Disclaimer: Only my original characters belong to me

SOMETHING TO PROVE

by Guardian

Some days, the Emergency Room at Community General Hospital could be an absolute hive of activity, with a constant stream of battered, bloodied and bruised patients keeping the doctors thoroughly busy. On other days, it could be more like a morgue, with only the occasional accident to relieve the boredom.
Jesse Travis was having one of those latter days. He lounged at the nurses' station, chatting to anyone who so much as paused there and getting in the way of people who still had work to do, even if he didn't.
And so, Jesse was handily placed when the ER doors opened and a young girl wandered in, tears streaming down her face, cradling her right arm against her chest protectively.
Even though she had wrapped a towel around the arm, Jesse could see that it was heavily blood-stained and the first drops were beginning to soak through and splatter onto the floor. He hurried over to her.
"Can you tell me what happened?" he asked, gently taking hold of her injured arm and easing back the towel.
"I... I fell..." the girl mumbled, seemingly disorientated.
Jesse looked at her more closely and saw the beginnings of a bruise just starting to darken under her fringe. Making eye contact with a nearby nurse, the doctor gestured towards the nearest empty room and, between them, they gently steered the confused girl towards it.
"Can you tell me your name?" Jesse asked, as he sat her down.
"Melissa." Her voice was barely a whisper. "Melissa Flynn."
"Okay, Melissa. I'm just going to take a look at your arm and then we'll take care of that bump on your head. Alright?"
The girl merely nodded and Jesse wondered if she'd actually heard a word that he'd said. He carefully removed the towel and handed it to the nurse for disposal, frowning at the lacerations that were revealed.
"That must have been some fall," he murmured to himself.
There were three deep cuts, all on her forearm and most probably caused by broken glass. As gently as he could, Jesse eased the skin back, to see if there were any shards of glass remaining in the wound. In spite of his care, the action still provoked a gasp of pain from Melissa.
"Sorry," he soothed, continuing with his examination. "This will only take a second. Then we'll see about getting it stitched up."
The nurse was experienced and knew her duties without being told. She had already prepared a local anaesthetic and, at a nod from Jesse, she began to clean the ugly wounds. The doctor turned his attention to the girl's head.
"Okay, those cuts actually look worse than they are. We should have you fixed up in no time." As he spoke he pulled a pen light from his pocket and shone it into Melissa's eyes.
All the while that he worked, Jesse kept up his soothing monologue and, after a while, the girl began to respond. Her tears stopped and, when he'd finished, she gave Jesse a shy smile.
"What's your name?" she asked.
"I'm Doctor Travis, but you can call me Jesse." He smiled in return. "Now, Melissa, you have a mild concussion and I want to keep you in overnight, just as a precaution."
"Wow, okay."
Jesse didn't have a lot of experience with teenagers, but he did know that it was definitely unusual for one to be so keen to spend the night in hospital. Frowning slightly, he went to fetch the appropriate forms to get her admitted.

*****

Any further thoughts of Melissa Flynn were pushed out of Jesse's head as his previously boring shift suddenly turned into a hectic one. A gas explosion kept him busy well into the night and, by the time he finished, he only had enough energy left to get home and fall into bed.
He did, however, go to check on her when he arrived back at the hospital the next morning. Entering her room, Jesse was pleased to note that she was sitting up in bed. There was another woman, slightly older than Melissa, sitting next to her. From their resemblance, Jesse guessed that it had to be her sister.
"So, did you sleep alright?" the doctor asked, picking up his patient's chart and scanning it rapidly. "There don't seem to have been any problems."
"Can she go home today?" the other woman asked.
"I don't see why not, but she really should take it easy for a few days, Miss..."
"Oh, sorry. I'm Rebecca Flynn, Mel's big sister."
Jesse shook her proffered hand: "Well, just make sure that she doesn't do anything too strenuous with that arm."
"Jesse?" Melissa's voice came from the bed and the young doctor smiled down at her. "Thanks."
"It was my pleasure. Now, I'll leave you to get dressed. I'll need a couple of signatures and then you'll be free to go, but you'll have to come back to have those stitches removed. Just go to reception and they'll make an appointment for you."
"Will you be taking the stitches out?" Melissa asked, hopefully.
"What? No, it will probably be one of the nurses. Don't worry, they're all very highly trained."
Jesse put the chart down and, with one last smile at the two women, went back to work.

