Response to reviews:

Thanks for the feedback on the next story idea… I'm working on the outline now for that.

L3Writing - Here's the hearing!

Lavinia Maxwell - :)

TLWtlw - Yes… Mr. Philips turned into being quite the great villain for this story… unplanned and wish I make him more so earlier.

— Anne —

Wednesday, August 10th, 3:00pm

Redmond Medical Department, Kingsport, Nova Scotia

We entered into a converted classroom were Dr. Bernard motioned for Gilbert to head to a podium. The room had been setup for like a trial, with the twelve committee members sitting in a U shape in the student desks, while facing them stood Gilbert at the podium. The rest of the desks had been pushed back to the back, where I stood with Dr. Bernard. I saw Roy go and take one of the seats, ignoring me while Mr. Philips stood smirking on the other side of the back of the room from Dr. Bernard and myself. He passed us briefly whispering. "So now that perfect son of Avonlea has had a mighty fall… should have known you'd be his downfall when you attacked him in my classroom…"

I stood fidgeting as more and more of the committee members showed up, taking their seats. I whispered to Dr. Bernard, "Why aren't you on the committee?"

"I'm his sponsor. His outcome could affect my…" He didn't finish as the head of the committee, an older doctor cleared his throat, standing up at the center of the table.

"We're all present…" He nodded. "Mr. Blythe. These are serious charges brought against you, charges showing that you've broken the ethics and moral agreement you signed when accepting the Cooper Prize only a few months ago. We'll go over the evidence brought to the court, and you'll then be able to defend yourself. I know you've been a hard working young man, and I wish I could speak for myself and others that we wished this never happened…"

Another member stood up. "Enough. On with the evidence please. We all know this is just for formality. Should have just sent a letter."

"Despicable." Roy added to the man. "I quite agree. A letter would have been enough."

"Quiet." The leader spoke. "We'll review the submitted evidence. Then the man can speak for himself. You never know… you might Mr. Gardiner change your mind. We'll all vote, it must be a majority."

And so the evidence was brought forth. First Mr. Philips, to whom his graphic descriptions of Gilbert and I was quite mortifying and indecent. Not only that our lying was laid out for all to see every falsehood we'd ever told. Oh it was awful. Even the leader who seemed partial to give us grace seemed to be looking at Gilbert more and more stern.

Then came my testimony, which didn't help. Or it did, only the eyes went to myself instead of Gilbert. And half the men were clearly laughing, either at Gilbert, myself, or perhaps even Mr. Philips I had to hope that despite the graphic description Mr. Philips had seen - I was still a maiden as verified by a Doctor and two unrelated ladies before Gilbert and I married."

"You're still a maiden?" Roy sputtered. "We'll need it tested again…"

"Absolutely not." I interrupted. "You have evidence and submitting to that exam is a one time only thank you very much. Anyways, Gilbert brought our marriage license. That test now is rather moot. " I wasn't about to mention the time Gilbert checked. I would prefer to have none but his

"They could have faked it…" Roy suggested.

I rolled my eyes. What had I ever seen in him?

"Did you read her statement? Gardiner…" One of the other man spoke.

"Enough!" Gilbert cried out. "Anne was just trying to protect me. She hasn't been chasing me for years. Ask anyone who knows us back home. I've been pining after her ever since I called her carrots and she broke her slate on my head when I was thirteen."

"What does that have to do with this case?" The leader of the committee asked.

"When a man's got a fever, think's he's dying… he clings onto the only thing he's ever wanted. Sure I've wanted to be a Doctor, but when you're staring death in the face, it's what's really important. They said I nearly died from the typhoid I caught helping at the clinic. It was Providence himself, I mean the Good Lord who ensured that when I was sent home by Dr. Bernard for working myself too hard to ignore the ache of having lost the girl I loved two years before when she refused me, that she'd changed her own plans, rushed home from a wedding with the same goal. Get to Avonlea where we're loved. I ran right into her and threw up. How's that for romance?"

A few of the men chuckled.

"I didn't know what was real or not, and so when we got stranded due to missing our train connection, again because I'd tossed up the contents of my stomach and was burning with fever. I'd insisted on taking care of her. I always will you know. Well, I confused dream world with reality in that fever and don't ask me how Mr. Philips and his wife didn't realize I was too sick to be standing up. Poor Anne didn't know what to do when she'd realized in my fever I'd checked us in as Mr. & Mrs. Blythe. I'm afraid I'd dreamed of her being Anne Blythe for years that I'd let the fever claim her as such. Sure we made mistakes. Sure we've had to repent and grieve over how we've hurt each other with our sins. And sure I hurt Anne. I'll always regret it. But can I ask you. What makes a stronger doctor? The one who knows the strength of sin and is humble enough to confess and face the consequences? The one who will serve all no matter what their past is and won't judge them because he knows what it means to be ostracized for his own sin? Or the Doctor who thinks himself the perfect man, looking down his nose in judgement?"

"We have standards though young man…" One of the committee members spoke.

"The good word spoke of two who approached the sanctuary. The tax collector who knew his sins and was humbled, or the Pharisee who could not see his own sins for his pride? I admit we've made mistakes, including not correcting folks when we found out about the gossip Mr. Philips and his wife started about us. We thought we were just engaged, but were so focused on my recovery we hadn't even realized how much the gossip had exploded. What is the greater sin? The one who is standing here repentant, or the one who stands in pride - Mr. Philips of his gossip?"

I pushed past Dr. Bernard, and Mr. Philips who was also pushing towards Gilbert, I could see him storming mad, and as he pushed me to try to reach Gilbert he knocked me to the ground. They all stared in shock. "Whore." Mr. Philips spoke softly, such that only Gilbert and I heard.

But that was enough. Gilbert took one swing and punched Mr. Philips in the face, knocking him to the ground. "Don't you dare ever call my wife a whore again. I'll spend a lifetime repenting of the liberties I stole in my fevered haze and the pain I caused her, but she is not now nor never has been a whore Mr. Philips. You weren't a good teacher back in the day when you were our school teacher in Avonlea, and you're no better of a man today. Instead of supporting your family celebrating your wife's sister's marriage you've been seeking a vendetta against me? And why? Why is your jealousy and pride so important?"

Mr. Philips just glared up at us.

The leader than stood up. "I think…" He spoke to the others. "Those not on committee we ask that you leave. Any who wish to hear the results of the case may return at 5pm. We will make it public record then as to the status of Mr. Gilbert Blythe's position at the medical school, the Cooper Prize, and any disciplinary actions that will result."

He slammed his fist on the table, and wrapping my arm around Gilbert, I could feel him shaking as we turned to leave with Dr. Bernard. I saw Mr. Philips get up and try to reach Roy Gardiner, but he was ordered away, and ordered to seek the nurse at the front desk for his face, for his cheek was already turning purple.

—*—*—*—*—

Author's Note: We're already getting closer and closer to the finish. I'm burnt out with writing this I'm afraid, I tried earlier today to reread chapters and found it hard to read… there's a reason they recommend waiting several months before rereading a story. I loved the thoughts you had for the next story that I'm working on, but as I want is stronger most likely it won't be published at all until next year, as I'll write a full first draft then publish the first round edit. Versus this story which is mostly 1st draft with some chapters being second or third… and the plot outline changing several times such that its not as strong of a plot as it could have been. But that's what fan fiction is for - fun and learning :)

I hope you all have a great week. When the next chapter is written - which could be a day or a week, I'll be posting that.