Good Medicine Freshman YearChapter 22 Fallout
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October 12, 1981, McKinley, Ohio
“Well THAT stinks,” Nancy said on Tuesday afternoon. “What happens now?”
“I don’t know yet. I talked to Doctor Norris this morning after my chem mid-term and he’s confident nothing will happen. The problem is, I’m sure I’ve made an enemy of the Dean, and any minor slip-up on my part is going to become a Federal case.”
“But why you?”
“I had the misfortune to draw someone who felt she could use the discrimination procedure to get something she couldn’t achieve academically. The thing is, the honors program is TOUGH. I’m making an A+ in biology now, and Sally has a B-, and only because her lab grades are higher because of me. She should have a C in the class. She’d never, ever make it in the honors program. And you know what comes next.”
Nancy nodded, “Like they did with firefighters and police - drop the standards to get the right number of women.”
“Yes, and it may well be that the standards WERE too tough, even for guys, but if that’s the case, why not lower the standards for male firefighters and police officers? But this is worse. It’s not like how many pull-ups I can do or how fast I can run the 100-yard dash. Heck, I bet Sally can do both of those better than I can! She works out from what I understand. My idea of curls is 16-ounce bottles of Coke!”
Nancy laughed, “Yeah, you aren’t the muscular type at all. You are in decent shape, just not that way.”
“Exactly. Doctors don’t need to be able to bench-press a couple of hundred pounds. I’ll leave that to the guys who want to be firefighters and carry people from burning buildings! I’ll fix ‘em up when they get to me in the hospital.”
“So the selection for honors is purely academic?”
“Yes. Grades, SAT and ACT scores, High School transcripts, and quality of your work, especially lab reports. I scored 1560 on my SAT and a 34 composite on my ACT, and finished third in my class with a 3.975 GPA. And I have straight A’s now, actual A+’s in every course. And my lab reports are the ones they photocopy and hand out as examples.”
“That’s just disgusting!” Nancy laughed. “Nobody should be THAT smart!”
“It’s all book learning,” I said. “I think you know that!”
Nancy nodded grimly, “You can be a bit clueless in other areas. But I’ve seen some improvement since I first met you. So what are you going to do?”
“Wait to see if Dean Parker really pushes the issue, or if she was grandstanding. But I need to stay out of her way for four years.”
“Can she mess things up for you?”
“Sure. In a bunch of ways.”
“Well, that sucks.”
“You’re telling me,” I replied, shaking my head. “One thing she can’t do is affect my grades and what she’s done is make absolutely sure I will do whatever it takes to have nothing less than an A+ in any course I take. That seriously limits what she can do to me. I just have to be careful about situations where I have a female lab partner. And I’m learning about stuff like that. It’s just a matter of keeping my mouth shut, and I’m good at that.”
“Too good, at times.”
“I know. I’m working on it.”
“I’m looking forward to Friday night.”
“A nice dinner and wonderful conversation? Absolutely!”
“If that’s all that happens, you’re a dead man, Mike Loucks!”
I winked and went back to work.
October 13, 1981, McKinley, Ohio
“Good morning, Doctor Norris. Good morning, Doctor Stanton. Hi, Joe.”
“Have a seat, Mike,” Doctor Norris replied.
I sat down next to Joe on the couch in Doctor Norris’ office while he and Doctor Stanton sat in comfortable chairs facing the couch.
“First, let me apologize for what happened, but also for letting you walk into the buzz saw. Unfortunately, I was concerned that tipping you off would create bigger problems. I wanted you to just say what happened and not fudge anything so it would stand up if a formal inquiry was done. One has begun, but you’re coming up smelling like roses.
“There were eight witnesses to what happened, five women and three men, and each of them confirmed your version of the events exactly as you told them. In addition, your grades are exactly as represented, along with your academic record from High School. We sent everything to the Chancellor’s office, and he foreclosed the hearing and ordered the investigation stopped. Needless to say, Dean Parker is livid.
“As I’m sure you guessed, this battle has been going on for some time. So far, we’re winning because we can prove merit in every case. That said, we can see which way the winds are blowing and we’re going to be forced to accept quotas eventually. But we’re fighting tooth and nail to prevent that. And you got caught in the middle. Fortunately, Dean Parker overshot on this one. She’d never have had Miss Jones put into the honors program, but having you dismissed, she would have insisted you be replaced by a female.
“You do not have to get involved in this fight, and I would advise you not to. Just keep your head down and keep doing the strong academic work you’re doing. Let us fight this out with the administration. As I said, it’s a rear-guard action at this point. I’ve spoken to Doctor Alvis, the Chemistry department chairman as well, and he knows the score. He’s had his own run-ins with Dean Parker. I hope I’ve allayed your fears, at least on this issue.”
I nodded, “Sure, but she’s going to be gunning for me now, isn’t she?”
“That’s a real possibility, but both your academic and student life reports are exemplary. No violations of the dorm rules, no visits from the RA, and no complaints from your roommate. Well, the current one. Dean Parker didn’t dare try to use the first one.”
I chuckled, “I don’t see a good Baptist, or whatever he was, toeing the feminist line very well.”
“No kidding! Just keep doing what you’re doing, Mike. There is, and I mean this, literally nothing she can do if you keep doing what you’ve been doing since you arrived here. Be your usual polite, quiet, studious self and we’ll get you into medical school with a 4.0 average and an aced MCAT.”
