I sat, biting my lip, in the conference room on the mental health wing of Valleycrest Hospital. The phone call I had received before I left for dinner with Jonah had been from the Chief of the Psychiatric Staff at Valleycrest, who also happened to be my colleague and Erica Cates’s physician, Dr. Miles Bennett. I’d tried to put this meeting at the back of my mind while I had been with Jonah, and I had actually succeeded. But after Jonah got the call from Talon and left so abruptly, I had turned back into a pumpkin. This phone call and meeting had gotten into my mind and wouldn’t let go. I tossed and turned all night, getting only an hour or two of sleep. I had to have Randi reschedule two therapy sessions to make room for the meeting this morning. I hated canceling on my patients. Regular therapy was so important to the work I did, and when I had to cancel, patients got off schedule. But I couldn’t miss this meeting.
Miles sat across from me, and next to him sat a young woman who I knew as Dr. Eva Wilson, the chief psychiatry resident this year at Valleycrest.
“I hope you don’t mind, Melanie. I’ve asked Eva to join us.”
“Normally I wouldn’t, Miles, but I don’t even know why you’ve summoned me here. Until I know the reason for this meeting, I’m not very comfortable having anyone else attending.”
“Dr. Carmichael—” Eva began.
“It’s all right, Eva,” Miles said. “Melanie, everything in this meeting will be held within the strictest confidence. Eva can be trusted.”
I nodded. “Fine.” I didn’t have the energy to protest anymore.
“Erica Cates’s husband, Rodney Cates, came to me yesterday. He was a mess. Said he had just been with you. It was nearly six o’clock, and I was getting ready to leave the hospital, but he insisted upon seeing me.”
I nodded. What could I say?
“He wants to see your file on his daughter, Melanie.”
“The file is in storage,” I said.
“I understand that.”
“And you probably also understand that my psychotherapy notes are protected under HIPAA.”
“I do. But it might serve your interests best to release the file.”
I widened my eyes into circles. “Did I hear you right? You want me to disregard the law that protects my patients?”
“Melanie, the patient in question is dead.”
“You know the law as well as I do. If he wants to see the file, he needs to go to court, be appointed as the personal representative of his daughter’s estate, and then he can demand access to the file. Not before.”
“Yes, I know that. But why not show him? Right now, I need to think of my patient, and her husband is driving her slowly crazy.”
“I sympathize with you, Miles,” I said, “but I have to think of my patient and her rights too.”
“May I remind you again, Melanie, that your patient is dead?”
“No, you don’t need to remind me of that.” I stood, anger getting the best of me. “Don’t you know that I think of that girl every day of my life? That I question myself? That I wonder what there was that I didn’t see? She haunts me every night, Miles. I did what I thought was best at the time, and I had an attorney and Shelley Barrett, who you yourself have said is one of the best therapists in business today, review my file after Gina’s suicide. They both concluded there was nothing in the notes to indicate Gina was suicidal. I believe we’re done here.”
“Sit down, Melanie.”
“I will not. I have nothing more to say on this matter.”
“You may not, but I have more to say. Now please, sit.”
“I think I’ll remain standing. Have your say, Miles.”
“This man is wreaking havoc in the hospital,” Miles said. “Please understand my position. As a friend and colleague, I’m asking for your cooperation.”
“I’m sorry. I can’t.”
“Then I have no choice but to ask you to take a leave of absence from your practice.”
I whipped my neck around. “A leave of absence? On what basis?”
“Pending investigation of the medical review board. Rodney Cates filed a complaint against you early this morning.”
I froze, my blood frosting in my veins. “I know my rights. I am able to keep practicing medicine until the medical board tells me I can’t.”
“You know the procedures as well as I do. Don’t make me suspend your privileges at this hospital.”
“Do you hear yourself, Miles? My patients need me. This isn’t right, and you know it.”
“This is a temporary situation.”
“You have no cause to ask this of me. I haven’t done anything wrong.”
“Believe me, Melanie. It’s for your own good.”
“So is this the kind of man you are, Miles? Things get a little tough for you, and you roll over and play dead? What are you afraid of? That if you don’t kowtow to Cates, he’ll file a complaint against you?”
Miles reddened. Yes, I’d hit that nail right on the head.
I clenched my hands into fists. “I see how it is. Fine. I’ll close up my practice for a few weeks until you’re confident this has blown over. I’ll let my patients down. But I won’t forget this, Miles.” I stormed out of the conference room.
The walk back to my office took place in a blur. I was livid. When I reached the fourth floor, I tromped into the office.
“Randi? Take the next three weeks off.”
“Excuse me?” Her blond head popped up from her computer.
“You heard me. It seems the universe has decided I need to take a break for a few weeks. I need you to cancel all my appointments for the next three weeks. Don’t reschedule anything. We’ll call them all when I get back to the office.”
“But Dr. Carmichael, this isn’t like you—”
“Trust me, it wasn’t my idea.”
She paled. “All right. I’ll call everyone. What about this afternoon’s appointments?”