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The Mask

Carmenica Diaz

2004 Carmenica Diaz

Part 4 On the Road Again

The farewell the next day was tearful. I tried to tell myself this was what I had worked for over the past year, but it didn’t make it any better.

The base hospital team gave me a blue cap with M.D. on it and we all hugged. They were great guys and I was going to miss working with them.

Brenda, Kristine and I hugged each other, and I was crying freely when I finally drove away. I had Brenda’s cell phone number programmed into mine and both Kristine and Brenda had made me promise to come see them again.

However, I knew I would probably never see them again. When I had changed back to Jack, they wouldn’t understand or even know me. That thought made me burst into tears once again and through gritted teeth, I cursed the hormones within me. I was looking forward to being a man again, I told myself, it would take time to do my research, but I will achieve my goal so I can return to my safe, stable and predictable life.

I didn’t know where I was going and just drove South down the highway, planning to end up in
Atlanta and start looking for work at the teaching hospitals. I stayed the night in a large motel and decided to have my first drink for a long time in the bar. Out of habit, I changed into a dress, did my hair and face and walked in. The woman behind the bar smiled and I ordered a drink.

‘Put the lady’s drink on my tab,’ a heavy man on a stool at the bar called, smiling at me.

‘That’s very nice,’ I smiled, ‘but I couldn’t.’ Before he could open his mouth, I quickly paid the woman and sipped the drink through the straw. I almost spluttered but managed to contain it. Jack had always drunk whisky, but this was terrible!

‘Don’t like it?’ the woman asked with a smile.

I grinned foolishly. ‘A friend suggested it, but it’s a bit harsh.’

‘Let me swap it for you,’ she said as she whisked the drink away.

Moments later she was back with a cocktail glass with a green liquid in it, a slice of lemon on the side. I pulled open my purse and looked at her but she waved it away. ‘No charge, I don’t get much call for cocktails here, so it’s a pleasure. Tell me what you think.’

She moved away to serve another customer and I cautiously sipped the cocktail through the straw. ‘What do you think?’

‘It’s delicious,’ I smiled, and it really was. I suddenly noticed that the bar was now crowded with men who had moved from the tables to the stools. All of them were smiling at me and I sighed inwardly. Brenda had warned me about how attractive I was to men, and I had thought she was exaggerating but, apparently, she hadn’t. Another curse I had to learn to live with!

A big man pushed through and stood looking down at me, his beer belly almost touching me. ‘Hi there, little lady. What brings you down here?’

‘I’m just travelling through,’ I said, looking around for a way out of the bar and back to my room.

‘Are you in sales?’

‘Medicine,’ I said, turning away and getting off the stool.

‘Pharmaceutical sales?’ he boomed.

‘No,’ I said, peeved, ‘I’m actually a doctor. And you,’ I said pointing at his flushed cheeks, ‘should get your doctor to test your blood pressure.’ There was small ripple of laughter and I escaped, leaving my half finished cocktail on the bar.

I was fuming when I returned to my room. This is ridiculous, I swore, I can’t even go for a drink on my own and my tastebuds are shot! I ordered room service and watched a movie on the television. The truth was after being surrounded with people for such a long time, I was feeling incredibly vulnerable and alone, maybe even lonely. What in the hell is happening to me?

Be calm, I told myself, once you begin work on changing back, you’ll be fine. With that thought, I snapped the light off and slept fitfully in my first night of freedom.

The next morning I rummaged through my clothes and decided on shorts, a white sleeveless top, sneakers and half socks. I whisked my hair into a ponytail and threaded it through the hole in the back of the M.D. cap the guys had given me. I told myself that I’d have my hair cut short soon and be back in trousers permanently. The thought that I wouldn’t be able to style my hair if it was cut really short popped into my mind and I quickly pushed it out again.

It was beginning to heat up and I drove for most of the morning. Somehow, I had driven off the highway and was now travelling on smaller and smaller roads. The map was useless, I couldn’t figure out where I was, and decided to keep driving until I found a town.

The country flattened and the dusty road I was driving down was suddenly parallel to a large river. Pulling over at a crossroads I saw a sign that pointed to a town called Indian Mask and it was only twenty miles further on. Suddenly, I relaxed, threw the stupid map into the back seat and realised just how worried I had been at being lost.

Grinning, I said, ‘Silly woman,’ to myself and reached for the radio button. Wait a minute, I immediately thought, what did I call myself? You can stop acting now, I told myself, there’s no one who knows you here.

