Chapter 61: Code Blue

April 28, 1985, McKinley, Ohio

On Sunday, after the Divine Liturgy, Father Nicholas asked me to come to his office.

"I spoke with Vladyka last evening. He gave his blessing for you to play in your band with a couple of conditions, which I don't think will be a problem. The venues are important — no bars or clubs. He'd prefer you play things like High School dances or venues where no alcohol is served. The key is decorum."

"Thank you. I'll make sure I discuss any concerts with you in advance. You know about the one this Friday at Taft that José and I are giving, though Doctor Blahnik suggested the band sing Piano Man as a kind of preview of coming attractions."

"That's in the main auditorium at the university, right?"

"Yes. You're more than welcome to attend. I'll leave your name so you don't have to pay the admission."

"Do you make money from playing?"

"No. That covers the use of the hall, and that's it. José and I do it because we enjoy it. We'll probably make a bit of money from concerts as a band. The only time I've ever earned any money is a small amount for the concerts during orientation."

"Changing subjects, Mark did very well last night and this morning. You're a good instructor, and I appreciate that, but we'll need to decide on a senior acolyte once you take on your duties as a deacon."

"Elias," I replied. "He's the most senior, which would give him priority, but he's also very mature, and I believe the other young men respect him."

"I agree. I'll speak to him on Wednesday. Have you heard anything more about Angela?"

"No, and I didn't really expect to. If anything changes and I hear from Father Stephen or Doctor Mercer, I'll let you know. They'll both be here for my wedding."

"Keep praying for her, Subdeacon."

"Every day, Father."

I received his blessing and went to find Elizaveta so we could drive to Tasha's apartment. As had been the case for every time we'd been together after she got her driving license, Elizaveta drove. I hoped the 'new license syndrome' would wear off soon because I wasn't getting to drive very much at all! We parked along the street near the Quick Mart and then joined Tasha, Nik, Alyssa, and Mark for our usual Sunday afternoon gathering.

"Can I ask a question?" Mark inquired after Tasha served everyone tea or soft drinks.

"Always!" she responded.

"How do you know which canons to follow in your daily life?"

"You listen to your bishop and do as he says, often through the priest," she replied. "If you follow them strictly and literally, Mike couldn't have been friendly towards you when you first met because there is a specific canon against being friendly and associating with non-Christians, well, I suppose that would really mean non-Orthodox. That seems completely out of line in our modern situation, and the bishops have said so."

"Mark," I said gently, "don't go down the fundamentalist path. You'll hear monks advocating things such as married couples abstaining from marital relations except for the specific purpose of procreating and encouraging the faithful to refuse to associate with anyone who is not Orthodox. Those canons were, in context, about not associating with pagans in a social situation or, later on, socializing with Muslims. But you have to take into account the political and social systems of the times. As Tasha said, following those canons is nearly impossible in a multicultural society and would make it impossible to spread the Gospel. Consider how Father Nicholas handled your fasting rule as an example — it wasn't strict. Why? Or rather, what's the purpose?"

"Spiritual growth."

"Exactly. Remember, we don't fast so that we can say we followed the rules; we fast to help us grow in our Christian walk. So those canons which prohibit playing cards, hunting, creating a work of art, or even going to an art museum are usually dealt with by «ekonomia» because of the context in which they were formed, unless there is some personal problem which makes those things an impediment to your salvation. A perfect example from the Bible is the ruling on how to deal with Gentile converts — not requiring they be circumcised because that would be an impediment to adults coming to the Faith."

"No kidding!" Alyssa said with a smirk.

"Easy for YOU to laugh about!" Mark said, visibly shuddering at the thought.

"So, that's why some women wear scarves, and some don't?" Alyssa asked. "Mostly, I noticed the young women, except for Oksana and Serafima, don't wear them, but the older ladies do."

"Yes," I answered. "That's something that's up to each individual, as is the way they venerate icons. You've seen some people do a full prostration, others do a metania, and others simply cross themselves. Do what feels right for you. I'm in the 'in-between' group, and I simply do a metania, but don't follow me just to follow me — do what feels right, and if you need guidance, speak with Father Nicholas."

"How about we play Uno?" Tasha suggested.

Everyone agreed and we spent a couple of hours playing, and then Tasha, Elizaveta, and Alyssa made dinner. After a wonderful dinner, which included a tasty cake for dessert, I walked Elizaveta to her car, and once she'd driven off, I walked back to the dorm.

"Mike?" a voice called out just as I was opening the door to the dorm lobby.

I turned to see who it was. It was Mindy Ellison, who I rarely saw because we shared no classes, given we had different majors and she was three years behind me, plus we were in separate dorms, which had been partly my doing.

"Hi, Mindy. What's up?"

"How have you been? I haven't really seen you much."

"I'm doing well. You?"

"College is fun, and I don't have any grades less than a B."

"Cool! I take it you talk to Liz regularly?"

"Sure, but once she married, she became busy with Paul, work, and school. But I have new friends here, and I'm seeing a guy from my dorm who's a Junior. Anyway, I just wanted to say 'Hi' because I saw you, but also Liz said I should ask you about coming to the wedding."

