Saving the Doctor Pt. 05

Elaina and Madeline walked in the door in cheerful conversation with bags of takeout food in tow. Jon said a friendly 'hi' and gave her a hug. She was basically a shorter, plainer version of her sister, with more of a laid back demeanor and more of a free-spirited style of dress. Nothing hippie-ish by any stretch really, but compared to Elaina's business-style it almost seemed like it. She complimented them on the house and Elaina gave her a quick tour.

To Jon's surprise they sat down to a dinner of East-Indian food. Elaina said it was what had the most vegetarian options. They had a pleasant, light conversation. Jon watched Elaina maintain her smile while she choked down the food he knew she hated.

Madeline lived in the large city 2 hours away where Jon and Elaina had done their residency training. She was a writer. Mostly working for both a magazine and a newspaper, but he knew she had at least a couple novels under her belt.

He asked how her latest one was doing and Elaina flashed him a look. Madeline admitted it hadn't sold very well at all and the publisher had recently taken it out of print, but it was still online. He reassured her that it was worth it to keep trying and they talked about how it was a tough, competitive market to break into. He asked her about what her next novel might be and she had only bounced a few ideas around so far. He jokingly suggested she delve into science fiction, and she amused him with asking about some of his favorite authors, one of whom she'd actually met. She was more of a history buff though.

She was single, and very career driven the way her sister was. She had the occasional boyfriend, but nothing too serious. Elaina kept giving him annoyed looks as he talked with Madeline about her personal life, eventually getting up to clean up the plates. She warned them to mind the time, since Madeline had a long drive back, then walked upstairs to leave them chatting at the table alone, finishing their wine-glasses.

A lull in their conversation made Madeline swirl her wineglass and look up at him a bit more seriously.

"How are you and Elaina doing by the way?" she said.

Her mouth curved thoughtfully as he hesitated at her question, evidently giving himself away, and he realized 'fine' wouldn't be a believable answer.

"It's... not all sunshine and roses to be honest. There's a lot of stress going around to say the least....What did she say?"

"Oh she would never admit it, and I know her well enough not to press her bluntly about it, but I got the sense something's eating her up." Madeline said. "No offense, but I'm thinking you don't look like the most stress-free person right now either."

Jon sighed, "You'd be right. I don't know, we both have our own issues going on I guess. She won't talk much about it, but I know that work isn't going great for her, and I wish I could be more supportive, but I feel like all I'm able to do is annoy her and piss her off more. It's so hard to have any kind of conversation with her about anything personal or emotional."

Madeline chuckled, "Ain't that the truth. If you figure that out, let me know. I haven't been able to crack that nut for 32 years."

"Even as kids?"

She shrugged, "She wasn't always this bad, but she'd always have a strict wannabe-schoolteacher persona from what I recall. I had to learn how to stand my ground, and even then she'd usually get her way, even though I'm the older one."

She looked at him thoughtfully. "I would've hoped you'd figure at least some of that out at this point..."

"Well yeah that sounds like Elaina. I just thought you might have some advice on how I can talk to her about her problems without pissing her off."

"Elaina? Having problems she can't solve on her own? Inconceivable!" Madeline grinned knowingly.

Jon laughed bitterly, "So you're telling me I'm screwed?"

"Maybe. You're in pretty deep man," she chuckled back. "No sorry... Look, I love my little sister to bits, but you gotta stand your ground with her. I like you Jon, you're a nice guy, but I'm starting to think maybe too nice... It'd be a shame to see her slowly eat you alive." She raised an eyebrow and smirked at him then finished her wine glass.

"Or not so slowly," he said, as he finished his as well.

She laughed and reached over to pinch his cheek.

They fell silent for a moment.

"Look, is it really that bad?" she asked, more genuinely.

He gave her a serious look and a nod of confirmation. "I'm kinda not sure what to do."

"I'll see if she can open up to me at some point, but like I said, I haven't had great luck with it in the past."

"Thanks Madeline. I appreciate it," he said. "The sooner the better if you can."

She sighed, and to his surprise she filled another wine glass.

"This stuff is good," she smiled.

