CHAPTER SIX
The Medical Office of Michael Burton, MD
Wednesday, April 7, 2004
9:30 AM
Mike and Dr. Christopher were in Exam Room #1 with Jackie Barlow. Barlow was in her mid-thirties, a dirty-blond haired woman who was complaining of stomach and chest pains. After reviewing her medical history, Mike and Christopher were willing to rule out congenital heart problems as a possibility, especially considering heart problems would not account for stomach pains as well.
Mike watched Dr. Christopher as he examined Barlow in more depth. Christopher was about six foot tall, good looking, and in excellent shape. Mike thought back to meeting Christopher an hour before and to his initial surprise.
'He's black!" Mike had thought.
Christopher had smiled as he shook Mike's hand and said, "You're surprised that I'm black aren't you?"
"Uh, yeah," Mike had said tentatively. Mike had rushed on, "But not because I haven't dealt with black doctors in the past. Its just ..."
"Its just the name," Christopher had finished for Mike.
"Yeah," Mike had said in a relieved voice.
"My mother always liked the name Connor," Christopher had said. "It didn't matter that it was a very Gaelic sounding name - she was bound and determined to name her son Conner. So, here I am."
"Yep," Mike had said, "here you are. Come on in and lets talk!"
Once he had gotten over the initial surprise, Mike had found Christopher to have an excellent grasp of medicine. It was also evident that he had some specific ideas on how to treat patients.
Mike had also been impressed by Christopher exacting review of Barlow's medical history. When Mike had first handed Barlow's file to Christopher, he had quickly gone through the file and resorted it - some of the file was out of order chronologically.
As Christopher used his stethoscope, he moved further down on Barlow's body and focused a few moments on her abdomen. He straightened up and said to Mike, "Listen to her abdomen for a moment, Dr. Burton."
Mike complied, listening to the sounds of Barlow's gastro-intestinal system. Mike was surprised by the level of activity he heard - all sorts of gurgling sounds - and much more than he should be hearing. Mike was actually surprised that the noises weren't more noticeable without the aid of the stethoscope. Mike noted peripherally that Christopher was quietly rearranging things on the counter top while Mike listened.
Mike straightened up and said to Barlow, "Jackie, you seem to have an awful lot of activity going on in there. Any problems with gas or heartburn."
"No, no heartburn," Barlow responded, then looked slightly embarrassed, "but I've had more than the usual amount of gas. Funny thing, it helps with the pain if I burp or, um ..."
Mike raised his eyebrows at Christopher, who was now going through the handful of magazines in the rack on the wall. Christopher finished putting the magazines in some sort of order, then said, "A couple of question, Ms. Barlow, if I may?"
The question had been posed to both Barlow and Mike, who both nodded.
"Has anything changed in your life recently?" Christopher asked. "Anything that has added some extra stress into your life? New job ... new boyfriend?"
"Um, yeah," Barlow commented. "My boyfriend and I got engaged a couple of months back and we're in the middle of planning the wedding. All of this wedding planning has added a lot of stress."
Mike just waited for Christopher, who said, "Well, Ms. Barlow, it seems that you have a case of stress induced gas. Besides the obvious, uh, side effects, the gas can also produce pressure in the torso area. Sometimes makes it feel like you have a small child sitting on your chest."
Barlow snapped her fingers and said, "You know, I've been trying to figure out how best to describe this, but that's it!"
"Treatment?" Mike asked Christopher. Barlow looked between the two doctors.
"Pretty simple," Christopher said. "On your way home, Ms. Barlow, stop by the pharmacy or grocery store and pick up some Zantac. Follow the directions - if you don't notice an improvement within a few days, let us know and we can prescribe a stronger dosage."
Mike nodded and said, "That's it, Jackie. Let us know if you have any problems, okay?"
"Sure, Dr. Burton, Dr. Christopher," Barlow said as she slipped out of the exam room.
"Good call, Connor," Mike said.
"Thanks, Mike," Christopher replied. "I actually have a touch of the same problem myself. I'm going to run and get some water - want anything?"
"No," Mike said, "I'm okay. Thanks."
Christopher nodded and stepped out of the room. Mike took a moment to look around the exam room. He looked more closely and noted that Christopher had re-organized the items on the counter in size order - largest to smallest - from the wall to the edge of the counter. When Mike checked the wall rack, the magazines had been sorted alphabetically.
Mike shook his head and left the exam room.
As the morning wore on, Mike was impressed with Christopher's medical skill. However, Christopher was getting broader and broader in his "rearranging". During an unexpected mid-morning break due to a patient cancellation, Mike found Christopher rearranging the supply cabinet. This time it was a tri-level rearrangement by function (exam required, office supplies, medicine samples), size (largest in the back, smallest in the front) and *then* alphabetically!
Mike shook his head, but said nothing. Just before lunch, Wendy had commented to Mike that Christopher had gone through the waiting room and alphabetically sorted the magazines - three times! When Mike and Christopher had retired to Mike's office for a patient consultation just after lunch, Mike noticed the way Christopher kept losing focus and eyeing Mike's bookshelves and desk - it was pretty obvious to Mike that Christopher was just itching to straighten things up and re-organize Mike's office.
The final straw came about three o'clock when Mike was waiting in the exam room for Christopher to return from retrieving a patient file. After idly chit-chatting with Shane Addison for a few moments, Mike went to see what the problem was. Mike found Christopher rooting through the patient files, furiously pulling files and moving them into different cabinets.
"Dr. Christopher!" Mike called softly but insistently.
Christopher jerked upright and turned around to look at Mike.
"What are you doing?" Mike asked.
"I was, um, just getting Mr. Addison's file," Christopher replied lamely.
"Dr. Christopher," Mike said, "you have been rearranging everything in this medical office all day long. I realize that I asked you here today to determine whether I might ask you to be my partner in this practice, but your obsessive need to organize and rearrange everything is unacceptable. We have a patient waiting!"
Christopher looked at the files strewn about the floor - a mess he had created - and looked torn between going with Mike to see Addison and staying and finishing what he started.
It was right then that Mike knew Christopher was not going to work out. Mike was not a slob, but he wasn't the neatest person in the world either. His office desk had papers heaped in piles across the top and his bookshelves were stacked with book in a somewhat random order - but Mike knew where everything was.
Christopher would constantly be straightening things up and rearranging things - rearranging them from the way Mike liked them. Mike wasn't unreasonable about compromising with a potential partner on the way the patient's file should be filed or how the supply closet should be organized - but it wasn't going to work with someone who just *had* to arrange things due to an obsessive compulsive need.
