CHAPTER 127: Tinkling The Ivories

 

Ah, the peace and tranquillity of Desert Bloom Park in Oasis Springs on a warm sunny May morning was just what Julia Epstein had needed after the weekend she just had.  Her parents came to visit ostensibly to spend time with their only daughter but also, Julia suspected, to check up on her and snoop on her life.  They couldn't help it:  They were protective parents who didn't even like the idea of her moving out of the family home to come live in Willow Creek.  In between the meals and the time spent playing bridge, Monopoly or watching the TV came the incessant questions about her personal life.

"Are you saving up enough?  You're a doctor, they should be paying you more!" said her dad.

"Gideon, I'm sure she's doing just fine in the money department but the décor could do with a bit of sprucing up and frankly, Julia, so does your wardrobe....how are you going to land yourself a decent man if you dress like a beatnik?"

"Thelma, don't hassle our Julia with talk about men!  It's her financial security that's important!  Julia, you should move into private practice once your hospital rotation is finished."

Talk of men invariably brought up a few names, namely Kerry Fry.  "You know his mother's such a dear" said Thelma Epstein.  "Does a lot for the Rotary Club and her pot roast is divine!  The husband...meh...but he's a decent man.  What does Kerry do again?"

"He's in ecology" said Julia.

"Ecology..." said Thelma, shrugging her shoulders.  "Well, at least it's an -ology.  You should pursue him, Julia, before someone else does!"

Even a visit Saturday night by Aunt Elle added to the chaos but, fortunately, she had taken her medication so her mood was a lot less volatile.  But the overall feeling was that Julia felt like a visitor in her own home as it was taken over by her family.  So it was some relief when they went home early this morning and Julia sought some peace and quiet by visiting her favourite park.

A smartly dressed young man entered the park area and sat down at a table near where Julia was finishing up preparing some food...her idea was to make a batch of grilled sandwiches and take them to work to share around but this young man looked at them with keen interest.  Julia had noticed the man was dressed in what was currently very popular among men:  A pale coloured shirt and tie combination.  It was a look that Julia approved of and wished more men would adopt.

"Hey, good looking, what you've got cooking?" he said to Julia.

Momentarily taken aback, she ignored the attempt at flattery and merely said "Those are hamburgers; I made loads so please help yourself to one".

"I'll just do that" said the man, winking.

"Are you on your way to work?" asked Julia.

"Kind of...I'm ahead of the game today:  Got some time to spare to come down here and I just happened to have lucked out by getting some delicious chow and meeting a little desert blossom here" he said, again smiling flirtatiously.

"Where do you work?" asked Julia, avoiding responding to the attempts at flirting.

"I'm a senior....at Buckingham High...yeah, I'll be soon graduating and going on to Britechester to study law.  I haven't seen you around, do you go to another school?"

"I'm a doctor over at Willow Creek Hospital" said Julia, flatly.

"You mean...you're not in high school?  But I could have sworn...." said the young man, suddenly looking pale and shocked.

"I'm twenty two" said Julia.  "And to be fair, you look a lot older than....17 I guess?"

"Erm, yeah, erm, thanks for the burger, lady...I mean, Doctor...bye!  Got class in a few minutes" and with that he got up and ran off.  Julia did smile this time:  The boy was sweet thinking he could impress her by trying to sound mature.  But he was right about one thing...time was pressing on and she needed to get to work.

"No, to be fair he was really sweet and I felt sorry for him as he ran away in embarrassment" said Julia, recounting her story to Francesca and Harper at work.

"Your problem is that you dress like one of those bookish high school seniors, Julia" said Harper.  "One day you, me and Francesca will head on down to the Fashion District and give your wardrobe a thorough makeover!"

"Anyway, Dr Epstein..." interrupted Francesca "...we need to clear some bed space this morning so you'd better get on with it.  Here's a list of patients and their prescribed treatments"

"I will get on to these with pleasure....Harper, put your idea on hold...indefinitely!" said Julia.