She asked to see his book collection and they wandered into the living room. She mocked him a bit as a geek, but still seemed interested in the large stack of sci-fi novels. He mentioned in the last year or so he had mostly switched to e-books, so it wasn't even his complete collection. She asked him about writing styles that he liked and talked about different types she'd played with in her own work. He was surprised how easy she was to talk to.

Eventually Elaina came out of hiding and asked if Madeline wanted to stay the night if it was getting too late. Madeline took her up on it, saying she was mostly working from home these days, so had no where to be first thing Monday morning. Jon caught a very subtle look of surprise on Elaina's face, evidently having only offered to be polite.

They watched TV and kept chatting. Jon left for a while to give them some more alone time, but wasn't sure if they talked much. Eventually, they all went to bed early. Madeline intended to get away first thing in the morning, and after Elaina showed her everything in the guest room he was finally alone with Elaina for the first time since before the gala.

"I can't believe you gave her another glass of wine," Elaina whispered bitingly at him as soon as they were in their bedroom.

"She helped herself, what was I gonna reach out and stop her? I didn't think it was that big of a deal."

"Well now she's staying over. It was nice to see her, but I'm tired, and playing hostess can be exhausting."

"You offered Elaina, you can't fault her for saying yes," Jon shrugged.

Elaina gave an annoyed glare.

"Besides, she's your sister you can be more laid back around her can't you?" he asked.

"A little. I didn't know you two were so chummy by the way," she said, looking at him skeptically.

"We weren't until tonight I guess. I was just... being a good host, but Madeline's kind of interesting honestly, I hadn't got a chance to talk to her much the few other times we met," he said.

"Okay..." she looked at him suspiciously. "You hadn't talked to her recently had you? About us? About me?"

"What? Honey I didn't even know she was coming. No, I haven't talked with her since before we moved here. Why?"

"Fine. She just... asked a few questions today that hinted that I might not be doing so well. It was a tad insulting, what with her being the one who can't hold down a man, and I'm doing much better than her financially..."

"Maybe you let on more than you know. She's your sister, I'm sure she can read you to some degree. I mean she's right isn't she?"

Her eyes burned angrily at him. "That's not the point."

"Maybe she'd be a good person to open up to about some of the stuff that's causing you stress."

"Oh, such as you? She seems to already be on your side evidently."

"What do you mean on my side? Aren't we all on the same side?"

She looked away stubbornly. "I can handle stress. I don't need her, and unlike you I don't need to go getting all touchy-feely with some under-educated counselor."

"All of our colleagues endorse it and recommend it because it works Elaina."

"Does it? I'm not so sure it has been working. In fact I feel like I don't want you seeing whoever it is you're seeing anymore. Our lives haven't exactly been getting better since you started that bullshit."

"Speak for yourself," he muttered and set his alarm, crawling into bed.

She gave one last glare and turned out the light.

"I meant it when I said last night that I don't want you hanging out with Grace and Jeff anymore."

"I work with Jeff honey," he said, exasperated.

"Any more than necessary," she corrected. "I feel like there's been too many negative influences on you these days. People turning you against me."

"You think they're in cahoots with the counselor?"

"Of course not!...Not intentionally."

"You could save a lot of time and just chain me up in the basement," he said bitterly.

She rolled over and he could picture her furious eyes in the dark. "You are ONE WORD away from from sleeping on the fucking couch!" she whispered bitingly. "You're lucky my sister's in the other room."

The dark room finally fell silent.

Tomorrow. He told himself. He would confront her tomorrow.

On Monday morning all three were pleasant to each other and left with simple friendly goodbyes.

Jon got to work feeling relieved to get away from his home again, but a bit worried about seeing Beth after their 'encounter' on Friday.

To his surprise she wasn't there. She had called in sick and one of the other assistants, Trish, was covering for her. It struck him how rare this was, and he had a hard time remembering more than one other time she'd called in sick. He realized how hard, and how well Beth worked, as the day wore on and things kept slowing down and growing more disorganized. Trish light-heartedly apologized, but seemed to not be able to get her head out of the clouds.

