It’s the story of a bunch of old friends, who’ve mostly
known each other since high school – some a lot longer.
At this point, my ‘lab-name’ for a couple of the main
characters are Doc and Buck (I might change these to something less obvious ..
don’t know). Buck lives in Central
Oregon. During the summertime, he runs a
lodge on one of the Cascade Lakes (I’ll need to come up with a fictional
name). He’s cantankerous as hell, but
has a good heart. I haven’t decided
whether he is a drinker or a former drinker; if former, I have a cover story
for why he quit without actually admitting he was an alcoholic.
Doc and Buck were roommates in college. For a while after college, Doc lived in Bend,
but then returned to the Valley for grad school. He’s kind of vague about what he studied (and
if his name stays ‘Doc’, he’ll say he is some kind of researcher). Eventually, it will be revealed that he had
been an OB/Gyn, but this doesn’t come out until it is revealed by others).
I’m fleshing out some of the other characters. I want them to be fully formed, and really
haven’t been able to wrap my head around this enough yet.
One of the early scenes will be an annual camping trip,
where the guys all get together.
Afterward, Doc heads up to the lodge and stays for a while with
Buck. They talk about old times, old
stories, friends, politics, and superficialities. Doc gets to meet Buck’s best friend – a trout
that he catches and releases a few times a year. They mostly spend their days breathing the mountain
air, and taking in the views of the Cascades.
Doc heads out into the woods for a few days of backpacking, but smoke
from a nearby forest fire makes it prudent that he come back early. For a while in the woods, it looks like Doc
might be in real danger from the fire and the choking smoke, but that becomes
less a threat as he heads back closer to the lodge. He’s questioned by firefighters about where
he had been, and for how long – to see if he may have been part of the
problem. Of course, he wasn’t, but they
gather a lot of information about him before they’re done.
Doc tells Buck that
he’s thinking of moving back to Central Oregon; gonna get him a place a little
ways out of town, and settle into a somewhat solitary retirement.
The next phase is the move itself. Haven’t fleshed out much about the move. Doc asks the old gang to help him move –
typical reward being pizza and beer.
They all show up, but mostly stand around eating the pizza and drinking the
beer, while Doc, Buck, and a couple young guys from nearby houses do all the
moving.
There’s a bit of filler, as Doc experiences autumn in his
new home; the turning of the leaves of the few deciduous trees nearby, as well
as the larch needles, first snows in mid-October, then bright and sunny again,
then more in November. He gets into his
reading, as well as chopping wood, building his fire each day, and generally
getting acclimated.
The homesites where he lives are spaced at least a quarter
mile apart – close enough that you’re not entirely isolated, but far enough
apart to afford privacy. They are a mix
of infrequently-occupied second homes, retirees from elsewhere (who the locals
call MPAs – metropolitan piss-ants), and locals (generally referred to by the
first two groups with a banjo-playing pantomime). The all somewhat depend on one another, but
there are real differences, which keeps a distance between them. There’s also the issue of the growing crystal
meth problem among the locals, and the increasingly frequent break-ins at
unoccupied summer homes.
Deep in the following winter, there’s a huge snowstorm. There’s no getting in or out past the drifts;
too deep for 4x4s, and conditions would not lend themselves even to leaving on
a snowmobile – if there were anywhere to go anyway. Suddenly, there’s a knock at Doc’s door. It’s a
woman, who’s clearly been out in the elements for a long time – and without the
kind of clothing. Doc lets her in,
brings her over to the fire, then helps her get her wet coat off, so she can
get warm. He goes upstairs to get her
something warm to change into. When he
comes down, he notices that there is blood on her clothing, between her legs –
of a type that looks like it might be a miscarriage.
I don’t know exactly how to frame this next part. It’s
not a miscarriage, but a botched home-abortion.
And somehow, she knows that he’s not only a doctor, but a gynecologist.
I don’t know at all how to make the transition from here,
but here are some elements that form part of the setup for the rest of the
story:
·
The girl miscarries at Doc’s house in the woods
o
There was nothing Doc, or anybody else could
have done to prevent it.
o
The method the girl (or her boyfriend, or both)
used to try to abort the baby has left her unable to bear children in the
future
·
Abortion is no longer legal anywhere in the
United States
o
As part of his practice, Doc had performed
abortions in the past – when it was legal
§
This was never a part of his practice he
enjoyed, but which he did because he felt that he had to. In an era when this was less and less
available, he felt an obligation
§
This is related to why he quit practicing
medicine and retired.
·
I In the aftermath of the miscarriage, the girl
changes her story. She then says she had
gone to Doc’s place for help, and he had encouraged her to abort the baby. It’s a purely ludicrous story, but it gains
traction – first locally, then it spreads.
It ultimately becomes part of the 24/7 misinfotainment news cycle, and
Doc becomes a national villain – an unreformed abortionist, who has preyed upon
this innocent young girl.
So … not sure where to take the plot from here. But, as you mentioned a couple weeks ago … my
protagonist is in trouble.