*****

Two days later and Jesse had forgotten all about Melissa Flynn. It was the height of the summer and the heat seemed to have driven the people of LA even crazier than usual. The ER was constantly busy and Jesse was taking a well-earned break in the doctor's lounge when the tannoy blared.
"Doctor Travis to the ER! Doctor Travis to the ER!"
Jesse rolled his eyes at Mark, took one last swig of coffee and headed off back to work.
The last person he expected to see was Melissa. Once again, the young girl's face was streaked with tears but, this time, she also had a huge bruise covering one side of her face. When she stood up to accompany the doctor into a treatment room, Jesse also noticed that she was limping.
"What happened, honey?" Jesse asked, gently, as he studied her bruised cheek. While the injury looked painful, there didn't seem to be any permanent damage.
"It was..." Melissa's gaze dropped. "There were these girls, from school..."
"Melissa, if you're being bullied, you can get help." He cupped her chin and lifted her head up, looking at her with concern. "You don't have to put up with it."
"Oh, no. It's nothing like that," the girl hurriedly protested. "It was just a stupid argument that got out of control."
"Melissa..." Jesse knew that he was being lied to, but he had to find out to what extent.
"Jesse, can you not call me that?" Her eyes filled with fresh tears. "When dad uses my full name, I know he... I know I'm in trouble."
The doctor frowned as he noticed the hesitation in her voice, when she mentioned her father.
"Well, how about Mel?" Jesse turned his attention to her swollen ankle. "That's what your sister calls you, isn't it?"
Melissa offered him a shy smile and nodded, then winced as Jesse's hands touched a sore spot.
"Sorry." Jesse smiled in return. "It's only sprained. A cold compress will bring that down in no time, but you will be sore for a little while. So, is there anybody else at home, or is it just you and your sister?"
"Oh, Becky doesn't live with us. She's got her own place."
"So it's just you and your parents?"
Melissa's face clouded over: "My mom died over two years ago. Now it's just me and dad."
Jesse's frown returned. He was starting to get a nagging sense of unease about what he was hearing.
"I'll just go get a nurse, to put something on that ankle," Jesse said, masking his concern. "There's no serious damage. Is there anyone who can fetch you?"
"Becky will pick me up."
Jesse nodded before heading off to find a nurse. Then he stood and watched as Melissa's ankle was treated and dressed. His sense of unease was growing and he wondered what was really happening in the life of Melissa Flynn.

*****

"I'm worried about her, Mark. That's twice she's been into the ER, in just three days. And when she tells me what happened, well, it just doesn't ring true."
Jesse's shift was over, but he had hung around in the doctor's lounge, waiting for Mark, needing to speak to his friend and mentor.
"And she's fourteen years old," Mark sighed, looking at the file Jesse had showed him. "Do you think she's in trouble at home?"
"She gets on well with her sister, I saw that for myself. They seem really close, but the sister doesn't live at home. It's just Melissa and her dad." Jesse looked at Mark, allowing his concern to show. "And I got the impression that she's scared of him."
"You think she might be being abused?" Mark asked. He frowned at the younger doctor's mute nod. "Be careful, Jess. That's a very serious allegation to make, especially without any evidence. If you're wrong, it could prove infinitely damaging to both Melissa and her father."
"I know, but I don't know what to do," Jesse admitted. "Somebody's hurting her and I just can't stand by and let it happen. What if whoever it is goes too far? What if he seriously hurts her?"
"Slow down, Jess, you're getting way ahead of yourself here," Mark tried to rationalise with the agitated young man. "You said yourself that you don't know for sure what happened, only that you thought she was lying. Now, I'm not suggesting that you ignore this, but you have to tread very carefully. Have you considered talking to Child Welfare?"
"And saying what? There's no evidence, no reason for them to even look into her situation."
"I meant the Welfare Department right here at the hospital. Talk to one of the counsellors, in confidence. You don't even have to mention Melissa's name, but they could give you the advice you need, the signs to look for, the way to get her to open up to you."
"Thanks, Mark." Jesse smiled at him, warmly. "I'll do it first thing in the morning."