"The church ceremony is open to everyone, but I'd have to ask my future grandmothers-in-law about the reception. You and your boyfriend?"

"Yes. I wasn't sure if you'd be OK with me being there because we..."

I smiled, "I'm OK with it so long as you're discreet."

"I'd never say anything to get you in trouble! Sure, I talked about it with my friends in High School, but nobody else."

I chuckled, "I mean this in the nicest way, but telling your friends seems to have been just one step short of putting it on the CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite!"

Mindy laughed and leaned forward, "You were THAT good! We all agree!"

"Let me see what I can do about an invitation. It's on the 26th. I know we had some people on my list from outside the area say they couldn't make it. I would have invited you if I'd known you wanted to be there."

"It's no big deal, Mike. I mean, you and I both know it was just amazing sex and nothing more. We weren't, like, close friends. Will Emmy be there?"

"She was invited, yes."

"Have you seen Maggie?"

"Just once. I ran into her at the mall a few weeks ago. She seemed OK."

"She and Mike Palmer are together. I think you two made a better couple."

"There were way too many hurdles to overcome," I said. "Are you coming to the concert on Friday?"

"I wouldn't miss it! You and your singing partner are awesome! It's too bad you guys aren't looking for groupies! I know lots of girls who are interested!"

I chuckled, "I'm engaged, and José might as well be. Dona keeps him on a very short leash, but he's happy."

"So he likes being tied up?" she smirked.

"I have no idea! And you're still bad, Mindy Ellison!"

"Bad is good, right?" she asked sexily.

"It certainly was for me! I need to get inside for study group. See you Friday evening. And I'll call Elizaveta about invitations when I get upstairs."

"Thanks, Mike!"

"You're welcome!"

She gave me a quick, chaste hug, and I turned and went into the building.

April 30, 1985, McKinley, Ohio

"How did your interview go?" I asked José when he came into my room after lunch on Tuesday.

"I think it went OK. You were featured in the interview!"

"Me?"

"They used the incident with Will and Vickie and asked how I'd respond. I simply used your response as an example to guide my answer, and it seemed as if they liked what I said."

"It was a fairly straightforward response."

"I'd have decked the guy. You don't hit a woman, period. And I'm no pacifist!"

I chuckled, "You have that whole 'macho Latin' thing going, except when you're playing guitar."

"Chicks dig it," he grinned.

"But you're on a short leash at the moment!"

"I'm sure as heck not complaining! Dona's sweet, and she's sexy as hell! And there is nobody on a shorter leash than you right now!"

"Jason," I replied.

"OK, that's like bondage!" José said with a grin. "But he signed up for it, big time! I heard the story about the Jack Daniel's."

"I'd say it was a fair trade of his freedom! Fran is awesome and super nice; she just keeps him on that very, very short leash."

"Shall we go over the playlist for Friday?"

"Sure."

He handed me a handwritten song list.

"I think," he said, "that the 'coming attractions' song should be the last song of the second set before we do our encore numbers."

"I was thinking at the end of the first set," I countered, "so as not to break the flow at the end."

"Hmmm," he said, considering, "I think you might be right. I was wanting to keep everyone focused on the concert, but the fifteen-minute break between sets should do that. OK. I'll move Piano Man there. Anything else?"

"No," I answered. "I think the small concert here in the dorm worked really well, and we're going to have a much wider audience, and none of our friends will complain about the identical sets."

"Next question — do you think Doctor Blahnik would put Dona and me up for the night on Sunday following the wedding?"

"I can't imagine why she wouldn't; just ask her."

"I'm glad Sunday is a move-out day; otherwise, it would be a royal pain in the butt! Dona's mom is coming to get her stuff on Saturday, then my parents are coming on Sunday to get my stuff. They'll bring two cars and leave one for me so I can give Dona a ride back to Milford."

"Sorry for the crazy logistics! Do you know what others are doing?"

"Lara rented a hotel room for her and Jack; Pete and Sandy are staying at Abby's with Clarissa; Brandon is staying at Kimiko's house in Columbus, and she's going to borrow her dad's car to drive back and forth; Robby, Lee, and Sophia are renting a hotel room; Jocelyn and Gene plan to drive to her house after the reception. I don't know about the rest, and everyone has some kind of plan to get their stuff out of their rooms by noon on Sunday."

"I wish the school would extend move-out to Monday, but Dean Anderson laughed when I suggested that in jest."

"Yeah, even though we're all on one floor, they need to get things ready for Summer and start on whatever repairs they need for the Fall. How early did you have to come back as RA?"

"There's an orientation which starts a couple of days before the student orientation if you've never been an RA," I replied. "You'll get your CPR card during that time if you don't have it."

"Dona and I both got ours last year. Nobody gave you any grief about the girls staying in here before you and Elizaveta got together, right?"

"None at all. I don't think they'll care if Dona is in here every night, so long as she pays for her room."

José laughed, "Like all government organizations, if they get their 'cut', they're happy."

I chuckled, "Did you ever see the Star Trek episode 'A Piece of the Action'?"

"No. Why?"

