Good Medicine - Residency II
Copyright© 2025 by Michael Loucks
Chapter 70: Love and Perseverance
May 26, 1991, McKinley, Ohio
After getting coffee and a bagel and reciting the Jesus Prayer, I followed Father Nicholas to his office.
"If this is about the report in the McKinley Times, I am unable to comment on anything relating to training medical students or treating patients. If someone has a problem with the article, your only response is to tell them to mind their own business and that the article is full of innuendo and implications."
"Mike..." Father Nicholas sighed. "Do you have to immediately go adversarial?
"Yes, because my gut tells me that someone came to you with a 'concern' about the 'scandalous behavior' and 'suggested' I not teach Sunday School to the young adults."
Father Nicholas looked pained, and I knew my intuition was spot on.
"You have to admit that it looks bad," he said.
"I admit no such thing. It's tabloid journalism at its worst, and if you read to the end, it said, and I'm quoting — 'Doctor Loucks has not been disciplined nor reprimanded for any behavior, is well-liked, and is reported to have an exemplary record'. It also stated that I refused to comment, which was the advice my attorneys had given me. So, I repeat — tell them to mind their own business."
"I'm not sure what to say."
"Then say nothing, because there is nothing to say. If you don't tell them to politely pound sand, it's going to spiral out of control. Again. What's the bottom line, Father? Are you going to defend me, or are you going to hang me out to dry? Again?"
"That's not fair, Mike."
"It's accurate," I said flatly. "I'm in no state of mind to teach Sunday School. I'm going to get Kris and the girls, and we're going home."
"Mike..."
"There's no point, Father. None. Well, unless you are backing me 100%, by which I mean quashing this immediately with no equivocation or qualification and no tolerance for ANY gossip, backbiting, or personal attacks. Call me with your decision. I'm sure you'll speak with His Grace, and I'll speak with Father Roman. Have a good afternoon."
I got up and left without asking his blessing and went to find Kris in the parish hall. She had Charlotte and was sitting with some of the college girls.
"We're going home," I said quietly. "Let's get Rachel."
"What happened?"
"Later, please," I requested.
She nodded, and I went over to where Rachel was sitting with a bunch of other kids who were between three and six, and explained we were going home. She wasn't happy, but she didn't put up a fuss. Fifteen minutes later, we were home, and Kris made some tea while I got the girls settled — Rachel with a Raffi tape and Charlotte in her crib for a nap.
"The newspaper article?" Kris asked.
"Someone, and I don't know any details, suggested to Father I shouldn't be teaching Sunday School because of the 'scandal'. I'm sure you know why I decided it was better to come home."
"Because of what happened after Elizaveta reposed."
"Yes. I'll call Father Roman later this afternoon and discuss it with him before I decide what to do."
"Are you thinking about attending services at the Cathedral?"
"That thought did cross my mind, but if we were to do it, it would have to be permanent, and that is not a decision I could make on my own."
"Father Roman?"
"You!"
Kris smiled, "I know that! But you plan to speak to Father Roman. Are you going to discuss that? If so, we should discuss it beforehand."
"Tell me what you think we should do," I said.
"Well..." my sexy blonde French wife said with a twinkle in her eye.
"With the Tsarina here?" I teased.
Kris laughed, "We do have a bed upstairs! May I ask a question which you are free to refuse to answer?"
"You may ask anything you wish, and I'll answer, with the usual caveats of patient details and names of girls."
"Did you ever make love with a girl with Rachel in the room when she was an infant?"
"Yes, but it's different at three months than at three years."
"I agree, though I'm sure you're aware that during the Carolingian and later periods, most people lived in houses with one or two rooms, and if there were two rooms, one was a larder or pantry."
"Well, last I checked, Karl der Große is not our King!"
"Seriously? You use German for a French King?!"
"No, I use German for a Frankish King who spoke Frankish, which is a West Germanic language, not French, which is a Gallo-Roman street creole, and has zero to do with anything about the Franks!"
"English is simply very badly spoken French!" Kris declared.
"«Au contraire, ma chérie!»" I said with a smirk. "Of the one hundred most commonly used English words, making up more than half our speech, ninety-six of them are from Old English or Old Norse, that is, of West Germanic Origin; four are from French." ("On the contrary, sweetheart!")
"Which words are those?" Kris inquired.
"The four words of French origin all stem from Latin, as you would expect — 'just', from 'iustus'; 'people', 'populus'; 'use', from 'usare', and 'because', stemming in part from 'causa'. None of those is in the top fifty! I'll also point out that those four words come from Norman French, with heavy Old Norse influence!"
"You are very difficult!" Kris said with an impish smile.
"No kidding," I chuckled.
"Before we get back to the matter at hand..."
"That's where you want it?" I interrupted. "Not your mouth or your silky, tight «minou»?" ("pussy")
Kris laughed softly, "We'll start with the hand, then proceed to the other two! What I was going to ask was if that was something your favorite teacher taught you in High School?"
