Printer-friendly version

Although there is much information withheld, most of the story is coming together. Mike's sister is on her way to see him in the hospital. She is also going to have to confront Jo. Maybe MK knows more about what's going on than we do. MK and Kate DeMoss are going to have to roll up their sleeves and go to work. Don't hate too easily and hastily.

Chapter 14: July 2005, MK Goes To Work

MK left early the next morning. She got on the 210 Freeway passing through Pasadena and headed west-northwest towards San Fernando. There she merged with Interstate 5. The growth of Los Angeles to the northwest had created a maze of concrete freeways spilling people in and out of the Simi Valley and the Palmdale Desert areas. She hadn’t driven through this area very often and had to pay attention to the signs. At 65 miles per hour it was a quick drive and soon she was cresting Tejon Pass a heading down the quick, steep descent into the San Joaquin Valley.

Once past Grapevine and hitting the relatively shallow grade of the southern end of the valley she was able to relax a bit and put the car on cruise control. The speed limit was now 70 MPH. Now she could think more about the whole situation that seemed to be unfolding in front of her. Mike and Jo were finally together, as they should be. Something had happened between them in college; something that Mike wouldn’t talk about. Whatever it was, it had been devastating to Mike. MK had seen Jo during her breaks from medical school and she was friendly as always. It seemed that the only thing in her life was medical school. MK would try to find out what she had been doing and if she’d heard from Mike, who was in Afghanistan, and her reply concerning the latter was a simple “No.”

MK had a feeling that her father somehow had been responsible for what had happened. Maybe, someday she would get to the bottom of it. That asshole had fucked up more lives than she ever wanted to think about.

The road up the west side of the San Joaquin Valley had to be one of the most boring drives in California. It bypassed all the towns that line California Highway 99 that ran much further east. It wasn’t a very pretty route, just a lot of grasslands, cotton fields and distant oil fields. She stopped just south of Stockton for gas and a quick lunch. She still had about three hours to go.

Once back on the road she headed for Sacramento and beyond, passing rice fields that went for miles. Eventually, the terrain became a bit more rolling and she could see the distant Sierras more clearly in the east. She was closing in on what she hoped would be a time when many questions could be answered.

MK reached the outskirts of Redding mid afternoon. She was not familiar with this area and had to rely on the signs to determine where she needed to go. Soon she saw the familiar blue sign with the white “H” indicating the route to a hospital was somewhere near the next exit. This was a typical urban freeway exit. It was populated by several typical fast food stops, some chain restaurants, a mall and several motels. Knowing that Mike was going to be alright, at least he told her he was, she decided she needed to find a room and get cleaned up. Then she could see her brother and confront Jo. She had to find out what happened.

Mentally flipping a coin, she chose one of the typical chain motels that featured a continental breakfast and cable TV. Didn’t they all? The motel had a map of the local area and she found that the hospital was still a couple of miles down the road. After unpacking, getting a shower and redoing her makeup, she dressed for the 105-degree afternoon heat that her air-conditioned car had allowed her to ignore for most of the day. The way to the hospital was not difficult to find and it took less than five minutes to get there.

“Nice,” she remarked to herself, “it looks pretty modern and they don’t charge for visitor parking.”

Not much was going on as indicated by the mostly empty parking lot. Probably, most of the medical appointments were taken care of in the morning. She found the reception area, which was currently unmanned. As she looked around for some help, a nurse walked up to her.

“May I help you find someone?”

“Yes, I’m Mary O’Donnell and I’m looking for my brother.”

“So, you are MK. I think he is sleeping right now. Let’s go see. His doctor’s in her office, I think you know Jo, and we can go talk to her if he is asleep.

“I’m Kathryn DeMoss and have, along with Jo, been taking care of Mike. In case you didn’t know it, we think a lot of him around here.

They peeked in on Mike and saw that he was sleeping. MK went over to him and kissed his forehead. Mike stirred briefly and they quietly made their exit.

“Before we talk to Jo, let’s go to my office. I think we need to discuss some things.”

Leading her in to the small office, Kate motioned for her to sit on the small couch before she sat beside her.

“Do you mind if I call you MK? That’s what Mike and Jo both call you. I’m Kate, please.

“Dr. Jo Beebe is very dear to me. When she came here a little more than a year ago, she was like a breath of fresh air. About two weeks ago, the police brought in two lowlifes that had been injured in a knife fight. Apparently the police did not charge them with anything. The other parties had fled the scene and neither of these two was talking much. The police released them after treatment. Being the professional she is, Jo never let on that she knew who they were and they didn’t tip their hats either. They had recognized her also.”

“Oh, my, God! Billy and Freddy: Mike told me they were involved in the shooting.”

“From what I have been told, it must have been close to 14 years since she had seen them.”

“You say, ’From what you’ve been told’. Should I take that for you’ve been told a lot?”

“I guess so. They have filled me in on much of what happened up through elementary school. Neither one knows what the other has told me. I know this, though. They love each other very much and neither wants the other to know it. What happened that would keep those two apart?”

“Kate, I don’t know for sure, but I would be willing to bet that my father had something to do with it. Thank God he’s not in the picture anymore. Mom finally had the guts to shed herself of him when Mike was a junior in high school.”

Chapter 15: Mike’s Junior Year, It Blows Up In the O’Donnell House

The O’Donnells were having dinner together for a change with the exception of MK who was at San Diego State. Richard seemed to have many political meetings that required his being elsewhere and he was seldom present, not that the children missed him much.

“Hey, guess what? Jo is going to get to graduate a year early. She’s finished all the required courses. She had to order her cap and gown today. She’s a little disappointed though because she can’t be Valedictorian. There’s another student who doesn’t have as high a grade point average; however, she’s been there all three years and was selected before they knew Jo could graduate. It doesn’t seem to bother Jo that much. She just wants to go to med school.”

“That’s wonderful dear,” commented Marcia. “Where’s she going to go to college?”

“She’s been offered scholarships at all sorts of schools, but she says she wants to go to Cal Davis because they have a good pre-med course and a good music program. I’m thinking that’s where I’d like to go to, also. They also have an outstanding law enforcement program.”

Richard was glowering, “I’ll tell you this. If you go to the same school as that little freak, you will never see a penny from me. The best thing about all of this is that thing will be away from here a year earlier.”

The other two were stunned.

Mike got up and pushed his chair back into his place. He looked at his father, his fists clenching and unclenching. He was shaking and in near tears; however, the words were strong and unquavering, “You can take your fucking money and choke on it. You have said nothing but evil things about one of the nicest persons anyone of us will ever know. She has suffered injuries and indignities that none of us can even imagine and all you can do is call her a ‘thing’ and a ‘freak’ because she had the misfortune to have had a minor birth defect.

“She never did anything to you. I could say I don’t understand you; however, I don’t want to understand you. You are an evil and disgusting person and I never want to talk to or see you again.”

He never did.

Mike turned and walked out the door. When he returned the next day, his father was gone. A note from his mother was on the table:

“My dearest son, I hope you come back to read this soon. I am going to our lawyer and will file for divorce. I know this is no surprise to you and I should have done it years ago. MK told me that you two knew what was going on and were in agreement. I have already had the locks changed at the business and every one there knows not to let him in. Fred Timmons from the hardware store will be by later today to change the locks in the house. I am hoping you will get home before he does because I don’t want you to feel you are being locked out. Everything will work out. I will have to work at the print shop full time. It’s a good business, but we will lose some of the customers your father brought in. Good riddance to them.