"The Enterprise discovers a planet that learned everything about civilization from a book called Chicago Mobs of the Twenties, which was allegedly published in 1992, so I suppose it could happen. But anyway, Kirk has to settle a gang war, and through a bunch of hilarity, including him trying to drive a car with a clutch, he tells them the United Federation of Planets is taking over. At the end of the episode, Spock asked Kirk how he planned to explain to Starfleet Command that a starship had to be sent each year to collect their 'cut'."

José laughed, "Awesome! Even in Trek, the government still gets its cut!"

"That episode has some of the best gag lines in the entire series. If you ever have a chance to see it on reruns, check it out. Even if you aren't a Trek fan, it's pretty funny."

"Let's just say Dona isn't a Sci-Fi fan. At all."

"I've been lucky in that regard," I replied. "I usually just have to trade some romantic comedy for the Sci-Fi."

"I'll have to see those movies with my guy friends if Dona and I stay together after graduation."

"Not a sure thing?"

He shrugged, "Who knows, right? Anyway, wanna jam for a bit?"

"Sure. I have a couple of hours before I need to be flogged!"

"Flogged?" he asked with an arched eyebrow.

"Golf spelled backwards is 'flog'!" I chuckled. "I'm not very good, but it makes my future father-in-law happy, and he insists it'll help meet people I need to know in the future and that it's something doctors do."

"I'd say that's a small price to pay to keep him happy."

"My thoughts exactly! Go get your guitar."

May 2, 1985, McKinley, Ohio

On Thursday morning I put the finishing touches on my proposed valedictory speech and walked it over to Chancellor Evans' office for review. Only Clarissa and Robby had seen it, and both had made a few suggestions, which I'd taken to heart. I left the speech with Chancellor Evans' secretary, then headed back to the dorm to hang out with Clarissa. I put on Around the World in a Day, made some tea, and we sat close together on the couch.

"When will you find out if your speech is OK?"

"His secretary said he would read it in the next day or two, and she'll call me to set up an appointment to see him. I can't imagine he's going to have any objections. You and Robby both felt it was good and only suggested a few changes."

"I was surprised you chose Robby to read it."

"I wanted a guy's perspective in addition to a girl's, and he's my best guy friend here. José was my second choice, but he's just finishing his Sophomore year. Robby is a year ahead of him and a year behind us."

"I'm really going to miss hanging out with the gang."

"Me, too," I agreed. "But most of them are going to be around, at least for another year."

"True, though not living in the dorm and having so much studying to do will put a crimp in that, not to mention you being married."

"You're going to be in the same basic situation, simply sans government paperwork! And Jason and Fran are getting the paperwork."

"That surprised the heck out of me!"

"Me, too! But I think what's happening is normal for college graduates. Dale is moving to Seattle for work, and Clark is moving to Chicago. We know a number of other students who are doing the same thing. Sandy, you, and I are going to be together because we made a pact to all go to the same medical school. The only reason Fran chose McKinley Medical School is because Jason is going to get his Master's here at Taft."

"Oh, I know. I guess I'm just a bit melancholy because I love our group here. Changing subjects slightly, but actually not really, where are you going to have your Sunday thing with Tasha, Nik, Alyssa, and Mark?"

"Our cottage, once they move north. It'll be cozy, but it'll work for six. One of the things on Elizaveta's wish list for wedding gifts is a card table and four folding chairs. The dinette table in the cottage can seat four reasonably comfortably, but that's it."

"You don't seem as if you're bothered by the changes."

I shrugged, "I'll miss this, but the only way to achieve our goals is to move forward. As Paul tells the Corinthians — 'Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore, I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize'."

"So 'keep your eyes on the prize' is a Biblical idiom?"

"It is, along with 'bite the dust', 'go the extra mile', 'the skin of his teeth', 'drop in the bucket', 'a leopard cannot change his spots', 'a thorn in the flesh', 'feet of clay', 'a fly in the ointment', 'a house divided against itself cannot stand', 'out of the mouths of babes', and a host of others including the very obvious 'writing on the wall'! And there are Shakespearean idioms as well — 'break the ice' and 'the game is afoot' are two examples which were coined by him."

"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that so many common phrases we use every day come from the Bible and Shakespeare."

"Both widely read and highly popular. How about 'By Jove, I think he has got it!'?"

"Jupiter, right?"

"Yes, and used so that one wouldn't use the word 'God'. It's like 'gadzooks' or 'gee whiz'. Anyway, my point was, we have to keep our eyes on the prize — medical licenses. I'm not nearly as obsessive about it as I was, but I've been prepared for having to give up a lot to reach my goal. And if you'll excuse a bit of blasphemy — what does it profit me if I gain the world and fail to get my medical license?"

Clarissa laughed, "I suspect you won't be teaching THAT in Sunday School!"

I chuckled, "Not a chance. And I'd only ever say it to you because I know you'll understand my point. When I started, I was prepared to sacrifice everything except my faith on the altar of the Ohio Medical Licensing Board. With help from my friends, especially you, I figured out that there were some things I simply couldn't sacrifice, you being the first and foremost. Once I admitted that to myself, then I reordered my priorities.