Says it was consensual, uncomfortable to work with him
Irecoilforabeat, instinctively queasy at how it reads. The woman in me—who’s lived in his arms and seen his heart up close—knows better. Seamus isn’t a predator. He’s a man who never learned the power he had until it was too late.
Does it matter to me though? I love this man.
It does, goddammit.
Even though he’s asked me if it bothered me before and I honestly assured him it didn’t, I finally comprehend, suddenly and stupidly, there are more of these women than I can probably count.
Ihaterealizing how many actually came before me. How many came because of him—from the same capable hands, the same talented mouth, the same practiced skill he uses to make me unravel.
I stare at the screen for a full minute, willing the words to change. They don’t. So I proceed to the next step. My hands tremble slightly as I reach for the phone and call my colleague, Lucy Dresden.
“Yes?” she answers, clipped and breezy like always.
I suck in a breath. “Hey. It’s Marcella. You got ten? I need your brain.”
“For you? Always. Shoot.” Lucy is always willing to help. It’s one of the things I love about her.
“Hypothetically,” I say, even though we both know it’s not. “Say a surgical resident had consensual sexual encounters with multiple staff members during his early years in the program. Nothing violent. No coercion. Initiated by the women because he got himself a reputation for, um…his technique. Last year, he provided testimony against his mentor, the head of his program. In retaliation, the man is gathering statements from some of these women, likely with the intent to file harassment claims and tank the guy’s career.”
Silence.
Then a low exhale. “Jesus.”
“I need to know how screwed he is.” I pinch the bridge of my nose.
“Badly.” Lucy whistles through her teeth. “Even if he’s innocent, the optics are abysmal. Resident status alone skews the power dynamic. You’re talking about someone in a position of medical authority over nurses or techs he’s hooking up with. Even if they initiated, it can be reframed. Itwillbe.”
“So, what? They paint him as a predator?” This is my worst fear come true.
“Well…not necessarily. They won’t have to. All it takes is one TikTok. One complaint to HR. One whisper campaign,” she advises. “The big problem is the institution. A hospital’s at risk for allowing this behavior. To keep their insurance and good standing, they’ll pull him from the program so fast his badge will still be swinging on the lanyard.”
Pressure coils in my chest. “Even if it was all consensual?”
“Consent isn’t a shield in this context. It helps. It probably doesn’t eliminate institutional liability. The hospital won’t care whether he meant harm. They care whether they can be sued for fostering a hostile work environment.” Lucy takes a second before continuing. “If his mentor is trying to retaliate, or get rid of him, this could be his pretext. It won’t fall on him if he destroys one of his student’s careers.”
I pace the office. “What if we can prove it was initiated by the women? Some of the women had partners at the time and still came on to him.”
“Won’t matter. They’ll spin it as emotional manipulation.” Lucy’s in full lawyer mode now, laying out everything I need to hear. “The moment someone says they felt uncomfortable or pressured, even retroactively, the narrative shifts. Your guy? He’ll look like a liability, not a rising star.”
I lean against the edge of my desk. “So what’s the play?”
“He needs to settle it. Quietly. Directly. With Caldwell.” She stops for a second, then adds, “Hire crisis PR to sort out what to do with these women. He may need to preemptively settle with them too.”
I squeeze my eyes shut. “Ugh. I was afraid this was the direction.”
“Damage control now, or reputation annihilation later. For what it’s worth? Even if he survives this, if he doesn’t get ahead of it now, it could follow him into private practice. One patient Googles his name and sees something, even half-baked? It’ll be game over.” She confirms everything I dreaded.
We hang up and my whole body feels ice cold. This is isn’t about saving his residency anymore. This is about his future as a man. His entire damn life.
Our life, if we survive. Once he knows the gravity of what he’s facing, I wouldn’t blame him if he broke things off.
