“Jesus doc. What the hell have ya been doing with yer life? Do ya even have a license?”
“Of course. I’m qualified to practice medicine in two states,” he bragged.
Mei looked like somebody at the end of her rope.
“I mean, a motorcycle license fur fucks sake!”
“Oh I see. No I’ve never actually driven one of those things,” Al admitted
“That does it, doc!” Mei stated firmly and grabbed on to his arm. “From today I’m sticking to ya like glue. Ya got serious problems, and I’ve gotta fix ya.”
******
The two women relaxed with a cold drink in the patio overlooking the beach. It was about that time where the day was on it’s last leg with the sun lighting the ocean on fire in a breathtaking display of orange and yellow, and the tropical magic wasn’t lost on them.
Their colorful robes and bathing suits clearly identified them as members of the transient tourist population of Wakaku Island.
“Ohh, I just looove this place!” the matronly brunette exclaimed with enthusiasm. “So authentic and picturesque. No big hotels and no noisy clubs. Only wooden cabins and endless gorgeous beaches. A true tropical paradise. It’s like a miracle.”
Her slimmer but equally touristy looking friend leaned in and lowered her voice conspiratorially.
“Actually it’s because most of the land on Wakaku is natively owned. And they have stubbornly kept real estate developers from getting a foothold here. Apparently they have flatly rejected mass tourism in favor of retaining their traditional way of life.”
“Really? How interesting,” the brunette exclaimed.
“I know, right? That’s why there are so few amenities on this island. People come here for the real tropical adventure and authenticism. Not big hotels with room service and night clubs. In fact, did you know that until about three years ago Wakaku didn’t even have a medical facility. People had to travel all the way to the mainland, if they needed a doctor.”
The pudgy brunette looked astonished.
“Really? But what about this place? The Medicine Shack?”
Her slim friend continued with enthusiasm, clearly enjoying the opportunity to flex her gossip muscles.
“It opened for the first time three years ago. The owners, a charming young couple, bought the old mission and turned it into this combined restaurant and medical clinic. It was a great idea. The place has become indispensable for both tourists and the locals.”
“Oh I dare say!” the brunette exclaimed enthusiastically. “Just imagine if we’d had to travel to the mainland to get Dave’s wound treated. Losing a big chunk of our vacation time just because he scraped his leg on a stupid reef. Not to make light of his injury of course, but it’s really not major thing. A few stitches and some antibiotics at the most.”
She paused and took a sip of her drink.
“Now that I think about it, he’s been in there for a good long while, hasn’t he? Wonder how long he’ll be?”
“Excuse me miss!” she called out to a slim girl with bright red hair tied into a ponytail who was just passing their table with a tray.
“Certainly,” the girl inquired with a radiant smile. “Can I help ya?”