Chapter 49

Waking Wednesday morning the last thing Selena wanted to do was go to work, but she figured it might be the only way she could pass the time until Joe came back up from his tests. She had already informed Ross Curran that she would be leaving early. He, in turn, informed her that if she were there as a full time member, as she would be after July, this would not be a serious enough situation to lose a member over in peak trading times. She knew she was required to always be fully informed as to "state of business" at both the opening and closing each day. Basically it meant that she would be a 24-7 member as all of them were and to know what had transpired within the think tank up until they convened at 4 o'clock. She explained to Ross that Joe was her whole life at the moment, but understood the ramifications of her duties. She decided to show her commitment to the firm and would return at 3 o'clock that day. That would also let her go back to the suite and change before returning to the hospital to be with Joe until he retired.

The day turned out to be a slow trading one with little action except for more strengthening of the health care and pharmaceuticals issues. The mid-east oil cartel had announced that they would meet in February and that put a hold on a lot of movement from now until then. Drops in production and / or rises in prices always caused a ripple effect across the markets and investors began to hold their breath. Oil had supplanted the President-elects powerplay plans in investors' minds. The panic earlier in the week was just a memory at this point thanks to the calming done by WSGG. That meant that they reaped lots of new business and subscribers by showing their strength in the investment community and the original members were quite aware of the value of a smart, confident, pretty professional like Selena out front. When she spoke it was quite obvious she was no bimbo or blonde billboard.

Meanwhile back at the hospital Joe was on the MRI table and in and out of the nuclear x-rays room more times than he would have liked. He couldn't wait until he could eat or drink to get the metallic, aluminum taste from his mouth from the injections of definition fluids they needed. X-ray technicians and radiologist hovered in front of screens looking at areas of Joe's knee and back pointing and consulting each other. All the while Joe was shouting over the clamor of diagnostic machines.

"Well? What do we think? Well? WELL?" he would holler in exasperation.

Finally a radiologist came out into the room to calm him.

"Mr. Johnson, we only read and report what we see for the doctors. We don't give out diagnosis or prognosis. Nor do we recommend surgery of any kind. You will have to wait and speak to your surgeon and he will tell you what we found and how he plans to rectify it." He said trying to calm him.

"Well it's not YOUR knee, back or future, it's MINE. Just tell me if you found anything different from what the original diagnosis said. God-damn it, don't give me a fucking heart attack laying here and wondering!" Joe said, wanting to vent on someone.

The radiologist bent to speak softly to Joe.

"Off the record and against hospital policy, I concur with knee diagnosis and think your back is just strained. I say this off the record because I do not have any pictures or scans of how it looked before. Now calm down and do not mention my words to anyone." He told Joe.

Joe was happy that the Chinese gentleman, who obviously was very well schooled and spoke almost perfect English, had helped him allay his worries, at least for the time being.

A large black man, an orderly, walked up over Joe startling him.

"Mr. Johnson, I'm Jacob and I'll be your escort for the rest of your tests. We just changed shifts. Don't give me any trouble!! OK?" He said with a scowl that turned to a grin. "Just testing your sense of humor, Sir. I know you want these to be over with as soon as possible because I suspect you haven't eaten in a while. I hate to tell you that hospital food isn't exactly what you call "eating", but it's better than a bottle stuck in your arm."

"Jacob I'm glad to meet you, please call me Joe. How many more stops on my itinerary?" Joe asked.

"Joe, I see 2 more but neither one involves anything being stuck down your throat or up your butt, so I think it'll just be irritating, not painful or embarrassing."

"OK Jacob, I feel I'm in good hands. How long have you been here?" Joe asked as Jacob began to wheel him out of one radiology lab room to another.

"I've been here at Lenox Hill for 3 years. I'm in my fourth year of college, and first year of medical school and I'm working to pay for that."

"So you want to be a doctor, and particular specialty?"

"I'd like to get into orthopedics, but forensics interest me too. It might be nice to have patients that can't talk back or sue you."

"It seems to me that if you're just working here, you must have tremendous student loans to pay for medical school." Joe said as his gurney/bed was in a waiting line for a precautionary kidney and liver scan.

"Well, not as much as you might think. There are 3 professional athletes from my neighborhood that put up money for local men and women to go to college as long as they stayed off drugs and stayed out of jail. Our borough president does not want to recognize the program because he thinks it's unfair. He's one of them black liberals who think all of the black problems are caused by rich white people. The tuition program deals with responsibility and will match every dollar I put in with 3 more." Jacob explained.

"I'm assuming you came from a rough, poor neighborhood?"

"Joe, there were drug dealers that used to beat up kids who went to school and wouldn't be mules for their shit. God made me a big man for a reason, they didn't bother me. I went to school to get the hell out of there. I can't wait to get my Mom out of there." Jacob said with certain conviction in his voice.

"How about the rest of your family?'

"My Dad has been gone for a while, and I have 3 brothers and a sister who were in jail and my Mom hasn't seen since they got out. I take good care of her though."