He grew worried that Beth had changed her mind, and now was afraid to work with him at all now. He didn't have much time to contemplate this as he struggled to keep any semblance of organization and wrapped up his last patient much later than usual. He begrudgingly thanked Trish for filling in. He had been polite to her but hoped dearly that Beth would be back tomorrow.

To his surprise he still got home before Elaina and decided to cook up some chicken and pasta. He tried to think up what he might say to her to bring up the subject of their relationship without pissing her off too quickly, but eventually decided he was going to have to wing it, and that her anger would be inevitable.

He was finishing up and considering texting her to make sure she was okay, when she suddenly burst through the door, slamming it in fury.

"Honey?..." Jon called from the kitchen

He saw her purse fly through the air and slam against the wall. Then caught a glimpse of her tear-stricken face as she stomped to the bathroom. He plated the food and waited. She finally stepped out, much calmer but clearly still upset.

"What's the matter Elaina?" he asked cautiously.

"I don't want to talk about it right now, let's just eat first," she said flatly, sitting down without making eye contact.

"Okay...okay. There's parmesan and pepper if you'd like."

They ate in silence, except for her commenting that the chicken was dry. When they finished and he got up to take their plates away and came back with a glass of wine for her. She looked annoyed at him, but took it and drank anyway.

"Elaina tell me what's wrong," Jon asked delicately.

She sighed and stared angrily at the wall. "The fucking staff at this fucking hospital. Apparently they complained enough and finally got their way, so the administration called me in. They didn't tell me what it was about and I thought they were going to talk about a pay increase. Instead they're insisting that in order to simply KEEP my job I need to take sensitivity training! And... and you're gonna love this part Jon, see a fucking counselor twice a week!"

He looked sympathetically at her, but didn't share her anger.

"I can see how that would be hard to hear," he ventured.

"I don't know where the hell they get off making me do this. I'm tempted to quit instead and I told them as much, but they didn't seem to appreciate the threat."

"We would have to move Elaina..." he reminded her.

"I know that!" she glared in annoyance at him, but her eyes seemed to be welling up again. "I'm going to look through the contract I signed and see if I can find grounds to fight it," she said, taking a generous gulp of wine.

"Is that really the best way honey? Even if you succeed you might keep your job technically, but you'd just be making more enemies. I mean, I feel like it might be easier just to go through with the sessions. What harm could they do?"

"Oh shut the fuck up, I KNEW you'd say that. You keep insisting on taking anyone's side but mine."

He took a breath to remain calm. "Elaina, I want you to be happy, I really do. I want you to succeed and do well at your job, and I'm on your side, but that doesn't mean agreeing with every single thing you say-"

She looked like she was about to interrupt him but he persisted.

" -and maybe, just MAYBE, listening to someone else who might know some things you don't, or who thinks about them in a different way, might help you to achieve some of those things," he said, trying to look supportive.

She stared at him looking disappointed. "So you think I actually need therapy."

He sighed. "I think LOTS of people can benefit from it. Including me, and yes, including you."

"Unbelievable!" She got up and left the table.

He sighed and finished cleaning up the table and kitchen. After taking his time putting everything away he stood there trying to decide what to do. He was tempted just to head downstairs and leave her alone, but instead went to find her and see if she somehow still wanted to talk.

He finally found her in the bedroom, sitting on the floor against the bed hugging herself, her ipad tossed to the side, her face covered in tears.

He was suddenly filled with pity and guilt. He knelt down beside her.

"Go away I don't want you to see me like this," she croaked.

"What do you mean?" Jon asked. "Open, and vulnerable and honest? Everyone needs someone that they can be that way with."

She sniffed and gave him a petulant glance.

"Elaina what good am I to you if it I can't be your support when things get tough?" he asked, and rubbed his hand over her shoulder cautiously. "I want to be here for you if you'll let me," he said, surprised at how honest the words actually felt.

She looked at him with beautiful tear-stricken eyes. Suddenly she threw her arms around him and sobbed into his shoulder. Her light body shuddered against him and he held her affectionately. She cried and cried for minutes. He couldn't remember another time when she had ever done this.

