"Doc I can sense that something is wrong with this
setup, and the way you are behaving right now," said Rodriguez. "But hey,
that's none of my business. Again, thank you."
I sat there for a moment as I contemplated the sense
of humor of the fates.
"Hey, how did you and Em meet?" I asked. "Was she a
neighbor or a friend?"
"We were in another group, but it wasn't working out.
Some those guys believed that Em owed them something
to stay with the group. We decided to leave with them the first chance we got.
Joshua and she were on their way here to Atlanta and we decided it was safer
with more numbers," he said. "We were about to check out the sheriff's station
when some marauders and the dead clashed. Look, I hate to cut this short, but I
need to check in on my family."
"Don't worry Rodriguez, we'll talk later," I told him.
I set Gerald and the twins on the task to clean out
the sheriff's station. With Jessie gone, I suggested that we give Rodriguez a
try when he was ready. I went to find Ma to see what she had found out. She was
still with Em. It sounds so funny to say her name and mean it for a living
person.
"So, you were on your way to Atlanta to check on your
twin sister?" asked Ma as she caught my eye. "Is Joshua your son?"
"No, ma'am. He was all alone when things went bad. His
babysitter was dead, and I saw him in the upstairs window as I was cutting
through their yard," said Em. "I couldn't just leave him there, you know? His
mom was a month overdue when the babysitter committed suicide."
"You're Emelia Jones?" I asked.
"How did you know that?" she questioned.
"I knew your sister, Dr. Emily Jones. We worked at St.
Margaret's Hospital together," I said.
"Do you know where she is? Is she okay?" she asked.
"I'll leave you two alone as you have a lot to talk
about," said Ma.
"Thank you, Mrs. Williams, it was wonderful to meet
you," said Em.
"Emelia, your sister and I were more than just
colleagues," I began. "We were a couple, of sorts."
"That's right; she told me she had met someone. I kept
intending to get here as she wanted us to meet," she said. "My sister was
usually pretty selfish, but she said you were something special."
"Emelia…" I began.
"Doc, please call me Em," she interrupted.
"It's difficult to do that, as that's what I called
your sister. Anyway, there was a horrible accident," I said.
I explained how Em was bitten but left out the part
about my stepfather. I explained about how Em was using me to advance her
career. I consoled her and held her. She kind of just collapsed in my arms. It
was the same way Em used to after too many hours in the lab, but it was completely
different.
When she gathered herself, she looked up into my eyes.
It was all I could do not to kiss her. She was everything that I wanted in Em.
But I had to force myself to understand that this was not my Em. Hell, Em wasn't really my
Em. I walked her to her room. We talked into the evening sharing stories about
Em. While Emily was a doctor, Emelia was an aerobics and self-defense
instructor and a masseuse.
She told me about their childhood, and I regaled her
with tales about my time as an undergrad at age 17. I also told her about T and
me as kids. I opened up more to her than I ever did to Diane and even Emily.
Wow, that's the first time I've thought about Emily and did not call her Em in my mind.
"I can see what Emily saw in you," she said. "You're
quite a catch. Even if she didn't mean it. Her loss."
"What about you, Em? Is or was there anyone special in
your life?" I asked.
"I dated, but there was no one special. I couldn't
find anyone to tame me, I guess," she said as she laughed.
"So, you're a wild child, huh?" I asked.
"Yep!" she said. "And a picky one too!"
"Well, on that note, I think I should bid you a bonne nuit! We have training tomorrow,"
I said. She walked me to the door and I wished her a good night.
On my way back to my room, I was stopped by Diane.
"Well, it sure didn't take you long to go after the
new girl," she said with a snide look on her face.
"What the hell are you talking about?" I demanded.
"Just that you moved on quickly. There's no moss
growing under your feet," she said.
"Aren't you the one currently dating someone else? And
not that it's any of your business, Di, but she happens to be the twin sister
of my deceased girlfriend," I said quietly. "I was telling her that her sister
didn't make it."