“Your sister and I love you very much. Please stay home. We will be there for you.

“With all my love,

“Your Mother”

Mike was standing there trying to figure out what to do when he heard a car come into the driveway. ‘Shit,’ he thought, ‘I sure hope that isn’t dad.’ Fortunately it wasn’t. He heard the rattle of keys in the back door and recognized their melody instantly. It was MK.

“Anybody home?” she hollered.

“In here, MK.”

MK came in tossing her purse on the kitchen table on the way. She stopped in the doorway and looked at Mike who was still holding on to his mother’s note. Not much could be said for a moment. They met each other halfway and hugged for a long time.

“Mike, it’s alright. Mom called last night and told me what happened. You were much too easy on him. I wish I could have been here to put in my fifty cents worth. Two cents wouldn’t be nearly enough. She said you had taken off on foot and nobody knew where you had gone. She’s worried about you but felt you needed to cool off more than anything else.

“Mom gave Dad 15 minutes to clear out. She was going to call the police if he didn’t leave. Apparently he didn’t stick around very long.

“Did you know he’d hit mom? Not last night, but in the past. I told her to kick the bastard out last year. I’m not sure why she hung on as long as he did. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for standing up to him last night. In the long run, you may have saved her life.

“Dad is a sick man and I don’t mean insane, though he might be. He is doing things that are so misogynistic. I think he’s always been this way, but when he got tied up with those ultra conservative, holier than thou nuts, it brought out the worst in him. It was bad enough having him on the City Council. Thank God the people in this city saw what his agenda was and booted him off as soon as they could. I’m sure his bigoted associates will take him in.”

“MK, I heard him say that he was going to run for a state assembly position and that we would have to move to Orange or Riverside County. I heard them arguing about it. Mother said she wouldn’t move again, especially to help his political agenda. I think that was one of the times he may have hit her.

“There’s something we have to talk about. I spent the night with the Beebes. Jo and I spent half the night talking about what we were going to do over the next few years. Jo is doing so well in so many ways, but in many ways she is like a ten or eleven year old girl. She has so much to catch up on. I think she has immersed herself in her academic work to avoid having to think about growing up. I’m so happy for her and I am so scared for her. Did Mom tell you she is going to college next year? In many ways she is going to be about five years younger than the rest of her classmates. There isn’t going to be anyone there to look out for her. That’s what started Dad going when I said I wanted to go to the same school she did. That’s going to be tough to do now.”

“You love her don’t you, Mike? This is not just a protection thing because of that promise you made back in fifth grade.”

“A few weeks ago I wouldn’t have said that. But things have happened, this is kinda’ embarrassing, that really made me think about it.”

Mike proceeded to give MK an expurgated version of his date with Cindy and that, in spite of everything; they were still friends, though on a platonic level only. Cindy had confronted him just yesterday about Jo. He didn’t remember whether or not she’d used the ‘L’ word, but she certainly had implied it when she asked if Jo was the ‘one’.

“MK, I’m too young to make that sort of commitment. I do know that Jo and I have a special relationship and maybe something will happen some day. I just don’t want her to be hurt again.”

“I think you are old beyond your years, Mike, and now you are officially the man in this family. I think Mom is a lot stronger than we gave her credit for, but she is going to need a lot of help around here. I have to finish the semester at San Diego and then I’ll be back for the summer. We are going to have to make plans and change plans. Right now, the best thing you can do is finish the semester and continue to do well next year.”

Excerpt From MJ’s Diary

April 30, 1994. I guess things are okay with Jo and Mike, but they are certainly not okay with Mike and his dad. Mike came over here right after dinner. I heard the doorbell and opened the front door and Mike was standing there. I have never seen anything like it. He had been crying and was real red in the face. I think he was shaking a bit too. He asked if he could come in, saying he wanted to talk to Mom and Dad. They were in the kitchen with Jo and I took him back there. Mom knew something was wrong and had him sit. I didn’t stay, but I could hear most of what was said. Apparently Mike had a big row with his father and told him to ‘fuck off’. I don’t blame him one bit. His dad is a real asshole and he has never been nice to Jo. Mom fixed the hide-a-bed for him so he could sleep here. He told his dad that he never wanted to see him again and I think he means it. Mom called Mike’s house and talked to his Mom. I think she may have thrown Mike’s dad out. Mike is going to stay here until he calms down. After a while Mike and Jo went out to the patio and talked for a long time. I don’t think they talked about what Mike did that upset Jo yesterday. I think they were talking about school and the fact they were going to be separated for the first time in a long time. Why don’t those two tell each other what they really feel about each other?

After the three O’Donnells assessed the immediate battle damage, Marcia started checking into the finances. Fortunately, the printing business was in her name and Richard did not have any interest in it. The problem was there were accounts out there that Marcia did not have access to. There were supposed to have been college funds and retirement accounts; however, Marcia could find no record of them. Richard had been writing the checks for MK’s school bills out of the printing business account. With the loss of the ‘special’ customers, the income there had been significantly reduced. MK transferred to Los Angeles State so that she could stay at home and commute to school and Mike went to work at the printing company for the summer.

Mike and Jo still hung out together and even went on a few dates. Obviously, they enjoyed each other’s companionship, but as far as everyone knew, nothing beyond a few chaste kisses at the end of the date occurred. As Mike had promised, he wasn’t going to push her. When summer vacation ended, Mike said farewell to Jo in the Beebes’ driveway. As this was her first year away, Andy and Linda were going to drive her up to the school and help her get settled in the dormitory. Pat took his own car and accompanied them, as the University of California at Davis was sort of on the way to Humboldt State. After Jo was settled, the family spent the night and the next morning at Davis. Pat then took off, taking the route by Clear Lake to US 101 and Arcata to the north. After a lot of hugs and some tears, the Beebes turned south and Jo was on her own.

Chapter 16: 2005, MK Meets Jo

“Well that certainly clears up nothing much, but at least I can understand some of the problems you have had to face. Come on MK, I think it’s time to meet with Jo. Did you know her parents are on their way up here? I think they are going to be up here later today.”

“I haven’t seen them that often. They do let me know about things, though. When Jo left Mike’s life, we sort of drifted apart. God! I wish I knew what happened.”

“As I said earlier neither wants the other to know how much they love each other. Jo has told me she loves Mike, but she doesn’t want him to know it. Mike has as much told me the same. Something really bad must have happened when they were in college.”

“Kate, Mike would have never done anything deliberately to hurt Jo. I think there had to have been some terrible misunderstanding. He would never say what happened other than to say he did not do anything. What didn’t he do that hurt her so deeply?”

They left Kate’s office and went to Jo’s. MK could see light behind the mostly closed door.

“Wait here a sec’. I’ll check and see if she’s tied up with anything.”

Kate knocked on the door.

“Come in. Oh, hi Kate, I was just going over the Captain’s charts. I’ll bet we can let him out of here real soon.”

“Jo, there’s someone here to see you; someone you know.”

Jo looked past the opening of the door. A wave of emotions poured over her as she saw MK standing there. She quickly walked around the desk, out the door and threw her arms around MK.

