11: Starting Someone Else’s Hobby

“Could you explain why you want us to go see her, instead of you?” Shani asked.

I’d just explained to everyone what had happened at the hospital, and why I wanted Shani and Allison to visit the hospital to talk to the newest girl there, Jennifer.

“There’s a variety of reasons. After making such a spectacle of myself I’d like to keep a low profile, also, I don’t really want to do any more favors for the good doctor until he fulfills his part of the deal, but mostly because I’m afraid that if I messed up and she doesn’t do well, it’d be easier if I wasn’t personally connected to her.”

“Ahh, I kind of thought so. You’re a little afraid of her cancer, is that it?” Allison asked.

“Not just a little, quite a bit actually. But it’s more than that. I’d feel badly enough if I caused a complete stranger to suffer because of a heedless mistake. It’d be worse if I did it to a friend. I’d rather see what effect my ‘treatment’ had on her before I get any closer to her.”

“You know she already thinks the world of you, even without knowing anything about you. I don’t think you’re going to be able to avoid her just because she’s sick,” Cate observed as she gave me a reassuring hug.

“No, I’m not going to avoid her because she’s ill. I may be uncomfortable, but that’s not my thinking. I’m just way too uncomfortable doing medical things to people when I have no idea what I’m doing. I think it’s irresponsible, reckless and stupid, and I’d rather not be close to the recipient of my negligent actions when the decision to do something to her wasn’t really my choice.”

“So, are you blaming Brooke and Rebecca?” Shani asked.

“No,” I sighed. “Personally, I think their method of working our way into the hospital’s good graces was inspired. I just think the good Dr. Moore was taking advantage of us.”

“But he gave you free access to do whatever you wanted, he was willing to listen to a wild scheme, and he didn’t try to restrict what you were doing. Personally, I think he was more than accommodating,” my father said, stating his own perspective on the matter.

“That’s true, but as I said, while I was willing to do it in this one case, I don’t appreciate being pushed into doing something that I’m uncomfortable with. Dr. Moore just kept presenting one case after another, even when it was clear that what I was doing wasn’t having an effect.”

“But wasn’t the bet whether it was a miracle or not? He could have simply argued that what you’d done was due to a placebo effect, not actually changing the outcome of the case, but just making the patients feel better. He needed something that was definitive,” my father argued.

“That’s why I kept going, none of the cases were very clear, but still, it was nerve wracking, and I feel terrible for every experiment I conducted on those suffering people. I feel like Dr. Mengele,” I replied, trying to express just what my own perspective was.

“I don’t think anyone would compare you to someone like that,” Shani consoled me. “We all realize how important what you’re doing is, and I think most people realize that this is all new ground. It’s like when the first doctor discovered the concept of anatomy; that specific things happened in specific parts of the body. They had to experiment before they could figure out what worked and what didn’t.”

“Yeah, I understand all of that, but there’s a big difference between understanding it and doing it. Personally, I’d rather discover more of what’s involved before we start risking people’s lives trying to tinker with it.”

“Well, it seems to me that many of the cases he threw at you were the helpless cases,” my father suggested. “The people wouldn’t be much worse, even if you did screw up. However, they were also the most needful. If there was any way to improve their conditions, it’d be worth trying.”

“Yeah, but after everything is said and done, it’s easy for everyone else to decide to utilize my abilities, but I’m the one responsible for my actions.”

“As always, you have become wise beyond your young years, I think you should seek your own counsel on this. Everyone else simply wants you to consider the other options, but the choices are, as always, yours to make,” Anh concluded, providing the decisive end to the discussion.

The next day, much of the recent buzz over me at school had cooled a bit. I still attracted my share of looks and attitude, but it wasn’t as fresh or as obnoxious as it had been, so I felt it was manageable. I no longer had Mike, Jimmy or Kevin to concern myself with, so that actually made it a bit easier. It was easy to simply deal with those that needed me and just ignore those that were annoyed with me.