"Sounds like you've got a good handle on your future Jacob. I commend you. The easiest thing to do would be to walk away and join the crowd. You chose a future, that's great. How are your marks?" Joe asked.

Jacobs face lit up like a neon sign.

"Deans list Sir, I mean Joe. I don't mean to brag, but I study my ass off and it pays. I try to counsel students from the high school about study and further education. Again, the borough president has tried to stop that program too. That's unfair too, I guess. They don't want blacks to be too successful, we slow the gravy train. The problem is that they want everyone to have the same opportunities, but some want it, some don't. I feel if I want it, I deserve what they want to do for me. How can wanting to be successful and getting out of that mess be bad?"

"You already said it Jacob, it slows the gravy train. Don't be persuaded away from what you're doing. You'll be fine."

"I just wish I could make it go faster. I can't wait to get my Mom into a safer place. She works two jobs and has to walk home at times of the night even I don't want to be out. She works here in the laundry and for the post office." Jacob explained as he finally was able to wheel Joe into the imaging lab.

"Joe once they hook you up to the needle here, it will be about 20 minutes. I'm gonna go grab a coffee and I'll be just outside if you need me." Jacob said as he patted Joe's arm.

A nurse came in to brief Joe about the test and hooked him up to the IV with the tracing fluid. Again he got the rotten taste in his mouth and his whole arm felt very warm. He almost fell asleep, but instead he thought about ways he might be able to help Jacob. He wondered if he knew anyone who had a flat or apartment that he could subsidize until Jacob got out of medical school. Joe knew he wasn't Donald Trump rich, or even professional athlete rich, but he was certainly well off enough to help Jacob make a difference. He wondered if that were the reason all of this happened. Ever since he was blessed by having Selena come into his life he had been thinking of ways to give back, make some amends and thank fate for the chance to meet Selena. Maybe this was it.

When the nurse came back in to see how Joe was doing, mid-test, he asked her, "What kind of kid is Jacob, he seems like a real bright kid who works his butt off to get through school."

"Jacob Ridley is the pride and joy of the Ortho wing here. He comes from nothing, believe me. His Dad ran off a long time ago and all his brothers and a sister went to jail for one thing or another. Jacob takes care of his Mom while she works 2 jobs to keep a roof over his head so he can finish his studies. He's watched enough operations on knees and joints that I bet he could do or at least assist on one. I just pray him and his Mom have the strength to get him through college." The nurse told him, obviously proud of Jacob.

"Listen, I'm not thinking totally straight here with all the drugs and potions you've put into me but, do you think he would let me help them out, maybe with a better place to live? I have a little debt to pay off to the guy upstairs and this might be the way. I know a lot of people in the city who can maybe come up with something." Joe asked her.

The nurse made a note of Joe's name and room number and said she would see him at the end of her shift.

Twenty minutes later Jacob was back pushing Joe through the hallway to the elevator.

"Joe you are all through being poked, prodded and filled up with chemicals. You're late for lunch, but it says here that they have a lunch waiting for you in the kitchen and all I have to do is go get it for you. So I'll get you situated and come back up with it." Jacob said as they wheeled onto the elevator.

Joe looked at the clock as they wheeled on, it was 12:50. Selena might be waiting for him.

"Joe you won't mind if I come into watch your operation tomorrow morning, would you? I don't have a class until noon and that Doctor Payne is an artist, man." Jacob asked as he scanned the chart.

"Feel free Jacob. I'll be so out of it that they can do it in Macy's window and I wouldn't care."

"Thank you, I always like to ask. Uh-oh, it looks like we should have taken the O R elevator, we're stacked in the hallway. They aren't supposed to do this, but they're picking up lunch trays. Here hold your chart while I go up and help them get clear. This is dangerous if there was ever an emergency." Jacob said handing Joe a clipboard.

The wait was about 5 minutes as Jacob and a floor nurse directed traffic and chastised people for letting the jam up happen. It was long enough for Joe to fall asleep in the twilight of his drug hangover. When Jacob returned he smiled at the sleeping Joe and carefully began to glide him down the hall and around the corner into his room, where Selena was waiting...

"He's sleeping right now, Miss. If you let him get a 20 minute or half hour nap he'll feel better and then I'll bring up his lunch." He warned her as he escorted her out of the room so they could talk.

"I saw the mess they were serving as lunch and I'm going to make hot beef with gravy and biscuits out of it, maybe some raw spinach with dressing on the side. Do you think he would like that?" He asked her.

"Umm, Oh... yes. Who are you?"

"I'm sorry, I'm Jacob. I've been Joe's escort and driver (he smiled) all morning. The last thing I have to do is make sure he eats. I saw the untouched trays in the hallway and it looks pretty nasty, but they're saving him a lunch in the kitchen. I usually make something out of what they have and I think he might like that better. I'll skip the lima beans, mexi-corn and that ugh they call mashed potatoes." He told her with a confident smile that conveyed assurance to Selena.

"I'm Selena, Joe's fiancé. Just tell me he did OK with the tests and he's not going to be sick when he wakes up."

