarosa

All rights reserved

First Edition

PAGE PUBLISHING

Conneaut Lake, PA

First originally published by Page Publishing 2022

ISBN 979-8-88654-579-1 (pbk)

ISBN 979-8-88654-589-0 (digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Chapter 44

Chapter 45

About the Author

Chapter 1

Doctor Olga Arganoff, a resident emergency room physician at Family Hospital, walked into the doctor's lounge and poured a cup of coffee. She sat down at the table and sipped the hot brew slowly. Looking around the room at the faux-leather lounge chairs, big-screen TV, two worn couches, the table she sat at with three more chairs and the sparse kitchenette, she kept wondering how much more of her looks and femininity would slip past her in the next year before she could afford the luxury condo, auto, and expensive clothes the other female attending physicians she was working with had.

Doctor Arganoff was approaching the end of her twelve-hour shift and was amazed this was actually her first break. The hospital had more patients than ever before since the consolidations of hospitals began almost two decades earlier. This hospital was purchased by Guardian Angel Health System and began expanding the hospital and patient base from the point of the merger.

Glancing to her right, she looked into the mirror and made a futile attempt to straighten out her hair. Doctor Arganoff was an attractive woman, with shoulder-length blond hair, blue eyes, and a figure of a model. She was approaching thirty-two years of age yet appeared older, with bags under her eyes, and heavy makeup to try and conceal them. She noticed her almost-grey pallor and an unkempt appearance of her hair, nails, and clothing. Realizing she had to get back to her duties, she finished her coffee, grabbed her handbag, and headed to the ladies' room.

Family Hospital located in Springfield, New Jersey, was not Doctor Arganoff's first choice for her residency and, in short time, an attending physician. Rather, she was hoping for an appointment at one of the major hospitals in New York City or Boston, Massachusetts, not just for the prestige but for the money they paid. However, that wasn't in the cards for the doctor, so she played the hand she was dealt. Olga was a third-generation Ukrainian, a top student in her high school and undergraduate studies, and fortunate enough to be admitted into medical school.

Her parents were middle-class and unable to help Olga with her tuition or expenses, thus leaving her with a debt that at times left her crying. Doctor Arganoff's apartment was small and in an area of Irvington, New Jersey, that was not the best section of town. For these reasons, she felt slighted by society as a whole for all the good she felt she was doing.

Doctor Arganoff returned to the nurse's station in the emergency room and shook her head at the number of individuals who arrived since her break. Most of the patients were either seniors from the many senior citizens housing in the surrounding area or, more discouragingly, children that were held in the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) centers in the surrounding areas. The children were caught in the political fireball of their parents, illegal immigrants, seeking asylum in the United States. Nearly all were from Central America and Mexico. Doctor Arganoff glanced around for the charge nurse, Max, short for Maxine Jones.

Max appeared behind her and handed her a chart, saying, Medical room five, a female, seventy-eight years, old fell in her apartment while attempting to get to the bathroom. Some swelling over her right eye but no lacerations or contusions. She is also complaining about pain in her right hip.

Taking the chart, Doctor Arganoff said, Okay, Max. Send a transporter to the room as I'm sure we will be sending her for X-rays.

Max yelled over her shoulder as she was walking away at a quick pace, You got it, Doc.

Doctor Arganoff entered the room and introduced herself to the woman, saying, Hello, Mary Rodgers. I am Doctor Arganoff, and I understand you had a fall today in your apartment. May I examine you?

The woman replied, Hello, Doc. I tripped on a rug, and my head hurts over my right eye as well as my right hip.

Doctor Arganoff replied, Okay, let's have a look.

After an exam, the doctor said, Your head does not require any treatment right now, but we are going to send you for X-rays of your head and hip just to be sure. The tech will be here shortly to transport you, and I'll see you in a little while.

Mary Rodgers replied, Thank you, Doc.

Doctor Arganoff saw three other patients before patient Mary Rodgers returned to her room.

Doctor Arganoff grabbed her chart and stated, I have good news. Nothing appears to be broken. There is no sign of a concussion or internal bleeding. I'm going to release you, and please try to be more careful.

Mary Rodgers replied, Thank you, Doc. I'm going to call the car service now.

Doctor Arganoff was already out of the room, looking at the clock, realizing she still had two hours to go. She picked up her purse and headed for the doctor's lounge. Once inside, she grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator and locked herself in the bathroom. Now rummaging through her purse, she panicked, not able to locate her pill bottle. Finally, she found it and took the last oxycontin pill in the bottle.

I must remember to get this refilled, she thought as she opened the water and began to sip it.

In a few minutes, she began to feel the effects calming her down. She realized she was taking them too long to experience any euphoria or impaired judgement. No, she convinced herself. This is just a help for me, not an addiction, until I become an attending physician and get my finances in order.

