doc_smith (ex_doc_smith506) wrote in the_colony, @ 2011-02-01 22:43:00 |
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Entry tags: | ^ week 33, john james searle, louisa may smith, | louisa may and searle |
Week 33 - Friday
Characters: Louisa May and Searle.
Location: Louisa’s trailer.
Summary: Drew suggests going to see the doctor for birth control options, and Searle takes his advice.
Rating: PG to PG-13
Aside from being cordial and helpful when he could be, Searle hadn’t had much contact with the group’s new (not so new anymore) doctor. He still wasn’t over Luc and had made no effort to get over him, and because of that he had actively distanced himself from anyone who appeared to take his place. That being said, he had nothing against Louisa May, but Searle also hadn’t tried to form any kind of bond with her. That was one of the reasons why, as he knocked on her trailer door, he felt out of place.
Louisa May had been writing out her casenotes from her morning round of check-ups. She didn’t know whether she’d see any of the travellers again, but if they made their way back, she wanted to keep her records up-to-date. The desk where she was working was cramped, and when she heard the knock, she hit her knee against the side as she turned to see who it was.
“Son of a...” she muttered, rubbing her knee. “Come on in,” she called out, “Door’s open.”
“Hi,” Searle said as he poked his head through the trailer door, then lumbered inside in that awkward teenage way before shutting it behind him. All of the sudden he felt foolish being there, as if he had no right to be. “... How are you?”
"Fine, fine, just hit my knee, that’s all. What can I do you for, Searle?” Louisa May hadn’t had many opportunities to talk to the youth, but she knew him well enough from their communal meals.
“Oh, uh, nothing really.” Searle went quiet for several seconds, gaze cast to the side, before he realized he had accidentally lied. “Actually, there’s something. Sorry, I … do you know anything about birth control?” As his voice rose in a question, so did his eyebrows, and Searle chanced an imploring look Louisa May’s way.
Louisa May’s brow furrowed briefly as she wondered how old Searle was, and her brow furrowed further as she thought that she’d seen him spending quite a bit of time with Jack -- who was very, very young for that sort of thing. It’s not your place to lay down the law when it comes to young people wanting to be responsible, Louisa May, she told herself sternly. And thank God he’s coming to you with questions instead of keeping them to himself.
“Well, if you want to know about birth control, I’m the right person to ask,” she replied, gesturing to her couch. “Let’s talk about it.” She paused. Searle didn’t have parents of his own, even though she knew Bridget cared for him very much, and she didn’t want his embarrassment to get in the way of her ability to help him. “Do you know what doctor-patient confidentiality is, Searle?”
“Yeah,” Searle answered unenthusiastically as he sat down on the couch. Sitting seemed to unsettle his stomach even more, but he planned to ignore that. “You won’t tell anyone … and that’s good, I don’t think I want anyone to know.” Even though, at the same time, he wanted everyone to know.
“That’s right. So if there are questions that you want to ask, even if they might be embarrassing, or you’re worried that they sound silly, that’s what I’m here for. No stupid questions if you honestly want to know the answer, and it doesn’t leave this trailer.” Technically, Searle was a minor, but you had to overlook some of those old rules in situations like this one.
“Thanks.” The trailer fell silent for a few beats while Searle mentally squirmed. It hadn’t exactly been easy asking Drew for condoms, but at least Drew was a man. “So, uh, are all the condoms expired now?” he asked, while his face flushed bright.
“That depends, so that means it’s always important to check a few things,” Louisa May replied briskly, holding up her fingers. “First off, check the expiration date printed right on the package.” Finger number two. “If it’s been stored in a cool, dry place, it’s fine. If it’s been in your back pocket or your wallet, that shortens its life span.” She held up a third finger. “Condoms that have spermicide -- which acts as an extra birth control prevention -- don’t tend to last as long.” She paused in thought. “Oh! You need to check and make sure that the seal to the package hasn’t been broken. When you press down, it still ought to have some air in it. Best case scenario, they’re gonna last for four of five years before degrading, as long as you’re careful.”
