Time Warp: Golden Summer (Sean)

[Deleted]

Early July 1997

"You're excited today," Angie said with a giggle, looking down as she spread the small blanket across the grass. This was a good spot for a picnic. Just perfect, in fact. The grass was soft, the nearby tree provided just the right amount of shade from the warm sun. Angie couldn't ask for anything better.

She picked up the basket and set it on the blanket. As she carefully lowered herself down another kick came from her distended tummy. "Ah, just hold your horses, hunny. I'm gettin' there." Angie huffed and puffed until she finally felt her bum touch the ground, where she let herself relax to gain back some of her breath. Being pregnant was exhausting. "Phew! If it's that tough comin down, I'mma have a heck of a time gettin' back up," she said to no one. It's not that there weren't any other people about - it was just the start of summer vacation and those students who hadn't gone home yet, including herself, were out enjoying themselves in the courtyard - but none of them were beside her.

The young blonde had only been at Hammel a few months, since April, and so far her time here had been...lonely, is what one might describe it as. There had been friends, at first, and she still had some left(though they'd gone home for the vacation), but many of them seemed to drop off the more and more her bundle started to show. It wasn't too long before she'd become just too big to hide, so Angie didn't bother with it anymore. And why should she be ashamed of it anyway? She was nurturing a new life in her belly, and God could give no greater gift than that. That's why it was important that Angie keep her chin up and smile like she always did.

"You're hungry, aren't you?" she started again, resting her hand on her tummy. "Well, I got a fine treat for you today." Angie opened up the small basket and started pulling out her lunch, naming them off as she set them down in front of her. "One turkey and cheese sandwich. With mayo of course. One granny smith apple. A baggie of baby carrots - these are delicious and good for you, by the way - and for dessert, a big fudge brownie!" Angie was tempted to eat the last item first, but Gerry always scolded her for eating her meals out of order. She would be going home to Savannah before the week was out, so Angie was exited to be able to see her Gerry again, after three months of not even speaking to him on the phone. He must be terribly busy, she decided. So Angie was being patient, and sure enough, she received the notice yesterday that a car would be sent to pick her up.

"Oh, I almost forgot the drink," she said as she pulled out a long red thermos from the basket. "A nice, hearty helping of iced tea. Yes, I know, I'm spoiling you, but that's my right and privilege as your mother. So no complaining!" Angie giggled again and unwrapped her sandwich from it's wrappings.

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Angie May Thompson. The girl was well-known to all of the staff members at Hammel; it was impossible not to be aware of her, given how rarely students became pregnant. Anyone unaware of her before had learned who she was at the staff meeting at which the faculty and administration had discussed the protocols for a pregnant student.

Of course, Sean had been aware of her before that meeting. Specifically, he had been aware of her shortly after the recruiting department had dispatched a recruiter to pick her up. The Head of Recruiting had dropped a file on his desk to read, since their investigation had turned up a slew of information. Most of it had concerned him, and, immediately, he had placed her on his watch list. They had checked in with one another several times since she had arrived at Hammel, although he used a lighter touch with Angie than he did with some of the other students. She had extenuating circumstances, after all.

Technically, Hammel was on recess this month, but the psychiatrist had nowhere to go. Due to a few difficult cases, he had taken to coming in a couple of days a week, just to check in with the students during the recess. That brought him to Hammel today.

From outside of his office window, he could see her having a picnic. That was as good a time as any to seek her out, he decided, and so he rolled up his sleeves, grabbed his iced coffee, and stepped outside.

Vermont in the summer was so warm and humid.

With a relaxed stride, he approached her picnic blanket and greeted her with a smile. “Do you mind if I join you?”

[Deleted]

Angie would never use such a negative insinuating word like ‘circumstances’ or ‘situation’ to describe her life. To her, it implied that there was something wrong with it. But what could be wrong about living with the man you adored? What was wrong with having a child that you would love forever? Angie knew that she wasn’t the brightest crayon in the box, but she wasn’t going to dwell on the decisions that led her up to this point. No, she had way too much to look forward to in life to waste her time regretting every single little thing she did.

