King's College - Chapter 49

Please, please me…..

After the football incident, Ellingham became the most attentive boyfriend that anyone could ever imagine. He provided Edith with every need, be it food, drink, housekeeping or clothing. Martin realized that he had access to Grandfather Henry's medical trust and could use any of it for purposes that pertained to Medical School...which included Edith. He showered her with attention and anything material that she requested. He was not going to lose her.

On the other hand, she felt absolutely free and comfortable to dismiss him anytime she wanted. It was understood that those were times when he should go away and not seek her out until she called him. She explained to Martin that she was an artistic and temperamental creature to whom private time was like oxygen. She needed it to survive and he was more than happy to accommodate her. He loved that she was so sensitive and intellectual and actually proposed, that in some way, when it came to this characteristic, they were very similar. He gladly gave her the freedom to recharge as she needed to.

The week of summer final exams finished on a Thursday afternoon and Martin waited for Edith to finish the exam. He ran up to her and put his arms around her waist, lifting her up with excitement. The lecture and examination portion of their medical course had come to an end. It was time for patient care to become the emphasis and experiential learning to begin. "Ellingham, please put me down. This is hardly dignified."

Martin put her down, but it didn't take the edge off his enthusiasm. "So now it's time to go to Cornwall and visit my aunt. When do you want to leave? We have the whole week. Let's leave soon."

Edith wasn't sure she had ever seen Ellingham quite as animated before. She actually didn't like it. She preferred him dour and depressed. "Ellingham, I may need one or two days to "decompress" from these exams. I won't be ready to go until Monday morning at the earliest.

Martin's elevated mood visibly deflated when she gave her reply. He wanted so badly for her to meet Auntie Joan and Uncle Phil and for them to see how smart and beautiful she was and to see that he was grown up enough to have a woman of his own. He knew Auntie Joan would be delighted to see how well he was doing and,that he had a woman that really loved him, which he was certain Edith did. The moments of passion that they had were too intense to be anything but love.

"Look," Edith said. "Let's go by your apartment and you drop off your books and get yourself anything you need. Then, on the way to my flat we'll buy a bottle of champagne. Then we go to my place and order in some good food...i'll drink champagne and maybe we'll watch something on the VCR and see where the rest of the evening takes us."

To Martin it sounded like an evening made in heaven. He picked up both their books and followed as they walked to his apartment. The rest of the evening turned into a night of unending passion. Edith guided him into types of lovemaking that he would never imagine he'd do, but when as aroused as he became, he acquiesced and gave her pleasure in ways he never imagined he would. Again, he had learned something new and felt sensations in his body and soul he couldn't believe. His mission was to please her and whatever pleasure he derived was just icing on the cake.

They turned lights out and settled for sleep. Edith was a bit tipsy and fell asleep immediately. Martin lay awake for a while longer, contemplating how he would ask her to marry him. He wanted to keep these feelings forever. He decided that he would talk to Auntie Joan and Uncle Phil about it. The next year would be busy, with clinical rotations, but he would ask her around Christmas, when everyone had a little free time, then he would feel this way forever. Good plan….and he drifted off to sleep.

When morning came, Ellingham was awake, making his first espresso and waiting for Edith to wake up. For some reason he had decided to hang out in his boxers and a vest. He left his dressing gown on its hook. He heard sounds of sighs and groans from the bedroom and checked as Edith started to stir.

"Ellingham!" she shouted. "What time and day is this...and bring me my coffee and a big glass of water!"

Martin dutifully brought her espresso and a very large glass of water with ice which she guzzled down avidly. "Montgomery, it is Friday morning, after exams...at exactly 9:46 am. Good morning."

He leaned in for a kiss, but she pushed him away. "Sorry, Ellingham, a bit of a hangover...it's going to take me a bit to get over it. Thank you for the water and coffee."

Suddenly, Martin felt foolish in his boxers and vest and snuck off into the bathroom to put his suit back on. When he came out, Edith was a bit more alert and in touch with what was going on.

"So, Montgomery," he said. "What should I do now? You're not ready to go to Cornwall. What do you want of me now?"

"I'm taken with you, Ellingham but I need some "me" time to recover from the last week. I suggest we get in touch Sunday night. You can tell me what to wear to visit Auntie Jill and spend some time in Cornwall. Until then, I will probably be meditating or reading...recharging my batteries, then we leave on Monday morning...in my car, in case you didn't know."

Martin left her flat and headed back to his, vowing not to call her no matter how much he wanted to. He cleaned up and spent a couple hours organizing all the notes, handouts and articles he had acquired in the past 2 years of classes in a logical fashion. One never knew when you might have to refer to basic science material while working on a case. As it turned out, most of that material you learned was useless except for a good medical textbook and perhaps an anatomy atlas for surgical rotations. Even at that nothing looked the same in real life with fat and hemorrhage going on. A good set of eyes and some sensitive fingers were the best thing for someone studying surgery. It was wise that everyone started as a general surgeon, doing appendectomies and gall bladders before they progressed to plastics or vascular or cardiac surgery. There had to be "wiggle room".

Martin ate in and got to the point where his latest clock was ready to work again...just a few more gear replacements…

It then occurred to him. For someone who had a girlfriend he loved and who obviously loved him back, he felt very lonely...very empty. What was this about?