CHAPTER 135: The Greatest Album Ever

 "And bless all the poor people in the world, and all our brave servicemen in Vietnam and may this food be blessed to our stomachs...Amen" said Summer, saying Grace at the breakfast table before she, Travis and Liberty chowed down to eat.

"Travis...you didn't clean up your dinner plate from last night!" Summer complained.  "And must you have the record player on so loud?  I could hardly say the grace over that racket?"

"It's not just a record player...it's a stereo!" said Travis with glee.  "And you have to listen to this! It's the new Beach Boys album:  Pet Sounds...and it's like...mind blowing, man!"

"Is that who it is?" said Summer, only mildly impressed.  "Nice song"

"Nice?  This is the next level, Babe!  You know The Beatles threw down the gauntlet when they made Rubber Soul but The Beach Boys have picked it up, ran with it and now they've upped the ante!  This is total sound!" Travis was really warming to his theme now.

"I like The Beatles a lot" said Liberty, who had come to breakfast and noticed the stereo was playing.

"Oh so do I?  Who do you prefer? John or Paul?  I have a soft spot for Paul...'Can't buy me looooooveeeee'!" said Summer, cheerily singing a different song to what Travis was listening to.

"Man, that song was like two years ago...two years!  That's an eternity.  This is here, now, this is like breaking the Sound Barrier but with pop music!"

"...until The Beatles release their next one" said Liberty.

"Well, I don't know what they could do to top this!" said Travis.  "I mean, listen to the harmonic range!  I wonder what key this is in?"

Summer let out a little giggle "You don't actually know anything about music, do you Trav?"

Travis twitched nervously.  "Maybe not...but I know what great music should sound like!  Come on, girls, aren't you getting the same vibe here?"

"It's nice" said Liberty.

"Yes, it's a pretty tune" said Summer, but neither her or Liberty added anything more.  

"Pretty...tsch, philistines!" he said.  "Well I will enjoy this music on my own then"

Summer went to put the breakfast dishes, including Travis' plate from last night, into the sink to clean when there was a deep gurgling noise, followed by a cracking sound and then a whoosh as water suddenly poured out of a gap between the faucet and the sink.

"Oh great!  Sink's broken...again!" said Summer in exasperation.

"I'm on it!" said Liberty, who was the house's resident repairwoman.

"It's probably a broken washer..." said Liberty.  "We've been buying a lot of cheap, shoddy ones lately but I have somewhere in the house tool kit some superior ones which are used for the space program, you know?"

Summer had left the room and Travis was still engrossed in Pet Sounds leaving Liberty talking to thin air.

When side one of the album had ended, Summer quickly moved to switch the stereo off and shifted Travis to finish his work project before his shift started.  "But wait 'til you get a load of side 2!" he complained.

"Travis went to his workbench and continued to work on the punch cards that would be used for the massive mainframe computer at his job, but he wanted some company so he asked Summer to stick around while he worked and she chatted:  Talk did not distract him at all as he had a mind where about half a dozen ideas whirred, whizzed and floated around his mind.

 "You're so cute when you get these little obsessions" said Summer.  "What's the word they use?  'Nerd'?"

"I'm not a nerd!" Travis replied, indignantly.  "Just because I have particular music, movie, TV and comic book tastes does not make me a nerd"

"Whatever you say, big guy" said Summer, rolling her eyes and smiling at her man.  

As was customary in this house, Liberty entered the room without knocking and proceeded to sit down next to Summer on the bed.  Privacy was not an option here.

"Anyone up for a trip to the park?" she asked.

"I'm off to work soon" said Travis.

"Normally I'd say yes but I'm really worn out and I've got a big work shift tonight...I'll have to pass as well" said Summer.

"Well, suit yourselves...it's too nice a day to be stuck indoors listening to that racket!" said Liberty, standing up and striding out the room.

"Hey!" said Travis in indignation at Liberty's remark.

MAGNOLIA BLOSSOM PARK

The man in the pink shirt stood motionless, blocking the path of Nancy Landgraab who was on her daily run in the park.  She had not met this particular one before but she knew who...and what...he was.

"Nancy Landgraab" he said, flatly.

"What do you people want from me this time?" she said, in weariness.  These intrusions on her daily life by the Visitors were grinding her down.  They promised they would stay in the background and they were increasingly encroaching on her activities.

"Has John Action caused you any more trouble?" said the man.

"No.  He's left us alone.  My contacts in the Police Department say he's been assigned to other cases."

"John Action and Suzy Kent have discovered the Biome" said the man, flatly.

"The biome?" replied Nancy, shocked.  "Which one?"

"Willow Creek.  You were meant to demolish those houses.  You were meant to be building the research facility."

"It's been difficult!  There's been political moves in the council that has prevented the company from taking control of that area."

"Feng has proved a disappointment" said the man.  "Bring them around, or we shall deal with them."

Nancy said nothing; she was too worried.

Blissfully unaware of that intrigue, Liberty was at the chess tables taking on all comers.  Her first opponent was Cassandra Goth, who took a long time to take her moves as she carefully considered every potential move she could make.  She never took her eyes off the board but that didn't prevent her from striking up a conversation with Liberty.

"I believe you work in the Space Programme" she said.

"That's correct.  Is that something you're interested in?" asked Liberty.

