Chapter 30

The break between summer sessions afforded us the opportunity to bask in the sun at the country club and at one of the girl’s homes by their swimming pools. I was still wrapped up and couldn’t move my left arm but enjoyed getting some sun on as much of my body as I could. One of the days we went by to sun ourselves at Delta’s pool, we surprised Cecile and Carol sunbathing nude. When we walked out of the back door to see the two ladies spread out, Trish immediately tried to cover my eyes and push me back into the house. I gave out the loudest wolf whistle I could. The two moms were screaming while I was being pushed back into the house. Later, I commented on the great view I had for those few short seconds. Each time it was brought up, the moms would blush beet red.

George had me interview with the company he worked for. They had a research and development department working on various products that related to the building industry. The development of non-lead based paints was creating a demand for both interior and exterior paints. Somehow, I didn’t see myself getting excited about working on a new color latex paint. Besides, I would only be a gofer as all their chemical engineers had PhD’s. This just confirmed what I knew. I needed to remain in school.

Just before the fall semester, my dad called. He told me that they had received my draft notice. I had forgotten to re-apply for my student deferment. There should not be too much of a problem, as I was still wrapped up and would probably be this way through October. Dad gave me the telephone number for down there so I could call to get examined where I was. It was nice to talk to Dad; he said he was busy with a new development up near Winter Haven where I had told him that someone should build a resort there or at least develop a neighborhood for retirees.

The draft board lady was not happy to hear that I was out of state and that I was injured. I asked her to make an appointment for me at the local induction center so I could be examined.

Trish took off the day I had to report. I arrived at the induction center with a bunch of guys that had small sports bags or suitcases with them. I knew I was not going to be welcome. I stood in line for an hour waiting to be examined. The other guys in line were all talking bullshit about what they would do in the army. When I walked into the examination room, one of the nurses from the hospital that I had been at was working.

“Aren’t you the guy that got shot in that bank robbery?” She asked.

“That’s me. Did you join the army since I saw you last?” I asked a question in return.

“I’m in the reserves, and this is one of my weeks of summer camp,” she answered and then continued. “They use me here at the induction center, as they always need help. Let’s get all your information down, and then I’ll help you with your discussion with the doctor. He’s going to want to remove your bandages and look at your shoulder. I’ll help him and advise him that you are not supposed to move your arm or shoulder.”

“What’s your name?” I asked.

She pointed to her name badge on her nurse’s uniform. It said, “Lt. Cindy Shaw.”

“Do I salute you Cindy?” I asked smiling.

“That’s Lt. Shaw to you, you almost a soldier,” she grinned.

She asked questions, I answered and she wrote down the information. She made a big deal about the injury but we finally agreed that she should just write down that I was injured while stopping a bank robbery.

The doc came in and read the note. He looked at me long and hard. “I know you. I’ve seen you at the country club. Aren’t you the guy that was going to the Open? How did you do?”

“I won at the sectionals but was hurt before the open. I don’t think golf is in my near future any longer,” I said pointing at my shoulder.

“I read about the bank robbery where a guy got shot while wrestling with the robber. That must have been you,” he said. “Cindy says she nursed you while you were in the hospital.” He turned to Lt. Shaw; “Cindy is his shoulder bad enough that he won’t be able to perform duty for a while?”

“He may not be able to use his left arm at all, doctor. They had to put his rotator cuff back together like a puzzle, and then they glued it all together and strapped him up so it could grow back together,” Cindy said.

“This is what I’m going to do. I’m writing you up as a temporary “4F.” I’ll put you down as eligible to be examined in one year. Let’s see how you’re doing next year this time. I heard Dan and George talking that you may be looking at entering medical school. Is that right?” The doctor asked.

“Since this happened,” I answered. “I may apply, or I may just work on a research degree in chemistry. I’m really having a hard time deciding what to do.”

The doc asked, “What would make you happiest?”

