Author: Farebheit457@aol.com

It was early spring, 1996. A dynamic, Mark Cummings was approaching the end of his third year at Tulane medical school that was located in New Orleans.

Mark would have loved to have been outdoors on this beautiful day soaking up the famous city’s local color, but he had school assignments to complete. He was sitting at his computer, busily at work on a pulmonary paper, when Maura Shaunessy, a pretty coed from down the hall, knocked softly on his door. Maura was a petite, hazel eyed, redhead. She and her finance, Daniel, were both friends of Mark and studying to be pediatricians. Together, along with Mark, were going to receive their medical degrees the following year.

Mark’s back had been facing the door and was in the middle of typing. He didn't bother turning around. Instead, his rich, baritone voice called out nonchalantly.

“Come on in. The door’s open.”

Maura’s pretty, but pallid looking face peeked carefully into the room.

Mark stopped working for a moment to slope his husky, six foot one build back in the chair to stretch his bulging chest and scratch his close cropped beard that covered his mannish jaw.

A soft and downtrodden voice came from behind him.

“Hi Mark. I’m returning that book you loaned me on childhood diseases.” Maura idly placed it on his desk in front of him and said, “Thanks.”

Ordinarily, Maura was a vivacious conversationalist, but not today. Mark swiftly sat up erect in his chair when he saw how deathly pale she looked. He could also tell that she was not her bubbly, animated self and was alarmed by both her appearance and behavior.

Maura turned sluggishly to leave.

“Wait! Don't go yet, Irish. I was just about to take a break.”

Maura wore a white, university T-shirt, big furry slippers, and a pair of snug, blue jeans. It always amazed Mark, how some girls successfully got into their airtight pants. Hers narrowly cinched her tiny waist and tightly cupped her curvy bottom leaving him with an amusing image of sausage meat stuffed into its casing. Short wisps of curly, reddish, brown hair framed her face, while the rest of it, pulled back with a yellow ribbon, cascaded down to the middle of her back. She listlessly went to sit on the edge of the bed opposite him and pulled her knees up towards her chest to tightly hug them. The lids of her soft, hazel eyes were droopy and their greenish color, usually gleaming with mischief, gave off a dull cast. As a rule, her lips were naturally pink, except now, they were pasty white and strained with pain.

His ardent eyes examined her carefully, so as to better define what was ailing her. He thought he'd just come out and ask her.

“What’s the matter Irish? You look like shit!”

Her eyes winced, both in agony and resentment to his bluntness.

“Gee, thanks a lot,” she said exhaustingly. “I'm just feeling a little under the weather, Mark, that’s all.”

That explanation didn't suffice with Mark. He briskly removed the pencil from behind his ear and tossed it onto the desk. Casually he lifted his huge frame to turn the chair around to face her. He sat down again, straddling it backwards, letting his massive chest lean forward. Wrapping his strong arms around the back of the chair, he leaned in even closer to study her ashen face. He wondered where the hell Dan was.

“So where’s Danny boy today?”

Mark knew that Dan had the propensity to dote over Maura whenever she was ill. He also knew that if Dan, was here now, he would be as alarmed as him, to see her in this poor condition.

“Dan had to fly out unexpectedly to Boston, Friday night,” she answered lethargically. His dad is ill.”

Both handsome men had become good friends since their freshman year. They were the tall athletic types, and always worked out together daily at the school gym. Along with Maura, they did things socially on campus and in and around the city. The attractive couple was always in the habit of trying to fix Mark up with double, blind dates that usually turned awry.

“I'm sorry to hear that. Have him call me, as soon as he gets back.”

Still seated, she rested her dimpled chin on her kneecaps and tightly hugged the top of her legs. Heavy eyelids drifted up and she answered wearily,

“Sure, will do.”

Feeling wretched she wanted to go back to her dorm room to lie down. However, she was reluctant, because at the moment it was crowded in there. Aside from that, she was beginning to feel additional discomfort from being scrutinized by Mark’s steady gaze.