“Thank you, Doctor Stanton; Doctor Norris. Thanks, Joe.”
“We’ll see you at lunch.”
I shook hands with the three of them and left the office. Angie and Pete were waiting for me.
“Well?” Pete asked.
“The Chancellor put a stop to it, at least this time. But I have to keep my nose completely clean.”
“You don’t even have to TRY to do that,” Pete laughed. “Just be yourself!”
“Weren’t you one of the ones who said I should expand my horizons?”
“I did, but conditions have changed. Just be careful how you expand them until that so-and-so chills out.”
“A radical feminist chilling out?” Angie asked, shaking her head. “It’ll never happen. I mean, I’m all for equality, but giving me something just because I’m a girl? That just makes the problem WORSE. Idiots!”
“No comment,” I said.
“Understood,” Pete said. “Let’s go get some coffee before lunch.”
That evening, after the study group prepared for our chemistry final, Angie and I hung out for an hour as she didn’t need to study for anything for the next day. We listened to music and drank Sprite before I walked her to the border.
“I’m going to be away Friday evening through Monday morning,” I said.
“OK. We don’t usually hang out on the weekends. Yet. Will you be here in time to run on Monday?”
“Probably not. Sorry about that.”
“It’s OK. You don’t have my name tattooed on your bicep!”
She stood on her tip-toes and kissed my cheek, and we both went to our rooms.
October 16, 1981, McKinley, Ohio
“Good evening, Miss Landers,” I grinned when she walked out of the Quick Mart at the end of her shift.
“Good evening, Mr. Loucks!” she replied. “But when did we get formal?”
“It is a special day,” I said.
“So where are you taking me to eat before we do the dirty deed?”
“If you think it’s dirty, then we’re making a BIG mistake,” I said flatly.
“Whoa! It was a joke!”
I chuckled, “I know. But I thought I’d try for a bit of dry humor!”
She laughed, “Well, you’re trying. I’ll give you credit for that. Do you have a preferred euphemism?”
“Hmm, let me think. Knock boots? Roll in the hay? Hanky Panky? Afternoon delight? Carnal knowledge? Make the beast with two backs?”
Nancy laughed, “Shakespeare did have a way with words, didn’t he?”
“Believe it or not, I know a bunch of sex scenes in Shakespeare that most people don’t!”
“You? How?”
“My teacher for both Senior English and Current Events liked to tell us stuff that we didn’t learn in other classes, for obvious reasons. He did a thing on Shakespeare and sex scenes almost nobody recognizes.”
“Such as?”
“In Hamlet, when he’s talking to Ophelia, he asks about putting his head in her lap and he mentions ‘country matters’. Think about that for a second.”
Nancy was quiet for about five seconds then burst out laughing, “No way!”
“Absolutely. And it gets better. She replies she thinks ‘nothing’. Back then ‘zero’ or ‘nothing’ was slang for a vagina.”
“You’re joking!”
“Nope. Think about what comes next. He says it’s a nice thought to lie between a girl’s legs!”
“I have the Collected Works at home. Where is that?”
“Act 3, Scene 2, I believe.”
“We’re so looking that up! What else?”
“Before that, steaks for dinner?”
“Yes. What else?”
We started walking towards the restaurant.
“In Romeo and Juliet, it’s a bit more obvious, but Sampson says that after he’s fought with the men, he’ll be cruel to the maids and cut off their heads. The sentence structure is such it could be the men’s heads or the maid’s heads. Gregory asks if he means the maid’s heads, and Sampson said yes, the heads of the maids or their maidenheads, whichever way Gregory wants to take it.”
“That’s a bit more obvious. What else?”
“In Antony and Cleopatra, Iras says something about being an inch of fortune better than someone. Charmain asks her if she was an inch of fortune better than he, where would she want it. Iras says not in her husband’s nose!”
Nancy cracked up laughing, “I can just see all the people in the cheap seats in The Globe losing it!”
“Exactly.”
“How big is it?”
“You’ll have to find that out for yourself!”
“Any more?”
“One I suspect you probably do know from The Taming of the Shrew where Petruchio offers to put his tongue in Katerina’s tail and she says she’ll try that!”
Nancy laughed, “Yes, I know that one. So will I!”
“At your service, Ma’am!” I grinned.
“That teacher sounds like a lot of fun. What other stuff did he tell you?”
I chuckled, “About Freud and masturbation therapy for hysterical females!”
“OK, now you’re pulling my leg!”
“Nope. I even went to the public library to confirm it was true because I didn’t believe it. It was true.”
“Somehow they missed that in my Intro to Psychology class last year.”
“Mine, too! Did you know Shakespeare had the first “your mom” joke we know of?”
“No, but I’m sure you do!”
“In Titus Andronicus, Chiron says, ‘thou hast undone our mother’ and Aaron replies ‘Villain, I have done thy mother!’.”
Nancy laughed again, “Wow!”
“One last thing that will forever change your view of Shakespeare.”
“What?”
“Remember what I said about ‘nothing’ earlier? What is, then, Much Ado About Nothing?”
Nancy laughed so hard she had to stop and put her hand on the building we were passing. After a minute, we continued walking, reaching the restaurant a few minutes later. We were seated after a short wait, and placed our orders right away.
“So what other stuff did this teacher tell you? Was it all about sex?”
“A good bit of it was. Want to hear one I bet you’ve never heard and won’t believe without looking it up?”