The first patient was Judy Keith, age 17.  The girl was a very pretty blonde and Julia surmised that she was the type that was used to getting attention and didn't like it when she didn't.

"Finally, a doctor has come to see me!  I've been in here nearly 2 hours and have seen no one, no one!" said Miss Keith.

"That's because our doctors have been analysing your samples and making diagnoses, Miss Keith" replied Julia, checking her notes.  "Now it turns out that it was just a stomach upset, nothing more serious than that.  Here's some medication for you to take and it should sort out your problem over the next 24 hours.  Until then, get some rest"

"Get some rest!  I've got a date tonight!  Doc, tell me straight...this stuff you're giving me; it won't give me spots or make my hair fall out?" said Judy, worriedly.

"It won't...but I'd call a rain cheque on that date if I were you" said Julia.

"Well, I'm not you.  I've got a date with a real dreamboat tonight and I've got to be there otherwise he'll go off with that Lulu Strang!  Grrr!  Lulu Strang!  She's always sniffing around the guys I like!"

"I can tell you that if you do go on that date and you get a recurrence of your stomach problems then you'll be barfing all over the place and he won't like that at all.  Plus, if he's so easily lured away by this...ahem...Lulu Strang or whatever her name is then he's not the right guy for you in the first place"

"Ugh, you sound like my mom!" replied Judy.

"Just take the medicine, Judy" said Julia, handing her the cup.  Judy looked at it suspiciously for a moment before pinching her nose and gulping it down.  

After that, the young girl was told she could leave and she hurriedly put on her trendy street clothes and checked her makeup before running out of the hospital to meet her parents in the lobby.  Julia watched her leave; all flustered about being late and continually checking her hair and brushing any lint on her skirt away.  Teenagers, Julia thought, she didn't understand them any better now than she did when she was one.

The next patient was a Miss Michelle Prather, age 29.  "That's more like it" thought Julia.

"What seems to be the problem, Miss Prather?" asked Julia

"Ugh, I keep getting these headaches, hot flushes and jittery nerves" replied the patient.

"OK, I'm going to perform some tests and ask you a little about your health in general..." said Julia.  She felt around the head, then around the stomach...looking for some signs that might indicate whether Miss Prather was pregnant or not.

"Now are you sexually active at the moment?" asked Julia.

Miss Prather started to breathe rapidly and shallowly.  "NO!" she said, loudly, and with tears welling up in her eyes.

"OK...we can rule out you being pregnant" said Julia, awkwardly.  Clearly she'd touched an emotional raw nerve there.  "OK, let's get a scan of your head instead..." Julia led Miss Prather off to X-Ray.

The X-ray having been performed, Julia went to write up her case notes whilst she waited for radiology to report back.  As she typed up the diagnosis and treatment of Judy Keith and began a preliminary report on Michelle Prather she could detect that her supervisor, Dr Murakami, was looking up from her own work to cast a beady eye on her.  She never missed a trick to put Julia on the spot...well, she thought, I have to make these notes thorough.

As she typed, she noticed that one of the lab analysers had broken and the water reservoir inside it had sprung a leak, disgorging its contents all over the floor.  Murakami looked up, noticed the sparks and the puddle and looked over at Julia.  With a cough and and a tilt of her head, Murakami let her know that she expected Julia to deal with it.  With a supressed sigh, Julia got up, switched off the analyser and grabbed mop from the janitor's cupboard.

But there was to be no respite:  The reports on Miss Prather came back and it appeared that there was nothing on her brain...no injury, no tumour and nothing to cause immediate concern.  

"Miss Prather; your tests show that there's no injury or nothing on your brain.  I think it's to do with stress...do you currently take any medication for nerves?" she asked.

"Well, just some Valium...maybe 1 or 2 a day...or maybe 3 or 4." replied Miss Prather.

"In that case I would recommend cutting right down on those and take up something more involving and non-drug related like join an exercise class or even a yoga session.  I routinely attend yoga classes and it helps me stay calm and focussed...and, might I suggest, it's a good way to meet other people.  Other, single, people"  Normally Julia would counsel AGAINST romance but this young woman was clearly too stressed out and taking more and more Valium was not the answer for her.  