“Oh, Mary, I thought we had lost him. He couldn’t breathe and I thought he was going to die right there on the stage. I don’t know what I would have done,” whispered Jo. She was trying to hold back her tears and then giving in to them. MK wasn’t trying to hold back her tears either and the three of them went back into Jo’s office.

“Jo, I saw him a little while ago. He was sleeping, but he looks pretty good. From what you said a few moments ago, he’s going to be fine.”

“Yes, he’s going to be fine now. He’s out of danger from any serious problems. When he was shot, one bullet hit his right shoulder and he dropped his gun. That wound is healing fine. The bones were not hit, but he will be stiff for a while and it will probably affect his golf. The other bullet almost killed him. It went between his ribs and punctured the pleural cavity. When he inhaled, air entered the wound and filled the cavity and his lungs couldn’t inflate. The harder he tried to breathe, the less air could get into his lungs. He was starting to turn blue.

“Do you know who was involved in this?”

“Yes, Mike told me over the phone.”

“I need to go back a bit further, when this whole thing started.”

Kate would fill in a couple of her own comments as the narrative progressed.

Chapter 17: Two Weeks Earlier 2005

“Dr. Beebe, ER STAT.”

Jo put down her sandwich and hustled off to the emergency room. The ER had its share of business. A lot of it came from the agricultural areas and sometimes the timber workers, farm laborers and ranch hands would get a bit exuberant after payday and get liquored up. Most of the fights were over money, liquor and women. By the time Monday rolled around, every one was usually back on a friendly basis. They also had to deal with the results of auto accidents. The nearby Interstate had its share; however, the worst involved the rural folks who insisted that wearing seatbelts was an imposition on their freedom. Jo had to treat several cases where the front seat passenger had gone through the windshield. If they were lucky, all she had to do was pick broken glass out of their faces. Unfortunately, many who went through the windshield or who were otherwise ejected ended as DOA when the car rolled over them.

When she turned the corner into the ER, she saw two of the local police with two rather seedy looking characters. One was holding a gauze bandage on his cheek and the other had a couple of messy cuts on his left arm. She recognized Sgt. Braun from his previous appearances when he accompanied other injured parties.

“Dr. Beebe, We have a couple of knife wounds for you. Apparently, a little gambling was going on and there was a disagreement. These two got the worst of it. The rest fled. They say they are working on a farm south of here. We’ve got nothing to hold them on. If you will patch them up, we’ll send them on their way.”

While the conversation was going on, the one with the cut face turned slowly and appraised Jo Beebe. Doctor Rollins, the senior doctor on staff, showed up to take care of the man with the cut arm and Officer Braun had the other one follow Jo into the treatment room. Jo had him sit on the end of the examination table, took a quick look at the vitals and turned around. It was like an icicle passing through her guts. There was no question about it. It was Billy Conklin: just bigger, uglier and smellier. She tried not to show any emotion or sign of recognition. Whether she succeeded, she didn’t know. What she did know was she wished she didn’t have her nametag on her lab coat.

“Turn your head to the right so I can clean this up. What did this? You certainly are going to have a nice scar when this heals up.”

“It was one of them Spics. I thought he was cheating and told him so and the next thing I know, him and his buddy got switchblades. Anyways, he takes a swipe at me and now I got this. The chicken shits ran before the cops showed up.

“Say Doc, don’t I know you from somewhere? You look kinda’ familiar and your name is too.”

“I don’t think so. Hold still. This will sting a bit, but I want to deaden the area so you don’t flinch when I start to stitch you up.” She got out a hypodermic and filled it with a dose of lidocaine.

Trying not to look him in the eye, she cleaned the wound out and applied some antiseptic. She then sutured him up with 14 stitches, then applied a gauze pad over it. She then gave him a tetanus shot.

“I want you to keep this clean and dry for the next four days. Take one of these antibiotics with meals three times a day for the next ten days. Come back in four days and we will take the stitches out. We’ll see you on Tuesday, okay?”

“Sure, Doc, we’ll be back. You can bet on it.”

Billy turned and walked out. Officer Braun led him and the other man, who she now realized was Freddy, out the door and to his patrol car. He was going to take them back to the farm where they apparently worked.

Trying to maintain her composure, Jo went back to her office and hoped she would wake up shortly from this nightmare. Unfortunately, she never did and it took her an hour to stop shaking.

It was about 3:00 PM when Kate came in for the swing shift. She went to the nurses’ station and reviewed the log of events.

“What’s this knifing incident that Dr. Beebe treated?”

“The police brought in two guys who got cut up in a knife fight. Apparently there was a little argument over some dice. She stitched up one the guys who had a nasty cut on his cheek. Sgt. Braun took them back to the farm where they work. Come to think of it, I haven’t seen Dr. Beebe since those two guys left.”

“I’ll go check on her, Dotty. Why don’t you call it a day?”

Kate walked over to Jo’s office and knocked. It took a few moments, but finally she heard Jo’s voice asking her in. Jo appeared as if she hadn’t slept in a week. Her eyes were a bit bloodshot and she looked as if she may have crying.

“Are you alright, Jo? Is something wrong?”

“No, I’m just tired. Maybe it’s that time of the month. So how’re things with you? It looks like our shifts are out of sync again.”

“Amy’s on vacation and I’m taking her shift for her. We have enough nurses right now on the dayshift so I can do it. I’m putting Christine in charge until Amy gets back when I will go back on days. I don’t see any reason any of the others have to suffer because of the nursing shortage.

“I noticed we had a couple of knifings to treat this morning.”

“Yeah, a couple of farm laborers got into a tussle over some alleged crooked dice. The one I treated had a pretty nasty slice in his face. He’s going to have a beautiful scar and I imagine he will wear it proudly.

“I’m going to try to get out of here a bit early. The chamber music society is rehearsing for the concert next week. We are doing “The Trout” quintet and the Brahms Piano Quintet in F Minor. I have some tickets. Would you, Frank and the kids like to come?”

“Thank you so much, Jo. We already have tickets and wouldn’t miss it for the world. When Emily heard about it at school, she demanded that we buy tickets. She loves to hear and watch you play. I think you are her hero. Ever since she saw you at the festival last year it’s as if she has been inspired. She practices without being told and now she says she wants to be a professional musician.

“Why aren’t you a professional musician, Jo? I’ve heard that you have turned down the opportunity to record professionally. You play for our Chamber Music Society and don’t accept any pay. You give lessons free. Why are you doing this when you could obviously make a lot of money as a musician?”

“Kate, music has been with me a lot longer than medicine and it will be there long after I give up practicing medicine, if I ever do. I practice medicine because it allows me to make people physically well. I do music because it helps me express myself and it makes a lot of people feel good. I think in many ways music is like a window to the soul. I couldn’t live without it.

“I am going to paraphrase something I heard once. Someone asked Ray Charles about how he felt about being blind. His response was that being blind was not a tragedy. He felt that of all the senses to lose, hearing would be the most tragic. When Beethoven first realized he was going deaf, the despair he felt was tremendous. He even contemplated suicide. Yet, after he became totally deaf, he wrote some of his most beautiful and profound music. His music was inside him. He could hear every note even though there was not a sound. His music was part of his soul. Thankfully, he was able to write it down so it could be shared with all of us.”

Jo may have been momentarily distracted, but the thoughts of her two worst nemeses suddenly appearing after all these years had had a very unsettling affect on her. She hoped that maybe they would go away, returning to whatever gutter they had crawled out of. However, that was not to be.

