Cassandra closed her eyes for a second and drew in a deep breath. Where did she have to go to get away from this man? She let the breath out slowly and looked at Erik, "My sick bay has been invaded..." The next words left her lips through nearly clenched teeth and with more than a little venom in her voice, "Marcus Edwards has somehow managed to wind up here." Her eyes closed again and she let her head fall back a bit as she looked up at the ceiling. "I hope the director knows what he's allowed into his facility...somehow I doubt it though."
She reached out and gave his forearm a gentle squeeze. "I'll be back to check on all of you again in a few hours...I doubt I'll be able to withstand his presence much longer than that..." She stood up and looked at the tablet again and saw a second message from Harrison about where he'd put Marcus to bunk down and the complaints about the lack of amenities. "And so it begins..." She said turning the tablet towards Erik so he could see the message. She rolled her eyes a bit and sighed, "Thank heavens I have this room and all of you where I can escape for a few minutes. I'll ask forgiveness in advance for my less than chipper mood when I return."
She gave Erik a lingering look before she left the room waving and smiling as best she could to her favorite people. She took her time returning to the hospital but she couldn't condemn Harrison and the others to Marcus' insufferable ways any longer and taking a bracing breath she stepped on the auto open pad and blinked at what she saw. Marcus was sitting at her desk, rearranging files and items on the desk as if he owned the place and Harrison and Point were watching in horror. The doors slid closed behind her and Harrison gave Marcus' shoulder a pat and stepped away, "You're on your own man..." And disappeared into his bay as did Point.
Marcus lifted a brow and nodded not understanding the message, though he SHOULD have. He turned then and saw her and stood up with a bright smile on his face, "Ahh Cassie...I was beginning to think these beasts they have traipsing around here had kidnapped you."
He approached her with his arms wide open, expecting a welcoming hug but cass leveled a look on him that would wither a stone sculpture and stabbed the tablet into his chest keeping him at arm's length. "WHAT exactly do you think you are doing?" she asked as she moved past him with surprising speed. She moved her desk back the way it was and then turned on him, "If you ever so much as SIT in my chair again I will make sure you regret it for a very long time, and don't ever touch my files again. This is MY hospital. You work for me. I will not tolerate your arrogance and stupidity here. Do I make myself clear?"
Marcus blinked but the charming smile was in place a second later, "Cassie Sweetheart..."
Cassandra held up a hand, "You will address me as Doctor Brandford. I am not now, nor have I ever been your sweetheart and to make things absolutely clear, I will NEVER be your sweetheart. You got yourself this position, I assume through your father, now you will have to pull your weight. Your father isn't here to cover up your incompetence, and I will not tolerate it any longer. I don't have to and I refuse to."
Marcus looked confused, "Are you having a bad day, Cassie?" he asked in a cajoling vice full of his normal patronizing sugar-coated smarmy tone. "It's nearly lunch time, shall we go have a nice get reacquainted meal?"
cass closed her eyes and leaned against the desk. She was mentally counting to ten in her head to avoid violence, but it wasn't working very well. "No."
Marcus smiled, "Oh come on...surely you're hungry."
She was, but she knew sitting with him would steal that appetite away in seconds. "I had a late breakfast with a friend and I am not at all inclined to eat just now. Feel free to go though. The food here is very good."
Marcus frowned, "No, I'll wait for you." he huffed then, "I doubt it. This place is a hell hole Cassie...what on earth are you doing closeting yourself away in such a place? I could talk to Father..."
Again her hand went up to stop him, "I am not like you Marcus. I EARN my way on my own merits. I go where I want to go, places I can make a difference in the patients' lives. Even if your father offered to help me, I would not accept it. My character forbids such a thing, as does my pride. obviously your memories of me are not entirely accurate. I assure you though, I have not changed. I demand excellence, and I expect immediate obedience to every directive I issue. If you are not capable of doing that, I suggest you tender your resignation and have your father find you another place to work."
Marcus watched her. She was bluffing. She didn't have this kind of control over him, and never would. "I am your equal Cassie. I do not take orders from you."
Cassandra slowly pushed herself up from her position leaning against the desk and pushed a button. Harrison came out of his bay, "You rang?" She did not look at Harrison but kept her eyes on Marcus, "Doctor Edwards believes himself to be my equal..."
Harrison's eyes widened and he looked over at Marcus slackjawed, "You have a death wish?"
Cassandra continued, "Furthermore, Doctor Edwards refuses to take orders from me."
Harrison's eyes were hard then and he approached Marcus, "Doctor Brandford is in charge of this hospital. Everyone here follows her orders implicitly, and I can't say you refusing to do so sits very well with me."
"Or me," Point piped up from her bay.
"Or me," Graves said from his front row seat in his cage. he was quite enjoying this actually. The Doc was great entertainment when she was riled up. His feet lifted to prop up on his desk as his hands folded behind his head. He could already tell this guy was going to be on his shit list. Nothing he wanted was going to be a priority. Yeah..he was going to take his good old sweet time getting anything for this jerk.
Marcus looked at Harrison, "You will stand down. No one threatens me and gets away with it. Youa re an uneducated peon and not worth my anger."
Cass let out a string of curse words in various languages with the vehemence of an erupting volcano. Even Harrison backed away at her tone, and he'd seen her plenty mad before but never to the point of this kind of tirade. The tablet slammed onto the desk and she strode past Marcus grabbing his lapel as she did and dragged him out of the hospital. She did not speak to him but fairly threw him into the transport. Her icy stare was warning him not to speak, and for once he stayed quiet. She got out and moved to the elevator that led to the director's office and pushed the button a LOT harder than necessary. She stepped out of the tube and looked at the secretary and the guards. "I am going to sit here in your face until i can speak with the director. I don't care if it takes an hour or two days."
The native guards snickered a bit. They liked the doctor and they weren't going to let anyone harm her.
Marcus smiled at the secretary, "Cassie is having a bit of an episode. Don't mind her dear, it will pass, it always does."
Cassandra was shaking she was so beyond anger. Oh, he was so mistaken. THIS was not going to pass."