*****

Jesse was feeling a little more positive as he headed out through reception. As usual, Mark had helped to clear his head and point him in the right direction. He would do what he could to help Melissa, but now he could do it without risking - at the very least - severe embarrassment if he did turn out to be wrong.
As he left the hospital, Jesse gradually became aware of a strange sound, one that was definitely not in keeping with his much improved mood. It was the sound of someone crying.
The young doctor stopped in his tracks, trying to figure out where the noise was coming from. Slowly he rounded a corner and almost stumbled across a small figure slumped on the floor, with her knees drawn up to her chest and her head buried in her arms.
"Hey," Jesse said, crouching next to her.
He knew even before she raised her head that it was Melissa. She looked up at him with frightened eyes and he couldn't help but notice that yet another bruise now coloured her pretty face.
"Oh Mel," he breathed, anger warring with pity for dominance of his emotions. "Why didn't you come inside?"
"I didn't want to be a bother," the girl sniffed. "It... It's not that bad. I just needed to... I had to get away."
"Away from where? From who?" Jesse put a comforting arm around her trembling shoulders. "Please, Mel. You have to tell me, so I can help you."
"I can't."
"Well, do you at least want to come inside?" he asked, going for the more subtle approach. "Have a cup of coffee, maybe get cleaned up?"
"No, I don't want to be a nuisance." Melissa shook her head. "I mean, you were just on your way home, right?"
"Hey, a little while longer won't make any difference." He smiled at her, sympathetically. "Besides, why did you come here if you weren't looking for someone to talk to?"
The girl just shrugged and turned her face away, so Jesse tried one final, desperate gambit.
"Then why don't you let me take you home?"
"No!" Melissa cried and fresh tears filled her eyes.
Jesse's heart sank as he saw the abject terror on her face. His fears were looking more and more likely by the moment.
"No," she repeated, more calmly. "There's no-one at home and I don't want to be by myself. I suppose I could go to Becky's."
"Then I'll drive you." Melissa seemed about to protest, so he didn't give her the chance. "No arguments. I don't think you should be by yourself right now either."
Jesse helped the distraught girl to her feet, keeping one arm firmly around her shoulders and she clung to him like she never wanted to let go.

*****

Rebecca Flynn's apartment was somewhat out of Jesse's way, but he never considered it to be a wasted journey. Completely forgetting Mark's advice, he saw it as the perfect opportunity to get some answers.
He escorted Melissa up to her sister's front door, then waited with her until she answered. Rebecca took one look at the younger girl's appearance and pulled her into an embrace.
"Oh Mel, what have you been up to now?" She looked up and met Jesse's eyes, raising her eyebrows questioningly.
"I don't know if you remember me, Miss Flynn, but I'm Doctor Travis. We met, briefly." When Rebecca nodded, he pressed on. "Mel turned up at the hospital in quite a state a little while ago. She didn't want to go home, so I thought this was the best place to bring her."
"Thank you, doctor," Rebecca responded, then moved as though to shut the door.
Jesse took a half-step forward: "Actually, I was hoping that we might have a talk."
For a brief moment, he thought that she was going to refuse, but then she gave a small shrug and stepped back to allow him access.
"Mel, honey," she said. "Why don't you go and get something to eat, while I talk to the doctor?"
Melissa stood in the hallway for a few seconds, clearly torn between her hunger and her curiosity as to what they would be talking about.
"Go on." Rebecca shooed her away.
She led Jesse into a small, comfortable lounge and gestured for him to sit down. He settled for one of the armchairs, while Rebecca took the other. He perched on the edge of his seat and regarded her, gravely.
"I have to tell you that I'm very worried about your sister," he began. "Tonight was the third time this week that Melissa has been at the hospital. Do you know how she's getting these... injuries?"
"Mel's always been a little accident prone." Rebecca laughed nervously. "I remember when she was about five and she..."
"Miss Flynn," Jesse interrupted, before she could go off on a trip down memory lane. "Three times in just a few days is more than just accident prone. The cuts on her arm, the bruises on her face, they don't look like the results of accidents to me."
"What are you trying to say? Are you suggesting that I had something to do with them?"
"No, no of course not," the doctor hurried to assure her. "I just wanted to know how close you are to your sister. Does she confide in you? Would she tell you if, for example, she was being bullied?"
"Yes, she tells me everything." Rebecca's tone was still defensive. "If she was having any kind of trouble, I'd know about it."
"How about, maybe, a boyfriend?"
"No, she doesn't have one."
"You're sure?"
"I think I know my own sister, doctor."
Rebecca began to bristle at his constant questions and Jesse should have taken that as the signal to back off, but all he could think about was that young girl's pain and he risked one final attempt.
"And how are things between Melissa and her dad?"
As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Jesse knew that he'd made a big mistake. Rebecca's eyes blazed and she practically leapt to her feet.
"How dare you?" she almost screamed. "How dare you suggest that my dad would lay a finger on her? He's been everything to her since mum died. You don't know my family and you've got no right to say such things."
Jesse tried to apologise, but couldn't get a word in.
"Get out!" She was yelling by now and Melissa had appeared in the doorway, watching the scene with uncomprehending eyes. "Get the Hell out and don't come back. Stay away from my family and stay the Hell away from Mel!"
The young doctor beat a hasty retreat, wondering how on Earth he was going to explain to Mark what he had just done.