Besides, Angie could never regret bringing a new life into this world. Yes, she may have been a bit younger than most mothers-to-be, but thinking of her pregnancy as something to regret also implied that the child was unwanted. Which couldn’t be further from the truth. Angie was having this baby, she was going to keep it, and she was determined to give it the best life she could possibly give it. She’d work real hard to make sure she was a mother worthy of such a precious miracle.

Other people didn’t seem to agree, and that was just fine. Angie was fine, she didn’t need their approval to live her life and be happy. That’s why she was out there on the grass, talking to her swollen belly, and about to feast on a picnic she’d packed for one pregnant girl. She wasn’t expecting anyone to come and join her, so when the Doctor cam strolling up and asked, she beamed, though still drooped her head slightly in shame. “I didn’t prepare anything more than what I got here,” she explained. Shaking her blonde curls in a brief fit of giggles, she turned her face upwards again, smile still bright as the sun. “If you don’t mind that, then by all means, take yourself a seat.” Any company, especially from a good-looking older man like Dr. Sean Neville, was more than welcome in her book.

[Dr. Sean Neville]

As flattering as it could be, Sean did not encourage any interpretation of himself that involved “good-looking older man” when involving students. Crushes happened, of course, but it remained best to do everything he could to discourage those among the student body, at least to make plain that they could only be unreciprocated. Perhaps that made him a safe target in some ways. No matter, since she had not expressed the remark aloud.

Instead, he returned her smile and nodded graciously when she granted him permission to stay. “I don’t mind at all, and I brought my own drink.” He held up his iced coffee as evidence of that, and then carefully seated himself on the edge of the blanket. He folded his legs beneath him, not wanting to take up too much space, and with his height, his legs would take up far more than their fair share otherwise.

Once comfortable, he set down his glass and shifted to face her. “It’s a lovely day,” he remarked. Vermont in the summer was picturesque and pleasant, as long as the humidity didn’t rise to high. With the slight breeze and small amount of cloud cover, the weather was ideal as far as Sean was concerned.

[Deleted]

Oh, Angie wasn’t any fool, she knew it wasn’t okay for her to be pining after a gentleman like the Doctor here. Besides, she already had a love back in Georgia to shower with her affections. Angie didn’t have any intention of voicing her little crush, because that’s all it was. A crush. She could look, just not touch. Other girls did anyway towards the other teachers, so she didn’t see anything wrong with it.

Still, it was a treat to be joined by such a gentleman, so Angie planned to enjoy it while she could. “Well, then, I guess we’ve got that settled, now don’t we?” she said brightly. Angie allowed him to sit down before speaking up again. “Now tell me, what sort of drink did you bring, Dr. Neville?” Dr. Neville. The title made him seem even more distinguished.

Angie nodded, agreeing with his statement. “It really is. It’s beautiful,” she said, squinting upward to see the small rays of the sun peeking through the foliage of the tree. She basked in it for a moment before turning back to the doctor. “You don’t mind if I say grace first, do you?” It was her habit, no matter how large or small her meal was. And today was definitely a day she wished to give her thanks to God for.

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Her beau back in Georgia...Sean had much to say on the topic of that man, although he would ease into it gently. Nothing could be gained by insulting the father of her child right off the bat, particularly when she remained smitten enough to see their relationship as one of courtship, rather than that of a predator assaulting and taking advantage of a child half his age.

Best to focus on the picnic first.

“This is an iced coffee,” the psychiatrist replied, holding the drink toward her for inspection. Nothing special, although it did wonders to quench his thirst in the July humidity. Vermont, like the rest of the Northeast, suffered from heavy snowfall in the winter and grueling humidity during the summer. He coped well; life in a small apartment in Manhattan before air conditioning had taught him several survival skills.

