Occupational Hazards
When Violet began her work the next morning, she was surprised to find her watering can filled. The farmer had forgotten to top it off after giving the last of her new seeds a nice drink yesterday, so someone else must have done it for her. She wondered if it was Sebastian, who had disappeared in a hurry the night before.
He must have felt really sick if he left in such a rush. Violet reasoned. He even left his backpack behind! But then why would he have stopped to fill up her watering can? Or maybe he just did it earlier and she had not noticed? Violet found it strange that she had not heard the squeak of the front door when Sebastian made his exit, however. The hinges had been noisy lately, but no sound alerted the house's occupant of her guest's departure. So when she turned around to find Sebastian missing, Violet assumed he had run to the bathroom. By the time she realized he was no longer in the house, Sebastian was long gone.
Well, either way, the farmer decided she needed to get her work done before the summer sun rose too high into the sky. Violet went down the first line of crops and carefully sprinkled the water over half of her blueberry bushes and hops when Bruno tackled her to the ground out of nowhere. The large dog gave a warning bark, placing his furry body between his master and the watering can as its contents spilled out into the dry soil. "Bruno!" the farmer scolded, but the canine continued to growl at the tin can as if it were an intruder. "What's gotten into you, Bru-Bru?" she asked her beloved German Shepherd, ruffling the fur on the top of his head.
Once the vessel was empty, Bruno seemed to smile up at Violet, panting happily and giving his human's hand a little lick before he trotted off toward the more overgrown parts of the farmland. The farmer shook her head and muttered complaints under her breath about the inability to talk some sense into her canine companion. Approaching the small pond just beyond her garden, Violet submerged the watering can and hauled it back so she could tend to the field.
Due to Bruno's odd behavior and her comparatively increased budget between Summer and Spring, it took much longer for Violet to complete her chores than it had in a while. After all, the last week of Spring she did not have a fully planted garden to tend, while Violet began this Summer with quite the spread! The work was not as exhausting as the previous day, however. Violet wished she could clear a bit more land on the farm, but it was incredibly inefficient with her current axe. The young woman decided her next tool upgrade would be for her axe, once she had the funds.
Once she was done, Violet wiped the sweat from her brow and admired the farm. It was definitely still a work in progress, but the young woman felt as though the start to the Summer had gone smoothly. Things would only get easier with the more experiences she had and someday everything about being a farmer would just be second nature. Violet did hope to someday get some sprinklers, since that would also save her time, but the stubborn part of her did not even want to bother with the standard sprinklers. No, until she could get the quality sprinklers, Violet was committed to manually hydrating the little plants. It was nice to see their progress day-to-day, all the little leaves sprouting up out of the ground where before there had only been a tiny seed.
Violet was slowly beginning to understand why her grandparents chose this life. Carrying on their legacy was a way of getting to know them, she thought, even after their passing. Despite not being able to give her grandparents a proper good-bye before they passed, the idea comforted Violet. They were still with her, long after their deaths. Perhaps that is why grandpa gave her the deed to the farm. He knew his granddaughter would need an opportunity to establish deep, healthy roots of her own since her life lacked the chances with her own home life. It was the most precious gift they could have bestowed upon her.
Violet smiled as the gentle summer breeze caressed her face. "Thank you both..." she whispered to the wind, a tear running down the side of her face, "I miss you."
"Sebastian, I made some extra scrambled eggs, if you want any breakfast," Maru called down into the basement. Her brother had a terrible habit of skipping meals, but as someone who shared a living space, Maru noticed ever since he started using the nicotine patches Sebastian had been slowly eating more. Nicotine could suppress appetite, so it made some sense that as the tapering lessened the amount he had in his system each day her older brother would start to eat normally again. It also meant he would occasionally sneak into the kitchen and snatch up the first edible thing available to him. At least this way, Sebastian would eat something healthy to start his day off right.
Maru heard the heavy plod of Sebastian's feet on the stairs and she knew her brother was taking her up on the offer of a hot breakfast. He peered out of his room and nearly fell backward when he saw his sister standing right in front of him, but she grabbed the sleeve of his shirt just in time. "Rough night?" the young woman asked her brother, noticing the bags under his eyes.
"I just couldn't sleep..." he muttered, inching past her to head toward the kitchen. Maru followed him, curious of the cause. "Did something happen?" she queried.