*****

"You did what?"
It was unusual for Mark Sloan to raise his voice and Jesse couldn't help but wince at his tone. He'd waited until morning, then gone to see his mentor in his office. He had considered calling him at home the previous night, but then decided that this was something he had to do face-to-face. Only now, he was beginning to regret that decision.
"Jesse, what did we talk about, just yesterday?" Mark's tone had changed from incredulous to exasperated. "Do you have any idea what you have just done?"
"I..."
"You have practically accused a man of abusing his daughter," Mark continued, cutting off his attempted explanations. "And without one shred of evidence. From the way you say Melissa's sister reacted, I'd also say that there's a good chance that you're wrong."
"Mark..."
"How could you be so stupid?"
Jesse bit his lip and looked away. He knew that Mark had every right to be mad at him. After all, if the Flynn family decided to take this any further, it could have repercussions for the entire hospital. But that knowledge didn't make it any easier to take.
"I'm sorry," he murmured, knowing how woefully inadequate that sounded.
"Jesse, your enthusiasm is a part of who you are and I wouldn't change that for the world." Mark's tone was more gentle, as he softened towards his downcast young friend. "But what you did last night was downright irresponsible. If Melissa's father makes a complaint..."
"Just tell me how to fix it, Mark."
The natural enthusiasm that Mark had so recently referred to came bubbling back to the surface. The older doctor rubbed at his eyes tiredly.
"It's not always that simple, Jesse. The next move, if there is one, will be down to Mr. Flynn. In the meantime, I can only suggest that you take Rebecca's advice and stay well away from that family."

*****

Jesse had fully intended to heed Mark's words but, that afternoon, the fates conspired against him. After his talk with Mark, he had immersed himself in his work. If anything he had been working even harder than usual - if that were possible -desperate to make up for his mistake.
He didn't even know that Melissa was in the building until she tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around, not knowing who to expect, but the last person he'd wanted to see was the teenager.
"Oh no," he breathed.
He hadn't meant to speak aloud, but knew that he had the moment that a look of hurt flashed across her features. In spite of what Mark said about him being wrong, he found that he still felt very protective towards the girl.
"Jesse?" She was on the verge of tears.
"Mel, honey, I'm sorry," he hurried to reassure her. "It's just that I was... expecting someone else. What's wrong? Are you hurt?"
"No, I um... I just wanted to say sorry, about Becky." Melissa was obviously embarrassed by her sister's behaviour. "She can get a bit... intense. Since mom died, you know?"
"It's okay, I understand. Big sisters are allowed to be like that. It's part of their job."
Melissa didn't look convinced, so Jesse placed his hands on her shoulders and looked her in the eyes.
"I mean it, Mel. It's not a problem."
"So we're still friends?"
Jesse paused for the briefest moment, wondering at what stage and in her mind, the doctor/patient relationship had developed into friendship. Then, seeing the hopeful look on her face, he knew that he couldn't add to her hurt any further.
"Of course we are," he answered.
Then Melissa leaned forward and planted a quick kiss firmly on his lips. Taken by surprise, Jesse jerked his head away and looked around to see if anyone was watching them.
"I'm sorry," Melissa said, in a small voice. "Shouldn't I have done that? I just wanted to say thank you."
"It's okay and you're welcome, but I really do have to get back to work." Jesse smiled, then beat a hasty retreat, fervently hoping that nobody who witnessed the exchange recognised Melissa and reported back to Mark.

