If Maddie's weekend had been the ultimate high of the week, Monday was the ultimate low. When she woke that morning, she was chipper and smiling...still reeling from the party and all that had transpired; still laughing from the image of Harry trying to perform with his cousins, still sighing from his words.
She was at the hospital that day and her morning began with her usual rounds; checking on the patients who had been admitted over the weekend; reading over notes, visiting rooms. The morning flew by and, after a quick lunch, she would be heading down to the clinic to see a few out-patients all while remaining on call for the Emergency Room. As she pulled her lunch from the fridge, she glanced out the window; it was a nice day and she was going to eat outside. On her way through the hallways, her phone rang in her pocket. Pulling it out, she grinned.
"Ella my darling, couldn't wait till after work to talk to me?"
"Listen, Madeline, we need to talk."
"Whoa..." Maddie exhaled. "You sound serious."
"Where are you?"
"At work."
"No, like...where? Are you in public or private?"
"A hallway, Ella," Maddie smiled as a coworker walked past her. "What's happening?"
"I think you should sit down somewhere."
"Just tell me."
"Or find an office or..."
"God Damn it Ella, stop playing coy and..." Maddie groaned as her phone beeped. "That's weird. Harry's supposed to be in a meeting..."
"Is he on the other line?" Ella asked.
"He...he was. He went to voicemail. Ella, would you please just..."
"Is there any chance you let somebody take nude photos of you?" Ella spoke quickly and quietly.
"What? No. Of course not," Maddie laughed at the idea. "Why in the world would I..."
"There is a gossip website that says that they have nude photos of you and..."
"WHAT?!" Maddie's lunch fell to the floor as her entire body halted.
"They haven't posted them yet, but they say they have them and..."
"How in the world would they have..." Her phone beeped again. "That's Harry. Oh God do you think he..."
"Knows? Yes!" Ella cut in. "Answer that. Call me back."
Following Ella's directions, Maddie clicked over to the other call.
"Do you know?" He skipped right past the pleasantries.
"Ella just called to tell me. Harry, you have to believe me, it's not me."
"I know," his voice was strained and she could tell he was mad.
"I would never pose for something like that, I swear!"
"I know," he was walking through a hallway to a private room.
"Do you think somebody took a picture of me without me knowing it or..."
"It's not you," he cut her off. "I guarantee it."
"How do you know?"
"Because I've fucking seen them." Scratch that. He was furious.
"How did you see them?" Her voice was hoarse as her face flushed. "Are they already out?"
"No," he pushed through the door and slammed it behind him. "They sent them to my office for comment. I'll give them a fucking..."
"Harry!" She cut him off. "Where are you?"
"I'm on my way back to London."
"But I thought you had the meeting and then the lunch at..."
"I am cancelling and heading back to London."
"Harry," she felt a wave of sadness wash over her. "Don't do that. Stay where you're at."
"And do nothing!?!" He yelled into the phone; quickly shaking his head. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to yell at you, I just. I can't sit here and do nothing while they run with this trash!"
"What would you be able to do here?" She sank to a bench; her eyes welling up slightly. "What could you do here that you can't do there?"
"Maddie..." He breathed; his muscles tense.
"What do I do?" Her voice was small and it broke his heart. "I'm serious. I don't know what to do."
"You call an attorney. They can get a cease and desist letter out to stop the photos until this is sorted out."
"Okay," she took a deep breath. That made sense. "Do you know an attorney? I mean...I'm new in town and I..."
"I can have the family attorney call you and he can recommend somebody. I will call him right after I hang up with you. He'll call you and then you need to talk to whomever he recommends right away. I'm not joking. This can't wait until after work."
"I figured as much," Maddie's mouth twisted into a crooked smile. "See. You just did all you can do."
"This is not even close to all I can do," there was warning in his tone.
"Have the attorney call me, go to the meeting, go to lunch and then..." She let out a long breath. "Then come home to me?"
"Maddie I'm so sorry," his voice grew soft. "I am so, so, so very sorry that this is happening to you right now. I know it'll never be enough but..."