"No, it was in English class in eighth grade when we read Bēowulf and parts of The Canterbury Tales, along with Hamlet and Great Expectations to learn how English had developed from Old English to Modern English. Anyway, back to the previous topic."
"Sex?" Kris asked impishly.
"The one before that, silly French girl!"
"Do you want to French the silly girl?" Kris teased.
"Yes, but you'll need to put it in idle until Rachel goes down for her nap in an hour! What do you think about church?"
"Every single church conflict you have had seems to stem from Father Nicholas," Kris observed. "Well, not counting that sordid business with the deposed clerics. If I may speak plainly, he did not learn the lessons he should have learned from the situation after Elizaveta reposed. I do not believe you had had trouble similar to that with Father Luke, Father Alexi, or Father Stephen."
"I haven't," I confirmed.
"As far as I'm aware, nobody at the Cathedral or at any other parish ever brought a 'concern' to a priest or to Vladyka JOHN."
"None of which I'm aware."
"Then I think the decision is obvious, don't you?"
"Yes, though I will discuss it with Father Roman before I call Father Luke to transfer our memberships."
"You'll call them after Rachel's nap, won't you?" Kris asked invitingly.
"I would never deny my wife in that way!"
"Nor I, my husband!"
"Mama and Papa love each other," Rachel giggled.
"We are in so much trouble in about twelve years," I said quietly. "And her best friend is going to be just as much trouble!"
"You mean like my sister?" Kris asked.
I chuckled, "Please do not take this the wrong way, but at least the boys at the High School and church have a chance for a reward for being tortured!"
"The wrong way, as in thinking you would sleep with my sister or that she would have sex before she married?"
"Either!" I declared. "Now you are being difficult!"
"What is the saying? It takes two to tango?"
Rachel's video finished, and I put her down for her nap, then joined my wife, who was lying naked on our bed waiting for me. Just over an hour later, we got out of bed so we could shower together. After our shower, Kris went to get Rachel up from her nap, and I went to my study to call Father Roman. He wasn't available, but the nun who had answered the phone promised she would give him the message no later than dinner.
I spent the afternoon with Kris and the girls, and Father Roman returned my call just after we finished eating dinner.
"What can I do for you, Michael?" Father Roman asked.
I described the article, my initial response, my attorneys' advice, and my interactions with Father Nicholas, concluding with my discussion with Kris.
"That is all distressing," Father Roman said. "I believe I know the answer to this question, but I am compelled to ask — is there any truth to any of the implications?"
"No, Father. The article essentially buried the lede for me — that I was, in effect, assigned to train the troubled students. That was in the same paragraph that had the statement by the Hospital Administrator that I had no disciplinary actions in my record, and my evaluations had been stellar."
"Gossip and backbiting do more damage to the church than any heresy ever invented, using 'heresy' in the modern sense."
I chuckled, "You knew, of course, that I'd point out that 'heresy' means causing division!"
"You are nothing if not pedantic, Michael! When you spoke to Father Nicholas, do you feel you treated him with respect and kindness?"
"I allowed my frustration to get the best of me, despite having recited the Jesus Prayer."
"While I understand why you would be frustrated, that wasn't a proper response."
"I'll apologize to Father Nicholas, but I don't believe it will change anything."
"I wasn't suggesting it would, and you know it's not my place to instruct you about where your family should worship, only that you do so regularly. If you do decide to change your membership, I will speak with Father Luke about absolution."
"Thank you. It's my intent to resume my visits starting in July."
"Very good. I look forward to seeing you; please bring Kris, Rachel, and Charlotte if possible."
"I should be able to do that."
"Very good. God bless you, Michael."
"Thank you, Father."
After we said 'goodbye', I went to find Kris to let her know what Father Roman had said.
"As I expected," she replied. "Are you going to call Father Nicholas?"
"On Tuesday evening, after I have had time to think about it. I'm reasonably certain we're making the right decision, but I don't want to act precipitously."
"Wise. Shall we spend some time with the girls? Then later, have a bubble bath?"
"You didn't get enough this afternoon?" I asked with a grin.
"We both want more, and you know it!"
"I do!"
May 27, 1991, McKinley, Ohio
"I don't think that article could have come at a worse time," Dutch observed when we met on Monday morning to discuss the contingency plans for the impending strike.
"Because of the light it casts on the hospital?"
"It certainly won't improve the chance of increased funding, that's certain. You were wise to refuse to comment. I did the same, but they didn't name any names except for you and Nels Anderson."
"Several people obviously talked to the reporter, and I suspect at least one person violated their NDA, but the hospital will never be able to prove it."
"That was the conclusion Nels Anderson, John Cutter, Leland Crowe, and I reached yesterday. They also assured me that none of the innuendos or implications were true, though I had no suspicion they were. The only one nobody could speak to was your relationship with Mary Anderson, but none of us suspects anything untoward."
