Good Medicine Freshman YearChapter 22 Fallout
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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. But I remember your jailers are pretty strict. So are Liz’s, but she doesn’t have physical therapy or severe internal injuries to recover from.”
“You’re driving back tonight?”
“Yes. I have to be at work in the morning and Angie will be waiting for me to do our evening prayers together.”
“She’s got you sized up for a tux, you realize?”
“Sizing up,” I grinned. “Not sized up. Praying and going to church with me is her way of proving how serious she is. Me waiting for physical intimacy is my way of proving how serious I am. I told you what happened with Nancy, and I have to say Angie has it figured about right. She knows I’ll see Emmy at Thanksgiving and knows I saw Nancy last Friday. Part of waiting on her part is to make sure I have time to decide.”
“I’d like to meet this girl. Will you bring her home?”
“I’d really need to sort things out with Emmy first.”
“Does she know you’re here?”
“Yes, but there’s a football game and dance tonight, so she had a date. I talked to her and encouraged her to keep that rather than spend maybe an hour with me, at best. I figure the time to bring Angie to meet my parents is when we’re ready to move to the next stage.”
“You see her potentially being ‘the one’?”
“It’s way too early to tell for sure, but I’m sure not getting any negative vibes.”
“And she’s not going to insist you not hang out with me?”
“We talked about that. She was quite clear that having you as a friend was perfectly OK, but stepping over the bright line would result in her removing my gonads with a scalpel she would borrow from biology lab. Well, once we’re a couple, which we aren’t at the moment.”
“So you’re free to mess around?”
“With the caveat that there are some lines which may not be crossed, including having a threesome with her friends.”
Jocelyn laughed, “She said that?”
“Jeannette and Marie like to tease, and they like me, and it’s clear that if I just wanted to have some crazy, uninhibited fun, I could. But that would wreck things with Angie permanently. Being with Emmy would be OK. Anything in between I’d have to decide if it was worth the risk of losing Angie.”
“Don’t you think it was a bit creepy that she was waiting for you?”
“We haven’t missed a morning or evening doing our prayers yet. That’s another reason I’m going back tonight. She judged the situation correctly. Had I not come back, then she’d know that Nancy was a risk to her, or perhaps worse, that I could be enticed by sex into a relationship I know I shouldn’t be in.”
“April tried that and she wasn’t messed up like Nancy. It didn’t work for April.”
“Exactly, but Angie didn’t know that. And yes, these are tests, but I don’t feel like I’m being tested. Does that make sense?”
“Sure. Girls do that all the time. It’s mostly about deciding if the guy can be faithful and will treat you right. A lot of times it’s just simple stuff like does he hold the door, but other things matter, like how he treats your friends, for example. His attitude toward getting physical is important, too. Most girls understand that all guys want it, but how the guy behaves is super important. You remember Adam, right?”
“Sure. From our Junior year.”
“On our fourth date, he put his hand on my boob. He’s lucky his hand is still attached to his wrist. Carl, on the other hand, moved his hand up my side and held it there, broke the kiss and looked me in the eyes for permission. When he received it, THEN he moved his hand. Adam was gone after the fourth date; Carl survived the entire year until he joined the Navy.”
“Survived,” I laughed. “Nice. How’s he doing?”
“He finished boot camp at Great Lakes, near Chicago, then went to training in South Carolina. He’s being trained as an electrician’s mate. When he eventually gets out, he’ll have a really easy time getting a job as an electrician making good money.”
“Any thoughts of getting back with him?”
“No. He was a fun High School boyfriend, but I couldn’t see marrying him. That’s why I, as Dale put it, kept my knees pressed tightly together.”
“And everything is OK in that regard?”
“Minus being able to get pregnant, yes,” she said, then smirked, “Want to help me test it out when I’m ready?”
“Doctor Henderson was adamant on that topic before I talked to you that first time in the hospital in Rutherford.”
“I know. She was pretty clear with me about it after your visit when you agreed we were done. And I’m sure she’s right. But Mik, there is a very serious concern.”
“What’s that?”
“How I’ll deal with it physically, mentally, and emotionally.”
“But isn’t that always true about sex? No matter when or with whom? At least until you marry?”
“I know you understand that from what happened with us, but this is different.”
“And risky,” I said. “For a host of reasons.”
“I know. I wasn’t even sure I should ask you. I’m still not sure I should have.”
“Jos, if you and I can’t be completely honest with each other, who CAN we be honest with? We know what hiding our feelings did to us. Let’s not do that again. We’re soul mates, even if we can’t ultimately be a couple.”
“So what do you think?”
“I think Doctor Henderson has a very good point. On the other hand, I KNOW I love you. All I can say right now is when your doctors clear you, ask me. We’ll figure it out then. But I have to think about Angie as well as you. Or whomever, but it seems like it’ll be Angie.”
