Softly Awaken

 

 

Chapter Five

 

*****

If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation;

 if we are comforted, it is for your comfort,

which produces in you patient endurance

 of the same sufferings we suffer.

                       2 Cor. 1:6

*****

 

Luka walked past the old cathedral for the umpteenth time.  In some ways, he’d felt comfort every time he past the run down building.  It was on his way to the L-train, but lately he’d been driving his supped up car to work, speeding by the old cathedral instead of admiring it on his short stroll.  This day he’d chosen to walk.

 

As he entered the ER, Luka was overwhelmed by the waves and waves of patients that flooded into the sterile building.  “Can I get a suture in 4?” Luka yelled over to the small group of newbie med students.

 

It seemed that the medical students were enveloped in the whole process of learning, but never were they there when you needed them.  “Kim!” Luka yelled to the blonde, blue-eyed Southern belle.  “Trauma 2 needs a hand.”

 

All hell seemed to break loose when Weaver disappeared, whether it was because she was off that day, or on one of her ‘self-discovery’ moments.  John was off that day and everyone else in the ER seemed to be off in their own world.  “Chris, take the history of the patient in exam 3.”

 

Luka silently thanked God that these medical students had enough training to do the simple things.  And today wasn’t one of the days to go slowly through every detail and reasoning of the procedures.  He’d keep it simple for them and make it easy for the rest of the staff.

 

Lately he’d been feeling quite depressed and in need of comfort.  That was why he’d walked to the L that day.  Through the long list of patients that he’d seen, Luka’s depression and self-doubt, left reservations in his mind about some of his calls in the ER, but most of all in the choices he’d made lately regarding Abby and relationships.   “Excuse me?” a woman’s voice called.

 

“Yes?” Luka answered.  “What can I do for you?”

 

His eyes fell upon an older woman, silver hair and blue eyes.  A smile danced on her lips.  “I was, mmm, wondering if you knew where I might find Laney?”

 

The name didn’t seem to strike a chord in Luka’s memory.  “Does she work here ma'am?”

 

The woman shook her head.  “No,” she smiled.   Suddenly the older woman seemed to lose her breath and balance.  Luka grabbed her by the arm and slowly guided her to an empty waiting room chair.  “Oh, thank you.  Such a gentleman.”

 

Luka smiled.  “What else is a man to do when such a beautiful woman asks for help?” he winked.

 

The woman clucked her tongue and waved her hand at Luka.  “Oh, go on now!” she laughed.

 

Luka kneeled before her and took her pulse.  “Are you feeling all right…?”

 

The woman’s eyes widened.  “Oh, sorry.  My name is Alvira.  But my friends call me Alvie.”

 

Luka nodded.  “Well, do you know if your friend Laney is a patient here?”

 

The woman shook her head.  “No.  Laney’s not sick.”

 

As Luka listened to the elderly woman, he frowned.  “Well, I’m not sure how I can help you, Alvira, isn’t it?”

 

Alvira nodded.  “Yes.  But you can call me Alvie, dear.”  Luka smiled as she patted him on the hand.

 

Suddenly the paramedics came rushing in with a blonde-haired boy, couldn’t have been more than 10 years old and shouting out the stats and conditions of the patient.  Luka stood up for a moment.  “Listen Alvie, I am going to have to go now, but I’m going to call a nurse over here to help you all right?”

 

The silver-haired woman nodded.  “Oh, go right ahead.  You’re doing a fine job young man.  You’ve got a good head on your shoulders.  Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine.”

 

Luka ran along side the gurney to trauma 1, but he couldn’t help but look back curiously at the kind old woman.

 

***

 

Dinner with Mama and Babba always left something to be desired.  Jing Mei hated their dinner parties.  Albeit, tonight was just family, Jing Mei knew that there had to be some catch.  As she handed her coat to Jane, their maid, Jing Mei felt like she would be enveloped in the massive house that she stood in.

 

“Jing Mei!” Mrs. Chen called from the staircase.  “I’m so glad you came.”

 

The cordiality of her mother’s voice sent chills down her spine.  “How are you Mummy?” Jing Mei asked, forcing a smile on her face.

 

“Oh, fine.  How about you?  How’s work going?”

 

Jing Mei followed her mother into the kitchen.  “Fine.  Is everyone here yet?”

 

Mrs. Chen smiled.  “Yes.  You’re right on time.  Everyone’s sitting in the dining room.  Why don’t you go join them while I see if everything is ready to be served in here.”

 

Jing Mei nodded and went obediently into the dining room.  As she entered the oak paneled room, Jing Mei felt like she was 12 and she’d done something to disappoint her family, not that she had.  Everyone was arranged around the oak table just as they’d been for the past 28 odd years.  “Hello everyone,” Jing Mei smiled.

