O'Connell Bridge - Pt. 20

LC arrived at Wilmington Health center building 10 minutes before his appointment. Although he worked his last shift the night before, he was wide awake for his upcoming physical.

When he checked in, he had to fill out all of the usual paperwork plus a disclosure form that allowed his results to be sent to the O’Neil Milling Corporation.

“Can I see where the information is being sent?”

The clerk smiled. “I’m afraid not.”

A nurse saw him first. “Mr. Brennan; have you had anything to eat since midnight?”

“No, ma’am. I actually had a machine sandwich at 11, but since then, all I have had is bottled water. I work nights at the ER.”

She looked at him. “Really.”

“Yeah, last night was my final one though. I was an orderly.”

“Important job.” She checked her chart. “Let’s do lab work first. The doctor already wrote the order. Think you can give a urinalysis?”

“Ma’am, since y’all warned me in advance, right now I can pee two quarts. If I flush the toilet, the Cape Fear River will rise two inches.”

“Good, the lab tech will give you a cup and tell you where to go, and afterwards, like I said, the doctor has requested a number of blood tests. We have a priority request to get your lab work done quickly.”

He had no sooner finished his blood tests when the nurse showed up and led him down to a small office. “Let me get vitals and get your chart ready. Doctor Z should be here any minute.”

Dr. Zorman walked quickly into the examination room. “I’m Leon Zorman, you must be Mr. Brennan.” He extended his hand. “We’ve got all of your blood workups underway. You seem in pretty good health, any difficulties or problems or allergies, injuries, or anything we don’t have on paper yet that you might have thought of? Tell me about Liam Brennan.”

LC thought. “Nope to real physical problems. I don’t smoke, never developed the habit, uh, don’t use dope. I work in ER I see that stuff all the time, makes me sick. I drink beer when I can afford it or someone else buys, especially with pizza. I don’t mind a buzz, but I abhor being out of control. I don’t drive after two beers, uh let's see, I take an ibuprofen for aches but seldom, and I don’t have headaches very often. An old girl friend told me I get depressed and moody a lot. I told her I work all night in the ER and that her bitching would depress the funniest clown. Let’s see. I broke my left arm playing baseball in middle school. Oh, I broke my nose in a family dispute. But, y’all fixed it. I had tonsils and appendix out when I was eight or nine, the year we moved, missed too much school and got held back in 4th grade. I get a flu shot every year at the Walgreens—I have used university health for colds and everything else.”

“When was your last Tetanus shot?”

LC paused and thought. “I think I was in junior high. Yeah, before I went to church camp.”

“You should have had one when you entered college. I assume you had the normal battery of childhood immunizations.”

“I guess so, we went to a children’s clinic until I was nine or so, about the same time I had my tonsils out I think. That’s when we moved.”

“Okay. I’m ordering a Tetanus shot, and the company has asked for you to have some typical overseas shots; although you are only going to Europe, there are a couple we can issue. Don’t worry, it’s only a couple of shots, in each arm; it includes a polio booster. But, don’t go to Asia or Africa unless you come see me.”

“Gee thanks.”

“The lab tests included everything from A1C to Immune Deficiency. The nurse will be in a second. We want an EKG.”

He slipped on a tight glove. “First, we have a little exam to be done. Undo your jeans and lean over the table please.”

Minutes later, the doctor stood, peeled off the gloves, and shook LC’s hand. “I need to see you in six months, they’ll schedule you out front. But, before you leave today, you have an appointment for a psychological battery; it’s in another part of this building. The nurse will direct you.” He opened the door and walked away.

A minute later, a nurse and cart load of equipment rolled in. “Peel off your shirt and take off your jeans.”

“I shoulda left them off.”

Before noon LC walked out of the clinic with papers and sore arms. He got in his truck and sat for a full minute. “I could have joined the Coast Guard, probably wouldn’t have gotten as many shots.” He drove back to the apartment and looked in the girl’s window as he climbed the stairs. Dana saw him and waved. He was surprised she didn’t invite him in.”

He climbed the stairs and collapsed on the sofa. I need a buxom beauty to serve me beer.”

Almost instantly, Dana and Murphy arrived at the door. “ Hey, six pack coming in.”

“Bring it on,” LC called.

“I saw you head upstairs, so I told Murph to grab the beer and let’s go wish LC bon voyage.”

“I don’t leave for two days.”

“Cool, we can drink for two days.” Murphy opened a bud light and handed it toward LC.”

“Can’t lift my arms. I got a whole battery of shots, they bled me till I'm dry, and I had to pee in a cup. Plus, you wouldn’t believe what the doctor did with his rubber glove.”

Dana laughed and held the beer to LC’s lips. “Nurse’s orders. This will fix everything.”

“Or make me puke, one or the other.” He took the beer from Dana.

“I had to go to a shrink who asked me everything from how much I masturbate to my suicidal thoughts. I told him I wanted to grow up to be a Jihadist. So, like, he kept asking me about death, so I told him I wanted to be executed by a firing squad.” LC looked at Dana. ”He asked me a bunch a questions about family and other relationships, especially about women in my life. I think it made him horny or something.”

Dana whispered. “Thanks for sending me, Murph. He’s a great friend for a lonely girl.”

“Hey, I’m a great friend.”

She bent down and kissed his forehead.

“Hey, are you molesting my woman,” Murphy kidded.

