We quickly opened the side door to the office and pushed through the double doors at the top of the corridor back into the waiting room. My first thought was that perhaps Mr Daniels had finally tipped over the edge and become actually dangerous. I was worried for our full waiting room of potentially vulnerable patients, including children.
We both quickly scanned the room – and my heart stopped to see the couple in front of the reception desk who had been raising their voices. Gary and Christy Day were stood slightly in front of their son, who was dressed neatly in his school uniform. Gary, fully suited and booted, turned and saw me.
‘There she is!’ he exclaimed angrily, pointing right at me. ‘That’s the doctor who’s been sexually abusing our son.’
The whole room was instantly silent, as if someone had hit the mute button on a television. I was only aware of my heart starting to thump violently in my chest as every single pair of eyes in the room swivelled to look at me. I saw frowns, mouths falling open and, on some faces, immediate disgust.
Christy Day pushed round her husband and positioned herself right in front of me, facing me full on. She was heavily made-up, dressed in skinny black jeans, spikey sock ankle boots and a tight black top under a real fox fur gilet. Her long sharp nails gripped the handle of her designer bag furiously. She’d evidentially come dressed for a fight.
‘Shame on you!’ She practically spat the words at me. ‘And you came to my house? You have the brass neck to get one of your slapper friends to put you forward so you can come into my house to get at my child?’
She took a step closer, and I tensed as David leapt between us and put up his hands. ‘We need to calm this down. This is a very serious allegation you’re making here, and this isn’t an appropriate—’
‘Appropriate?’ Christy turned on him. ‘Don’t you dare talk to me about what’s appropriate! You’re supposed to be able to trust your doctor with your children. She’s been preying on him for months!’
‘What? No, I haven’t! That’s a lie!’ I exclaimed, horrified.
‘So you haven’t had sex with my son then?’ Christy demanded.
I hesitated and looked at Jonathan. His face was absolutely blank, and he stared straight ahead.
‘You see!’ Christy exclaimed triumphantly to the room. ‘She’s not denying it! She can’t, because it’s true. Well we’re not going to let you get away with this. I’m going to make sure you never get your dirty hands on anyone else’s son.’ She leant round David and pushed her finger into my face, jabbing me on the forehead between my eyes hard enough to make me jerk my head back in shock. It was horrible, like she was miming a bullet hitting me.
‘That’s enough,’ David said. ‘I’ve just had the police here and I’ll call them again if you attempt another assault on my colleague. Please, just come through into somewhere we can—’
My wife isn’t the one doing the assaulting.’ It was Gary’s turn to step forward and interrupt. ‘You best get us a room where we can make our complaint properly.’ He looked David up and down, distastefully, taking in the visible stain on the front of his trousers. ‘I assume it’s you who runs this place as you’re acting the big billy bollocks.’
‘Dad.’ It was the first word Jonathan had said.
‘Don’t worry, son, I’m dealing with it.’ Gary didn’t look at Jonathan, just held up a hand to silence him. ‘She’s not going to be allowed to hurt you again.’
‘Yes, he’s the one who runs it,’ Christy said, nodding at David. ‘He’s the doctor I saw last month.’
‘This is outrageous!’ I exclaimed. I was starting to shake. ‘You’re making public allegations that are completely false, and which you can’t have any evidence of because they’re not true. That’s slander, and I’ll sue you if say another word.’
‘You’re threatening me?’ Gary laughed incredulously. ‘Did you hear that everyone? The kiddy-fiddler doctor says she’s going to sue me!’
‘I mean it, I’ll call the police if you continue this.’ David turned to face Gary. ‘We either discuss this privately or not at all.’
‘Jonathan – you know this isn’t true.’ I addressed him over his parents, directly and loudly. ‘Why are you making this up? Is it because I said I’d tell everyone you tried to blackmail me into sleeping with you?’
‘Don’t talk to him,’ Christy pointed at me furiously. ‘Don’t so much as look at him, love, all right?’
‘Please, Alex, don’t say anything more.’ David swung round to face me. ‘Just go into my office and wait there, OK?’
‘Jonathan?’ I looked at him desperately as he raised his head, met my eyes… and stayed silent. I was almost certain I saw the ghost of a smile play about his mouth, but when I blinked in disbelief, his expression was implacable once again.
I had no choice but to turn around and leave the room, everyone watching me. As I opened the door I heard one of the older patients tut and repeat Christy’s verdict with a muttered: ‘For shame!’
I did as I was told and went into David’s office, sat down in my chair of earlier and noticed there was still tea on the floor. Automatically, I got back up, pulled some more tissue sheets from the large roll in the dispenser, folded them and placed them on the floor, stepping on them to absorb the liquid, as I did at home when one of the girls knocked over a drink. When I saw it had soaked as much as it was going to, I carefully put the tissue in the bin and sat back down. I didn’t have my phone in the room with me, so I couldn’t call or text Rob. I never rang him from the work phones and I realised I didn’t even know his mobile number in any case, so I just sat very still, in shock, and waited. Jonathan had done this because he thought it was all going to come out about him trying to blackmail me. He’d made sure he got in there with his accusation first.
David returned at nine a.m., looking ashen. He sat down opposite me. ‘The Days have alleged that you’ve been involved in an inappropriate sexual relationship with their son, Jonathan, for three months now, which, they say, began after his first appointment with you. I’ve checked the records and you did see him on Thursday, 15 June, at three p.m. The phrase Jonathan’s mother keeps using is ‘sexual abuse’, although Jonathan himself, while agreeing you’ve been having a relationship, has stated it has always been consensual.’
I exhaled with a sort of violent gasp. I hadn’t been aware I’d been holding my breath.
‘Although Jonathan now says he feels “uncomfortable” with what’s happened. So, while the good news is there’s no basis for a criminal charge here, professionally – for us as doctors – meaningful consent is pretty much an impossibility in this situation. He’s without doubt going to be viewed as a vulnerable patient and trust is the cornerstone of the doctor-patient relationship. I don’t have any choice under the circumstances but to ask you to accept suspension with immediate effect pending an investigation, as the Days are making their complaint to the GMC as we speak. I’m so very sorry, Alex.’
I nodded, silently.
‘You should get some legal advice, I think.’
‘They’re going to strike me off, aren’t they? It’ll be my word against his, and they’ll look at the warning I received over Rob and think they know exactly what happened.’
‘I think your registration is at risk, yes.’
‘You know he’s lying, don’t you, David?’ I looked him straight in the eye.
‘Oh Alex, if it was only all down to me… but this is out of my hands now.’ He said it kindly, but we both knew he was being a good doctor, carefully offering as much comfort as his professional parameters allowed. ‘Do you want us to call Rob to come and get you? Will you be safe to drive?’