Dr. Christopher - and truth to tell, Mike - was disappointed when Mike finally told him that he didn't think it would work out. But, he took the news well enough and told Mike to keep him in consideration if he changed his mind.
Mike let out a big sigh as he closed the door behind Christopher.
***
The Pie Shop
Wednesday, April 7, 2004
12:00 PM
Carol got to the Pie Shop as quickly as possible. Ed had left a message on her cell phone telling her that he was going to be home early and wanted to meet her at the Pie Shop for lunch at noon. His appointment in Columbus for the afternoon had been cancelled, so Ed saw no reason not to come home.
As she stepped inside the Pie Shop, Carol scanned the tables and saw Ed waving at her. She smiled hugely and rushed over to the table. Carol almost leapt into Ed's arms and gave him a large kiss. A few people seated at other tables watched the two - a couple of women were disappointed when they saw that Ed was taken. A couple of the men watching the scene thought how lucky Ed was.
Carol disengaged and sat down next to Ed. Ed smiled at her, then said, "You look great!"
And she did, as usual. Her hair was down today - her straight, full blond locks cascading down around her shoulders. She was wearing a pair of black slacks and a cream and black lightweight sweater.
Carol's smile got even larger - not an easy feat. She said, "Thanks, you're looking pretty good yourself."
Ed had on a pair of jeans with sneakers and one of his trademark bowling shirts. This one was a vibrant royal blue with black and maroon accents.
"Oh," Ed said breezily with a wave of his hand, "I just threw this outfit together this morning. Do you like it?"
Carol laughed and said, "I missed you!"
"Yeah," Ed said sincerely, "me too."
They looked into each other's eyes for a few moments, before they both looked away, slightly flushed. Ed and Carol picked up their menus and quickly decided on lunch. Carol ordered the Turkey Club while Ed ordered a Monterey Chicken sandwich. They decided to share an order of fries.
"So," Carol said, "how did things go in Columbus?"
"Good," Ed said, then paused, "I think."
"You think?" Carol asked.
"Well," Ed said as he sipped his Coke, "you have to remember that this is all new for me. I mean, lawyers deal with an awful lot of forms, contracts and stuff, but I've never dealt with anything like this before. The stuff for setting up the regional planning council is pretty interesting - (Ed lowered his voice) and so is the land acquisition stuff - but there is an *awful* lot of paperwork."
"Do you have to go back?" Carol asked as the waitress brought their lunches.
"Yeah," Ed said with a sigh. "I may have to go back later next week, but for now I've got enough stuff figured out that I can work here. Plus I'm going to need to meet with Mayor Kendricks on the, um, one issue. Probably have to meet with him regarding the planning council - and maybe some public officials from the others municipalities involved. Then, I'll probably have to go back up to Columbus to do some more research, meet some more with the Ohio DOT people, and start filing some of these endless forms."
"Hope it won't be for too long," Carol said with enthusiasm.
Ed smiled and said, "Don't worry. I'll be back as soon as I can. I don't like being away from you overnight."
Carol smiled, but Ed noticed ... something ... about her smile that bothered him. He didn't know if whatever had been bothering was *still* bothering her.
As for Carol, she was thinking about the conversation she'd had with Nancy about Ed not proposing and what it all meant.
"So," Ed said after a hearty bite of his sandwich, "You said you'd have to tell me all about what had been going on while I was away. You were pretty closed mouthed about things when we talked on the phone. So ... give!"
Carol paused, then spoke while Ed was sipping his soda, "Well, on Monday night I had dinner with Nick Stanton."
Ed stopped sipping his soda for a moment, and replied, trying for all the world like he was completely fine with it, "Oh really? And how is *old* Nick?"
Carol just looked at him quizzically, then answered, "He's fine."
"That's good," Ed said.
"So, you're okay with me having dinner with Nick Stanton?" Carol asked, her voice tinged with concern.
"Of course, I'm okay with it," Ed stated. "Why shouldn't I be okay with it? Do I look like someone who wouldn't be okay with it? No siree bob, I'm perfectly okay with it."
He stretched back in his chair and said., "Doesn't bother me in the slightest." He started fiddling with his straw.
"Ed?" Carol asked.
"What?" Ed replied
"You're babbling," Carol said.
Ed who was still fiddling with his straw just looked back at Carol, "Babbling? I am not babbling. Nope. I'm just trying to explain to the woman I love that I don't have any problem with her having dinner with an old boyfriend. No trace of babbling here. None whatsoever."
"Ed," Carol said with some amusement, "you're doing it again."
"Oh. Sorry," Ed said as he put the straw down.
"Well if it makes you feel any better, Molly was with me when we had dinner with Nick and his wife," Carol said in a concilliatory tone of voice.
Ed let out a small sigh. "Truth be told, it does. So Nick's doing okay?"
Carol frowned.
Ed was trying to figure out what that meant when she blurted out, "Nick Stanton is still a pompous ass,"
"O----kay." Ed said cautiously, "I think you might need to back up a bit and tell me how this all happened."
So, Carol recounted running into Nick in Molly's office and how he had asked them to go to dinner with them. Ed noticed that Carol had started to say something about one thing Nick had said at the high school but had dropped it and moved on - he was very curious what Nick had said.
Ed and Carol continued their lunch while Carol ran through the rest of the story. Meeting Nick at the Smiling Goat, meeting his wife Heather, their incessant talk about how *perfect* their lives were.
Ed watched Carol closely, noting how she was tensing up and getting more worked up as she talked about the dinner with Nick. He finally decided to say something about it.
"Carol," Ed begin carefully, "you really seem to be upset with Nick - the fact that he's married, has kids, a big house with a white picket fence. All of it."
"Yeah, I know," Carol said with a thoughtful expression. "I don't know why. Maybe its because when Nick and I were together he never wanted to talk about things like getting married (Carol gave Ed a brief piercing look, which he didn't quite see) and having kids. It just upsets me to see he's got the whole package now. It just bugs me, you know?
Ed nodded, but was still bothered by Carol's obvious distress over the whole Nick Stanton thing. He had been considering proposing during lunch, but as he fingered the engagement ring through the fabric of his jeans, he worried that now really wasn't the best time. Ed wanted Carol to agree to be his wife because it was what she wanted, not because she felt like she was in some sort of competition.