“And you have to think about yourself as well, Mik. Your feelings matter, too. I’ve hurt you enough already.”
“I hurt you, too, Jos. Let’s not do that again; deal?”
“Deal. How did mid-terms go?”
“All A’s. And my biology lab is good now that Angie replaced Sally. I do have to watch out for Dean Parker, though.”
“It’s not likely she’s going to have anything to hang on you, right? Just follow the rules. That’s your nature, anyway.”
“Four years of her gunning for the department? Ugh. Did you decide on August for sure?”
“Yes. Dad already talked to both Purdue and Taft. Because of the accident, Purdue refunded everything except my application fee. And I’m admitted to Taft for next Fall.”
“I’m glad,” I said.
“Me, too. I just wish...”
“I know. I love you Jos. I do.”
“And I love you, Mik. Call me; and come see me at Thanksgiving, OK?”
“I will. I suppose I do need to get home and see Liz so I can get back to school.”
We exchanged a chaste kiss, and I let myself out of the house. I jumped into my car and made the relatively short drive home, backing into the driveway as usual. I got out of the car and walked up the walk and into the house.
“Hi, Mikey!” Liz said, jumping up from the couch to hug me.
“Hi, Liz. How are you?”
“Shitty,” she sighed.
“Elizabeth,” Dad warned.
“Sorry, Dad. Mikey, can we talk, just you and me?”
“That’s why I’m here. Where’s Mom?”
“Out with Mrs. Orlov,” Dad responded. “She’ll be back before you leave.”
“OK. Let’s make some tea and sit on the patio. It’s just warm enough to do that.”
Ten minutes later we were sitting outside with the teapot on the warmer.
“How do you feel?” I asked.
“Physically? OK, I guess. Mentally? Mixed. Emotionally? Terrible.”
“No lasting health issues?”
“No. I’m not taking any drugs or any medication except a mild sedative at bedtime. I do need to tell you something. Mom knows but Dad doesn’t. It’s why I wanted to talk to Mom alone when you came to visit.”
“Are you sure you should tell me?”
“Yes. I need to,” she said quietly but firmly, then her voice trembled, “Mikey, I had to have an abortion when I was in the clinic. Do you still love me?”
My stomach felt like it did a backflip and my heart raced, and I struggled mightily not to show Liz the visceral gut reaction I was having.
“Of course I still love you!” I said immediately so there could be no doubt in her mind, then I took a few careful breaths.
The sealed box of rubbers WAS the one I’d bought for her and it went unused. My gravest fear, with herpes being a close second, had happened. And I partially blamed myself for not telling my mom about the pot as soon as I knew about it. That led to coke which led to speed which led to her trading sex for drugs. Which led to unprotected sex. Which led to the abortion. Which explained, at least to me, the vacant look in her eyes that Dad had noticed.
I wasn’t about to condemn her. I knew what the church taught, and I agreed. But the idea of my little sister having a baby just boggled my mind. She was only fifteen and the baby was the product of unprotected sex she’d had in exchange for drugs. The baby didn’t deserve to die for that, but I wasn’t in a position to tell Liz she’d made a mistake, let alone sinned.
“I messed up bad,” she sighed.
“And you’re still my sister, and I still love you, and I’ll still do anything for you. I do owe you an apology for what I said to you.”
“It was my fault,” she sighed. “I started that by taunting you.”
“We both messed up,” I said.
“You don’t EVEN want to know what I went through with people at the clinic over what we said to each other.”
“I got the third degree from Doctor Orosco.”
“When she found out I slept in your bed after Jocelyn’s accident, she was absolutely sure we’d done it. I think she STILL thinks we did. I know Doctor Orosco told Mom.”
I nodded, “Even before then, when the stuff with Paul came out, Mom pretty much bluntly asked me about it, whether we’d played any games or done anything. Doctor Orosco asked lots of questions, too. So did my therapist in McKinley.”
“Therapist? You? Why?”
“I thought it was because Doctor Orosco sensed I was about to crack up over what I’d said to you. But now, with what you just told me, it was probably because she was sure we’d done it.”
“I’m sorry,” Liz said, a tear running down her cheek.
“For what? Loving me? Being my sister? Doing something I did for you when you were little when your friend moved away?”
“For causing all the trouble.”
“It’s OK,” I said. “Talking to Doctor Hart has been good for me, for several reasons. He’s helping me with making sure I’m really ready for medical school and afterwards. We got that other stuff out of the way. He doesn’t think you and I did anything. And neither does Mom.”
“I noticed two rubbers were missing from the box in my nightstand. Becky?”
“No comment,” I said.
