hurt girl

Excerpt and Introduction of Meeker Kelley, M.D.

Meeker Kelley was a rare commodity among Physicians, a real credit to his field. He actually cared about his patients and truly enjoyed helping and healing them. He'd been practicing for ten years now and ALL of his patients adored him. Of course, he wasn't a pushover either. He believed in listening to his patients first and foremost. If he weeded out a bull shitter every now and then, well, that was just a part of the job. He didn't let the scammers affect the way he looked at everyone. It wasn't fair to his honest patients.

He had the ability to see into his patient's hearts, and that's what made him such a beloved Doctor. 

It also worked against him in his personal life, if you can call it a personal life. He'd dated several women since becoming a Doctor, was briefly engaged a couple of times as well. It just wasn't in the cards right now, he told himself, or consoled himself would be more likely.  

And, once again, he found himself enthralled in another patient's life, Frances Setters life. 

He'd known her father for years, decades really. They played rugby together at UMPC in Paris and were both members of The Stade Française CASG, a professional rugby club based in the 16th aarrondissement of Paris.  

Meeker had won a full ride to UMPC on account of his formidable rugby skills. The Dean himself flew from Paris, France to New Hampshire to court him, so to speak. He never imagined leaving the U.S... ever, but to go to College overseas?  His mother, single and struggling, made a little under twenty-thousand a year. It was an opportunity she wasn't going to let him turn down, no matter how much she'd miss him.That Fall, he found himself on Air France, headed for Paris... UMPC or bust!

Otto's story was a little different. He was born and raised in Oconee County in South Carolina. Westminster, South Carolina to be exact. Very rich and very cocky... obviously used to getting what he wants. They were the only two Americans on the UMCP Rugby team, which made them fast friends. Otto's father was a rugby star at UMCP, and so doors opened for Otto in that respect, but he earned a place there among the rest of them. He was a fine rugby player.

 Make no mistake though, Meeker Kelley was their star player, and a thorn in Otto's side for sure. They were friends and teammates, but Meeker could feel the tension between them during and right after games. It was strange. Otto was strange... Looking and Acting. 

Meeker was eager to finish up at University and go home. He was a small town boy who didn't belong in the City of Lights.. And truthfully, he wanted to be done with Otto. However, that wouldn't be the case. Before his last semester of school, before graduation, terrible circumstances, of his own doing would align themselves with Meeker, and he would end up owing Otto everything. They were to be connected forever.

Being UMCP's rugby star didn't leave a lot of time for studying, and becoming a Physician was his life's goal. Fortunately for him, Otto was a straight A student and allowed him to cheat once in a while. For another very odd reason, they had the same classes every single semester. On the last day of finals, as luck would have it, the professor caught on to what was going on and had a fit. He claimed that Meeker was looking off of Otto's paper. Meeker would've been expelled, but  at the last minute, Otto confessed to cheating off of Meeker's paper. Though the professor was sure it was the other way around, he couldn't do much about it. Otto was expelled, and Meeker graduated with a PhD and a heavy conscience.

 Afterwards, the only question he was able to ask Otto was, Why?

He gave Meeker a plain and simple answer. He said he had more money than he knew what to do with and so he didn't need a PhD. He looked Meeker straight in the eyes and said, " You owe me now, and one day I intend to collect. Just remember that Mon Ami."  He shivers remembering it. It was a chilling statement, to say the least.