"I'm interested in space exploration...you might know:  Are there aliens?  I mean, do they exist?" asked Cassandra.

Liberty was taken aback by that question.  "I don't know.  We haven't found any evidence of their existence" she said.

Cassandra raised an eyebrow in surprise.  "You're sending rockets, satellites and probes into space and that hasn't attracted attention from aliens?"

"Space is vast and we've not left the confines of Earth orbit yet.  If aliens did exist, they'd have a massive task to even reach our solar system"

"What about the reported sightings of aliens on Earth? Isn't that evidence?" the girl continued to press her point.

"There's no credible evidence.  You know, a UFO does not mean an alien...it just means 'unidentified'" explained Liberty.  "Have you seen anything like that, Cassandra?" she added.

"Well...I haven't" said the girl, stressing the word 'I' "But....oh, you've checkmated me.  Anyway, thank you for the game Miss Lee.  Well played" and with that Cassandra got up and walked off.  Nice, bright girl thought Liberty But something's off with her.

Liberty's next challenger was a university student called Julia Wright.  She was a more devil-may-care player who started the game aggressively but ended up losing to Liberty's more cautious style of play.  Liberty liked hanging out around the park and playing chess...not only was it a good way to meet people it also honed her gaming style.

Eventually it was time to move on so she headed home.  By now Summer was up and about and wanting to hit the gym...Liberty had no better suggestion so they grabbed their keep fit clothes, bundled them into a bag and headed downtown.

"I'm determined to get more fit, Libs" declared Summer, positively brimming with enthusiasm.  "I don't want a return to that state I was in when we all piled on the pounds...I couldn't fit into my favourite dresses!"

"Oh don't remind me of that.  I agree...in principle...but I can only spare an hour before I have to go to work but they want me to do 6 hours of exercise in a week; not sure why, I mainly work in a lab and we don't exactly have to bench press weights there."

The girls headed to the changing rooms to get into their fitness clothes but when they came downstairs, they found that all the treadmills were being used.

"Oh dang it!" said Summer.  "I fancied a run but those guys there look like they're going for some 20 mile epic...this means..."

"The weight lifting machines!" said Liberty in dread.

There was not much choice so they took the weight machines closest to the treadmills in the hope that one or two would become available soon.

It soon became apparent that the men on the treadmills weren't going to stop any time soon...or indeed ever at the rate they were going.  The girls instead used the weights and did some stretches before Liberty had to go upstairs and change before going to work.  Summer spotted Julia had just arrived and headed over to greet her.

"Hey Jules...if you came here to use the treadmills you're out of luck:  Those guys haven't stopped running since I got here" she said.

Julia looked at the group of sweaty, muscly men and sighed.  "Typical of that kind of man, really.  Well, we could do some weights" she said.

"I've done that" said Summer, rubbing her sore left arm.

"OK, maybe some exercises, some yoga and throwing a medicine ball around...let's improvise" replied Julia.  

"You seem very keen today to exercise." said Summer as they walked over to the soft mat area.

"Well, I need to keep in shape and toned...maybe do something about my skinny legs" said Julia.

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Jules.  You've got a nice, trim little body and better slim legs like yours and not great big calves like I had a few months ago!"

"I think my body is too trim; scrawny is more like it" said Julia.  

"Nonsense!" replied Summer, fetching a medicine ball from a rack.  "And I thought you didn't care about your looks."

"I don't...normally...but I'm thinking about changing my image a bit"

"Really?" said Summer, quizzically.

"Yes...maybe put a teeny tiny bit of weight on to look less like a stick insect, maybe ditch the pigtails as they're a bit schoolgirly."

"Ditch the pigtails!" said Summer, shocked.  "But that's your trademark look!"

"And also switch to wearing contact lenses" continued Julia.

"Are you feeling OK?" asked Summer.

"I'm fine..." said Julia with a sigh.  "OK, let's throw that ball around."

Meanwhile Travis had finished work and made his way straight back home.  There was only one thing he wanted to do when he got there:  Put the Pet Sounds album on the record player and listen to it once more.

At that moment, Summer entered the house.  "Phew, what a time I've had at the gym!  I ache all over!" she said, loudly.

"SHHH!  Listen!" said Travis, putting his finger to his lips.

"Is this that new Beach Boys album?" She whispered.

"Yes...this is the best bit" he replied, also in a whisper.

They stood there, silently, listening to the song.

"It's pretty" said Summer, still whispering.  "I can see why you like it"

"It's poetry, Sum" he said.  "Everything; the music, the lyrics, the vocals...it all comes together."

The two of them turned to face each other and the mood of the song seemed to magnetically move them close to each other.  Then, in a flash, they embraced.

"Oh Travis, you are really a romantic kind of guy!" she said.

But across the vast gulf of the Atlantic Ocean, in a recording studio in North London, the greatest pop group the world had ever seen and heard listened to Pet Sounds with envious ears.  Slowly and surely, they drew their plans to go past the Beach Boys and escalate the musical arms race.

CHAPTER 134: The Good Luck Cat

 

"Dang it, that fridge is broken AGAIN!  I've had to call a repairman." said a frustrated Jeremy Saint.

"And right when I want breakfast as well!" said Barbara, her shoulders sagging in disappointment.

"That's OK, you have mine and I'll get some on the way to the interview" he replied.