“I'll see you around Mark,” She got up morbidly slow to leave and dismally spoke. “Thanks again for the loan of the book,”

He leaned forward to gently pick up her hand as she moved passed him to go. Squeezing it, he looked up at her with worry and gently asked,

“Talk to me, babe. What’s wrong?”

She promptly pulled her small hand free from his firm grasp and answered rudely.

“Mark, it’s nothing! It’s just that time of the month! That’s all! I don't expect a big, macho guy like you to understand!”

His hands clenched the back of the chair and he straightened up with a surprised, hurt expression on his good looking face. He stared up at her severely and his deep voice was firm!

“What the hell are you talking about, Maura? I'm going to be a doctor in just another year, for Christ sake! Don't be foolish!”

Mark wanted to help her. He assertively pulled the chair out from underneath his crotch, stood up to tower over her small size and placed his hands on her shoulders to ease her back down towards the edge of the bed.

“Here, you sit back down. You're not going anywhere just yet, missy.”

‘Just like Dan,’ she thought, ‘The big lordly HE men of Tulane.’

Mark’s rugged form walked over to his closet to fetch and open a bottle of brandy. “Did you take anything for the pain?”

Maura took a difficult breath and answered unhappily.

“I took something about three hours ago. At first, it cut the edge a little. It started to taper off about a half-hour ago.”

He asked additional questions while he poured her a small jigger of brandy.

“Are you flowing a lot?”

Maura leaned over with her arms across her belly and began to rock herself.

“Like the Red Sea?”

“Do have any pelvic soreness or severe back pain?”

“My back and head aches.”

“Do you have nausea or diarrhea?”

“A little.” She became irked and sat up straight. “My God, what’s with ALL the questions, Mark? You’re NOT a doctor yet, for Pete sake!”

“Well, I guess I don’t have to ask the patient if she’s experiencing bitchiness. Now, do I?”

She began to sulk.

“Oh, shut the hell up!”

“Yep, the patient is definitely bitchy.” Mark began to softly chuckle and then stopped to ask. “Incidentally, if you're wearing those plugs, don't leave them in too long.”

That last comment only succeeded into riling her up more.

“Honestly Mark! What do I look like? A kitchen sink? For your information, smart ass, they're called tampons, NOT plugs! And I know all about toxic shock syndrome! You’ve seemed to have forgotten, that I'm studying to be a doctor too!”

He came back to the side of the bed quietly chuckling. Still concerned, he went to stoop down on his athletic haunches in front of her to hand her the filled glass.

“OK, you made your point Irish,” he said soothingly, “now simmer down and drink this. It will help with the cramps.”

Her facial expression was sullen as she put up her hand to refuse it.

“I don’t want that,” she answered belligerently.

His deep voice was authoritative as he extended the glass up close to her lips.

“Drink it, doctor’s orders!”

She turned her face away and hesitated again. Mark lowered his voice to sound more sympathetic.

“Come on babe! If Dan was here now, he’d want you to feel better.”

Upon hearing that, she obediently took the glass from him, placed it to her chalky lips. At first, she took only a sip made a face and handed the glass back to him.

“It tastes awful!”

“Come on Irish; drink all of it, down the hatch.”

She lifted her head backwards to swallow the hot, burning liquid. It felt soothingly, warm going down her gullet and into the pit of her ailing stomach, but left her with a burning tickle at the back of her throat. She quickly brought her hand up to her mouth and began to cough loudly.

Smiling, Mark’s towering frame stood up to slap her on the back. He teased,

“I guess, this is one Irish lassie that can't handle her booze.”

She lifted her watery eyes up towards him and showed her irritability for the ethnic slur. “Wise guy!”

He poured her another jigger.

“Here, have another belt. It’s good for what ails you.”

She did, and the second swig went down easier.

“Gee, I never thought of brandy.”

“I found out, Maura, that sometimes the old fashion ways work better than all the modern drugs on the market.”

“Perhaps you're right. I think it helped, a little.” She closed her eyes, and her tongue came out to lick her pale lips as she handed him the empty glass. Once again she went to bend over to grab her stomach and sighed. “God, this is what labor must feel like.”

