The next day, Jacob went to work and greeted his interns before checking on his work. It was exactly supposed to supposed to look at that stage. He smiled to himself, then gathered the interns with a quick call. “Can everyone join me over here at my work station, please?” The interns all gathered as he grabbed the botched sample and set it next to his correct sample. When they all gathered, he cleared his throat and continued, starting by pointing at the wrong experiment. “Who’s responsible for this?” he asked.
“I am, Dr. Draiman”, Dr. Cassidy said.
Jake beckoned him to the front of the group to stand with him with a finger. “Can you explain to me what the difference between these two samples is?”
“Well, Dr. Draiman, to put it plainly; you’re is correct.”
“Can you tell me why your NOTES give one result and the experiment contradicts what you read?" Dr. Cassidy decided to study his feet instead of answering. Jake wasn’t having any of that. “I asked you a question, sir. I expect an answer.” He was inches away from the young intern’s face.
“I don’t know”, the young man whispered, still staring at his feet.
“I’m sorry”, Jake said, “I didn’t hear you. Can you repeat that for me?”
“I don’t know, Dr. Draiman”, he said louder.
“You want to know what I think?” Jake didn’t even wait for him to respond, he just gave his opinion. “I think you’re trying to sabotage me. I don’t take that kind of news very well. So, here’s what you can do, Dr. Cassidy. You can gather your things and get the hell out of my lab. When you get back to the Colorado State University Medical School, I will have spoken to the program director and you can expect disciplinary action. Good bye, Dr. Cassidy”, Jake said, pointing to the door at the very end.
“But, Dr. Draiman…”
“GOOD BYE, DR. CASSIDY”, Jake said a little more sternly. The other interns watched as Dr. Cassidy gathered his things and left. When he was gone, Jake addressed the rest of the group. “Ladies and gentlemen, let this be a lesson to you all; fuck with the bull and you get the horns. I am the last man you want to cross. I can make or break your futures as medical professionals. Now, you all have notes to be taking on experiments and new variables to be adding. The control is mine, as it was to begin with. Dr. Carver, can you handle taking over the PROPER results of this variable and its experimentation?”
“Yes, Dr. Draiman”, a young man responded.
“Good, get back to work. Dr. Emerson, you have the floor until I return. I have to go make a phone call and then go make my rounds.” Jake turned and left the room to go to his office to make his phone call to the Medical Director at Colorado State University School of Medicine.
The interns all stood around and looked at each other. “Did that just happen?” Dr. Carver asked the group.
“I think it did”, Dr. Emerson responded. “The question is, do we want to know what the REAL reason that just happened is or should we remain blissfully ignorant?”
“Something tells me that we’re not going to have a choice but to learn the real reason and we’re going to have to deal with one pissed off Dr. J. Micah Draiman”, another intern said. Her name is Dr. Keisha Franklin. Young Dr. Franklin had no idea just how close to right she was.
---------------
Jake was on the phone with the CSU Med School Director. He was letting the man know just what had transpired the past two days. After he’d finished, Dr. Forsyth- the director in question- heaved a heavy sigh. “I’m so very sorry this happened, Dr. Draiman. You have the most sincere apology of myself and the school.”
“I accept the apology, Doctor. I’m a rather forgiving person. Thankfully, I don’t hold a grudge or I’d be sending ALL of your medical students back to you as we speak.”
“Is Cassidy the only one that’s caused any trouble?”
“Yes, so far. Though everyone else seems to be on the up and up, you can understand my skepticism, I’m sure.”
“Absolutely, Dr. Draiman. I can only apologize again for what has happened. I am very, very sorry.”
“Again, Dr. Forsyth, apology accepted. But, I expect there to be serious consequences to what Cassidy has done.”
“Oh, believe me, Dr. Draiman, there will be. He will be kicked out of the program and possibly expelled from the school.”
“That seems severe enough for me.”
“I thank you from bringing this to my attention, Dr. Draiman.”