And after that there were more patients to see....businessmen who had injured themselves playing squash...

...and the return of Mr Savalani:  The man who thought he was god's gift to women doctors.  Well, what if she made it that he had to go for some tests at the same time as Miss Prather...maybe they'll strike up a conversation.

It was getting near the end of her shift and Julia had fixed the analyser, cleaned up the mess, cured 3 patients and diagnosed a couple more and then finished her reports.  She felt exhausted and in need of a rest...it was then that Dr Murakami appeared in the staff room.

"Doctor Epstein...I've read your reports and observed your performance today" said Murakami.

Julia's heart sank, Murakami usually spoke to her like this when she thought Julia hadn't done enough in one shift.  Here comes the rebuke...

"You've done very well, recently.  I'm promoting you one grade as of today" said Murakami.  Julia was lost for words.

"Well, don't rest on your laurels...more is expected of you now." said Murakami but Julia didn't mind that part so much; she'd been promoted!  However, she was in need of some fun...and she had an evening gig at the Blue Velvet this evening!  A bit of tinkling the ivories would help.

Julia was keen to perform her cool jazz set this evening to see if the regulars down at the Blue Velvet would like that kind of music.  It was known as a pretty hard core Blues venue but a little bit of jazz would broaden the repertoire.  As she played, more and more people started to gather around the piano and started to listen appreciatively.  This was cool jazz so no dancing or bopping here but people stood, sat and nodded along to the music.  Then the audience started to throw money into the large brandy glass placed at the end of the piano for tips.  The more she played, the more full that glass became.

The tips alone could buy her a meal at the club and have plenty left over so she made her way to the bar after her first set to get a plate of the chef's special.  Along the way she received plenty of plaudits for her playing.  This was, without doubt, the best public performance she had ever given:  The gamble to play a jazz set had paid off.

As she sat at the bar, enjoying a rest, Liberty Lee showed up and was full of bounce and joy.  "Julia!  Great set!  I should come down here more often to catch you performing!"

"I'm glad you liked it" said Julia.  "You don't think it was too...jazzy, do you?"

"I wasn't a fan of jazz before, I am now!  Anyway, let me buy you a drink and celebrate lots of good things!" said Liberty.

"Well...I got a promotion today" said Julia.

"It's your day today, isn't it!" said Liberty, enthusiastically.  "Well I have good news to celebrate as well:  I've been assigned as one of the pad crew for the next Gemini mission!"

Julia didn't know quite what that meant but she raised a glass of cheer to Liberty. 

"So I fly down to Cape Canaveral in a few weeks time and I'll be there, with the actual capsule, doing the pre-flight checks for the crew" continued Liberty.  Julia just about could work out what that might mean.

"So you're not actually going to go into space?" asked Julia.

"Oh no!  You still have to be a pilot to fly into space" Liberty shrugged.  "But this is the next best thing as I get to actually sit in the capsule and flick switches"

"Well, we do have a lot to celebrate tonight...let me buy you another drink from my takings" said Julia.

"Good set tonight, Julia" said the barman.  "You've packed the place!  You can have a weekly residency from now on"

"Wow!  Gosh!  Thank you!" said Julia, wide eyed with excitement.

"Just one suggestion..." added the barman.  "...the beatnik style really isn't the scene around here:  Could you spruce up what you wear when you gig here next?"

Julia let out a sigh...

CHAPTER 81: The Low Glass Ceiling

 

Julia gulped down the energy drink; an old family recipe that would sustain her through her busy work day at the hospital.  She'd been putting in long shifts in the hope of a promotion.  She'd also hit the books to keep up to date with the latest treatments and medical breakthroughs, got through her patient workload and even spent time keeping the hospital clean and in order, which was beyond her pay grade.  She just wanted that promotion.