“Sure.”
“In Song of Songs, Chapter 7, the lover says, Your graceful legs are like jewels, the work of an artist’s hands. Your navel is a rounded goblet that never lacks blended wine. Your waist is a mound of wheat encircled by lilies. Your breasts are like two fawns, like twin fawns of a gazelle.“
“OK. So?”
“You know your own anatomy,” I grinned, “so you know the lover isn’t talking about her belly button, because that’s ABOVE her waist!”
“Oh my God!” Nancy laughed. “My priest would have a heart attack and die!”
“I bet he knows. My priest did. He laughed when I asked him about it. I guess it’s a well-known thing amongst people who study the Bible and seminarians. One more, that’s even MORE explicit - in Ezekiel it compares the people of Israel turning away from Yahweh to a loose woman who wanted lovers who were hung like donkeys and who ejaculated like horses!”
“I’d say that was bull, but at this point...”
“Exactly! Ezekiel 23:20 says ‘There she lusted after her lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of horses.‘“
“And you?”
“As I said, you’ll have to find out for yourself!”
We had a nice meal with a much tamer conversation, before walking back to campus to get my car. I’d already put my bag containing clean clothes, my toothbrush, toothpaste, and deodorant, in the car. I let Nancy in and then got in, started the engine, and headed for her house.
“Is your mom home?” I asked as I drove past the university.
“Yes, why?”
“We shouldn’t just go straight to your room. We should spend some time with her.”
“She’s not expecting that!”
Perhaps not, but I’d learned a lesson from my talk with my dad. Mrs. Landers was allowing me to sleep in her daughter’s bed, and the least I could do was be polite and act like a gentleman towards her.
“All the more reason to do it,” I said. “Why not be pleasant and respectful? We have all weekend to fool around.”
“You’re serious?” Nancy asked.
“Yes. Is that a problem?”
“No, I just expected you to want to do it right away!”
“I DO want to do it right away! But I also know on which side my bread is buttered! If I upset your mom, do you think I’ll be invited back?”
“Probably not.”
“And it’s against the rules for you to stay overnight in my dorm. So...”
“Pretty smart there, Mr. Loucks.”
“Thank you, Miss Landers. I do try.”
“So what is it you want to do?” Nancy asked.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“You know, tonight?”
“Please you as best I know how! Tongue, fingers, penis.”
Nancy laughed, “Will you do something for me, please?”
“I’ll try my best.”
“Drop the medical terms. It sounds so, well, medical!”
I nodded, recalling what I’d said to Jocelyn or she’d said to me. I leaned close to whisper in her ear.
“I want to put my big dick in your little pussy and fuck your brains out! I want to stick my tongue in you and make you cum repeatedly. I want you to suck my dick and make me cum and for you to swallow it.”
Nancy turned bright red, “Uhm, wow!”
I chuckled, “I do know the words, I just never liked to use them. But if you want, I will.”
Nancy smiled, “I do. And I want your big dick in my little pussy, your tongue in my pussy, and your dick in my mouth! And I’ll swallow! I’ve been ready to do that with you for a month!”
“And yet, tonight was the correct night,” I said. “It’ll be worth the wait.”
“You do realize I’m going to soak my panties before we get back to the car! And then I have to sit and talk with my mom!”
“An-ti-ci-paaa-tion is making me wait...” I sang, mimicking the Heinz catsup commercial.
“Yes, you can stay over tomorrow, too!” Nancy laughed, referring to the same commercial which had run a few years ago.
“‘Wait until you taste it’ takes on a new meaning,” I chuckled, referring again to the commercial.
“Mike, you’ve been sillier tonight than any time since I’ve known you! What got into you?”
“I thought I was supposed to get into YOU! Repeatedly!” I teased.
“OK; who are you and what did you do with my boyfriend?”
“Sorry. I just felt silly tonight.”
“Have you ever felt that way before?”
I shook my head, “Not really. The sober Mike is the real Mike. Or maybe ‘was’ is the case now.”
“I like it, Mike. You seem more real.”
“Can I be totally frank with you?”
“Sure.”
“It’s still forced,” I said. “This isn’t really me; at least not just yet. It’s a work in progress.”
“But you CAN do it. That’s a start. You can actually be fun!”
“Uh, thanks?”
“Sorry, that sure came out wrong, didn’t it?”
“It’s OK; I know what you meant.”
“So what happened? You don’t just wake up one day and decide to be ‘fun’. I mean, you made the odd joke before, but it was rare.”
“I learned to let my hair down,” I said. “At least a bit.”
“But how? I didn’t get much chance to talk to you after last Friday. What happened?”
“I told you about the Dean and that foolishness. And we had midterms, which you knew. Last weekend I was home and took Emmy on her birthday date, talked with Becky before she left, had a good long talk with my mom, went to Church, and talked to Tasha. Pretty much the same stuff I do at home all the time. I didn’t get to see Jocelyn, though.”
Nancy was silent for most of the rest of the drive, until I turned into her subdivision.
“You slept with Emmy, didn’t you?” she said flatly.
I willed myself not to overreact, and also to not reveal anything. I took a couple of breaths before I answered, doing my best to keep my breathing even.
“There is no way I can answer that question either way,” I replied.
“You did. Otherwise you would deny it.”
“No, I wouldn’t. If someone asked me about you and me, and I’d say the same thing. If someone asked me about Farrah Fawcett-Majors or Victoria Principal, I’d say the same thing. I can’t answer.”