“And I you for your candor, Dr. Forsyth. I hope we don’t have to have a conversation like this again. Should that have to come to pass, I’ll be send all of you medical students back to you.”
“And we certainly don’t want that.”
“No, Doctor, we don’t.”
---------------
The rest of the week went without a hitch. Jake and Delilah were counting down the days until they said their vows. Everything was going just the way Jake wanted it to go. They’d opted out of the honeymoon. Delilah sited that Jake’s work was far too important to him for them to take a vacation. They’d get one eventually. Even if it took them years to get to take their honeymoon, they’d wait.
Their lives were bliss. Maddie had even been able to get out of class to come down for her big brother’s wedding. The Academy of Natural Therapy was thankfully very understanding. When Maddie came home, she had an unexpected guest. “Hey, everyone!” Maddie called out when she walked in the door the day before Halloween.
“Hey, Maddie girl!” Brie said to her daughter. “How’s everything at school?”
“Andy’s putting me through the ringer. He told me that just because I’m you r child it doesn’t mean that I get special treatment. He’s been giving me what fucking for, Mom. But, I like it. He’s pushing me to be a good therapist on my own and not use your name to get by.”
“Good. Your Dad made Malachai and Jordan do it. Jake had no choice because no one wants to believe him. It’s only fair that you not get by on the Draiman name, either.”
“Here’s the thing, though, Mom. Though Andy’s starting to believe me that you’re my mother and David Draiman is my father, the only other people are Auntie Angela and Ms. Deb. No one else believes me. I’m in the same boat as Jake.”
Brie laughed. “Nice. Gotta love that shit, huh?” She sighed. “Speaking of Auntie Angela, where is she? She and Izzy were invited to the wedding.”
“We’re right here, Brie”, Angela said as she came through the door.
Brie wrapped her arms around her sister’s neck. “Oh, my GOD, it’s been forever.”
“Since you and David’s wedding. So, what’s this stuff that Malachai is married?”
“Yep. Been married for about ten years now with three kids.”
“I’m going to kick my godson’s butt.”
“He should be here with his family soon. You can plant your foot in his backside then and meet my grandchildren.”
“I can’t wait! What are their names?”
“Isaiah, Miranda, and Elijah.”
“Nice. Now, where is my godson that’s about to get married?”
Jake had been downstairs in the basement playing pool with his father. They’d wrapped the game when they heard Maddie come in. “I’m right here, Auntie”, he said with a smile as he walked into the living room.
Angela wrapped her arms around Jacob’s neck. “Oh, it’s so good to see you!” she said as she hugged him. “I’m sorry that I couldn’t make it to your graduation from med school.”
He squeezed his godmother. “It’s okay, Aunt Angela. I understand that things get hectic.” He looked toward the door, then pulled back from the hug. “Where’s Izzy?” he asked.
“She’s parking my car”, Angela said and let out a shiver.
Jake laughed. “It can’t be that bad.”
“Jacob, she wrecked my big truck.”
There was a gasp from across the room. Everyone looked to see the look of horror on David’s face. “Not that big beautiful beast your brought down here the day we flew out to Chicago when Brie and I renewed out vows. Izzy wrecked it?”
“It was an accident, Uncle David”, a voice said from the door. “And it was the other driver’s fault.”
David smiled. “Isabelle Lyons. You’re just as pretty as your mother.”
“You’re such a kiss ass, Uncle David”, she laughed and hugged her uncle. She moved to Jake as her mother hugged David in greeting. “Damn, Jake, you look more and more like Uncle David every time I see you”, she laughed after hugging him.”
“Just wait until breakfast tomorrow. We’re gonna look like twins. He’s even gonna loan me a pair of the hooks he wears under his lip. I’m shaving my head tonight before I take a shower. First thing in the morning all these clear plugs are going to stainless steel.”
“You’re insane. Why on Earth would you want to do something like that?”
“To mess with people and to cheer up my patients at work.”
“Congrats, by the way, Dr. Draiman. That has to be pretty fulfilling; graduating from medical school.”
“It was great. I actually met my soon to be wife when I was Pre- med in Chicago.”