***
StuckeyBowl
Wednesday, April 7, 2004
3:30 PM
Ed was at the shoe counter, doing an inventory check on the shoes and looking at each pair to decide if he needed any replacements. He looked over at the snack counter where his three staff members were. Eli was at one end of the counter, eating a piece of pie from Jennifer - Jenni-"fair", as Eli called her - who had just left. Shirley was standing on the other side of the counter, intently watching as Eli ate the pie.
Phil was a few seats down the counter, talking animatedly with an attractive young woman. She had shoulder length brown hair, blue eyes, and a rather ... ample ... bust line. She had on a pair of jeans and t-shirt that read "Save the Whales". Ed could hear that Phil was recounting some of his "exploits" to her. To Ed's great surprise, the woman seemed to be enraptured by Phil's stories. She was oohing and aahing at various points while Phil spoke on his favorite subject - himself.
Ed was more in agreement with Eli, whom he could hear provide an occasional snort to some particularly "heroic" or "courageous" act of Phil's. Ed rolled his eyes as Phil started in on a new story.
"Just the other day," Phil said in a conspiratory fashion, "I was doing a routine sweep down Main Street. Just keeping an eye out for someone in need. That's when I saw it!"
"Saw what?" the brunette said with a breathless gasp that stretched the thin cotton material of her t-shirt. Phil almost fell of the stool.
"The sweetest little old lady ... about to be run down by an out of control tractor trailer," Phil said sadly.
"Oh, no!" the woman, whose name was Ginger, said.
"Oh, puh-lease," Eli said from his end of the counter.
Phil gave a momentary glare in Eli's direction, but otherwise ignored him.
"Sadly, yes," Phil said in the same sad tone. "But, fortunately (Phil's voice took on a happy tone), I was there to save the day ... again!."
"Oh, good," Ginger exclaimed and bounced on her stool in relief. The bounce completely distracted Phil for a moment. After watching Ginger for a moment, Shirley looked at her own chest with pursed lips, then smiled enigmatically.
"Yes," Phil said smugly, "I realized that once again, I, Phil Stubbs, would risk my life to save another's!"
"Ooh!" Ginger said as she leaned closer to Phil. Phil took a moment to glance down towards the woman's chest ... again. "What did you do?"
"Well," Phil said, "there wasn't much time ..."
"Only about ten minutes ..." Eli said aloud.
"So," Phil said, ignoring Eli's interruption, "I had to act quickly ..."
"You had time to run to the corner and get coffee and a donut ..." Eli said.
"I put on a blinding burst of speed," Phil continued to ignore Eli.
"*I* could have run faster," Eli commented.
"I made a long, graceful leap towards the little old lady," Phil said.
"Looked like an albatross trying to take flight," Eli said as he took another forkful of pie.
"I grabbed her and pulled her to safety," Phil explained, "landing on my feet with cat-like reflexes."
"You missed her and landed flat on your face," Eli said disgustedly.
"The truck barely missed us," Phil said as he glared at Eli again.
"The mini-Cooper *coasted* by like ten minutes later," Eli corrected again.
"The little old lady was *SO* grateful to me for saving her life," Phil said. "She wanted to put me in her will."
"The *young* lady stomped on your foot and threatened to call the cops," Eli said with a smile.
"*SO*," Phil said forcefully, "that's how I saved a little old lady from certain death."
"*SO*," Eli said just as forcefully, "that's how you made a total ass of yourself in front of a bunch of people."
Eli was appalled when he realized that Ginger had not paid one bit of attention to him as she leaned forward again towards Phil and whispered throatily, "You are *SO* brave!"
Phil looked smugly over his shoulder at Eli. He stood and took Ginger by the arm, saying, "Perhaps we should continue our discussion outside?"
Eli looked at Shirley in shock, but Shirley only looked back at him blankly. Eli looked over at Ed, who had heard the entire thing with amusement. Ed gave an elaborate shrug as if to say, "Go figure." Eli shook his head and went back to eating his pie.
Phil and Ginger walked towards the doors. As they were about to exit, the door opened and Molly started to walk in. Seeing Phil and his companion, she stepped back and held the door for them as they walked outside. Molly then walked inside. She saw Ed standing at the shoe counter and made a bee line for him.
"Hey, Molly," Ed said with warmth.
"Hey, Ed," Molly replied. "How are things at things at the law firm of Stevens and StuckeyBowl?"
Ed snorted mildly and said, "Good. Been busy - the law side *and* the bowling side. How's things at Stuckeyville High School, bastion of ... well, I guess its not really 'higher' learning. They reserve that title for colleges, so I guess it would be more like 'high learning'. So, how are things at Stuckeyville High School, bastion of high learning."
Molly cocked her head to the side and said, "You know, you ought to consider leaving your brain to science. I would bet that they could prove that your brain doesn't work like everyone else's."
Ed chuckled along with Molly, who continued, "But to answer your question, things are going pretty good. Just the usual bad attitudes, complaining about too much homework, and petty squabbling."
"Kids never change, do they," Ed asked.
"I was talking about the teachers," Molly replied with a grin. Ed laughed and tipped his (imaginary) hat to Molly in acknowledgment of the point.
"So," Molly said looking around, "your significant other wouldn't happen to be around, would she?"
"Nope," Ed said. "Which one was she giving you - a bad attitude, complaining about too much homework, or petty squabbling."
"Oh, come on, Ed," Molly said, "this is Carol we're talking about. Why limit her to only *one* of those possibilities."
Ed laughed again and said, "Well, you are certainly a master of sarcastic wit today."
Molly sighed and said seriously, "Yeah, well, somedays its all you've got."
Ed looked at Molly for a moment, then walked out from behind the counter. He pointed to the booths by the snack counter and said, "Come on, tell me about it."
They started moving towards the table. Molly asked, "Tell you about what?"
"Come on, Molly," Ed said as he sat down. He waved at Shirley, who stayed where she was and looked around for a moment before waving back at Ed. Ed sighed mentally, but continued to talk to Molly. "I can tell when something is bothering you. You *do* use humor as a defense mechanism. So something is on your mind. Hold on. Shirley!"
Shirley looked up at Ed, startled, and said, "Yes, Ed."
"Can Molly and I please have a couple of Cokes?" Ed asked.
Shirley replied, "Of course you can." But she didn't move, just stared at Ed for a moment. Ed looked at Molly, who was amused, then sighed.
"Shirley," Ed said. When he was sure he had her attention, he asked, "Could *you* please bring two Cokes over *here* for Molly and I?"
