House Bound Pt. 02: Playing Doctor

Chapter 1 - Arrival

Jill tucked the unruly strand of blonde hair behind her ear for what seemed like the millionth time and frowned as she peered into the rear-view mirror of her car. The frown wasn't for the light grey roots that were showing in many places in her otherwise stunning head of blonde hair, it was the reflection of her daughter's friend Tabitha sprawled out in the back seat of her SUV as she had been since they left, that was the source of her scorn.

Her eyes flicked back to the road as she drove her large black truck through the back roads, then over to Claire, who was obliviously scrolling through her phone, as Jill let out an almost inaudible sigh. The three of them had been on the road for hours and only a few perfunctionary words had been spoken between them.

It wasn't that Jill disliked Tabitha, quite the opposite, the small asian woman was a more than competent anesthesiologist and a great friend to Claire as well. Tabitha and Claire had attended medical school together and graduated just last year, with both of them joining Jill's practice afterwards for their internships.

No, Jill was upset at her presence because this trip was supposed to be an excuse to bond with her daughter now that she was an adult and, hopefully, had outgrown her childish resentments towards her mother.

Jill mentally corrected herself, they weren't childish, they were valid even if Jill didn't like to admit it. Having Claire so young had been a mistake, a high school indiscretion that had resulted in Jill becoming a single mother well before she understood what that entailed.

When her father had bailed shortly after Claire's birth, realizing how much responsibility a small child was, it had left Jill in an even worse position. The only saving grace were her grandparents, who she'd lived with since she was a small child when her drug-addicted parents had left for the west coast and never returned.

Her family had come from old money, and their name was well known in all the right circles. So while her grandparents and a gaggle of nannies had raised Claire, Jill had been free to finish high school and go to medical school as well. Unfortunately, this left little time for Jill to properly bond with Claire and a chasm had formed between them.

In all honesty, Jill had been surprised when Claire had followed in her footsteps and applied to medical school, and Jill had even tried to steer her away from it because of the long hours and hard work. But that only seemed to solidify Claire's desire, and like Jill, had cruised through the MCATs and graduated medical school near the top of her class.

Jill had thought that this trip would be a good way to try and start repairing the damage their relationship had suffered over the years. Even after graduating medical school, Jill had spent nearly all her time and energy on starting her own practice.

Which had been another point of contention with her daughter, while Claire understood why plastic surgery was needed, she seemed... disappointed, that Jill had decided to specialize in clientele that had work done for purely aesthetic reasons. Well, that wasn't entirely correct, after all, Claire had followed in her footsteps as well, but she still held on to a naive belief that she'd only do operations on those that needed it for medical reasons, like reconstruction and such.

Jill had never been that naive, she was happy to supply whatever plastic surgery choices she could to her clients, as long as they weren't abusing them, and built her practice on catering to the wealthy and famous.

Which brought in advantages of its own. Like being able to influence some of the most powerful people in the country simply by knowing the "right" people. And this was reason for the trip she was on at the moment with Claire and Tabitha.

When Jill had opened her practice, she knew she couldn't do it in the rural state that she had grown up in, instead she had moved three states away to one of the largest cities on the east coast where she could find clients easily. This move had brought more than just clients to Jill though, it had brought new ideas as well... especially with respect to abortion.

Something she had never even considered when she had been pregnant with Claire, Jill now knew access to safe and convenient medical abortions was key to liberating women all across the country, and all around the world. As such, she'd been quietly campaigning on the issue in the background for years, but with the new senator in her home state making noise about voting for a federal ban on abortions once more, it was time to be more forward.

She'd had to fight hard and call in several favours to get the appointment with Senator Dunnest, and it was farther out than she had wanted, but in the end she had it, and that was the most important thing. It was only after going over her schedule leading up to the meeting that she realized she had some spare time beforehand as the surgical suite at the clinic was undergoing upgrades, and the idea of a road trip with Claire had popped into her head.

