With a new prescription for contacts, Jake was ready to begin his research. The first day in the lab with his interns, he gave the young bright- eyed medical students the low down on who he was and what their goals were. They started bright and early in the morning at the be beginning of October. “Good morning”, he said after taking a sip of coffee. “My name is Dr. Draiman.” A few of the students gasped. “Is there a problem with my last name, ladies and gentlemen?”
One girl raised her hand. “Umm, Dr. Draiman”, she said in a mouse like voice.
“Yes? Speak up, please. Years of growing up around heavy metal music has cause mild hearing damage”, he said with a chuckle at the end.
“Dr. Draiman, are you related to Vocalist David Draiman of Disturbed?” she asked in a slightly stronger voice.
“Getting to that, Dr…”
“Emerson. Kylie Emerson.”
“Dr. Emerson, I’m getting to that. I knew that question would come up.” He looked over the small crowd and took a sip of his coffee. Starbucks was his best friend most mornings. Once he set the cup on the counter in front of him, he cleared his throat and spoke again. “As I was saying, my name is Dr. Jacob Draiman. I am the supervising doctor in charge of this little project. I have a few simple rules. First, be here and be punctual. I do NOT tolerate tardiness. Second, when I’m out making my rounds, the most senior student present is in charge until I return. Third- and this is a more fun rule than the other two- there will be music playing at all times. I grew up in a musical family and I can’t study or do research without any kind of music. If there are any problems with any of these rules, you know where the door is and I’m not asking you to stay. As a matter of fact, if there are problems that mean you need to get out of my lab.” He paused long enough to watch a couple of the students get up and walk out of the lab. “And then there were twelve”, he said after taking another drink of his coffee. “Ok, now, eyes to the screen”, he said as he turned on the projector that was hooked up to his laptop. He picked up a remote control and a laser pointer. “Ok, how many people in this room listen to Reckless Disregard?” a good portion of the students raised their hands. “Ok, how many of you listen to Disturbed?” every hand in the room was in the air. “How many of you listen to both?” The number went down by a few. “Good, because both of those bands will be played in this lab while we research.” He hit a button on the remote and a photo of a large family come onto the screen. “This is a photo of my family.” Using the laser pointer, he pointed at the bald man in the center. “That is my father. Yes, that is David Draiman. He is my father.” He pointed to the young man sitting in the bottom of the photo. “That’s my brother Malachai.” He pointed to the young woman sitting in between their parents. “That’s my twin sister Jordan. Yes, I'm related to Malachai and Jordan Draiman of Reckless Disregard. Logan Moyer is my god brother. If you have any questions, I’m happy to answer them. If you plain don’t want to believe me, then you can take that up with my parents somehow. Anything so far?”
After a few stunned moments, one student raised his hand. “Dr. Draiman, will this be on a test?”
Jake laughed. “If you want there to be a test, I’m sure I can write one up for you. Take notes. Now, if there aren’t any other questions.” The students all thought he was joking when he grabbed the remote that he’d set down on the counter and continued the introductory lecture.
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After letting his med student interns go home for the day and answering any questions they may have had, Jake went up and did his rounds. When he went into one of the rooms on the floor, he saw a familiar face, Corporal Jennings. Her first name was Yvette. She’d had a seizure the night before. Jake’s heart sank when he went into her hospital room on his floor. When he saw her, he just shook his head. “Yvette, what have to told you about flashing lights?” he said.
“That they could induce a seizure and that’s the last thing I need because I’m having strokes as it is because of the problem in my head”, the young woman said.
“Exactly. I haven’t gotten started on my miracle cure”, he joked with her.
She giggled like a school girl, then her face went serious. “Dr. Draiman, do you think you can fix me?”
“What do you mean fix you?”
“Fix my head”, she said. Her eyes held a sadness and uncertainty that spoke volumes.
“Yvette ,I’m going to try.”
She smiled. “If I were older, I’d totally ask you out”, she laughed.
He laughed. “You’d have to fight with my fiancée about that one, Yvette. She doesn’t share very well.”
“Figures you’re taken, Dr. D. You’re too good a catch to pass up.”
He laughed. “I’ll be sure to tell me fiancée that. She’ll be glad to know she snatched me up at the right time.”
“She should know that. How old are you anyway?”
“Older than you”, he said with a laugh.
“How old are you, really?”
“I’m twenty- four.”
She rolled her eyes. “Why do you have to be ten years older than me?”
He shrugged. In reality, they were the same age, but she didn’t know that because of the trauma to her brain. “Just the way things go, I guess. If you were older, I were younger, and I weren’t your doctor, I’d go out with you. You’re kinda cute”, he laughed and chucked her gently on the chin.