The rehearsal went well although she did have a momentary lapse in “The Trout” when her mind wandered. She saw, but didn’t pay much attention to the two men in an old Buick following her back to her rented patio home. When she pulled in the driveway to the secure parking lot, the car eased on down the road and disappeared into the night.

The next Tuesday, Billy and Freddy showed up in the same Buick to have their stitches removed. Billy asked to see “Dr. Beebee” (sic). He said he had something to say to her and didn’t want some nurse treating him. When asked why he just replied he was having some pain and wanted her to look at it. As nurse staffing was a bit thin, the doctors often did routine follow-ups. The attendant led Billy to an examination room and had him take a seat. She hung the records on a clipboard on the outside of the door and closed the door.

“Dr. Beebe, one of those knife wound guys you treated wants to see you. He says he’s having some pain. I put him in 2A.”

Dreading every second, Jo went to the examination room, took the chart, took a deep breath and entered the room. She knew this wasn’t going to be good. Looking back, she should have had hospital security with her; however, she had hoped that there wouldn’t be any problem.

“Well, Mr. Conklin, what seems to be the problem?”

“Doc, me and my pal have been talking and we think we know somethin’ that you don’t want nobody else to know. Seeing as how you’re a doctor in this fine hospital and are probably making a lot of money, you probably don’t want anyone here to know that they are working with the queer freak that you are. Me and Freddy figured you probably owed us somethin’ for all those years we spent in ‘juvie’ on account of you and that queer lovin’ boyfriend of yours. Those were long years and on account we ain’t got no college education, things been kinda’ tough. So we thought you might want to help us out so we can get out of town and move down to Mississippi where them niggers and queers know their place and we won’t have to bother you no more.”

“Mr. Conklin, I don’t have the faintest idea what you are talking about. So why don’t you leave now so that I won’t have to have security escort you out. There’s nothing wrong with that cut and the stitches came out very nicely.”

“Oh, I know it’s you Joey. You ain’t changed that much and I know you recognized me. I’ll be talking with you again. Freddy and me figured you owed us about 20 grand apiece for that time away and we figure to get it.”

“I think you had better leave now, Mr. Conklin. I’ll take care of your paperwork for you. Goodbye.”

She knew it wasn’t going to be that easy, but what could she do. She loved working here. She loved Redding and she loved the people. How were they going to react when they found out that their newest physician had lived nearly 12 years as a boy? She had left all that behind when she went to medical school. She just wanted to be known as a good doctor, not some sort of freak. She had to do something. If it wasn’t for Billy and Freddy, she could probably just go to the head of the Department of Medicine. She had to go to the police, but she couldn’t afford the publicity of going to the courts for a restraining order. Maybe that nice Sgt. Braun could help her out.

The patient load was light and Jo checked with Dr. Rollins.

“Aaron, something has come up and I need to go downtown. Can you watch things for a while? There’s not much going on and you can reach me by cell if you need me.”

“Sure, Jo, you’ve been working as hard as anyone around here. If I don’t call you, we’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Thanks, I’ll see you in the morning.”

Jo went out to the covered lot and got into her car. The covered lot was a blessing. It was about 102 degrees and it would probably go up several more degrees before late afternoon. Her car was thankfully cool. She turned on the engine and let the air-conditioned air blow into her face. She could feel that her face was flushed and she was taking some time to get her courage up. Finally, she eased out of her slot and headed to River Road to take the scenic route downtown. The river was beautiful. It was up a bit, so they must be generating at the dam. The water was clear and she could see several boats of fishermen out there. It was early for the salmon, but there were always a few big trout to be caught year round.

She found a visitor’s parking space near the front door. Locking her car, she headed inside to find the help she needed.

“May I help you Ma’am?” said the friendly voice of the Desk Sergeant.

“Yes sir. I need to speak with Sgt. Braun about a police matter that’s a bit personal.”

While the two were conversing, Jo didn’t notice the policeman coming down the hall with some papers in hand.

“Ma’am, Sgt. Braun is off right now. Could anyone else help you?”

“Sgt., I’ll take care of the Doctor. Would you come this way, Doctor?”

Jo turned around not believing her ears. Her ears hadn’t betrayed her. It was Mike, resplendent in his police uniform. He had a weak grin on his face and offered his arm to her. Not knowing what else to do, she let him lead her to his office. To say there were butterflies in her stomach would be putting it mildly.

“Michael S. O’Donnell, Field Operations Division Commander” was rather nicely written in gold on the frosted glass of the door. Mike closed the door behind them and offered her a chair.

“Well, Dr. Beebe, I must say this is a most pleasant surprise. Welcome to my humble dwelling.”

“Mike, wha’, what are you doing here?” she stammered.

“In case you missed it, it’s written on the door. I am the Field Operations Division Commander and have been for all of 30 days. May I ask why you are here? It sounded pretty important at the front desk.”

“God, I’m glad it’s you, Mike. I have a big problem and I didn’t really want to talk to anyone about it; however, I have to. Your being here is something I never expected.”

“Jo, I made a promise to you many years ago that I would look out for and do my damnedest to protect you. I didn’t expect you to be here either. Apparently you need help and here I am. You always have been my favorite damsel in distress.”

“Mike, I wish I could joke about it, but I can’t. Billy and Freddy are here.”

“No shit!” Mike slipped a little professionally. “Where did those two slime balls come from? And why didn’t I know about them?”

“Mike, I have no idea. Sgt. Braun brought them into the ER last week. They apparently came out on the losing end of a knife fight. Billy recognized me right away and told Freddy who I was. Anyway, they came back this morning to have their wounds looked at and stitches removed. Billy said he was experiencing some pain and asked if his previous physician could take a look.

“If there had been any doubt his recognizing me the previous time, it was erased as soon as I took a look at him. He is going to reveal my past if I don’t pay him and Freddy $20,000 each. I’m not going to do that, so I came to the police for help. I don’t want any adverse publicity. Everyone at the hospital is so wonderful to me and for that matter so has everyone else in the community. I haven’t had to address my past for more than seven years. And I don’t want to have to face that again.”

“Jo, what’s wrong with your past that you don’t want anyone to know about it? You had a minor birth defect and it was fixed without, as far as I know, any complications. You are an attractive woman and apparently a successful doctor. There’re some scum out there who want to hurt you and we will take care of them. One of these days you are going to have to face your past and be open about it if it comes up. There’s nothing wrong with you.”

“That’s not what you said eight years ago when you told your girlfriend I was a freak.” Jo started crying.

“Jo, I never told anyone about you. I never have. Wait, I have to take that back. Cindy Howell and I were talking that day you found out you were going to graduate early. She’d heard rumors about you but didn’t believe them. If you remember, back then we decided we would face the truth and be honest about the situation. After the first couple of years, the question never came up again except for Cindy.

“As for girlfriends, there never have been any. That was Mindy Rudolph. She’d been pursuing me all semester. She supposedly had transferred up to Davis from some school in Southern California. We dated a few times, nothing serious or at least I wasn’t. She had seen us together and asked about you and I told her you were a friend from Loma Sierra. I don’t know where she came up with what she did, but I can assure you it didn’t come from me. I never saw her again after that and I hardly ever saw you. You wouldn’t answer my phone calls and avoided me on the campus. If I remember correctly, this is the first time we have spoken in all the time since. You must believe me, Jo. I could never do that to you.