“That’s the problem,” I answered shaking my head. “Any of it would make me very happy. I like school, so it wouldn’t make any difference to me what field I was in. I only know that I would enjoy research, and I enjoy chemistry and wish to contribute in some way using that ability.”

“Go for medical school. You can help a lot of people as a doctor in a variety of fields. As a doctor, you are involved in research daily. Every patient is a research paper in the flesh,” he said this while Cindy was buttoning my shirt for me.

The doctor fumbled around in his pockets then came out with a card. As he handed it to me he said, “Here, take this and come to see me at my clinic. Come during the day because evenings can be so busy. I’ll let you watch to see if you like the way I contribute. You can watch me do my research.”

Cindy, or is that Lt. Shaw, took me out to a guy in uniform with the worksheet and the doctor’s recommendation form. Fifteen minutes later, I rescued Trish from all of the smiling inductees who were trying to make time with her before their examination.

I told Trish I was a non-soldier for at least another year at this point. She seemed happy about it. We stopped at an A&W Root Beer drive-in on the way home to have a couple of their nasty chilidogs and a frosty mug of root beer.

Trish and I had a surprise when we got home. We had a letter from our bank. In the letter was cashier’s check for five thousand dollars. The letter said the enclosed cashier’s check reflected the published advertised reward for the direct prevention of a bank robbery or the successful capture of a robber at their bank.

Trish and I just sat and stared at the check. When Delta walked in the door, she thought something had gone bad at the induction center. Trish held up the check and the letter for her to read.

“Holy smokes!” Delta exclaimed. “With this money we can just about pay off the house. Or we can use to it to put Chuck through school. Wow! This is fantastic.”

The girls had to call and tell their folks right away about our windfall, but then in the end we three agreed that the money should go into the bank for our future needs, whatever they might be.

At school the next day, I went to see the dean of chemistry to talk to him about what options I had. He became interested, and then we walked over to the doctor who was like the dean of the pre-med group. I had my transcripts with me, and he was excited to have me want his opinion, as he remembered me with Sandy at graduation. I was honest with him, saying that I couldn’t afford to send myself through medical school. I told him that I thought the only way I could go was to get a scholarship like Sandy did. He said he understood and then used his phone to call some guy at St. Louis University Medical Center. The chemistry dean and I walked outside his office to give him some privacy and to discuss what I was thinking some more.

“Come on back in here,” the pre-med guy hollered.

As we went through the door, he said, “You have an appointment with the medical school at St. Louis University. It’s only about a two to three-hour drive from here, so you won’t have to stay overnight. Take your transcript with you, and before you go, get some letters of recommendation from your various Profs that you have had the last couple of years. They will probably schedule you for a physiological interview to be tested, but that would be good for you to know whether medicine should be in your future.”

He handed me a piece of paper with a name, address, phone number, and a time on it. “Let me know how the interview went when you get back.”

This was a Monday, and the interview was Thursday. I went to four different departments to beg a letter of recommendation from them. Those along with the chemistry dean’s letter should be enough. At home, I fixed supper one-handed and had spaghetti, meatballs, and garlic bread ready, complete with a salad and wine. I told the girls what I had been up to and that I would need to borrow a car Thursday to make the trip.

“We’ll drive you,” Delta said excitedly. “We’re both off Thursday and Friday, so let’s make a weekend of it in St. Louis. That should be fun. We can go to one of the big movie theaters up there, and we’ll look to see if we can see a Cardinal baseball game.”

Trish added, “I’ll call Dad and find out what hotel we should stay at while we are up there. He’ll know, as he has to stay over often.”

It was set. We would all go to St. Louis for this mystery interview. It was decided that instead of leaving here at five in the morning, we would go up Wednesday evening and stay at the hotel. That way I could go to my appointment at nine rested and fresh.

Thursday morning, the girls helped me struggle into a dress shirt, tie, and suit coat. At eight forty-five, an aging secretary ushered me into a conference room. The lady brought in a stack of printed forms and questionnaires. Some looked like the questions we had generated in my last psychology class. It took three hours to complete all of the forms and the personality and vocational tests. The secretary told me where I could get lunch and then told me to be back by one-thirty.