Heading off to work, she felt determined to put in a really good day...clear the waiting list, treat the patients and work on her chemical analysis skills.  She outlined her plan to get noticed for promotion to her best friend, Francesca.  

"So I'm going to waste no time today...I'll treat patients, clear the beds, take lab reports: The lot.  And by the end of the day even Murakami's got to notice".  Dr Murakami was the senior surgeon and someone who was notoriously hard to impress.

"Well just be careful not to overdo it" said Francesca, sounding a note of caution.

"Me?  Overdo things?  I don't know the meaning of the word!" said a highly positive Julia, her mood enhanced by the family recipe energy drink she'd had earlier.

Grabbing a set of patient notes Julia walked towards the wards whilst checking them.  The note read "Patient:  Lulu Strang.  Diagnosis:  Stomach virus.  Treatment:  Antibiotics in liquid form."  Right, thought Julia, I'm on to this!

She took the medicine over to Miss Strang's bed.  She hadn't been Julia's patient but the diagnosis was there and the medicine needed administering.

"Good morning, Miss Strang.  I'm Dr Epstein and looking at your notes it looks like you were diagnosed with a stomach virus"

"Eurrrugh....yes" said Lulu Strang, in a weak voice.

"Well, your doctor has prescribed an antibiotic.  I'll give you a dose now and here's a prescription for some more.  Take it orally 3 times a day for a week.  If the symptoms persist, contact us again and we'll check you over and perhaps change your medication but in all likelihood this will work"

Right...Julia thought to herself...job done, one down, move on... Next patient, Adrian Savalani, age 33, complaining of high temperature, earache and intermittent acute stomach pains.  Julia entered the room where Mr Savalani was and introduced herself to the man there who seemed like he normally was in good condition and kept himself fit but was clearly not well.

"Please tell me you're going to be my doctor" said Adrian.

"I am...does my reputation precede me?" said Julia.

"No...but I'd much rather be treated by someone who looks keen and eager and not world weary...OWW!" he said, clutching his stomach.

"Here, lie down and let me examine that" said Julia.

"Whoa, steady on! Ask me to dinner first!" said Adrian.

"Oh a comedian are we?  Well, I'll have you know I'm of the Grand Order of Pranksters" said Julia.

"Ugh, the enemy" said Adrian.

"A minute ago you were happy that I was your doctor"

"Yes, but you might trick me with a hand buzzer or fake poop in the bed."

"I'm strictly professional" said Julia.

"That's what my ex wife used to say...before she went out on a contract kill...that's a joke, by the way OW!" he said, clutching his side.

Julia examined him by feeling around his abdomen and then checked his ears with an Otoscope before finally taking a swab from his mouth.  She had an inkling as to what might be troubling him.

"So which part was the joke?" asked Julia.  "The part about you having an ex wife or that she was a contract killer?"

"Both" said Adrian, lying back on the bed in some discomfort.

"I'll just get your swab sampled and I'll be back later"

Julia took the sample down to the lab and had it examined as she wrote up her notes and looked in a few medical textbooks to follow up on her hunch.  When the report came back it confirmed her suspicion:  Gallstones.

Returning to Adrian's room she held the file out and announced to him "Well, I think I know what's troubling you...it's...."

"Gallstones, Mr Savalani." said the voice of Dr Murakami as she entered the room.  "Fortunately for you we have an effective treatment for them that won't require surgery.  Thank you, Dr Epstein, I'll take things from here"

"But..." said Julia, her voice quiet but sad as her moment was being stolen by a senior doctor.

"No buts, Dr Epstein.  Now if you can go and make sure the nurses have prepared the vacant rooms properly for incoming patients that would be great.  Run along now."

Julia felt Murakami had stolen the case and the patient away from her and made her look small in front of him.  Disappointed, she went and did as she was told.  Francesca tried to console her but Julia knew there'd be no promotion today.  No chance to shine and, as such, she saw out her shift.

She went home and had dinner but was now feeling too low to read any number of medical journals she had earmarked to check out.  Her phone rang and it was George Sneedley, but he wasn't ringing on official League of Decency business.  