She groaned as she came to, her vision blurry as she looked around. "Where am I?" she groaned, then tried to move only to find herself hanging from the ceiling and shackled thoroughly. "ouuuhhh..." she groaned in pain. "As to the where, you're in an adult toy factory. As for the why, because I saw you and decided you might be the one person that can give me what I want." Stepping from behind the hanging woman, Batwoman let the fingers of her left hand trace Holly's right thigh...
October 22, 1981, McKinley, Ohio “Angie? What are you doing here?!” I asked when she sat down next to me in the lab. She smiled, “I talked to Doctor Stanton and asked if I could be your biology lab partner because they were going to move Sally. She’s with my old team which was two girls and one guy. Now I have morning lab instead of afternoon.” “Uh, doesn’t this just create a new problem?” Mark asked warily. Angie shook her head, “No. Mike and I are friends, but that’s it. We study...
October 17, 1981, McKinley, Ohio There was a knock at the door just before 6:00pm and I was sure it was the girls so I called out for them to come in. As expected, it was Jeannette and Marie. “Ready for hot meat between buns and slurping creamy white liquid?” Jeannette teased. “My bedroom is right there!” I grinned. “Should we leave you two the room?” Marie smirked. “Dinner first, then dessert!” Jeannette laughed. I took Angie’s hand and the four of us left the dorm and headed for the...
June 8, 1981, West Monroe and Rutherford, Ohio “This entire conversation is going to be ‘too much information’, isn’t it?” I said when Liz and I left the house on Monday evening. “Probably. Is there anything you don’t want to hear?” “Anything at all about my little sister’s sex life!” I laughed. “But I guess you want to talk.” “‘Cause you won’t judge me, Mikey. You’ll listen and give me good advice.” I pulled out of the driveway and headed towards Rutherford. The Rutherford Free Clinic...
September 14, 1981, McKinley, Ohio On Monday, after lunch, I did as Doctor Orosco had insisted, and met with a counselor from Student Health Services, who, amazingly, was available immediately. The problem was, as I’d argued, that I wasn’t going to repeat what I said, even to another counselor, under any circumstances. I spent ten minutes going around in circles with Doctor Ralph Hart, and made no progress. “I’m not sure what you’re doing here, if you won’t talk to me about what...
October 6, 1981, McKinley, Ohio I met Pete and Jason for breakfast in the dining hall. As usual, Clark was just getting out of bed when I left our room. “You got in pretty late last night, I guess,” Pete said. “We didn’t break up the study group until about 11:30pm.” “I had a long talk with Jocelyn.” “How’s she doing?” “Better, but she has a long way to go, physically, emotionally, and mentally. But at least she’s talking to me.” “I heard you’re invited to the Wednesday biology...
October 4, 1981, McKinley, Ohio “Let me guess, you’re sleeping on the couch again?” Mrs. Landers laughed. “Actually, I just came to talk to Nancy for a bit, then I have homework. I didn’t spend any time on it yesterday.” “Come on in. She’s in her room.” “Thanks.” I walked back through the house to Nancy’s room. She got up to greet me and we exchanged a hug and kiss. “Sorry for putting you off at work,” I said. “But I didn’t want to be interrupted.” “It’s OK. How is Jocelyn?” “I found...
October 9, 1981, McKinley, Ohio “You’re really going to cut back your hours to just the six-hour Saturday shift?” Nancy asked. “That’s what I told Mr. Sokolov yesterday, yes. And he can reduce the hours whenever he finds someone to take them.” “What happened?” “The Biology Department secured a grant for $1500 per semester for me. I explained my situation to Doctor Stanton, my advisor, and he talked to Doctor Norris. I’m starting in the honors program next semester, and there is a small...
October 3, 1981, Rutherford, Ohio “Hi, Mike.” “Hi, Mr. Mills. I was just going in to see Jocelyn.” “One of the staff psychologists would like to talk to you first.” “Me? Why?” “To talk to you about Jocelyn. I can’t force you to do it, Mike, but I think it would be a very good idea.” “When? I want to see Jocelyn today.” “If you go back down to the ground floor, there’s an outpatient clinic. Just go to the desk and ask for Doctor Henderson. She’s expecting you.” I turned and went to the...
September 6, 1981, West Monroe, Ohio “Mike!” Emmy squealed, launching herself into my arms when she opened the door. “Missed me?” I asked as I carefully spun around with her. “Yes! Let’s go! I’m STARVED!” I put her down and we walked to my car for the drive to Marie’s Diner. “How was your first week of school?” I asked. “Nothing changes. I mean, sure, I’m a Sophomore now, but otherwise it’s all the same. How about you?” “It’s a huge change, especially the amount of homework. I used to...
August 29, 1981, Columbus, Ohio “What are you talking about?” I asked. “Despite spending two days screwing like bunny rabbits,” Jocelyn said with a smile, “I think you’re STILL afraid of sex. May I ask another question?” “I guess,” I sighed. “Why haven’t you and Emmy done it? Because of her? Or because of you?” I could give her the answer that immediately popped into my mind - that Emmy wasn’t sixteen and was under the age of consent. But I knew there was some truth to what Jocelyn said....
