ENCOUNTER

Life is an unpredictable game at it's best. Like a guessing game, not knowing what comes next. In this  we don't get instructions on how to play it. We  don't get training on how to live it but, we get lessons from it. We come into this world with nothing. No money, no passions, no experiences. We get taught to walk and talk and we get raised by people who we assume know better  a than we do. Then we go to school. We learn to write and read and we learn new skills. We make friends and maybe an enemy or two. We get bullied  and teased. Then we learn to perceive the world from a different point of view. We face conflict, jealousy, bitterness, greed, gluttony, lust, hate. We never get taught how to handle these situations and the destruction that sprout from them.

Dr. Julian Pablo Rodriguez was the quintessence of successful trauma surgeons. Not only was he ruggedly handsome at 56 years of age, but had what many men his age would still dream of. 

He just finished a late night emergency operation and left the theatre to go and change out of his scrubs. He closed the door of the dressing room before he took them off and dumped them in the laundry. He then got dressed in his regular clothes before he walked over to the basin to stare at his balding reflection in the mirror. His piercing brown eyes, framed by a pair of dense dark eyebrows stared back at him as he opened the faucet to wash his hands, the sound of the running water breaking the eerie silence. He then left the room. Finally he could leave the clinical and dull confining walls of the hospital to go back to his wife and kids and the comfort of his home.

Being a surgeon at the Providence Medical Center in Burbank, California was always challenging when trying to balance his work and personal life, trying not to let his gruelling 12 hour shifts every fortnight get the better of him. Many times he wished he could just pack it all in to spend more time with his family, but his career paid the bills, the home they lived in, his two girls' education and everything else they could otherwise not afford.

He was grateful to have a wife who understood the responsibilities that came with his work and he considered himself lucky that he was still happily married in a line of work where most of his colleagues were either single, divorced or not so happily married. Usually because there were always third parties, a wife or husband who got sick and tired of having to always wait on their late working spouses or just some who never really had the time for romance outside of those hospital walls. If only they could talk, the stories they would tell. Of backstabbing, cheating, lies and deceit. That was what life was about for a surgeon, but he didn't allow himself to get sucked into that mess and rather distanced himself from situations that could potentially ruin his marriage, his life and his career.



Julian walked down the florescent lit hallway of the first floor, where surgery was located, his footsteps echoing on the floor and passed the nurses' station and the nurse on duty. Gina Bates was a short, brunette girl in her early twenties and slightly on the chubby side. She looked up at Julian as he walked past her and smiled. "Good night doctor."

"Good night Gina," he replied in a deep and husky baritone voice and smiled. He always had a genuine friendly and beaming smile. Not forced like most of the other doctors around. And he was extraordinarily down to earth and friendly for a trauma surgeon.

"Say hi to your wife for me Dr. Rodriguez."

"I will."

She watched as he casually passed by and disappeared around the corner.

*****

One Month Earlier...

Like any normal teenager Jolene Rodriguez, Julian's oldest was in her bedroom on her laptop looking at pictures of celebrities and their latest fashion trends while talking to a friend of hers from school. "I so have to get myself the dress that Kylie Jenner wore to the Oscars." 

"Are you browsing clothes again? My gosh, your parents are spoiling you way to much. I wish mine would do that."

"You're not jealous are you?" Jolene asked smiling. 

"A little, I admit. You can wear it to my birthday party, Jolene. You have to be there." 

"You know I don't have a car." 

"No excuses Jolene. Ask your mom if you can borrow her Mercedes." 

"I don't know if my mom would let me borrow her Mercedes."

"Then ask your dad if you can borrow his car."

"There's no way he'll let me borrow his car. His way too protective over that car. You would swear it's a member of the household."

"Come on Jo' it won't hurt asking. You have to be there. Please, please, please! I beg of you."

"I'll see what I can do." She rolled onto her back and sighed as she stared at the ceiling. "I'll ask him, but I can't promise anything."

"If all else fails, ask either of them to drop you off here."

Jolene dropped the call, got up and went downstairs to the study where her father was busy working on some admin. She knocked and he looked up, taking his black framed glasses off. "Jo'."

"Daddy, I want to ask you a favor," she said as she walked up to his desk.

"Go ahead."

"A friend of mines birthday party is tomorrow and I was wondering if I could borrow your car."

"You want to borrow my car?"

"Or you or mom could drop me off and pick me up later."

He ogled her and sighed.

"Please, I promise I'll be good. You know me."

