“The board?” I asked, closing the chart.

“Yes. Chief Aris is waiting for you in the executive conference room.”

I adjusted my blue scrubs and walked down the long, brightly lit hallway.

The administrative wing was quiet, carpeted in deep blue wool that muffled my footsteps.

I knocked on the heavy oak door of the conference room.

“Come in,” a deep voice called out.

I pushed the door open and stepped inside.

The room was filled with natural light from floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Boston Harbor.

Chief Aris stood at the head of a long mahogany table.

Several board members sat around him, holding coffee cups and looking over papers.

To my surprise, they all stood up as I entered.

“Ah, Victoria,” Chief Aris said, smiling warmly.

He began to applaud, and the other board members joined in.

I felt my cheeks flush with heat.

“The family from the restaurant wrote a letter to the hospital president,” Chief Aris said.

“They couldn’t stop praising your quick thinking.”

“I only did what any nurse would do, Chief,” I said, keeping my hands clasped in front of me.