Disclaimer: All still apply.
SOMETHING TO PROVE.
(PART TWO.)
"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, then 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 to 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, then 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."
"Then 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.
TO BE CONTINUED...