"The walls have ears." Gabriel muttered under his breath, directing his gaze squarely at the other man. The nurse might not have overheard the exact details of their exchange, but body language was far louder than any verbal utterance. The hospital was a machine, programmed to perfection, and programmed to be completely subservient to men like Jack Cassidy. It was a cold truth, but money talked. Or perhaps "screamed" was a better way of putting it. And in this day and age, there were few who could deny the allure of money and what it could buy. It had given Gabe some respect for his resident, but respect was a poor form of currency around here, and in the end probably amounted for nothing when you were lying dead at the bottom of a river. 

"Wise choice," Gabe indicated as soon as James had given his answer. "I'll still be shifting the schedule, and next time? Consider every decision you make very carefully. Down here, there are no such things as second chances." There was something in his voice which imparted his words as a piece of valuable advice rather than an open threat. He had done things which, had James known...well, the outcome wouldn't have been pretty. "Do no harm" didn't go very far in reality. Someone always won, and someone always lost at the winner's expense. And "lost" could mean a whole lot of things, especially when you took into account what he had been witness to. 

"Wait for the call." He said finally, face unreadable as he made his way down the hallway for the next patient on his rounds. There was nothing left to say between them, and especially not here. He had a grieving family to speak to, and as much as it stung him to do it, it had to be done. He'd probably face the husband's rage, but the intensity of that rage would be reined in by the law. Robert Charles couldn't do much unless he wanted a prison sentence. Gabe had almost perfected the art of delivering bad news, and he was about to give a performance that would probably warrant an encore. 

It was only when Gabe was clear from view, though, that another figure came striding round the corner. Another doctor, from the looks of it, but his silvering hair indicated he was far older. Still, he carried himself with an easy sort of class, his eyes glimmering with dark wit despite the straight, stern set of his mouth. Coming to a halt before the younger resident, the man looked him over briefly, his expression barely changing except for a slight raise of the brows. "You must be one of the new residents. I'm Dr. Tomlin." The calm, cool manner of his speech clearly revealed he occupied some position of seniority. "I understand you're working with Dr. Morris on Hannah's - Mrs. Cassidy's - surgery. Gabriel can be a bit...stubborn. I hope he hasn't said anything...offensive to you."

The statement seemed well-meaning, but there was a glint in Tomlin's eyes which suggested it was anything but.