Courtship

Part 48

Marina was tempted to chuckle at his somewhat bemused look. But she settled for a nod, which she confirmed verbally, with a wry, "Yes."

"Why?" He looked over at her, "I mean I get that you want to practice medicine. But you could do that anywhere. So why here in particular?" He knew the place had to have something significant, for she could have opted to work at any one of many locations or institutions. Why come here. "Seems to me that you've gone out of your way to find somewhere that's challenging on so many levels!" He told her.

Again she nearly sighed in contentment, for his words showed he really did know her. She had gone out of her way to find this place! "Yes, I guess in some ways. But it's really not that different to working just down the road from where we live!"

Rafe snorted in wry dismissal. "Marina!"

"Well, it's a bit run down, I give you that. The people who come here are just people!" She told him, and it was the staunch conviction in her voice that had him looking at her as he tried to understand what was going on.

"Yes. I agree. But I somehow doubt whether the people here are on the same income bracket. Let alone have the same opportunities!"

"Exactly. People here should be able to access decent health care." She nodded.

"I agree." He stated emphatically. "But why here, exactly?"

"For ten years, Isabelle kept us afloat. When we found out we were broke, we were nearly on the streets. We sold off heirlooms, quietly! We had something we could draw on to keep us afloat. We used Isabelle's godmother to help sell them. Then Isabelle invested what she could after she had paid off creditors. She worked so hard juggling everything. I don't know how she did it." He heard the sadness in her voice. "She gave up so much. She hadn't even finished her degree. But we couldn't afford the fees and she needed to give that up to spend time dealing with our financial situation."

"You're saying for ten years you were broke?"

"Getting less broke." Marina attempted to joke. Rafe gave her shoulders a gentle squeeze. Looking back on those years was easier now, now that they all had some way to generate an income, now that they weren't worrying about whether they could afford a static caravan let alone feed and clothe themselves. Back then, every waking day was spent worrying about whether they would be on the streets. "But in effect yes. We all, to be fair, did our bit to fix that particular situation." With a triumphant smile she announced, "And we got back in the black in my last year."

"Marina, no offence, but you went to medical school, not cheap, and you were at parties, again, not cheap, given the dress code for the events we frequent is not off the peg couture! That would have cost. How could you afford that?"

They reached the first floor and he saw a small reception area sectioned off by an old dilapidated desk. "Hi Tracy. Everything ok?"

The girl nodded and then flicked a glance across at the man with Marina. "Going to be a busy night. They've been coming through since early evening." Tracy glanced in apprehension at Rafe, and then she looked back at Marina, a question in her eyes.

Marina offered the young girl a wry smile as she told the young girl. "He's with me." This was a novel situation. Marina came here on her own or with Isabelle. She could see Tracy was getting anxious. The man might be dressed casually, but his clothes screamed money! "He's a doctor." Marina stated.

Rafe was not the type to frequent this centre and Tracy wondered what their clientele would make of his presence. Good looking. Cultured. Rich. Tracy surmised as she studied him openly. "Is he going to help?" Tracy asked bluntly.

Marina shrugged. It had never occurred to her to ask him! "Is Issy still here?"

Tracy nodded. "She's dealing with the computers, something's wrong with them. Again!"

"Ok dear." Marina pushed open a door, and ushered Rafe along a corridor. Their computers got a lot of use and could probably do with being replaced.

"What is this place?" Rafe asked as he looked over his shoulder as she followed him along a short corridor. Isabelle was here too? Given she wasn't a medic, this wasn't a medical clinic per se.

"A health centre. With add-ons!" Marina told him blandly. "For destitute women." Marina rolled her lips in for a second before she blurted, "Mainly prostitutes."

"What?" Rafe came to a shocked standstill. Marina checked her step so that she didn't walk into him.