"Six months into practice and THIS is already fucking happening," she said. "All I've been doing is working my ass off to be the best doctor I can be and make it the best hospital it can be and THIS is the thanks I get."

He held her tighter and kissed her head.

"I need you Jon," she sobbed. "I keep worrying I'm going to lose you. No matter how hard I keep trying, I feel like you're slipping away, but I need you. I need you on my side with all this. To be here for me okay?" She looked up at him covered in tears, but with a serious questioning look in her eyes.

"Yeah, of course Elaina. I'm here for you. I can help you through this, however you need," he found himself saying.

"You promise?" she looked deep into his eyes, and those familiar pools sucked him in.

"Yeah, I promise," he confirmed. He couldn't possibly bring himself to say otherwise, not with her like this.

She kissed him passionately and her arms clung around his neck. He kissed her back and squeezed her tightly.

"You promise you'll be on my side? Not theirs?" She kissed him sloppily and eagerly and moved to sit on his lap and wrap her legs around him.

He started to breathe heavier. "Of course."

She started to move her hips into him, and slither her body over top of his as she made out with him aggressively. His cock was quickly erect,

"You'll believe what I say? My side of the story? Not theirs? You promise?"

He hesitated for a short second before she slid her hand under his belt and found his cock. Her familiar fingers started sliding over it and squeezing in just the way she knew he loved.

"Yeah," he panted. "I promise."

He hated where this was going, but loved how it felt.

She kissed him hard and then broke away to lift up his his shirt over his head. He did the same to her and unclasped her bra as she kissed him all over his neck. She slid her arms out of her bra and their naked torso's clasped together again as she kissed him vigorously.

Their mouths broke apart, panting into each other, and she looked at him possessively.

"Show me how much you love me honey," she said. "Show me how much you need me."

She kissed him again and clung her arms and legs around him as he lifted her up and then collapsed with her, as one, onto their bed.

She spent the rest of the evening driving him wild. He made passionate love to her again and again. She would tease and deny him until he professed his undying devotion for her, that he could never want another woman as long as she was alive, that he would honor her, cherish her, agree with her. Each time simply repeating the words that she wanted him to say, and each time he gave in he was rewarded gloriously with her body.

He had started their marathon wanting to cherish every inch of her in case it was the last time he ever made love to her. By the end, he felt like he might actually believe the words she kept making him repeat, that he cherished every inch of the woman he belonged to, who owned him forever, that he was foolish to fight against her iron will and why not when this was the reward, that this was his destiny.

At least these were the feelings that washed over his mind as their sweat-soaked bodies passed out, wrapped around each other, late into the evening.

On Tuesday morning he felt like he was in a daze. He told himself his life was technically exactly how it was supposed to be. His beautiful wife was making him breakfast after a night of passionate love-making before he went to his stable, well-paying job. Still, he felt like he had no idea who he was or how he wanted his life to be. She was in a good mood this morning. For now... He knew he would be back to walking on eggshells before long. Maybe she would surprise him and suddenly change, but he doubted it.

At work, Beth was still off sick and Trish was back in her place. She hadn't seemed to learn from yesterday and clinic kept lagging despite his best efforts. He knew his clinic wasn't that different from anyone else's and he wondered if this was simply her usual. He was careful not to lose his temper with her though, he could tell she was genuinely trying her best. The fact that he was tempted to, made him worry that Elaina was starting to rub off on him.

He was still concerned that Beth might be avoiding work because of him, and he finally decided to text her at the end of the day.

- Hey, hope you're starting to feel better. Don't tell Trish but clinic's a bit of a disaster without you.

Trish walked in and handed him a crumpled note that she mentioned off-hand was from the morning. A name and a number and no other info. Then she said 'have a good night' and walked out. He looked at her leave, incredulous that she hadn't told him until now, but simply shook his head and reassured himself she'd be gone when he got back on Thursday.

He looked at the name again and recognized it. Dr. Liz Hartman. He had left a message with her a few weeks ago, because he had found out she ran a clinic at the small shelter downtown, and he was interested in trying it out.

At least it was nothing urgent, he reassured himself.