Sebastian looked annoyed. "I said I just couldn't sleep, can't you just accept that?" he complained as he got out a plate and served himself the remaining scrambled eggs from the pan. He sat down at the table, and Maru took the seat across from him.
"Well, I didn't hear you come in last night," Maru informed her brother, leaning her elbow onto the table and resting her chin in her palm. "I usually hear the little bell on the shop door, even if it's late..."
Her brother furrowed his brow. "What are you talking about?" he replied. "I came in at like 10:00 last night." He shoved some of the eggs into his mouth, but continued speaking. "Besides, why do you care so much about when I get in at night?"
Maru did not answer right away, however. She seemed troubled by something. Her warm brown eyes glanced at her brother. "You really came in before I was asleep last night?" she reiterated her question from a slightly different angle.
Sebastian shrugged, "I don't know what time you fell asleep, but I got back here around 10:00. You can even ask Violet about when I left if you really don't believe me."
The young woman's expression changed drastically. "Oh, so you were with Violet. No wonder you couldn't sleep."
"What's that supposed to mean?" her older brother demanded to know. "She stayed at her house and I came home!"
Maru chuckled, knowing that she got under his skin a little. "I wasn't implying anything in particular," she assured Sebastian. "I've just noticed that the darkening of the circles under your eyes happen to follow the evenings you spend sharing Violet's company."
Her brother's face reddened, but he stabbed another mouthful of his eggs with the fork and shoved them in to avoid talking. Maru knew she was on the right track with this one. "What adorable thing did you do to embarrass yourself this time, big bro?" the scientist teased.
Sebastian reacted in a novel manner, however. His dark eyes downcast, he stared at his open palm in his lap. "If you must know..." he began hesitantly. "I was... actually thinking about dad." Her older brother tugged at the cord of his hoodie. "My biological father - I mean," Sebastian clarified.
Maru blinked, honestly surprised. "Oh..." That was not an answer she would have even thought of as a possibility. "I guess mom still hasn't explained what happened, huh?"
The dark-haired man nodded, finishing the last of the scrambled eggs. "Yeah..." he muttered, collecting his dishes and bringing them to the sink to wash. "She said she'd tell me by the end of the year, but I wonder if I can be patient enough."
The woman hesitated. "I know it's frustrating for you, but I'm sure Mom has a reason," Maru assured her brother.
Without turning to face his sister, Sebastian shrugged, rinsing off the last of the detritus from the plate. "I guess. It doesn't make it any easier on me, though."
"Well, if you ever need anyone to just talk to about it, let me know," Maru told him. "I know I can't give you the answers you want about your dad, but I'm happy to chat." She glanced at the clock and shouldered her bag containing her work clothes and a packed lunch. "Either way, I need to head off to work."
As the young woman headed toward the front door, her brother stopped her. "Hey, Maru..." The scientist turned to face Sebastian, who avoided her gaze for a moment. "I uh... left Violet's in a hurry last night. Could you get my bag from her after you finish your shift?" He glanced up to see Maru's quizzical expression. "I have some work I need to get done today and since you'll already be in town..."
Maru beamed, glad that her brother was finally willing to lean on her for help, even if it was to run a small errand. "Of course, big bro. Do you have her number? I'll text her to work out the details."
Violet removed her shoes before she stepped onto the beach, feeling the warm sand between her toes as it shifted under her weight as she approached the shoreline. Maru told her Alex would be here, so once she handed off the bag, Violet decided she would stick around the beach to craft some crab pots and do some foraging and fishing. Perhaps the sea breezes would help lift her mood.
As Maru predicted, Alex was on the beach, tossing his gridball up into the air and snatching it just in time before it could fall to the ground. "Oh, hi, farm girl!" he called over to her.
The farmer approached the jock and scowled. "Please tell me you're just being obnoxious and that you didn't actually forget my name."
Alex smirked teasingly. "Um, it's Violet, right?" The young woman could tell from the mischievous glint in his eyes he was only feigning forgetfulness. When the farmer did not laugh at his joke, he shrugged. "I'm just enjoying this great weather, Violet," he explained, gesturing to the bright sun overhead with a jerk of his head.
"It's hard not to enjoy a day like this," Violet agreed, holding her sunhat in place against the gust of wind blowing along the beach. The sounds of the far-off cries of the seagulls and the pounding of the surf onto the shore were soothing. Violet relaxed a bit as she closed her eyes to enjoy the smell of the salty air. "I can see why you chose to come to the beach today."