"Pleased to meet you, you're both lucky people. He's just tired from all the movement and the end of the sedation drugs he had. He won't feel sick, I can guarantee you he'll be hungry. If he wakes up I'm sure he'll ring for a nurse, so go right in. Otherwise wait until I come back and we can wake him and feed him. This nap will do him a world of good. It'll help the dyes and chemicals they shot in him this morning begin to run out his bloodstream and get the metallic taste out of his mouth." Jacob said as he left and moved swiftly down the hall.

Selena sat in the hallway finally able to relax now that Joe was back in the room and safe and resting. She passed the time calling her Mom and finally getting hold of Lucy to tell her about Joe and be comforted by her friend. She ended the call short when she saw Jacob wheeling a cart up the hall flanked by a nurse with an armful of pads and towels.

"Let's go Selena," Jacob said in his commanding by soft tone that reminded her of the sound of Muhammed Ali's voice, "we'll wake him up get some new ice packs on him and get some food in him.

The nurse went to wake him and Jacob stopped her and opened his hand to Selena waving her to wake him instead. She huddled close to his face and kissed him and whispered.

Groggily Joe opened his eyes and smiled and kissed her back before realizing where he was and the gravity of his surroundings.

"Let me help the nurse get some fresh cold gel packs under that knee and I'll let Selena help you eat. How does that sound." He said as he moved swiftly to lift Joe's leg and let the nurse do her thing.

The nurse collected the old packs and left and Jacob was grabbing his own tray to leave.

"Where are you going?" Joe asked.

"To the employee lounge to eat. Enjoy your lunch."

"Jacob, please stay here and eat. Let's talk for a minute or two." Joe said as Selena was using the remote to get Joe into a sitting up position. "Selena is kind of being thrown in the middle of this conversation but what she doesn't get now, I'll fill her in later. I know your time it tight."

Selena uncovered the tray and saw what Jacob had concocted and smiled, she knew Joe would be happy. Thinly sliced beef surrounded by 3 biscuits and lots of gravy, plus the raw spinach with a raspberry vinaigrette dressing.

"What is the borough presidents problem with the program you're in, and why does he want it stopped?"

"It requires the candidate to have to work and study and get results, plus be clean. He says it's unfair because it excludes a lot of blacks because of their culture. My Dad was a drug addict and a thief, my brothers sold drugs and stole cars and worked as gang enforcers, my sister was a crack whore. Does that give me the OK to do any of that just because I was raised around it? I don't think so. They want to make excuses for us to fail and I just don't accept it. I don't want to live where I live and another man of my race who breaks the law and hurts himself as well as others is NOT my brother. As far as I'm concerned the welfare system is made to keep us right where we are. I don't accept that."

Against Joe's wishes Selena began to feed Joe as he listened. He would have to lean up to do it himself and she wanted to save his back.

"Jacob, how would you like to be a business partner of mine? I'm not talking about you investing any money or anything. All it would require is you finishing medical school while staying on the straight and narrow to begin with. We're going to live here in the city, pretty much full time, starting in July. I may need someone to meet Selena at the station, a late night escort or just someone to run an errand, of course all depending on your availability." Joe said before he hungrily ate two big bites Selena had scooped up for him.

"... and just what is my prize?" Jacob wondered aloud as he dug into his own lunch.

"I get you a place in a safer neighborhood, closer to the hospital here for you and your Mom. She can pay me just what she pays now for rent and when you graduate I'll take the money she has paid me and give it to you towards the 3 for 1 program you're in."

"Joe, I don't want your pity, let's make that clear. Why would you do this?"

"Jacob, I was born into a good family. My Dad owned a construction company and being born to my mother was all I had to do to earn that inheritance. I was an advanced student and ended up graduating college with an engineering degree before I was 18. I risked money in the stock market and got lucky and then began to play the stock market real heavy using my math skills and world savvy I learned from my father. My fathers wish was for me to someday retire and turn the company over to the employees. I've already done that. Then I made the best deal of all time, I met Selena and fell in love with her. I owe the world a lot and helping you and your Mom out would help me repay some of the debt I owe to fate and to God."

"But, why me?" Jacob asked.

"Because you are one of the ones who gets it. When asked to raise your hand you put it up, not out. You want to help, not take. In the face of danger you would take your Mother in to your arms and fight your way to safety, not wait for help to arrive. You've seen the problems and made your path out of them. Until others begin to "get it" there are always going to be problems and differences. Until the media stops giving press to the enablers and starts recognizing people like you we sink a little deeper." Joe said passionately as he became more awake and aware of what he was actually doing.

"Just to get up to speed here, Jacob, you're studying to be a doctor and working here part time to pay for it through a sponsored program?" Selena asked.

"Yes, and my Mom does the same too, works here and the Post Office. I'm all she has now there are times I can't protect her from the neighborhood we live in. I uh,

... do I know you from somewhere? You're very pretty and have a face not easy to forget, but I keep thinking I know you." Jacob asked furrowing his brow.