"That's really sweet of you" she said, perking up.  "Wait a moment, 'interview'?"

"Yeah, I have a meeting with the personnel department at Landgraab's this morning" he said.  "Did I not mention that to you?"

"You did not!  I can't believe you're going through with this, after what I said on this subject!" said Barbara, pushing her breakfast to one side and frowning at Jeremy.

"I thought you'd come around to the idea!" said Jeremy.

"I said I would think about it, I have and I DON'T like the idea at all!" said Barbara, sternly.

"Look, the money's better..."  said Jeremy, trying to stay positive.

"It's not the money!  It's your safety!  You only want that job to spy on the Landgraabs and they're pretty powerful and vengeful people!"

"It's more than just spying, darling; the Landgraabs want to evict all of us out of our homes and build some secret complex here.  Well, if I'm in a position to prevent that..."

"And what if they catch you doing that?  What then?  You've seen what they did to Action!  They've tried to kill Alan Cuffe!  They've targeted Suzy!" said Barbara, getting increasingly angry now.

"Well, technically that wasn't the Landgraabs who did all those things...it was another group" said Jeremy trying to stay calm.

"And that group is working for the Landgraabs!  We have no idea who they are and you want to put yourself in harms way?"

"There's actually a practical reason why I'm doing this, apart from the money side.  The Landgraabs will influence the city council...and they can do that because they're working with the Fengs...to buy up all the houses in our neighbourhood at rock bottom prices.  They're already spreading rumours which is putting off house buyers so when it's time to move we'll have no choice but to accept a measly offer from them.  This will be bad for all of us.  Geoffrey, I think, wants to steer the company in a different direction, a more reputable one and I can be well placed to stop this development if I get the job."

"Morning Mr Saint, it's Emily Hankins from the repair company...I'm here to fix your fridge" said a familiar looking woman in work overalls.  Jeremy had met her before when she came to fix his stove a few months ago.

"We'll talk more later!" said Barbara to Jeremy, still unhappy.

"Yep, fried cooling circuits...typical of this model.  You need an upgrade, sir." said Hankins.

Later Jeremy and Barbara shared a frosty subway journey to Pack's Clothing where he had some time to help Barbara set up shop before he had to continue on to his interview.  

"How can I...erm...help...darling?" he said, nervously.

"Help me bring labelled items out from storage and hand them to me:  I shifted a lot of outfits yesterday and didn't get the chance to re-dress the mannequins last night." she replied, coldly.

"I could help put clothes on the mannequins" Jeremy suggested.

"It takes some skill to do that...the arms and legs don't move much.  Best left to me; you just hand me the clothes when I tell you."  she sounded fierce; completely at odds with the normally happy go lucky persona she usually was.

Jeremy put his head down and did what he was told on this occasion.  Since he brought up the subject of taking a job with the Landgraab Corporation he thought that Barbara was just reluctantly going along with him but it turns out she was actually seething about his decision.  She said it was about being concerned about his safety in case he got found out whilst playing spy and, yes, he accepted that as part of the risk but he thought there was a bigger cause to be fought here.  "All it takes for evil to prosper" he aunt told him once "was for good men to do nothing".

After an hour of helping Barbara he had to go to work and they parted on frosty terms.  As for her, she didn't have time to brood on Jeremy's misplaced altruism; she had a store to open and run!  As she went to get the cash register sorted out she noticed a man pacing up and down the sidewalk next to the shop.  He looked very intense and she wondered whether he was interested in coming into the shop or was his pacing about something else?  She kept checking on his movements as she went to switch the muzak on.

The man turned out to be her first customer of the day.  She said a polite "hello", which he ignored, and then watched him walk over to the menswear section.  He had a strange routine going on:  He would look intensely at each outfit, feel the cloth and then breathe deeply which had an exhale that came with a murmur.  She thought he might have been like that strange man last week who rubbed himself up against the female mannequins.  Fortunately this guy didn't fondle the dummies.  

Barbara cautiously approached him and cleared her throat to attract his attention.  

"You wish to speak with me?" said the man, turning his gaze towards Barbara.

"I was wondering if you needed any help in choosing something?" she said, politely.

"I have noticed your presence and surmised your role in this establishment.  Inform me:  Is this particular outfit considered 'trendy'?" he asked, stumbling over the word 'trendy' as if it was unfamiliar to him.  

"It is...a single breasted suit worn over a turtleneck is inspired by some of the outfits worn by The Beatles in 'Help'" replied Barbara.

"The Beatles as in the popular beat combo?" replied the customer.

"Yes...them."

"I see" said the customer, looking intently at the mannequin again.  He let out an audible exhale whilst staring.

"Would you like to see anything else we have in stock that is contemporary and currently trendy?" asked Barbara.

"I require to see all such outfits.  I work for a fashion magazine" he replied.

"Oh yes?  Which one?  Hey, Wow?"

The man sneered.  "I work for SMOGUE!" he growled.

"Well...if you care to look over there you'll find some more men's outfits and...oh look, I have more customers; I must go and see to them" she said, scuttling off to great more people who had just entered the shop.

The relative calm of having to deal with everyday shoppers was soon disturbed by one man who entered the boutique and he wasn't just being weird...he was being angry.

"Materialism is evil!  Reject the corporate structure!  Smash the state!  *BLEEP* CAPITALISM!" he ranted.

