“You missing the start time was the final push I needed to go through with it,” he said, defensive.

I laughed, and there was no humor in it.

“Andrew.

I’m standing here holding legal paperwork dated two full weeks ago.”

Another long pause.

And then he said the thing that dissolved the last atom of respect I had for him.

“My mother told me you’d eventually choose your patients over me.

I just wanted to be prepared.”