Tombstone Estate

[Doc Holliday]

Location: Port Jackson Refugee Colony, Planet Gran Canaria, Omega 49 System

With his wife on a spiritual mission in Rheinland and wanting a break from diplomacy, John Holliday put away his emissary's robes and put on his doctor's coat and spent the better part of the next few days assisting the medical needs of the people of Port Jackson. It was his preferred past time and he took a great deal of pride in his work.
He paid special attention to the children as they were in fact tomorrow's future. They grew on him and brought a smile to a man who smiled very little, even finding time to throw a ball with them or play a game. It was these times that made him feel like a kid again himself.

Some just wanted someone to talk to. So many of the children there had lost one or both parents to the ongoing war with Kusari. They would tell stories of happier times of the past or of the sorrow and fear they felt learning that they no longer had a mom, a dad or sometimes either of them at the end of the day. Sometimes just providing a shoulder to cry on was the best medicine.
For those who were orphaned, Dr. Holliday did his best to work with the Bretonian consulate to put them with other families. It wasn't perfect but at least they weren't alone.

Then there was the "Unthinkable" element. One particular afternoon, he was tending to a boy of about nine years old who was brought to him by his mother with a sore left forearm.
"On a scale of one to ten," asked the doctor, "how much does it hurt?" as he gently held his arm.
"A ten," immediately responded the child, "it hurts a lot."
With a staff member at his side, the doctor escorted the boy to an x-ray room.
"So, young man," asked the doctor as he prepped his arm for an x-ray, "what is your name?"
"Simon," replied the boy, "Simon Walsh. What is yours?"
"It is good to meet you, Simon," he replied, "you may call me John."

As John placed the arm right where he wanted it for the picture, he noticed the bruising.
"Simon, how did this happen?" asked John.
"Well, I was running with a friend and I caught my foot on a root," he explained, "when I fell, I tried catching myself but I didn't."
John just nodded and then went to take the picture. As he did, he called his staff member over.
"Kathy, I want you to find the Port Jackson authorities and bring them to me," he asked. "Do not let his mother leave." Without hesitation, Kathy left to do as requested.

Upon completing the x-ray, he returned to Simon and took some pictures of his arm, focussing on the bruising which had the appearance of a female size hand.
"What are those for?" asked Simon.
"This is how I make a file on you," answered John, "Even after you are gone from my office, I keep a record for myself and for other doctors as well."
Then, as he waited for his films to develope, he sat across from Simon.
"Simon, tell me what really happened to your arm."

Simon sat quietly as a look of fear crossed his face. He knew the doctor saw through his lie but he didn't want to get someone he loved into trouble. "Dad is already dead," he thought to himself, "now I could lose Mom." Tears began to wet his face as he told the story of how his mother, now so overprotective of him, had grabbed him hard and tugged. John, normally intolerable of child abuse, somehow found some pity.
He wiped his tears with a tissue and held his chin up with a finger, "Son, I promise you she won't hurt you again."
"Please, Doctor," he asked, "don't take her away. She is all I have left."
After setting his arm and putting it in a cast, he escorted the young lad to where his mother was standing, a Bretonian Guard on either side of her.

"Doctor," she pleaded, "I need help. Don't take my son away. All we have is each other."
John explained, "Ma'am, it's not up to me at this point. As a physician, I have to report abuse. Now, if you take the help I will arrange, maybe the authorities will be forgiving. I pray that they will."
"What about Simon?" she asked as she cried.
"He will be safe, Ma'am," John reassured her.
With that, she was led off and all evidence turned over to the authorities.

Simon, now like so many other children without parents, was placed with some relatives who were also at Port Jackson. Within a few weeks, his arm would be fully healed and so was his mother. After a hearing, they were re-united.

*more to come*

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[MFE]Med Force One | Tales of Recovery|Med Force Enterprises