He shook his head in response to her question. “Not at all.” He would not join her in that exercise, but he could hardly begrudge her for engaging, and he would remain silent and respectful while she said her prayer. It was the least he could do.

After all, respect went two ways, and she had already invited him to her picnic.

[Deleted]

“Iced coffee,” she repeated with a smile, shaking her head so that her blonde curls flew across her shoulders. “I don’t know how people can drink the stuff. No offense, and pardon my language, but it’s bitter as hell!” Angie gave a nod to assert her stance on the subject of her mentor’s beverage. Then she smiled again, delightfully, to show that she meant nothing from it. “I always preferred tea.” And chocolate milk, of course, but she didn’t want to seem too much like a child to the doctor. “I imagine coffee is more of an acquired taste?” she posed to him, pouring her own tea into the small red cup that covered the top of her thermos.

Her smiled brightened again when given permission to continue with her prayer. Angie knew that not everybody was comfortable with the idea of The Almighty, and so liked to respect their wishes if need be. Angie was content with simply offering graces in her head, keeping things between herself and the Lord, but it was always much more satisfying to say her prayers out loud when she could. Angie clasped her hands together and settled them on her lap. She lowered her chin slightly and closed her eyes as she spoke. “Dear Lord, I first want to thank you for this wonderful day and all the blessing that come with it. Thank you for the health of both myself and my child, thank you for the humble meal which I am about to partake from. Thank you for the wonderful company you’ve sent to join me on this little picnic, and thank you for the wonderful news I received from home today.”

Angie took a breath and continued. “I know it’s selfish of me to ask, but please continue to watch over us and guide us trough our trials. I pray that for my baby boy, that he will continue to be strong until he comes into this world. I pray that the food we eat today will provide him nourishment.” She glanced slightly at Dr. Neville, smiling slightly. “I pray that our Dr. Neville here keeps his good health as well and that he is able to continue to do his job and guide the students as admirably as he does.” Angie closed her eyes again. “And…I pray for world peace! In Your Name we pray, Amen.” With that, Angie gave a sharp nod, signaling the conclusion of her prayer.

She lifted her head back to the doctor. “Well, then…shall we?” she said with a small laugh, reaching down and raising her sandwich to him. She’d then take a modest bite, humming in it’s deliciousness.

[Dr. Sean Neville]

“It is bitter,” Sean conceded, and he held up his beverage again to illustrate that it was not black, as unadulterated coffee was. He had never developed a taste for black coffee, although he appreciated the benefits of caffeine, and so he always added Half and Half (or, barring that, cream, or barring that, milk, or barring that, some sort of artificial creamer) and sugar (or, barring that, artificial sweetener) to replace the bitter flavor with something more palatable. Josh teased him about it. Some of his other friends teased him about it. It never bothered him, since, if given the choice between black coffee and not drinking coffee, he would wean himself and switch completely to tea. “And it’s an acquired taste. Or you can sweeten it until it’s no longer bitter.”

Then, she began to say her grace prayer, and he remained quiet for the duration. He would never interrupt this ritual, even if he had nothing to add and would not join her in the prayer itself. This was her picnic, and he had essentially invited himself to join.

He appreciated the vote of confidence, although he did not say as much. They could discuss the rest of it, including her pregnancy and the circumstances surrounding that, over the course of the meal.

When she finished, he raised his glass in a toast, and then took a sip. He let her take a few bites of her sandwich before he asked, “How are the dorms treating you?”

He would start broadly and then narrow his focus as the conversation evolved.

[Deleted]

Right. That’s what she thought. She never understood the appeal of drinking something so bitter, but she supposed that garnishing it up with milk and sugar might make it more palatable like he said? “I might have to try that one of these days.” Maybe. She did that with tea sometimes, back in Savannah. The housekeepers there were really nice about teaching her all sorts of things. They promised to teach her how to bake next time she came home.