"Yes, Ed," Shirley replied. Once Ed saw that she was getting the drinks, he turned his attention back to Molly. "Good help is *SO* hard to find."
"Anyway," Ed continued, "what seems to be the problem?"
"Its Ryan," Molly said. "I just can't figure out what is going on with him. For weeks he was treating me like I was Typhoid Molly ..."
"Isn't it 'Typhoid Mary'?" Ed asked.
Molly just cocked her head to the side and stared at him.
"Right, sorry. Typhoid Molly it is," Ed said and mimed zipping his lips together.
"So," Molly picked up, "this kid is treating me like I'm sort of disease because I'm dating his father. Then, yesterday, for the first time in I can't remember, he actually is treating me like I'm a human being. This morning, too. But then I ran into him this afternoon and its back to the same old thing. I came around a corner at school and ... well, it looked like Ryan was almost about to get into a fist fight with another student. A kid who is his friend. When I said something to Ryan it was back to what had been normal - he was very sullen and withdrawn."
"Hmm," Ed said thoughtfully. "Doesn't seem to make a lot of sense. Let's put this afternoon aside for a moment. Do you have any idea why he would have suddenly started acting more friendly in the last couple of days."
"Well," Molly said, "I still wouldn't characterize it as friendly so much as 'not unfriendly', but yeah, I'm pretty sure I know what happened there."
Ed raised his eyebrows questioningly. Molly told Ed about the previous Friday and discovering Ryan coming to school two hours late, how Ryan had refused to tell her - and his father over the weekend - about where he had been. She recount Shawn's story about realizing where Ryan had been and the little heart-to-heart he'd had with Ryan about it.
"That certainly explains his 'not unfriendly' action the yesterday and this morning," Ed said when Molly had finished, "but it certainly doesn't explain why he pulled another 180."
"Right," Molly said. "So, now you're in the same place I am. Any suggestions? I mean, should I or Shawn talk to him - try to find out if something happened?"
"Maybe," Ed said, a thoughtful expression on his face. "You know what, why don't you and Shawn bring Ryan by later to bowl a couple of games. I'll find a moment to talk to him alone, see if I can find out what happened to make him ... 'unfriendly' again."
"You sure," Molly asked uncertainly.
"Yeah, yeah," Ed said and smile confidently. "With all the times Warren Cheswick has come to me with his problems, Ryan should be a piece of cake."
Molly sighed and said, "Okay, because I don't have any better ideas."
"Not exactly glowing support for my plan," Ed said, "but I'll take it."
***
StuckeyBowl
Wednesday, April 7, 2004
7:30 PM
Ed was going over some of the land acquisition paperwork in his office when he looked up and saw Molly, Shawn, and Ryan getting shoes from Eli at the front counter. Ed noted the sullen set to Ryan's shoulders as he looked around with contempt at the bowling alley.
Ed watched for a couple of moments as the trio made their way over to Lane 6 and began to put on their bowling shoes. He closed the file he had been looking at, slipped it into his desk drawer, then locked the drawer; the file was just too potentially volatile to leave in the open.
Ed walked out of his office and over to Lane 6.
"Hey, Molly, Shawn," Ed said as he stepped down into the bowling lane seating area. Ryan looked up at him like a specimen in a bug collection. Ed smiled, extended his hand, and said, "You must be Ryan."
Ryan tentatively shook hands as he said, "Yes. I am."
"Nice to meet you finally," Ed said. "I've heard a lot of good things about you."
Ryan threw a suspicious look at Molly and his father but didn't respond to Ed's comment. Ed was momentarily nonplussed, surprised that his 'Stevens' charm had failed so far.
"Well," Ed said, trying to sound like there was a reason he was there, "you guys all set to have a great time?"
"Uh, yeah," Shawn replied somewhat lamely. Ryan rolled his eyes.
"Hey, Ed," Molly said. "Do you want to bowl with us? Make it a foursome?"
Ed said, "Sure. Sounds good, because, you know, I never get much of a chance to bowl?"
Ed chuckled, as did Molly and Shawn, but Ryan just sat there and sulked. His mathematically inclined brain had already calculated that with Ed bowling, this ordeal was going to take a third as long!
The foursome began bowling. Ed and Shawn were decent bowlers, throwing strikes fairly often and usually making spares. Molly was her usual - a mix of brilliant throws intermixed with throws that made Ed and Shawn cringe. Molly wasn't as bad as Carol, but when she screwed up, not even Carol could do worse.
Ryan knew the physics of bowling, but lacked the physical strength and coordination necessary. His attitude didn't help. He more or less just grabbed the ball, walked up to the foul line, and let go with no preamble, planning, or even and real attempt at throwing strikes. It was obvious that he didn't want to be there.
After the first game was over, Molly said, "I'm a little hungry. Any body want anything from the snack bar?"
"Yeah, I'm pretty hungry," Shawn said, "I'll go with you."
Ed said, "No, I'm fine. Thanks."
Ryan just sat there. It wasn't until Shawn said, "Do you want anything, Ryan?" that Ryan finally responded with a single "No."
So, Molly and Shawn walked off, leaving Ed alone with Ryan.
"How's school, Ryan?" Ed asked.
"Its school," Ryan replied after a long pause and a momentary glance at Ed.
"Yes, it is," Ed replied. "Do you *like* school?"
"Its okay," Ryan said, again after a long pause.
Ed noticed Ryan glance over at his father and Molly at the snack counter. Ryan stiffened when he saw Shawn and Molly kiss quickly.
"Must be a little weird having the school principal dating your father," Ed said.
Ryan's head whipped up and he glared at Ed for a moment, before looking away again.
"What would *you* know about it?" Ryan said caustically.
"I don't know anything about it," Ed replied. "I just thought it would probably be a little weird. Other kids at school probably give you a hard time about it. That's all. I figured you would know."
"Yeah, well," Ryan said sullenly, "I try not to think about it."
Molly and Shawn returned a few moments later and the second game began. Ed tried during the second - and third - game to draw Ryan out and to find out what was going on with the kid, but got nowhere.
Shawn, Ryan, and Molly left at nine o'clock. Just before they left, Molly looked at Ed and raised her eyebrows. He gave a small shake of his head and an apologetic shrug, indicating that he had *no* luck with Ryan. Molly smiled sadly at him and mouthed a silent "Thanks, anyway".
Ed sighed as the door closed behind Molly and the Ryan men. "Even Warren at his most difficult wasn't this bad," Ed lamented.