December 3, 1981, Rutherford, Ohio “Well that went south pretty quickly,” I said. “They’re playing hardball with you,” Mr. Winston said. “It was always a possibility, but I didn’t think they’d go that route; they didn’t with your dad or sister.” “But they did with my mom?” “Yes, for the same basic reason. I believe they are under heavy pressure from someone to charge you with something; anything. And unless I miss my guess, it’s likely Mrs. Laramy from Family Services. She is certain...
March 15, 1982, McKinley, Ohio “Is it OK if I interrupt?” Clarissa asked on Monday evening. “Sure,” I replied. “What’s up?” “I wanted to check on class schedules for the Fall. I’d like to take the same classes. It’ll help with our study group.” “Sure. Pete, Kurtis, Jason, excuse me for a bit.” Clarissa and I went to my room and sat down with the course catalog. “We need O-Chem, the second semester of cellular biology with lab, a humanities course, and a language course,” I said. “Do...
February 15, 1982, McKinley, Ohio “Mike!” Angie squealed when she opened the door to her room. “Hi, Ang!” She hugged me and kissed my cheek. “I missed you! How was home?” “Good,” I replied. “Have some time for me?” “Always! Your place?” “Sure.” She took my hand and we walked back to my room where I put on Shadows by Gordon Lightfoot, then grabbed a couple of Cokes from the fridge. “How was your weekend?” I asked. “Quiet. Yours?” “I spent some time talking to my dad. I haven’t...
March 27, 1982, McKinley, Ohio I was still thinking about Katy as I walked to the Quick Mart for my weekly shift on Saturday morning. There was no doubt in my mind that sooner, rather than later, Katy was going to ask me to ‘go all the way’ and I’d have a very big decision to make. When I’d mentioned going steady, she’d immediately thought about having sex. The linkage was just as clear as Tasha’s linkage between marital crowns and sex. If I decided to ‘go all the way’ with Katy, it would...
August 24, 1981, West Monroe, Ohio “Whoa!” I gasped. “It fits, Mike. And it explains everything that happened afterwards.” “Mom, Abby exhibits the same behavior. She basically offered to have sex with me when she said hello the first day, and Becky implied Abby has been doing that since she was twelve.” “Stay out of that Mike. That’s an issue for the van Dorns.” “Is it? Emmy told me that Abby was here earlier and that Liz and Abby were acting crazy so she left and went home.” “You think...
November 27, 1981, West Monroe, Ohio On Friday morning, just after 10:00am, I was surprised when April showed up at the door of Jocelyn’s house. “Your mom said you were here. I guess you and Jocelyn decided to go steady?” I shook my head, “No. There are some problems at home that mean I need to stay here.” “Problems with your parents?” “It’s a family thing I can’t really talk about. What’s up?” “I wanted to apologize for getting upset and sending you away on Monday.” “Apology accepted....
February 14, 1982, West Monroe, Ohio “How are things going, Mike?” Dad asked when I sat down on the stool in the corner of his workshop. “Good, now that all that stuff with Family Services is done. How have things been at home?” “Your mom and sister put on brave faces, but Liz is struggling.” “They both said her schoolwork was good and she seemed OK when I talked to her.” “She has good days and bad days. Doctor Newton says she’s struggling with her feelings for Paul.” “Paul?...
August 26, 1981, McKinley, Ohio “Michael Peter Loucks,” I said. “Hi, Michael! Welcome to William Howard Taft!” the young woman sitting at the table marked ‘Dorm Check-In: H-M’ said. “Thanks.” She flipped through some envelopes in boxes and pulled one out. “The envelope contains your room key, student ID, dining hall card, parking sticker, a campus map, a set of dorm and campus rules, and a schedule of activities for the next five days. There are carts available on the first floor of your...
May 24, 1981, West Monroe, Ohio I was up early on Sunday morning to head to Holy Transfiguration. As Head Acolyte, I was responsible for being at the church about ninety minutes before Matins so that I could refill and light all the oil lamps, replace the tapers in the candle box, sift the sand in front of the icon of the Theotokos to remove the candle stubs, and ensure that the nave was in proper order. When I arrived, I unlocked all the doors, adjusted the thermostat to cool the nave,...
Introduction: Batwoman returning back to Hollys loft from patrol beliving trhe woman is asleep is in for a rude awakening. It had been a long night and an even longer patrol, and Kate was drained. Slipping into the window quietly to find her Holly fast asleep, Batwoman moved quietly for the chair and started to get undressed. Removing the belt with practiced ease, she then took off the cape before she removed the gloves and boots…, only then placing her hands on the dresser and lowering her...
December 21, 1981, West Monroe, Ohio “Mikey!” Liz squealed when I walked into the house on Monday evening. “Hi, Lizzy!” I said. She ran to me and we hugged lightly, then went into the living room where she had been sitting with my parents. “Welcome home, Mike,” Dad said. “How is Jocelyn?” “Pretty good. She has most of her range of motion back and they’re working to see if they can get her some more. Her bones have knit well, and she’s able to move around more freely.” “That’s good to...
As nightfall neared, Bear at last rose from where he had sat down immediately upon secluding himself from the village. "I go to my meditation with the Great Spirit." Laresa asked, "Do you wish me to remain here?" He nearly said no, but something inside him disagreed quite strongly. Although he did not acknowledge it, he felt calm in her presence. Even the emotional devastation of his transformation stung with less pain this time. "You may come, if you wish." "Then I will. Perhaps I...