His low, resonant voice was touched with concern. He thought he’d go out on a limb and suggest another quick treatment.

“There’s another old fashion remedy, Maura. It usually works with all the gals.”

Maura lifted her face and gave him a weak, insidious smile.

“Knowing you Mark, that’s probably the entire female population of New Orleans.”

He gave her an elfish grin.

“Cut it out. I think, you know what I’m talking about?”

“Oh, I do, do I? What could that possible be, Hercules?”

His rugged features became stern and he lifted his cleft chin as he spoke.

“A good old fashion enema, that’s what!”

Maura’s face flushed. She was embarrassed that he would openly suggest such a private activity and she tried to cover her discomfiture with a frown and a quick retort.

“You just love seeing a girl blush. Don't you, Mark?”

“That wasn't my intention, babe. It’s a good idea. My mom used to help my older sister with an enema when she got her period. Jeannine would feel a hell of a lot better, afterwards.” Another sulky expression showed on her face which didn't go unnoticed by Mark. “Hey, don't thumb your nose at it, Irish! It’s guaranteed to work!”

She leaned over and wrapped her arms over and around her stomach again thinking that if she applied pressure, it might help the constant ache.

“I keep forgetting,” she grumbled, “that you're a registered nurse, Mark.” She stopped to look at him and saw genuine worry in his piercing blue eyes. She decided to be honest with him. “You're not telling me anything I don't already know,” she said with a shallow breath. “I've given myself plenty enemas before, when I've gotten like this. You're right, it does alleviate the pain. But at the moment, Sally, my roommate, has three guys in our room, who I don't know from Adam, helping her study. I wouldn't feel comfortable shooting warm water up my ass in the bathroom while there were strange men in the other room.”

“No sweat! Bring your equipment in here and you can use my bathroom. I'll even fix the solution and set it up for you on that coat rack over there.”

“I don't know?”

“If you're worried about my bathroom not being clean, then don't! It’s immaculate.”

“What about Paulie, your roommate?”

“I don’t expect him back anytime soon.”

She was suffering so much she didn’t care.

“All right, big guy, you talked me into it!

She returned with her combination enema and douche kit concealed in a paper bag and brought it directly to Mark’s bathroom to hand it over to him. She watched him take charge as he removed the equipment. Mark first frowned, and then heartily laughed when he observed that the black enema nozzle was very large and bulbous at the end of its tip.

“Wow! That sure is a big nozzle for such a small gal! Is this going to fit up inside that very small fanny of yours?”

“Yeah, smarty, it fits like a glove! I’ve used it before!

He gave her another one of his roguish grins.

“Terrific, it’s not apt to slip out of you then!”

He opened up the medicine cabinet over the washbasin to retrieve a white tube and than playfully winked at her as he handed it to her.

“Here Irish, this is petroleum jelly. I want you to use a generous amount of it.” He held up the nozzle in front of her and gave her another impish wink. “I wouldn't want my best friend’s girl, hurting herself, while inserting THIS mouthpiece up her,” he looked elfishly over her shoulder, “cute backside.”

She angrily yanked the tube out of his hand and let out an exasperated breath.

“For crying out loud!”

“Just humor me Maura, OK?”

“OK, nurse Cummings,” she answered annoyingly. “Whatever you say!?” Trying hard not to laugh, Mark turned to face the sink and continued to prepare the enema solution. From behind his tall frame Maura went on tiptoe and lifted her inquisitive face over his broad shoulder to watch him fill the red rubber bag. Her peek-a-boo hazel eyes looked alarmed as she peered over his shoulder “Hey wise guy! Don't fill it all the way to the top!”

“You just concentrate on feeling better and I'll worry about the rest. I'm in charge here, not you.” She just grunted at him. Ignoring her complaint he continued. “Babe, I don't have the proper soap for this, so I'm just going to use very warm water and a little salt, OK?”

“Whatever?” she said crossly, “just as long as it gives me some relief.” She had a frown on her face as she rubbed her belly. Mark looked up to see her turned away and walk over to the door to see if it had a lock on it. It didn't.

