Northern Exposure

[Optimist2]

Dr. Jonathan Martin was sick and tired of whiny patients and flirtatious nurses. He was tired of the long days and nights, with little sleep. He was tired of the concrete jungle. He had finally decided to pack it all in and move to Alaska. His friends all called him crazy and questioned how a New York doctor could survive in the great frozen North.

His crisis of faith had started months before he actually resigned his position at the hospital, put his house up for sale, and packed all that really mattered into a single van. He had taken his time traveling North-West. He had enjoyed the Great Lakes and Canada, before arriving at the tiny town of Howell Alaska.

As he drove into town, he could see that it was little more than a single street with five or six buildings on either side of the road. A neon sign was lit up, showing the local drinking establishment. There was a church, a filling station and half a dozen other stores and establishments. He pulled up in front of the sheriff's office and got out.

Dr. Martin was a tall, wide shouldered man with a narrow waist and a muscular frame. His dark hair was cut short and he was clean shaven. A pair of rectangular shaped spectacles framed a handsome face with a firm chin and full lips. He was dressed in a green parka and blue jeans.

Someone was supposed to meet him at the sheriff's office to him the clinic. The old doctor had retired to Florida a few months ago and the town had been trying to attract another doctor since. His contact was a Alex Murphy, the mayor of the town. He had never even spoken to the man. Their conversations had been conducted by e-mail, so he did not know what to expect.

OOC: I am looking for one female to play the role of Alex(andra) the town mayor. This is a Northern Exposure inspired game. This will be a light hearted, fish out of water game. PM before joining. I am looking for someone who can write multiple paragraph posts, or at least a minimum of one long paragraph per post.

 

[marla56]

i remember that show...i tap on your shoulder,,hi i'm alex the mayor of this fine town..well it's alexandra..no one else wanted the job,,so they all voted for me. i guess you are the new doctor,,your secretary sent me a picture of you..i'm standing in front of you in my tan parka, boots, thick jeans..glasses..5'4", 40, brown/silver hair , green eyes.

 

[Optimist2]

John turned at the tap on his shoulder and smiled, though he was surprised. He hadn't been expecting a woman. "Hello, I'm Jonathan. Nice to meet you." He held up his hand for a handshake. 'It's a beautiful little town you have here."

Mostly he was wondering what he had gotten into. When they told him that the town was small, he had still expected more than half a dozen buildings. As it was, he was taken aback by how tiny the town really was. Still, he had signed on to work for a year, as the town doctor, and a deal was a deal.

 

[marla56]

putting out my hand to shake the new doc's..well it might look like a small town but there are alot of people that don't live in town..you will need a snow mobile for winter and a good all terrain vehicle for the rest of the time..do you have either of those,,if not i can lend you mine,,i even have a dog sled if you would rather use that. there is a boarding house down the street, if you want to stay there,,there is a small apartment over the doctors office,,but it doesn't have heat,,i have a 5 bedroom house with a sauna if you want to stay there. it's up to you. i'll give you a good meal every day, you will have your own bathroom with soaking tub and you can come and go as you please..any questions?

 

[Optimist2]

The doctor was taken aback by the offer to stay at the mayor's house. He certainly was not going to stay in an apartment without heat and he did not relish the though of a boarding house. Part of him longed for his old condominium, overlooking Central Park. He had not expected to feel home sick, but looking at the little town, he found that he was.

"If it's O.K., I will take you up on your kind offer." He though that a real house would be better than a tiny boarding house room, and right about now the prospect of relaxing in a sauna was a heavenly dream.

"Could you show me to the clinic? I understand that there is a receptionist and nurse?" He was not hoping for much, considering the size of the town, but hoped that the clinic would resemble a modern one.

 

[marla56]

well come along..it's a little walk,,the receptionist is the nurse,,is that ok? we have everything that is needed , x-ray machine all the modern technology,,we aren't like the other town that has nothing but tongue depressors. the town looks old but we have computers and technology that compares us to the big city..i know you will be happy at the office as we walk thru the door..you are very amazed , it's beyond your wildest dreams. solar panels on the roof to power everything,,the heat is down here, just not upstairs..if you stay we can get it up there for you, we just didn't see much sense in getting it if you live in a house somewhere else. look around , take it all in and i'll be waiting in the vehicle to take you to my house.

 

[Optimist2]

I nod as I look around the clinic, amazed at what I see. It is indeed beyond my wildest dreams. "If you can get some heating for the apartment, I will stay there. Until then, I will avail myself of your kind hospitality." I smile at her, as my eyes take in the clinic. When she goes out of the door to her vehicle, I wave and then walk around the clinic.

