Dr. Melissande "Mel" Boudreau Bauer, Esq
Actor History
Yvonna Wright ([Contract] September 4th, 2001 to October 2003; [Recurring] November 2003 to Present)
Occupation
Attorney
Doctor at Cedars hospital
Formerly provided legal aid for Harley's Angels, a nonprofit detective/protection agency
Former Law clerk for the District Attorney's office
Kept quiet about Richard Winslow's ventilator being turned off [July - August 2002]
Hid escaped convinct, Harley Cooper [late May 2005]
Brief Character History
Medical intern Mel Boudreau graduated from John Hopkins Medical School as valedictorian. After leaving her abusive boyfriend Sean, she spent three years without dating so she could concentrate on her career and moved to Springfield with her family. Mel's introduction to Cedars Hospital came in 2001 when, while working in the emergency room, she immediately clashed with her supervisor, Rick Bauer. Rick was angry not only because she treated one of his patients without consulting him, but also because she made a mistake that could have been fatal. Soon Rick realized that though he and Mel differed on methodologies, they both went into medicine for the same reason: they wanted to help people. Later, Rick and Clayton tried to convince Mel to live a life out of Cedars and Mel tried so. However, one day, when she met Sean, Rick witnessed that Sean was harassing her and told Sean that he is Mel’s fiancé. Though thankful, Mel explained to Rick that they had no future due to his apparent love for Harley Cooper, and their baby. Later, Mel and Rick got closer and, one day they shared a kiss that Harley witnessed and Felicia encouraged Mel to pursue Rick. However, in the end, because of Jude, Rick chose Harley, who was actually in love with Gus Aitoro and Rick told Mel that he didn't love her. As a result, Mel wanted to switch departments with Dr. Claire Ramsey's help to avoid Rick but Felicia convinced her not to. Not long after, Mel and Rick were on hand to help Sam Spencer who suffered from a virus. When Sam recovered in January 2002, Mel and Rick got closer again. Sensing the connection between Rick and Mel, her father Clayton tried to fix her up with one of his former students, Ashton. Though upset about her father's interference in her life, Mel went out on a date with Ashton anyway and was pleased to hear from Rick that he and Harley had parted ways. So Mel and Rick confessed their love for each other and began dating. Mel also confided that she had spent so many years buried in books that Rick was her first real love. However, not everyone accepted the new relationship, especially Clayton and Remy who had heard nurses gossiping at work that Mel had advanced in position only because she was "sleeping with the boss." Mel had an impossible time with Clayton, who delivered a sobering lecture on the difficulties she would face as the wife of a white man. But eventually, because he loved his daughter, he accepted the relationship. Mel then feared the reaction of Rick's family, but luckily, Rick’s sister, Michelle, welcomed her with open arms. Unfortunately, Mel and Rick worked too hard at Cedars so that they barely had time for each other. So one day, they went to the Bauer cabin and made love for the first time, whereupon Mel proposed to Rick and he accepted. Then at their engagement party, Rick, who had been having shortness of breath for weeks, collapsed. When the test results came back, a horrified Mel discovered he had an advanced viral infection and would likely die without a heart transplant. While coping with her own devastated reaction, she had to break the news to Rick. Mel then postponed the wedding and she and Rick were glad when Rick's name was put on top on the list of heart patients. After being moved to the hospital, Rick married Mel in a beautiful ceremony that was arranged by his best friend, Phillip Spaulding, and with Rick's absentee father, Ed, returning. After the wedding, Mel and Rick learned that a heart was found for Rick and when they returned to Cedars from the Bauer cabin, Rick saw that a father of a desperate kid was more in a need for a heart. So he faked having fever and let the man get the heart, something that upset Mel. The following few days, Rick got worse and worse, while Mel treated Richard Winslow, who, after being badly injured in a car accident, was in a coma. There was no hope for Richard and Mel contemplated pulling the plug on him. But she realized that as a doctor, this was ethically and morally wrong for her to do. One morning, Mel stopped by his room to check on him and found his alarm and ventilator turned off. She turned them back on, not realizing Michelle had seen her. Rick was given Richard's heart in the nick of time, and Mel devoted herself to helping Rick recover. Too tired to file any reports or face any hearings, and fearing that Ed or Michelle had killed Richard, she kept silent, without knowing that Michelle was keeping silent because SHE thought Mel had done the same thing. Only when Ed falsely confessed to the crime to spare her did Mel learn of the full situation. She admitted to everyone that she had known about the ventilator and had kept quiet and was suspended from chief of staff, Charles Grant. Finally, Reva Lewis confessed that she was the one who pulled the plug and Mel was reinstated at Cedars when Eden August was shot and no one but Mel was on hand to help her. Finally happy with Rick, Mel then left town for a few months to help Rick recuperate at a rehabilitation center.