“I've been meaning to fix that.” Maura’s dirty look also didn't go unnoticed by Mark. “Don't worry sweetheart! No one’s going to bother you while you're in here. NOT with Mark outside the door standing guard.”

“You see that no one will! And that includes, YOU too!”

Mark raised his right hand and playfully answered her.

“Scouts honor, babe.”

She looked around the bathroom and also observed that it was, in fact, very clean.

“Who cleans your bathroom,” she asked petulantly, “the tooth fairy?”

He smiled.

“Don't get smart, missy! In answer to your question, you're looking at him. Hell, did you think it was Paulie? Fat chance, with him around! I'm usually the one who cleans up after him!”

Looking in the mirror’s reflection, he could see her skeptical, arched eyebrow, and then her weak smile. Her tone was sarcastic.

“Gee Mark! You're full of surprises!”

“Hey, not every guy is a filthy slob, Maura.”

“My your oversensitive! Are you sure you're not PMSing, Mark?”

He started to laugh good-naturedly.

“Gee, having your period is making you a regular wisenheimer. Isn't it, Maura?”

“Oh, be quiet,” she answered peevishly.

Still snickering, he completed the task and hung the enema bag up on the coat rack near the commode. He noticed that she not only looked sick but perhaps a little nervous as well. Facing her, he leaned over, raised his hand to gently lift her chin with his finger and closely peered into her eyes.

“Hey babe, don't look SO scared. It’s only an enema!”

She restlessly rolled her eyes at him and jerked her face away. She was quick to answer him back.

“I know THAT, you big lug! I’m not scared! Damn you! STOP treating me like a baby! I get enough of that shit from Dan!”

Still vexed, she went to sit on top of the closed toilet seat to watch him fetch towels from the closet.

Understanding her grumpy mood, he answered,

“Sorry Maura!”

A testy pout showed on her pretty face as she answered him.

“Apology accepted.” She looked up to see that the enema bag was bulging to full capacity. “Hey nursey, you made way too much?! One quart is all my colon will withstand!”

Being a skillful nurse, Mark made it a point to make his voice sound calm and agreeable.

“This bag is only a little over quart. You try and take as much as you can, okay?”

She pouted instead of answering him.

His voice was a low, soft reprimand.

“Maura?”

With arms wrapped around her stomach and bending over at the waist in pain, she shouted angrily.

“OK, OK!”

Mark gave her another look of sympathy as he knelt down on one knee to cushion the floor with layers of towels for her to lie on. Still kneeling, he turned and leaned over to rest his folded arms on his sturdy thigh to look at her. The low, manly timber of his voice was kind.

“Are you going to be all right in here, doing this solo, Maura?”

She was grimacing and kept rubbing the lower part of her stomach as she spoke. Her voice was restless as she looked straight back at him.

“Good grief! Yes, I’ll be fine! Now you can walk your ass out of here!”

She stood up unsteadily.

Mark stretched his neck up as she stood up and brought his blue eyes piercingly up to hers. He had never seen her look so unwell. She looked like she was ready to keel over at any moment from the pain. He stood up and placed his hands on her small shoulders. He bent his knees so he could look down directly into her eyes.

“Maura, I can help you out with this, if you want. As a nurse, giving enemas is old hat.”

Maura gave him a sly look and angrily pulled her shoulders away from under his hands.

“Again, that wouldn't be, by any chance, the entire female inhabitants of this city?” she answered caustically.

“Don't get smart! I administer enemas every week at the nursing home where I work! Also in pre-med., there was one particular student nurse who had the same problem as you. I would help her out from time to time.”

“Well, that must have been a hell of a lot of fun for you! Right up your ally!”

“OK Irish, I know you’re cranky and you don’t feel well, but you can quit with the wisecracks. Damn it, I’m just trying to help you out here.”

“Sure, that may very well be easy for you to suggest, Mark Cummings? But, it’s NOT for me! I’m not in the habit of having a six foot one palooka stick a nozzle up my bare butt and shoot hot water up it!”

