Good Medicine - Residency II
Copyright© 2025 by Michael Loucks
Chapter 49: You Saved the Best for Last
August 25, 1990, McKinley and Circleville, Ohio
On Saturday morning, after a relatively routine week, the entire family went to band practice, though Kris and Charlotte sat in an empty room across the hall, where they could hear, but where it wasn't too loud for Charlotte. Rachel had switched from earmuffs to earplugs and sat in the room where Code Blue practiced.
"Mike, what do you say to a New Year's Eve gig in Cincinnati?" Kim asked when we finished.
"If that's a week I'm in the ED, I'd need to get someone to cover for me. If it's a week I'm in surgery, then it would work because there are no scheduled surgeries on New Year's Day."
"When will you know?"
"Let me check my calendar," I said. "I start in the ED the first week in September."
I pulled out my pocket calendar and quickly made notations as to which week I had which service, and saw that the week of New Year's, I'd be on the surgical service.
"I can do it," I said. "What are the details?"
"It's at the Netherland Plaza, and they'll pay for our rooms. We play a total of five forty-minute sets, with breaks between each set. We have to learn Auld Lang Syne, but otherwise, anything in our current playlist is OK."
"We should learn both the old Scots version of the lyrics and the modern ones," I suggested.
"You're singing, so it's up to you!" José declared.
"What time is the gig?" I asked.
"We start at 9:00pm," Kim said, "then at the start of each hour, finishing around 1:40am; they have a DJ for when we're not playing. We'll make $200 each plus the rooms I mentioned."
I asked Kris to come in and checked with her; she had no objections and suggested Lyuda would be happy to babysit.
"Book it," I said to Kim, "as long as everyone else is in agreement."
"I checked with the others during the week; I didn't want to bother you because of your crazy hours."
"I think starting September 1st, it's OK to call because I'll usually be home by 5:00pm."
"OK."
"And now we need to get going because we need to go shopping, then get Miss Rachel to her party."
"Happy birthday, Rachel!" Kari exclaimed.
Kim, Sticks, and José all repeated the good wishes.
"Thank you!" Rachel replied.
"Mike, got a sec?" Kari asked.
I looked over to Kris, who nodded. She took Rachel and Charlotte and left the room.
"How are you doing?" Kari asked. "I mean, really?"
"I'm OK. Tomorrow morning, I'll say the prayers for the departed privately. I think next year, I'll explain to Rachel; or at least try to."
"We all wanted to make sure you were OK and let you know we all remember Elizaveta."
"Thanks."
I received a hug from both girls and handshakes from both guys, then left the room. Kris, the girls, and I went to Kroger and the bakery, then headed home. Once we put the groceries away, we all changed clothes to attend Rachel's birthday party in the parish hall. Because I didn't have any specific duties for the party, which was for Rachel's friends, I sat with Father Nicholas at the far end of the parish hall so we could chat.
"How was your visit with Father Roman?" he asked.
"I had my usual smack on the nose with a rolled-up newspaper," I replied.
"Is it something you're able to share?"
"Yes, it wasn't something for which I needed absolution. He took me to task for, in effect, not seeing the forest for the trees at times. You know my penchant for being pedantic."
"I believe everyone does," Father Nicholas replied with a friendly smile.
I chuckled, "I said as much to Father Roman, who then proceeded to take me to task for, in many instances, straining the gnat and swallowing the camel."
"I know I can safely say this to you — I've been trying to tell you that for years."
"May I tell you why I think that was ineffective?"
"Go on."
"We had a strained relationship that you made adversarial by refusing to accept my truthful answers to your questions, and then confronting me when all I was trying to do was worship in peace. That is why I couldn't hear you. We both made errors."
"I never did find out what the true source of the problem was between you and Tasha."
"And I am not in a position to elaborate. All that matters now is that both Tasha and I are happily married, and we both have infants, though my house remains all girls besides me."
"I do not envy you in ten years!"
"Rachel is very much like her biological mother, so I'd say it basically started three years ago!"
"Yulia requested a panikhída following the Divine Liturgy tomorrow."
"That doesn't surprise me. I planned to say my prayers privately before Matins. I'm concerned Yulia may try to say something to Rachel about Elizaveta."
"I've done my best to discourage that, and Viktor has said he reminds her before Rachel visits. When do you propose to tell Rachel?"
"I mentioned to someone this morning that next year is probably the right time. Rachel may well observe that Elizaveta died on her birthday, but I don't think she'll connect the events. I had thought about waiting longer, but at some point, someone is going to mention it, either directly or offhandedly. I even considered telling her tomorrow, but I'm not sure she's ready to hear it."
"You have Elizaveta's icon and photo in your icon corner, right?" Father Nicholas inquired.
"Yes, but so far, Rachel hasn't asked about the photo. If she does, then I'll have to tell her."
"I believe Yulia is bringing a photo tomorrow, and while I'm not about to step into your parenting relationship, your daughter is very intelligent and observant, and she may well ask why you have Elizaveta's picture at home when she sees it here tomorrow."