Claire had eagerly agreed to come along, after all, it was exactly the kind of thing she wanted to fight for as well, and so it had been agreed. It was only the next day when Clair had popped back in to see if Tabitha could come along as well.

Jill had considered it for only a second, balancing the pros and cons, trying to think of an easy way to say no, but the look on Claire's face told her that this point wasn't negotiable and so she'd agreed.

If they had just driven directly to the Senator's office, it would only have been a 10 or 12-hour drive, but instead Jill had planned out a sweeping arc, covering half of the Midwest, that would take them the full two weeks to arrive.

And so, here they were, hours in and driving down a back road in the middle of nowhere, expecting to see a farmer in overalls and a straw hat riding an old tractor down the road at any moment. Well, at least Jill would have seen him, Claire and Tabitha still had their noses buried in their phones.

"Hey, I've got no signal!" Claire said as she finally looked up from her phone and towards Jill, only to frown and then turn to Tabitha, Claire's long blonde hair showing no signs of grey whatsoever.

"Yeah, me too." Tabitha replied as she pushed her glasses up her nose, and much like Jill had a few minutes ago, pushed some of her long, loose black hair over an ear.

Jill rolled her eyes, they were both 27 years old and still couldn't take their eyes off of their toys for even a moment.

"Well don't worry, we should be at the Bed and Breakfast I booked us in to for 2 days any moment now and I'm sure they'll have wifi... in fact..." Jill said and the other two looked forward and Jill pointed over her steering wheel towards the large sign that read:

Bucks Ferry Bed and Breakfast

Upscale dining and lodging

Chapter 2 - Check-In

Claire just glared at the man for a moment and raised an eyebrow, then in a voice dripping with venom said, "What do you mean you *don't* have wifi?"

The old man chuckled as he stood in the well-appointed main dining room which doubled as the B&B's reception area.

"I'm sorry Miss, we're a little backwards around here about such things. We prefer a more traditional experience here in Buck's Ferry." he said, pulling down the vest of his three piece suit with a little tug.

Claire just stared at... Dave? Was that the name he'd given them? Yes, she was sure it was Dave, though he didn't look like a Dave to her. More like a Cecile or Eugene if she was honest, some name from long ago, certainly not something as simple as... Dave.

"Shit! I still can't get any signal!" Tabitha spat out as she shook her phone in disgust.

"I am sorry about that as well, but there's just something about the surrounding area that interferes with cell phones, high-speed internet, and just about any other modern contraption." he said, holding his hands up beside him and shrugging his shoulders, undoing his tug on his vest in one swift motion.

Jill on the other hand had a smile across her face from ear to ear. Claire rolled her eyes knowing exactly what that smile was for, no more hiding from conversations by burying her head in her phone. Claire let out an almost inaudible sigh before forcing a smile onto her face and turning to her mother, "Well Jill, I guess we're going to have a nice couple of days here!"

Claire tried to not let sarcasm seep into her voice, but she doubted her mother had missed the tinge that must have been there. It was the barely noticed wince at the sound of her name though that Claire knew was far worse.

She and her mother had never been close, and Jill seemed to think that was a bad thing now. She hadn't for the dozen years and more she'd spent going to school, interning, practising and eventually setting up her own practice. But now that Claire had graduated, Jill had changed her mind and had been trying desperately to get into Claire's good graces.

It wasn't working, and honestly Claire had no need for it. As much as Jill had ignored her throughout her formative years, in the end, Claire was very happy with how things had turned out. Jill had taught her important lessons through those years and she had applied them to her life, if slightly differently than Jill had.

Claire was always sociable with her mother, never bad-mouthing her or outright denying her a relationship, it was just a nice easy relationship that floated along the surface, never dipping beneath into the depths.

In a strange way, Claire did look up to Jill in many ways. Jill was smart, determined, independent, successful, and had a vision of what she wanted to do.

Claire too had these things, it was only the destination the two women chose that were different.

Jill wanted to change the world by changing the laws that governed everyone, Claire just wanted to change the lives of individuals for the better.

