Pop: Chapter 20b

    A low rattle of thunder rolls through.  Definitely winding down.

    "He told us the basics as soon after we sat down," Rick continues.  "He told us how the first pervert was detained by UK security, but the guy wouldn't reveal how he got those pics of me and the other patients.  Not through the school, fortunately.  Dr. Mendel had left a few years prior after his wife died.  No one knew where he took off to.  Other former patients of his were being scoped out, based on the information on some of the pictures, but not might not get any leads.  Furthermore, because the pics were released on the web, the FBI might be getting involved.  He finally added that another attorney, Collins, would be taking over the civil side of our case while he would be staying on just to keep tabs on the criminal proceedings."

    "Why didn't you tell us anything about this sooner?"

    "There were naked pics of me online!  While I was kind of an exhibitionist at the time, this was another matter entirely." he shouted. "Do you want me to finish or what?"

    "Go ahead, Rick.  I'm sorry I interrupted."

    "As we were finishing up, a young woman came in with some papers and refreshments.  Thompson said that she was his daughter, Elaine.  She was finishing up a semester early at Transy and was already shortlisted for UK Law."

    "Hold up.  I guessed Elaine might be older than you, but not that much older than you." Pete pipes up.

    "You don't mention a woman's age, Pete.  But yes, she is a few years older than me.  Don't bring it up again." Rick says, with just a touch of threat lingering behind the statement.

    "Gotcha.  Moving on." Pete almost whimpers.

    "When Elaine asked me about myself, I blurted out that I was pre-law as well.  I gave my parents a sharp look to shut them up.  I was smitten on her immediately, so I kind of lied to get her attention.  Now, some of my professors had suggested I should look into law, but I never brought that up to my parents or you guys.  That following Monday,  I called up my advisor and asked to switch over to pre-law, so Elaine wouldn't think I was lying to her.  My advisor reluctantly agreed, but only if I kept going for my journalism degree as well.  After a few months of meetings with Collins, I felt that I could ask Elaine out, now that her father wasn't actively our lawyer.  We were steady by the time I got the news about Mendel."

    "Were you two using my dorm room for your 'meetings?'  I'm sure someone was using the extra bedroom after Evan moved our a few days into the spring semester.  I didn't get a new one until the next year.  I guess he felt a little embarrassed after what happened to you, but he did stay at school." Will asks.

    "I told you guys last night.  Elaine and I didn't hook up until we were married.  I didn't want to risk pissing off her dad while he was working on my case." Rick says.

    "Uh, that would've been me.  You gave us the spare key, so I used it a few times when you were out and I needed the space for me and my girlfriend to, you know.  I swear I didn't use it any more after you got that second roommate."

    "Ugh.  I wish I hadn't known that.  Please continue Rick." Will says.

    "Anyway, when I had gotten back from our spring break trip, my dad called saying that Mendel had been found in New England somewhere.  Vermont, maybe?  Or New Hampshire?  Well, he was extradited back to Kentucky, where he was charged on federal and state crimes.  I was already in law school by the time the trial started.  Having multiple letters of recommendation from Thompson's firm really helped booster my only slightly higher than average test scores.  After the guilty verdict, I proposed to Elaine and we got married a year later.  The state charges weren't contested, and the class action civic case for his patients was settled out of court.  No one got much money, as Mendel didn't have much left after his trial.   A little over a year after that, Lydia was born.  I thought I wouldn't have to deal with Mendel any more, but I was wrong." Rick sighs.

    "What happened next?  What could have happened?"