‘So I’d think twice before I go and make any big statements,’ the Joker says casually, as he turns the tap back on to finish scrubbing in. ‘It’s not only your career that you’d be ruining, but his too—and so soon after he nearly died. But, you know, we can’t have this sort of thing going on, so I’d be doing the right thing for any other innocent interns he might want to take advantage of. Really, when you think about it, I have no choice but to tell the executive everything.’ He tilts his head. ‘I always wondered why he liked you so much and gave you so much support,’ he muses. ‘I mean, it made no sense to be that nice to someone who’s so hopeless at surgery.’

I take a step back from the tap.

‘Except now,’ he continues, ‘of course, it does make sense.’

I stare at him, wondering how long I’d have to serve in prison if I ripped the tap off the sink and charged at him with it. I imagine beating him across the head until he is lying, whimpering, in a pool of his own blood, at which point I would finish him off with a swift hard kick to the testicles.

‘So just think about it,’ he says, smiling at me. ‘Are you going to finish scrubbing in now?’

I shake my head. ‘I don’t feel very well,’ I say coldly. ‘I’m afraid I’ll have to sit this one out.’ I leave the operating theatre, go down the stairs and sit in the deserted change rooms.

My medical career lies in tatters. Even if I technically can’t be sacked for kissing Dr Prince, the Joker could probably spin it to make it look as if we’ve been having a full-blown affair since the start of my internship. That would effectively destroy Jack’s career and also look very bad for me. They’d probably start to question what other sexual favours I’ve been performing to get through my neurosurgical term.

However I look at the situation, it’s a complete catastrophe. I wonder if I could just deny everything. Of course I’ll have to do that anyway, but the seed of doubt will be planted and my job at the hospital will be toast either way.