"Look at them, George! On second thoughts, DON'T look at them! Ugh, disgusting! That Alan Cuffe should be arrested!" said a disgusted Mrs Edna Sneedly of Bedrock Strait, Oasis Springs to her husband, George.
"He's having another one of those parties of his, that's what! All those young women wearing next to nothing!"
"Next to nothing?" George lowered his newspaper.
"It's shameful! They've just all piled out of a taxi, 4 women and a man...and what the women are wearing is absolutely scandalous!" Edna's rage was intensifying.
"Let's have a look..." said George.
"No, George! I don't want you getting one of your turns! Suffice to say that the women of 'The Kitten Club' do not conform to a realistic depiction of cats but are just young, shameless women parading around in underwear with a pair of fake cat ears on their heads"
"Perhaps we need to take some photographs for evidence?" said George, meekly.
"All in good time, George. I rue the day Alan Cuffe bought that house next door to us...what we need, George, is a moral crusade. It is our duty to start up a League Of Decency! We will campaign against the permissive society, we will fight the fight for sensible hair, modest hemlines, no intoxication of any sort and the eradication of smut from our fair land! What we need is to find willing recruits to our cause...sensible, serious young people who don't let it all 'hang out'"
SIM CITY COMMUNITY HOSPITAL
"What have we got today, Nurse Griffith?" said Dr Julia Epstein to her friend and colleague, Francesca Griffith.
"Well, we have someone new starting today...Nurse Harper Newell" said Francesca, introducing the new member of the team.
"Pleased to meet you, Doctor?..." said Nurse Newell.
"Doctor Epstein, but I'm very junior around here...we'll introduce you to the head of department, Dr Murakami and she'll show you what goes on around here."
"All in good time, George. I rue the day Alan Cuffe bought that house next door to us...what we need, George, is a moral crusade. It is our duty to start up a League Of Decency! We will campaign against the permissive society, we will fight the fight for sensible hair, modest hemlines, no intoxication of any sort and the eradication of smut from our fair land! What we need is to find willing recruits to our cause...sensible, serious young people who don't let it all 'hang out'"
SIM CITY COMMUNITY HOSPITAL
"What have we got today, Nurse Griffith?" said Dr Julia Epstein to her friend and colleague, Francesca Griffith.
"Well, we have someone new starting today...Nurse Harper Newell" said Francesca, introducing the new member of the team.
"Pleased to meet you, Doctor?..." said Nurse Newell.
"Doctor Epstein, but I'm very junior around here...we'll introduce you to the head of department, Dr Murakami and she'll show you what goes on around here."
"Here's the notes for your first patient of the day...Prisha Datta in room 3" said Francesca, handing over the file to Julia.
"Hmmm, dog related injury...a bite?" mused Julia.
"No, Miss Datta tripped over a Great Dane and had a nasty fall" replied Francesca, smiling.
Julia sauntered off to see her patient, who seemed vaguely familiar to her. "Hello Miss Datta, I'm Dr Epstein and I'm here to make an initial assessment of your condition. I believe you tripped over a Great Dane dog?"
"Yes...a big clumsy oaf of a pet. I'm a policewoman and I was investigating a break in and vandalism case when some private investigator and their dog got in the way and I stumbled over it...landed hard on my shoulder." said Datta.
"Now I remember where I've seen you before....this break in happened right across from where I live" said Julia. "You were investigating along with another neighbour of mine, John Action"
"Oh you know Action, do you?"
"A little...I've only just moved in to that area. What's he like to work with?"
"Action is....well he makes his own rules up, let's put it that way" said Datta, smirking.
"Why can't people stick to the rules?" mused Julia. At that moment, Dr Murakami entered the room.
"Ah, Dr Epstein...I trust you've amended those notes and performed an assessment?"
"Just about to, Dr Murakami" said Julia, sounding keen and eager.
"Good, then I'll observe...talk me through your assessment of the patient"
Julia did so, being careful to be methodical and precise...not leaving anything out. Dr Murakami asked a few prompting questions along the way but mostly sat silent, nodding along. When she said "that's good enough, Dr Epstein" Julia let out a little sigh of relief.
At the end of Julia's shift, Dr Murakami pulled her to one side. "Dr Epstein, you've impressed me lately...you get on with your job well, show an above average aptitude for diagnosis and patients seem to trust you. I'm elevating you one rank and relieving you of the more onerous chores around here. Well done."
Julia respectfully said thanks and nodded, but as soon as she met up with Francesca she let out a little squeal of joy in celebration.
"Normally I'd take you out for drinks to celebrate" said Francesca "but I promised Rod and Stefanie I'd stay home tonight for a special dinner and games"
"No worries...I just want to go home, catch up on some reading and having a quiet night in to celebrate instead" replied Julia.
After dinner and a change into her everyday clothes, Julia felt a little bit smug about herself....she had progressed one stage along the career ladder at last, and made a good impression on her superior.
Outside her home she saw a familiar figure; Yuki Behr...she had come to know Yuki a little better since their chance encounter at Desert Bloom Park and was concerned about the girl's negative attitude towards herself and always comparing herself to her sister, Candy.
"Hello Yuki, are you well?" asked Julia, a little formally.
"Oh, Dr Epstein...nice to see you" came the reply.
"Call me Julia, we're not in the hospital"
"I'm doing OK...school work's keeping me busy and that hasn't left much time for anything else"
"That's a good thing" said Julia. "Keep yourself occupied and you'll do well" Julia was about to say more but she noticed someone standing outside of her house, knocking at the door. "Excuse me...I have a visitor" said Julia, walking back to her house. When she saw who it was, she had mixed feelings, however.
"Aunt Elle, what are you doing here?" asked Julia.
"I need to talk with you, Julia!" said a frantic sounding Aunt Elle.
"Come inside" said Julia, reaching for her keys. The two women went into Julia's house but Elle kept staring out of the windows. "What's the matter, Aunt Elle?" Julia asked.
"A man...I'm sure he's following me?" said Elle.
"What man?"
"This man I met at the last Humour And Hijinks Festival...which, I noticed, you didn't attend"
"I was rostered to work that night" said Julia. "So why's this man following you?"
"I don't know! Why do any of them follow me?" said Elle, exasperatedly.
"Are you still taking your medication?" said Julia.
"Yes...no...I don't know! If a man knocks on this door, don't let him in!" said Elle.
"The man who lives over the road is a policeman, Aunt Elle. If there's any trouble I can give him a call...now sit down and let's talk about you taking care of yourself"
Elle sat down and started to talk a stream of consciousness...in between tales of meeting this man and that and losing track of the days she berated Julia for not being more helpful.
"Aunt Elle...I'll make up a spare bed for you for tonight and you can stay here where it's safe if you don't want to walk home now"
"Make sure you double lock the door!" said Elle.
"I will...I'll also give mom a call to let her know you're safe. She'll help you as well"
"But she's not a doctor, like you!"
"I'm a doctor but I'm not your doctor and I'm not a specialist in your condition...but I will help you now"
Julia went to get some blankets and a pillow for Elle. The Epstein clan took their familial duties and responsibilities very seriously and Aunt Elle was the most difficult member of it. Julia was bound not just by Hippocratic Oath, but by blood to help her sick aunt.