In 2003, Mel shocked her family by announcing that she was going back to law school. That summer, before passing the bar, she was offered a job with the District Attorney's office. That fall, Mel (who despite her fears, passed the bar) quit her job in the DA's office and started working at Harley's Angel's with Harley and Blake, providing legal advice to those who were in need. Though Jeffrey belittled her decision to leave a good job in favor of an idealistic dream, Mel was determined to do some good with her law degree. Not long after, Mel happily announced to Rick that they were going to have a baby. Meanwhile, as Mel prepared for her first court hearing, she realized she's up against Jeffrey. Not intimidated, she one-upped him. Though he gave as good as he got, he suggested they could find a common ground during a recess. After, Jeffery urged Mel to climb down from her high horse and, if she did so, he'd tell her how to win her case. With the help of a surprise witness, Mel indeed won, though she wondered why Jeffrey, who gave her a statuette as a gift, wanted to help her. Although Jeffrey simply maintained that he wanted to see justice served, however, his true motive became known when Harley found a bug inside the statuette at Harley's Angels. In 2004, Mel got caught up in Rick's troubles with his father. Noticing that Ed was acting stressed and extremely agitated, Rick had no success in convincing Ed to take time off at the hospital. Realizing Ed could be a danger at the hospital, Rick and Mel concocted a plan to get Ed to take leave from the hospital. Knowing that Ed would never place his grandchild at risk, Mel asked Ed to do her blood work for her exam. As expected, when Ed tried to take blood from her, he had trouble focusing, rushed out and took a leave of absence. Although Rick felt somewhat guilty, Mel assured him that they did the right thing by setting Ed up. The end of March, Mel gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, while Rick showed a more levelheaded Ed that all was forgiven by asking his father to witness the birth. As the year progressed, Mel was on hand to offer romantic advice to Harley, as well as professional advice when Harley's father's restaurant, Company, found itself in danger of being demolished by Phillip. She also helped support the family when Rick's sister, Michelle, was suddenly struck with amnesia. At the end of the year, the Bauer marriage became strained due to Phillip's death. Although Rick wanted Mel to help him mourn the loss of the friend he loved, Mel couldn't find it in her heart to mourn a man who ended up trying to ruin Harley's life and who even kidnapped Rick's own son, Jude. Unable to grieve with his wife, Rick bonded with Phillip's ex-wife, Beth, since she knew what he was going through. Things became tense when in 2005, Mel saw Beth impulsively kiss Rick. Though she later, gave Rick the opportunity to come clean about what happened, he didn’t. That same day, when Beth showed up, Mel confronted them both. When Beth apologizes and left. Rick tried to explain that he didn’t tell Mel because he was hoping it would just be forgotten. Later, Mel would see Rick comforting Beth, and suspecting that she was losing her husband informed him that she wouldn't let him go without a fight. After her declaration, the Bauer marriage would become more secure. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for Harley's future since she ended up being found guilty of Phillip's murder. Later, believing her life was in danger, Harley escaped from prison, and in an effort to help her friend, Mel kept her hidden for a time. Weeks later, Gus was apprehended. After Mel succeeded in getting him out on bail, Harley was finally exonerated for Phillip's murder. Months later, both Rick and Mel were on hand when Michelle was suddenly rushed to Cedars after a car accident. Luckily Rick and Mel were able to stop Michelle's hemorrhaging and she recovered. When Michelle (who unbeknownst to almost everyone was pregnant) kept asking about her baby, she was devastated to learn the child was gone--it must have burned up in the crash. Several weeks later, the Bauers were elated to learn that Michelle's baby hadn't died--she'd been stolen. With Danny and Michelle, now reunited with their child, Hope, both Mel and Rick felt it was time for the Santoses to reunite with each other. Rick and Mel finally got together and convinced the pair that they belonged together. The week of Thanksgiving, Rick and Mel watched as Danny and Michelle married in a simple ceremony at the Bauer home. However the reunion was bittersweet as mere days later, Michelle and Danny decided to leave Springfield.