Only a few more days.

Now that the prayer was over with, they could get to their meal. Angie was the sort who liked to nibble through her meals, and considering this one wasn’t very large, doing it that way made it last longer. And she could enjoy it’s flavors longer as well. Angie couldn’t quite understand those other kids who liked to wolf down their food in one or two bites. Didn’t that give them a stomachache? And what was the point of having something delicious if you were only going to taste it for a few moments?

Oh, well, it was not matter. Angie had her own way of doing things and she wasn’t going to let a bunch of fuddys like them ruin it for her. She took another small bite and smiled broadly at the doctor. “They’re very nice!” she exclaimed with a small giggle. “I feel like a princess living in her own castle out here. Everything’s been wonderful!” Everything, though not necessarily everybody. Angie wasn’t going to say much about that, however. She didn’t want to get anyone in trouble, for one, and for two, she wasn’t in the habit of letting the words of other kid’s bother her. At least, she tried not to let them.

[Dr. Sean Neville]

“You have plenty of time to try it.” Angie was young yet. Far younger than Sean had been when he had started drinking coffee, as that had been a discovery during college and a necessity during medical school. Far younger than she should be to have her current life situation, including the pregnancy and working out what she would do with her child after giving birth. Far younger than the man who had impregnated her who, all factors equal, should be in jail right now for statutory rape and endangering the welfare of a child.

Unfortunately, Hammel had done what reporting it could, and the man responsible was long outside of their jurisdiction. All Sean could do was offer Angie support on this end.

To that end, he offered her a smile. “That’s an interesting analogy. A princess living in her own castle. Surely, Hammel doesn’t seem that big.”

It hadn’t seemed that big to him as a student, and he had come from a sheltered environment. There had been fewer students in those days, as well, which made Hammel in the present more crowded than when he had been a teenager. Still, he hoped that she would clarify what she meant, and then they could continue on the conversation as it came.

[Deleted]

Plenty of time, of course. Angie was only 14, after all. In ten years, who knows? Maybe she will develop a taste for coffee? Today certainly wasn’t that day, unfortunately. Angie was just fine with her tea.

“Oh, but it is! It’s my castle away from home!” she said sincerely. The house that Gerry lived in was large as well and Angie was akin to calling it her castle as well. Hammel was many times larger than Gerry’s house as well, so what else could she see it as if not an even larger castle? The architecture helped further that analogy as well. “It’s like…” How could she say it? “Like a castle town, almost, like what they have in those old renaissance movies and what have you, where the peasants and all those people live inside the stone walls. And I…” She pressed her hand to her chest, indicating herself. “I am the princess who lives in towers, waiting for her Prince Charming to come whisk her away.” It was obvious she had in mind as her Prince Charming. And that made her a very patient lady.

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Every day of his work at Hammel, Sean found himself thankful for developing telepathy as a boy. Those necessary coping skills he had found: decoupling his thoughts from his facial expression and body language, processing information on different levels, maintaining a façade of calm despite what he felt inwardly, learning to make certain allowances for other people – he used each and every one of those in the course of his job.

He required that right now, because his telepathy allowed him even more insight into her than a non-psychic. She was a child. Her naïve insistence on referring to the school as a castle only underscored that point, and the fact that a child would soon have a child of her own reminded him of everything he had loathed about the confines of his culture as a boy.

But delicate situations required a delicate touch.

“I always thought that the old stories and the old romance movies sold girls and women short,” he replied, speaking a truth, although not what he would say if Angie was five years older. “They were always expected to wait while the men did everything and had their own lives outside of their princesses. But the princesses lived for the princes. It never seemed fair.”

[Deleted]

Angie was most indeed a naive child, locked into her optimistic perception of the world. She wasn’t a victim, as Dr. Neville thought, but a Princess who was rescued by a handsome Prince and given every blessing she could ever hope for, including a home away from home, and education, and the prospect of a warm family. She was more than pleased and willing to be given the chance to repay her Prince with child, a tiny little tot that the two of them could raise together in blissful harmony.