The Medical Office of Michael Burton, MD
Wednesday, April 7, 2004
9:30 AM
Mike and Dr. Christopher were in Exam Room #1 with Jackie Barlow. Barlow was in her mid-thirties, a dirty-blond haired woman who was complaining of stomach and chest pains. After reviewing her medical history, Mike and Christopher were willing to rule out congenital heart problems as a possibility, especially considering heart problems would not account for stomach pains as well.
Mike watched Dr. Christopher as he examined Barlow in more depth. Christopher was about six foot tall, good looking, and in excellent shape. Mike thought back to meeting Christopher an hour before and to his initial surprise.
'He's black!" Mike had thought.
Christopher had smiled as he shook Mike's hand and said, "You're surprised that I'm black aren't you?"
"Uh, yeah," Mike had said tentatively. Mike had rushed on, "But not because I haven't dealt with black doctors in the past. Its just ..."
"Its just the name," Christopher had finished for Mike.
"Yeah," Mike had said in a relieved voice.
"My mother always liked the name Connor," Christopher had said. "It didn't matter that it was a very Gaelic sounding name - she was bound and determined to name her son Conner. So, here I am."
"Yep," Mike had said, "here you are. Come on in and lets talk!"
Once he had gotten over the initial surprise, Mike had found Christopher to have an excellent grasp of medicine. It was also evident that he had some specific ideas on how to treat patients.
Mike had also been impressed by Christopher exacting review of Barlow's medical history. When Mike had first handed Barlow's file to Christopher, he had quickly gone through the file and resorted it - some of the file was out of order chronologically.
As Christopher used his stethoscope, he moved further down on Barlow's body and focused a few moments on her abdomen. He straightened up and said to Mike, "Listen to her abdomen for a moment, Dr. Burton."
Mike complied, listening to the sounds of Barlow's gastro-intestinal system. Mike was surprised by the level of activity he heard - all sorts of gurgling sounds - and much more than he should be hearing. Mike was actually surprised that the noises weren't more noticeable without the aid of the stethoscope. Mike noted peripherally that Christopher was quietly rearranging things on the counter top while Mike listened.
Mike straightened up and said to Barlow, "Jackie, you seem to have an awful lot of activity going on in there. Any problems with gas or heartburn."
"No, no heartburn," Barlow responded, then looked slightly embarrassed, "but I've had more than the usual amount of gas. Funny thing, it helps with the pain if I burp or, um ..."
Mike raised his eyebrows at Christopher, who was now going through the handful of magazines in the rack on the wall. Christopher finished putting the magazines in some sort of order, then said, "A couple of question, Ms. Barlow, if I may?"
The question had been posed to both Barlow and Mike, who both nodded.
"Has anything changed in your life recently?" Christopher asked. "Anything that has added some extra stress into your life? New job ... new boyfriend?"
"Um, yeah," Barlow commented. "My boyfriend and I got engaged a couple of months back and we're in the middle of planning the wedding. All of this wedding planning has added a lot of stress."
Mike just waited for Christopher, who said, "Well, Ms. Barlow, it seems that you have a case of stress induced gas. Besides the obvious, uh, side effects, the gas can also produce pressure in the torso area. Sometimes makes it feel like you have a small child sitting on your chest."
Barlow snapped her fingers and said, "You know, I've been trying to figure out how best to describe this, but that's it!"
"Treatment?" Mike asked Christopher. Barlow looked between the two doctors.
"Pretty simple," Christopher said. "On your way home, Ms. Barlow, stop by the pharmacy or grocery store and pick up some Zantac. Follow the directions - if you don't notice an improvement within a few days, let us know and we can prescribe a stronger dosage."
Mike nodded and said, "That's it, Jackie. Let us know if you have any problems, okay?"
"Sure, Dr. Burton, Dr. Christopher," Barlow said as she slipped out of the exam room.
"Good call, Connor," Mike said.
"Thanks, Mike," Christopher replied. "I actually have a touch of the same problem myself. I'm going to run and get some water - want anything?"
"No," Mike said, "I'm okay. Thanks."
Christopher nodded and stepped out of the room. Mike took a moment to look around the exam room. He looked more closely and noted that Christopher had re-organized the items on the counter in size order - largest to smallest - from the wall to the edge of the counter. When Mike checked the wall rack, the magazines had been sorted alphabetically.
Mike shook his head and left the exam room.
As the morning wore on, Mike was impressed with Christopher's medical skill. However, Christopher was getting broader and broader in his "rearranging". During an unexpected mid-morning break due to a patient cancellation, Mike found Christopher rearranging the supply cabinet. This time it was a tri-level rearrangement by function (exam required, office supplies, medicine samples), size (largest in the back, smallest in the front) and *then* alphabetically!
Mike shook his head, but said nothing. Just before lunch, Wendy had commented to Mike that Christopher had gone through the waiting room and alphabetically sorted the magazines - three times! When Mike and Christopher had retired to Mike's office for a patient consultation just after lunch, Mike noticed the way Christopher kept losing focus and eyeing Mike's bookshelves and desk - it was pretty obvious to Mike that Christopher was just itching to straighten things up and re-organize Mike's office.
The final straw came about three o'clock when Mike was waiting in the exam room for Christopher to return from retrieving a patient file. After idly chit-chatting with Shane Addison for a few moments, Mike went to see what the problem was. Mike found Christopher rooting through the patient files, furiously pulling files and moving them into different cabinets.
"Dr. Christopher!" Mike called softly but insistently.
Christopher jerked upright and turned around to look at Mike.
"What are you doing?" Mike asked.
"I was, um, just getting Mr. Addison's file," Christopher replied lamely.
"Dr. Christopher," Mike said, "you have been rearranging everything in this medical office all day long. I realize that I asked you here today to determine whether I might ask you to be my partner in this practice, but your obsessive need to organize and rearrange everything is unacceptable. We have a patient waiting!"
Christopher looked at the files strewn about the floor - a mess he had created - and looked torn between going with Mike to see Addison and staying and finishing what he started.
It was right then that Mike knew Christopher was not going to work out. Mike was not a slob, but he wasn't the neatest person in the world either. His office desk had papers heaped in piles across the top and his bookshelves were stacked with book in a somewhat random order - but Mike knew where everything was.
Christopher would constantly be straightening things up and rearranging things - rearranging them from the way Mike liked them. Mike wasn't unreasonable about compromising with a potential partner on the way the patient's file should be filed or how the supply closet should be organized - but it wasn't going to work with someone who just *had* to arrange things due to an obsessive compulsive need.