"Will there be drugs?"

"No."

"Will there be booze?"

"Dad, no."

"Will there be boys?"

"Yes, dad, but you know me and..." She held up her hand to show him the little reminder. "I've maid a promise and I'm sticking to it."

Julian hesitated for a moment, wondering if he had to have the birds and the bees talk with his daughter again or not and pierced his lips together. Jolene knew that that was mostly always followed by a firm no, and looked at him practically begging. "Well okay then, but if you do anything your mother and I don't agree with you're grounded​, understood?"

"Yes daddy."

"I'll drop you off tomorrow night."

"Thanks daddy, you're a star." She stood up and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "I knew you'd say yes."

*****

Julian parked his car in front of Priscilla's house the next evening and waited for Jolene and her to get out of the car. "Enjoy it you two."

"We will," Priscilla replied.

"I'll pick you up at twelve baby girl. And please don't do anything irresponsible." 

"Thanks dad. I won't."

They went inside the house where Jolene bumped into Claire Houston. The sound of one of her favourite songs filled the room. 

Claire looked at Jolene and smiled. "Wow hot stuff. You look gorgeous. Nice shoes. Are those Prada?"

"Yup."

"Punch? Don't worry it's non-alcoholic. Priscilla's parents will never let us drink alcohol at our age."

"Sure."

Outside Josh McLaren's BMW cabriolet came racing up to the curb with Kanye West blaring over the speakers. 



He was your typical Hollywood pretty boy. He got out of the car and walked up to Priscilla's house. Just as he made his grand entrance Jolene and Claire turned to look at him. He walked up to Claire, threw his arm around her and kissed her. "How's my chick doing?"

Jolene felt slightly uncomfortable with the two who couldn't keep their hands off each other. "Excuse me please." She left through the back door and went to sit on the pool lounger feeling lightheaded and queasy.

A while later Claire went outside and sat down next to Jolene looking at her concerned. "Hey Jolene, are you okay?"

"Yeah. I'm just a bit queasy that's all."

"Should I ask Josh to take you home?"

"No my dad's picking me up. Maybe I should call him an and ask him to come get me."

"Where do you guys stay?"

"We're in Glen Oaks. Why?"

"Would it be too much to ask to take a ride with you. I need to go in that direction."

"Sure."

A while later Jolene ran outside to see her father's car pull up to the curb. "Hi dad."

"Hi Jo'. You look a bit pale. Are you alright?"

"Yeah. I'll be fine."

Jolene's stomach turned as Julian pulled away and she opened the window for a bit of fresh air. He looked at her concerned. "Are you sure?"

"Daddy pull the car over."

"What's wrong?"

"Just pull the car over."

Julian stopped and she quickly pushed the door open to throw up next to the car. "Have you been drinking Jolene? Don't tell me you've been drinking." 

"No. I think it's a hot dog I had for lunch. Relax dad. Besides, Priscilla's parents would never let us have alcohol at our age."

"Are you sure honey? You don't look too well."

"Yes daddy..."

Julian held his hand against her forehead. "You've got a bit of a fever honey."

*****

Jolene went upstairs to her bedroom as soon as they arrived home, got dressed in her pajamas, took some of the meds her father gave her and crawled into bed. As soon as she was about to doze off into dreamland he knocked on the door. "Come in." He opened the door and walked up to her bed before he sat down next to her.

"Will you be okay sweetheart?"

"Yes daddy. Stop worrying so much."

Julian cupped his hand over the top of her head and rubbed her hair with his thumb. "I'm just looking out for you baby girl. I'll never stop worrying about you."

"I remember how you always used to do this when I was a little girl and I was afraid of the monsters under my bed. Then you'll rub my hair and sing until I fell asleep."

"You're still my little girl sweetheart." He tucked her in and gave her a kiss on her forehead.

*****

Two Weeks Later...

Claire Houston screamed as she struggled to get loose from the grip of the man who was dragging her to the band-saw in the basement. She knew what was coming. He was going to kill her, just like he did with the others before her. He pushed her against the machine and in an endeavor to fight him, she suffered several cuts all over her body, stinging like a thousand stabbing knives. She kicked him in the stomach and managed to escape, fleeing up the stairs and into the night. Eventually the road turned into the freeway. She ran up the incline of the on-ramp and carried on along the tunnel before she turned onto a footpath that lead to the houses close by. Soon she sat down on the ground near a tree feeling dazed and disorientated. She winced as she turned her head to look at the city lights in the distance and started crying.