After you have seen the headlines for the third time, you hear the door unlock and Mateo walks in. “Hey, Ionny. Anything interesting?” he asks as he sets down his small travel-bag, sets his minividi on a charger, and pulls a bottle from the cooler. Unlike the water you were drinking, your brother grabs a beer.
He collapses into a lounger near you and takes a sip. “I’m a little surprised that Charlie isn’t down here.”
“She is probably resting. We ‘worked out’ when I arrived. Used her bedroom and then took a shower.” You say as you lean back in the living room sofa.
“I’m glad I timed it right. I would have hated to walk in on her again.” He says in an almost bored tone.
You lean forward, “What do you mean ‘again’?”
“You saw for yourself. She is an attractive woman, who knows what she wants. If I’m on shift, she has a full run of the house. I do the same in her place.” He responds.
“So she does this with other guys?” You ask, though in the back of your mind it makes sense. She seemed very comfortable and relaxed doing it.
Matty leans forward. “It isn’t the other guys that I mind. It’s catching her with family where I get irritated.”
You were sipping your water, and cough as you try not to choke. “Family. You mean Pacjo? Charlie was fucking our father?”
“Actually, I think he was fucking her at the time, but yes.” Matty explains.
“Does Panjo know?” you ask as you lean forward and lower your voice.
“About Charlie, probably not; about most of the nurses and assistants that worked with him, probably.”
You know you have been away for a while, but you aren’t sure how you didn’t know about your father’s infidelities. It’s not that you are a prude, you were raised with an understanding of sex and marriage being separate things but after being on the Libereco for so long, you got use to couples that were exclusive, or at least mostly so.
Matty sets down his beer. “But you didn’t come here for Pacjo’s sex life. Why are you here?”
You stand up for a moment and collect your thoughts, slowly pacing around the living room. “You are right. I am here to find out about his kankro. How did it go undiagnosed and why weren’t you able to treat it?”
“Ok. First, grab yourself a beer and sit back down.” Matty says and he moves the lounger into a sitting position.
You pull one from the cooler, take a sip, and then walk back into the living room. The beer is the first one you’ve had in the Core since you left. It tastes smooth, cool, and almost pure. Out on the rim, you drank mostly tea but would have something stronger when it was time to celebrate. Most of the time it is alcohol that was locally made and not up to UGA purity standards.
You sit and face your brother. “Ok. Tell me.”
“Pacjo was officially retired. He only worked in the clinics from time to time to help out and earn extra valutos.”
You nod at that, confirming what Panjo told you.
“He was also having sex with a few of his assistants before or after shift. I don’t think there was any romantic feelings with them, just physical sex.”
“Sort of like Charlie?” you ask.
He sips his beer and nods. “Yeah, like that. Think back to your Sociology classes. ‘Marital partnering in the UGA is for the creation and raising of families. Sex outside of that partnering is highly encouraged so long as it is done as a recreational and physical activity for the health benefits of all involved’.”
You nod and continue “Yes, ‘Romantic partnering is a biological drive and should be pared with Marital partnering for couple stability.’ Yes I remember that from Medschool. So you are saying that Pacjo was just being a good citizen and exercising his right for sex outside of his marriage?”
He sets down his beer again. “Yes. Panjo does too, apparently. At least according to her medi-log.”
You want to be shocked and surprised by this, but all of the UGA values you were raised with just lock back into place. Marriage is separate from sex. Something that the more religiously minded types have fought against and fled to the Rim.
“Ok, but what does all of this have to do with his undiagnosed kankro?” you ask to get back to the topic.
“Well, apparently when he was supposed to be going in for his physicals, he was using his professional authority to modify his medi-log. Instead of getting examined by either the medi-comp or another doctor, he would come down, have sex with an assistant, log the time as a medical physical, and give himself a clean bill of health.”
You shake your head in disbelief. “That was selfish and stupid. He was jeopardizing his stamp and his status as a doctor.”
“It wasn’t until he was feeling weak and tired, that I had Charlie give him a full work up.”
You wrinkle your brows in a confused look. “But you just said that Charlie and him..”
“That was here. Not in the hospital. Charlie, once she is in the building, is a total professional, and apparently immune to Pacjo’s charms. She diagnosed him as Stage IV that spread though his system. It probably started either colon, testes, or bladder. But by the time we found it, there was little to do but keep him comfortable.”