She leaned forward. “Now, long term, it’s not gonna help you. But for now, condoms are your best bet. And they help against STDs too. I don’t care if there’s not many of us left, I guarantee you someone out there has something catching, and you don’t wanna catch it.”
Halfway through the lesson, Searle wished he’d brought something to write on, but the businesslike manner with which Louisa May approached the subject with him did a lot to calm him down. He no longer felt as though he were talking sex with a woman - though he clearly identified Louisa as such - instead regarding her as a doctor first.
“I, uhm, had sex with a girl,” he admitted, “more than once. Uhm, I pulled out … because we didn’t have any condoms.” Guilt shaped his facial features. “I don’t think she has STDs, but I know she did it before - had sex, I mean. But … I swear we’ll use condoms from now on. That’s why I came here, to see if you had any.”
Louisa May raised an eyebrow at this revelation -- this meant that the odds were he hadn’t been talking about Jack -- and she nodded her head. “Right. Well, the important thing is you’re looking to do the responsible thing in the future. I’ve got some in the infirmary that I can get you.” She shook her head. “And keep in mind that the pull-out method is not gonna be your best bet. Pre-come can get a girl pregnant, and it doesn’t protect against STDs either. So until condoms kick it, that’s gonna be the way to go.”
Searle nodded, feeling a knot form in his stomach just thinking about the possibility of Nevaeh getting pregnant by him. He knew they should have been more careful, but it was hard - impossible, really - to resist her. “Thanks … for explaining everything.”
“Well, I’m glad I could be helpful. And like I said, you got any questions, I don’t care how stupid you think they are, you ask me.” She paused, wondering if she ought to say what was weighing on her mind -- Searle didn’t have a father that could pass along whatever morality lessons he thought best, and while she wasn’t about to tell him to wait to have sex -- which would be useless and pointless -- she did want to make sure he got off on the right foot when it came to his future. True, it wasn’t her place to say, but she wasn’t sure anyone else would say it either, and it needed to be said by someone. Choosing her words carefully, she looked him in the eye.
“It’s good that you’re thinking about things like keeping your partner from getting pregnant, and keeping yourself disease free. Those things are important. So’s being able to listen to and respect your partner. And respecting your partner means that no always means no.” She paused. “I know it’s not like we have any laws right now, or policemen to enforce them, but it’s the laws that we carry around inside of us that really matter. And since this is somethin’ you’re just getting started on, you might not have any laws of your own yet. I just want to make sure that’s something you think about, is all.”
As much as Searle resented Lousia May thinking she had to say that to him, he didn’t want to seem ungrateful after she’d helped him so much so he nodded. “I wouldn’t do that,” he said, returning the doctor’s look with a level one of his own. It was the most confidence he’d shown the whole visit, even if he was still red in the face.
“Good,” Louisa May replied firmly. “I don’t think that you would.” She thought of Abby and her lips tightened. “Times like these, let’s just say that it’s important to talk about, even so.”
“I guess so,” Searle agreed, knowing Louisa May had a point. After all, it wasn’t difficult for some people to hide their true natures. Jared had done that, Searle thought, and it had cost them their last doctor.
He stood up from the couch, allowing his arms to hang at his sides, hovering uncertainly like he didn’t know what to do with them. “Thanks again for talking to me and everything. I just wanted, you know, the condoms and … uhm, sorry if I ever seemed distant. I was kind of close to our old doctor, and … I don’t know.” Searle looked at the floor.
“You’re welcome, Searle. And I’ve heard lots of good things about Luc. I can see why you’d miss him. There’s nothing wrong with that at all.” She paused. “I know I’m not a replacement for him, but I’m glad I could help you out, and I look forward to getting to know you better.” She extended a hand to the boy -- young man -- for him to shake.
Searle took it firmly and offered her a smile. “Me too.”