The radio station was playing oldies mixed with country music and I sang softly to myself as I drove along, enjoying the peaceful countryside, the green fields, willows hanging by the water and a few horses running free in their fenced lots.

The road curved and I was later thankful I was driving slowly when I turned the curve. A pickup was on its side across the road. A boat trailer connected to it was at twisted angle, the wooden boat splintered and dangling from it.

The accident must have occurred minutes before because I saw a man groggily waving at me with both arms, warning me to stop. Even from that distance, I could see a trickle of blood on his forehead and his nose looked bloody.

Parking off the road, I grabbed my medical bag and jumped out, rushing over to the man. ‘My daughter’s hurt,’ he cried out to me as I ran closer. ‘We have to get help, she’s hurt bad.’

‘Okay, okay,’ I soothed, quickly looking him over. He had a gash on his forehead, a broken nose and cut lip, and his face was pale. ‘I’m a doctor, where is she?’

‘Doctor?’ He looked me up and down.

‘Do you want to see my license, or do you want me to see your daughter?’ I snapped.

She was in the pick-up and I guessed she had a broken arm and it looked like a deep cut on her left leg. ‘Hello, honey,’ I said softly as I clambered in, ‘what’s your name?’ I guessed she was about eight or nine and was dressed in shorts and tee shirt.

‘Lou,’ she said, white faced as she stared at me.

‘Is that short for Louise?’ I asked as I closely examined her leg. It was a long cut, but no real muscle damage, and she’d be okay after stitches.

‘Yes,’ she murmured, watching me as I wrapped her leg quickly. ‘Are you a doctor?’

‘Yes, and you’re going to be okay, Lou.’ I brushed her hair from her eyes. ‘I’m going to strap your arm to your chest so we can move you. It might hurt a little so I want you to be brave, okay?’

‘Okay,’ she said in a low voice. ‘What’s your name?’

‘Jacquie,’ I said, preparing the bandages, conscious her father was watching through the window. A least he didn’t pepper me with questions. ‘It’s short for Jacqueline.’

Lou smiled and began to close her eyes. ‘No, Lou,’ I said quickly, ‘don’t close your eyes, honey. Look at me, sweetheart,’ I ordered, worried about internal injuries, and she opened her eyes again. ‘Now, here we go,’ I said softly and I worked quickly. She grunted in pain and I saw her eyes sparkle with tears but I strapped her arm successfully.

Leaning down, I kissed her forehead. ‘You are such a brave girl, Lou. I’m going to call you tough Lou from now on.’ She weakly smiled at that and I ran my hands over her, checking for any other injuries.

Her father asked a question at last. ‘Is she okay?’

I nodded and turned back to Lou. ‘You keep your eyes open while I check your Dad, okay?’

‘Okay, Jacquie,’ she said and I crawled out of the car and quickly checked his eyes and the cuts.

‘Anything that really hurts?’ I asked.

‘Everything,’ he said ruefully and I smiled.

‘I think you’ll live but you’ll need stitches. Can you drive my car?’ He nodded and I decided to risk it. ‘We need to get Lou in the back seat and I’ll stay with her while you drive. You know the way I guess, I’ll just get lost. Is there a hospital here?’

‘There’s a small surgery at Indian Mask but the…’

‘That’ll do,’ I said briskly.

Lou was tough again when we moved her and soon her father was driving like a maniac down the dusty road. ‘I can see how you had an accident,’ I said. ‘Does your Daddy always drive this fast?’ I said loudly. He heard me and slowed down a little.

‘It was a cow, Jacquie,’ Lou said. ‘A cow ran in front of us and Daddy tried not to hit it.’

I kept her talking and soon we were driving down a sealed street that soon became the main street of the small town of
Indian Mask. Small being the operative word although it was really pretty, the sort of town that you saw in old fashioned movies.

We drove past the courthouse, the churches, the stores and the gas station until we came to a big rambling house with a picket fence. The sign that stood in the middle of the lawn said ‘Doctor William Johnson’.

‘Bring her in,’ I said to the father, ‘and I’ll brief Doctor Johnson.’

‘But…’ he said, but I briskly walked up onto the porch and through the screen door.

The front door led to what I guessed was a waiting room, even though it was deserted. The reception desk was deserted so I rang the bell.