At lunch I decided to try yet another new table. This time I approached one of the jock tables. I say one, because the jocks actually took up a couple of tables. Usually the big teams, like Football, Basketball or Baseball would make up their own tables, consisting of whichever athletes fit into that group in any given season. The table I approached, with both Cate and Betty following along behind me, was what I considered the junior jocks table. It consisted of those who were heavily into the whole sports scene, but who weren’t on any of the major teams, the people like the track and field or the volleyball groups.

As I approached, I asked if I could join them, which lead to a wall of silence descending. Finally one young man responded to me.

“What, you think just because a couple girls finally noticed you that suddenly you can join whatever table you feel like? I think you need to consider that a little more carefully. We don’t have anything in common with you, now beat it, you’re bothering me, kid.”

I simply regarded him wordlessly then just shrugged. “That’s fine, it’s your option. Have a good day, anyway.”

Just then Cate nudged me in the side, indicating the nearby heavy hitters jock table, where some guy was sitting laughing at us. As he did so, Darrell, sitting beside him, leaned over and whispered something to him. I didn’t take it too seriously. I figured Darrell was a long term project. He’d either come around eventually, or he’d come after me again. It largely depended on how he and Kitty got along I guessed. Still, it didn’t particularly bother me. As I said, I wasn’t concerned with those that didn’t want my attention, since so many did.

Instead the three of us set off in another direction and joined the stoner table, another one I hadn’t sat at before. They welcomed us, or at least they seemed to, since I wasn’t sure they were actually cognizant of the fact that we were there or not. Once we were seated, Cate whispered to me that Darrell had left the room, with several of his pals following him. Again, I had no idea what that could mean, or even how it would impact me, so I didn’t pay it any attention. Instead I tried to strike up a conversation with the people who wanted to speak to me.

I fended off the usual questions about girls who would follow someone without actually knowing them, but I worked it around to my knowledge of other topics, and soon we were talking about other things. Actually, I started talking about how my experiences in a fight, where time seems to slow way down, was like being in an altered state. This was a topic the inhabitants of the table were more than willing to discuss, so we actually had a very intelligent discussion.

Betty still didn’t say much, she was still too much in awe of me, so she mostly just stayed in the background despite my repeated attempts to involve her.

‘Hey Alex, this is Brooke, ‘ I heard as I was walking between classes a little later. ‘I hope I’m not disturbing you, but I just finished speaking with Dr. Moore. He’s anxious to speak with you. Whenever you feel like calling him should be fine. Personally, I think the longer you wait the more you’ll get from him. Anyway, I know you’re busy, or at least you’re supposed to be paying attention, so I’ll speak with you later.’

I’d been expecting to hear from Ryan, but was surprised it was so soon. I’d figured he’d want all of his i’s dotted and his t’s crossed before he’d concede we’d won, and that would require all the various tests to come back, which I knew would take several days. It would be interesting seeing what he wanted.

Later, near the end of the day, an announcement came over the PA. “Would Alex Jennings please report to the Principal’s office? He’s got an urgent phone call.”

I sat up immediately, worried about who it could be. If it was one of the girls they’d have contacted me telepathically. If it was my mother they’d do the same thing, and if it was Cate the school wouldn’t be getting a phone call, so it would have to be either my father or one of my sisters.

The teacher wrote me a hall pass and I quickly made my way to the office. When I entered, it looked like it usually does, everyone busy, but mostly busy doing nothing in particular. I asked about the phone call and the receptionist suddenly became much more focused.

“Oh, yes. It was quite important. The head of the Memorial Hospital himself called, saying it was urgent that you call him back. I’ll get him immediately, if he thought it was important, then—” I didn’t let her finish the sentence.

“Oh, I was expecting his call,” I responded, waving it off. “He thinks it’s urgent, however I don’t. If he calls back, tell him I’ll give him a call when I get home.”

The receptionist looked aghast. “But he’s ... What if it’s... ?”

“It’s none of those things, Mrs. White. He simply wanted to know something, that’s all. It’ll wait for a little bit. I’ll give him a call later. Bye,” I called as I disappeared out the door, making sure I was unavailable to be called back again. I was a little perturbed that he’d search me out and expose what I’d asked him to deal with in confidence. In fact, the farther I walked, the angrier I got with him. Sure, we were asking for a big favor, but it wasn’t anything we couldn’t live without, and I wasn’t about to risk exposure over something this minor. I was of a mind to call him back and tell him to just fuck off!