In 2006, Mel found herself with an ethical dilemma when, while treating an injured Jeffrey who was under pain medication, she learned that Jeffrey had impersonated Richard in San Cristobel and made love to Cassie! Shocked, Mel thought Cassie had a right to know but wasn’t' sure if she should tell. After speaking with Rick (without actually telling him the story), he confirmed what she already knew. She had to keep Jeffrey's secret. Later, she tried to urge Jeffrey to tell Cassie the truth. Later, while working at Cedars, Mel got a shock when she overhead Alan Spaulding accuse Rick of being the cause of a man's death. (Ross Marler's in a plane crash) She was then rocked to the core when Rick confessed that he'd lied the previous summer when he had Phillip's body exhumed. Phillip was alive; not dead. Not only that, he paid a man to tamper with Ross private plane so Ross wouldn't be able to find Phillip. Rick explained that the plane was never supposed to take off--Ross was supposed to switch planes; not insist on taking the tampered one. Horrified that he once again put Phillip ahead of everyone else, Mel declared that she didn’t know if she could forgive him. And if he could forgive himself, then he was not the man she married. She then ordered him out of the house. However, a teenaged Leah was coming home for the summer and she relented; Rick could stay at the house until Leah left again. Rick tried to remind Mel that he loved her. She told him that she loved him too but now he was a stranger to her. Later, Mel and Rick pretended that everything was fine in front of Leah and Remy, but no one bought it; especially when Mel exploded about Rick helping Phillip and ordered him to take some responsibility for Ross’s death. Leah defended her father but everyone ended up saying things they didn’t mean. Weeks later, Leah tried to convince Mel to forgive Rick. In frustration, Leah accused Mel of bailing on the family but Mel refused to let Rick off the hook. Things remained strained for weeks, with Mel deciding to work instead of attending the Bauer Barbecue. Although he tried to convince her to stay home and celebrate as a family, Mel refused. Later that day, Leah complained of a major stomach ache and so Rick took her to Cedars. As Mel examined Leah with Rick in the room, they realized Leah was faking. Playing along, they stated that Leah needed a shot which prompted the girl to admit that she was faking in an attempt to bring the family together. Her plan worked and Mel came home in time to watch the fireworks. Unfortunately, the marriage was still strained and over a month later, Mel was still unable to forgive Rick for putting his friendship with Phillip before else. Then one day, Mel woke up to find Rick fixing a big breakfast, stating that whenever his family used to have a problem, his Grandma Bert would have everyone hash it out over a large meal. Mel though snubbed the breakfast and refused to attend Rick's reinstatement hearing. Later, Mel accidentally ended up on a date with a colleague which interrupted, reminding her that she was married. An angry Mel then ended up at Jeffrey's and came on to him, but he rebuffed her by using reserve psychology and coming on to her. Afterwards, Mel discussed her problems with Dinah and Jeffrey and admitted that no one in her family had ever gotten divorced. Finally, Mel realized that she wanted her marriage to work and she went home to fix a big dinner. Sadly, Rick didn't make it. Afterwards, Mel informed Rick that she truly wanted to work on their marriage. Though Rick agreed, things still remained strained. Seeing the rift between her parents, Leah tried to help by reminding Mel of the time that Rick was deathly ill and needed a heart transplant to survive. If Richard Winslow’s family hadn’t had agreed to the transplant (through the power of love) then she would have never have been born. Later, Mel told Rick that Leah reminded her she almost lost her once and she didn’t want to lose him again. Weeks later, Mel informed Rick that she was finally able to forgive him fully. That same day, Mel found a key to a room at the Beacon in Rick’s pocket. Soon after, at Towers, Mel was rocked when Jonathan Randall exposed Rick’s affair with Beth! When Mel hurriedly left, Rick ran after her and tried to explain that he sought comfort with an old friend after Mel turned him away. None of his excuses