Both were commendable, but they did leave a big divide between the two of them. When Jill had suggested the road trip, her first reaction had been to say no, which she had successfully hidden from Jill. Once Jill explained the *why* of the trip, well, she couldn't refuse and had excitedly agreed to it.

She had chided herself a few hours after saying yes for not being fast enough to insert Tabitha into the trip, but well, Claire wasn't perfect and it was an easy enough conversation the next day.

Tabitha had been a different story though, with Claire having to literally get down on her knees and beg Tabitha to agree to the trip. The two of them had been friends since university, and like Claire, Tabitha wasn't a "road trip kinda girl" as she had put it. Eventually though she gave in and the plans were set.

"If you'd like to follow me I can show you to your rooms..." Dave said as he waved his hand towards the ornate staircase by the front door and the three doctors walked in front of him and up the stairs.

* * *

Tabitha jumped up onto the four-post bed and fell back on the soft comforter and smiled. Sure there was no Internet, but by god this place was amazing for being in the middle of nowhere!

Upscale lodging indeed!

The room was elegant, modern, with just a hint of Japanese styling. Not something she would have expected in a small town called Bucks Ferry, no, more like in a downtown penthouse of a skyscraper.

She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, the slightest hint of incense filling her nostrils, reminding her of growing up at home. She managed to drag herself out of the pleasant memory and sit upright, then push herself off the tall bed and land on her feet. At 5' 1" the bed was almost too tall for her to get up and on to, but it wasn't the first time she'd had that kind of problem, so she was sure she'd manage.

She ran her fingers along the comforter and then up the dark wood of the post, before turning towards the window and walking to it. She looked out over the rolling hills of green grass and dark forests and wrinkled her nose.

Who in their right mind would want to live this close to... nature?

Fortunately the large pool caught her attention, which lead over to the large, renovated barn that looked to be some kind of modern spa painted in earthy tones, and finally to the second outbuilding that was constructed of cement block and painted bright white.

A quick check of her watch told her she had at least an hour before the 8 pm dinner would be served and so she grabbed her bag, opened it up, and pulled out her swimsuit and towel before changing and heading down to the pool for a swim.

* * *

Jill heard the hurried footsteps of Tabitha pass by her doorway, and just a fleeting view of the end of a towel, as she unpacked her toiletries and prepared for the night.

Her room was nice, if a little 'old' for her tastes, though she could imagine many mothers with a 27-year-old daughter feeling right at home in it. It was maybe a decade out of date, the accent wall having not aged well, the bright solid colours doing nothing to enhance the space, and the furniture showing slight signs of wear and tear on it.

Jill was just a little different than those mothers, with such a small age gap between Claire and her, along with her own intimate knowledge of health and beauty, well, even Claire admitted they looked more like sisters than mother/daughter.

Which was another part of the problem with their relationship, Claire just didn't *see* Jill as a mother figure and now that they worked together as well, that didn't look to change any time soon.

Jill decided to take the opportunity of Tabitha running down to the pool to see what Claire was up to and headed towards the hallway.

Chapter 3 - Good Morning?

Jill looked at Fifi, the serving girl, and rolled her eyes. Fifi was wearing a tight black dress, styled as a french maid, but made of the finest materials and even with its overtly sexual nature, looked classy and refined.

Fifi set the breakfast plate in front of Jill and Jill nodded in acknowledgement. Across the table Claire was seated, but Jill was trying to avoid making eye contact with her. Last night, when Tabitha had gone to the pool, Jill had tried once more to kindle a mother-daughter relationship and failed miserably.

The two of them had ended up arguing for almost an hour, until Tabitha returned and all three headed back to their respective rooms for the night. Jill had spent several hours before falling asleep, trying to figure out what had gone wrong, where she had made a mistake in her approach, but for the life of her, she had no idea.

Fifi moved around the table quickly and placed similar plates in front of Claire and Tabitha and was just about to leave when Dave walked into the room.

"I'm sorry to disturb your breakfast, but I'm afraid I need Fifi for a bit, there's been an accident in the spa."