“Look, we have something a bit more urgent to address here. Extortion is serious business and a crime. We are going to check the information available on them and see if there is anything outstanding on them. If there is, it will make hauling them in easier. Meanwhile, I want you to avoid being alone as much as possible when you are out. Call me if you hear anything from them. Let me have your address, telephone number, make and model of your car and the license number. I’ll have the troops here keep an eye on you. Those two have a violent history and there is no reason not to expect the same again.

“When this mess is over, I think we need to sit down and have a talk. Please don’t avoid me, okay?”

“We’ll see Mike. There is a lot going on right now and I am going to have to think about it.”

Mike stood and walked over to her. He took her hand in his and stared at their two hands. He then led her out to her car and helped her in. “Please be careful. We are going to do everything we can from this end.” He leaned toward her, then backed off. He turned and walked back into the building.

As Jo drove home, she was in turmoil; the only man she had ever loved, the man who had turned on her was here in Redding. He was the only person who really knew what Billy and Freddy were capable of. He was probably the only person who understood their evil intent. Right now, she had to worry about the rest of the week and she had that concert Saturday night.

When she got home she called Mike and told him about the concert and he asked her if she wouldn’t mind if he attended. A little thrill passed through her as she recalled how she used to play music for him.

“Mike, that would be very nice. I can get a ticket for you.”

“That won’t be necessary. I will be glad to pay for one. I’ll call it an office expense. It’s all in the line of duty.”

Still, Jo called the ticket office and set a front row seat aside for him.

No one heard from Billy or Freddy for the rest of the week. Every time the phone rang at her office or at home she felt it was going to be Billy making his obscene demands. Maybe they had decided not to pursue things and had gone away; however, Jo knew that was not going to be very likely.

Friday, July 8, 2005

The day before the concert Mike called Jo at her office. He called the Nurse's Station so that they could tell her who it was and she wouldn’t panic when the phone rang.

“Jo, I know this may be a bit forward; however, I was wondering if you would like to have a cup of coffee with me after the concert. It’s been a long time and I would like to catch up with you about your family. Would you mind?”

“No, I don’t mind. That would be nice. Why don’t you come back stage afterward?”

The concert was a major triumph. Jo couldn’t help but scan the audience and pick out Mike sitting in the front row. It reminded her so much of the many times she played for him those many years ago. The audience response was overwhelming and the quintet had two encores planned. The first was for the strings only and Jo stood in the wings as they played Schubert’s unfinished string quartet, Quartettsatz. She could peer through a slit in the curtain and see Mike being very attentive.

After another standing ovation and some prolonged applause, the quartet walked offstage and Jo walked out and announced her encore. She announced it while looking the whole time at Mike. She wasn’t sure, but she thought Mike’s eyes were sparkling just a bit. She played Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 and really brought down the house.

When Mike got backstage Jo came up to him and gave him a hug. She then towed him around and introduced him to the other members of the ensemble and other dignitaries. She was surprised when she found out that everyone there knew who he was, even if they hadn’t met him in the past. It left Jo wondering how she could have missed knowing he was there.

Mike didn’t realize it when he’d received Jo’s invitation to go back stage that it was a reception and Mike mentioned it to her. The mayor was there as was most of the City Council. A number of the social elite were present, which in this area meant wealthy ranchers, farmers and lumbermen. There was a lot of the expected hand shaking and backslapping. Jo was pleased at how well Mike handled himself.

After the reception Mike escorted Jo to her car. He thought it best that he follow her to Starbucks in his own car, then follow her to her house after coffee.

When they got to Starbucks they noted a number of concert attendees who had the same idea about getting coffee after the concert were there also. Several acknowledged Jo when she came in and several wondered who the handsome young man was who escorting her.

“Jo, let’s not talk about the past tonight, okay. I want to talk about the concert. You were amazing. I always knew you were good, but I couldn’t believe what I heard. How could you keep up your music and practice medicine at the same time?”

“I had help, Mike. It’s surprising how many good musicians are in a city of this size. Our first violin actually plays for the San Francisco Symphony. The violist teaches at Chico. I think the result is from the fact we all enjoy music. This gives us a chance to perform for an appreciative audience without the pressures of performing for a major city audience.”

“Well, you were darned good, if you want an opinion from an uneducated amateur.”

“Did you give up the guitar, Mike? You were getting pretty good.”

“I still play it a little; however, I lost my muse and teacher a few years ago.

“I’m sorry, Jo. I shouldn’t have said that. I didn’t mean to bring up that stuff.”

Changing the subject, Mike continued, “How long have you been here and how did you get here?”

“I did my residency in Sacramento and Dr. Arneson went there to find a new doctor for his hospital. He interviewed a number of us and offered me a position. I came up and was impressed by the beauty of the area: the mountains surrounding us on three sides and the 14,000-foot volcano to the north. There are beautiful rivers and there is no smog. It’s hot and dry in the summer and the winters are interesting. I love the way the Digger Pines come into the city. It’s just a beautiful place. The fact they had two good theaters and a chamber music ensemble didn’t hurt. What made you come here?”

“Pretty much the same reasons. I had finished my obligation with the Air Force and was looking for something back in the states. I put my resume on Monster.com and checked a lot of city sites to see if anyone wanted a battle weary Captain in their police force. I couldn’t believe the response. I had more than four years experience in the field and some of the best training available in the free world. I guess it didn’t hurt that my superiors liked me. They were upset that I wanted to separate; however, the handwriting was on the wall. If I didn’t get out, I was going to get transferred from Afghanistan to Iraq with a token break back in the US.

“When you are in the military, you pretty much sell your soul to the whims of the government. I didn’t think going after Osama Bin Laden was a bad idea. You know, we had him and our leaders in DC really screwed up. It’s really bad when your leaders don’t listen to the guys in the field. If we had stuck to the mission as it was originally presented, I wouldn’t have minded, but when Bush decided to go into Iraq, we were doomed to failure. Those idiots didn’t understand they were fighting a religious, sectarian war. What Saddam was doing was awful; however, I think we should have left it to the Moslem world to take care of their problems.

“Anyway, Capt Krewzewski wrote me a personal letter, not an email, and asked me if I would come to Redding for an interview when I separated. He even offered to pay my airfare up here. I declined the airfare offer because I wanted to get out and drive and do some sightseeing on my own schedule. It was an excellent interview. He thought that even though I didn’t have the public sector exposure my experience was more than enough to compensate. He made me an offer I couldn’t refuse and here I am.”

“Mike, I noticed a box on the wall in your office with, I guess, medals and a folded flag in it. Were they something you received for your work?” asked Jo.

“Yeah the guys put that display together for me when I left. Some people call it an ‘I Love Me’ display, but they were a fine bunch and it is something to remember them by, not to remind me of what I did.”

“What do they mean?”

“You have to understand that many of the medals people get in the military are more or less just for being there. They created a medal just for going there, whether or not you really wanted to. There’s an Air Force Commendation Medal and I received it for doing my job. It had something to do with saving money in the way we handled ammunition. It was a ‘no-brainer’. There was a Silver Star for being the leader I was supposed to be when we were under fire. We were patrolling a perimeter of an airfield and some guys took exception to our being there. The next thing I know, some general is pinning this medal on me. I made sure all of the others were recognized too. We stuck together like we should and didn’t panic. We did lose Andrioli on that one. He took the first shot.”