Barbara let out a sigh of despair, apologised to the woman she was serving, and headed over to where this man was standing.

"Excuse me, sir, would you mind keeping your voice down?" she said to him.

"Why?  YOU WORK FOR THE GOVERNMENT? You want to stop my freedom of expression?" he said.

"Right now you're getting in the way of my right to run this shop!" she replied.  "Now if this establishment is not to your liking then you should probably leave"

"Establishment...yeah, that's right lady!  You're the establishment!  You're the one keeping us down with your so-called 'fashion' and clothing!" he continued.

"Clothing?  What are you talking about?" she replied, puzzled.

"Clothing is the government's tool to keep us all oppressed!  Reject garments!  Take your clothes off!  Let it all hang out!" he said, taking off his shoes and socks and starting to remove his sweater as well.

"STOP THAT!  You've had your say so if you're not going to buy anything then GET OUT!  LEAVE MY STORE!" said Barbara, scowling and standing as tall as she could.

"Fascist!" he growled.  "I will fight the fight....but somewhere else!" 

The man picked up his shoes and socks and stormed out of the shop.  All the customers looked shocked but one of them congratulated Barbara and soon they all stood around Barbara applauding and telling her she'd been perfectly right in standing up to that guy.

"An appropriate use of verbal force to counter an aggressor" said the strange customer in a flat, monotone voice.

"Erm...I'm sorry you had to witness that" said Barbara, struck at being the centre of attention.  "OK...for the next hour all items purchased come with a 5% discount" she added, quite spontaneously.

Despite the announcement of a discount, business was only just above average for the day.  The strange man from Smogue ended up purchasing nothing but instead walked around, asking bizarre questions about all the different outfits.  Barbara hoped news of today's incident, plus the number of weirdo customers she'd been dealing with lately, didn't drive business down...on top of everything else, she really didn't need that as well.

At closing time she started locking the place up and switching off the music and some of the lights when Jeremy appeared at the door, holding a bunch of flowers.  She let him in and he smiled sheepishly.

"Peace offering?" he said.  Barbara took the flowers and looked appreciatively at them.

"Hmmm, they're lovely.  Thank you." she replied.

"So, how did it go here today?" he asked, nervously.

"Ugh, some weirdos invaded my shop...one was a communist nudist..."

"You don't meet many of them" replied Jeremy.

"And the other was this really creepy and unsettling guy from Smogue magazine who spoke in really overcomplicated and weird ways...."

"Oh him...Davis Goode.  We met him once before, at the Humor & Hijinks Festival where he ate a plate of live bugs and worms."

"OH MY GOSH!  Him!  I remember now...yes, that was him.  What is it with that guy?  It's like normal human interactions are beyond him.  I'm telling you Jeremy, this place is full of bizarre goings on, strange people and all I can say is that I take back everything bad I said about growing up in Montreal, that's all."

"Bizarre goings on, strange people with hidden agendas...sound familiar?" said Jeremy.  Barbara turned to face him and nodded.

"Touché.  So you want to get to the bottom of the mysteries of Sim City, do you?" she asked, folding her arms and giving him a hard stare.

"Aren't you just a little bit curious about it all?" he replied.

"Hmmm, maybe" she said, pouting.

"You know you are!  You know it!  You're doing that indignant French pouting you do when you know I'm right but don't want to admit it."

"I am half-French you know" she said with a shrug.

"And there's the Gallic shrug as well.  You can take the girl out of Quebec..." he said, smiling and moving closer to her.

"I still don't like the Landgraabs" she said, still staring and pouting at him in defiance.

"I know you don't.  Neither do I" he replied, still inching his way closer to him.

"Then why...?" she said, her resolve melting as he got closer.

"I want to be James Bond" he said, their faces only inches apart.

"I think....you're halfway there..." she said, her resolve now melted she moved closer to him.  Their lips met and they began to kiss.  Dropping the bouquet she threw her arms around him.

"Oops, sorry, is the store closed now?" said an old lady, emerging from the bathroom.  She looked shocked at the young couple kissing.  Jeremy and Barbara immediately broke off from their embrace.

"I'm so sorry, Ma'am" replied Barbara.  "Erm...this is my boyfriend and...erm...I haven't locked up yet so the door is open...and...well..."

"Oh don't apologise" said the old lady.  "He's rather fetching I must say...and you were wonderful today, young lady."

Jeremy and Barbara had a little laugh and hugged again.  "How about we put all the troubles to one side and head off for an evening out?" he suggested to Barbara.

The young couple headed down to a place they'd never been before:  Whiskerman's Wharf down at Brindleton Bay.  It had long been a place to visit on their to-do list but with all their busy work lives, plus their favourite haunts of The Blue Velvet Bar and Waterside Warble Brindleton Bay had been always just out of their reach until now.

"Oh this is lovely" said Barbara.  "Reminds me a bit of Nova Scotia"

"This reminds me of....well, we never had anything like this back in Colorado.  We had lakes and rivers...oh, and mountains.  Lots of them." replied Jeremy.

They went into the local tavern, which they both found quaint and homely compared with the hip-ness of evening spots they were used to like the Blue Velvet and The Orange Peel.  Barbara was impressed with the wine list.  

"Hey, is that the Beach Boys?  It sounds like them but I don't know the song" she said, looking at the juke box.

