Disclaimer: All still apply.

SOMETHING TO PROVE

(PART FOUR)

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 practised 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 predominantly 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 copies that Flynn had given him.

"What is it?" Jesse 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."

TO BE CONTINUED...