“But you and Emmy...”
“No comment.”
“She was here yesterday. She told me. Three times! And she said it was great! But there are only two rubbers missing, so it wasn’t her.”
“No comment.”
“Seriously?”
“Seriously. If Emmy wants to say stuff, that’s her business, but I’m not going to confirm or deny anything.”
“But we all know about you and Jocelyn!”
“If there ever were to be a special case, that would have to be it. But beyond that, my answer has to be ‘no comment’.”
I felt I could be a bit more open with Jocelyn, and carefully so with Angie, but that really had to be the limit. Mom was a different story, and she knew everything so far - Jocelyn because we broadcast it; Becky because it was in the house; Emmy because Mom had guessed. But this wasn’t something to talk about with Liz, even without all her issues.
“I decided to quit going to church,” Liz said, jolting me out of my thoughts.
“What?! Why?”
“I’m not you, Mikey. I just don’t believe like you and Mom do. Or even like Dad does. I don’t think God exists!”
I took a deep breath and let it out.
“I can’t tell you what to believe, but don’t lose hope. I saw what happened with Jocelyn.”
“You think I’d do that?”
“I’m obviously concerned. If you decide life is meaningless...” I shook my head, unable to continue that thought. “Promise you’ll call me if you ever feel like that? Promise me, Liz!”
“I promise,” she said. “But I don’t want to die. I want to kill Freddy’s brother and his friends.”
“For that, you’re going to have to take a number and get in line behind Dad and me. But the state has them caged like the animals they are, and maybe, just maybe they’ll have cellmates named Bubba...”
Liz smirked, “Who’ll fuck them up the ass?”
I blushed and coughed, “Uh, yeah.”
“You’re so funny. You want to be a doctor, but you blush at stuff like that and get all uncomfortable.”
“I know. I’m working on it.”
“Mikey, I may not be the best person to give advice on this topic, but you need to push the edge of the envelope more.”
“Yeah, and when the envelope tears? Then what?”
Liz nodded and was quiet. We finished our tea and I poured us each another cup.
“Are you still dating Nancy?”
“That went to heck in a handcart two weeks ago.”
Liz started laughing hard, “Did you just hear yourself? ‘Heck in a handcart’? Jesus, Mikey! Say ‘hell’. Say ‘shit’. Say ‘fuck’.”
Of course, as always happened in my house, my mom came out the sliding glass door just then.
“I’d rather he didn’t,” Mom said. “Or you, for that matter, young lady.”
“Could you give us five minutes? Please?” I asked.
“Sure. I’ll be inside with your dad. I just came out to say ‘hello’.”
“Thanks.”
She went back into the house.
“It’s not me, OK? I use the Russian words from time to time, but swearing in general doesn’t make me a man, or anything.”
“What happened with Nancy?”
“In the end? Her own insecurity did us in. She needs to get her act together before we can date.”
“Any other girls?”
“Angie, who I met a few weeks ago. She’s saying morning and evening prayers with me, and going to church. She’s why I need to get back to school tonight.”
“Wow. You found an Orthodox girl at school? Or is she a match from the church there?”
“Roman Catholic. But as she said, the game of life is for keeps and she’s playing it that way. What would be the number one way to prove to me how serious she is?”
Liz laughed, “Only my idiot brother would prefer a girl go to church with him than go to bed with him!”
“You know how important it is to me. Well, so does Angie. She’s playing the long game, and knows this is what she has to do to make it work. Isn’t it better if she figures out it’s not her cup of tea now, instead of five years from now, or whatever?”
“You have to be the weirdest eighteen-year-old on the planet.”
I chuckled, “I turned down a threesome with two cute, willing girls to cuddle with Angie.”
“I take it back, you aren’t the weirdest! You are either the dumbest boy in the universe or the biggest scaredy cat, or maybe both.”
“It would cost me Angie and I really like her. I’m not going to mess that up.”
“Mr. Scott! Beam me up! There is no intelligent life on this patio!” she teased.
“Come on, Liz. Should I really have totally meaningless sex with two girls when I have a chance at a real relationship with Angie?”
Liz shrugged, “You’re going to marry Jocelyn anyway. So who cares?”
She didn’t know! And I sure as heck couldn’t tell her without talking to my mom first.
“Nobody knows what the future holds,” I said. “Are you OK if I go talk to Mom?”
“Sure. Come talk to me again soon, OK?”
I nodded, “I will.”
We got up, gathered the teapot and mugs and went inside. After rinsing everything I went to find my mom who suggested we take a walk. That was out of the ordinary, but it would certainly ensure Liz didn’t accidentally overhear us. I grabbed my baseball cap from the table by the front door and we walked out into the chilly October evening.
“You didn’t tell Liz about Jocelyn,” I said.
