Doctor’s Duties by K.C. Crowne

Chapter 20

LOGAN

Iwasn’t sure what had come over me. But the words had seemed to tumble out, as if not under my control.

“Married?” asked Mr. Whittington. “Are you joking?”

“Not a joke,” I said.

Abby and her mom were stunned. Hell – could I blame them?

Mr. Whittington leaned forward and steepled his hands in front of his face. Seconds passed as he tried to figure out what to say next.

“You’re telling me…you and my daughter are married?”

“That’s what we wanted to talk to you about tonight,” I said. “We’re not just dating. We’re… married.”

Abby, who was seated in such a way that her parents couldn’t see her face, mouthed words that were unmistakable, “what the fuck?”

It was a huge gamble. But there was nothing else to be done. Only with Abby and I being married could we avoid a huge scandal at school if it were to get out – and even then, there was no guarantee. Not only that, but I could tell there was no chance her parents were going to let up unless they knew this was serious.

“I don’t understand,” said her father.  “When did this happen?”

“It happened a couple of weeks after we met.” I chuckled. “I’d always heard about how when you met the right person, you just knew that there wasn’t anyone else in the world for you. And after a few days with Abby, that’s exactly how I felt. I told her, and she told me she felt the same way. So, we decided that there was no point in waiting.”

He turned to Abby. “Is this all true?”

Moment of truth. Abby was either going to go along with the lie or tell her parents it was bullshit.”

“It’s…it’s true.”

And there it was. For better or for worse – so to speak ‒ we were in this together.

“All this time you two have been setting me up on these dates, trying to pair me off with a guy you decided was the right person. But the more I got to know Logan, the more I realized that there wouldn’t be anyone you two could find for me that would be better than him. So, I made my own decision for once in my life.”

Her mother was crestfallen. “You mean to tell me that you both went off and, what, got married at a courthouse or something like that?”

“That’s exactly what we did,” I said, figuring it was as good a detail as any. “Did it one afternoon a few weeks back.”

“But that’s not what we wanted,” her mother said. “Your wedding was going to be the social event of the season. Ever since you were a girl, I’ve been dreaming of the day you’d be married, what it would look like.”

“You’re not getting it,” said Abby. There was more intensity to her voice, and I could sense that she was beginning to get on board with the deception. “I want to be able to decide what happens in my life. I don’t want a life that you two have picked out; I don’t want a wedding that’s what my mom wants. All I’ve been saying to you both is that I want to make my own decisions.”

“So,” said her father. “You going off and marrying your college professor was, what, some way to get back at us?”

Abby’s eyes went wide, indignation on her face. “You’re still not getting it! Even now, with me telling you both that I’m in love with Logan you can’t, or won’t, understand that I might do something because I want to do it.”

Her mother said nothing, tears forming in her eyes. The plan was working, but I could sense that it was having some unexpected consequences. While Abby’s dad was a bit of a hard ass, her mom was more on the kinder side. And here we’d gone, dashing her hopes of a grand wedding for her little girl.

“We wanted you to get married, yes,” said her father, barely constraining his anger. “But not like this. You were going to be married after you were done with school, to a man that we decided upon. You weren’t going to run off and get hitched without us knowing!”

There was anger in his voice by the time he’d reached the end of his spiel.

“If I were to do what you wanted,” said Abby. “I wouldn’t be a doctor at all! I’d get my med degree so I could hang it up and never use it once!”

“That’s right,” said her father. “You don’t need to work. If you insist on getting your M.D., that’s one thing. But you need a man in your life who will do the working – you’ve got more important things to worry yourself about.”

I’d gotten the impression that her father was an old-fashioned sort of guy. But I hadn’t taken him for some prehistoric prick who thought women needed to be barefoot and in the kitchen. I felt the anger rise inside of me, and it took all I had to not tell him to go to hell.

But I had to say something.

“I’ve been in the medical game for decades,” I said. “And I can tell you both, without a doubt, that Abby is one of the most promising students I’ve ever had the pleasure to teach. If you take her dreams of being a doctor, you’re not only dashing her hopes – you’re depriving the world of someone who has the power to save lives.”

“Someone else can save lives,” said her father. He shook his head and scoffed. “This is all just great. Now she’s married to someone who’s going to put more ideas into her head about working for a living. Well, I’ll tell you what, daughter of mine – if this is the path you’re going to take, then you won’t have my assistance any longer in walking down it. For too long have I supported you in this nonsense. Now your husband can take up that mantle.”

He set his plate down on the coffee table and rose.

“Come on, Elizabeth – I’ve heard all I need to tonight.”

Elizabeth, her eyes still red with tears, nodded as she rose.

“Fine!” shouted Abby after them. “I should’ve told you both I don’t need your help a long time ago!”

Mr. Whittington shot me a hard glare as he led his wife out of the lounge. Moments later, the door opened and closed, and they were gone.

But Abby and I didn’t have a moment to ourselves before Lexi popped her head into the room.

“Dinner’s up!” she said, her voice chipper. Her expression fell when she read the room. “Uh, I’ll put the steaks in the fridge.”

She left, and Abby and I were alone.

There was no doubt in my mind that we had a hell of a lot to talk about.