Dr. Christopher - and truth to tell, Mike - was disappointed when Mike finally told him that he didn't think it would work out. But, he took the news well enough and told Mike to keep him in consideration if he changed his mind.
Mike let out a big sigh as he closed the door behind Christopher.
***
The Pie Shop
Wednesday, April 7, 2004
12:00 PM
Carol got to the Pie Shop as quickly as possible. Ed had left a message on her cell phone telling her that he was going to be home early and wanted to meet her at the Pie Shop for lunch at noon. His appointment in Columbus for the afternoon had been cancelled, so Ed saw no reason not to come home.
As she stepped inside the Pie Shop, Carol scanned the tables and saw Ed waving at her. She smiled hugely and rushed over to the table. Carol almost leapt into Ed's arms and gave him a large kiss. A few people seated at other tables watched the two - a couple of women were disappointed when they saw that Ed was taken. A couple of the men watching the scene thought how lucky Ed was.
Carol disengaged and sat down next to Ed. Ed smiled at her, then said, "You look great!"
And she did, as usual. Her hair was down today - her straight, full blond locks cascading down around her shoulders. She was wearing a pair of black slacks and a cream and black lightweight sweater.
Carol's smile got even larger - not an easy feat. She said, "Thanks, you're looking pretty good yourself."
Ed had on a pair of jeans with sneakers and one of his trademark bowling shirts. This one was a vibrant royal blue with black and maroon accents.
"Oh," Ed said breezily with a wave of his hand, "I just threw this outfit together this morning. Do you like it?"
Carol laughed and said, "I missed you!"
"Yeah," Ed said sincerely, "me too."
They looked into each other's eyes for a few moments, before they both looked away, slightly flushed. Ed and Carol picked up their menus and quickly decided on lunch. Carol ordered the Turkey Club while Ed ordered a Monterey Chicken sandwich. They decided to share an order of fries.
"So," Carol said, "how did things go in Columbus?"
"Good," Ed said, then paused, "I think."
"You think?" Carol asked.
"Well," Ed said as he sipped his Coke, "you have to remember that this is all new for me. I mean, lawyers deal with an awful lot of forms, contracts and stuff, but I've never dealt with anything like this before. The stuff for setting up the regional planning council is pretty interesting - (Ed lowered his voice) and so is the land acquisition stuff - but there is an *awful* lot of paperwork."
"Do you have to go back?" Carol asked as the waitress brought their lunches.
"Yeah," Ed said with a sigh. "I may have to go back later next week, but for now I've got enough stuff figured out that I can work here. Plus I'm going to need to meet with Mayor Kendricks on the, um, one issue. Probably have to meet with him regarding the planning council - and maybe some public officials from the others municipalities involved. Then, I'll probably have to go back up to Columbus to do some more research, meet some more with the Ohio DOT people, and start filing some of these endless forms."
"Hope it won't be for too long," Carol said with enthusiasm.
Ed smiled and said, "Don't worry. I'll be back as soon as I can. I don't like being away from you overnight."
Carol smiled, but Ed noticed ... something ... about her smile that bothered him. He didn't know if whatever had been bothering was *still* bothering her.
As for Carol, she was thinking about the conversation she'd had with Nancy about Ed not proposing and what it all meant.
"So," Ed said after a hearty bite of his sandwich, "You said you'd have to tell me all about what had been going on while I was away. You were pretty closed mouthed about things when we talked on the phone. So ... give!"
Carol paused, then spoke while Ed was sipping his soda, "Well, on Monday night I had dinner with Nick Stanton."
Ed stopped sipping his soda for a moment, and replied, trying for all the world like he was completely fine with it, "Oh really? And how is *old* Nick?"
Carol just looked at him quizzically, then answered, "He's fine."
"That's good," Ed said.
"So, you're okay with me having dinner with Nick Stanton?" Carol asked, her voice tinged with concern.
"Of course, I'm okay with it," Ed stated. "Why shouldn't I be okay with it? Do I look like someone who wouldn't be okay with it? No siree bob, I'm perfectly okay with it."
He stretched back in his chair and said., "Doesn't bother me in the slightest." He started fiddling with his straw.
"Ed?" Carol asked.
"What?" Ed replied
"You're babbling," Carol said.
Ed who was still fiddling with his straw just looked back at Carol, "Babbling? I am not babbling. Nope. I'm just trying to explain to the woman I love that I don't have any problem with her having dinner with an old boyfriend. No trace of babbling here. None whatsoever."
"Ed," Carol said with some amusement, "you're doing it again."
"Oh. Sorry," Ed said as he put the straw down.
"Well if it makes you feel any better, Molly was with me when we had dinner with Nick and his wife," Carol said in a concilliatory tone of voice.
Ed let out a small sigh. "Truth be told, it does. So Nick's doing okay?"
Carol frowned.
Ed was trying to figure out what that meant when she blurted out, "Nick Stanton is still a pompous ass,"
"O----kay." Ed said cautiously, "I think you might need to back up a bit and tell me how this all happened."
So, Carol recounted running into Nick in Molly's office and how he had asked them to go to dinner with them. Ed noticed that Carol had started to say something about one thing Nick had said at the high school but had dropped it and moved on - he was very curious what Nick had said.
Ed and Carol continued their lunch while Carol ran through the rest of the story. Meeting Nick at the Smiling Goat, meeting his wife Heather, their incessant talk about how *perfect* their lives were.
Ed watched Carol closely, noting how she was tensing up and getting more worked up as she talked about the dinner with Nick. He finally decided to say something about it.
"Carol," Ed begin carefully, "you really seem to be upset with Nick - the fact that he's married, has kids, a big house with a white picket fence. All of it."
"Yeah, I know," Carol said with a thoughtful expression. "I don't know why. Maybe its because when Nick and I were together he never wanted to talk about things like getting married (Carol gave Ed a brief piercing look, which he didn't quite see) and having kids. It just upsets me to see he's got the whole package now. It just bugs me, you know?
Ed nodded, but was still bothered by Carol's obvious distress over the whole Nick Stanton thing. He had been considering proposing during lunch, but as he fingered the engagement ring through the fabric of his jeans, he worried that now really wasn't the best time. Ed wanted Carol to agree to be his wife because it was what she wanted, not because she felt like she was in some sort of competition.
