Title: Breaking protocol
Fandom: The Doctor Blake Mysteries
Author: Ceindreadh
Type of Story: one-shot
Characters: Matthew Lawson, Alice Harvey
Rating: 15
Spoilers: Up to and including the telemovie
Summary: Protocols are in place for a reason.
Word count: ~ 1,000
Disclaimer. I don't own the characters, I'm only borrowing them, and no copyright infringement is intended.
Alice sat across the table from Matthew and watched as he carefully opened the file in front of him.
"Doctor Harvey, do you wish to explain what happened this afternoon?"
"I believe I've already given a full statement to Senior Sargent Parks," said Alice. "I'm not sure what I can add to that, Chief Superintendent Lawson."
"You can start by explaining just what the hell you were doing at the crime scene in the first place," Matthew's voice was almost a growl.
"My job," said Alice, calmly, "I'd re-examined the evidence and realised that it didn't fit with what I'd seen during my first examination. So, I went back to check that I hadn't been mistaken. I don't see what the problem is? You asked me to be the acting Police Surgeon while Lucien is away, so I'm acting like a Police Surgeon?"
"When I asked you to be acting Police Surgeon, I didn't expect you to act like Lucien!" snapped Matthew, "Rushing off half-cocked to a crime scene, on your own. You should have phoned the station and I'd have sent Parks out to escort you. I told you before, you don't go to a crime scene for an active case unless you're accompanied by one of my men."
"I don't need a babysitter, Superintendent." Alice took a breath, "Look, it was already starting to rain. If I'd waited for a police officer to show up, the scene could have been completely compromised."
"So instead you asked the prime suspect in the case to drive you there?"
"I didn't know you suspected him," snapped Alice, "You'd told me that he had an airtight alibi."
Matthew slammed his hand on the table, "And if you'd bothered to check in, I'd have also told you that Parks had just found out that Graham's mistress works in the telephone exchange and the international call that he supposedly made at the time of his murder had actually been placed from the victim's house and not Graham's." He saw Alice pale visibly at the news and he softened his tone, "Do you realise what could have happened if Parks hadn't gotten there when he did?"
"I'm sure I was in no danger," said Alice. "Doctor Graham wouldn't have hurt me. The original crime was pre-meditated, meticulously planned."
"He's already killed once before, and you were about to prove it. Even a rat will fight when they're cornered. You think he'd have just let you go, Alice… Doctor Harvey?"
Strange though it might seem, but it was Matthew's uncharacteristic slip of the tongue that unsettled Alice more than his show of anger.
Throughout their working relationship, they'd observed strict formalities. "Doctor Harvey and Chief Superintendent Lawson." When they'd expanded their relationship to the personal as well, neither saw any reason to change it. The protocol had become a way of clearly delineating where the professional left off and the personal began. On the clock, they were Doctor Harvey and Superintendent Lawson, or sometimes Chief Superintendent Lawson, if Alice was feeling particularly waspish.
But outside the confines of the job, when it was Alice and Matthew, that was their own time, and they'd made a pact not to let the two worlds bleed into one another. Oh, they'd certainly discuss their jobs when they were officially off the clock, but anything said outside the confines of the Hospital or the Police Station, that was understood to be off the record, to borrow a term from Rose.
So, Doctor Harvey could order Chief Superintendent Lawson to stop trampling all over her crime scene and Chief Superintendent Lawson could berate Doctor Harvey for returning to it unaccompanied by a uniform. And whatever words passed between the Doctor and the Superintendent, those words would be left at the Police Station or the Hospital and Alice and Matthew would go and eat dinner together, and some mornings, breakfast as well.
But now Matthew was breaking their established protocols and Alice wasn't sure how to take it.
"Matthew," she said, tentatively.
"Chief Superintendent," he growled back at her.
"No," said Alice, shaking her head, "I think this conversation needs to be had between Matthew and Alice and not hiding behind titles."
Matthew sighed heavily, and buried his head in his hands for a few seconds before looking her in the eye, "He could have hurt you, Alice," he said finally. "If Parks had gotten there a few minutes later…"
"But he didn't…"
Matthew continued as if she hadn't said anything, "I have to go next door now and interview the man. And what I really want to do is send Bill Hobart in there to beat him to within an inch of his life and then let me in to finish the job. But I'm not going to do that, because even though he was seconds away from hurting the woman that I love, I still have to go and do my bloody job."
Alice said nothing, just reached out and took his hand. Matthew sighed, "Who would have thought that Lucien would be the easier of you two to work with." He squeezed her hand, "Don't get me wrong, I still get chills down my spine when I think of him nearly bleeding out in that shed, but well, he's Jean's to worry about now."
"And I'm yours," said Alice. "So, what do we do now. Do you want me to step down as acting Police Surgeon?"
"Would you, if I asked you to?" Matthew saw Alice's hesitation, "No, I can't ask you to do that. You're a damn fine Doctor and honestly, we need you." He raised her hand to his lips and kissed it, "Just promise me you'll be more careful in future…Doctor Harvey."
"I will, Chief Superintendent Lawson."
Matthew held her hand for a few seconds longer before letting go. Pushing back his chair, he stood and reached for his cane.
"Matthew?" Alice's voice made him turn back from the door. "Would you really send Sergeant Hobart to beat up somebody because of me?"
"Alice…if somebody laid a hand on you in anger…I wouldn't need Hobart's help."
The end