"Is anyone injured? All three of us are doctors..." Jill said, waving her hand around the table.

"Truly? That's quite amazing. But, no, it's nothing serious and Fifi is a registered nurse and will be able to handle it I'm sure. If she needs any further help I'll come and get one of you though."

Jill raised an eyebrow at the revelation that Fifi was a registered nurse, why would she be working at a small B&B like this, no matter how well it paid, instead of at a hospital or private practice?

Before she could ask, Dave and Fifi left the room and headed outside towards the spa.

Without thinking, Jill looked over at Claire and could see the confusion on her face as well, at least for a moment until they made eye contact and a scowl crossed her face once more.

Tabitha was the first to break the silence, "So how did you two sleep last night?" she asked in an unsure voice.

Jill was about to respond when Claire spoke up, "It was strangely... satisfying?"

Jill watched Tabitha blush as Jill's own memories of the night came back to her. After turning in she'd tossed and turned for quite a while before drifting off to erotic dreams of some kind that she couldn't quite remember.

"Yes... I would say satisfying is one way to put it." Jill said before picking a slice of fresh fruit off her plate and biting into it.

The three of them said nothing else for the rest of the meal.

* * *

Tabitha blushed at Claire's description of the previous night's sleep and couldn't agree less with her friend. She had tossed and turned all night, drifting off for an hour or two, but always right into another masturbatory dream that was completely wrong.

At least she felt they were wrong, as the details always slipped between her fingers when she woke up in cold sweats, coming down from an orgasm each time.

She hadn't cum that many times in a single night, well, ever. And even with how little sleep she did get, she hadn't felt tired in the slightest when her alarm had gone off. Perhaps it was the energy from the night before when she'd come up to find Jill and Claire fighting... yet again, that fuelled her restless night.

Or perhaps not, she hadn't had a boyfriend for a few months as well and she was getting "that itch" again. It was one of the reasons she hadn't really wanted to come along on this trip with Claire, but only a small part of it.

The real reason was that she knew Claire would try and put her between Jill and her, in an attempt to avoid the elephant in the room. Tabitha might have been a little bit more understanding, but it was hard when she looked up to Jill as much as she did.

Not only had Jill hired her directly out of med school, but the woman had clawed her way up from teen pregnancy all the way to having her own very successful cosmetic surgery practice. Tabitha tried to learn as much as she could from Jill whenever she could, and getting in the middle of the family drama would not help that in the slightest.

In the end though, her friendship with Claire was too important and so she'd agreed to come along and just hoped she could navigate the disaster without taking too much damage to herself.

Wanting to avoid any more conflict, Tabitha finished her breakfast as quickly as she could and headed out towards the pool, but instead found her gaze drawn towards the renovated barn and headed towards the spa instead.

She walked by the single-story cinder block building, painted bright white, on her way but saw no obvious indications for what it was for. So she continued on and headed up to the main entrance of the spa and walked inside.

The reception was on the small side, a receptionist behind a desk and a few comfortable-looking chairs in front of them.

"Hello, how may I help you?" the blonde woman behind the desk ask in a chipper voice and with a smile across her bright red lips.

"Hi... ugh... I just thought I'd come and check the place out." Tabitha replied.

"Of course, here, take a brochure of our services..." the woman said and held out a tri-fold brochure.

Tabitha smiled back and took it from her before walking over to one of the chairs and sitting down in it. She had been right, the chair was *very* comfortable.

She opened the brochure and found a series of pretty standard services; facials, massages, mud baths, hydrotherapy, etc. Along with a few that surprised her; a full beauty salon, and a "coming soon" cosmetic clinic.

Tabitha subconsciously cracked her neck, tilting her head to the side, and then smiled and turned her head back to the receptionist, "Can I book a massage?"

"Of course, the spa is here for the guests. Let call the masseuse and get you right in."

* * *

Claire watched Tabitha head over to the spa and almost followed along, but decided against it at the last moment. She kind of felt bad for forcing her friend to come along and be the referee between Claire and Jill, giving her some alone time at the spa seemed the least she could do.