The rest of the day, what was left of it, went off without any further disruptions. I hurried out, still a bit miffed but having finally managed to compose myself somewhat. When Cate and I got underway, I asked her to give him a call for me.

“Cate, call Dr. Moore for me, he’s been chomping at the bit to get me and I’m of a mind to tell him off.”

She looked like she was going to say something, but apparently reconsidered and simply dug her phone out. “Of course, Alex,” she answered simply, smiling at me.

I had to speak with Brooke again to get the actual phone number, but that was pretty quick, so I gave it to Cate and she began dialing. When she got the hospital she asked for Ryan, but they seemed to give her the run around until she mentioned me by name, then suddenly she was put right through.

“Pardon me, Dr. Moore, Alex is right here,” she responded as she passed the phone to me. One thing about our parents, they certainly drilled the basics, like phone manners, into us at a young age.

When I answered he was quick to get to the point.

“Alex, I’ve been trying to get a hold of you. I tried calling your school, but—”

“I know you did. Where the hell do you get off doing that? I asked you to keep this information quiet, and now you’re calling the school I go to, trying to embarrass me? Did it ever occur to you we didn’t give you my phone number for a reason?”

“I, I... ,” he responded, seemingly at a loss to be called to task by a teenager.

“Listen, if we’re going to do anything, we’re going to have to come to an understanding. Frankly, it would be nice to get access to the machines we asked for, but it’s hardly essential. If you are going to treat us like this, we can simply forgo it all. Good bye, Dr. Moore,” and I hung up before he could respond.

Cate looked at me with an odd expression, but didn’t say anything.

“I needed to get his attention,” I told her, handing her the phone back. “I may very well have just kissed your valued tests away, but I’m guessing he’ll call back after he’s thought about it a little more.”

“It doesn’t matter. The information was to help you. You decide how to use it, or even if we need it,” she assured me. We drove on in silence, but just before we reached home Brooke called me again.

‘Hey, there, handsome, Dr. Moore called again. But he was quite apologetic this time. I’m guessing you had a few words with him. I get the impression he’s quite anxious at this point, so I think your access to the MRI equipment is pretty well assured. I think he’s pushing for something more at this point. Just watch that he doesn’t try to renege on what he promised you in order to get anything else out of you.’

‘Thanks, Brooke, I’ll take that into consideration. I don’t know what has his panties in a bunch, but I’m mostly concerned about his failure to keep our secrets. I’m guessing he’s been blabbing about it to everyone he knows. If that’s the case, I’ll just cut off all communications with him.’

‘Yeah, we understand, Alex. It’ll make our trying to find a job in the area a bit more difficult, but that’s secondary. What’s important is you getting what you need out of this. Remember that. Gotta go now, I don’t want you to get a ticket for telepathing while driving, ‘ she concluded, giggling as she left. Hearing a giggle echo around your skull is an interesting experience.

I didn’t bother to bring Cate up to date, figuring she’d learn as things developed. We soon arrived at home, and both grabbed our books and migrated into the house. It was only after the usual introductions, and after I’d grabbed a snack, that I sat down at the phone. By that time I had a room full of people listening to what I was preparing to say.

“Hello, Alex, is that you?” Dr. Moore asked when we were finally connected.

“It is, sir. I take it you’ve had a chance to think over what I said?”

“Yes, I have, and I’ll be the first to admit that I was getting a bit out of hand. However, let me just say that I thought I had a good reason for my concern. By the way, by this time I think we can dispense with the ‘Dr. Moore’ and sirs. Just call me Ryan. I have a feeling we’re going to be getting closer before everything is said and done.”

“So we’re still on, you still want to go along with it?”

“Me? I should be asking you that. I’m still waiting for the various results so I can evaluate the full effect of what you accomplished, but I’d already agree that what you accomplished yesterday was pretty miraculous.”