"Please stop," she cut him off; biting her lip. "I'm trying to be calm and cool about this but if you keep that up I'm going to..."
"Got it," he gave in. "I will have the attorney call you and I will see you as soon as I hit town."
"Thank you."
"Maddie...I love you."
"I know you do," she smiled; despite herself. "I love you too."
Maddie disconnected the phone call and sat there; in the hallway on the bench. Her mind was spiraling as it all began to settle. If Ella knew, other people knew. If Harry knew, the rest of his family knew. Her stomach turned. As sick as she felt, she wanted to see these pictures; these pictures that had no way of existing short of a clear and serious invasion of her privacy. Heat rose to her face as her anger overtook her sadness. Taking a deep breath, she let her head lean back against the wall. Her reflexes remembered her time in Bendal, her training—she knew how to pull it together in the moment, hold it in until the end of the day. In that minute between Harry hanging up and the phone ringing again, she reverted back to that training. And it was the only thing that kept her from cracking. And, less than a minute after she had hung up with Harry, the phone rang.
Harry had come through with his word. The attorney he usually worked with was on the phone with three names. He would recommend all three of them very highly but wanted her to have some choice in the matter. Once she chose, he would put in a call to explain the situation and they would get things moving right away. Having no knowledge of any of them, she asked him to choose for her.
He did as she asked and within three minutes she was talking to her attorney; Christopher Michaels. He had handled private matters for celebrities and many high profile personalities. He was smart and friendly and had a cease and desist letter out within twenty minutes. Within an hour the website had pulled their claim and the entire situation was put on "pause" while legal counsel went to work. When he called her with the good news, she wanted to burst into tears; knowing she would never be able to thank him. And, according to him, she wouldn't be able to pay him either—as Harry's attorney would be covering all costs via Harry.
It wasn't over, but it was a start. At least she would be able to go about the rest of her day without the possibility of her "nude" pictures floating around in the blogosphere. As she had waited to hear from Christopher, she had moved on to her office and when she had hung up with him, she let out a long breath and finally took a drink from her bottle of water. There was no way she was going to be able to eat but the water was refreshing; and much needed. And then there was a knock at her door. Taking a deep breath, Maddie moved to open it.
"Doctor Colvin," she smiled at her boss. "Is everything okay?" She glanced back at her phone; no missed calls.
"Can I come in?" Her boss was a lovely man; old enough to be her father. He was kind and warm and trained in an era when doctors were allowed more professional courtesies; spending more time with their clients, becoming more of a family member. He was phenomenal with the children they worked with and had this lovely gleam in his eye that reminded her of images of Santa Claus. But as he requested entrance into her office, he seemed concerned—curious; more professional than she had really ever seen him.
"Of course," Maddie nodded and stepped aside. He waited for her to close her door and take a seat before he took the chair across from her.
"Doctor Forrester," he folded his hands in his lap and looked to her with a smile that was a stark contrast to his professional demeanor. With a breath, he began, "I know we haven't known each other very long but I have enjoyed working with you. Your professionalism is above reproach, you have a great rapport with the children and their families and you have adapted to living in London quite well. I hope you know that you have become quite the asset to this department and to the hospital..."
"Why do I feel that there is a 'but' coming?" She was uneasy.
"No but," he shook his head; leaning closer to her, a move that counselors used to demonstrate closeness with their clients. "While I personally find great benefits in getting to know my coworkers and staff on a more personal level, not everyone shares that appreciation. And I want to respect that. So, I try to stay out of my staffs' lives; unless I'm invited in...or unless I have to."
"Oh?" Maddie felt her throat tighten. Oh God. Did he know about the photos? "Is this about the..."
"Cameras?" He finished her sentence unexpectedly.
"The cameras?" Maddie's face registered her surprise. "I'm sorry, I..."
"I've been told that you were seeing Prince Harry," he seemed almost embarrassed to even be discussing it with her. "And while I don't care to get into the gossip mill, I just assumed when I saw the paparazzi outside that there were here hoping to get a glimpse of you or hoping that the Prince would..."