"Maybe it's their new one" said Jeremy.  "I don't know much about them, I'm afraid."

Barbara wanted to talk about the big issue of his job interview, but not in a confrontational way this time.

"Tell me what happened at the interview" she said.

"They were really nice, actually.  I took a tour of the facility; didn't find out anything suspicious but it was a nice environment and super-modern.  They treated me to lunch and everything was casual." he replied.

"Do you think that's just what they want you to see?" asked Barbara.

"Oh most definitely!  I'll find out more next week"

"Next week?"

"Yes, they want me to take an initiative test"

"What's that all about?" said Barbara, puzzled and suspicious.

"I go in, take a few tests to see how I cope under pressure..." said Jeremy, nonchalantly.

"That sounds creepy" she said.

"It's the latest fad in business; most companies have something like this.  It's all about the efficiency model" 

"O.......K......if you say so; I've not come across that before.  When I worked for Hamburgerman I was only asked one question:  What is your name?"

"Well, I'm being groomed for upper management so I have to undergo these formalities" he replied, calmly.  "Hey, it's a nice evening, let's go out on the pier for a bit" 

They stood outside the tavern, looking out at the bay.  The evening wasn't freezing cold but Barbara wished she'd brought a jacket or coat with her nonetheless.  Jeremy put his arm around her as they enjoyed the moonlight.

"You know I'm still not sure about this new job" said Barbara.

"I know" replied Jeremy.  "But thanks for trying to understand anyway"

"I don't understand it all, but some of your arguments make sense...it's the risk factor I don't like" she said.  "If only there was some kind of sign or heavenly voice telling me which way we should go, I'd feel more relaxed about it"

"Well, we could wish for a sign by the Moon" he said.

"How quickly do you think it'll reply?" she said, smiling.  

They took a walk down by the harbour but now she was feeling tired and worn out after a long, often stressful day.

"Ugh...this is all lovely and romantic but I'm so tired now, let's get a cab" she said.

"I'll look out for one" Jeremy replied.

Barbara started to look around for a bench to sit on and rest her weary feet and tired legs when she caught sight of something that looked familiar.  It was a cat; a ginger and white one with tiny ears and a bit chubby around the middle.  Could it be the cat she met back at Pupperstone Park right before she started the boutique?

She walked over to the little creature, which looked at her with its big green eyes.  Yes!  She thought, it's the same cat; right down to its markings and resemblance to a Canadian provincial senator.

"It's you, isn't it?  The cat from Pupperstone Park!" she crouched down and gave the cat a little stroke under the chin.  It purred loudly in response.

"You couldn't remember me, could you?" 

"Meow" said the cat.

"Well don't you have a habit of showing up at the most unexpected times!" she said, smiling.

"I've just hailed a cab, Barbara, it's waiting for us" said Jeremy, now back on the scene.

"Jeremy...this is that cat I told you about meeting at the park." she said.

"How can you tell?  I mean, strays are ten a penny" he said, sceptically.

"I know it is!  Same fur markings, same big eyes and tiny ears...and, look, he trusts me" she said, crouching down again.  The cat rolled onto its back and Barbara gave it a tummy rub.  

"He certainly knows how to charm you!  Anyway the cab's waiting" said Jeremy.

"Well, I asked for a sign and here it is...my little Senator.  Last time I saw him I had that good fortune with the shop.  Maybe this is a sign to trust you on your endeavour?"

"A bit weird..." said Jeremy "...but, yeah, I'll roll with it.  Well then little fella, we need to go" 

"Awww, well I know where to find you next time puss-puss" she said, stroking the cat one last time.

CHAPTER 133: Doctor Bledsoe, I Presume?

 

Not even the pleasant surroundings of the Bayou down at Crawdad Quarter could alleviate the sheer boredom of running to keep fit.  It wasn't Julia's favourite form of exercise but instead she treated it as a discipline and that word was one of the central foundations of her ethos.  Keep calm, stay disciplined, do not shirk.  They became like a small mantra she could chant as she did her fitness run.

She finished off her run by taking a shower and getting changed at the Movers n' Shakers gymnasium and then getting breakfast at the Blue Velvet.  There was a lot to do today:  Her normal shift in her new, improved position at the hospital plus...if she got the time and no one paid scrupulous attention to her...analysing those samples Suzy gave to her.

When she arrived at the hospital, the scene was chaotic.  Dr Murakami was manning the front desk, dealing with phone calls and a growing queue of patients.

"Where's Nurse Griffiths?  Or Nurse Newell?" asked Julia.

"Stomach bugs...there's a lot of it going around right now.  I've had to call in some locum doctors and nursing staff to join us today and we got lucky" said a terse Dr Murakami.

"Lucky?  How?" asked Julia.

"One of our locums for today is top drawer:  Harvard, Heidelberg and has just finished a 12 month stint at Guy's Hospital in London.  Dr Bledsoe; keep a look out for him and help him navigate his way around here but with his credentials you'd be wise to learn what you can off him whilst he's still with us"

"Wow, he sounds impressive" said Julia.

"Yes, he is...and don't let his boyish good looks distract you either:  We're all medical professionals here!" said Murakami, sounding a warning tone.

"Believe me, Dr Murakami, I do NOT let my head get turned by good looks; boyish or otherwise" replied Julia, rolling her eyes in annoyance at yet more yucky lovey-dovey talk she had to endure from others on a daily basis.