 

“Hey there sis,” Stephen smiled as she kissed her on the cheek.  Jing Mei smiled around the family table at her other two brothers, Kevin, and Jason.

 

Stephen was on her left, placed by her Father, while her Mother would sit on her right.  Kevin and Jason sat across the table from Jing Mei.  “So Jing Mei, what has kept you away for so long?” Mr. Chen asked.

 

Jing Mei swallowed.  “Oh, I’ve been busy Daddy.  Working at a hospital will do that for you,” she chuckled.

 

Her Father nodded his head.  “Kevin, Jason, why don’t you fill Jing Mei in on what the two of you have been doing?”

 

The twins smirked at each other.  “Oh, the internet business is going well.” Kevin smiled.

 

“Yeah, we’ve gone up 5 share points on Wall Street,” Jason continued where his twin left off.  “Jing Mei, I told you, you should have invested more in our company!  We’ve got 15 people working for us now!”

 

Jing Mei couldn’t help but chuckle at her little brothers.  She knew they’d excel in anything they’d put their mind to.  “Well, I guess I should have,” Jing Mei smirked.

 

Stephen, the oldest of the three siblings, squeezed Jing Mei’s hand.  “No way,” Stephen groaned.  “Jing Mei did the smart thing.  Who could put their money into a company run by you two monkeys?”

 

Jason and Kevin’s jaws both dropped.  “Hey, not funny!” they said in unison.

 

“The three of you stop playing around,” Mrs. Chen chided as she walked into the dining room and found her place at the table.

 

As dinner was being served, Stephen leaned over to Jing Mei and whispered in her ear.  “Are you doing okay?”

 

Jing Mei rolled her eyes and whispered back.  “I think I’ll survive.  I’ve done it this long.”  Stephen patted her on the hand and went back to the dinner conversation. 

 

Dinner wound down and the siblings were excused from the table.  “Your Father and I will be in the living room in a minute,” Mrs. Chen excused herself and her husband.

 

Jing Mei wrapped her arm through Stephens’.  “So are you and Jennifer any closer to the big question yet?” Jing Mei coaxed.  Stephen rolled his eyes at his younger sister.  “Yeah, like I’m going to tell you that even if I was?”

 

Jing Mei pulled back in mock disbelief.  “And why not?”

 

Stephen touched her nose with his index finger.  “Because you haven’t even bothered to call in months!  And because you didn’t even bother to tell me about the baby and worried about it all by yourself.”

 

Jing Mei bit her lip.  “All right.  I deserve that.”

 

Stephen pulled her onto the outside terrace.  “Jing Mei, how could you not tell me?” he asked sincerely.

 

Jing Mei closed her eyes and turned her back to her brother.  “Because I know how disappointed you’d be.”

 

She felt her brother’s arms wrap round her.  “I would never be disappointed in you.”

 

“Mummy and Daddy sure were.”

 

Stephen turned her around.  “But I’m not Mom and Dad.  They just don’t understand.  I don’t have a right to judge you.  It’s not like I’ve been the perfect child,” Stephen chuckled.

 

Jing Mei hugged her brother.  He always knew how to make her feel better.  “But you’ve never had a child out of wedlock have you?” she laughed.

 

“Well, no.  But that doesn’t make me child of the year!”

 

Jing Mei smiled and hit her brother on the shoulder.  “’Kay, if I promise to call you more often, will you tell me if you’re going to ask Jennifer to marry you yet?” Jing Mei offered.

 

Stephen pretended to mull it over, and then finally gave in.  “All right.  I’ll let you know.”  Then Jing Mei watched him walk away.  “Hey, you don’t get away that easily,” Jing Mei yelled, hitting him on the shoulder.

 

***

 

The evening went over fairly well; better than Jing Mei had anticipated.  As she and her brothers made their way to their vehicles, Stephen ran over to Jing Mei’s side.  “What’s the matter?” Jing Mei laughed.

 

“Hey, just wondering, when you were talking about the alcoholic friend inside, were you talking about John?”

 

Jing Mei frowned.  “Why?”

 

Stephen hesitated a moment before saying anything.  “Well, I know you liked him in med school and all.”

 

“What does that have anything to do anything?” Jing Mei asked incredulously.

 

“Well, I just didn’t want you to get hurt.  I mean I know Mom and Dad wouldn’t want you getting involved with a former drug addict, now turned alcoholic.”

 

Jing Mei couldn’t believe what Stephen was saying.  “Um, for your information, no, it’s not John.  And secondly, since when did you care what Mom and Dad think about who we date?”