“Listen, if it modesty that’s holding you back, well that’s nonsense! Jesus, we’re all going to be doctors in just another year! Not to mention, we all know what an ass looks like! Besides, I happen to know that Dan thinks the same way as I. He wouldn’t mind me helping out his special girl.”

Friend or no friend, Maura didn’t hesitate in flashing her Irish temper at him again! She was impatient and in pain. “Enough, with the lecture, Clara Barton, damn it, I just want to get this over with!” She stopped talking again to massage her belly. “First of all, this special girl is NOT modest and secondly, I’ll be fine by myself! I’ve done this before. NOW get the HELL out of HERE!”

“OK, OK, calm down! Call me if you need me?’

“You big lug, don’t count on it! Now WILL you PLEASE leave! I’ll be fine!”

“OK doll. Have it your own way.”

Ten minutes had gone by and she wasn’t doing fine. Mark could hear her loudly moaning and then crying from behind the closed door. He never could get used to the sound of a woman weeping and was having a difficult time having to sit there and endure her laments. He knocked heavily on the door and then spoke in a firm, deep voice before entering.

“Maura?” There was no answer. “Maura, I’m coming in.”

He didn’t wait for a reply. He opened the door and found her on the floor with her front torso facing him. Not wanting Paulie to walk in on him, like the last time, he made it a point to secure the bathroom door from the inside by wedging the back of a chair underneath its knob. With that done, he turned around to carefully study her. She was laying on her side, with only her tee shirt on, doubled over in a fetal position. From behind, the enema bag and tube were hanging from the coat rack leading down towards her hind end. Her backside was hidden from Mark’s view. All that was visible to Mark was a raised, exposed, curvy, right thigh and a set of shapely, bare legs drawn tensely up to her chest. She had just closed the clamp on the tube when he entered the lavatory. His powerful, tall frame instantly went to kneel down on one knee beside her to reach over her middle to rub her lower back. He looked up to notice that she only had taken one fourth of the bag.

She whimpered angrily!

“Goddamn it, NO! Get the hell out of here, Mark! I knew I should of barred that damn door!”

He ignored her protests.

“Sh, sh,” he hushed. “Sure babe, I'll leave after I finish helping you. He wanted to encourage her to take the whole thing. “Besides, you're almost done. Keep breathing deeply.”

“Get out of here Mark! It’s not necessary for you to be in here!”

It was Mark’s turn to get angry.

“Forget it Irish! If you think, I'm going to sit behind that fucking door and listen to you cry for the next half hour, than you're sadly mistaken! I'm a nurse for Christ sakes! Now, shut that damn pretty little mouth of yours and let me help you!”

She felt so sick and uncomfortable that she didn't have the spirit to disagree with him or deal with his angry mood.

Mark quickly took control of the situation by putting his hands on her shoulders and positioning her body to lean forward. She slightly flinched.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” he said gently. “This may help you feel more comfortable.”

He than gently placed his hand on her right knee and guided it up high towards her chest. Last, he reached over to wrap his fingers around her left ankle to pull it down, allowing her leg to lay straight. She stubbornly drew her knees back up towards her chest.

“Maura, the Sims position is better. Come on babe, please try to cooperate.”

Reluctantly she complied. “That’s a good girl.”

He leaned over to retrieve a tissue and began to gently wipe her eyes and face. He genuinely wanted to aid her and didn't want to show her he was still angry.

“Take it easy doll. You’re going to be OK, now that I’m here to talk you through this.”

Mark leaned over Maura’s bare thigh to place his hand on the end of the enema nozzle that was jutting out between of Maura’s rounded buttock cheeks and gave it a little nudge inward to make sure it was not in jeopardy of coming out.

“Good, it’s tightly in there.”

“OH, OH, OOOO she moaned.”

He began to gently stroke her forehead. “Steady now, sweetie. Try to relax. Breathe deeply through your nose and let it out slowly, through your mouth.”

After a few minutes had passed of obeying his directions, she looked up at him. Suddenly, she felt self-conscious from having him seeing her partially buff-bare on the floor. In a vain attempt, she tried to pull her T-shirt down over her nude thigh and part of her bare bottom.