The athlete stretched his arms up, resting his hands behind his head. "I can work on my tan and train at the same time," he explained. "And the view is great," Alex added, glancing across the beach and resting his gaze on a sunbathing Haley. Violet resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Besides," the jock added, removing his letter jacket to reveal a slightly sweaty tank top. "Maru said it's better to run on sand to keep me on my toes. Something about it needing more energy because sand isn't as solid."
"You seem to be taking the training Maru's given you really seriously," Violet observed, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ears. "That's impressive that you've been keeping at it."
"Of course I take it seriously," Alex responded, as if he could not believe anyone would think otherwise. After a moment of silence, Alex's face broke out into a grin. "Hm... Hey, go long!" he ordered, pumping his arm back to throw his gridball.
Violet sprinted away from the jock as quickly as she could, still holding onto her straw hat. When she turned, the ball was already careening down toward her and slipped through her outstretched fingers. The gridball made a loud thud into the sand before it rolled toward the incoming tide.
"Heh... Nice try," the brunet commented, his tone suggesting he had not expected Violet to catch the ball. "I'm going to be the first professional gridball player from Stardew Valley... There's no doubt in my mind." Violet noted to herself that it did not seem like anyone else was aiming to be a gridball star in town, so the accomplishment would be merely because he was the first to attempt and succeed, but the farmer did not want to rain on Alex's parade. While the young woman would never seek the kind of fame and fortune associated with professional sports, Violet had to respect that Alex had a lofty goal and was doing everything in his power to pursue it.
"I already led my school's team to the regional playoffs..." he informed Violet with a nostalgic expression on his well-tanned face. "Now I'm just training and getting stronger so I can claim my spot on the roster of the ZuZu City Tunnelers. You just wait!"
Violet could not help but smile back, Alex's confidence was contagious. "I believe in you!" she told her neighbor, and Violet could honestly say she meant it. Between Maru's training regimen and Alex's dedication to his dream, Alex really did have a chance.
The brunet flashed a charming grin to the farmer, his white teeth stark against his sun-kissed skin. "Thanks, Violet. I'll remember that." Before either of them could speak again, an alarm went off on Alex's phone. "Oh, shit! I've gotta head to work." He trotted over to where his gridball still lay in the sand and scooped it up and threw his letter jacket over his shoulder. "Hey, I hate to ask since I'm supposed to be doing you a favor, but could you just go ahead and drop off the bag in my room? I don't want to be late for my shift..."
Violet pretended to consider as payback for earlier when Alex acted like he did not know her name. When he started anxiously tugging at his letter jacket, the farmer finally let his out of his misery. "Sure thing," Violet replied. It was not as if she had any solid plans today. The work that needed immediate attention was already done for the day and the crab pots could wait a while. "Just set it inside your room?"
Alex nodded. "Yeah, just put it somewhere where granny or gramps won't trip over it," he requested, rushing off toward town. "Thanks!"
Violet approached the handsome blue house on 1 River Road and noticed the bronze owl guarding the dwelling above the entrance. Its eyes were piercing and wise, as an owl's should, the farmer decided. Next to the doorway hung a purple hanging planter, home to an assortment of variegated string plants. Perhaps once she became friendly enough with Evelyn, the elderly woman might give her some gardening tips for her non-edible plants. No one came to answer after knocking on the door, so Violet entered the Mullner household to drop off Sebastian's bag in Alex's room like he had instructed.
Inside, Violet heard the voice of Dr. Harvey and as she passed the living room she spied the doctor, with his brunet hair swept off to the right side of his head and his thick-rimmed glasses. "Okay, George. I want you to take a deep breath for me." The elderly man did so, inhaling slowly and releasing the breath just as evenly.
"Mmhmm... turn around, please," the mustached man instructed his patient. Mr. Mullner rotated his wheelchair around, facing the young doctor this time. After listening with the stethoscope, Dr. Harvey sighed. "George, I'll be honest with you. You need to make some changes in your lifestyle if you want to stay healthy."
Harvey adjusted his tie before he packed away his supplies into his leather bag. "I'd like you to reduce your sodium intake, and try to get some moderate exercise with your arms."
Violet has a feeling telling an old man who sat in front of the television all day would take the doctor's orders well. George proved her right.
"Hmmph... I know what's best for me," the bald man grumbled. "Who do you think you are, telling me how to live my life?"