"I'll discuss it with Kris later and get her input."
"I think that's wise. May I ask why Rachel tolerated inviting boys to her party?"
I laughed, "Nobody asked her! We simply said we were having a party and that Abi and her other friends would be there. She's actually OK with the boys other than Viktor Gennadyevich."
"He certainly has enough energy for three boys his age!"
"He does. I'm thinking hockey or football would be good choices."
"Speaking of sports, have you considered when you'll return to martial arts?"
"Maybe next year. I need to make sure I spend enough time with the family. It's something Rachel could do once she's six — the local dōjō will take first graders."
"What exercise do you get?"
"Not enough, mainly because there is no time. I'm positive I'll hear about it from my GP when I have my next physical. With my schedule changing, I'll have some time in the evenings, so I'll probably try to run after dinner, but again, family has to come first."
"It does, but you cannot neglect your health, Doctor!"
I chuckled, "Physician, heal thyself?!"
"Exactly."
The party went well, and Rachel was very happy to be with her friends. Despite my request that there be no presents for the party, Rachel received a few from her closest friends—Abi, of course, as well as the three girls from daycare — Melanie, Kathy, and Jennifer. We took those home with us, and Rachel would open them with her other gifts at our family celebration on Sunday evening. At home, Rachel and Charlotte went down for naps, which meant I had an opportunity to discuss Elizaveta with Kris.
"Father Nicholas let me know that Yulia requested a panikhída tomorrow, following the Divine Liturgy, and I expect her to bring a photo of Elizaveta to put on the table with the koliva. There's a good chance Rachel will recognize that the photo matches the one we have in our prayer corner. I think we have to have the conversation with Rachel so we can control the message, so to speak."
"First, do you think Yulia has an ulterior motive?"
I shrugged, "I have no idea, and, ultimately, it doesn't matter, because what Yulia is doing is typical Orthodox praxis. Can you imagine questioning someone else's prayer rule or decision to receive the Eucharist?"
"No, of course not; I probably shouldn't have asked that question."
"You're not alone," I admitted. "I had the same thought myself. I honestly think we need to tell Rachel about Elizaveta; I'm just not sure how to do it. I don't want to confuse her, but I don't see a way around saying that Elizaveta is her biological mom."
"It's the truth," Kris replied.
I nodded, "I know. I cherish the time I had with Elizaveta and her memory, but what I don't want to do is drive a wedge of any kind between you and Rachel, or make her think you aren't her mom. Despite what I just said, I believe it's best to avoid using the word 'mom' concerning Elizaveta."
"If it's time to tell her, I think it's best to just tell her in simple words and answer her questions. Maybe you'll be lucky, and you'll get an 'Oh'!"
I chuckled, "I think this topic might be a bit more interesting to a three-year-old than sex. Seriously, I think we should talk to her after her nap."
"You know, we have at least an hour before she wakes up..."
I took my wife's hand without a word and led her up to the bedroom, where we made love in our usual way, then showered together. We had just dressed when Rachel came to the door. We took her downstairs, got her a snack, and then brought her into the great room to sit.
"Rachel, do you remember dancing with Mama and Papa at their wedding?" I asked.
"Yes!" she exclaimed.
"And how before we met Mama, it was just Papa and Rachel?"
"Yes."
"And you know that baby Charlotte grew inside Mama's tummy, right?"
"Yes," Rachel replied. "Am I getting another sister?"
I smiled, "Not right away, but eventually, I think so, though you could have a brother."
"Yuck!" Rachel declared, making a face.
"You've seen the picture with our icons of the girl? The one with the black ribbon?"
"Yes. She's in heaven."
"Yes, that's right. Rachel grew in her tummy."
"Not Mama?"
"How could you grow in Mama's tummy if we didn't know her?"
"I don't know."
"Papa was married to that girl. Her name was Elizaveta, and he loved her very much. He loved her so much that they made Rachel together. When Elizaveta died, Papa was very sad, but he had Rachel, who made him happy. Papa knew Rachel needed a Mama, so Papa married Mama."
"Mama?" Rachel asked, sounding confused.
Kris picked up Rachel and held her in her lap.
"I love you very much, Rachel. I chose you and Papa so we could be a family together, but you grew in Elizaveta's tummy before she died and went to heaven."
"Oh," Rachel said. "Love Mama and Papa!"
"Mama and Papa love you very much!"
It had gone more easily than I had expected, but I wasn't sure Rachel had grasped what we had told her, and I expected questions in the future, but at least, for the time being, she had heard it first from Kris and me.
August 26, 1990, McKinley and Circleville, Ohio
On Sunday morning, Kris and the girls stood with me while I said a brief form of the prayers for the departed at Elizaveta's grave, and then we went into the church. Rachel hadn't said anything more about Elizaveta the previous evening, nor did she say anything after the graveside prayers.
