CHAPTER 164: The Professional

Summer Holiday had come calling to Julia one morning.  This didn't usually happen; the two of them were friends and neighbours but not especially close.  The Foundry Cove community had two tight social circles.  There were "the guys": Jeremy, Action and Travis and the "fashionable girls"; Suzy, Barbara and Summer.  Julia felt she didn't fit that mould and Liberty was someone she knew even less as between her work and her boyfriend she was the one who hung around the Cove the least.  

But they were all good neighbours, a cosy, friendly bunch and Julia liked the equilibrium of the little community and depended on the solidity, dependability and stability of it.

"Did you hear the news?" said Summer, excitedly.  "Suzy and Neil are moving to Courtyard Lane!"

"What?  No!  They can't!" exclaimed Julia.  "I mean...things are perfect as they are!  Why move?"

"They need a bigger place, that's all.  They're getting very busy with work and Neil needs a studio." explained Summer.

Julia sighed and her shoulders drooped.  "Oh well, it makes sense but still....I mean, what will happen to their old place?  Someone's going to buy it and move and goodness knows who THAT'LL be!"

"Someone exciting, hopefully.  Did you know, Julia, that I've been living in Foundry Cove the longest and I've watched all of you move in and now you're all my friends!  That's what's exciting about this place.  We've got Jeremy, the sweetest guy in the world except for Travis.  And he found Barbara who is just adorable.  Then we've got Suzy, the most beautiful and vibrant person and Neil who is a dish and so talented!  Action...well, I mean, he's is just the most virile man I've ever met and then there's you...our own genius and moral compass."

"I sound dull compared with the rest of you" said Julia.

Summer touched Julia's arm "Oh no, don't think like that!" she said.  "You're a doctor, a healer and a superb pianist.  We all dig you, Jules.  A party isn't a party if you're not there.  You've got a mischievous sense of humour, a sweet charm and..."

"...not 'with it' like you, Barbara, Suzy and Liberty.  I mean, that outfit you're wearing...I see it EVERYWHERE!  But I don't see the appeal"

"Well, it's the in-thing right now.  Jules, are you OK?  You seem down"

"I don't like change and disruption, that's all. Fashion's like that, isn't it?  Constant change."

"I guess.  But that's why you're important to us:  You keep us on the level, Jules.  You're invaluable."

"Invaluable" That was a reassuring word for Julia.  She might not have been the prettiest, or most glamourous or even the most sociable of the gang but she was invaluable to it.  She had a double life as well; she was considered invaluable to The League of Decency as well for her research skills.  It certainly meant a lot to her as she went to work that morning.  There was another word she liked to use...professional.

"Doctor Epstein, may I have a word with you for one moment?" came the voice of Chief Surgeon, Dr Murakami.  Normally a formal request by her made Julia's heart sink...she was a cruel taskmaster who often took credit for Julia's hard work.  What did she want this time?

"Dr Epstein, I am very busy with casework and I have to prepare a presentation for the State College of Surgeons so I am entrusting you with the ward work today.  I won't be supervising you today.  Do you feel up to the task?"

"Oh yes, Doctor Murakami" said Julia, beaming, although she soon reverted to a more serious...professional...tone.

"Good.  I'll leave everything in your capable hands." said Murakami before she went off to her office.

With the ward all to herself, Julia approached the task at hand with a sense of relief.  There would be no Murakami to look over her shoulder and take the credit.  Today, Julia was in charge.

She was a more wise and worldly doctor these days with a number of cases seen and cured over the last few months.  Her first patient was a typical sort; coming in to sort out some mysterious problem that the patient didn't really want to talk about.  Just a slight pain, Doc, nothing serious. Just give me some pills and I'll be OK was what they usually said.  Always downplaying the problem...

But pretty soon the symptoms would get worse and that initial denial of the seriousness of the problem would come back to bite them on the butt.

The more symptoms the better it was to make a successful diagnosis.  As long as it wasn't life threatening and time critical observing the patient for that just little bit longer could pay great dividends.  It could mean ordering a range of tests to help reach a diagnosis and tests meant complex scientific analysis...Julia's favourite.  Swab, examine, test, and write it all up using highly technical jargon.