August 16, 1981, West Monroe, Ohio Liz threw her arms around me on Sunday morning when I walked out of my room. “Thank you! Thank you!” I hugged her tightly to me. “Mom let you out of ‘house arrest’?” “Yes. And I know you’re responsible. If you weren’t my brother, I’d kiss you!” “Just remember, you have to behave, because if you don’t...” “I know,” she sighed. “I’m on parole. Did Mom tell you that Paul agreed to plead guilty to one count of statutory rape and one count of oral sodomy...
September 28, 1981, McKinley, Ohio “Mike?” Nancy whispered. “Wake up! I need to eat breakfast so I can catch the bus!” “I’m awake,” I replied. I stretched and yawned and sat up. “Are you doing OK?” Nancy asked. “Much better after last night. That was just what I needed. Thanks.” “I think I’m calling Ripley’s,” Mrs. Landers laughed, coming into the room. “Teenage boy shows up and asks to spend the night with teenage girl. She agrees and gets permission from her mom. Boy desires only...
September 7, 1981, West Monroe, Ohio When I stopped home just before 8:00pm on my way back to McKinley, I found my dad alone, in the living room, sitting in his easy chair, drinking Scotch on the rocks. “Hi, Dad. Where’s Mom?” “Sleeping. She’s completely worn out by last night and today. I’m surprised you’re not.” “I’ll crash when I get back to my dorm. How did it go?” He held up his glass, “Third one. How do you think?” I slumped down onto the couch. “Not good,” I sighed. He took a...
March 23, 1982, McKinley, Ohio I had been extremely distracted during my drive from Circleville to McKinley, and was having real trouble concentrating on my review for O-Chem, and the guys noticed. “What’s bugging you?” Jason asked. “You seem like you’re on another planet.” “I know,” I agreed. “I’m having real trouble concentrating.” “That must have been a hell of a concert!” Pete laughed. “Of course, seeing my girlfriend wrap her lips around a saxophone might distract me, too!” “You’re...
April 30, 1982, Circleville, Ohio “Mom and Dad are out tonight,” Katy said. “Let’s cook together!” “Sure. What did you have in mind?” “Well, now that you have no restrictions because we don’t fast during the Paschal period, I was thinking two small filets, small lobster tails, and broccoli. Surf and turf, I guess.” “That sounds awesome!” I said, then smirked, “What about dessert?” Katy laughed softly, “I have some ideas!” “I bet!” I chuckled. “But we need to make sure we’re on the same...
November 8, 1981, McKinley, Ohio “Do you want me to disappear?” Angie asked as we walked into the dorm after church. “Why? Emmy knows I’m dating you. She’s not jealous. You know she’s coming to visit and she knows you know. It would be REALLY dumb to invite her here otherwise, don’t you think?” “Guys have been known to do dumb things from time to time!” “Not ones who want you to stick around.” “You do remember I told you my High School boyfriend screwed a close friend of mine behind my...
Great and Holy Friday, April 16, 1982, McKinley, Ohio As Angie and I stood quietly waiting for the Lamentations service to begin late on Friday, I thought about the series of services which had brought us here - Bridegroom Matins on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday evenings; Holy Unction on Wednesday evening; a Vesperal Divine Liturgy on Thursday morning celebrating the Last Supper, the Twelve Gospels service Thursday evening, celebrating the passion; the Royal Hours kept all day Friday; and...
November 2, 1981, West Monroe, Ohio “I did not come here for a lecture,” I said firmly. “I did what I felt was in Liz’s best interest. Again. Dad said we needed to talk, and I’m willing to talk. I am NOT willing to listen to a lecture.” “You do not decide what is best for your sister,” Mom said. “That is for your father and me, as well as the professionals.” “And what is Dad’s opinion on this?” I asked. “That is not the point, Mike!” I sighed. We’d been going around in circles on the...
March 5, 1982, Circleville, Ohio “What became of that police investigation?” Mrs. Malenkov asked when I arrived at Katy’s house on Friday evening. “Nothing so far. They haven’t caught the rapist. The school added some security and started a service to walk girls to and from class or work after dark.” “Why did they check on you, specifically?” “The suspect has brown hair and is about 5’10” and I came into the dorm maybe an hour after it happened. At first they had reports it was a black...
November 23, 1981, West Monroe, Ohio On Monday morning, just after breakfast there was a knock at the door. I got up from the couch and went to open it. “Phil?” “Hi, Mike. Can we come in?” “We?” “This is Mrs. Laramy from Family Services.” “Hang on a second.” I went to the kitchen to get my dad, who followed me back to the foyer. “Hi, Phil,” Dad said. “What’s up?” “This is Mrs. Laramy from Family Services.” “Mr. Loucks? I have an order here to take custody of Elizabeth.” “What?!...
May 23, 1981, West Monroe, Ohio “Good morning, Mike!” my mom said when I arrived at the kitchen table for breakfast. “Hi, Mom,” I said. “What do you have planned for today?” “It’s all on the calendar, just like it has been since I could write,” I replied with a smile. “I work from 8:00am to noon, then I have my Saturday karate class at 1:00pm. Dale and I are playing chess after that, and Vespers are at 6:00pm. I’m taking April to the movies after church.” “What are you going to...
The Beast Within A hidden appendage to his loins, it lies reposed, hanging limply against my thigh, dormant and flaccid, innocuous and benign, it poses no threat, offers no succour and satisfies no desire. A beast, a sleeping beast, hidden beneath Calvin Kleins or Homs or Diesels or other underwear but, just as a dog sleeps with one eye open,the Beast is alert and ever watchful, and is easily stirred by circumstance and events, real, perceived, imagined or encouraged by deed or word, spoken or...