She smiled brightly and giggled. “Thanks, Dr. D, you’re the best.”
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When he headed home that night, he made sure to stop check in on a couple of his patients before leaving. Corporal Jennings and Private Douglas were his favorite patients. He had a few officers under his care, but he had more respect for the enlisted under his care. They were the ones out on the front line. He hadn’t seen any of the officers he was treating come in with traumatic brain injury. He had one Major who was suffering from the advanced stages of MS, but he could care less. Brass didn’t impress him. Maybe because he was a civilian he just didn’t care about the gold Oak leaf on the Major’s shoulders.
Finally, he headed out the door and to his car. He couldn’t help but laugh at the conversation he’d had with Corporal Jennings earlier that day. He honestly thought it was pretty funny. He probably shouldn’t have laughed, but he couldn’t help it. He couldn’t wait to tell Delilah about the exchange when he got home.
When he walked in the door, he spotted two people he really didn’t want to see. “We’re going to be around a lot more often for family stuff”, a woman’s voice said. He recognized the woman’s voice. It was his twin sister. When he opened the door, she was finishing the rest of her comment. “We need to take some time off. Anyway, Sammi and I are looking into becoming Mommies.”
Jake froze in the doorway. “Did I just hear you right, Jordan?”
“Yes, you heard me right. Sammi and I want to have kids. We’re looking into a sperm donor.”
Jake sighed and shook his head. “And I just got home from work. Can’t I put my briefcase up before I’m hit with all the little pearls that this family is prone to throwing at each other?”
“Take a chill pill, Jacob Micah”, Brie said to her son. “We understand you’re tired from dealing with med students all day, but you need to relax. It’s not that big a deal, your sister wanting to become a mother. It’s natural.”
“Actually, Mom, it IS a big deal, but I understand what you’re saying. It’s nothing to freak out over.” He sighed. “I’m going to go change out of this suit and into my chill around the house clothes. If someone would kindly update me when I finally emerge, it would be appreciated. I’ve got a monster headache and I’m going to go take something for it, grab a sandwich and lie down.”
“We’ll update you later, Jake”, David said. He could see that his son was exhausted. Dealing with people who were sick all day every day had to be taking its toll on Jacob. He could see it, though Jake would never admit it. He knew his son. He’s just like me, David thought to himself. He’ll never admit he’s tired or burnt out. He’s set out to help people and that’s just what he’s going to do. He doesn’t care how tired and hurt he is. He’s going to do his job because he’s passionate about what he does. He saves live and in doing so changes them.
Jake just nodded and headed up stairs. Jordan looked around the room. “Is he not getting laid enough is he?”
“He’s tired, Jordan. He’s had to deal with bull shit from the VA all day. He also met with his interns for the first time since interviewing them this morning. More bull shit there. He got a call last night that one of his patients had a seizure. The young woman is one of his traumatic brain injury patients. He’s entitled to be a little bit grumpy. Then, he walks in to find his older siblings here and all he wants to do is eat dinner and go to sleep. Yes, you give good news, but it doesn’t strike him as good news, but more shit that he has to weed through. You’d be grumpy too, wouldn’t you?” Brie explained to Jordan.
Jordan thought about what her mother had just said. “Yeah, I probably would. I can see his point.”
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Jake did exactly what he said he would do. He got something to eat and went to bed. Delilah brought him some Tylenol for his headache and he spent the evening relaxing with her. He told her about the conversation he’d had with Corporal Jennings. She couldn’t help but laugh. “That’s pretty funny”, she said.
“I know. She’s so sweet. If only she realized that she’s NOT fourteen years old.”
“It’s got to be hard. Not just for you having to watch her, but to be in her shoes too.”
“I’m sure it is. Being her doctor is no walk in the park, that’s for sure. I swear the girl intentionally puts herself in situations where she KNOWS she’ll get hurt just so that she can see me the next day to flirt with me.”
“And you flirt back?”
“No. I let her know I’m taken, but I’m kind about it. She wanted me to let you know what you snatched me up just in time. If she was a few years older, she’d ask me out”, he said with a laugh.
“Let her know that I agree, I snatched you up at the right time. I’m glad someone agrees.”
He couldn’t help but laugh. “Am I really THAT good a catch?”
“Yes, Jakey. You’re a magnificent catch.”
She lifted her chin to meet his face and pressed a kiss to her lips. “Thank you”, he whispered against them. He pressed his lips to hers before she could verbally respond. So, she let him know with her body that he was more than welcome.
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