And from there it was back to the patient to decipher that jargon back into understandable English and write out a prescription...along with advice not to do the very thing that landed them in hospital in the first place.  Yes, this was the life of the medical professional and Julia was becoming very adept at it.

It wasn't a difficult shift today.  No one needed surgery although some patients required more advanced tests than others...

She pushed on through her work day...missing the conventional lunch hour and finally sitting down to eat at the canteen at 3pm.  Everyone else had eaten and got back to work so Julia sat there alone.  Yes, she was a model professional.  She had accomplished her goals and without having to seek help or advice from anyone.  Yes, she was on top of her game.

But she also felt lonely.  She was usually so self contained and didn't get lonely but today she felt the feeling of needing some company, having someone to have deep conversations with but there was no one.  Harper and Francesca had eaten their lunches together and were now back at work.  Murakami wasn't anywhere to be seen and Mr Ghandi was finishing his shift.  And there was one person noticeable by his absence:  Vincent.  Julia was aware of a gnawing feeling in the pit of her stomach:  When she desired some deep conversation and company, she thought of him first.

After she'd eaten she returned to one of the examination bays to check on one of the patients that she had been treating but once she got there, the room was empty.  She checked the notes at the foot of the bed...the patient had responded well to treatment and had already been discharged....Julia had signed off on the paperwork but had forgotten to file it.  She was too distracted now as she had thought about her own loneliness.

The shift was nearing its end as as Julia went to the front desk to see if there were any late admissions she bumped into her friend and colleague, Harper.  

"Hello, Harper...did you have a busy shift as well?" asked Julia.

"Yeah, it was administrative hell; just pure paperwork and rotas that needed sorting out.  Listen, Julia, I have some bad news for you." said Harper in a tone of voice that sounded like the news was going to hurt Julia in some way.

"What is it?" said Julia, maintaining her professional facade.

"I looked at the work rotas for next month and noticed that Dr Bledsoe's name was nowhere to be seen" replied Harper, in a sympathetic voice as she knew...heck, all of Julia's closest friends knew...that Julia was keen on Dr Bledsoe.

"Vincent!" gasped Julia.

"So I checked to see what was going on and discovered that he has been seconded to a hospital in....The Congo."

"The Congo!" said Julia, with incredulity.

Harper looked downwards and nodded.  "Yes.  Apparently the situation out there is still bad:  Katanga's launched another offensive at the mines out there in order to try and force the government to agree to their demands but in the meantime there are mounting civilian casualties and our government has agreed to send doctors, nurses and medical supplies to the region.  Vincent, I mean, Dr Bledsoe used to work for the United Nations and they've called him up.  Dr Murakami co-signed the papers releasing him.  I'm sorry, Julia."

Julia said nothing but nodded at Harper as a thank you.  She then clocked off, waved goodbye to her friend and then went straight home.

The Congo...a brush fire war that had been raging for six years now.  It was in Central Africa where newly independent nations turned on one another over old tribal disputes; made more acute by the discovery of rare minerals, gold, diamonds and uranium there.  There were factions, propped up by the use of mercenary units and the war there had already cost the life of Dag Hammarskjold, the UN Secretary General at the time.  Julia was well read about world events and was now worried sick that something bad would happen to Vincent out there and she would never see him again.  Heck, he could have been reassigned to a hospital in Cleveland and she might not see him again but the risks out in The Congo were terrifying.

When she got home she found Suzy waiting on the porch for her.

"Hey, Suzy, I hope you haven't been waiting for me long" Julia said.

"Only moments.  Say, I have some important news for you...and for everyone and you're one of the few I haven't told yet."

"Come inside and tell me" said Julia, opening the door and ushering her friend in.

"Summer told me you and Neil are moving house." said Julia as they sat down together.

"Oh, that was the news I was going share with you.  Are you OK with it?  You seem a little down." Suzy replied.

"Well...I don't like change, that's all.  No, I'm not upset; you have to move up and on and the new place sounds nice.  I worry about who will move in next door though."

"Whoever it is, you've got a tight little community here.  Is there something else on your mind?  Work, perhaps?"

Julia drew a deep breath and sighed.  "Yes...well, someone at work.  This guy..."

"The locum doctor, Vincent?  What's happened to him?"