"I hear you treated a friend of mine in hospital...Adrian Savalani.  He said you were very good" said George.

"Thanks...I hope he feels better soon" she replied.  "Oh is there another meeting planned yet?"

"There are forces and wheels in motion as we speak...Dr Epstein...we will be in touch."

Julia hung up the phone and sighed.  Maybe some music could lift her out of her funk?  She headed on down to the Blue Velvet club not to listen to or dance to the blues music there but because they had a piano and a part of the evening devoted to an open mic slot.

She was surprised to see a few people she already knew:  Magazine editor Abigail Whitaker and her neighbour Jeremy Saint.  He was there as Barbara was working at Hamburgerman and he, like Julia, was at a loose end.  But Jeremy was more interested in dancing than talking.

"You know, Julia" said Jeremy "I never used to be into this kind of music...I was more a Lawrence Welk or Mitch Miller kind of man myself but Barbara and Action have encouraged me to give the Blues a go and I'm really enjoying it!  You should get up and give it a go!"

"That's great, Jeremy" said Julia.  "I dabble a bit on piano but I'm not much of a dancer"

"Go on, Julia, have a little fun...it sounds like you could use it" said Abigail.

"Oh...OK then...don't say I didn't warn you if I tread on your toes"  Julia stood up and shuffled along to her one and only dance move:  The Indifferent Bop.

"Excuse me for interrupting" said a woman with a long, blonde ponytail.  "You play the piano, don't you?  I think I've seen you in here playing before"

Julia recognised who this woman was:  She was one of the Lothario Kittens.  She was often in here hanging on Alan Cuffe's right arm...usually there was another of the Kittens on his left one as well.

"I do play" said Julia, cooly.

"Oh I'm hoping you can help me out of a bind.  You see I sing here once a week and my regular accompanist can't make it all of a sudden and I'm booked to sing at 9pm.  I was wondering if you could help me by accompanying me this evening.  I know it's short notice but my set is quite short...only 5 songs."

Julia took a deep breath.  As a member of The League of Decency she should be against this woman but she wasn't in her Kitten outfit and this singing gig had nothing to do with Lothario Magazine & Clubs.  It would be churlish to flat out refuse the request.

"What are you going to sing?" asked Julia.  The woman, whose name was Joelene, told her.  "Right, I can do 4 of them but I don't know the 5th.  Can you sing 'House Of The Rising Sun' because I know that one?"

"Sure!" said Joelene, her face beaming with joy.  "Let's do this!"

The set went down well, with both women getting a big round of applause and a hatful of tips, which Joelene shared with Julia.  Afterwards, they went to get a drink together at the bar.

"You've got a terrific voice" said Julia.

"Thanks...you're very good on the ivories yourself" Joelene replied.

"So you're part of the Kitten Club?" asked Julia.

"Yeah" said Joelene, smiling.  "Hey, weren't you in here last week giving Alan a piece of your mind?"

"I was.  I must be frank here: I disapprove of the whole Lothario business.  You've clearly got talent, why waste it posing semi-naked in magazines or being a hostess in his clubs?"

"Well, I'm not forced to do any of those things...I was very shy and withdrawn before I joined the Kitten Club.  Alan, his business partner and the other girls have given me a lot of confidence and through the club I've gotten to meet all kinds of influential people; some of them in the music and entertainment business.  I won't be a Kitten for long, but it's given me a start to what I want to do; sing and entertain people."

"Well, I just don't understand why Lothario has to be a part of that but....I enjoyed being part of the gig tonight and...well, I hope the other Kittens are as nice as you are"

"They're a pretty good bunch of girls...we stick together.  But I know what the Lothario brand stands for isn't for everyone...I respect your viewpoint"

"Well, let's drink to a successful night!" said Julia, raising a glass.  It wasn't successful at the hospital, where she felt her progress was obstructed by a low built glass ceiling, but for one night all that was forgotten.