“Shot! Were you shot?”

“Not that time. Actually, I was never shot. I was winged by some shrapnel from an RPG – rocket propelled grenade or mortar round.”

“What was that one with the cross?”

“Oh, that. Really it was for more of the same. Two of my guys were hurt pretty severely when their Humvee was hit by a roadside bomb. A bunch of snipers were taking shots at them. Thankfully, they were bad shots. I couldn’t leave them there for target practice, so I went in and got them. That was my job. Some ‘four star’ gave that to me.”

“If you don’t mind, can we talk about this some other time? That wasn’t the most fun time of my life.”

Jo was thinking back over the years and thought of the other medals Mike should have received. She never did ask Mike for more details. It was some time later when she found some blue folders and read the citations inside that she realized what he had been through.

“So, how do you like being a police officer?”

“So far it has been fine. There is certainly a lot less pressure than what I was doing before. I’m still wet behind the ears. I just hope I don’t disappoint the people that hired me.

“It’s late and I have to get to the office tomorrow. I want to do some more searching for information about our two friends. It really bothered me that I didn’t know about Billy and Freddy. When I got back to my office I checked the blotters to see why. It turned out that had been the day I had been doing a lot of processing and getting my new uniforms tailored and my deputy had been doing the duty. I am going to have to be more diligent about reading the blotter from now on.

“Jo, I’m glad we had this time to talk. Maybe we can do it again sometime. I’ll follow you home and make sure you get in okay.”

“Thanks for coming to the concert Mike. It was nice to have you there.”

As Mike helped her up and out the door, he took her hand. It was automatic and neither one thought about it until Jo tried to get into her car. Before she sat she looked at Mike as if she were waiting for something. Mike didn’t respond; so Jo sat down.

“Good night.” She closed the door and started the car. Mike got in his car and followed her until she entered the safety of her townhouse complex.

Chapter 18: Mike Comes Clean; Thursday, July 14, 2005

When Jo finished her disclosure of the events of two weeks before, Kate DeMoss knew she had to do something. Somebody had hurt Jo when they were in college and apparently she had blamed Mike. It may be pushing things, but she had to get Mike and Jo to talk to each other. This could get her fired, but somehow she had to break the stalemate. She was sure she had MK on her side.

“Let’s all go and talk to Mike. I’ll bet he’s awake now and can stand to have three good looking women in the room with him at the same time.” Kate turned to MK and raised her eyebrow a bit. MK nodded back. “I’ll tell you what, I’ll go in first and if he’s awake you two can come in.”

Jo was a little startled. Since when do nurses tell doctors what to do? Then she realized that probably happened more times than she wanted to admit.

They stood outside Mike’s door and could hear some music coming from the radio. Kate walked in and saw that he was reading a book.

“Hi nurse, welcome to my humble abode.”

“Captain, how are you feeling on this beautiful late afternoon? It’s 105° outside and they are frying eggs on the sidewalks. Aren’t you glad you are in this nice, cool room?”

“Well, to misquote W. C. Fields, I’d rather be in Philadelphia. However, under the circumstances, I guess this is pretty good. Why are you so cheery?”

“Let’s see, your readings are fine. Do you feel pretty strong?”

“I’m a lot stronger than I was a few days ago. Other than professional curiosity, why do you ask?”

“I have two old friends of yours outside and was wondering if you were strong enough to put up with three good looking women for a little while?”

“Certainly,” Mike had a slightly quizzical expression on his face. “Bring them on.”

Kate opened the door and MK, followed by Jo, entered. Mike had expected to see MK shortly, but he wasn’t certain about the reason for the entourage. MK came over to him, squeezed his hand and kissed him. She wanted to hug him, but wisely held off.

“Hi, MK, what brings you here?” said Mike, knowing full well why she was there.

“Well I heard you were lonely with only these two other women to take care of you so I decide you needed some additional company.

“Dr. Beebe, when are you off the clock?” said MK in a rather officious tone.

“Well, actually about a half an hour ago. Why?”

“Kate and I want you to take your stethoscope off and sit on that chair over there by the bed. You are now off duty.”

A slightly puzzled and somewhat shocked Jo sat in the chair that was at the head of the bed.

Looking at both Mike and Jo, she waited a moment before talking again. “I’ve been the big sister for both of you for longer than I care to think and I think it’s time that both of you listened to Momma Kate and Sister MK. Things are going to start changing right now. How can two of the smartest people I’ve ever known be so stupid?”

If Jo was shocked before, she was even more so now. “What are you talking about?”

“Little sister, I want you to be quiet for a while and listen. Kate knows almost as much as I do about this situation and we are sick of you two wasting your lives over something that happened that neither of you understand.

“Mike, we need you to fill in a few loose ends for us. We can get into the bloody details of the other night some other time. We have more important things to discuss right now. Jo tells us that you two went out the other night after the concert. How did it go?”

“That was police business, MK.”

“Bull shit! You didn’t go to that concert just because it was police business and you certainly didn’t get a cup of coffee at Starbucks afterward because it was police business. As much as you tried to talk about the present situation, you couldn’t lay off the past. What happened in college that drove you two apart? I think we can sit here until we get to the bottom of this mess. Jo never would tell me and now it’s your turn.”

Mike was surprised at his sister. He hadn’t heard her talk like this since the fights their mom and dad had. He thought about the question Kate had asked him the other night. How did he feel about Jo? Hell, he loved her. He’d admitted that to himself several days if not many years ago. Why couldn’t he admit it to the others, especially Jo?

He looked at Jo and could see she was silently weeping. Okay, this was it.

“Saturday night after I followed Jo home I went back to my apartment.”

Mike talked for almost an hour:

Saturday, July 9, 2005

Mike drove slowly back to his place. He was in turmoil. He wanted to hold her in his arms and kiss her, but something was holding him back. He started thinking about that last year of high school and the two years in college with Jo. Maybe he should have been more aggressive with her, but he just never got the indication that Jo wanted to do anything more than be friends. He never recognized a sign that would have said go ahead and take things another step further.

When he got into his apartment and bed he couldn’t sleep. What had happened to mess it up with them? Why would anyone have done that? He thought back to his last year in high school.

Jo headed off for college and high school started a week later for Mike. Just like every summer and fall in the past, it would be smoggy and warm then clear and hot. Summer was bound to get one or two licks in before retreating to the cooler and more pleasant fall. Mike was walking home one afternoon, as he did most days. He could have driven, but it really wasn’t worth it. California gasoline was expensive and money was short. All of a sudden, there it was. It was funny how one could go by a place hundreds of times and never pay any attention to it. He had seen the pictures of the handsome, chiseled figures hundreds of times and never given it much thought at all, but suddenly there it was in front of him.

“Let the Air Force Pay for Your College Education.”

Mike stopped and read the finer print. Apparently, there was a program called Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps and if accepted, they would pay for all of his college. All he had to do was serve an active duty commitment of as little as four years, depending on the career field.

“Does that look like something that might interest you, son?” said a voice at his side.

Startled, Mike turned to see a very sharp appearing individual in an immaculate uniform standing next to him.

“Excuse me, sir, does this mean the Air Force will pay for my college education?”