As she exited the doctor's lounge, she was paged on her portable hospital two-way paging system, asking her to report to the pediatrics section of the emergency room. She responded she was on her way. Once there, her friend and colleague, Doctor Oscar Stone, was waiting for her at the nurse's station. Doctor Stone was a handsome fellow with an athletic built, blond hair, and blue eyes. He and Doctor Arganoff dated and became intimate. However, their different schedules and interests made it difficult to maintain a relationship. They parted as a couple but remained friends and hooked up occasionally.

Doctor Stone said, Hello, Olga. I want your opinion on a ten-year-old Hispanic female in Peds Exam room number 2. She was brought in by ambulance from the ICE facility, severely malnourished, dehydrated with a high fever. We started her on an IV and were waiting for the blood work to come back. Her pulse and heart rate are stable, but I… Doctor Stone didn't finish his assessment when all the alarms went off in room number 2. As they rushed in, Doctor Stone was paging the pediatric cardiac team, asking them to respond.

The cardiac team arrived, and one of the team doctors said, Flatline, meaning no heartbeat.

Immediately one of the medical students began pumping the little girl just below the sternum then looking at the monitor and still seeing a flatline continued pumping.

Next, an intern relieved the student and continued, No pulse or heartbeat.

Doctor Stone attached the pads of the defibrillator, yelled, Clear, and attempted to jolt the heart back to life with electricity.

Despite Doctor Stone and the team's best efforts of performing cardio pulmonary resuscitation, medication, and automatic cardio defibrillator, the girl was pronounced dead.

Doctor Arganoff held the girl's hand while brushing her hair off her face and commenting, Just look at her. She is beautiful. What a waste. What a terrible, terrible waste.

Doctor Stone commented, I would be interested to see what the autopsy report shows was the actual cause of death.

Yeah, me too, replied Doctor Arganoff. She then said, Excuse me a minute, Oscar. I need to make a call.

Doctor Arganoff called the in-house pharmacy and attempted to refill her oxycontin prescription, but the pharmacist explained, Sorry, Doctor, but the prescription reached its max for refills. You would need to get a new script from your doctor as you reached your limit for self-prescribing.

Furious inside but holding herself together, she said, Fine. I'll have my doctor write it.

Doctor Stone was still at the nurse's station when Doctor Arganoff approached him and asked, Oscar, since both our shifts end in a half hour, why don't you come over to my place, and I'll fix us dinner and a special dessert?

Oscar replied, After a day like this, it sounds great. What time?

She replied while leaning on him, "We get out of here at six. How about eight thirty?

Perfect, he replied. I'll bring the wine.

Doctor Arganoff was thinking, And your prescription pad.

As 6:00 p.m. approached, Doctor Arganoff had already made a grocery list of the items she would need for dinner: two pieces of fish fillet, frozen string beans, two red potatoes, and four lemons. She already had the ingredients for the salad, a can of whipped cream, and a bottle of vodka. Doctor Arganoff figured she would prepare the food, straighten out her apartment, take a shower, then cook the food while having a vodka on the rocks, and finally setting the table while the food cooked.

In her usual methodical way, all was accomplished as she had planned. Olga prepared the food, set the table, picked up her clothes scattered everywhere, dusted, and vacuumed. Next, she jumped in the shower, washed her hair, and dried herself. Then she wrapped her hair in a towel, put the food in the oven and the veggies on the stove top, poured herself a vodka on the rocks, and returned to the bathroom to dry her hair. Always multitasking, Olga dried her hair and applied moisturizer to her body at the same time. She brushed and styled her hair, got dressed, and was back in the kitchen before the timer went off. Doctor Arganoff began to daydream, Can we pick up where we left off? Do I love him? Our chemistry was always good, lovemaking great, and he makes me laugh. She put the thoughts out of her head so she could finish getting dinner ready.

Doctor Arganoff placed the food on the table, made a salad, and poured herself another vodka just as her door bell began to ring. Opening the door, she realized why she had dated Doctor Oscar Stone in the past and why she might love him; handsome and well-built, he kissed her while leaning into her the way she remembered and enjoyed. Oscar handed her a bag containing two bottles of pinot grigio white wine, placed his backpack on the floor, removed a baggie containing cocaine, mirror, and a box of single-edge razor blades. He poured the cocaine onto the mirror, chopped it fine, separated it into eight lines and began to inhale it into his nose from a rolled-up dollar bill. First one line into his left nostril and after continuous inhaling again inhaled another line. He did two lines in his right nostril and again continued to snort it in. Doctor Stone then went into the kitchen with the cocaine and paraphernalia.

Oscar asked, What are you cooking? It smells great!

She replied, Fish, veggies, potato, and salad.