"I'm your doctor, George. That's who I am..." Oh, good one! Violet cheered silently. It was frustrating that a lot of the older generations did not respect the younger ones as adults, despite their age, but it lessened the blow to Violet personally to see that even doctors shared that struggle. Harvey continued, "And I went to school for 8 years so I could learn how to help people stay healthy."
Violet decided now would be a good time to try and sneak past the room to drop Sebastian's bag in Alex's room. However, she was caught. "Oh! I'm sorry, but you shouldn't be here..." the doctor informed the farmer, "these check-ups are supposed to be private."
"It's my fault, I shouldn't have just barged in," Violet apologized. "I was swinging by to drop something off in Alex's room and I figured it would just be a quick in and out..." The farmer began making her way down the hall toward Alex's room.
"Not so fast!" George called out to her. Violet froze, then backtracked to the living room, thinking George was about to tell at her. But the woman's assumption turned out to be false. "I'd like to get a second opinion from this young lady," George informed Dr. Harvey, crossing his arms across his chest.
The young doctor sighed in exasperation at the ridiculousness of the situation. In what way was Violet qualified to give a medical opinion? "Very well..."
Violet blinked, her dark blue eyes wide with anxiety. "I... uh... I'm not a doctor, George. Whenever I have a medical problem, I assume it's best to do your best to follow their orders." The farmer glanced toward the door to Alex's door, wishing she could just drop the bag and flee. "George should follow Dr. Harvey's advice."
"Thanks, Violet," the brunet man nodded with appreciation. Pulling on his emerald green jacket, Harvey turned to face his patient. "You see, George, I'm just trying to help you," he assured the elderly gentleman.
George's wrinkled face twisted in annoyance before he finally caved. "Fine. I'll do as you say, doctor." Violet snuck off to open the door to Alex's room and place the back to one side of the entrance so no one would trip over it. As the farmer left the neighbors' house, Dr. Harvey stopped her just outside.
"Thanks for your help, Violet," the doctor said gratefully. The corners of his dark eyes wrinkled slightly, as he flashed her a genuine smile. "I appreciate it."
Violet shrugged, "I didn't do anything. I'm no doctor."
Harvey chuckled. "You did plenty by not even attempting to diagnose the problem." He removed the glasses from his face, and removed a cleaning cloth from his pocket to wipe off a smudge before placing them back upon his face. "It's hard enough when the elderly don't respect my professional opinions."
The woman sighed to commiserate. "Yeah, it's the worst," Violet agreed, "and I'm not even a 'professional.'"
"Oh, I did not mean to insinuate that your work isn't also important," Harvey apologized quickly. "Everyone needs to eat, and you're providing local, healthy crops. The residents of Pelican Town are lucky to have you."
A friendly grin formed on Violet's face. It was good to know that she was not the only awkward one in town sometimes. "I didn't think you meant it that way, no worries."
Harvey nodded appreciatively at the feedback. "I - uh... see you have been taking my advice," he commented, continuing their conversation and gesturing at the hat on Violet's head.
"It was my grandfather's, I think," Violet confessed. "But I thought it would be easier to make friends in town if I didn't look like a lobster. I'd hate for Gus to try and make a bisque out of me."
The doctor chuckled lightly at the joke. "Yes, I suppose that's best." He pulled back the green sleeve of his jacket to check his watch and his thick eyebrows rose when he realized the time. "Oh, please excuse me, Violet," Harvey apologized. "I have to get back to the clinic for another appointment."
Violet waved him off. "Then what are you doing talking to me?" she scolded him teasingly. Harvey took his queue and rushed westward toward the clinic. "Thanks for understanding, Violet. I'll see you around for your appointment."
Right, that is soon, isn't it? Violet remembered. The farmer was grateful for the reminder. With that, however, her business in town was finished. "Time for some crafting," she told herself, heading toward the beach. Violet looked forward to the possibility of fresh shellfish in her diet. She sensed a batch of chowder in her future.
Maru put away the last of the paperwork from the day, making sure to lock the filing cabinet before she headed for the clinic door.
"I'll see you Thursday, Maru," Dr. Harvey called to her from the back. "Thanks again for all your help. Get home safely."
The part-time nurse paused. "Oh, I'm actually going to the Mullners' house this evening," Maru informed her boss casually, folding her nurse uniform across her arm and placing it into her bag.