*****

"Jesse, I want you to meet Pam Connelly. She specialises in cases like the one we were discussing earlier."
It was mid-afternoon and Mark had tracked Jesse down to the doctor's lounge, where his young friend had been indulging in a cup of coffee and a doughnut.
"Pleased to meet you." Jesse hurriedly dusted the sugar from his fingers and offered her his hand to shake.
"Likewise, Doctor Travis."
"Jesse, please."
"Don't worry, I'm not here to pry," Pam went on. "I don't even want to know the names of the parties involved. But Doctor Sloan seemed to think that you could use some advice."
Jesse flashed a genuinely grateful smile towards his good friend. Any residual irritation that Mark might have been feeling, after the way he'd behaved, had obviously dissipated. The older doctor winked at him return.
"Well, I'll just leave you to it," he said as he exited the lounge, closing the door behind him.
Jesse spent the next half an hour voicing his concerns to Pam. The woman just let him talk, her expression a thoughtful frown.
"Well, I must say that I am inclined to agree with Mark," she said when he'd finished. "The sister's reaction does seem to be the key. If they are as close as you said they are, then she would be the natural confidant. I know that sometimes a child will suffer for years without ever telling any one, but you said that this girl's injuries are all clearly visible. If there had been abuse occurring for any length of time, then the sister would have had her own concerns and they, most likely, would have shown in her reaction to the accusation. Did you get the impression that she was hiding something?"
"No, she was just mad," Jesse answered, ruefully.
He had to admit that he was disappointed by what he was hearing, especially as it all made such perfect sense. He was still no closer to finding out what was happening to Melissa.
"However," Pam continued, seeing his dejection. "There is clearly something wrong with the situation. The girl's injuries have been inflicted by someone."
"So how do I find out who?"
"Didn't Mark tell you to leave this alone?" Pam asked, raising one eyebrow.
"Well, yeah, but what if she comes back in tomorrow with more bruises? How can I leave something like that alone?"
"I understand what you're saying Jesse but, if that were to happen, I'd suggest that you let somebody professionally trained in these things handle it. Try to get her to talk to a counsellor."
Jesse nodded and, pushing his chair back with a noisy scrape, got up to leave. He was already late back from his break.
"Whatever happens," Pam called after him. "I'm sure I don't need to warn you about the dangers of getting too involved."

*****

Jesse was nearing the end of his shift and, thankfully, things had quietened down somewhat in the ER. He stood at the nurses' station, just making small talk with the woman on duty, trying to kill the time until he could go home.
He heard the elevator doors open and, out of sheer habit, glanced up. He smiled as he saw Mark and Steve step out into the corridor.
"Are you Jesse Travis?"
The voice came from behind him and Jesse started to turn, a smile of greeting already forming on his face.
He barely had time to register the man who confronted him, before a fist lashed out and connected solidly with his jaw. Caught off guard and off balance, Jesse crashed to the ground. The man glowered down at him for a brief moment before grabbing him by the lapels and hauling him to his feet. Then he all but threw him against a wall.
"You stay away from my daughter, you sick little pervert," he growled. "You touch her again and I'll kill you."

*****

Steve reacted more quickly than anybody. As soon as he'd seen the stranger hit Jesse, he'd moved, trying to cover the distance between them before his friend got hurt again. He heard the angry words the stranger had shouted, everyone in the ER had heard those words, but Steve paid them no heed.
He reached the two men just as Jesse's assailant drew back his fist to punch him again. With practiced ease, he grabbed hold of his arm and twisted it up behind his back. Just a few moments later, he had the stranger pinned up against a wall.
Mark had also hurried over and was assuring himself that, while Jesse was very shaken, no serious damage had been done.
"Let me go!"
The stranger began to struggle in Steve's grip, so the detective simply applied a little more pressure to his twisted arm.
"You wanna calm down and tell me what the Hell's going on?"
"Ask the paedophile," the stranger hissed.
Jesse just stared at him, a look of absolute incomprehension on his face. Mark, however, had started to get a sneaky suspicion as to what this was all about.
"Why don't you start by telling us who you are?" he suggested.
"I'm Eric Flynn and your doctor has been molesting my daughter."
Mark looked around and saw just how many people were witnessing this conversation.
"Let's go to my office," he said, much to the disappointment of the assembled audience. "Maybe we should discuss this in private."
At the man's reluctant nod Steve finally released him, but kept his guard up, just in case he decided to attack Jesse again.
"Jesse," Mark said, as the young doctor made to accompany them. "Why don't you get an ice-pack for your face. We'll talk later."
Effectively dismissed, Jesse could only stand and watch as Mark and Steve escorted Eric Flynn back into the elevator.