“He should be so lucky,” Dana shot back. “And, I’m nobody’s property, buster.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Murphy said in a little boy tone.

Dana giggled. “That’s better.”

“So, when do you leave, bro?”

“I have to be at the airport at 3 PM on Thursday.”

“I’d take you, but that’s a buffet day. Getting the start of the weekend, all the conventions are in town.”

“I’m on duty too,” said Dana.

“No problem, guys; I have to carry my truck over to Mike’s first. I’ll just grab a cab; it’s no big deal. My truck will be with Mike, all my stuff I’ll put in a box, and then I have to carry it downstairs. I’ll do it tomorrow. It’ll be in boxes in your room, with the other boxes. My dirty clothes, I’ll put in a plastic bag and leave it in the truck box.”

“No you won’t,” Dana protested. “Drop them off downstairs. I’ll wash them and put the clean ones in your box; and no, it’s absolutely not a problem. And, I don’t mind washing men’s underwear.” She paused. “Do I Murph?”

“She did one load of my clothes when you hurt my hand.”

Dana rolled her eyes.

Murphy protested. “Just one small load.”

“Murph, your nose is growing.” Dana laughed and sat on his lap.

“Okay, maybe two.”

The three friends laughed and talked until LC signaled bedtime.

Murphy and Dana headed out the door and both gave LC hugs, and when Murphy turned the corner to the front door downstairs Dana turned and kissed LC on the lips. “Just so you’ll know what you missed out on, and more.” She laughed and followed Murphy into her apartment.

LC slept like a rock. The medication, he felt, induced heavy eyelids, and he slept almost till noon. In the quiet of the apartment, he packed up his clothes and sundries, including his laptop. He kept out one towel and his shampoo/body-wash and other toiletries. “I’ll borrow a sheet and pillow from Arthur, he’ll never know.”

A courier arrived with a large package, which LC opened immediately. It contained a black leather shoulder bag/satchel. “Wow, this is perfect for carry-ons. Since I can’t bring clothes. Just my headset and the file of papers.” He immediately put his paperwork in the satchel, made sure his passport and money would be easy to access, and then zipped the bag closed. LC hopped in the shower, and when he came out, Mac was stretched out on the couch with a game controller and drinking a cup of coffee.

“I’d offer to help you pack, but looks like you have everything well in hand.”

LC paused and sat on the edge of a barstool. “Yeah, so when are you moving out?”

Mac put the controller down. “Probably the first of August, same with Arthur. The lease is up then. Aideen thinks that’ll be best and she will have more time to find just the right apartment. I heard Arthur decided not to go to Shallotte and was going to sleep on the couch downstairs until Betty Jo and Dana leave. They told him they could get into the apartment in Leland first weekend in August.”

“I understand Murphy is going to work at a construction company over there.”

Mac laughed, “Yeah, makes sense, he and Dana are hot to trot.”

“I guess when I come back I’ll talk to the landlord about taking Murphy’s basement digs; that is, if I can’t get into med school right away.”

“You haven’t heard when Cait’s coming back?”

“I haven’t heard one word from Cait. I tried to call, but got nowhere. Her phone is disconnected, so I sent a message on Facebook realizing that she rarely looked at message boards. She’s taking care of an aunt, and I suppose our old apartment house here in Wilmington is a million miles away, and the least of her concerns.”

“She’s not finished with school is she?” Mac glanced at the controller and pushed a button. “Didn’t she enroll for fall?”

“I think she told me two classes. She graduates in December. I may try to make connect with her this fall. She told Betty they were both writing seminars; low attendance requirement.”

“Still nothing from med schools?”

“Actually, yeah. I have a tentative for NYU Med and Georgia Med, both waiting on my UNCW grades and papers. Nothing from Carolina or ECU, which surprised me.” LC opened the frig and found a beer left from the night before. “One beer left, you want it?”

“Naw you take it. We’re going to the Harp for dinner tonight, she wants to sing Karaoke.”

LC opened the beer and took a swig. “I didn’t know she sang.”

“Guess we’ll find out.”

LC grinned, “I might come and root for her. You wouldn’t mind a heckler in the audience, would you?”

“Heck no, if she wants to be a singer, she better get used to the rowdy crowd.”

LC looked in his closet, “All I have is traveling clothes. I can only wear what I have on.”

“You’ll be okay. Just don’t sit too close to anyone.” Mac keyed the controller. “These controllers are really Murphy’s. He hasn’t been up to take them back in a long time.”

LC took another long swig and grinned. “Murphy’s got his hands full with a different game right now.”

“Cool, maybe he’ll forget them.”

“Not likely,” LC looked over at the box of controllers. “Y’all have a wooden box full of controllers. “All those his in the box?”

“Naw, some are my old X-box ones, the new ones are Murphy’s.”

“I wouldn’t know one from the other.”

Mac held up the one in his hand. “This is the one you used the last time you joined us. It’s Murphs.”

“Okay, if you say so.”

“Anyway, what you were saying earlier. I will be around when you get back. You’ll have some down time before grad school, we can throw down some beers; maybe do a little damage somewhere.”

LC closed his eyes. “I’m only going for a couple of weeks, not like I’m going off to war or something.”

Mac turned off the television and tossed the controller in the box. “Ya never know man, you might get hijacked by some clandestine force and put in a cage to do unnatural things.”

“I’m going to Ireland, Mac.”

“That’s what they all say, LC, that’s what they all say.”

To be continued...