Mark smiled as he looked down on her.

“Hey, knock it off Maura! I'm NOT looking at you! I only want to help you get through this!”

Her voice began to break off. She was trying hard to keep back fresh tears as she spoke.

“You big ape, you're NOT the one laying on this floor half naked with a tube sticking out of your ass!”

“Gee babe, I didn't think you were the demure type?” He warmly brushed the back of his hand against her forehead. “My, my, this comes as a big surprise to me, Irish. Do you behave this way for Dan?” He playfully smiled at her.

She stopped to moan and then to look up at him to speak laboriously again.

“You think Hercules could stop with the jokes for a minute or two?!”

She moaned again, grabbing her stomach.

“OK, OK, hold on shamrock.” Mark got up to get a large bath towel and kneeled down again on one knee to cover her bare thigh, backside and legs. He cooed gently, “Is that better?”

“Yes, thank you.” It felt oddly strange, but comforting to have this big, good looking hulk tower over her in a nurturing way. His boyish, impish quips didn't come as a surprise to her, but his gentle demeanor did.

After few minutes had gone by with her moaning and grunting, she stopped. Bashfully, she looked up at him and wanted to say something, anything to help pass the awkward moments! She took a breath, “Has anyone told you,” She took another deep breath. “That you look like an apostle in that beard, Mark.”

His massive chest vibrated a mild, low, chuckle as the enema bag began to slowly collapse. With his eye still on the bag he continued to massage her abdomen and the small of her back simultaneously.

“I do huh? Nope, you're the first person to tell me that.” He smiled warmly down on her then answered. “Still, I’d expect that from an Irish, Catholic, lassie such as you. The next thing you’ll be telling me is that I look like the pope.”

“Yeah sure,” she took a needed breath, “you wish.”

His hands stayed busy massaging, while his fiery, blue eyes seriously moved back and forth from her face and the deflating bag. He softly chuckled again.

“Anyway, we all know that Mark Cummings doesn’t live the life of an apostle or a pope.”

Mark gave her a mischievous wink and made a clicking sound with his tongue.

Maura was fully aware of Mark’s reputation with the girls and started to softly laugh at his jib and answered, “Boy ain’t that the truth!” Her chuckling stopped when she was overcome with a strong wave of cramps. She clutched his fleecy arm. “Lord!” She moaned.

“Steady now.”

Mark would intermittently stop the flow to give her a chance to recover from each wave of cramps.

Maura looked down towards her extended stomach and lamented.

“Now, I know I'm in labor!”

Mark began to laugh quietly.

“You're a riot.”

“Mark, it hurts more than before!”

“I know it does, Maura. But, when the time comes for you to release the pressure, you will feel a lot better than when you first started, he added helpfully. “Come on now, you said you’ve been through this before.”

Her perspiring face cringed in pain. She began to grunt and squirm in discomfort. After a few minutes she whimpered and begged.

“Mark, I've had enough!” She took a gulp of air. “I can't take anymore.”

“Sh, sh, it’s OK,” he hushed encouragingly. “Hang in there doll, and try to lay still.” He gently stroked her moist forehead with the palm of his hand. “You're doing fine. You're almost finished.”

She became crotchety and tearful.

“You big lug, you said THAT when you first came in here!”

“Well, now I mean it.”

“YOU SON OF A BITCH!”

“Come on now Irish, none of that!”

Her words came in small gasping breaths.

“Mark please, for god’s sake!”

“Hush now sweetie.”

“Close the damn clamp and help me get to my feet!”

“Not yet babe, the bag’s almost empty.”

“Come on Mark,” she whined, “be a sport!”

“Just a little bit more beautiful.” Maura grunted. “That a girl! You're almost done.”

Still kneeling on one knee, Mark continued to gently rub her back than her stomach, cooing and encouraging her until the entire contents drained inside her.

“You're all done. You did well.”

Her voice started to panic. “I feel SO full! Mark, I told you, THAT amount was too damn much for me!

“Maura, you were able to take the whole thing! Now, try holding it for as long as you can.” Mark smiled. “If Dan was here, he'd be proud of you!” He began to gingerly stroke her brow while they waited in silence a few minutes more.