You still must have that confused look on your face as you ask, “But why didn’t he see an oncologist?”
Matty picks up his beer and finishes it. “He did. Afterwards when they offered very little hope, Pacjo asked for me to become his personal physician. We tried a couple rounds of gene replacement therapy, but there wasn’t really any healthy tissue to use. It had spread to most of his systems.” He bows his head for a moment. “Panjo and I agreed we would do what we could to keep him comfortable for as long as we could. She was the one to administer the fina pafo. He selected the date and the location. She administered it, and I declared him dead, with Charlie as a medical witness. He was at peace and it was beautiful.” Matty says raising up his head with tears in the corners.
“I’m sorry I missed it.” You say after a moment of silence.
“It’s okay Ionny. You and Pacjo fought and argued before you left. I don’t know if you being here would have really changed anything.”
He stands up and looks at the time. “I was going to make something to eat before I go to bed. Are you hungry, or do you want to take the metrooj back to Panjo’s house?”
You wipe the unshed tears from your eyes and stand up. “I’ll stay. How about I cook for you. I’ve learned a few things out on the Rim.”
Both of you look at what he has in the cabinets, pantry, and cooler. You have all the ingredients to make kokido alfredo. Your brother’s cooker is larger than the one on the Libereco, but easier to use. You cut up the kokido breasts and throw them in the pan, quickly cooking them. Matty measures out water and noodles for you, which you add to the hot meat. Finally he melts some fromago into a sauce, which you stir into the mixture until it is all creamy.
“That smells good! Can I have some?” you hear Charlie say as she comes down the stairs.
“I made enough for leftovers. That’s what Cookie normally does.”
“Who?” your brother asks as he grabs plates and silverware.
“Hand me a serving bowl and I’ll tell you all about the crew of the Libereco.”
You dish up and eat. During the meal you tell about your life on the Rim, as you listen to both of them tell too.
When it is done, Mateo grabs three small glasses and a bottle of Unicum. “Welcome home.” He says as he fills the glasses and offers you one.
You sniff it. The strong herbal scent reminds you of traditional holiday meals and your father offering toasts in a language long since forgotten.
You hold up your glass, “What would Pacjo say?”
Matty smiles “I could never pronounce it, but Panjo’s people would say ‘E ku’.”
You and Charlie hold up your glasses and say “E ku.” The strong herbal liquor burns the back of your tongue and throat as you sip it.
Charlie’s glass is empty, and Matty refills it. “You did it too fast. We aren’t back in Medschool.”
You continue. “Yes, this is a traditional drink from Pacjo’s heritage, and you sip it after a meal, during times of celebration.”
“Before we continue, how much longer do you have before you start your next shift, Charlie?”
She looks at the time, then at the bottle, and sighs. “Let me finish this one, and I’ll go to bed. I have my alarm set to get me up in time. You two can continue without me.”
“E ku” you say raising your glass towards Charlie, then sipping a little more.
When everyone’s glass is done, Charlie goes to bed and you and Matty clean up.
“You know, Ionny, you don’t have to sleep on the couch. You could ask Charlie for some more hospitality before morning.” He says with a wink and a grin.
“No. I have enjoyed this. Just catching up, remembering some of the traditions. You seem to be doing well here.”
“I am. As well as a UMP doctor can in the Core.” He says with a smile.
“I see, but this isn’t the life for me. Tomorrow, I’ll take the metrooj back to Panjo’s house and spend a few days with her. My Captain gave me a window of time when she would be ready to return. I’ll send a link then.”
You spend the next few hours talking and drinking, which alternates between beer and water. Matty listens as you talk more about the crew. Asking questions from time to time about why you aren’t sleeping with Cookie, Skipper, or Navs. You explain that Skipper has a lover, Oficiro Lee, a Maristo; and Cookie, she is a friend, and prefers sex with women. As for Navs, she and Helm are exclusive. Vocal, obvious, and open, but exclusive. They are all like family. Even Meko, who can be like an irritating little frateto.
You stare off into empty space and say. “They are like family.”
(I hope you enjoyed Kurgio’s story. It took longer than I originally planned. If you did; leave me a comment. If you enjoy my writings, follow and subscribe. I try to post new stories every Friday.)
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