Julia grabbed the notes of her first patient today:  Lucas Munch.  As she was starting to specialise in Paediatrics Julia was assigned mostly children's cases today.  Lucas was a very nervous little boy with shaggy, floppy hair and cherubic cheeks.  She thought he looked like a scruffy little angel but her bedside manner with children was one of her specialties and she soon had him a lot calmer.

"So where's it hurting, young man?" asked Julia.

"Ugh, my head, doctor" replied Lucas.

"Not your stomach then?" 

"No, Ma'am...erm, I mean, Doc...erm, I mean Doctor.  It's my head.  It hurts, kind of like an ache, and I feel hot and, well, icky"

"Well then, let's do some tests and I'll find out what's going on with you, OK?  Now this next part feels a bit uncomfortable but I promise you it won't hurt"

Julia pulled out a swab kit and held it so that Lucas could see it and understand more about what was going on.  He seemed more relaxed in Julia's care.

She did ears, nose and throat examinations of Lucas and then headed off to the laboratory to analyse the samples.  She processed them quickly enough:  She had a hunch the little boy had the 'flu and that was a pretty common illness.  She had some time left over to surreptitiously begin analysing some of the plant specimens Suzy had given her.

She became engrossed in this side project so much she didn't notice the door to the lab open nor who entered through it.  It was only when she heard a deep voice saying "hello" that she noticed she wasn't alone.  At the adjacent chemical analyser was a fair haired man wearing a doctor's coat, he briefly nodded to Julia and she said a faint "hello" back to him.

She continued with her work, figuring that she mustn't look suspicious or shifty doing this analysis otherwise this new person, whether he be one of the locum doctors or lab technicians, might cotton on that she was working on something she shouldn't be doing.  As she performed test after test, she gave furtive glances over to the man just in case he was paying a little too much unwanted attention to her work.  For his part, he gave furtive glances in her direction every so often.

Once the test results came in, Julia looked at them with surprise:  They were very unusual, to say the least.  She did a doubletake as she wasn't sure she saw correctly the first time but, however, she had.  These results were crazy!

The young man looked at her in a quizzical way but when he noticed that she was looking at him and that her face looked concerned he quickly snapped his gaze back onto his work.  Julia smiled, weakly, and shuffled out of the lab.  "Oh that guy is going to think either I'm sort of weirdo or else a criminal or spy?  Could I have been any more conspicuous?" she said to herself.  Normally she'd seek out Francesca for advice or solace but she wasn't in work today.

She put that little incident out of her mind for a moment and concentrated on Lucas' test results which confirmed her suspicion:  He had the 'flu.  That was easily treated and he could be discharged today so that was one thing off her to-do list.  Next, she had to attend to her next patient, Kacie Roche.  Miss Roche suffered from a chronic condition which meant that she was a regular patient of Julia.

"There you go, Miss Roche, if you have any discomfort in that area before your next appointment then go and see your local doctor"

"Thank you, Dr Epstein, as ever." replied Miss Roche.

Julia left the room and walked back to the laboratory to see what the results of the tests on the samples Suzy had given her were.  No one was there and Julia went over to the printed results to read them.  Perusing through the documents she was surprised and even did a doubletake:  Suzy said the samples were freshly gathered only the day before but....

She was puzzled, that result normally wouldn't be possible so she went to the hospital medical library to check a biology textbook she had read at medical school to see whether the lab report's conclusion was actually scientifically possible.

"Well that doesn't tell me anything!" she said in frustration.  "What am I going to tell Suzy?"  She put the book back on the shelf and headed to the bathroom before seeing her next patient.  However, when she got there, the sight was beyond horrific.

The toilet was clogged, filthy, infested with flies and broken all at the same time.  And this was the staff toilet as well so goodness knows who did this...maybe one of the locums.  Julia tried to do some cleaning but it was so gross she baulked at the prospect.  Instead she headed straight to the staff room to find someone who could fix it but on arriving there, she couldn't find anyone.  She checked one of the clinics to see if she could get an orderly or janitor or anyone prepared to get their hands really dirty.

The only person she could find was the man she saw in the lab earlier.  He was sitting at a desk, going over some files when she walked in.  He calmly looked up, saw her and smiled.

"You wouldn't be Dr Julia Epstein, would you?" he said in a deep, warm voice that immediately started to charm her.  She figured he must be the new, locum doctor given what Murakami said about him.

"I am...and are you Doctor Bluddiblub?" she said, stumbling to remember and say his name correctly

"Bledsoe"

"Bledsoe!  Of course!  Sorry, sorry...*snort*" she said with her trademark, nervous laugh. "So...how are you finding it here?" she added, rocking back on her heels and feeling awkward with small talk.

"Well...there's a lot of work to be done here and I don't just mean with the patients" he said.

"Oh yes, that's why I'm here actually; the staff bathroom..." she said with a shudder.

"Don't worry, I've got Gandhi working on clearing and fixing that" said Dr Bledsoe.

"Gandhi?" 

"Yes, Mr Gandhi the new maintenance man."

"Oh yes!  Obvious now you mention it...I thought you might have meant, you know...*snort*...but he's dead" Julia was dying inside just trying to talk to Dr Bledsoe:  She just couldn't string a sensible sentence together.