Maura was seeing a new, gentle side to Mark Cummings she hadn’t seen nor knew existed.

The cramps subsided a bit and she managed to speak arduously.

“You're really a sweet guy under that tough exterior that you always hide behind. How come you never let people see your tender side Mark?”

Mark scowled at her and answered her back.

“Shut up and breathe.”

Despite her complaining, she was able to hold the enema for the duration. Mark gently placed his hand under her small elbow to help her off the floor than quickly left the bathroom to give her privacy. From of what he could hear from behind the closed bathroom door, Mark could tell that she was getting good results, and he hoped that it had helped her. The shower began to run and after some time had lapsed, Maura emerged from the bathroom fully dressed.

Mark swiveled around in his desk chair to face her. A few strands of wet, reddish, curls matted her forehead. He got a pleasant whiff of her clean body and could tell right off, that she had used his lemon scented soap that was in the shower stall. Despite the half-moons under her eyes, he was relieved to see that a little color had returned to her face.

“Well, how’s my wild, Irish rose feeling?”

“I feel a little weak but better. Though, I think I look more like the LAST Irish rose.”

“Maura, I called down to the college infirmary and asked if they had a free bed. They’re not busy at the moment. The nurse in charge said to come on down. It would be quieter there for you to rest, than your crowded dorm room.” He swiveled around in his chair to once again face the computer screen to resume his typing.

“That’s not a bad idea.” Maura was once again amazed at his kindness. “That was very thoughtful of you Mark, thank you.”

He kept his head straight ahead. He was self-conscience and didn’t like to be felicitated.

“Naah, think nothing of it!”

She paused a moment, leaned her head over to study his handsome profile and spoke softly. “I washed the equipment. It’s still hanging on the coat rack. Is it OK, if I come back for it later, when it’s dry?”

“Sure sweetie, I’ll tell Paulie my viscera was stopped up.”

Maura began to giggle for she marveled at Mark’s lack of shyness and nonchalant attitude.

He turned in his chair to face her. His facial cast and voice was solemn.

“Maura, how long has this been going on?”

“Since after Christmas.”

“Has the pain always been as bad as this?”

“It’s gotten progressively worse since January.”

“Have you had yourself examined?”

“No”

“You mean to tell me that you’ve done nothing about this? What the hell’s the matter with you?”

“Oh cut it out Mark!”

“I won't cut out! I think it’s damn irresponsible of you, a third year medical student, shame on you!”

“I don't need a lecture Mark!”

“If I were my gal, babe, you get a hell of a lot more than just a lecture!”

“Oh stop trying to be SO tough. I just now found out in there that you're a pussycat.”

Mark ignored her comment and spoke his mind.

“Don't you think it would be a wise idea for you to have yourself checked out by an OBGYN doc?” He added, “And make sure you do it before your next menstrual period?

“I’ll do that when I go home to Boston this summer.”

“Promise me, you'll do it now! Don't wait until June. You could have the onset of endometriosis, cervical, or vaginal stenosis. It could even be an ovarian cyst.”

Maura became a little flippant. She didn't like to be told what to do, not from Dan and certainly not from Mark!

“Thank you very much from the soon to be Doctor Cummings, for his free diagnosis.”

He ignored her caustic remark. His voice continued to be serious and persistent.

“Maura, promise me, you’ll go for a routine pelvic exam!”

“And, what if I don't, big guy?”

“If you don't, as soon as Dan gets back from Boston, I’ll tell him everything that took place here today.”

“MARK, PLEASE!”

“Don't, ‘please Mark’ me! I mean it, Maura!”

“Dan, will never let me hear the end of it!”

“That’s the idea baby!” He waited for her to say something. When she didn't he perused with his reprimand. “Promise me that you'll make an appointment with a gynecologist, while you’re still here in Louisiana! If you like, I'll even go with you and hold your hand.”

“ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT, I promise! DAMN YOU!” She was in a snit. “Since when does blackmailing become a part of a doctor’s bedside manner?”