"He's been sent to The Congo" said Julia, sadly.

"Wow, that's rough.  I'm sorry, Jules, just as you were getting to know him well.  I've not seen you broken hearted before."

"I'm not...broken....oh who am I kidding?  He's the first man I've ever had...erm...you know..."

"Feelings for?" added Suzy, kindly, not wanting to embarrass her friend.

"Yes.  Ugh, is this what love is like?  I hate it!" said Julia.

"I'm afraid so.  We've all had heartbreaks, kid."

"Not you, surely!"

"Yep...my heart's been broken many times; unrequited feelings for a guy, let down by others, two timed by a couple of real rats and not forgetting the time I spent months single without even being able to get a date!  But..."

"Yeah, I know, you met Neil." said Julia.

"Yes I did...but even then I had to fight to win him over.  He was a challenge at first but I got my man"

"So should I fly off to The Congo?  Is that what you're saying?"

"Maybe nothing so drastic.  I tell you what we can do right now:  Let's go down to the Blue Velvet" said Suzy, standing up suddenly and grabbing Julia by the hand.  "Let's go now"

Well, hanging out with a friend and dancing sure was a temporary solution.  Julia thought she couldn't really miss something she never had and Vincent was a possibility, a fascinating man, but other than feelings she never knew she had being stirred, they were never a couple and he might not have even felt the same way about her.

Julia went to get some drinks for her and Suzy.  Her friend had bumped into some old acquaintances and was chatting to them but when Suzy came and stood next to her at the bar she had a quiet word with her.

"Suz...was it the same for you, you know, the first time you ever liked a man?" asked Julia.

"Yes.  His name was Derren and he was a year ahead of me at High School.  He was everything I thought a guy should be and I savoured every moment he paid attention to this scrawny little 14 year old version of me.  And then, the next year he moved state and that was that.  It took me about 3 months to get over him...by then I was 15 and another guy popped up to take his place but you don't forget that first guy.  I wonder if I ever cross his mind."

Julia nodded but Suzy waved the memory away with her hand.  "Oh let's stop this!  I want to introduce you to a great guy called Joachin...."

 

CHAPTER 42: All In A Day's Frustration

It'd been a frustrating day at work for Julia Epstein...first, the bus she was on during her morning commute had broken down, then she desperately tried to catch a subway train but couldn't find a space in the rush hour crush, then an old lady collapsed through a lack of air on one train and Julia had to help her medically. In the end she arrived an hour late for work and got chewed out by Dr Murakami. Her day didn't get any easier either; she was assigned all the worst jobs, from changing bedpans, mopping floors and taking people's temperatures....the unpleasant way. To add insult to injury, the canteen failed to provide a kosher lunch option. Her friend and colleague, Francesca Griffith, arranged for a suitable sandwich meal to be delivered to Judith so she wouldn't drop through hunger.

"Ugh, Murakami hates me; that's the only explanation!" said a frustrated Julia to Francesca.

"You need a break...why don't you and me check out that new art installation over at Crawdad Quarter this evening?" said Francesca.

"Won't your family need you?" replied Julia.

"Husband's off with his friends for 'gaming' night and our daughter's with my parents this evening....I was going to catch up on some revision for my promotion exam but I can make up the time later....you need serious cheering up!"

The exhibition at Municipal Muses was "Artifacts of Late Medieval France" and it was hardly a sell out with the two of them the only ones in the place.

"I expected more....more...." said Francesca.

"Gild? I was thinking that as well...I don't think they've labelled the piece properly either: It says on the card that this armour belonged to a duke but looking at the decorations I'd say it was more that of a fairly prosperous knight...not too wealthy as you can see the armour doesn't cover the full body and has chain mail segments" replied a very confident Julia.

"I didn't know you're an expert in medieval armour?" said Francesca.

"More of a passing fancy...I know more about early Renaissance German art than French medieval"

"I think you shouldn't let Murakami get to you, Julia" said Francesca after a while.

"Grrrr, that woman drives me up the wall!" growled Julia. "She has it in for me! I know it!"

"She's strict with all of us...our hospital has the best track record of any in Sim City. You need to be patient, you need to be in control and also you need to demand more respect from others there. For starters, you lay down the law about what food they should serve...they got it wrong because they don't care enough. Make them care." said Francesca.

