But before Mills could respond, Nurse Jenna stepped forward, her phone still recording. “This is all being documented,” she said, her voice steady and resolute. “Every second you delay, every second you prevent this woman from getting the help she needs—it’s all on record.”

Her words seemed to cut through the fog of protocol and power that had clouded Mills’ judgment. He looked at her, really looked at her, and what he saw in her eyes—a fierce protectiveness, a refusal to back down—finally registered.