Dr. Harvey stepped into the waiting room, drying his hands with a fresh towel. "Are George and Evelyn alright? I just made a house call earlier today and Evelyn had her regularly scheduled appointment."
The bespectacled woman shook her head. "It's not work-related," she told her colleague. "Alex and I go over his progress from the new workout routine every Tuesday. It got to the point that Evelyn just invited me to stay for dinner while I'm there anyway." Maru let out a little laugh. "I have a feeling she's been wanting to cook for guests for a while, but George tends to scare people off," the scientist explained.
"Yes, of course..." Harvey's mustache twitched slightly as he spoke. "You're spending a lot of time with Alex lately," he replied, trying to indicate casual interest in Maru's social life. "I did not realize you two had become so close." The doctor hoped he did not let on his personal feelings regarding his co-worker's relationship with the young athlete. He screwed things up enough at the Flower Dance when Maru misunderstood the meaning of his encouraging words to Violet, which lead to Maru asking someone else to dance. Sure, Bex was a fine dancer but she wasn't Maru. Harvey did not want to let on that the party ended up to be a disappointing one for him. It was his fault for not speaking up, the doctor realized.
If Maru caught on that Harvey was taking a sudden interest in her social life, she did not let on that she knew. "I admit that at first this was just a new experiment to add a little variety to my scientific pursuits," Maru confessed. "But it's actually quite fascinating. Progress is not as linear as I would have expected." She brought her fingertips to her chin thoughtfully. "I suppose any time there is a human subject involved, there are bound to be more complex compounding factors." Her warm brown eyes looked up at the doctor. "But that's thrilling in its own way, don't you think?"
Harvey could not help but notice the sparkle in Maru's eyes when she spoke about her projects. While he could tell that working in the clinic part-time did not give his assistant the same thrill as her other pursuits, he felt counted himself lucky that she talked about her passions with him. It was then the doctor realized that Maru was expecting an answer from him. "Uh - Y-yes, of course," he stammered, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose, only to push them too far that his eyelashes brushed against them, causing tiny streaks in his vision. This was one of those days he seriously considered switching to contact lenses. If only he were not so hesitant to touch his own eyes.
"Well, I'd better head out," Maru told Harvey. "I would hate to keep George from a meal."
Her boss chuckled nervously, "Yes, that would be trouble for the whole household, I'm sure..." Part of him wished she would not go, but Maru was free to spend her time with whomever she wanted. His beautiful assistant never showed romantic interest in anyone in town before, so why should he worry that he had missed his chance now? Sure, Alex had an objectively pleasing look with his tan and stylish hair, athletic physique and attention to his diet, his charisma. Not to mention he was closer to Maru's age. Oh, no...
After dinner, Alex led Maru to his room to discuss his progress. As usual, the overall-clad woman whipped out a spreadsheet of calculations and glanced over them, her bespectacled eyes hidden to him by the glare of the light. "You're doing better on your running times than I expected," she admitted to her companion. "With the exception of yesterday's time. Did something happen?" she queried curiously, tapping the eraser at the end of her no. 2 pencil to her lips.
Alex rolled his eyes. "Oh, that," he groaned. "Farm girl and your brother were having a fight and I had to intervene."
This tidbit of information interested Maru. "They were fighting?" she queried her friend, setting down her papers for a moment.
The brunet leaned forward onto the birch table, looking bored. "Oh, something about him killing one of her trees with dry ice or something..."
Maru paused. Dry ice was solid and mainly used for storing things to keep them cold. How on earth could Sebastian have killed a tree with it? And where did he get such a large quantity? Perhaps Alex was mistaken. "Do you mean that he poured liquid nitrogen on it?" the scientist asked to clarify.
Alex rolled his eyes, "Violet specifically said 'dry ice.' I may be an athlete, but I'm not a complete moron..."
His companion shook her head, "I wasn't implying that, it just seemed incredibly unlikely. So either you misheard, which you assure me you did not. Or..." she stopped, weighing the likelihood of the alternatives.
The jock seemed to catch on to her meaning, however. "Or farm girl was lying!" he proclaimed, sounding excited by the prospect. "What do you think they're hiding?"
Maru glanced up at Alex. It was odd that he get so enthusiastic at something other than gridball, but she was not about to shut it down. Especially when it involved her family. "I'm not sure..." the young woman admitted. "I doubt it my brother would be hiding something if they were in a relationship."