"Oh, I'm so sorry, Marv. I guess I was just jealous,"
she said. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"No! I'm kind of all talked out for tonight. Besides,
we have training early tomorrow," I replied. With that, I turned and left.
The next day Leon was relentless. I initially paired
up with Em. She is a capable fighter. After all, she told me that she taught a
self-defense class. It seems while Emily was more cerebral Emelia was more
physical. It was a tough day, and everyone put in a lot of effort.
The tension between Diane, Andre and I was palpable.
As we went through hand-to-hand drills, both Diane and Andre angled to pair
with me. Diane was very aggressive in her attacks but sloppy at best. Andre was
more tactical in his attacks.
"I call for a Kumite,"
demanded Andre.
A Kumite was Leon's one on one challenge for any two
combatants to showcase their talents. Leon was in T's unit in the Corps. Their
past seems to be shrouded in mystery as neither really talks about it. Leon was
about 5'11", 210 lbs. He was a hard-looking Black man who dedicated himself to
martial arts when he was introduced to them in the Marine Corps.
"I challenge Marv," he said with a devious look in his
eyes.
"Ooooh! This is going to be good," said T rubbing his
hands together.
"This doesn't seem like a normal training session,"
said Em. "What's going on?"
"It's not," said T. "These two have more baggage than
the claim area at an airport."
"Look, Andre, this isn't necessary," I said. "Neither
of us have anything to prove."
"I'd listen to the man if I were you," said Leon. "It
doesn't have to be this way."
"What? Are you afraid that everyone will see you as
something less than the big, bad leader?" asked Andre as he winked at Diane. "Everyone
knows you ride T's coattails."
"Oooooh! Good one baby," chimed in Diane as she gave
him a hi-five.
"Damn! Now that right there was the wrong thing to
say," said T to Emelia. "Things just got personal."
"Andre, listen—" began Leon.
"No, Master Leon, he can't hide behind you and T or
his title as leader anymore," interrupted Andre. "It's time for him to put up
or shut up. There's a new sheriff in the ARC, and his name is Andre Davis,"
Andre said as he struck a professional wrestler pose.
"It's okay, Leon," I said. "Let's just get this over
with."
Andre bowed to Leon and then we bowed to each other.
"How disrespectful," said Andre. "He doesn't even call
you master or sensei."
Andre began with a completely telegraphed high
roundhouse kick that backed me off the mat. One point for Andre. We centered on
the mat. Andre next tried a leg sweep that I jumped to avoid.
As Leon and T had both recognized, Andre was a very
capable fighter. His emotions, however, are all over the place due to his
pride. If I was being honest with myself, my nerves had me a little out of it
as well, but I remembered T's instruction. His punches were slow and overly
exaggerated.
"Remember, when you're fighting, a lot of it is all about
attitude," I remembered T saying. "If you can impose your will on your
opponent, you put them on the defensive and they have to fight your fight."
"Are you going to just run all day," Andre yelled. "Let's
fight!"
"Okay, have it your way," I said.
He feinted a left punch, but his right punch was met
with a front kick to the solar plexus, which was followed by a fist-over-fist
punch that drove the wind right out of him and knocked him completely off the
mat. The score was two to one, my win. He fell on his ass. T and Leon rushed
over to him to help him up.
"You got knocked the fuck out!" joked T, as he and
Leon helped him up.
"I tried to tell you, Andre," Leon said. "Haven't you
ever wondered why Marv never calls me Master
Leon? T taught him and me martial arts. Marv is my senpai, or elder, since T began teaching
him first."
"I didn't know," said Andre. "I feel like such an
idiot!"
"Andre, can I see you and Diane in the conference room
please?" I asked.
As the class dispersed, the two followed me to the
conference room with the look of two children called to the principal's office.
"Let me first start off by apologizing," I began. "Diane,
we didn't have any closure with what happened between us and I allowed my
responsibilities to insulate me from my feelings. That caused you to seek the
embrace of another. And Andre, because of me, Diane is unable to truly pursue a
relationship with you, if that is what she wants."
The two of them looked at each other.
