Time Enough For Love
by AZ Story Guy
Chapter 20
"Doctor Susan Pastor!" Charles said as he introduced the woman to the two boys.
Attempt number two. Levi already liked the woman. She was kind of disheveled and "frumpy" looking but she projected an aura of friendliness. He guessed her age to be around 40 or so. Not quite the "relic" that Doctor Smythe had been.
From what he could discern, she had a small private practice in LA, lived with her ailing Mother, and did not have any connections to Roberts International.
More importantly she was prolific in her positive motivation directed towards CJ... whom she addressed as such. Not as "Curtis," or "Mr. Jones" or most annoyingly, "the boy."
CJ seemed to "take" to the woman as well.
Levi spoke up and suggested not using computerized testing if possible because CJ had limited computer experience.
"That will be just fine!" she smiled, "I prefer 'old school' assessments anyway... We'll use paper evaluations and the answers will be done mostly with bubble sheets.. If we DO use a computer, it will be interactive and the two of us will be there together. If CJ has any questions or problems, I will be available and immediate to help him out."
Both boys smiled at the complete reversal from their first experience. Charles seemed relieved that maybe this time he had "gotten it right" by selecting someone who understood the special qualities of CJ.
Other than asking that the Doctor not use computers any more than necessary, no one said anything about CJ's background . The young teen smiled as he and Doctor Pastor entered Charles' office.
Levi and Charles sat pensively as the time ticked by. They watched some ESPN, of which Levi could care less, surfed through the seemingly endless offerings of crappy cable TV, and then tried to make small talk.
One half hour..... Forty five minutes.... An hour....
"What the fuck is going on?" Levi asked.
"Well maybe it's a good sign!" Charles replied, "I mean.... if things were going badly then someone would have come out by now...!"
He was sweating bullets. Levi hadn't pressured Charles or said a negative thing about the Smythe experience. Other than requesting that the next Doctor NOT work for the Company, the teen had been completely quiet.
Charles was concerned not so much about his own "skin" but he really had taken to CJ and didn't want to see the young teen go through another nightmare experience. Charles knew how good of an influence CJ was on Levi. The older boy was much more calm and mature about everything... Well almost..... the man had heard first hand (and from Security) about the two teens and their epic sexual energy. Charles knew that was nothing but good for both. The man no longer had to worry about Levi bringing a parade of nameless boys to the house. More importantly, Levi lived with unbridled excitement for the experience of spending every waking moment with CJ.
An hour and a half....
Shortly after this time mark, Levi and Charles heard music. Loud music. Gunshots. At least that's what they sounded like. Hooves.....
"Hooves? That's a fucking MOVIE!" Levi said excitedly, "In fact it's 'Tombstone' again.... CJ's favorite!"
Charles smiled at the thought of CJ having a "favorite" movie when he had probably only seen maybe a dozen or so films and most of them had been westerns.....
"I gotta know what's going on!" Levi said, rising from his chair.
"We're not supposed to interrupt the procedure!" Charles cautioned.
"Yeah but what the fuck.... a movie? Maybe she said 'fuck it' and left through your back door and.....!" Levi tried to rationalize what was going on.
"And what? CJ is sitting there by himself watching a movie? I don't think so!" Charles laughed.
The man actually had a good feeling about what the two of them were hearing.
The sounds soon paused and both adult and teen emerged from the office. CJ was bouncing and effervescent; Dr. Pastor was all smiles.
"You have quite a remarkable friend here!" she chirped.
"I Like her! She's NEAT!" the boy exclaimed.
Charles and Levi exchanged glances.
"Then he... Uh... .doesn't need to be..... 'institutionalized' then?" Levi asked.
The woman reacted in absolute horror.
"Why on Earth would we want to do that? She asked .
"We had a bad experience with another Doctor!" Charles explained.
"Oh. Well. I can see.... CJ is certainly one different young man....!" she started to explain.
CJ beamed at not being called a "boy."
"And I was kind of hoping.. You could answer some questions... maybe fill in some missing details that might help me to understand!" she started to say.
"Like what?" Levi asked.
"Well first the test results.... CJ took a series of standardized Intelligence Quotient exams... These are universal in nature and designed not to measure what most people call 'book learning' but rather....!" she started to explain.
"Yes.. Yes... Did Did he do okay?" Levi asked
The teen was sitting on the edge of his seat.
"The standard score for most Americans ranges from a low end measurement of 70 to a high of 130...!" she started to reply.
"And CJ?"Levi asked.
The boy was ready to leap off his chair. After Doctor Smythe, he didn't know what to expect.
"Well as you may or may not know, so-called 'I.Q.' tests can be administered at any age and...." she again tried to reply.
"What about his?" Levi asked again.
The Doctor smiled.
"Your friend was way over the top end... around a 145 cume!" she explained.
Levi whooped and jumped up, grabbed CJ and hugged him tightly.