"Sigh, I'm sure you're right...I'm just so tense right now and that erroneous artifact sign is bugging me as well!"

Francesca smiled and wrinkled her nose. "I know what we should do next!" she said, grabbing Judith by the hand. The next thing she knew she was being dragged two doors down to the Blue Velvet nightclub.

"Dancing?" asked Judith.

"Sure...and maybe you could meet a cute guy as well?" said a beaming Francesca.

"Ugh....I don't want to meet any guys; cute or otherwise" replied a disgusted Judith.

"Oh..." Francesca looked embarrassed for one moment. "I didn't know....well, that's OK by me...I'm not judging"

"And no, I'm not interested in cute girls! I'm not that way inclined either...I have dedicated my life to the pursuit of knowledge and excellence and relationships are a barrier to my goals"

"How about some fun in general then?" smiled Francesca.

"Well....erm....I am not averse to fun if in the pursuit of higher goals" said Judith.

They went into the nightclub but Judith nearly bolted and ran when she saw way too much physical contact between men and women as they danced. 

"Francesca" Judith began "You have been a good friend to me since I started at the hospital, let me buy you a drink and some food"

"Thanks, I'll have what you're having"

Judith went to the bar and tried, politely, to gain the bartender's attention...without much luck.

It was very crowded at the bar until a well dressed middle aged man seated right in front of her turned and said "You can't expect to be noticed by being mousey, little lady. What do you want, I'll order it for you"

"Two sweet n' spicys and two of those delicious looking giant pretzels they have as well, thanks"

The man snapped his fingers and got the bartender's attention. He placed the order and turned to Judith. "My treat. By the way, I hope you don't mind me saying but if you took off those glasses and let your hair loose around your shoulders you'd be very beautiful"

"I do mind you saying, and I'll pay for my own round thank you" replied a cold Judith.

"I'm a bit of an expert in what men find desirable. I'm Alan Cuffe, owner and editor of Lothario magazine"

"I've heard of your salubrious publication...it is not to my taste" said Judith.

"It's not meant to be. But it influences fashion, style and looks. You could learn from it."

"I am not influenced by such trivialities and thank you for your help in getting my order...good evening, Mr Cuffe"

Back at the table Judith gave Francesca her drink and pretzel. "Do you see, Francesca, how sleazy men are?" she said.

"Oh I get it all the time from male patients. I tell them my husband's a professional wrestler"

"Is he?"

"Oh no, but they see the wedding ring and what I say is enough to frighten them"

The rest of the evening passed pleasantly. Judith had a little too much to drink by the end of it and it loosened her inhibitions. Seeing a young man attempting to sing "Yeah Yeah"...badly...she couldn't stand it anymore. "Someone needs to accompany him on the piano and that person is me!"

Judith got up and began to play. Francesca smiled....Judith was a young woman of many talents but she was sure hung up over so much!

CHAPTER 32: Veiled Threats

 

Suzy grabbed her handbag, her house keys and rushed out the door to work....only as soon as she shut the door she heard a disturbing gurgling sound from her stomach. Breakfast was NOT good. The fridge had broken down during the night and the delicious fruit parfait yoghurt she'd prepared the night before had gone off....and now her tummy was paying the price for not binning the whole lot straight away. It was no good, she couldn't go into work feeling like this. She had an article to write but she could do that at home and at the library and take the morning off to take some Dramamine and Milk of Magnesia and hope her stomach would calm down by lunch.

In the meantime, she took herself down to the spa for a detox. Settling into the sauna she thought about her article and what it would involve. She had enough to do a piece about the mavens of Sim City...well, at least two of them. She'd interviewed both Lily Feng and Bella Goth and there was enough material for an article: Only Nancy Landgraab had avoided an interview thus far.

After a session in the steam room, Suzy headed off to Willow Creek Archive to finish her article. Settling down with a stack of magazines and newspapers from the archives and seated comfortably at a desk with her portable typewriter she got to work. She noticed that one of the librarians was surreptitiously pocketing a library book into his cardigan pocket and hoping no one noticed. Suzy smiled to herself; she knew that guy...nice enough to talk to, looked like a bookish square but was secretly a petty pilferer.