"Well, our Mr Gandhi is in rude health.  So I hear a lot of good things about you, Dr Epstein"

"You do?  In what regard Dr Bedsore?"

"Bledsoe"

"BLEDSOE!  Sorry, sorry, I did it again!  I'm not usually this terrible at remembering names"

"Please, call me Vincent"

"Why?"

"That's my name"

"OF COURSE!  Sorry, once again!  Tsch, what's with me today?  Maybe I have that bug that's been going down and why you're here with us today?  *snort* Only that affects the stomach so if I start puking up we'll know what's wrong with me!  *CHUCKLE*...so....I'm sorry, what were we talking about again?"

"That I've heard lots of good things about you" he said, calmly.  Julia was practically cringing at her gaucheness, babbling and poor attempts at humour in front of this man.  She thought she might be coming down with something as she felt her mind was all over the place.

"And I've heard some good things about you too...Harvard medical school, Guy's hospital in London...I mean, that's impressive for around here" she said.

"Thank you, although you finished top of your class, I managed only 12th" he replied, smiling.

"Gosh, gee, well *snort* yeah but it was still Harvard after all and 12th there is worth a great deal." She was looking down at her feet now.  "Anyway, I'm glad Gandhi's fixing the toilet and...erm...well I'd better get back to my patients, you know"

"Nice to meet you, Julia" said Vincent.

"And you too...Victor" she replied with a little wave.  She left the room and shut the door behind her.

"It's Vincent" he said, quietly to himself before shaking his head and smiling.

Julia finished her shift without any further incident.  She changed out of her scrubs and into her everyday clothes before heading into town to meet with Suzy.  They met up at the Blue Velvet bar and grabbed a table far away from the crowds at the bar itself.  Julia didn't quite know what to tell Suzy as the analysis results posed more questions than giving answers.

"So...I analysed those samples you gave me" said Julia

"Oh yes, and did you find out anything interesting?" asked an expectant Suzy.

"Now you said those samples you gave me you gathered from the glade were from yesterday?" said Julia.

"They were" replied Suzy.

"Well...tests reveal that they're at a state of decomposition equivalent to six months"

"Wait, you mean those mushrooms and flowers I picked yesterday are already in a state of decomposition?  Equivalent to six month's worth?" said Suzy, puzzled.

"That's correct"

"But...how?" 

"I have no idea, but those are the results" said Julia with a shrug.

"The more I discover, the less I know it seems..." mused Suzy.

"That's science in general, I'm afraid" said Julia, trying to reassure her friend.

"Hey, look over there...it's Barbara and she's giving it her all on the dancefloor!" said Suzy, suddenly changing the subject.

Their neighbour, Barbara, was indeed dancing like there was no tomorrow and didn't care who was looking on.  However, Julia noticed someone sitting right next to where Barbara was dancing and couldn't believe who it was.

"Wow, Babs is on fire tonight!  I wonder if she's celebrating something?" said Suzy.

"Oh boy..." said Julia, with a heavy sigh.

"What's up?  Is there something wrong?" asked Suzy.

"The man with the blonde hair sitting right over there, looking at Barbara." said Julia.

"Hmmm, I noticed him earlier.  Quite the dish, isn't he?  If I weren't already engaged....you know?" Suzy said with a smile and a wink but then she had another thought.  "Oh Jules!  Do you fancy him?"

"Oh, pshaw!  Nonsense! *snort*...no, I mean, you know me:  I'm above such things as mere physical attraction in selecting a mate!" replied Julia, haughtily.  "It's just...well, I know him.  Actually I met him this morning:  He's a doctor on temporary assignment to my hospital.  I'm just surprised to see him here, that's all."

"He's a doctor AND he looks like that?" said Suzy, wide eyed.  "Let's invite him over to join us!"

"NO!  No, let's not put him out!  I mean, what if he's got a girlfriend already?" said Julia, defensively.

"Do you see him with anyone?" said Suzy.  "What's the worst that could happen if we invited him to join us at our table?"

"Multiple and painful deaths...that's always the worst that can happen in any situation" replied Julia.

"You're being melodramatic...let's attract his attention and you can wave at him.  Let him know you're here too"

"What if he says no or completely ignores me?" asked Julia.

"You said it yourself; he's only at your hospital temporarily, so if he blanks you then you'll know he's a stuck up jerk and in a few days you won't see him again.  But....if he does say hello back, well, that would be nice.  Now I'm going to get some more drinks, same again?"

"Erm, yes please" Julia said, hesitantly and she gulped nervously as she looked over to Dr Bledsoe again.  At that moment he turned his head and their eyes met.  Bledsoe's face broke out into a smile and Julia did a little wave at him.  He tried to say something to her but it was drowned out by the music.  Julia shrugged and shook her head.  Dr Bledsoe cleared his throat and said, loudly.

"I SAID, NICE TO SEE YOU HERE!  Oh, the music's stopped" and indeed it had leaving him yelling across an almost silent dance floor.  He smiled again at the silliness, rolled his eyes and looked back at Julia.  "Would you like to join me here?" he added, more quietly.  

"Who me?" said Julia, looking around the room.

"I'm new in town and you're the only other person here I know." replied Bledsoe.

"O....K...." replied a nervous Julia.  She stood up, pulled the hem of her skirt down a little and gingerly made her way to his table.  She sat down and tugged her skirt hem a little more.