***
StuckeyBowl
Wednesday, April 7, 2004
3:30 PM
Ed was at the shoe counter, doing an inventory check on the shoes and looking at each pair to decide if he needed any replacements. He looked over at the snack counter where his three staff members were. Eli was at one end of the counter, eating a piece of pie from Jennifer - Jenni-"fair", as Eli called her - who had just left. Shirley was standing on the other side of the counter, intently watching as Eli ate the pie.
Phil was a few seats down the counter, talking animatedly with an attractive young woman. She had shoulder length brown hair, blue eyes, and a rather ... ample ... bust line. She had on a pair of jeans and t-shirt that read "Save the Whales". Ed could hear that Phil was recounting some of his "exploits" to her. To Ed's great surprise, the woman seemed to be enraptured by Phil's stories. She was oohing and aahing at various points while Phil spoke on his favorite subject - himself.
Ed was more in agreement with Eli, whom he could hear provide an occasional snort to some particularly "heroic" or "courageous" act of Phil's. Ed rolled his eyes as Phil started in on a new story.
"Just the other day," Phil said in a conspiratory fashion, "I was doing a routine sweep down Main Street. Just keeping an eye out for someone in need. That's when I saw it!"
"Saw what?" the brunette said with a breathless gasp that stretched the thin cotton material of her t-shirt. Phil almost fell of the stool.
"The sweetest little old lady ... about to be run down by an out of control tractor trailer," Phil said sadly.
"Oh, no!" the woman, whose name was Ginger, said.
"Oh, puh-lease," Eli said from his end of the counter.
Phil gave a momentary glare in Eli's direction, but otherwise ignored him.
"Sadly, yes," Phil said in the same sad tone. "But, fortunately (Phil's voice took on a happy tone), I was there to save the day ... again!."
"Oh, good," Ginger exclaimed and bounced on her stool in relief. The bounce completely distracted Phil for a moment. After watching Ginger for a moment, Shirley looked at her own chest with pursed lips, then smiled enigmatically.
"Yes," Phil said smugly, "I realized that once again, I, Phil Stubbs, would risk my life to save another's!"
"Ooh!" Ginger said as she leaned closer to Phil. Phil took a moment to glance down towards the woman's chest ... again. "What did you do?"
"Well," Phil said, "there wasn't much time ..."
"Only about ten minutes ..." Eli said aloud.
"So," Phil said, ignoring Eli's interruption, "I had to act quickly ..."
"You had time to run to the corner and get coffee and a donut ..." Eli said.
"I put on a blinding burst of speed," Phil continued to ignore Eli.
"*I* could have run faster," Eli commented.
"I made a long, graceful leap towards the little old lady," Phil said.
"Looked like an albatross trying to take flight," Eli said as he took another forkful of pie.
"I grabbed her and pulled her to safety," Phil explained, "landing on my feet with cat-like reflexes."
"You missed her and landed flat on your face," Eli said disgustedly.
"The truck barely missed us," Phil said as he glared at Eli again.
"The mini-Cooper *coasted* by like ten minutes later," Eli corrected again.
"The little old lady was *SO* grateful to me for saving her life," Phil said. "She wanted to put me in her will."
"The *young* lady stomped on your foot and threatened to call the cops," Eli said with a smile.
"*SO*," Phil said forcefully, "that's how I saved a little old lady from certain death."
"*SO*," Eli said just as forcefully, "that's how you made a total ass of yourself in front of a bunch of people."
Eli was appalled when he realized that Ginger had not paid one bit of attention to him as she leaned forward again towards Phil and whispered throatily, "You are *SO* brave!"
Phil looked smugly over his shoulder at Eli. He stood and took Ginger by the arm, saying, "Perhaps we should continue our discussion outside?"
Eli looked at Shirley in shock, but Shirley only looked back at him blankly. Eli looked over at Ed, who had heard the entire thing with amusement. Ed gave an elaborate shrug as if to say, "Go figure." Eli shook his head and went back to eating his pie.
Phil and Ginger walked towards the doors. As they were about to exit, the door opened and Molly started to walk in. Seeing Phil and his companion, she stepped back and held the door for them as they walked outside. Molly then walked inside. She saw Ed standing at the shoe counter and made a bee line for him.
"Hey, Molly," Ed said with warmth.
"Hey, Ed," Molly replied. "How are things at things at the law firm of Stevens and StuckeyBowl?"
Ed snorted mildly and said, "Good. Been busy - the law side *and* the bowling side. How's things at Stuckeyville High School, bastion of ... well, I guess its not really 'higher' learning. They reserve that title for colleges, so I guess it would be more like 'high learning'. So, how are things at Stuckeyville High School, bastion of high learning."
Molly cocked her head to the side and said, "You know, you ought to consider leaving your brain to science. I would bet that they could prove that your brain doesn't work like everyone else's."
Ed chuckled along with Molly, who continued, "But to answer your question, things are going pretty good. Just the usual bad attitudes, complaining about too much homework, and petty squabbling."
"Kids never change, do they," Ed asked.
"I was talking about the teachers," Molly replied with a grin. Ed laughed and tipped his (imaginary) hat to Molly in acknowledgment of the point.
"So," Molly said looking around, "your significant other wouldn't happen to be around, would she?"
"Nope," Ed said. "Which one was she giving you - a bad attitude, complaining about too much homework, or petty squabbling."
"Oh, come on, Ed," Molly said, "this is Carol we're talking about. Why limit her to only *one* of those possibilities."
Ed laughed again and said, "Well, you are certainly a master of sarcastic wit today."
Molly sighed and said seriously, "Yeah, well, somedays its all you've got."
Ed looked at Molly for a moment, then walked out from behind the counter. He pointed to the booths by the snack counter and said, "Come on, tell me about it."
They started moving towards the table. Molly asked, "Tell you about what?"
"Come on, Molly," Ed said as he sat down. He waved at Shirley, who stayed where she was and looked around for a moment before waving back at Ed. Ed sighed mentally, but continued to talk to Molly. "I can tell when something is bothering you. You *do* use humor as a defense mechanism. So something is on your mind. Hold on. Shirley!"
Shirley looked up at Ed, startled, and said, "Yes, Ed."
"Can Molly and I please have a couple of Cokes?" Ed asked.
Shirley replied, "Of course you can." But she didn't move, just stared at Ed for a moment. Ed looked at Molly, who was amused, then sighed.
"Shirley," Ed said. When he was sure he had her attention, he asked, "Could *you* please bring two Cokes over *here* for Molly and I?"