“Doctor Orosco thought we should ease your sister back into the world, so to speak.”
“Doctor Orosco is also apparently sure Liz and I had sex. She’s wrong on both accounts.”
“When Liz came to your bed that night, what happened?”
“Nothing! I didn’t even know she was there until morning. I was completely under the covers and Liz was on top of them in her long nightgown!”
“Mike, she had to know you weren’t wearing pajamas. Your shoulders and chest would have been showing, at least somewhat.”
“What IS this?” I growled. “I was asleep. You knew and did nothing. I don’t believe Liz did anything because I sure as heck would have known if she did! And before you ask, I am NOT covering for her.”
“Doctor Orosco is completely convinced there is something sexual between you and Liz.”
“Well Doctor Orosco can go take a flying leap because there IS no such thing. I’m telling you I have never touched Liz or kissed her, nor have I even seen her in anything less than that bikini she wore to the pool. And I was NOT attracted to her. May I be blunt?”
“I suppose that’s best.”
“I DID NOT DO ANYTHING WITH LIZ. PERIOD! And I won’t stand for you accusing me of doing something I didn’t do and, in fact, COULDN’T do. If that’s how it’s going to be, I’ll turn back now, get in my car and never come home again. I’ll make whatever arrangements I need in McKinley. You can either believe me or not, Mom.”
“Would you be willing to talk with Doctor Orosco? She can help you.”
“Help me? That’s a laugh! She’ll spend hours trying to convince me I DO want to fuck Liz no matter what I say! She’ll insist that I have this deep-seated, burning desire to fuck my little sister! And worse, that I acted on that desire! I’m sorry, but that’s such a disgusting thought I’m not going to discuss it again with anyone. The very idea makes me physically ill. It didn’t happen. It will never happen. It’s total and complete BULLSHIT. But it’s obvious nobody believes me. I’m going back to McKinley now.”
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...
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....
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...
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...
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,...
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...
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...
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...
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?...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 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...
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...
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...
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...
June 10, 1981, West Monroe, Ohio “OK, now I am SERIOUSLY worried about coming to church on Saturday!” I laughed as I put the car in gear. “And why is that Mishka Petrovich?” Tasha asked with a small laugh. “Your dad told me it was OK to take you for ice cream after dinner without me asking. I swear, if I come into church on Saturday for Vespers and the table is there with the crowns...” I was laughing and so was Tasha. “And being married to me would be so terrible?” she asked with fake...
June 15, 1981, West Monroe, Ohio “Negative,” Liz whispered happily when I came home from work on Monday. “Thank God,” I said. We both had been on pins and needles since the previous Monday, and the news had come as a relief. Jocelyn and Dale had noticed I was on edge on Saturday night, and I’d pulled them aside briefly to tell them what had happened. They were both in agreement that I had no choice but to report the guy. Jocelyn offered to emasculate him with a rusty spoon, which had me...
August 22, 1981, West Monroe, Ohio “What do you want to do today?” I asked Becky as we walked to my car. “Anything you want.” “Anything?” I smirked. “Like saying that was really a risk?” “You never know,” I chuckled. “What if it’s all been an act?” “HAS it all been an act?” she asked in a silly tone as I opened the passenger door for her. “Of course not!” I said, closing the door. I walked around the car and got in, started the engine, and backed out. “Not implying anything,” Becky...
November 20, 1981, McKinley, Ohio I got up from the couch and walked over to where Nancy was standing. She took my hand and led me to her bedroom where she shut and locked the door. She stood in front of me, and I held out my arms. She stepped forward and melted against me, sighing deeply as she put her head on my chest. I wrapped my arms tightly around her and held her. “I’ve wanted this for months,” she whispered. I moved one of my hands to lift Nancy’s chin so we could kiss. Our lips...
November 25, 1981, Rutherford, Ohio “Family Court for Harding County is now in session, Judge Martha Lee, presiding. You may be seated.” The small courtroom was packed with doctors, lawyers, and our family. Nobody from the general public was permitted because Liz was a minor. “Ladies and gentlemen,” Judge Lee said, “this is a status hearing on an emergency custody petition which I signed on Sunday evening. The procedure is a bit less formal than in a normal courtroom. That said, please...
June 5, 1981, West Monroe, Ohio “What do you want to do tonight?” I asked Emmy after she got into my Mustang on Friday evening. “Anything,” she said with a smile. “Whatever you want!” “There’s a new skydiving place that opened in Clermont County over by Cincinnati. I saw an ad in the newspaper.” “OK,” she laughed, “maybe not ANYTHING!” “Too exciting for you?” I laughed as I put the car in reverse and backed out of the driveway. “Too risky! What happens if your parachute doesn’t...