The Beast Within A hidden appendage to his loins, it lies reposed, hanging limply against my thigh; dormant and flaccid, innocuous and benign, it poses no threat, offers no succour and satisfies no desire. A beast, a sleeping beast, hidden beneath Calvin Kleins or Homs or Diesels or other underwear but, just as a dog sleeps with one eye open,the Beast is alert and ever watchful, and is easily stirred by circumstance and events; real, perceived, imagined or encouraged by deed or word; spoken or...
Straight SexMay 31, 1981, West Monroe, Ohio On Sunday morning as I dressed for church, I faced the true reality of what happened the previous night. My make-out sessions with April had, except on that single instance where I’d fondled her sweater-clad breast for more than a second or two, not gone far enough to be included in my confession. What had happened the previous night certainly had. I now faced effectively the same dilemma I would have faced had April and I gone to the motel after Prom. I...
August 21, 1981, West Monroe, Ohio On Friday morning, Mr. Mills called just after 6:00am to let me know that Jocelyn had gone into surgery, and that it would likely be mid-afternoon before he had any news. I thanked him and sat down at the table in the kitchen with a mug of tea I made and read the Rutherford Tribune. Nobody else was up, and I enjoyed the quiet for about an hour before my parents came into the kitchen. “Was that Jocelyn’s dad who called at 6:00am?” my dad asked. “Yes. I...
February 13, 1982, McKinley, Ohio “I visited Ohio State yesterday,” Nancy said when we had a chance to chat on Saturday morning. “And?” “I’m pretty sure I’m going to Taft like we talked about because I can live at home. But the tour was cool and our tour guides were absolutely hysterical.” “Oh?” “Yeah. A guy and his fiancée. He’s a criminal justice major and wants to be a US Marshal. She’s in pre-law and wants to be a criminal defense lawyer. They told some of the funniest stories about...
April 4, 1982, West Monroe, Ohio “Mishka!” Tasha squealed, hugging me tightly, but quickly releasing me because we were in the narthex of the church. “Hi, Tasha!” I said with a smile. She grabbed my hand and led me to the church hall where we got some food and coffee, then sat down by her parents. “Michael, how is school going?” Deacon Vasily asked. “All A’s so far, and I should finish the semester with a 4.0 average.” “Very good. And you’re attending church regularly?” “Yes. Every...
June 6, 1981, West Monroe, Ohio After Vespers on Saturday, I spent a few minutes talking to Tasha. “My dad isn’t sure karate is ‘ladylike’,” she said. “The uniforms cover more than those nice dresses you wear during the Summer!” “You noticed, Mike?” she asked with a soft laugh. “If I may be «некультурный», yes, of course! It’s difficult to miss a pretty girl with a nice body!” “Thank you! But do NOT say that around my dad! He’ll never let you see me again!” “So the answer is ‘no’?” “I...
September 26, 1981, McKinley, Ohio “What?!” I gasped. “How is she?” “I don’t know, and that’s the God’s honest truth. Her dad called from Rutherford Hospital and asked me to call you. All he said was that they were working on her.” “I’m leaving in about three minutes. That’s what I’ll need to get dressed.” “What about Becky?” “I’ll bring her, I guess. I can’t imagine her parents are going to be in Rutherford.” “She’s there with you?” “Yes. Beat me up about that later! I’m on my way to...
October 10, 1981, West Monroe, Ohio I froze and realized my first inclination to go back to McKinley had been the right one. I’d thought my talk with Becky the previous weekend had resolved the issue, but I was very clearly mistaken. I could actually go back. It was early enough, and I hadn’t told Tasha I was going to be home, so she wouldn’t be upset, and a phone call would make her very happy as the two I’d made so far had done. But there was one problem - all I could hear in my head was...
October 11, 1981, West Monroe, Ohio On Sunday morning, Becky and I got out of bed and snuck across the hall to the bathroom, where we got into the shower together. “Thank you,” she said as I lathered shampoo in her hair. “I was afraid you’d say ‘no’ and I’d have missed that.” “You’re OK?” I asked. “Mike, it’s what I wanted from the day I met you. I just knew you’d be perfect. You let me do exactly what I wanted and how I wanted. As I said, patient and gentle.” “You weren’t very gentle...
November 9, 1981, McKinley, Ohio “OK?” I asked, shocked enough that I was rocked back in my seat. “Yes. OK.” “OK to WHAT?” I asked warily. “Getting married.” “You can’t be serious! You’re afraid of French kissing and you want to get married?” Angie smirked, “Gotcha! You should see the look on your face!” “Nice.” I laughed. “You did get me!” “Sorry, I figured at that point I needed to do something to change the mood.” “By making my heart stop?!” “Oh, come on! The first thought that...
January 4, 1982, McKinley, Ohio “And so another semester begins,” I said when I met Angie at the elevators on Monday morning. “I saw your class schedule was basically the same.” “The only real change is I have the creative writing core requirement replacing the scientific writing class. I am so glad I chose to take those in the order I did - it made all the difference in the world for doing the lab reports.” “I’m not complaining! I ended up with an A in biology which I NEVER would have...
