Page 30 of Gator

“Oh, the dating corner!” smiled Dylan. Gator looked at her, tilting his head. “That’s what George and Mama Irene called it. The dating corner. They said if I wanted to make sure someone had privacy, I should put them at that table. It has some sort of special insulation around it so others can’t hear the conversation.”

Gator shook his head, chuckling. Only George and his great-grandmother would think of something like that. Pulling on their jackets, they walked toward the cafeteria as slowly as possible. They were enjoying this time together, just the two of them, their hands linked.

“I met some interesting friends today,” she grinned. “Martha and the others.”

“Oh,” he laughed. “I guess I should have introduced you sooner. I’m sorry. It’s not really a conversation that just sort of happens. I mean, how do I say, ‘oh, by the way, we have ghosts here.’”

“Well, that would do it for me,” she laughed. “Actually, they had a message from my parents. They said that Hanz caused their plane crash, which I had already suspected, and that I had the evidence in my heart.”

“What does that mean?” frowned Gator.

“I’m not sure. They died when I was only three. I don’t remember much of them, Ian. In fact, what I do remember is probably formed from old photographs, not real memories. I’m just not sure what they’re talking about.”

“It might help if we knew what your father and Hanz were working on in the weeks before his death. It could have been something that was creating a problem between the two of them.”

Inside the cafeteria, they moved to the dating corner and waited as the staff brought out their meals. Dylan smiled at Wyatt and Pierre, playing together at the table across the room. Gator turned to see what she was looking at and grinned.

“Lane and Frank moved their cottage yesterday so that they’d be closer to HG and Maggie. The boys were really struggling to fall asleep. They made sure their bedroom windows were across from one another so they could signal each other at night.” She gave him an odd expression, and he shook his head.

“When Patrick, Christopher, Jak, and some of the others, and I were little, we were so close it was as if we were blood brothers. I guess, in some ways, we still are. Anyway, we couldn’t fall asleep at night either, worried that our friends wouldn’t be there in the morning. So, Ace taught us all Morse code using flashlights. We would stand at our bedroom windows at night, signaling one another until we got so tired, we had to go to bed.”

“I think that’s the cutest thing in the whole world,” said Dylan. “I look at those two little boys and think it’s hard enough to be a kid these days, but to be different in any way makes it more difficult. I love that they’re embracing the whole thing.”

“I told you before, we have a lot of special people around here. In fact, here comes one now, but please don’t hold it against me for anything she says.” Dylan frowned, then turned to see Gabi. The woman had given her a physical after she’d arrived and had been nothing but kind to her. They’d also spoken with her a few days ago, and although she hinted at something, she never said anything offensive.

“Hello,” she smiled. “Ian, I need you to come by for your physical since you’re going to transition to VG.” Gator waited, holding his breath hoping that she didn’t say anything else.

“That’s it?” She stared at him, then nodded.

“That’s it. I’m trying not to mention, umm, other things anymore. I understand that it made some of you uncomfortable, and that was not my intention.”

“Gabi, it didn’t make me uncomfortable. Not really. I mean, it was a little embarrassing. It just was always said at the wrong time.”

“Well, I have a habit of saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. I’m trying to change that. You two have a great night.” She left them and went back to the table with Zulu.

“What was that all about?” asked Dylan.

“Oh, well, if you remember, Gabi is known for saying pretty much whatever is on her mind. Usually, she would come up and talk about… well, she would mention, ummm.”

“What? Mention what?” asked Dylan.

“She would usually mention the size of our penises. When you met her the other day, she kind of danced around it. She gives all the physicals, so she sees all of us naked and often makes comments about our bodies.” Dylan stared at him, then burst out laughing.

“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to laugh, but don’t you think men do the same thing? I mean, behind our backs, don’t you think a male doctor is talking to his male colleagues about the patient he saw earlier with the large breasts or the vagina that was oddly shaped?”

“I don’t know,” frowned Gator. “I guess I never really thought about that. Did that happen to you?” Dylan shrugged.

“It was a long time ago. Right before I went to Paris to study. I had to have a complete physical and updated immunizations. I was twenty or twenty-one, just starting to really have a woman’s shape. I guess I was a late bloomer. Anyway, he did the exam and didn’t say a word to me, just that everything was fine.

“I got dressed and walked out of the room and overheard him in his office with a young intern. He said, ‘damn, I need to sit for a while, those tits have me hard.’ I didn’t say anything, but the nurse saw me and knew I had heard. She apologized, but I just blew it off.”

“You should have reported him,” frowned Gator.

“Did you report Gabi?” she asked.

“No, but Gabi is family. We know she means nothing by it.”

“Well, I knew that this guy probably meant nothing by it as well. He was posturing with the younger man. It wasn’t worth my time to get him in trouble with the clinic or medical society. Besides, he was a friend of Hanz. If I had reported him, he would have been angry with me.”

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