‘Can I help you?’ A large black woman with wire spectacles appeared, looking at me in a puzzled way.

‘There’s been an accident and a young girl has a broken arm and a cut leg. Is the doctor here?’

Lou was brought in by her father and said, glancing at the black woman, ‘I tried to tell her there isn’t a doctor here.’

‘There isn’t a doctor?’ I looked at her, puzzled and she shrugged.

‘The nearest one is sixty five miles away.’

‘But the sign?’

‘Doctor Johnson passed on three months ago,’ the woman said gently, ‘we just haven’t gotten around to taking the sign down.’

Lou suddenly said, ‘It hurts, Jacquie.’

‘I know, sweetheart,’ I said softly. ‘Is there a surgery here?’ I asked the woman. ‘I’m a doctor.’

She looked at me in surprise. ‘Yes, nothing has been moved, the town’s kept it ready for a new doctor as soon as we find him.’

I sighed, took my cap off and started winding my hair into a bun. ‘Can I use the surgery to set her arm?’

She studied me. ‘Are you sure you’re a doctor?’

‘She’s pretty good, Eleanor,’ Lou’s father pleaded, ‘Lou’s in pain here.’

‘Ok,’ Eleanor agreed at last, ‘it’s through there.’

I washed up and I was surprised to see Eleanor in a scrub smock, ready to assist. She watched me keenly as I set the arm and began applying the cast. I casually told her to finish up the cast, apply a sling while I stitched the leg. It was all local anesthetic and Lou grimaced a little but was great, I kept telling her so and making jokes as I worked. She giggled at some things, laughed at others and I saw even Eleanor cracked a smile.

‘There you go, angel,’ I said with a smile. ‘I’d better check your Dad, the brave cow protector.’ She giggled again and I asked Eleanor, ‘Can you finish the bandaging?’

She smiled. ‘Of course, Doctor.’

Lou’s father asked immediately, ‘Is she alright?’

‘She’s fine. Just let me work on you and you can see her.’

‘Thank God,’ he said and I smiled as I sat him down. His hair was dark and curly, his face was unshaven and he was lean and muscular.

‘So you’re Jacquie?’ he asked as I cleaned the cut and I nodded. ‘I’m Scott Carson. Thanks for everything you’ve done. Ow,’ he suddenly grimaced.

‘Nearly finished, though I can’t do much more for the nose,’ I said after fixing a strip over the bridge to keep it straight.

He shrugged. ‘It’s been broken before.’

‘Stand up and undo your shirt,’ I said. His chest was muscular but not hairy, just a few tufts of hair with a thin trail from his navel heading south. There were no broken ribs and everything seemed okay. ‘Everything seems fine. You can go see her now.’

I washed up and was brushing my hair out when Eleanor poked her head around the corner. ‘Cup of coffee, doctor?’

‘I’m dying for a cup,’ I said, rolling my eyes and she laughed.

After all the tests I could run gave them a clean bill of health apart form the obvious injuries, Scott and Lou left. I waved goodbye and sat on the porch, steaming mug of coffee in my hand. ‘You did good work in there, doctor,’ Eleanor said, sitting beside me. ‘I’m Eleanor,’ she said, flashing a grin.

‘Jacquie.’ I sipped the coffee. ‘This is a beautiful town, so peaceful.’

‘We think so. Are you on vacation?’

‘Kind of, but I got lost. I thought I could read the map but I must have taken a wrong turn somewhere.’

She laughed. ‘I think Scott and Lou will thank the Lord you were lost.’

A tall thin man hurried through the gate and up the path. ‘Here’s trouble,’ Eleanor whispered with a wink.

‘Hi, Eleanor,’ he said, eyes on me. ‘And you must be the doctor? I’m the Mayor, Ron Tomlinson.’

‘Jacqueline Rhodes. It obviously doesn’t take long for word to get around.’

‘You better believe it,’ Eleanor said.

‘Are you staying long in Indian Mask, Doctor Rhodes?’

I was suddenly conscious I was wearing shorts and the Mayor’s eyes kept drifting all over me. ‘Probably just tonight if I can find a motel. There is a motel, isn’t there?’

‘Of course, but why don’t you stay here tonight, you’re most welcome.’ Ron said. ‘The surgery and the house is owned by the city and is vacant until we find a doctor. As I said, you’d be most welcome, and it’s our way of thanking you.’