"The paparazzi are..." She shook her head. "I'm sorry, did you say they are outside?"
"Yes," he nodded towards the window. "I thought you knew. You seemed a little off and when I mentioned..." He trailed off as Maddie moved to the window; looking down to the ground two stories below.
"Oh. My. God." Her heart stopped as she took it in. There were at least twenty people gathered around the main entrance to the hospital. She shook her head. They couldn't be there for her, could they? She glanced back at her boss as he smiled up at her in the comforting way that was well rehearsed with therapists—in the way that made her want to scream. "I don't know what to say. I don't know why they're here..." And it hit her. They had all seen the same post Ella had; promising nude photos of the Prince's girlfriend. Maddie sank back into her chair; unable to control the tears that rose to her eyes—despite her boss' presence.
"Doctor?" He reached his hand out to hers, the contact of which brought her eyes up to meet his. "Are you okay?"
"Yes," she answered though her head betrayed her; shaking a slow 'no.' "It's been...a long day and..." She took a deep breath; blowing it out slowly. "I'm sorry that they are here. I'm sorry they are blocking the entrance and..." She shook her head again. "I don't know what to do? What do you want me to do?"
"Maybe you should go home for the day?" He suggested. "Come in tomorrow afternoon and we can meet and talk about what we can do."
"Tomorrow?" Maddie felt a new panic rising; one that warned of an employer not appreciating the hassle that came with employing her, one that told of the domino effect that hassle might have on her staying employed; staying in London. And her training failed her for a split second as tears pricked at her eyes.
"Everything's going to be okay, Doctor Forrester," he smiled calmly. "I just think it would be best for everyone if you took a day and we came up with a game plan tomorrow."
"Okay," Maddie nodded; forcing herself to pull it together—straining to keep her professionalism from disintegrating in front of him. "I'll just...get my stuff together and then..."
"Okay," he smiled, seeing that she needed, or more accurately wanted, to be left alone. "I'll see you tomorrow at two then?"
"Two?" Maddie sniffed and nodded. "Your office or mine?"
"Mine," he moved to the door and then, in a moment that was more fatherly than anything, he turned back to her. "Maddie; from one professional to another—are you going to be okay?"
"Ha...." She smiled in a scattered sort of way. "Yes. Yes...I usually am."
"Good," He nodded. "Is there anything I can do?"
"No," she met his eyes; grateful for the offer. "But thank you."
"Of course," he nodded and then, with one last, small smile, he slipped out her door; closing it behind him.
This was far from over.
She wanted to cry. She wanted to throw something; hit something—cause destruction. And then she wanted to curl up into a ball and cry. But she couldn't; not quite yet.
Taking three deep breaths; in and out, in and out, in and out. She wiped at her eyes and reached for a piece of hard candy—knowing that the act of sucking on something stayed off the tears at least for the moment. She pulled out her purse, checked her make up in her compact. With a quick swipe of her lip-gloss, she pulled out her sunglasses and closed her purse.
Feeling as though she were on a mission; get out, get home, breakdown; she pulled all her strength, all of her nerve and she opened the door to her office. She couldn't control what was going to happen the next day and, if they were going to ask her to leave, she didn't want this last moment to be a moment of weakness. So she smiled at her coworkers, locked her door and, with a wave, she made her way through the halls; down the stairs.
Before she stepped into the corridor, into the view of the cameras, she pulled her phone from her purse and placed one imperative phone call; leaving a message.
"Ella, it's me. I'm leaving work early and I would give anything if you were able to meet me at home. I need..." She took a deep, shuddering breath. "I need somebody to pull me back to Earth for a minute."
She ended the call, returned her phone to her purse and then, pulling a smile from the depths of she didn't know where, she stepped out into the corridor. With her head held high and her eyes shielded from the glare, she walked past the cameras that were flashing wildly, she ignored the questions—the wildly inappropriate and unfounded questions—and she went directly to her car. Slipping behind the wheel and turning the ignition, she only hoped that her façade could hold until she made it past the group of cameras that was most certainly waiting for her at home before the weight of the day came falling down on her shoulders with a fury