"That was the only one that truly bothered me. I haven't spoken to Mary, but I suspect she's unhappy."
"Sorry I'm late," Ghost said, coming into the office. "I was with a patient."
"That is the proper priority, Doctor," Dutch observed. "Let's get started."
We reviewed the staffing plans, which included additional MS3s and MS4s, as well as MS2s, plus the additional hours for Residents and Attendings. Barring a last-minute reprieve, the plans would go into effect at 0000 on Saturday. I didn't see any real chance of a reprieve, and I was expecting not to be able to make it to Vermont, but I had until June 12 to cancel without losing more than my $50 cancellation fee.
It was a busy but routine day, and I finally saw Mary Anderson just before 5:00pm.
"Missed you this morning," I said.
"Emergency appendectomy that started at 3:45am. I take it you saw the article in the McKinley Times."
"I did," I replied.
"It didn't cause any trouble at home, did it?"
"No. Kris knows better."
"I figured that would be the case, but some people freak out over stuff like that. Nobody here said anything, right?"
"Just that they knew it was BS," I replied. "They could ask Nurse Ellie!"
Mary laughed softly, "You've been frustrating her for more than five years, right?"
"Yes."
"There are Residents with less willpower."
"I do not need to know," I replied. "I wasn't interested even when I was single, and I'm even less interested in hospital gossip."
"Sorry."
"It's OK. I'm outta here."
I headed to the locker room, showered, changed into my 'street clothes' and headed home.
May 28, 1991, McKinley, Ohio
On Tuesday evening, I called Father Nicholas.
"Kuznetsov residence; Matushka Natalya speaking."
"Good evening, Matushka, this is Mike Loucks. May I speak with Father Nicholas?"
"Just a moment, Mike, I'll get him."
"Thank you."
A moment later, Father Nicholas came to the phone.
"Hi, Mike."
"Good evening, Father. I'm calling because after thoughtful consideration, and a conversation with Father Roman, Kris and I have decided to transfer our membership to the Cathedral, effective immediately."
"Mike..." Father Nicholas sighed.
"I'm not sure what you want me to do, Father. We've been down this road before, and rather than put a stop to it, you come to me with 'concerns'. I cannot worship in peace if every time someone decides something about my life doesn't measure up to their standard, you come to me, rather than telling them to shut the F up and mind their own F-ing business.
"That is, despite the elided vulgarisms, how an Orthodox Christian is to conduct their life. I simply cannot worship in peace when sensationalist journalism, rumor, innuendo, and gossip are allowed to run rampant, and the response is always to come to me with a concern. My response to that sensationalist, tabloid journalism was to ignore it. You refused to allow me to do that."
"It's obvious we cannot have a rational conversation on this topic."
"Sure, we can, but you chose not to. I was wrong to immediately become adversarial before allowing you to speak, but your body language and your admission made it clear that my inference was correct. I'm sorry I acted disrespectfully, and I ask your forgiveness, but that will not change my decision."
"Do you want to know what was said?"
"No. I do not want to hear gossip, false allegations, false inferences, or any other thing related to the newspaper article, except a heartfelt public confession from whoever it is who expressed a 'concern' and their admission that I am completely innocent of everything they may have said to anyone.
"My attorneys advised me to ignore the article unless specific allegations were made, and there wasn't a single one. Medical ethics prohibit me from disclosing any patient information, and, by medical school and hospital policy, from discussing ANY of the incidents to which the article referred. As I said to the reporter who called me — 'No comment' is the only answer I can give, including to you."
"I believe at this point, I'll let you go, and I'll have a word with Bishop JOHN."
"Just remember, when sawing off a branch, make sure you are between the saw and the trunk, rather than the saw being between you and the trunk."
"What are you trying to say, Mike?"
"If you escalate, be sure you're prepared for what happens next. That is all I am saying."
"Are you actually threatening me, Mike?" Father Nicholas asked.
"No, I'm simply advising you, Father. Just as was the case the previous time, the accusations are categorically false, as proved by the final paragraph in that report. They buried the lede to sell papers, knowing most people wouldn't read beyond the front page. If you make more of this than you already have, it won't harm me. I'll simply remind you of what happened when Viktor Kozlov approached His Grace with 'concerns' about me. I think that ought to be instructive. Have a good evening."
He was quiet for a moment, then said 'good night', and we both hung up. I left my study and went to sit with Kris, who was waiting in the great room.
"How did it go?" she asked.
"Not well. I'm convinced that Father Nicholas believes some of the accusations, just as I was convinced was the case the first time this happened, when the young women of the church were helping me with Rachel."
"You could have had a lot of fun," Kris smirked.
I actually did, including with her cousin, but there was no way I was going to reveal that. On the other hand, I could tease her back without causing any trouble for the girls.
"I did have a lot of fun," I chuckled. "All my co-conspirators shall remain nameless to protect the guilty! In all seriousness, the accusations were made while I was still a Deacon, and because I took my vows seriously, they were categorically false."
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