were convincing to her and she threw them back in his face. When Rick admitted that it was a full blown affair, Mel slapped his face while he continued to make vows that he would be faithful. Though he insisted that it was over with Beth and that deep down he and Mel want each other, Mel refused to listen. Days later, Mel found Leah throwing out her toys and realized that she found out about the affair. Though Leah refused to forgive her father, Mel convinced her to forgive Rick. However, Mel wasn’t sure if she could do the same. Soon after, Mel had a confrontation with Beth who blamed the affair on Mel. Soon after, Mel finally decided to forgive Rick and give her marriage another try. For several weeks, Beth kept on actively pursuing Rick and provoking Mel. She also arranged for Rick to be transferred to the clinic in Clayton, with her as his boss. THe situation became too much for Mel who told Rick of her intention to get a divorce. When Rick begged her to reconsider, she stated that she would think about it. Not long after, Mel met with Jeffrey to try out Beth's suggestion that she have an affair. When Jeffrey turned her down, she made another proposal-- they become partners in a private law firm. In 2007, Springfield was rocked by the death of Tammy Winslow in a hit and run. The person hit hardest by this was Remy since Tammy had tried to warn him that something bad was going to happen but he wouldn’t listen. Enraged, Remy took the law into his own hands and beat the driver, Mark Gillespie, to a pulp. Remy was suspended for his actions and after turning in his gun and badge proceeded to Outskirts to get drunk. Though Mel tried to offer him sympathy, he turned away and bemoaned how he was a failure. Unwilling to watch him wallow in self-pity, Mel took his car keys and left. In the meantime, it became apparent that Alan Spaulding had hired Gillespie to kill Jonathan; Tammy just got caught in the crossfire. Unfortunately, Alan was cleared of all charges. Not long after he was shot at his wedding reception and Remy was a suspect since he was working security there under a false name. Mel acted as Remy’s lawyer and informed him that she did not want to know what really happened since she needed to believe in his innocence. Luckily, Remy was soon cleared and Mel represented Cassie when the police began questioning her. Not long after, Josh shocked everyone by confessing to the crime himself. Though Mel was the one who initially spoke with Josh after the confession, it was Jeffrey who actually tried to the case. In the meantime, Rick surprised Mel by asking for a divorce. After telling him that she forgave him for everything, Mel agreed and embraced him in friendship.
Weeks later, Mel was shocked when Alan told her that Rick was harboring under the delusion that Beth was pregnant with his baby. Mel went to Rick who confirmed that Beth was pregnant and there was a very good chance that the baby was his. Though hurt, Mel offered to represent Rick in his custody suit for the baby. In the meantime, Leah was still refusing to talk to her father and so Mel told her about the upcoming baby. While represent Rick, Mel informed him that he would have to fight dirty; not only against Alan but Beth as well. Later, Mel was shocked not only when Rick declared his love for Beth at the Bauer BBQ but when Beth agreed to marry him on the spot. The next day, Mel wished them well and privately warned Beth not to keep Leah from her father or she would have Mel to deal with. In the meantime, Mel played matchmaker for Remy by discouraging him from dating her new assistant Lola, knowing full well that would only entice him to do it. Over the next few months, Mel took care of legal matters such as getting information for Jeffrey regarding Alan’s whereabouts on day in Sept, representing the Lewis family after one of their buildings collapsed, and helping Olivia with her will and guardianship issues with Emma. Finally, at the end of the year, Mel decided it was time to move out of the Bauer house and returned it to Rick. In 2008, Jeffrey left the practice in order to take over the DA position again. Meanwhile, Beth had her baby which turned out to be Alan’s after all. Mel agreed to help Rick fight for custody but warned him that since Alan would probably fight dirty it might be best to cut his losses.
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