Suzy's thoughts were abruptly halted by a stern looking woman of around 40 who stood right next to her, pointing a finger.

"YOU! Yes you! I know who you are!" said the stern woman.

"You do?" replied a bemused Suzy.

"Yes! You write for that scandalous magazine! The one that's leading the youth of today astray!"

"Do you mean 'Hey, Wow!'?"

"Hey, Filth more like! My niece reads your trash magazine and it nearly led her astray with your low morals: Pop music! Long hair on boys! Mini skirts! Date whoever you like! Tsch! Scandalous! Scandalous! It should be BANNED for corrupting the young of SimNation!"

"Have you ever considered...Miss?" responded Suzy

"MRS Edna Sneedly! I run the Willow Creek Concerned Citizens Society"

"Well, Mrs Sneedly, that the youth of today want something different? They want to express themselves in fashion, music and art in a way that is different from your era. And they want to make their own choices instead of being told what to do, say and think by committees?"

"Harumph! 'Make their own choices'! Who'd ever heard of such nonsense? Why can't girls your age settle for nice young men like this gentleman, drop your hemlines and learn to bake apple pies?" Mrs Sneedly pointed to the kleptomaniac librarian as an example of an 'exemplary' young man.

"Sure, I'll bear it in mind" said Suzy, standing up and walking over to another part of the library. She made sure Mrs Sneedly got a good view of her short dress. Sitting down at another desk, she began work again when she was interrupted by none other than Victor Feng.

"Good afternoon, Miss Kent" he said. "I see you're doing some research on my wife"

"Yes...well, looking at the society pages to see what she was wearing at various events."

"Very good...I especially liked that green gown she wore to the Norton Building opening back in December"

"Mr Feng...I'd like to ask a question in your capacity as a city councillor" said Suzy, eager to corner Feng on a topic.

"Go ahead"

"Are you aware of an old tunnel that runs underneath the Landgraab Mansion in Oasis Springs?"

Victor Feng paused before giving an answer. He raised an eyebrow in surprise. "I am not...but thank you for bringing that to my attention. I wish you well with your article." He said before leaving.

Suzy finished her manuscript, put it in an envelope and mailed it to her editor. Her job for the day done, she decided to check out a recommended hot spot in town: The Narwhal Arms. It was an old inn building converted into a nightclub which had been recently refurbished to be a trendy hot spot. However, once inside, Suzy was disappointed by what she saw. Instead of a swinging venue, it was mostly populated by older lounge lizard men. She sat at the bar and ordered a drink, hoping things would improve. She did see a familiar face, however.

"Hi, it's Julian isn't it?" she said to a young man she had met once before.

"Yeah, and you are?" he said, struggling to put a name to her face.

"Suzy Kent...I'm from Hey, Wow magazine. We met a few weeks ago at the Blue Velvet club in Willow Creek"

"Did we? I meet a lot of chicks" he said before shrugging and walking off to the DJ booth.

Suzy sighed. Why couldn't she meet any decent men who were interested in her? The boat had sailed with Jeremy, John scared her, Travis didn't seem interested, Burr was obsessed with his activism and Julian was an airhead. She downed her drink and thought that seeing that she was at a loose end, she had a dance.

When she got home later that evening, things weren't much better: Her toilet had broken this time...on top of a malfunctioning fridge this was another hassle she didn't need. At least she could get an emergency repairman to visit. Or, in this case, a repairwoman.

"Show me where the problem is and yes, I'm a woman, but I can still do the job as well as a man" said the woman, sounding bored.

"Oh, well thanks for coming out at this late hour. The busted toilet is just here. Busy day?" said Suzy, making polite small talk.

"Tell me about it! We had this big water pipe burst down at Oasis Springs this afternoon. Me and the team were working non-stop to try to stop half the neighbourhood from flooding. Some of the guys are still down there."

"Oasis Springs you say?" said Suzy, intrigued. "Whereabouts?"

"Acquisition Butte" said the woman.

"That's where the Landgraabs live, isn't it?"