“When are we going to meet her, by the way?” Angela asked.
“At dinner. She’s making herself all pretty and stuff; taking pains to make sure that every single detail is perfect.”
“We’re family. Why is she trying to impress us?”
“She’s not. She’s not getting all dolled up tomorrow so she’s doing it tonight.”
“Why isn’t she getting dressed up tomorrow night?” Izzy asked.
“Because she thought it would be funny if we dressed like my parents to say our vows. So, I had to get all these piercings for the ceremony so I can look like Dad and she got all the earrings that Mom has so that she can look like her. I’m going to be wearing jeans, a black button- up shirt and a nice pair of dress boots. She’s going to be wearing a pair of Mom’s old black scrubs and she’s gonna be barefoot. While I’m at work tomorrow, everyone else is supposed to decorate the back yard from what I understand.” He shrugged.
“So, she thought it would be funny and you said, ‘I’ll go all the way and get Dad’s piercings.’?” Maddie asked her big brother.
“Well, actually, I’d already decided that I was going to be Dad for Halloween anyway. I just get to keep on my costume for tomorrow. Well, minus my lab coat that I HAVE to wear for work.”
“People are going to think that Disturbed is at the area VA Hospital tomorrow because apparently Danny, Mikey, and John have look a likes there at the hospital and Jake coordinated with them to pull this off”, David added.
Jake elaborated. “Uncle Dan’s doppelganger is a cardiologist. Uncle Mike’s is a dermatologist. Uncle John’s is pulmonologist. They’re actually the most interesting guys up there. They’d heard that Dad, Malachai, and Jordan had paid a visit to neurology and contacted me. They thought it would be interesting if we all dressed up in Halloween and make it seem like Disturbed was paying a visit.”
Angela nodded. “Interesting idea”, she said.
Jake laughed. “I just hope we can pull it off.”
---------------
Delilah came down the stairs looking like something out of a movie. Jake’s heart skipped a few beats as he watched her descend the stairs and he couldn’t breathe. She was perfection in its very essence. Jake had to swallow his pulse to introduce her to everyone. “Angela, Izzy, this is my fiancée Delilah Holt. Delilah, my dear, may I introduce my Aunt and godmother Angela Pamulo, and her daughter and my cousin Isabelle Lyons.”
Delilah smiled brightly. “Pleased to meet you both.” She looked at Angela. “When we were in school together at Loyola, Jake spoke of you often, Angela. He said that you taught Brie everything she knows.”
“Not everything. She picked up a lot of what she knows from other instructors and, mostly, on her own. She’s very good at what she does”, Angela said.
“I was trying to butter you up, Aunt Angela. You’re supposed to just take the compliment”, Jake laughed.
“Micah, you and I are going to talk, young man”, Brie laughed with a shake of her head. “Dinner’s almost ready and Malachai and his family and Jordan and her girlfriend should be here anytime now. Maddie, if you want to go on ahead and put your things in your room then tell your brothers and sisters to wash up for dinner, that would be greatly appreciated.”
“Yes, Ma’am”, Maddie called and made her way up the stairs.
“We can break off into different conversations until everyone gets here”, Brie laughed. “I’m gonna go check on dinner.”
David moved to follow, but Jake stopped him with a hand on his arm. “Hey, Dad can I ask you something real fast?”
“Sure, son.”
“In private?”
“Lead the way.”
Jake walked up the stairs and lead his father to his old room which was now a guest room. “Dad, when you see Mom looking especially breathtaking, what is happen to you physiologically?”
David chuckled. “My heart skips a few beats, I have trouble breathing, my palms start sweating, my pulse races when my heart decides to start beating again, and a massive lump forms in my throat. Why?”
Jake nodded and sighed. “I was just making sure that I wasn’t weird or anything. That happens every time I see Delilah.”
“It’s called being in love, Jacob.”
“Do you always have those reactions with Mom?”
“Yes.”
Jake nodded again. “Ok. Just wanted to be sure I wasn’t weird or anything.”
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