"Yes, Ed," Shirley replied. Once Ed saw that she was getting the drinks, he turned his attention back to Molly. "Good help is *SO* hard to find."
"Anyway," Ed continued, "what seems to be the problem?"
"Its Ryan," Molly said. "I just can't figure out what is going on with him. For weeks he was treating me like I was Typhoid Molly ..."
"Isn't it 'Typhoid Mary'?" Ed asked.
Molly just cocked her head to the side and stared at him.
"Right, sorry. Typhoid Molly it is," Ed said and mimed zipping his lips together.
"So," Molly picked up, "this kid is treating me like I'm sort of disease because I'm dating his father. Then, yesterday, for the first time in I can't remember, he actually is treating me like I'm a human being. This morning, too. But then I ran into him this afternoon and its back to the same old thing. I came around a corner at school and ... well, it looked like Ryan was almost about to get into a fist fight with another student. A kid who is his friend. When I said something to Ryan it was back to what had been normal - he was very sullen and withdrawn."
"Hmm," Ed said thoughtfully. "Doesn't seem to make a lot of sense. Let's put this afternoon aside for a moment. Do you have any idea why he would have suddenly started acting more friendly in the last couple of days."
"Well," Molly said, "I still wouldn't characterize it as friendly so much as 'not unfriendly', but yeah, I'm pretty sure I know what happened there."
Ed raised his eyebrows questioningly. Molly told Ed about the previous Friday and discovering Ryan coming to school two hours late, how Ryan had refused to tell her - and his father over the weekend - about where he had been. She recount Shawn's story about realizing where Ryan had been and the little heart-to-heart he'd had with Ryan about it.
"That certainly explains his 'not unfriendly' action the yesterday and this morning," Ed said when Molly had finished, "but it certainly doesn't explain why he pulled another 180."
"Right," Molly said. "So, now you're in the same place I am. Any suggestions? I mean, should I or Shawn talk to him - try to find out if something happened?"
"Maybe," Ed said, a thoughtful expression on his face. "You know what, why don't you and Shawn bring Ryan by later to bowl a couple of games. I'll find a moment to talk to him alone, see if I can find out what happened to make him ... 'unfriendly' again."
"You sure," Molly asked uncertainly.
"Yeah, yeah," Ed said and smile confidently. "With all the times Warren Cheswick has come to me with his problems, Ryan should be a piece of cake."
Molly sighed and said, "Okay, because I don't have any better ideas."
"Not exactly glowing support for my plan," Ed said, "but I'll take it."
***
StuckeyBowl
Wednesday, April 7, 2004
7:30 PM
Ed was going over some of the land acquisition paperwork in his office when he looked up and saw Molly, Shawn, and Ryan getting shoes from Eli at the front counter. Ed noted the sullen set to Ryan's shoulders as he looked around with contempt at the bowling alley.
Ed watched for a couple of moments as the trio made their way over to Lane 6 and began to put on their bowling shoes. He closed the file he had been looking at, slipped it into his desk drawer, then locked the drawer; the file was just too potentially volatile to leave in the open.
Ed walked out of his office and over to Lane 6.
"Hey, Molly, Shawn," Ed said as he stepped down into the bowling lane seating area. Ryan looked up at him like a specimen in a bug collection. Ed smiled, extended his hand, and said, "You must be Ryan."
Ryan tentatively shook hands as he said, "Yes. I am."
"Nice to meet you finally," Ed said. "I've heard a lot of good things about you."
Ryan threw a suspicious look at Molly and his father but didn't respond to Ed's comment. Ed was momentarily nonplussed, surprised that his 'Stevens' charm had failed so far.
"Well," Ed said, trying to sound like there was a reason he was there, "you guys all set to have a great time?"
"Uh, yeah," Shawn replied somewhat lamely. Ryan rolled his eyes.
"Hey, Ed," Molly said. "Do you want to bowl with us? Make it a foursome?"
Ed said, "Sure. Sounds good, because, you know, I never get much of a chance to bowl?"
Ed chuckled, as did Molly and Shawn, but Ryan just sat there and sulked. His mathematically inclined brain had already calculated that with Ed bowling, this ordeal was going to take a third as long!
The foursome began bowling. Ed and Shawn were decent bowlers, throwing strikes fairly often and usually making spares. Molly was her usual - a mix of brilliant throws intermixed with throws that made Ed and Shawn cringe. Molly wasn't as bad as Carol, but when she screwed up, not even Carol could do worse.
Ryan knew the physics of bowling, but lacked the physical strength and coordination necessary. His attitude didn't help. He more or less just grabbed the ball, walked up to the foul line, and let go with no preamble, planning, or even and real attempt at throwing strikes. It was obvious that he didn't want to be there.
After the first game was over, Molly said, "I'm a little hungry. Any body want anything from the snack bar?"
"Yeah, I'm pretty hungry," Shawn said, "I'll go with you."
Ed said, "No, I'm fine. Thanks."
Ryan just sat there. It wasn't until Shawn said, "Do you want anything, Ryan?" that Ryan finally responded with a single "No."
So, Molly and Shawn walked off, leaving Ed alone with Ryan.
"How's school, Ryan?" Ed asked.
"Its school," Ryan replied after a long pause and a momentary glance at Ed.
"Yes, it is," Ed replied. "Do you *like* school?"
"Its okay," Ryan said, again after a long pause.
Ed noticed Ryan glance over at his father and Molly at the snack counter. Ryan stiffened when he saw Shawn and Molly kiss quickly.
"Must be a little weird having the school principal dating your father," Ed said.
Ryan's head whipped up and he glared at Ed for a moment, before looking away again.
"What would *you* know about it?" Ryan said caustically.
"I don't know anything about it," Ed replied. "I just thought it would probably be a little weird. Other kids at school probably give you a hard time about it. That's all. I figured you would know."
"Yeah, well," Ryan said sullenly, "I try not to think about it."
Molly and Shawn returned a few moments later and the second game began. Ed tried during the second - and third - game to draw Ryan out and to find out what was going on with the kid, but got nowhere.
Shawn, Ryan, and Molly left at nine o'clock. Just before they left, Molly looked at Ed and raised her eyebrows. He gave a small shake of his head and an apologetic shrug, indicating that he had *no* luck with Ryan. Molly smiled sadly at him and mouthed a silent "Thanks, anyway".
Ed sighed as the door closed behind Molly and the Ryan men. "Even Warren at his most difficult wasn't this bad," Ed lamented.