“Well, that’s nice, but if the tests aren’t back yet, what’s to make you think it’s not all just a placebo effect? That the people simply want to believe in miracles, and so they respond as if they’d had one.”

“Quite simply,” he responded, “it’s the extent of the improvements. If it was simply that, a psychological effect, I’d expect to see a small improvement, but that’s not what we’re seeing. Besides,” he said, smiling, “it’s hard to have a placebo effect on someone in a sustained coma.”

“So, can you tell me how they’re responding?”

“There’s a lot to tell, Alex, but I’ll try to be brief. The most important, and the reason I’ve been so anxious to contact you, even going so far as tracking down what school you went to, is the burn victim. Carlos Alvarez. I’ve had him under steady supervision, and the orderlies are anxious that I resume whatever ‘treatment’ was used on him. He’s had an amazing lack of scab formations. I think we need to get you back here to do some more of your magic on him, and maybe we can keep him from losing a lot of mobility that burn victims frequently suffer from.”

“That’s tempting, Ryan,” I said, testing out whether he was serious about his, ‘just call me Ryan’ response. “But I’m a bit concerned about time. The hospital isn’t real close by.”

“Don’t worry about it, Alex. I’ll make arrangements with your school to have you excused for the next couple of days and—”

“Yeah, I can just see that. What do you think everyone would think of such a request? They’d either think it was a scam, or wonder whether I was your secret drug connection. There’s be no reasonable explanation for the head of a hospital to consult with a high school student who doesn’t even volunteer at your hospital. No, I’ll stop by after school tomorrow. I may also bring my sister, my other sister that is, as she’s interested in this. Friday will be difficult though, as I already have a prior commitment. We should put off the MRI testing until Saturday, if you can arrange it that fast. That’ll give us much of the day to visit the patients I’ve already visited with as well as do that. How does that sound?”

“Well, personally I’d rather have you here, right now, but I’m willing to compromise. I’ll also let you know that virtually everyone you saw is very anxious to see you again. You’ve created quite a stir, young man.”

“Yeah, about that, let’s kept this a secret. If anyone asks, just tell them I’m an intern, or, if they ask, tell them I’m a psychic nut that you’re humoring at the behest of a contributor. That way they won’t take what I’m doing too seriously.”

“Alex, with the results my staff are seeing, they’re going to be curious no matter what I tell them. But I’ll go along with you. I’ll tell them all to be quiet and try to play it down as much as I can. That brings up another point, though, are you interested in a potential career here in the hospital?”

“Yeah, just how would you explain paying a kid without a high school degree for medical consultations? Besides, I really have no idea what I’m doing. What you’re seeing takes quite a bit of cooperation. It takes someone who can see what needs to be done. Luckily there are a few of those besides Brooke that I have access to. Next it takes the medical knowledge to know what to do and how to do it safely. Rebecca and Brooke have some of that knowledge, but not nearly enough. Then it takes someone who can actually do it. For that I think you’re stuck with me. Finally, we need people to do research, to figure out what’s causing all of this and what it means, and what I can do without hurting others or even myself. We don’t even know if this energy I’m using has any side effects.”

“Good points all, and it shows what a good mind you have, Alex. What if I can arrange a medical scholarship for you? That way you’d be able to gather the knowledge you need while you are actively helping people?”

“Sorry, but with everything that’s been happening in my life lately, I think my dreams of college have been washed away. There’s just too much I have to accomplish. If you want someone to consider for a scholarship, though, I’ll introduce you to my sister Cate tomorrow. She’s a real whiz, and she’s already dedicated herself to trying to learn everything she can about how I can do what it is that I’m doing.”

“I’ll be glad to meet her, then. You’ll also have to stay over for a little while. I’d like to discuss the nature of this ‘energy’ you keep talking about. Maybe I’d be able to judge what effect it may have on the patients.”

“It gets complicated,” I assured him, “there’s a lot we don’t know, and a lot of side tangents as well.”

