Part I: Doogie's Education
Doogie frowned as he slid into the passenger seat of his mother's white Lexus sedan. "What a bummer," he grumbled. "I'm allowed to prescribe drugs, perform surgery, and make life and death decisions but my mother has to drive me to work."
"I know dear," Katherine O'Brien Howser said to her son. "But now that you're eighteen your father will let you get your license. That is if you can pass the test," she laughed.
"Very funny," he said as she started the car and backed out of the driveway.
Doogie and his father David Howser both were highly respected physicians at City Hospital but almost never worked the same shift so for nearly a year Katherine provided Doogie with daily taxi service to and from the hospital. Everyday was pretty much the same. She would fix his breakfast at 6:30, drop him off at the hospital at 8:00, pick him up at 6:00 and feed him dinner at 7:00. David on the other hand worked an almost opposite schedule. His shift ran from 6:00 pm until 3:00 am and as chief of staff he was required to spend considerable time consulting with other physicians, administrators, and attorneys. As a result the Howser family rarely got to spend any quality time together and almost never shared a meal. Katherine was troubled and concerned. She felt it was important for a family to at least eat together and attend church together. They had been a very close family and she hated to see them separated because of Doogie's career.
Being the mother of an 18 year old genius was not all that easy. Doogie was a brilliant physician but he also had the emotions and desires of any other red-blooded 18 year old. Sometimes Katherine wondered if it was really fair for someone so smart to be allowed to advance at such a rapid pace. It seemed as though Doogie had missed out on most of his childhood and had been treated as an adult for most of his life.
"Oh well," she thought, "This is what he always wanted and he seemed to handle things very well so make the most of it."
Katherine smiled to herself as she looked at her son in his starched white oxford shirt; blue jeans; and white sneakers. Although his dress was a little eccentric for a doctor, the hospital staff accepted his youthful ways and respected him for his knowledge and professionalism. Several of the female staff members were particularly fond of him and made every effort to tease him to the point of embarrassment but when Dr. Doogie Howser practiced medicine he was very focused and oblivious to female advances and open flirtation.
"What sounds good for dinner tonight Doogie," asked Katherine as they approached the hospital's physician parking lot where she would drop Doogie off .
"Oh, I don't really care mom, anything is fine with me. Everything you make is great," he replied. Katherine beamed knowing that her cooking pleased him so much, but she was also aware that an 18 year old boy would eat a rotting elephant after a long day of work. Just the same it pleased her to know that she was appreciated and loved. "Well, here we are," she said as she pulled the luxury sedan to the front of the physician's entrance and stopped. "Have a great day sweetie," Katherine leaned toward him to give him her typical kiss on the cheek and send him off, but just as her lips approached his cheek a loud noise from the parking lot startled him and his head turned quickly, causing his lips to meet his mother's head on. Both of them were so surprised and startled that instead of stopping, their lips remained locked for a short period of time.
"Oh, oh ," Katherine was the first to speak, "I wonder what all the racket is?" Doogie seemed in shock. The only person he had ever kissed on the lips was his girl friend, Wanda and that was very rare. Now he had just kissed his mother and although it was an accident, he had enjoyed the feel of it and that really confused him.
"Jeez, I don't know but it sure was loud." His face reddened and he reached for the door handle and quickly exited.
"See you tonight sweetie," Katherine said as he closed the door behind him.
Katherine smiled as she watched Doogie walk up the steps and enter through the double glass doors. He had really been embarrassed by the accidental kiss and she probably should also have been, but she felt something else. Something like a combination of excitement and guilt. She knew that both of them could have stopped the kiss sooner and she assumed that Doogie enjoyed it at least as much as she did or he would have exhibited disgust or anger.
Katherine wondered about Doogie's sexuality. She was pretty sure that, in spite of all his education and medical training, he was very naive about girls and sex. His girlfriend, Wanda was a beautiful young girl but seemed very conservative and besides they had very little time together. Doogie had been in college while she was still in junior high and now he was a practicing physician while she was in her third year of high school. "No," Katherine thought, "He hasn't experienced it yet, but then he was only a boy."
David, on the other hand was a grown man and a very attentive lover. They had tried nearly every sexual activity known to man and experienced a very fulfilling sex life. Their friends and neighbors would never dream that the typical, all American couple had such an imaginative private life.
Katherine wasn't the typical doctor's wife. She didn't spend her time working for charities or hanging around the country club drinking gin and gossiping with the other members. She spent her time taking care of her family and their home. She took good care of herself, dressed nice, and enjoyed a very fulfilling life.
"What a rotten day," Doogie thought. He couldn't get his mind off of what happened that morning. He knew his mother must think he was a monster or at least a dirty little boy. Why had he kept kissing her? He could have stopped. But then again she could have stopped also. "How will I ever face her tonight," he thought? "Will she even come to pick me up? Will she call Dad and tell him? Damn it, Damn it, Damn it. I'm a dead man. Wait, maybe she didn't notice. I bet she didn't think anything about it."
Katherine had a similar day. "Why did I continue the kiss," she thought?, Doogie probably wonders what kind of mother I am." But then again, he could have stopped it. It's not like I forced him. Oh well, he probably didn't think anything about it. I shouldn't worry. It's not like it will ever happen again. After all it was an accident."
Shopping was always a good method of helping her forget her problems so instead of wallowing in pity she set off for the city's largest mall and returned home with a stack of boxes from various high end stores.
Katherine slipped into the hot bubble bath and let her mind go blank as her body began to relax and soak up the warmth. The day's shopping had done wonders for her outlook and she no longer was concerned about the morning's incident. All that mattered now was to get ready to pick Doogie up from the hospital, fix their dinner, and enjoy the evening.