“Well, they might if you qualify. We are pretty selective about whom we choose. I’m Master Sergeant Stephens and I’m the Air Force Recruiter for this area. Would you like to come in? I can probably answer a lot of your questions. Do you need to be anywhere?”

“Not right now. I think I would like to talk with you. I’m Mike O’Donnell and I, we have a problem at home and I need to go to college, but we can’t afford it right now.”

Sergeant Stephens opened the door and led Mike over to his desk. “Would you like something to drink? Our beverage of choice around here is coffee, but that might not be to your liking in this weather. How about a Coke?”

“Thank you, sir, a Coke would be fine.”

“We have a lot of presentations put together and in fact I have one for the high school ROTC class that everyone is invited to attend. I’m going to be doing that next week. Maybe we can just talk about some things in general.

“I am a bit curious. I have watched you and that young lady pass this office many times over the last two years and I noticed she is not with you today. Lovers quarrel? I don’t want to encourage anyone to run away from anything.”

“Oh, no sir, Jo graduated last semester and has gone to college. She graduated a year early and is now at UC Davis. She wants to be a doctor.”

“Oh, is she your girlfriend?”

“No, she’s just my best friend.”

“So what do you want to do in college? Do you have a career in mind?”

“Yes sir, I have thought about this for several years and I’m certain that I want to go into the law enforcement field. The Air Force is all about flying, so that probably wouldn’t work out.”

“Quite to the contrary, there’s a lot more to the Air Force than flying. The Mission is to fly and fight; however, that can’t be accomplished without support on the ground. Law Enforcement and the Security Police are major career fields in the Air Force and are crucial to the Mission. Unfortunately, to many young eyes, the glory is in the cockpit. A lot of young men and women out there want to fly and nothing else. When they find out about the 10-year commitment, they turn and run. The Air Force makes a huge investment in training a pilot and they need to retain those personnel as long as possible. The same goes for navigators. We do not get as many people interested in the Law Enforcement career field and try to encourage as many as we can to enter it. The training is very physically challenging, although it doesn’t appear like you would have any problems (Mike was now 6’ 1” and weighed 195 pounds. He was rock solid and as it would turn out, the physical training was not to be difficult.). Actually, my specialty is Security Police. That’s why I have this badge among all this other decorative stuff.

“How are you doing academically?”

“Jo can run circles around me, and any other student in school for that matter. I think my grade point average is about 3.85. I’m doing alright, I guess.”

“Mike, let me give you some literature that will explain to you and your parents what the AFROTC program is all about. Talk it over with them and you can get back to me. By the way, UC Davis has an AFROTC program, if that might be any incentive.”

They stood up and the Sergeant extended his hand to Mike.

“Thank you for coming in. I wish you luck.”

Mike walked the next few blocks about three feet off the ground. This was going to be the answer to a lot of problems. He was going to have to make sure he didn’t screw things up. With a year to go in school, he had to make sure he didn’t falter or get distracted. He was thankful that Tony and Cindy had hit it off so well. At least he didn’t have to worry about Cindy distracting him.

Dinners at the O’Donnell household were pretty quiet affairs these days. MK was back at college but was now living at home. She had successfully transferred to LA State and was able to pick where she’d left off at San Diego. Some nights she stayed late to do research and would miss dinner. Other nights it was a quick dinner and hit the books. On this particular night MK was at home.

“All right, what’s so exciting? You are bouncing around like the kid at school who has all the answers but is never called on.” Marcia had noticed when she got home that Mike seemed to be in a very good mood, probably the best she’d seen since Jo had gone off to school. “Would you mind letting your sister and me in on the secret?”

“I went by the Air Force Recruiter today and….”

“Don’t tell me you joined up. We’re not that bad off, and besides, you are too young and you are not doing anything like that until after you finish high school.”

“Mom, I’m going to finish high school and I’m going to college. The Air Force is going to pay for it and I can go to Davis.”

“How in the world can you know that? Don’t you have to apply and be accepted? And, how do you know you can go to UC Davis? That’s an expensive school. Obviously, the Air Force wants something in return.”

“They have a program called AFROTC. I get my military training at school and at some summer camps and then I have to serve a minimum of four years active duty. I can get my degree in law enforcement and the Air Force needs law enforcement officers. Here’s some information about everything. Sergeant Stephens said he would be glad to talk to you about what they can do. Mom, they will pay for everything!”

He passed around the literature Sgt. Stephens had given him. Mike had highlighted some of what he thought were the important points. Marcia and her daughter perused the literature. If this panned out, it would be a godsend. Marcia had been contemplating taking out a second mortgage on the house, but she wasn’t certain she would be able to handle it. Business was good, but it still wasn’t up to the level it had been during Richard’s political campaigning. The divorce settlement had been in her favor; however, no trace of accounts she knew had existed could be found and Richard maintained they did not exist. Still, he was gone. He’d moved down to Riverside County where the politics seemed, at least to him, to support his political agenda.

Mike slept better that night than he had for weeks. He knew he would be accepted for the AFROTC program. There was no question in his mind about it. He would be looking out for Jo in another year.

Of course it wasn’t quite that easy. He went back to see Sgt. Stephens the next day and got the ball rolling. He had to take the Air Force Officer Qualification Test to see what areas his skills were in. Sgt Stephens was amazed at the results and told Mike. Mike had scored higher than most college graduates, and he hadn’t even finished high school. Mike would have to take the test again in college, although Sgt. Stephens couldn’t see why. The test had five categories and he scored very high in the pilot and navigator sections as well as in math and verbal. His highest score was in the area of officer quality. Still it was just a test and it remained to be seen what Mike was capable of in the field.

Excerpt From MJ’s Diary

September 30, 1994

I was looking over some of my past entries and noticed I didn’t mention that Mike was elected Student Body President and Tony was elected Vice President. I don’t talk to them very often. They are seniors. That girl, Cindy Howell, has changed a lot. She doesn’t look cheap like she used to. She and Tony are inseparable. I’ll bet they are doing it – a lot!

Mike came by the house and he was real excited. He’s applying for a scholarship through the Air Force. They will pay for his education and when he’s through, he has to go fight in wars or something. I sure hope we don’t have any. His dad was such an asshole. I sure am glad he’s not around here any more. Mike said he wasn’t sure, but he thought he might be able to go to Davis too. I sure hope so because Jo needs someone to look out for her. Sometimes she is off in la-la land.

What really greased Mike’s acceptance into the AFROTC Program and getting accepted at UC Davis (MSgt. Stephens couldn’t really guarantee his admission there.) was his election as student body president in his senior year. Tony Salcedo was his vice president. This was not a popularity contest, Mike was the most capable student running and the student body knew it. He didn’t let anybody down.

He continued to play ball and made the All Conference team in left field. Tony Salcedo was All State as a catcher and a Parade Magazine Second Team choice. He would prove he was underrated in future years. Tony and Cindy were deeply and passionately in love. He proposed to her and she eagerly accepted. They didn’t announce their engagement for two years, although Mike was one of the few that knew for sure. For most people though, it was a foregone conclusion.

Mike saw Jo on holidays, they didn’t write letters, and told her about the AFROTC scholarship. She was very happy about it and all they could do was wait and see if he would be accepted at Davis. Jo was doing very well academically. She was carrying a very heavy load and didn’t have any time for social life. Her advisors warned her not to overdo it, and she couldn’t understand why, but she signed up for 21 semester hours her first semester. That would be the lightest load she would take. After all, she was there to learn and that was what she was going to do. She did get one B in a class on public speaking. Her initial shyness was probably a detriment and she complained vigorously to Mike about it when they met at semester break.