As was the norm for a Sunday morning, we celebrated Matins and then the Divine Liturgy, after which a table was brought to the middle of the nave to celebrate the panikhída for Elizaveta. As expected, Yulia placed an 8x10 photo of Elizaveta in a frame on the table, along with an icon of Elizabeth, the Mother of John the Baptist, Elizaveta's patron, and a bowl of koliva. I held Rachel during the memorial service and gave her some koliva, to which she made a face but ate.
Sunday school wouldn't actually begin for two weeks due to the Labor Day weekend, something I had forgotten when I had spoken with Father Roman. Because Kris and I wanted time together as a family, we didn't stay at church for lunch, opting instead to eat at home. While Rachel and Charlotte napped, Kris and I made love and took a bubble bath.
That evening we celebrated Rachel's birthday with cake and ice cream, and she opened her presents. Rachel was happy with her gifts, and after she opened them, she asked me to play my guitar, which I did. After playing for an hour, I read her three books, then we said family prayers together with Charlotte. After the girls were in bed, Kris and I watched Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, which had been released on VHS.
August 27, 1990, McKinley, Ohio
"We told Rachel about Elizaveta on Saturday," I said to Clarissa when we met for lunch just after 11:00am on Monday.
"I thought you were going to wait."
"We were, but Yulia arranged for a panikhída and I was concerned that Rachel would recognize the picture Yulia provided matched the one we have at home and that Yulia might say something at church if Rachel noticed and said anything."
"She's pretty smart, despite being your daughter!"
"I give thanks she looks like Elizaveta, not me!"
"So will she! How did she take it?"
"Nonplussed would probably be the way to describe it. She was somewhat confused, but we were careful not to use 'Mama' or any variant to describe Elizaveta. I'm sure Rachel will have questions in the future, but for now, what she knows is that I was married to Elizaveta, that Elizaveta carried her in her womb, that Elizaveta died, and I married Kris, who is Mama."
"So it turned out OK?"
"I think so. The real challenge will be when she puts two and two together about what happened the day Elizaveta died."
"True. How are things going otherwise?"
"I have another trial prep session after lunch. I wish the Webbers would take the settlement and save us all time and hassle. In my mind, they aren't going to get that much more than we're offering once everything is said and done, but Volstead & Braun want a splashy trial. Melody suggested they'll settle after they rest."
"Which gains the attorneys all the publicity without the hospital being able to call witnesses to rebut what they've said."
"Exactly. As I see it, it's a huge gamble by the Webbers, and if someone explained to them what might happen, they would settle."
"You think the attorneys are giving bad advice?"
"I'd call it sub-optimal. It's always a judgment call, according to Melody and Jocelyn, and Melody believes Braun could defend his judgment because they have such a good case. That said, with what we're offering in settlement, Melody says she wouldn't take the risk, even for the positive PR and the additional fees."
"How are things in the ED?"
"Routine, basically. Either Kellie or Becky is filling in for Ron Oaks, or whatever his real name is."
"That is so strange. If you're on the run, why go to medical school?"
"Why not? He was accepted to Memphis State and graduated with honors. That actually surprised me, given his crimes were in Tennessee. At that point, he had his new identity, and it was well established. He applied to three medical schools and chose McKinley. If you think about it, it was, in effect, the perfect place to hide. He passed the background check, was in the top ten percent of his class, and was, as far as anyone was concerned, Ron Oaks."
"I wonder how they caught him?"
"That's a good question, and one I think I'll ask Detective Tremaine when I next see him. Going back to your original question, I'm looking forward to my surgical rotations, though my A shifts are ED, so that means another two weeks before my first surgical shift. On the plus side, I'll have a surgical med student assigned; on the negative side, my job is mostly consults and traumas. I'll rarely see walk-ins, who actually present some of the more interesting cases."
"Listen to you, talking like a Medicine specialist!"
I chuckled, "I said 'interesting', not 'exciting'! How are things in Medicine?'
"Calm!"
I smiled and nodded, as that was the basic difference in our approaches — Clarissa wanted things calm, and I wanted them to be exciting. We finished our lunches, and I made my way to Legal, once again rueing the time I'd have to spend on a case that should never have come this far.
"Hi, Mike."
"Hi, Leland."
"There's coffee in the pot. I want to get started right away, as we only have fifty-five minutes."
"OK."
I poured myself some coffee and sat down.
"We'll skip the basic biographical information and start with your education. Where did you attend High School?"
I answered, and he walked me through my time at Taft, including the courses I took, the grades I received, my graduation with honors, and my selection as valedictorian. We ran out of time just as we were ready to cover my clinical rotations.
"We'll pick it up from this point next week. So far, I'm happy with your responses, and don't believe you need to change anything."
"Then I'll see you next Monday."
We shook hands, and I returned to the ED. As soon as I entered, I was called for a surgical consult that turned out to be severe choledocholithiasis, with numerous stones having migrated into the bile ducts. He needed a cholecystectomy, but given an entire surgical team was available, I wasn't permitted to scrub in. That was the only truly interesting case before I headed home to spend time with Kris and my daughters.
August 28, 1990, McKinley, Ohio
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