That was her happily ever after, and Angie was more than content with it.

That was why Angie didn’t see things quite the way that Dr. Neville did. “I think it’s terribly romantic,” she said brightly. “And living for the man you love it only natural, isn’t it?” The southern girl was raised with those expectations of her from an early age. She’d tried the “go out and do things herself” before and that landed her homeless and on the run from someone she believed to be more wicked than the devil himself. And the man who had saved her was nothing but an angel in her eyes. If anything she did made him happy, then she’d do it a hundred times over. Because she knew that he would also turn around and do everything he could to make her happy and comfortable.

Angie took another bite of her sandwich and looked at Sean with a tight smile as she swallowed. “Isn’t there someone in your life you do anything in the world for?” Angie wasn’t sure how much that would apply, though. After all, Dr. Sean Neville was a man, and thus he was the one with the duty to protect and rescue. To be the leader while his one-and-only followed and supported. It was only the most common sense of the common sense.

[Dr. Sean Neville]

They would have to disagree over whether she was a victim, since nothing under the sun could ever convince Sean that an adult who had impregnated a young teenager had done anything other than exploited, abused, and victimized her. However, when trying to foster a relationship of trust with a student, going in with guns blazing had never worked, and the psychiatrist had no intention of changing his M.O. during such a delicate situation.

Someday, once authorities had stepped in, and Angie was older and safe from this man, where she needn’t rely on him for anything but court-mandated child support and his rights to visitation had been severed, then, perhaps, she would agree with Sean’s point of view.

That would not be today.

He leaned back on the blanket, using his free hand for support, while he sipped his iced coffee and listened to her beliefs about relationships and gender dynamics.

Heaven help them both.

The psychiatrist was a self-identified feminist, a bisexual man who had lived through both the Sexual Revolution and the worst of the AIDS Crisis, and a thorough egalitarian. He had also been raised Catholic and now identified as an atheist.

Which meant he also disagreed with her turns of phrase as well as the gendered nature of some of her sentiments. Not that it was her fault. She was quite young, and they all had to fight cultural messages: absorb what they found healthy and useful and then discard the rest. That was a never-ending process.

“I prefer to think of it as living with the person you love. If you live for someone else and not equally for yourself, then you can lose that part of yourself.” He had personal experience with that, although, apart from his mentor and his best friend, nobody knew how deep that experience went.

Then, at her question, a self-deprecating smile touched his lips. “I’m a perpetual bachelor,” he explained.

He had recently been dumped again. His relationships never worked out.

[Deleted]

Angie would probably understand when she was older, but for now, that person was the light of her life and could do no wrong. He literally walked on water for her, because that’s what the princes and kings of her dreams should be like. And while he was, of course, a little harsh, she could easily forgive it because he clearly had a lot of other things to deal with. He was a person with his own troubles and concerns and stresses…it was Angie’s job to support him through them, even if he wouldn’t tell her exactly what they all were. If she needed to know any of it, then he would no doubt tell her.

It was unlikely that she’d easily get over her concept of gender roles ever, though. She didn’t even know what feminism was at this age. But…the way that Dr. Neville explained it was nice too. She didn’t quite understand the difference, though. “Hee hee, of course I’ll be living with the person I love, silly.” She brought a hand up to cover her mouth as she giggled. The rest of it, however, Angie raised an eyebrow to. “Live for myself? Isn’t that what I’m doing already?” If she was living for the person she loved, and that’s what she wanted to do, then couldn’t that be living for yourself too?”

These were concepts a little too out of the box for the sheltered christian girl.

Her eyes softened into sympathy. “I’m sorry. Well…I’m pray you find yourself a nice girl sometime soon.” Angie sent him a smile of support. Then she finished off her sandwich. On to the next course!