 

Stephen pursed his lips.  “I just don’t want to see you getting hurt Jing Mei.  He wasn’t worth it the first time and he’s certainly not worth it now.  From what you’ve told me before, he’s not your type.  Or at least you’re not his and that’s something I’m grateful for.”

 

Jing Mei shook her head and hit him on the shoulder, hard.  “Ow!” Stephen pouted.

 

“Listen.  Who I like really is none of your business, ‘kay?  And for the record Stephen?  John’s seeing someone.  And secondly, you’ve never even met John!” Jing Mei sighed exasperated.

 

Stephen put his hands up in surrender.  “All right.  Sorry!” he apologized as he backed up, walking to his car.  When Stephen reached his car and opened the door, he turned around and yelled.  “Hey Jing Mei!”

 

Jing Mei rolled her eyes and sighed.  “What?”

 

“You really must have got it bad for this guy!” he laughed jumping into his car and speeding off.

 

Jing Mei sighed and started her car.  Looking up at the would-be-mansion, Jing Mei frowned.  Stephen was right.  Her parents wouldn’t approve of her dating a recovering drug addict anyway.  Even if he was ‘rich’ and of ‘good standing’.  As she drove out of the driveway, Jing Mei shook her head.  She didn’t even know why she was thinking about it at all.  John was dating Abby.

 

~~~

 

John quickly kissed Abby on the cheek before rising from the couch and going to the kitchen.  “What do you want?  Purple or pink?” he called from the refrigerator.

 

Abby peered back at the refrigerator, where John was standing holding two Popsicles.  “Um, pink.”

 

“Pink for the lady it is.”

 

Abby smiled and went back to the movie.  “John is everything okay at the ER?”

 

John plopped down onto the couch putting one arm around Abby and with the other handing her the frozen pink delight.  “Yeah, why?” he asked sucking on his purple Popsicle.

 

“Well, um, maybe because you can’t even stand to look at Luka.”

 

John smiled playfully.  “But that was always the case.”

 

Abby rolled her eyes.  “No.  Really John.  I mean I understand you were upset with them for the intervention, but shouldn’t I be the one on a ‘no speaking’ terms with them?”

 

John moved his arm from around Abby’s shoulder down by his side.  “What can I say?  I don’t like it when people pull stuff like that.”

 

Abby sighed.  “But John, it wasn’t a bad thing.  It was good.”

 

John swallowed.  “Well, I just don’t like the way he went about it.  He involved people from work, and our friends.”

 

“Uh, that’s how it works John,” Abby chuckled.  “But seriously.  I came out the better for it.  I don’t know if it was this horrible mess that they were worried about, but it got me to another meeting.”

 

John nodded.  “Well, you might be able to see it that way, but I don’t like how Luka is sticking his nose into our business.”

 

Abby kissed him on the mouth.  “He’s a friend Carter.  Just a friend.”  Abby opened the plastic wrap, containing her pink Popsicle.

 

John bit a piece off his Popsicle and frowned.  “I don’t know if that’s what he thinks he is,” John grumbled.

 

“Hey, stop being so upset and lighten up.  I’m not liking the pouty John Carter.”

 

John continued to pout as he turned to face Abby.  He stuck out his tongue which was purple and made Abby scream as he approached her.  “Pouty am I?”

 

Abby slapped him away and sprinted towards the bedroom with Carter not far behind.  “You’re not getting away that easily!” John joked as he tracked her down.

 

John lay on top of Abby as she struggled to get away, off the bed.  “Get off me John!” Abby laughed.

 

“Not until you say that Luka’s more pouty!”

 

Abby frowned.  “I will not,” she laughed.

 

John finally got off of Abby and sat back on the bed.  The two looked at each other and smiled.  “Look John, Luka’s just a friend.”

 

John rolled his eyes at that comment.  “A friend that you’ve slept with.”

 

Abby pursed her lips.  “Whatever John.  I’m not going to pretend we didn’t have a relationship together, but hello?”  Abby got off the bed and walked towards the living room.  “Aren’t you the one I’m sleeping with now?”

 

John looked at the beckoning Abby.  “Yes.”

 

Abby continued her way into the living room, towards the couch, with John not too far behind.  She grabbed one half of her Popsicle that was sitting on the coffee table and began sucking on it.  “So what are you complaining about?” Abby coaxed, motioning John to join her with her index finger.

 

“Not quite sure at this moment,” he grumbled.

 

Abby held out his purple Popsicle.  “You had patience enough to wait for me, and now you’ve got me.”  She held out her pink Popsicle as she took a bite of John’s.

 

John smirked.  “When you’re right.  You’re right.”  John winked and took a bite of her pink Popsicle.

 

“Now can we finish watching ‘What Women Want’?” Abby smiled.

 

John grabbed and kissed her.  “Whatever you want,” John growled.