He handed her the dollar bill and placed the mirror on the counter. Olga quickly inhaled the four lines of cocaine. She then handed him a vodka on the rocks as she leaned in and kissed him again. Both finished their drinks quickly. Olga handed him a corkscrew, and Dr. Stone opened the wine as she served the food.

He lifted his glass and said, Thanks, Olga. This is wonderful.

Olga lifted her glass and replied, Why don't you taste it first? and began to laugh.

He replied, It hasn't been that long since I had your cooking, but okay, here goes. As he tasted the fish, he exclaimed, Mumm, wonderful. They both laughed and enjoyed their meal, and Dr. Stone kept the wine flowing.

As they enjoyed the dinner, they conversed about the hospital, work, lack of dating, lack of free time, and especially lack of good friends and good times.

Olga said, I don't know what's wrong, but the school loans never go down, and my expenses keep going up. Lately that's all I think of.

Oscar opened the second bottle of wine as they went into the living room and sat on the couch while Oscar refilled their glasses. He leaned over kissed her and said, You just need to be a little more creative and live outside the box. Haven't you played by everyone else's rules long enough? And where has it gotten you? Exhausted, broke, and always depressed, chasing your tail.

Olga replied, That's why I was going to ask you for a script for oxycontin. I just use them to take the edge off when I feel depressed. I was going to wait till after we made love to ask you, but since you brought up the subject, I'd figured I would ask you now, she said with a smile.

He replied, You know how they a cracking down on oxycontin, whether you're writing the script or taking it. They are tracing all movements.

So, what, what are you saying? You're not going to write it for me? she asked.

Doctor Stone replied, Evidently, you weren't listening, outside the box. He then got up and returned with the backpack he brought in. Slowly, methodically, he unpacked the contents and laid it out on her coffee table.

Olga, confused, began to say, Wha—

He cut her off, saying, Olga, trust me. This is a better way, a safer way to achieve what you want and protect your career.

She replied, But I—

Again, he cut her off, Give me your arm.

Stretching out her arm, she was about to talk when Dr Stone kissed her, placing his tongue in her mouth, kissing her lips and whispering, Don't worry.

With that, he tied a band around her arm, turned to the table, and emptied the contents of a glassine envelop into a spoon containing a small piece of cotton, added water, and lit a cigarette lighter, and began cooking the mixture. He then filled a syringe and, grabbing her arm he had tied, kissed her bicep, kissed her wrist and hand, and expertly shot the syringe into her vein. Slowly, carefully, he continued as her blood flowed back into the syringe and again injected it. He removed the band and carried her into the bedroom where he laid her on the bed, removed her robe, observed her in her ecstasy as the heroin took effect. He then removed his clothes slid next to her, caressed her, and made love to her as she was experiencing a high and a climax she wished would last forever.

Chapter 2

Approximately eight hours later, Doctor Olga Arganoff returned to reality, confused, afraid, but unable to comprehend what Oscar had done or, more importantly, why she let him. She was still in bed, naked and cold. Her head was throbbing, and she began to shiver. She reached for her robe and, wrapping herself in it, got up went to the bathroom then went to look for Oscar.

Seeing her, Oscar Stone got up from the couch with a broad smile and started walking toward her, saying, There's my girl. How do you— Before he could finish the sentence, Olga slapped him as hard as she could across the face. Stunned, he asked, What the hell was that for?

She screamed, How could you do this to me? I thought you loved me! All I wanted was a script for oxycontin, and you shoot me up with heroin. Are you crazy? I'm not a junkie or a lowlife on the street. I'm a doctor! How could you do this to me? Olga began to sob uncontrollably.

Doctor Stone approached her, trying to console her, whispering in her ear, You don't understand. I did this for us. I'll teach you all there is to know, supply you, and be there with you. Get the thought of being a junkie out of your head. I would never hurt you. What I did is show you another path to your dreams, not the hard route you were taking but a pleasant one filled with joy, good feelings, and the best orgasms you will ever experience. But you have to trust me. Now you'll fly under the radar with a better way to cope and no one the wiser ready to snatch your license from you.

Olga replied, Don't you realize I treat these junkies every day in the emergency room. I see them sick from not having money for their next fix or with no pulse because they took too much and need to have Narcan injected into them. How can you possibly say that is a better way of life? Why did you just say no to the script, that you don't want to be with me, and just leave? I told you I can't make ends meet now, so you introduce me to something that will end up costing me a few hundred dollars a day. What were you thinking, that you were doing me a favor? I love you, Oscar, and trusted you.

Doctor Oscar Stone pulled back from her, looked in her eyes, and said, Olga, you know I love you. I've loved you from the first moment we met. I would never do anything to harm you. You have to trust me, listen to me, and do exactly as I say. Once I teach you how to make more money than you will ever need, we will get you off heroin and have a normal life together. Are you willing to trust me?