January 12, 1982, McKinley, Ohio Influenza was making the rounds of the dorm, and just about everyone had it by Tuesday morning, including me. I dragged myself out of bed, realized there was no way I was going to run, and climbed back into bed. I took some decongestant tablets from the box on the shelf next to my bed and swallowed them with a gulp of water. I hoped to fight the worst symptoms and be able to make it to lab. Angie had already said she wasn’t going to run, so I stayed in bed...
January 25, 1982, McKinley, Ohio “I have a message for Michael Loucks,” a young man announced just as biology class ended. “That’s me,” I said. “Dean Parker would like to see you immediately.” “I’ll go with you, Mike,” Doctor Stanton said. I had no clue what she could possibly want, but I appreciated Doctor Stanton coming with me. We made our way to the administration building. “I’m here to see Dean Parker,” I said. “I’m Mike Loucks.” “One moment,” the young woman at the desk...
January 31, 1982, McKinley, Ohio “You’re STILL struggling with that issue?” Jocelyn asked during our regular Sunday afternoon call. “Does it really surprise you?” “No, I suppose it doesn’t. I think the circumstances of the last year really caused you some serious heartache and anguish, and I’m not just talking about you and me. If you think about it, you and Emmy were ripped apart by her dad; you and Nancy were ripped apart by her difficulty with commitment; you and I were ripped apart by...
September 19, 1981, West Monroe, Ohio “Why are you sending me such mixed signals?” “Mixed signals?” Jocelyn and I were sitting on the couch, and she was cuddled next to me, at least as best she could, given her obvious discomfort from the injuries, catheter, and physical therapy. I had thought a lot after my talks with Doctor Hart, as well as my talks with Nancy. One thing I was seriously concerned about was getting more deeply involved with Nancy and messing things up with Jocelyn. I...
October 30, 1981, West Monroe, Ohio “Hi,” Jocelyn said when her dad led me into the living room. “Hi! I’m glad to see you at home.” “And we’re glad to have her home,” Mr. Mills said. “If you need anything, let us know.” I went over to sit next to Jocelyn on the couch. She scooted close and I put my arm around her. She sighed, kissed my cheek, and then snuggled. “I was glad to hear from Doctor Henderson that you could leave the hospital.” “And you should be seeing your sister!” “I will....
March 1, 1982, McKinley, Ohio “I have a meeting with the Dean to get permission to put up the flyers this afternoon,” Kurtis said at lunch. “We’ll only be escorting girls from our dorm. I talked to a couple of guys in other dorms who will organize theirs. I figured we couldn’t take care of everyone without some help.” “Cool,” Clark said. “Did anyone hear any more about the investigation?” “The Times said the police didn’t have any suspects, but were following leads,” Jeannette said. “What...
August 7, 1981, West Monroe, Ohio The Summer was rapidly disappearing and there were but two weeks before I moved to McKinley. Once my dad had calmed down, the Summer had returned to normal. It was almost as if everything was in a holding pattern, where each week had followed a simple pattern. I worked at the hardware store, went to the dojo, had dinner with Tasha on Wednesday, a date with Emmy on Friday, and the usual triple date on Saturday. Liz was still grounded, but Emmy was allowed to...
September 1, 1981, McKinley, Ohio Tuesday wasn’t quite as crazy as Monday. My first class after breakfast was the biology seminar. After the first day, this would be run by Laura Peters, a graduate student. I immediately decided the seminar would be valuable, as she would provide study guides, sample lab reports, and a host of other useful information, as well as address any challenges we encountered in our first semester at Taft. The most important thing is that there would be no outside...
November 1, 1981, McKinley, Ohio It was just past midnight when I walked into the Landers’ house. “Hi, Mike,” Mrs. Landers said. “Nancy said you might show up. I’m glad you did!” “Hi, Mrs. Landers,” I replied. “Don’t mind me,” she smiled. “If you two want to go on to bed, that’s OK.” “You better call Ripley’s once more,” I grinned. “I’m going to turn Nancy down on her offer. Again.” Mrs. Landers laughed and shook her head, “I told her you were a keeper! Then I will go to bed so you can...
February 19, 1982, McKinley, Ohio “Angie!” I exclaimed, as I hurried toward the girls, who appeared tired, but otherwise OK. I took Angie in my arms and hugged her tightly. “Are you OK?” I asked. “Yes,” she said. “I’m sorry I’m late, but we were at the party and the police wouldn’t let us leave or make phone calls until they interviewed everyone who was there.” “What happened?” Melody asked. “A girl from the seventh floor was raped,” Jeannette said. “Who was it?” “Some girl named...
April 8, 1982, West Monroe, Ohio “Liz wanted me to talk to you,” I said to my mom on Thursday evening. “I assumed she’d put you up to this.” “I only promised to talk to you, and told Liz not to count on anything changing.” “Good call. We’ve given her as much freedom as your father and I think is reasonable. Has she talked to you about Paul Reynolds?” I nodded, “I know how she feels about him. But he’s in prison. Don’t forget she was raped before that, and anything that happened after the...
May 30, 1981, West Monroe, Ohio It was with more than a little trepidation that I drove home from karate class. I didn’t really want to talk to April, but I knew I had to. The bottom line was church. It didn’t matter to a lot of people, but it mattered to me. I feared that my conversation with April was simply going to go around in circles, and end with her crying again. Unfortunately, I didn’t see how that could be avoided. “You should go see her,” Mom said when I came downstairs after my...