Trish and Delta were waiting patiently for me when I walked out. I told them about all the forms and the psychological tests while we had lunch. I told them that I could get a taxi back to the hotel or even walk, but they insisted on waiting for me.

At one-thirty, I was back in the conference room with four men in white coats. They were all more interested in my shoulder than whatever it was that I was there for.

The gentleman sitting at the head of the table spoke first. “Mr. Johnson, we were asked by a friend of ours to consider you for entrance to our medical school. In addition, we understand you need financial assistance in order to attend. Your grades and class standing at the university are definitely worthy of consideration for entrance as well as a scholarship or fellowship opportunity.”

The next guy shuffled a bunch of papers that appeared to be the tests that I had taken earlier and then looked up at me over the top of some half-glasses perched on the end of his nose. “Your personality appears to be ideal for a person about to commit to several years of difficult study. One of the items I noted was your intense curiosity that would be consistant with folks within our research group. Have you given any thought to becoming a physician involved in extensive patient research?”

“Sir, that is what I’m having trouble deciding. I want to become involved in research but have had a difficult time deciding whether the field should be medicine or chemistry,” I said trying to make myself clear.

“I see. That would answer several questions within your personality profile,” the man said. “With that knowledge, I would enjoy having you as a student at our school. We do extensive research in several areas of medicine. You would enjoy being involved with the groups working on some of our projects.”

A third man asked, “Are you married? Are you in a committed relationship?”

“I’m not married yet but I am engaged to be married in a few weeks,” I answered.

“What will your intended do while you are very busy in school.” He asked.

I answered in the singular so there wouldn’t be any questions about having two ladies. “She will probably be teaching or will enroll in your university to complete her doctorate and then teach.”

The last guy asked, “Considering that you would be too busy to work an outside job, how would you live?”

“At this time, we have some savings that we would use toward our expenses, plus her parents have offered to assist us during her education.” I answered.

The first man asked another question, “I see here that you are from Florida. Why didn’t you apply to the University of Florida for your undergraduate school.”

I smiled, as they obviously had not received a true transcript from my school. “My best scholarship opportunity did not come from Florida. Since I needed assistance to go to school, the university I attended was my best choice. It has turned out to have been a very good decision.”

“So you were on a scholastic scholarship then?” He asked.

“No sir, I was on an athletic scholarship. My primary sport was basketball,” I said trying to keep it low key.

“Primary sport? Did you play other sports?”

“Yes sir, I played football three seasons, baseball one season and golf two seasons,” I answered hoping they wouldn’t be put off by a jock.

“You did all of that and graduated in three years second in your class?”

“Yes sir,” I said feeling my face flush.

“Mr. Johnson, we would like you to come back tomorrow morning if you can. The staff needs to meet and discuss how you and our school can get together. Can you come tomorrow about the same time?”

Now I was glad we were going to make a weekend of being in St. Louis.

“Yes sir, I can be here at nine again.” I said wondering what tomorrow would bring.

This meeting only took thirty minutes. The girls had not even settled down yet and were happy to see me come out. We went back to the hotel so I could change out of the suit so it would still look nice for the Friday meeting.

From the hotel, we walked all over the campus and then wandered into Barnes hospital. Barnes was a huge imposing group of connected buildings that seemed to be endless. We looked through the lobby and walked through the administration hallway, arriving in the emergency room area. There must have been over two hundred people sitting in the waiting room. They were really busy. We three were a little overwhelmed at the quantity of people and retraced our steps to get out of the hospital.

Delta said that we should find out what time the baseball game began and make our way to the ballpark early. We could eat at the park or nearby if we find out they don’t have a restaurant at the park. We walked back to the hotel and asked the front desk about the ballpark schedule. We found out that there were several restaurants surrounding the park plus a nice one inside. He did say that the restaurant inside was a little pricey.