‘Well, I don’t know…’

‘Why not Jacquie?’ Eleanor said with a smile. ‘It’s clean and comfortable and it’s not being used.’

I shrugged; it was probably better than a motel. ‘Okay, why not?’

‘Great!’ Ron beamed.

‘I’ll show you where everything is,’ Eleanor said and stood up. Ron took that as his cue and walked off whistling.

‘It’ll be nice to have someone here again,’ Eleanor said as she showed me the bedroom, the kitchen and the bathroom. ‘Now, will you be cooking tonight?’

I looked around the big kitchen. ‘Probably not.’

‘Then it’s the diner, you can’t miss it, and it’s on the main street.’

‘Isn’t this the main street?

‘Yep, that’s why you can’t miss it.’ We laughed. ‘I’ll come by in the morning.’

After a long relaxing soak in the big bathtub, I dressed in jeans, a casual sleeveless top and sandals, did my face and, with my hair loose and my handbag over my shoulder, strolled down the street, smelling the jasmine in the air.

A woman was watering her garden as I walked past, a ginger cat on the picket fence watching the stream of clear water from the hose. ‘Good evening, Doctor,’ she called and I blinked in surprise. This is a small town, I told myself, and word gets around.

‘Hi,’ I called, ‘it’s a beautiful evening,’ I added, just for something to say.

‘It is. Welcome to Indian Mask. I’m Rhoda Simpson, my husband runs the gas station.’ She turned the hose off and drew closer. ‘Doctor, I know you’re just passing through but Jim has this cut that’s become infected but he won’t take time off to go over to the County. He’s a stubborn thing, you know what men are like, but I’m worried.’

I smiled. ‘Send him by tomorrow morning Mrs. Simpson, first thing, and I’ll look at it before I leave.’

The diner was crowded, I could hear the hum of conversation from the street, but it died immediately I walked through the door, the bell jangling loudly in the suddenly silent room.

Ron Tomlinson rushed forward. ‘Doctor Rhodes,’ he greeted me enthusiastically, ‘welcome. Let me introduce you.’ He took me by the arm and began introducing me to people until I was hopelessly confused.

‘Are you really a doctor?’ A big man in a sweat stained uniform asked and it was plain he was the sheriff.

‘Are you really the sheriff?’ I countered and everyone laughed.

‘Yes I am,’ he said, producing his wallet, ‘here are my credentials.’ I read the identity card, Sheriff John Hopkins.

I sighed, rummaged in my handbag for my purse and found my registration and license. ‘Here’s mine.’

He read it aloud. ‘Doctor Jacqueline Rhodes, guess you’re a doctor,’ he said with a lopsided grin handing it back.

‘Good, otherwise you’d arrest me for illegally setting broken arms?’

‘It’s just you look pretty young.’

‘Young and pretty,’ someone called out and there were a few chuckles.

‘Keep quiet, Donny,’ another voice called, ‘young Scott saw her first.’

More laughter and a thin woman rushed over, pushing herself in front of the sheriff. ‘I’m Alice, Doctor. This is my place. Ignore them and come and have something to eat.’ She led me over to a table with red-checkered tablecloth. ‘We can cook steak anyway you like it or, if you prefer something light, we have some fresh fish just caught this afternoon. I could grill a piece for you?’

‘Thanks
Alice, that sounds perfect.’

I looked around the room as the steady conversation returned. It was nice, really nice and comfortable with the steady aromas leaking from the kitchen, laughter and joking and, once in a while, the tinkle of glasses.

It was strange but I felt at home and so relaxed. After all that time at the complex, pretending to be someone I wasn’t, it was a pleasure to relax and be to be me.

They left me alone, although I could feel their eyes on me every now and again, but they didn’t intrude.
Alice chatted to me a little bit and Ron came over at the end of the meal and asked if he could stop by the next day to discuss a proposition.

I guessed he was going to try to talk me into staying and told him it was a waste of his time, but he insisted.

‘Okay,’ I agreed, ‘but I’m leaving tomorrow.’

That night, I called Brenda and told her where I was and what had happened. She listened carefully, asking a question occasionally and when I finished, she asked, ‘Is Scott cute?’

Cute, was he cute, I wondered, was he? ‘Maybe but he’s married. His daughter is a great kid, though.’

‘Hmmm,’ Brenda said. ‘Call me soon, we all miss you.’

‘I miss you too,’ I said and it wasn’t a lie.