"So nice to see you again" said Bledsoe.

"Yes...it's a surprise...co-incidence; you and me both here at the same time" said Julia.

"Well, lucky me...I take it this place is the hot spot in this area?" he said.

"Yes.  Do you...erm...live nearby?" said Julia.

"Not too far.  Just a stone's throw away from here; I've rented a small house until I get myself fixed up with a permanent job." he said.  "And you?"

"Me what?" asked Julia, puzzled by the question.

"Do you live around here?" he asked.

"Yes, a few streets away but in this general neighbourhood." she replied.  There was a pause.  "I'm sorry, I'm not very good at small talk today...I...well...you know...social situations and all that *snort*"

She looked away and noticed Barbara sitting nearby.  Her neighbour saw her talking with Bledsoe and mouthed silently "Oh my gosh!" and tilted her head towards him.  Julia smiled weakly and looked back at Vincent.

"Well, today's been unusual with the sudden stomach bug and all these new doctors and nurses coming in, doing things their own way and not knowing the ins and outs of the hospital so I'm not surprised there's a bit of confusion going around" he said to Julia.  "And to be frank with you; I'm nervous too"

"You?" said Julia, surprised.

"Well, a new city, a new job, new colleagues.  And when I saw yours and Dr Murakami's resumes I was a bit intimidated at first.  I know you're still an intern but what you've accomplished already and that paper you wrote on Paediatric medicine for the Sim City Medical Association was very impressive.  I learned a lot from it."

"You...read...my...paper?" said Julia in disbelief.

"I did.  And when I saw that you worked at the same hospital I was being seconded to, well, I was looking forward to meeting you.  Shame the first topic of conversation we had was about broken bathrooms though!"

Julia let out another of her snorting mini-laughs and Suzy had returned from the bar to see her in conversation with this dishy doctor.  Suzy smiled and indicated she'd bought the drinks back.

"Oh, that's my friend, Suzy" said Julia.

"Sorry to disturb you two but I've just bought my friend here a drink...I'm sorry I didn't get you one Mr?" said Suzy to Bledsoe.

Julia spoke up "Oh this is a new work colleague of mine:  Doctor Bloodbath"

"Bledsoe" he replied.

"BLEDSOE!" exclaimed Julia.  "Sorry, sorry again"  

"That's alright; call me Vincent" he said, acknowledging Suzy.  "I say, did you get that dress from Carnaby Street?  The only reason I ask is that I saw one just like it when I was in London a couple of weeks ago"

"Yes it is from Carnaby Street" replied Suzy, impressed by his observation.  "I had it shipped over though; it's an original Mary Quant, as are the boots.  You were in London recently?  What's it like over there?"

"As they say, a real 'swinging scene' right now" replied Vincent.  "I got this shirt from Pink's the shirt makers in London."

"I can tell!  I really want to buy one for my fiancé." Suzy replied.  "But I'm distracting your conversation so I'm just going to chat with Barbara for a bit"

"Your friend know a lot about fashion" said Vincent.

"She works for a fashion magazine and I've got another friend over there who runs a clothing boutique.  I don't know much about that kind of thing" replied Julia.

"They're certainly with it!" said Vincent but as soon as those words left his mouth he realised that he'd said the wrong thing.  "I mean, that's not to say you're...not....I mean, I like your look as well.... look at that:  I guess I can get all tongue tied as well." 

"You'll be calling me 'Doctor Epidural' next" joked Julia.

"Doctor Bloodbath...I think that's my favourite malapropism of the day" he said, smiling.  

He uses words like 'malapropism'! Thought Julia, for no particular reason.

"Well, now that we've both put our feet in our mouths I guess we can start afresh and talk about many things" he continued.

"I agree; cheers" she said, raising her glass.  I wonder if he's Jewish? She thought, again for no particular reason.

They talked more, mostly about work, but the awkwardness was dissipating rapidly.  He got up to buy the next round of drinks and Suzy quickly came over to talk with Julia.

"I like him!  And I can see you like him too!" said Suzy.

"He's pleasant company" said Julia, rather haughtily.

"Oh I've seen you looking all goo-goo eyes at him...'oh tell me more, Dr Vincent!'"

"I do not do 'goo-goo' eyes at anyone" replied Julia, indignantly.

"Must be my imagination then" said Suzy, with a wink.

"Oh hello again, Suzy, I've brought us all drinks" said Vincent.

"Thank you...so...Julia.  Will you be doing a piano set tonight?" said Suzy, setting her friend up.

"You play the piano?" asked Vincent.

"Erm...just a bit" replied a shy Julia.

"Oh don't be so modest!  Julia has a regular set down here and she's really good" said Suzy.

"Tonight's not my night to play" said Julia.

"The music's stopped, there's no one else at the piano so why not play a couple of tunes?  I know you love your music." said Suzy.

"I'd very much like to hear you play" said Vincent.

Julia thought about it, wiggled her head from side to side as she pondered the request and finally relented and got up to go to the piano.  She sat there, thinking about what to play, before asking for any requests.  Vincent said "I like Schubert, if you know any"

"I know a bit of Schubert" replied Julia.  She waggled her fingers and began to play.  Vincent nodded in appreciation and Suzy smiled to herself:  No doubt about it, this man was ringing her friend's bell!