The commander stood beside the woman’s local stop with the replacement rota in his hand.
Tessa arrived before he turned the request into an order. The medical network had sent her because several names on the reserve sheet belonged to people whose conditions the planners had not checked. The supposed coverage had been assembled from earlier availability, incomplete replies, and a hope that the next crisis would wait until everyone rested.
Now the next crisis was the end of one woman’s agreed shift.
“We need you until somebody arrives,” the commander said.
“I said no extension.”
“I heard you. I’m telling you the anchor can’t have a gap.”
Tessa stopped beside the table rather than between them.
“Who accepted the next interval?” she asked.