"It's kind of humiliating the way you just pushed me
to the side once Emelia got here," said Diane. "How was I supposed to feel?"
"Di, you and Andre had already begun spending time
together before we even met Emelia," I corrected her. "I think you were still
having some conflicted feelings about how things unfolded but was curious about
what a relationship with Andre would entail."
"It just felt like whenever we were alone, you were
there with us somehow," said Andre. "She was unable to truly be with me until
she got over you."
"I don't know," said Diane. "I truly like Andre, but I
feel like we have an unfinished chapter, Marv."
"I kind of felt the same way, considering how things
progressed," I said. "But I've accepted things as they are, whether you two are
together or not. Now, on to the real reason, I called you two here. Andre, I'd
like you to take over the training of the children. They truly respond to you.
I've already discussed it with Leon and T. And Diane, I'm promoting you to our
Assistant Medical Officer. I want you to train a team in first aid, medical
assistance and triage. I'll offer whatever advice and assistance I can offer
and whatever support I can, but I will be focusing the majority of my
attentions on a cure. Whatever you need will be at your disposal."
Again, they looked at each other with confused looks
on their faces. They both shrugged their shoulders in a puzzled fashion.
"So, you're giving us promotions?" asked Diane.
"I'm giving you the responsibility that your skills
have shown you to be capable," I said.
"Look, Doc, I'm sorry about the trash talking back
there," said Andre.
"Don't worry about it," I replied. "I completely
understand. It's water under the bridge. Well, I'll leave you two to it. I have
every confidence in you."
On my way back to my room, I ran into Em.
"So, in addition to being the savior of everyone here
and a doctor, you're also a martial arts expert?" she asked. "How did Emily
respond to your physical nature?"
"Now that you mention it, it never really came up," I
said. "We spent so much time together at work that our personal interests
outside of work rarely ever really cropped up. And I'm nowhere near an expert,
like T and Leon are."
"So, your girlfriend didn't really know that much
about you?" she asked. "Interesting."
"I guess now that I think about it, no she didn't," I
said. "She was more interested in what I could do for her than who I am."
"So, what else didn't she know?" she asked. "I mean,
did you keep a wife and kid from her as well?"
"Not at all," I denied. "I lived a pretty Spartan
lifestyle until I met Em. It was work, interviews and my Ma. And occasionally,
I'd attempt to train in a dojo."
"How did Emily feel about you calling her Em?" she
asked curiously.
"She seemed to enjoy it. She didn't seem to have any
objections to it," I said.
"Hmm, that's interesting. When we were kids she
couldn't stand being mistaken for me," she said. "I'm having a hard time
believing that she accepted you calling her my nickname. Hers was Emmy."
"Your sister was a wonderful, passionate woman, and I
am truly happy to have known her," I said. "Even though our relationship was a
lie, it wasn't all bad. I cared for her even if she didn't really care for me"
"Well, she was lucky to have you. My sister never did
realize how good she had it until it was too late," she said. "Anyway, I was
wondering if you'd be willing to work with me on my martial arts training."
"I'd be happy to," I said. "What discipline would you
like to focus on?"
"Well, for the DCs I think Kenpo is a better avenue due to the rapid strikes. For the living,
I think Aikido due to close combat
and the holds and submissions," she said. "You think you can handle that?"
"It shouldn't be a problem, but you may want to blend
a little Tae Kwon Do with the Kenpo
and some June Keet Do with the
Aikido," I said. "It'll be difficult, but if you're willing to put in the work,
it'll be worth it."
"Listen to you, blending disciplines and techniques,"
she said. "And you saying you weren't an expert."
The next few days crept into weeks, and before you
knew it, their three months were up. Both Rodriguez and Em grew into
well-respected members of our community. Em was a natural when it came to
martial arts. To be perfectly honest, she was right on par with Andre in such a
short amount of time. With continued practice, I'm sure she could master a few
of the disciplines. I had no idea how much I had progressed before I started
working with her, as I had no barometer to measure it against. Sparring with
her really made me step up my game and helped with my confidence.