*****

"I'm not gonna let you people sweep this under the carpet." Eric Flynn started ranting, the moment they reached Mark's office. "I know what you're like, how you close ranks and protect your own. Well, I'm not gonna let that happen."
"Mr. Flynn." Mark had to raise his voice to get through to the other man. "It might help if you'd tell me what the problem is."
"The problem is your doctor and my daughter. My fourteen-year-old daughter."
"Melissa," Mark sighed.
"You know about it?" Flynn demanded, incredulously. "How long has it been going on? How could you let it happen? I can't believe you would condone..."
"Mr. Flynn, please!" Again the doctor had to shout to be heard. "I only know your daughter's name because Doctor Travis expressed some concern about her."
"Oh yeah, and I heard about that too. Trying to cover his tracks by accusing me of beating up on her. For all I know, it's him who's been hurting her. Dammit, I should've hit him harder."
"I can assure you that Doctor Travis..."
"How well do you know him, huh?" Flynn interrupted, angrily. "Not well enough to know that he's been carrying on with my little girl."
"You keep making these accusations." Steve had been leaning against the door, but he straightened up and approached Flynn. "You must have some pretty strong proof, to assault a man like that."
"And what the Hell's it your business?"
Steve sighed and pulled out his badge. The fact that he was a cop had an immediate effect on Flynn.
"So why are you here, instead of downstairs arresting that child molester?" he demanded.
"Proof, Mr. Flynn?"
The man sank back into his chair and reached into his inside pocket. Withdrawing a black, leather-bound book, he tossed it onto the desk in front of Mark.
"Melissa's diary," he said. "Is that proof enough for you?"

*****

Jesse kissed me today and I mean really kissed me. It was amazing. He is just the best kisser in the world. It's incredible going out with a real man, instead of those stupid boys from school. Jesse really knows how to treat a girl. He even said that he doesn't care about the age difference. He said let people think what they want.
He's amazing. We've only known each other a few days and I love him already. I know that he feels the same way about me.
Mark sighed as he read that, the last entry in the diary. He knew that it wasn't true, Jesse would never do such a thing, but he also knew that convincing Eric Flynn of that would be almost impossible.
"So what are you going to do about it?" Flynn demanded, belligerently.
"Well, we'll look into it, of course." Mark sighed and rubbed his eyes tiredly. "I'm going to need copies of the diary entries."
Flynn nodded, then pulled some photocopies of those damning pages out of his pocket. The man had come prepared.
"And you've got to hear Jesse's side," Steve put in, somewhat amazed by the turn of events. "Give him a chance to defend himself."
"That goes without saying." Mark flicked through the copies of the diary's entries. There were only four of them, but he could see that Jesse's name featured prominently in all of them.
"And in the meantime? Are you gonna let him carry on treating patients?" Flynn wanted to know. "Putting other people's kids at risk?"
"Now wait a minute." Steve reacted furiously to the slur on his friend's name. He all but squared up to Flynn, ready to make him eat those words. Flynn glared back at him, not giving an inch.
"Steve, Mr. Flynn, please." Mark help up his hands and the two men backed down, albeit grudgingly. "That will be for the Board to decide. I'll talk to them immediately, then I'll let you know their decision."
"Alright." Flynn got up to leave, without offering either man a handshake. "But if I don't hear from you soon, you'll be hearing from my lawyer."

*****

Mark found Jesse still in the doctor's lounge some hours later and long after he should have gone home. The older doctor had spoken to, then argued with, the hospital's administrators, but to no avail.
Now, seeing the dejected slump to his colleague's shoulders, he felt terribly guilty about only being able to deliver more bad news.
"Mark!" Jesse all but leapt to his feet, as he entered the room. "What's going on? That was Mel's dad, right? What was he..?"
"Jesse, I think you should sit down," Mark said, frowning slightly as he noticed how the young man had abbreviated Melissa's name. "Eric Flynn has made a very serious allegation against you, one that we... that is, the hospital, can't ignore."
"What?"
"He claims that you're in a relationship with Melissa."
"But that's crazy," Jesse protested. "He's just trying to get his own back because of what I said to Rebecca. Mark, surely you don't believe him."
"Of course I don't." Mark saw a look of relief flash across his young friend's features and had to force himself to continue. "But it's not just his word, Jess."
He handed Jesse the photocopies that Flynn had given him.
"What's this?" The younger man asked, not bothering to look through them.
"Entries from Melissa Flynn's diary," Mark told him, grimly. "They're all about you, Jess."
At last the young doctor's eyes fell to the papers that he held, then widened with disbelief at what was written there.
"But Mark, none of this is true," he argued. "She's just making it up."
"I know that Jesse, but I'm afraid the hospital Board doesn't see it that way." Mark sighed and looked at his friend, sadly. "They've ordered a full investigation. In the meantime, you'll be suspended on full pay. Effective immediately."

Forward to part two

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