It is indeed not what I expected. I had not hoped for such a clinic. As things were, we would probably need to hire another receptionist and allow the nurse to do her job full time. I would discuss it with the major. Still, the town might have trouble affording the extra salary. We would have to see.

As I passed through town, I had seen notices up for the Fall Festival, a town event of some sort. I wondered what such a festival would look like in such a small town. Maybe there would be dancing and a potluck? Surely there weren't enough people to manage anything to extravagant.

I headed outside and climbed into the mayor's four wheel drive truck. As it was, I thought I could manage a snow mobile, but I was not looking forward to the prospect of driving a dog sled. That seemed like something straight out of a Disney movie.

 

[marla56]

disney movie indeed..i giggle knowing what that meant. the festival...well it starts off with a dog sledding race , 5 miles. then ends with a dance and meal..well the women make the meals and they are auctioned off ,,the meal and the woman who made it to the highest bidder at the dance..i have been in that auction since it's beginning and by the time they get to me,,everyone is taken 10 guys to11 females doesn't leave me any options..they would get the sauna and anything else that their heart desires. well lets head up to my cabin..it's one that you see on tv..log cabin with antler shandoliers hanging from the ceiling. john this used to be my dad's place..a hotel for hunters before he passed away and i got it in his will. as we enter the place , your in room 4,, the sauna is to the right before you get to your room. i sign you in..john the new doc in town..you don't have to sign..oh yes about the nurse,,we can afford her,,we just keep everything on the down low so that we keep that little town feel..

 

[Optimist2]

I think that she is quite attractive when she giggles, though she is probably five years older than I am. Her cabin in a wonder, from the stacked logs to the antler chandeliers. There are native American carpets on the floor and a huge fireplace which has obviously seen a lot of use.

"The festival sounds like fun. Maybe you'll get lucky this year. I think I just changed the demographics of this little town." I give her my best grin.

It takes me half an hour to unload my van and get everything into my new room. There is a wooden framed bed, with a crazy quilt and two big fluffy pillows. Most of what I have with me is clothing and books. Little else matters to me, except for my laptop computer, my Great Grandmother's family bible and my Grandfather's pocket watch. Despite the cold, I am sweating by the time I am done with the work.

 

[marla56]

i knock on the door..are you all settled in john?? you come to the door open it and invite me in .. you like the room,, i decided i wouldn't go to the dance this year,,it's been such a let down for me..i'm just going to turn on some music,, dance around in the halls and settle into the sauna while the rest of the town dances the night away. i'm in a tight blouse,,i have gaposis cause of my 38c's..tight jeans and fuzzy blue bunny slippers..i see you admiring the quilt..my great grandma made that ,,grandma did the pillows and i sit around looking pretty

 

[Optimist2]

"Oh come on. If you don't go to the dance, who will I dance with?"

I sit down on the bed and stretch my sore arms out. "So, what is there to do for fun around here? I expect to be pretty busy, but I am sure you don't have an opera house hidden somewhere."

I admire you out of the corner of my eye, thinking you look quite cute. My work will start in the morning, unless there is an emergency, but for now I have the evening off. My plan is to take a shower and turn in early, but I still wonder about the bar. It might be fun to visit.

 

[marla56]

ok i'll go to the dance,,but i'm not bringing any food, see what comes with the food is the girl and sex,,i guess i'm not pretty enuff for the guys in this town. fun things..well ...camping , fishing, at the bar there are video game competitions, with cash and food prizes. opera house ,,well that's the boarding house now..but there is a valley about a mile out that is a good place to sing,,we have competitions out there too, with the winners getting cash, dinner and hot spring prizes. yep there are hot springs around here,,but we just don't let people go there when they want..it's what feeds the sauna here at the old hotel. looking at you rubbing your arms i suggest "maybe you should take a trip to the sauna tonight, it will help those sore muscles of yours , then you will have a terrific day tomorrow.

 

[Optimist2]

"That sounds lovely, if you don't mind me using your sauna. Truth be told, I would not mind using it now. Would you mind?" He looked at her hopefully. He really was sore after his trip. He had eaten a quick dinner of peanut butter and jelly on the road. It was getting close to bed time anyway, and if he did not use the sauna soon, he was likely to fall asleep without having the chance.

 

[marla56]

i hear you go into the sauna. i come along shortly. i sit on the other side, across from you. i start talking. you know my grandfather built this from his own two hands and gave it to me in his will. he would tell me stories about how he would go visit the native americans in the area, go on dream searches with them in their hogans. the dreams would tell them to seek out friends to help them along. i lean across place my hand onto yours and ask you, do you need a friend?