Mike was accepted to Davis without question. He found out later he would have been eligible for other scholarships had he applied; however, the point was moot as the Air Force had come through. He felt, too, that many others were out there that needed the other scholarships more than he did. As far as he was concerned, he was set.

The athletic department actively recruited him for the baseball team and he told them the truth. He would love to play ball, but if he got hurt and couldn’t pass the physical, he would lose his Air Force scholarship. He did play some intramural softball and had a field day. Other teams accused his team of bringing in a ringer. His batting average of over .800 may have had something to do with that. Most of his physical activity other than the required PE class was jogging. This was about the only activity outside of the classroom that Jo would allow herself and she and Mike would run on the numerous jogging trails in the area. They would typically run six to eight miles a day, in the morning during late spring and fall and in the evening during late fall through spring. They did not run particularly hard, about eight minute miles, and could carry on a conversation for the entire time if they wanted to.

During Mike’s second semester of his sophomore year (No one was certain what year Jo was in as she had completed so many hours and as it would turn out, she would graduate at the end of that year.) he suddenly noticed a new student giving him the eye. She came over to him one day when he was studying in the library and introduced herself as Mindy Rudolph. She had transferred from Pepperdine University in Southern California and didn’t really know anyone there. She’d seen Mike a couple of times and some of the girls in her classes told her he was a pretty good guy ‘How would they know that,’ Mike wondered?. She said she knew she was being forward, but was wondering if he would like to go out with her sometime. Mike thought it over for a second or two and agreed. They agreed to go to a local movie and dinner the next weekend.

Mike saw Jo later that day and during their run told her about Mindy and the fact she’d hit on him in the library.

“What did she want?”

“She said she’d seen me and heard that I wasn’t a bad guy and she’d decided she wanted me to take her out. I don’t know a thing about her. She’s not bad looking. She has dark hair and wears rather conservative clothing, nothing like shorts and tee shirts. Anyway, I wanted to let you know I wouldn’t be around to run with you on Saturday.”

When they got together on Sunday, Jo wanted to know all about his date.

“Really, it was rather mundane. We went to an early movie and I don’t think she enjoyed it. It was a little risqué, it was ‘The Birdcage’ and I thought it was hilarious. Robin Williams and Nathan Lane were really good. She sat through it, though and then we went to dinner. Dinner was okay. I don’t think she had a good time. Anyway she said she would like to go out with me again. I guess I will, but I don’t really see any future in it.”

Jo and Mike seldom crossed paths on campus; however, Mike did see Jo once in a while and a couple of times Mindy was with him. Mike and Jo would exchange waves.

“Who’s that girl?” Mindy asked one day.

“That’s Jo Beebe. She’s a senior this semester and is going to medical school after she graduates. We used to be in the same grade a few years ago, but she’s so smart she’s now two years ahead. We’ve been together since the fifth grade.”

“I’ll have to meet her someday. I’ll bet she’s nice.”

The meeting took place a few days after Mike and Mindy’s second date.

Mindy had met Mike as he walked between classes. They sat down on a bench in the shade of a large Kellogg Oak when Mindy suddenly said, “Mike, isn’t that your friend over there? I would love to meet her.”

Mike stood up and waved at Jo, motioning for her to come over.

“Hi Mike.”

“Jo, this is Mindy Rudolph. She’s the one I was telling you about.

“Mindy, this is Jo Beebe. We’ve known each other since the fifth grade.”

“Oh, Mike,” exclaimed Mindy, “so this is the freaky little faggot you were telling me about. It really does almost look like a woman, but I’ll bet she can’t fuck nearly as good as I do.”

It was like a clap of thunder. Mike was shocked to the soles of his feet. Jo went ashen and turned and started to run away.

“Jo, stop! I never….” Mike got up to run after her but tripped on something (Mindy’s foot) and by the time he got up she was gone.

Mike turned around to look at Mindy, but she wasn’t there either. He frantically searched the area for her, then he saw her going around the side of a building toward the parking lot.

He wouldn’t talk to Jo for more than seven years.

He collapsed on the bench, his head in his hands. What happened? What the hell had he and Jo been the victim of?

He tried calling Jo, but she wouldn’t talk to him. He tried calling Mindy, but her phone was disconnected. He went by the house where she was living and they told him she’d packed up and moved out that morning. He went to the school registrar to find out if Mindy had given a forwarding address or phone number and was shocked to find out she wasn’t even a student at the school.

For the next two years Mike ran alone or with his ROTC classmates.

-

Excerpt From MJ’s Diary

June 1, 1997. I should be real happy, but I’m not. I’m going to be Salutatorian at graduation. I guess that’s because I got two ‘A’ minuses. Anyway, I get to give an address at graduation. Something real bad has happened between Jo and Mike. She won’t talk about it and won’t talk to Mike. He keeps calling, but she just locks herself in her room.

July 1, 1997. I ran into Mike and he asked about Jo. I thought he was going to cry. He wouldn’t say what happened. He says he didn’t do anything and wants to talk to her and try to explain what happened. If he didn’t do anything, then what is there to explain? Jo won’t tell me anything.

I am going to the University of the Pacific in Stockton. They gave me a very nice scholarship and they have a very good overseas program. Jo and Mike won’t be very far away. Maybe I can find out what happened. They belong together. Tony and Cindy are getting married. I think she is pregnant. Mike is going to be best man. Jo was supposed to be a bridesmaid but she wrote Cindy telling her she couldn’t do it. Cindy called her, I answered the phone and Jo politely told her she couldn’t do it. Then she went to her room and cried for two hours. What the hell happened?

September 13, 1997. I went over to see Jo Saturday. It’s just a short drive from Stockton. She doesn’t look good. She doesn’t look sick; it’s just that she isn’t wearing any makeup, her eyebrows are all bushy and all she does with her hair is wind it up and put it on top of her head. She almost looks like one of those religious fundamentalists that don’t think women should try to be attractive. She looks like she bought the blue light special. As near as I can tell, all she does is eat, sleep, go to class, study and run. I told her she needed to do something about her appearance and she said she doesn’t have time. I asked her about Mike and she just turned away. She let me stay in her room. The next morning I told her I needed to get back to school and I went looking for Mike. I found him. The dork still lives in the dorm. He really lit up when he saw me. He asked if I saw Jo and I told him the truth that she wouldn’t talk about him at all. He got real sad for a moment and just shook his head. He told me he has tried to talk to her, but she won’t return any calls. He told me again that he didn’t do anything, but there had been an awful mistake. He still won’t tell me what happened. I know he loves her.

My classes are fun and no one speaks English, even the teachers. I have been talking to my advisor about getting into the overseas campus. I want to go to Paris and learn to speak like a native. When I went to Germany and stayed with Katrina for a year it really helped. I really liked Germany and Austria and it’s easy to get there from Paris. I know I’ll like France. I think I’ll learn Italian while I’m there. I’m trying to be positive about this because I won’t know if I can go until next spring.

---

If you liked this post, you can leave a comment and/or a kudo!
Click the Good Story! button above to leave the author a kudo:
And please, remember to comment, too! Thanks.