“I’m sure there are, you strike me as having a lot of intelligent people around you, as well as being quite smart yourself. I’ll see you tomorrow evening, as soon as you can arrange it. I’ll also plan for dinner for all of us. It’ll be a working dinner, so if your parents are anxious to meet me, tell them they can on Saturday. Otherwise I guess we’re done.”

“Yeah, that covers just about everything, and don’t worry about the parents. They’ve raised me well enough to trust me to keep my head about me. We’ll see you tomorrow evening, probably about 4:30 or 5.”

We finished up the discussion and I turned to relay the information to the assembled ensemble. We discussed it, of course, but they all decided I’d handled it well. I told them I’d take Cate along and asked Shani and Allison to meet me there, since I’d need someone to replace Brooke, and I’d prefer another set of eyes, since we weren’t quite as knowledgeable concerning what we saw. They quickly agreed and the discussion soon turned to their encounter with Jennifer today.

Before they could get too into details, I held them off.

“I’m not sure I want any information right now,” I warned them. “I think I’d rather learn the details from her so I can take it all in at once, rather than start with a whole set of assumptions.”

They agreed that sounded reasonable, so they complied willingly, although they told me she was doing well and the small treatments I had done seemed to be doing well. They said she also seemed positive, both from the treatment and in regards to the changes I’d triggered in her. That made me feel better, I could look forward to meeting her anew once I was sure she was better.

The next day passed quickly. On the spur of the moment I tracked down both Kitty and Chalise, and invited them to accompany us to the hospital, telling them I was doing some volunteer work there. I had no idea how I’d explain what I was doing there, but I thought it would be good to see them in an unusual setting. I knew I’d get to see more of what they were really like by seeing them in a setting like that, not one where they’d be on their best behavior. Plus, I could watch the interplay between them, seeing how they got on in a variety of conditions. I thought I could possibly observe any potential problems that way.

When school let out I got out to the car early, so I could warn Cate that we’d be having company. She took it well, simply nodding when I told her. I guess what she’d told me about accepting my decisions had been true. She didn’t make any teasing comments or question whether it was a good idea.

Kitty and Chalise joined us shortly after that. As we got into the car I advised them to call their mothers, as they’d want to know where they were.

Chalise giggled. “I think she’d prefer to hear from you, she’s quite taken with you.” So I ended up on the phone with Caroline.

“Hello, Cutie,” I teased her when she answered the phone. “Don’t tell anyone, but I kidnapped your daughter so we could be together. All I need is to think of a place to stash her.”

“Hey there, Alex,” she answered with a laugh, immediately guessing who I was. “I can think of a couple of places to stash her, although I think she’d prefer in your arms.”

“Well, actually, I was thinking more like the hospital. We’re headed that way now. I’m going to take both girls along as I make a tour of the facilities and do a little charity work.”

“Hmm, I’m impressed, suave, sophisticated and caring to boot. Do you know where I can get any of those for my boys? They seem to be lacking in each of them.”

“I’ll see if I can pick up any in the Pharmacy while I’m there, although I’d have to question the ‘suave and sophisticated’ part. I’m not sure either applies to a naïve young man who confesses to having numerous other interests. Honest, yes; sophisticated, not by a long shot. Oh, is it OK if we’re gone for a while, the head of the hospital invited us out to dinner?”

“The head of the hospital invited you out to dinner? Tell me, why am I not surprised to hear that?”

“Well, it wasn’t just me, Ryan asked Kitty, your daughter, Cate, Shani and Allison as well.”

“Yeah, but I think I know you enough to know that you somehow arranged it all.”

“I’m not completely to blame, Broo ... uh, someone else arranged my meeting with him.”

“And you don’t want to say who? Let me guess, it’s yet another ‘close friend’ of yours?”

“You got me there. Sorry, but I just have a hard time keeping track of them all.”

“Sure, I won’t give you too hard of a time. Stay out as long as you need, but give me a call so I’ll know when to expect her. And don’t stay out too late, I hear she’s got this really hot date tomorrow night.”

“Hey, we can’t have her missing that, now can we?” I laughed as we ended the call.

“See, I told you she likes you,” Chalise told me.

“Do mine next,” Kitty asked anxiously, ready for me to tease her mother as well.