This story is set at the end of Series 6
The Hearing
Chapter 2
"Dr. Ellingham! Are you with us?" He blinked to find himself back in the dingy meeting room, three sets of eyes trained on him. Garber must have asked something of him, but he wasn't about to improvise a response. What he'd learned early in life was that silence was the best defense, and he readily fell back into old habits.
"Let me repeat the question. Do you agree with the version of the events that brought you before this panel today?"
He'd barely listened as Garber read verbatim from the incident report submitted by the charge nurse on duty that day. Parsons had emailed him a copy, and he'd carefully read through the document, finding it concise and without omissions or errors. But nurse's account had left out what no one could see – the struggle to suppress a burgeoning panic attack, the scalpel laying heavy in his gloved hand; the exhilaration of saving his wife's life followed by the realization it wasn't going to be enough. He had the skills to fix a leaky blood vessel but not all that what was wrong between them.
"Do you have anything to add?" asked Garber, relieved Martin wasn't going to contest the panel's report.
Martin didn't hesitate. "I'd do it again."
"Excuse me?" Garber said, incredulous.
"I'd do it again if it meant saving a life."
"We have perfectly good surgeons on staff who save lives on a daily basis."
"I disagree. Your surgeons are poorly trained and even more poorly supervised."
Garber jumped out of his seat, fist clenched at his side. "You're the one under investigation, Ellingham, not my department. You broke every rule in the book, and not for the first time. Operating without a proper license or theater privileges is bad enough. But on your wife? Treating family is not only a breach of every rule in the book but reckless. You acted with disregard not only for your wife's safety but the staff and hospital. What if it had all gone to hell, Ellingham? What then?"
Bray and Swain stared at Garber, open-mouthed. The head of surgery might be a prig, but he was an unshakeable prig who kept his cool even when meetings became a tossing ground for personal insults. Ellingham had achieved what no one else had, but there was no show of victory on the GP's part. Instead, his expression remained impassive as he recalled Chris's plea for restraint. A little too late for that, thought Martin.
Garber sat down, realizing he'd overstepped the mark. He composed himself before saying, "Ellingham, please step out. We'll call you back once we've reached a decision."
Dismissed, Martin made for the door, shutting it softly behind him. There had been nothing to add, at least nothing that wouldn't make things worse. He leaned against the door, overtaken with bone-aching exhaustion. Sleep had been elusive, his nights filled with silent recriminations. The days had been no better with patients prodding him for information on Louisa's whereabouts. "None of your damn business," he'd snapped to no avail. There was no keeping the vultures away.
A group of registrars walked by and his name was said in a loud whisper as they rounded a corner. Martin's disciplinary hearing was prime fodder for the hospital's prodigious gossip mill, an opportunity to see the great Ellingham fall. To hell with all them, he thought but at the same time moved out of the way to a secluded corner near a window. Below was one of the many carparks bordering the hospital and he watched as a few cars drove away, followed by many more. With a start, he realized it was coming upon five o'clock. Louisa's plane should have landed by now, and he took out his phone to see if she'd rung. The screen showed no recent calls or messages, and he slipped it back into his pocket with a sigh.
He heard footsteps behind him and turned, expecting to see a member of the panel come to fetch him. "Ellingham? What are you doing here?" Edith Montgomery, former med school classmate, and fiancée stood a few feet away. He instinctively took a step back and nearly stumbled when his foot hit the edge of the wall.
"Steady on, Ellingham. You can't be that surprised to see me. I work here, remember?"
How could he forget– her name was plastered all over the hospital's website. She was a successful infertility expert, the star consultant in an otherwise lackluster stable of specialists. But he'd had no contact with Edith since his marriage, avoiding lectures or meeting where encounters were likely to happen.
He made to go around, but she stopped him by putting a hand on his arm.
"Ellingham, wait." He glanced down at her hand, willing her to pull it away. What bad luck to run into Edith, today of all days.
"The disciplinary hearing." Understanding flashed across her face, followed by a grimace. "Bad luck, that."
"Yes." He said, brushing past her.
"She's not here? Your wife."
That slowed him down, but just for a moment. Under no circumstances would he discuss Louisa's whereabouts with Edith, and he resumed his race down the corridor. The men's toilets were a few yards away, and he had almost reached its relative safety when she said, "I'm leaving."
About time, he thought, about to push through the lav door. "I'm leaving Cornwall, Ellingham. England, if we want to be precise. Got an offer I couldn't turn down in Singapore. My own lab and infertile couples with lots of money."
Against his better judgment, he turned to face her. Memories of another time flashed across his mind; an engagement ring pressed into the palm of his hand as she turned down his earnest proposal. "I'm leaving, Ellingham. Places to be, places to see. Can't be tied down." The devastation had been complete, and even years later, he tasted the bitterness of her refusal.
"Goodbye and good luck," Martin finally said. To his surprise, her eyes glistened with unshed tears. He stood rooted in place, a part of him needing to know what she'd say next.
"It was a mistake, turning you down Ellingham. Guess it's too late now."
"Yes," Martin answered, relieved he felt no regret. He'd dodge a bullet with Edith, and though the situation with Louisa was less than ideal, it was better than a life of marital misery with Edith Montgomery.
"Ellingham?" Bray had come up behind Edith, flushed and tie askew. "We're ready for you."
"You better go," said Edith. Bray gave them both a quizzical look before heading back to the meeting, Martin at his heels. His encounter with Edith would be all over the hospital by morning, but he didn't care. She was leaving, and he'd been around long enough to know what was out of sight, was also out of mind. The rumors would die down soon enough, and he put Edith in the same bucket as the disciplinary hearing – a nuisance to be dealt with and then best forgotten.
Martin walked into the room as his phone pinged. He stopped to look at the screen, ignoring Garber's blustered objection. It was Louisa. We arrived safely. Will ring later, she wrote.
He took his seat, ready for anything the panel deemed fit to throw at him.
Many thanks to the readers who posted reviews for Chapter 1. My apologies for not responding personally to every posting, but please know I appreciate your thoughtful feedback.