She leaned into him and nodded yes. Doctor Stone handed her the dollar bill and placed the mirror with the cocaine on the table. Having already finished his, he handed her the dollar bill. She quickly inhaled the coke and placed the dollar bill down, continuing to inhale heavily. They kissed and walked into the bedroom, where he took off her robe, laid her down, and made love to her like no one else could.

Doctor Stone whispered, I love you.

Sher replied, I love you too.

They got up and showered together. Olga made a quick breakfast of scrambled eggs, toast, and coffee. After they got dressed, however, before leaving for work, Doctor Stone led her over to the couch.

They sat down and he said, Give me your foot.

Olga replied, What?

Doctor Stone repeated, Give me your foot.

Olga lifted her leg. He grabbed her foot, removed her shoe, and kissed and caressed her foot, ankle, and shapely legs, then said, This is a little something to get you through the next twelve hours.

He then prepared the heroin and injected it into a vein in her foot. Waiting and watching her get off pleased him. He put her shoe back on, leaned her back on the couch, packed up his paraphernalia, and said, Be careful driving. Take it slow till you get use to your new reality. I'll call you later. He leaned over, kissed her, and left her apartment.

Doctor Oscar Stone got into his car and immediately called the hospital tech, Pete Wales.

Pete, it's Oscar Stone. How did it go?

Pete replied, Perfect, Doc. The Narcan revived her. I duct-taped her mouth, hands, and feet, put her in the bag with a blanket, put her in the walk-in cooler, and called Smith Funeral Home, just like you told me. Ray said he would be here in an hour, and he was right on time. He took the papers you filled out about time, cause, and all that and said to call him later.

Doctor Stone replied, Thanks, Pete. I'll talk to you when I get in.

Chapter 3

Investigator Nick Moore was at his office in the Guardian Angel Health System's corporate office by 9:00 a.m. He wanted to get settled, have coffee, check his unending emails, and try to glance through the newspaper before his new partner arrived at 9:30 a.m. It was newly appointed investigator Barry Night's first day, and Security Director Thomas Shane instructed Nick to train him. The new investigator, Barry Night, recently retired from the Morris County Prosecutor's Office and, while there, had helped the director on numerous occasions when the director needed a favor.

Nick met with the director yesterday and remembered the conversation verbatim.

Nick, you're getting a new partner. His name is Barry Night. He worked in the Morris County Prosecutors Office. I know him many years and consider him to be a friend, a professional, and loyal. I want you to train him and work with him without any of your pre-judgmental remarks about coming from Morris County. He'll be at your office nine thirty tomorrow.

Of course, Nick thought, this guy will have to prove himself both in his investigative capabilities and his loyalty. Nick was honest to a fault and did not have any fear of Barry running to the director with tales of shortcuts, early hats, or other behavior retired cops were famous for. No, Nick was careful and always said, A boss can fire me anytime he likes, but it won't be from me cutting corners of abusing time. Nick figured he would find out in time and planned to give this guy a fair chance to prove himself. It wasn't that Nick thought he was the best and no one could compete with him; it was the fact that he didn't live in what he called the carnival of your mind, where one gets stuck at the carnival carousel and keeps repeating what they've done in the past so much so they can't function in the present. Nick didn't like war stories of the jobs they did or the awards they got or the promotions they attained.

Nick began to reminisce about his old partner at Guardian Angel Health Care System investigator, Al Stokes, and thought, Now, there was a partner! They worked well together had the same investigative instincts and really cared for each other. Neither of them was trying to outshine the other or impress anyone. They did their job well, and that was all they wanted or expected from each other. No games, no glory hounds, no cutthroat moves, just good investigative work. Nick felt himself well up with tears. You see, Al was killed on one of their investigations, and the suspect got away. Nick felt all the emotions come flooding back; guilt, loneliness, anger, and frustration all came rushing back into his thoughts. Yes, the new investigator, Barry Night, didn't know it yet, but he had a job cut out for him just trying to fill Al Stokes's shoes.

Nick Moore returned to reality when he received a call from the front desk at the corporate office that a gentleman named Barry Night was here to see him.

Nick looked at his watch, 9:30 a.m. sharp, and replied, Okay. I'll be right there.

Nick saw Barry from a distance and thought he was younger-looking than Nick expected. Nick guessed he was 5'10" tall and about 165 pounds with short-cut, dark hair and blue eyes. Barry was wearing beige pants, blue shirt, blue blazer, and a paisley blue tie.

Nick extended his hand and said, Hi, Barry. I'm Nick Moore.

Barry replied, Hi, Mr. Moore. It's a pleasure to meet you.

Nick responded, A pleasure to meet you too, but call me Nick. Follow me, and I'll show you where our offices are. Once you get your ID card, you can enter through the side door, which is closer to our offices.

Barry Night replied, My ID should be ready by this afternoon.

Good, Nick replied.