"You're a fucking genius!" he cooed to his friend.
"Well not exactly but he certainly places way above average!" she said.
CJ was blushing at the praise.
"And what else?" Levi asked.
"As far as mean educational development. That's where I am mystified by the test results!" she said.
Doctor Pastor had a puzzled look.
Levi and Charles exchanged glances again.
"Has CJ been.. Uh.... away someplace.... For an extended length of time?" she asked.
Just the mere mention of "time" made Levi burst out laughing.
"Did I say something inappropriate? She asked.
Charles also laughed and shook his head.
"No, Doctor... You did not... In fact, I think you hit the nail right on the head!" he replied.
"Please elaborate on your findings!" he said.
"Well as I began to administer routine evaluations I noticed something right away.... CJ has a fine educational background.... You indicated he had progressed through the Eighth grade... Many of his skill sets place him far above that level.... English Literature and especially Mathematics!" she said.
"So you... Uh... Did he.... About Math?" Levi stumbled.
"Why yes.... He has a unique gift there... He can calculate simple and chain .. math equations faster than... and I am not kidding you.... your basic home computer..... Yet when we went to do an algebraic or geometry assessment he indicated to me a complete lack of knowledge of these disciplines... Which is no problem... With his mind, he will pick those up very quickly...!" she explained.
"But there's more... Isn't there?" Charles asked.
The man.. and Levi as well... both knew that Doctor Pastor had figured out something very "different" about CJ.
"Well... I would assess him at around a Tenth Grade level on many studies... You realize most of public school routine studies are repetitive to give the more challenged students a chance to catch up....!" she continued.
"But that's not the surprise, is it, Doctor?" Charles asked.
She looked at the man, then Levi, then CJ.
"No!" she said, shaking her head.
"It started with an assessment on history!" she revealed.
Levi knew instantly where this was headed.
"He scores very high but.....!" she continued.
"It seems like he's locked in the early Twentieth Century, doesn't it, Doctor?" Levi asked.
The Doctor looked like the proverbial cat that had just swallowed a canary.
"I couldn't figure it out when CJ kept insisting that William Howard Taft is the president! I had to look that one up!" she said, "Then continuing on to his general Science and Technology assessments... again.... it's like everything stops for him around the early 1900s......!"
She went on, "I wondered at first if there was some type of learning disability!"
"NO!" Levi jumped to his feet.
She smiled, "Calm down... I quickly ruled that out... It's almost like... And neither of these explanations makes any sense... that CJ was isolated out of his environment for a very long time... or he just dropped into our Century like some kind of space time traveler... Please forgive me but I know it doesn't make sense...!"
Levi was hopping around like his feet were on fire.
"Yes! Yes!! Yes!!! It makes perfect sense... Doctor... Yes it does...!!! You know!!!! You figured it out on your own!!!!!" the boy exclaimed.
Now it was Doctor Pastor's turn to seem confused.
"Doctor... What I have to tell you may seem a bit.... What am I saying... A WHOLE lot of.... Uh crazy... In fact you may to put all of us in the proverbial 'booby hatch' .......!" Charles started to say.
"Lemme Lemme Lemme!" Levi said excitedly.
Charles smiled at Levi's exuberance.
"Well, Doctor.....!" Levi said.
Twenty minutes later, with some help from CJ and after seeing all the evidence Levi had accumulated; the photos, the before and after screen shots, CJ's personal effects including his very old but very real 1900's pair of Levis jeans... the woman sat in stone silence.
Levi had told almost everything. Almost.... He didn't tell Doctor Pastor about falling in love with CJ. He didn't tell her how Trapper had abused the young teen; only that CJ had a very rough upbringing. He didn't go into all the details about CJ getting shot and almost dying in his arms... In the end, Levi's narration probably sounded more like the story of a boy on some kind of wild adventure.
"Well she didn't run out the door screaming!" Levi quipped.
The Doctor shook her head.
"No... No... I'm not running anywhere.... What you said... the story you told.... belongs in a movie....!" she said.
Levi frowned to himself.
"Here it comes!" he thought.
"But... Yet... when I look at what you have told me along with the evidence.... It fits. It makes no sense HOW it could happen but it all fits!" she said.
Levi's head shot upwards.
"Do you like CJ?" he asked.
"Why yes.... He's one of the most personable, intelligent and courteous young men I have ever met!" she gushed.
"And CJ?" Levi asked, "Do you like Doctor.....!"
The teen was jumping up and down nodding "Yes."
Levi turned to Doctor Pastor, "Then you have to be his tutor! He likes you. You like him. You know about his.... past....!"
The woman smiled and sadly shook her head.
"I'm sorry Levi.... but I came here as a favor to Charles.. But my practice... My office... my Mother... who is gravely ill.... all are in Los Angeles!" she said.
A tear formed in her eye.