"You mean they aren't?" Alex questioned in disbelief. "They danced at the Flower Dance and he's spent the night at the farm at least once," he informed his friend. The spiky-haired brunet pouted. "Are you saying he stayed the night at her place and they didn't bang?"
Despite herself, Maru laughed at that last comment. "I think my brother would be rendered catatonic if a girl took off her clothes in his presence. But then again, I could be wrong..."
Alex felt more comfortable asking Maru questions than he did most people. She did not treat him like an idiot for not understanding. "Catatonic?"
"He would freeze up because he wouldn't know how to handle it. Like a deer in headlights," Maru explained nonchalantly, tucking her pencil behind her ear. "He's much more introverted than either of us, though I would say I'm more in the middle and you're on the extroverted end of the spectrum."
The jock mulled it over. "Huh..." He drummed his fingers on the tabletop before adding, "Do you think we can get the scoop from Sam and Abigail or should we find out another way?"
Another detail. "Oh, so Violet and Sebastian weren't alone?" Maru repeated to ensure she understood what Alex meant.
Alex nodded, "Yeah, they were literally on the ground laughing about something, so I figured it wasn't a huge deal. Probably just something embarrassing." He waggled his eyebrows. "But if they were lying, it makes me wanna know what it was!"
Maru smiled. "I agree, but let's focus on making a plan after we've talked about your progress. Now that I know you stopped during the run yesterday, I may as well remove the time from the set so it does not skew the rest of the data."
"Sure, whatever you think is best, Glasses."
The scientist looked up at her athletic companion. "You can call me by my name, you know," Maru reminded Alex firmly. She did not want to be reduced to her corrective lenses.
Blinking, Alex tilted his head to one side. "I've always called my friends nicknames. Would you prefer a different one?" He glanced away self-consciously. "Or, you know... Maru works just fine. It is your name..."
Interesting. "So you're trying to articulate a level of endearment by giving someone a special name that only you call them?" Alex stared at Maru blankly, which prompted her to rephrase the question. "You give people nicknames when you consider them your friend?"
Alex's face twisted slightly as he thought about his answer. "I dunno... I guess? The only friends I've ever had have all been through my sports teams and we never actually called anyone by their given name." He glanced down, his fern-green eyes tracing the grain of the wooden table. "It was fun..."
"You can call me 'Glasses,'" Maru finally replied after careful deliberation. "But only if I get to call you something of my choosing."
The spiky-haired brunet beamed at his friend. "So what's the name?" he wanted to know.
"I have not decided yet," Maru responded with a smirk of her own. "You'll just have to wait patiently and find out." She pulled the pencil from behind her ear and brought it to the page on the desk. "Now, let's get back to business, shall we? I don't think you're quite ready to audition for this upcoming season. Hear me out..."
Harvey's heart sank as he watched Alex chatting with Maru by Dusty's dog pen from his apartment window. Had Maru really fallen for the aspiring gridball player? he pondered to himself silently.
Alex reached down into the pen and lifted the old dog out, rather than walking around to open the gate, and clipped a leash to Dusty's collar. Then the two walked toward the General Store and past it north toward Maru's house. "He's walking her home..." Harvey whispered to himself. Why had he never thought to do that? Then again, she never left work after dark, but it would have given them ample opportunity to discuss things that were not work-related. Suddenly the town doctor found himself filled with regrets as his chances with his smart, kind, beautiful co-worker were diminishing with each passing moment.
Perhaps if Harvey had not been so preoccupied with the ambiguous questions of asking a co-worker out on a date, he would not be facing this problem now. He moved to this small town to help an under-served community, but little did he realize that he had also signed up for a nearly non-existent love life. The doctor always told himself he could focus on things like that once he had established his career, but now that he held the title, Harvey questioned how time had passed so quickly. Was he really going to spend the rest of his life alone? Sure, some people aimed to marry doctors because they knew it would lead to a comfortable lifestyle, but a small-town doctor was basically the antithesis of that. Nor would Harvey find someone like that a desirable partner with whom to share his life.
So where did that leave him? Should he give up on his naïve ideals and move back to a large city where he was likely to find more income and dating potential? If he did not leave, what would become of him? Harvey knew he was already struggling to make ends meet with her current list of clientele. And if there was no one in town who felt comfortable with him in a social setting because of their doctor-patient relationship... the mustached man knew that he was doomed to stay a lonely man for a long time.
"Oh, what do I do?" he wondered aloud, turning away from the window to sleep for the night.