"Sure is. The burst water pipe was in an old, abandoned mine shaft that runs right under their mansion. I tell you, Mrs Landgraab was furious about the whole thing. Said she'd pay for all our overtimes if we got it fixed tonight. Sheesh, that lady sure has a temper on her"

Suzy pondered this bit of information. She did mention the tunnel to Victor Feng who seemed interested in it. Could these things be connected? The repairwoman finished fixing the toilet and left. As soon as she had, there was a ring on the doorbell. It was Summer Holiday.

"Hey Summer, how's it going?" said Suzy.

"Suzy....do you think guys are lame?" said Summer, sighing.

"I'm beginning to think that way" said Suzy. "Why, what's happened?"

"It's what's NOT happening. Travis: One minute he seems keen, the next he treats me as if I don't exist"

"What does Liberty have to say?" pouring a drink for Summer.

"I haven't seen Liberty for days...she's away in Florida at the rocket base"

"I think guys are not taking us seriously enough if you ask me" said Suzy. Here's my tip: Ignore them...they'll hate that and in a short while you'll see who starts paying you decent attention"

Summer nodded. "I think you and me should hit the tiles one night: Girls night out and see if we can't land ourselves some cool guys."

"I'll drink to that" said Suzy, raising her glass to Summer's.

CHAPTER 15: Private Investigations

Suzy Kent was still mulling over what she had learned in Willow Creek Archive yesterday. That there might exist a conspiracy involving the Landgraabs, the Fengs and a mysterious organisation known as "The Visitors", whoever they may be. She always had an option with her work to do it based from her home instead of going in to the office so she decided to combine her normal fashion reporting with a bit of hunting around to see if she could find more about "The Triangle of Power".

Her first port of call was Willow Creek Archive to try to find more of those mysterious pages that prompted her investigation. Returning to the upstairs section, she found the gardening book which contained them but the pages were missing! She searched the area, but to no avail. She considered going to ask the librarian for help when she saw Victor Feng sitting at the library chess table. Just the person she was interested in finding more about.

"Do you mind if I join you in a game?" she said, boldly, to Feng. He looked up at her with a look of incredulity.

"Sure...I could use the distraction" he said, coldly. She sat down and prepared to play. She decided to be professional in her conversation; mentioning that she wrote for Hey, Wow! magazine and that she was writing an article on the 10 most stylish people in Sim City and mentioned that Victor was on the shortlist.

"Why thank you, Miss Kent...One tries to maintain a professional yet stylish image in one's line of work"

"And what line of work are you in, Mr Feng?"

"I'm a city representative, as you might gather....it's a rather important job so I have to maintain my best image"

"Sounds fascinating. So what's your political outlook?"

"Miss Kent....all around us are unruly forces; anarchists, long hairs, revolutionaries, crypto-revolutionaries, crypto-anarchists and fluoridators. It's the responsibility of the elite forces in society to herd them, tame them and lead them."

"Check" said Suzy, calmly right at that moment.

"Oh, I see you've lured me into a trap, Miss Kent. I rarely make a mistake twice...it shan't happen again. Now I must attend to business, until next time."

Feng got up and abruptly left the library. Suzy could see how such a man would set himself against the old, established Landgraab family. She went about the rest of the working day interviewing locals about their wardrobes, styles and tastes, wrote them up in her notebook before heading off to dance the night away at the Blue Velvet club.

At the bar she got talking to an outgoing young man called Joaquin Le Chien. Suzy liked his cheery, breezy style and learned he was in the music business. She mentioned that he looked a little like John Lennon, which pleased him.

As they were talking, Suzy noticed that Geoffrey Landgraab had entered the club. She saw her chance to strike up a conversation with him but the man blanked her out. She was surprised to notice that Lily Feng was seated at the bar, right next to Geoffrey.

"Ah, Miss Kent, my husband mentioned he met you today....how's your article?" said Lily.

"Well, I'm glad I bumped into you Mrs Feng; I'd like to interview you for my article" replied Suzy.

"About fashion?"

"Yes...what else?"

"Well, things aren't always what they appear to be....Miss Kent. Call my secretary tomorrow" she said, handing Suzy a business card. "...and we'll arrange a suitable time."

Suzy felt she was making some progress here...something was up, that was sure. She was buzzing too much to dance the night away and flirt with the cool guys...she had work to do. She left the club at a jog.