"It would be such a challenge! To take a real young man from a Century ago and.... introduce him to a whole new world!" she said softly.
"Charles!" Levi barked.
The man knew what was coming next.
"I want her! CJ wants her!" he said, doing his best "Captain Picard" impersonation, "Make it so!"
The woman looked confused.
"Look, Doctor Pastor!" Levi pleaded.
"Susan!" she said with a smile.
"I'm fuck---- Uh...... Er.... I'm rich.... Roberts International. I own it... I inherited it from my parents... You may not have heard of it....!" he explained.
She shook her head "No."
"Doesn't matter. Trust me. I can pay your way... I want you here now. We'll move you here. Bring all your stuff. Move you completely... Bring your Mother too... Charles... I want them both put on the Company's Health Care Plan... Put her up in a NICE place till she gets settled.... We'll get you a house. A car. Whatever you want. Name your fuck ----- uh.... Sorry!" he blushed, "Name your price.... We'll pay off any bills or debts you owe.... After you're done with CJ... Charles... I want a guaranteed income for her for the rest of her life.... Whatever it takes! You and CJ... have a bond.... You didn't laugh at him or make fun of him or call him retarded..... He needs you. I need you too for his sake!"
The room was stone silent.
CJ looked at Levi; Levi looked at CJ and then they both looked at Charles. The man already knew when Levi wanted something, there was no stopping him.
"After all, he traveled back in time to find CJ!" the man thought to himself.
What Levi proposed was chicken feed to a Company as big as Roberts... And Levi was right. She HAD figured out CJ... And the two seemed to get along splendidly. The ball was in Doctor Pastor's court....
"But even if... and your offer is so wildly generous.... CJ won't be a lifetime project.... He's smart. Very smart. Sooner or later he will outgrow what I can offer and then he will be his own independent man!" she said, "Then what would happen to me?"
"It doesn't matter!" Levi exclaimed, "I said... We'll pay you a salary. A GOOD salary for the rest of your life. If you want to start a business here in Phoenix then the money will be there for that.... Whatever it takes... We both need you!.... And... I can promise you this..... Roberts International will NOT fuck you over!
He blushed at his comment.
"Even if the Company is sold... Charles... If she accepts I want a lifetime salary agreement and health care for both Dr. Pastor and her mother..... IN WRITING!" the teen commanded.
"He does get up quite a head of steam!" she joked.
Charles smiled, "Especially when it comes to CJ!"
Levi's eyes were moist as he stood behind a seated CJ; His hands placed firmly on the young boy's shoulders.
She looked at the two boys, and then it dawned on her.
"Why... I should have seen this before... I guess I was so captivated by CJ.... but you two are.... in love, aren't you?" she asked.
Levi gripped CJ's shoulders tightly.
The two boys nodded.
"Then it all makes sense... You were captivated... drawn by the picture of CJ... how you ever ended up there in his time... must have been an act of..... God or Fate?" she said in amazement.
The boys nodded again.
"Please.. Doctor.... We need you so badly!"
The woman looked at Charles.
"And he can actually do... make.... everything he said happen?" she asked the man.
Charles smiled and shook his head affirmatively.
"Oh yes...... There's no stopping him now!" Charles laughed.
"Then I accept!" she said.
She then started to cry.
"Doctor? What's wrong?" Levi asked.
"It's just that... My Mother.... We've had such a hard time getting by....!" she cried.
"Those days are over NOW!" Levi promised.
"CJ!" he continued, "Meet your new teacher!"
CJ bounded up and danced around the room.
"There's just one thing, Doctor!" Levi asked.
She looked at the teen.
"What was with the movie?" he asked.
She laughed.
"I was learning from CJ.... I knew something was going on... We talked.. quite bit... I think I learned more from him even though he was holding back telling me about.... Where he came from.... We started talking about pioneer history.. .Which to him is... was... CURRENT history.... And he suggested watching Tombstone... We had finished the assessments..... So I thought it would be a great idea...!" she laughed, "Then he turned into a Roger Ebert and started critiquing the film!"
Everyone laughed at her remark except CJ, who had no idea who Roger Ebert was....
The meeting concluded. Charles had Doctor Pastor flown back to LA on a corporate jet.
The man smiled at Levi, "I hope you know how much work I have to do now!"
Levi smiled back and said, "Then let's give you a fifteen percent salary increase!"
Charles was taken aback at Levi's comment. He laughed at the remark but Levi pressed and said "I want it done!"
Over the next few days there was a whirlwind of activity as Charles put plans together to move Doctor Pastor and her Mother to Phoenix. None of the actual logistics involved the man himself so the planned return trip to Gold Strike was given a green light.
Levi and CJ were energized by the possibilities for the younger teen. CJ talked non-stop about the Doctor, only pausing long enough to have a continuing series of sexual adventures with Levi. The older teen wanted to keep CJ's mind off the upcoming trip.
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