We grew closer, but at a much slower pace than Emily
and I seem to have. Every time we got close enough for a romantic interlude,
something caused us to back away from it. This morning while we were working
out, things got a little heated…in a good way.
"I've been working on my grabs, my throws, my
submissions, my kicks, and punching. I think I can take you now," she said
excitedly. "You wanna give it a go?"
"Remember, you want to take what you've learned via
the techniques of the other disciplines and apply them via the philosophies of
June Keet Do," I said. "You must remain fluid and reactionary. Assess the
situation and react."
We circled each other as we sized each other up. Em
feinted a punch and threw a side-kick to my calf. I caught her foot and put her
in a heel hook. She immediately tapped out.
"You're not focused!" I yelled. "What is it you want!?"
"You! I want you!" she yelled as she grabbed and
kissed me.
I moved to put my arms around her and she flipped me
into an armbar. The pain was agonizing. I rolled around almost ready to tap
out. But the weak Marvin Harris was gone. I rolled over and stacked her on her
back to alleviate the pressure on my arm. I was able to lock my hands and lift
her from the mat and WHAM! As I slammed her to the mat, it drove the wind right
out of her. I saw her eyes roll up into her head as she lost consciousness.
I quickly retrieved some smelling salts and waved it
under her nose. She snapped to when the aroma of the ammonia hit her. She sat
up still woozy.
"What happened?" she asked as she shook her head.
"The armbar was a good idea," I said. "But you have to
ensure that you sink it in tighter and higher on the elbow and distribute your
weight over my chest allowing your inside foot to deliver a heel kick if I try
to stack you."
"I'll try and remember that the next time," she said. "Damn!
You're stronger than you look!"
"Catching me off guard with the kiss was a good
strategy as well," I said. "Í was completely caught unaware."
"That wasn't a part of a strategy. You're a
good-hearted, good-looking man, Marv. Working with you these past few months,
I've gotten to know the true you," she said. "And I like what I've gotten to
know. You're sensitive, insanely smart, and you have an athleticism masked in
the body of an intellectual."
"You know what Em, I've had the beginnings of some
feelings for you as well," I said. "Not only are you stunningly beautiful, but
you've got spunk!"
"Spunk, huh?" she repeated. "Well how about me and my
spunk invite you to dinner tonigh—oh crap! I forgot I promised Joshua that I
would help him with his test for his belt ceremony."
"No problem. Raincheck?" I asked.
"You bet that sweet ass of yours," she said as she
smacked me on my ass.
I made my way to the lab to continue to try to unravel
the problem I discovered. T brought back a DC and I administered the serum to
its protoplasm. The tissue revived, but the cells, for lack of a better term,
exploded. The energy they generated could not be contained and they literally
burned themselves out. It's official that this serum does not mix well with
DCs.
The next morning, Andre was in all his glory as his
students stood awaiting his commands. They bowed in unison and greeted him with
"Ohayo, sensei!" (Good morning,
teacher!).
"Joshua-san, front and center!" commanded Andre.
Joshua ran to the spot before Andre where he locked
eyes with him and bowed at the waist.
"Repeat the mantora
(mantra)!" barked Andre.
"I
will only use my art when necessary. It is not a plaything. I will work hard to
become better. Regardless of how well I may think I am doing, there is always
room for improvement. I am like water…without form…without shape...without
boundaries. Pour me in a glass, I become a glass. Thought to power. Thought to
deed!" recited Joshua.
"Kiya!" yelled Andre.
"Kiya!" yelled Joshua.
"En garde!" yelled Andre. He then let loose with a
barrage of punches and kicks in which Joshua blocked them all.
"Kiya!" yelled Andre.
"Kiya!" yelled Joshua, as he responded with a flurry
of punches and kicks of his own. He ended his flurry with a fist-over-fist
punch to Andre's midsection!
"Recover!" yelled Andre. Joshua snapped to attention
and bowed with his eyes locked on Andre's. "Ladies and gentlemen, I present to
you, Brown Belt Joshua Walsh!"