“Knock it off Irish!” He turned around in his chair feeling triumphant and continued his typing. From behind, he could hear her huffing and puffing in anger. He kept on typing while he spoke. “Hey, doll, I’m only looking out for your best interests! That’s what friends are for. Besides, we both know that if Dan was here now, he would sure as hell, agree with my sound suggestion.” He swiveled in the chair to face her. “My offer still stands. I'll go with you to the doc if you want. Dan need never know. He won't hear it from me. In fact, one of the professors here has a practice not too far from campus. I'll find out where she is and get you her office number and address.”

“Oh, you mean Professor Linda Howard?”

“Yeah, that’s one.”

“There’s a rumor going around campus Mark that you took out another female professor. Did you screw Professor Howard too?”

“Hey there, watch it! Don't get personal now!”

Mark turned around again to resume his typing. There was an awkward silence for a few moments. Maura spoke first.

“I suppose it IS none of my business.”

“You got that right!”

“And I guess I wasn't the perfect patient in there either, with all my fretting.”

“Baby, I’ve given plenty of patients’ enemas these last three years. I’m used to the name calling. I usually get called all the expletives in the book, big time, all considering, you did pretty well.”

Maura felt ambivalent for way she acted. She turned to leave than stopped to make further amends.

“Mark…. you're right. You have been a good friend and Daniel would definitely feel the same way. You've been very kind to me this last hour.” Her voice changed into a slight reproach. “Though, to be honest with you Mark, I wasn't expecting it.” In the past, Maura thought that Mark was an aloof, unfeeling individual and didn't give a damn about anyone but himself. “I’m sorry I was so nasty to you just now and before in the bathroom. And thanks for your offer. But, I’m a big girl. I can go to the doctor by myself. I’ll be fine.”

He was embarrassed by her adulation.

“Don't give it another thought, beautiful! We guys know you gals get ornery when you're on the rag.”

Mark covered his mouth to let his chest vibrate silently with a laugh.

Talking to the back of his head she raised her voice in disappointment.

“Why, Mark Cummings! What a chauvinistic, ungallant, indelicate thing to say! And here, I thought you were being so sweet!”

Mark playfully leaned is head all the way back to look at her upside down.

“Maura, forgive me. I was just fooling around.”

She paused a moment and than spoke.

“Well, I guess I have no other choice BUT to forgive you! I do feel better, due to your help.”

He remarked conceitedly.

“Sure baby, anytime. If you need help again, you just call on good old Mark Cummings.”

She lifted her small chin and said adamantly,

“I think, I'll ask Dan to help me out next time.”

Mark turned to give her a dimpled grin. “There you go!” He swiveled forward to resume his typing and added. “Anyway, there’s not going to be a next time, because you're going to see a doctor.” He stopped typing and turned his head over his hefty shoulder to look at her. “Right?”

Maura moved behind him and leaned over to wrap her arm around his chest to give him a friendly hug.

“Right! Thanks again Mark.”

Mark stretched his head back again to smile at her and warmly patted her encircled arm.

“You're very welcome, Irish.”

Maura turned to say one more thing before leaving.

“Oh, by the way, before I forget. There’s a nice girl that Dan and I…..”

Mark was quick to interrupt her.

“Forget it, babe! I know you and Dan mean well, but you both can lay off the sightless chicks for a while, OK? That last one was a lulu and the one before that was a humdinger!”

“Sure Mark, whatever you say. Just remember, don't come running to Dan or myself when you're old & gray and you have no one to share your life with.”

“I'll get serious one day. It’s just that now is not the time. I've got the rest of my life to find the right girl!

And that he did. But when that day would finally come, Mark wondered if he would ever have to help his wife the same way he helped Maura today. Secretly he hoped that would happen because in an unusual, erotic sort of way it was a turn on for him to give a woman an enema. As a nurse he only had to do it several times administering to a female.

'Yeah if I ever fall in love.' he thought, 'it would be a great way to get an instant hard on. I could even introduce her to enema sex.' What a prospect!

Farebheit457@aol.com Any readers are free to email me after reading this story.