So it came to pass Michael Cullen accepted his friends offer and the two formed a partnership, with Michael running the clinic, and Azir filling all the prescriptions in the pharmacy next door. Everything went well with their business venture, Michael grew accustomed to working closely with his patients. It felt good to know he no longer, literally, had their lives in his hands. Treating, colds, flu, strep, pneumonia, hypertension, diabetes, etc... was far easier to do then sedate a 300lb man, or a 30lb little girl, where the outcome of an incorrect dosage would, and had, resulted in eight of his patients ultimate demise.
So it was Michael got up early every morning to be at the clinic by 7:00 a.m., and he had grown accustom to the south side of Chicago and her people. Whom he found to have hearts as big as their smiles and it did the young doctor's heart good to know the fine people of the neighboring communities. Michael delighted in the laughter and the bright eyes of the little children, so full of wonder playing with his stethoscope and pen light, telling him they wanted to be a doctor someday, MIchael fell in love with the old, refined, dignified, African American ladies who would bring him by a nice home made cake, or pie every now and again, always trying to convince him he should "marry soon and start a family", they would always say, 'find yourself a girl and settle down'. As for the violence and crime Michael had come to associate with city's southern half, it was true, but no so terrifying as the local media had made it out to be. Azir and Michael were pretty much left alone to tend to their business in the daytime hours, for you see, gang bangers may not catch a bullet, but you know they can catch the flu! So the nefarious types and malingerers minded their own business, leaving Azir and Michael to run theirs in peace. However, just as a precaution, Azir always, without fail, let his two giant, pit bull mastiffs out to run loose in the pharmacy at night, to protect the drugs, for as every 9th grader knows, prescription drugs are worth a lot of money.
Months went by, Summer came and went, Fall whirled by in an instant bringing in Winter and the cold and the snow. It was a very mild winter that year, nothing like the blizzard that hit in December '78 and didn't let up until February '79, leaving behind 897 inches of snow, burying the city for weeks. Not this year however, and the citizens of Chicago breathed a sigh relief when Spring returned once again with the birds, the radiant sunshine and bright green leaves and fresh blossoms on the trees. It was the middle of March when Azir decided to close the clinic and pharmacy down so each man could relax and go on a four day vacation. Michael needed a break and he had become very lonely working such long hours, seeing patients all day, he never found the time to go and play. So Michael went home and slept his vacation away, only venturing out one night, but that ended in disaster when the girl he had brought home for a 'roll in the hay' had stolen his watch as she made her way out of his apartment, while Michael had passed out from too much whiskey and too much sex. So he stayed home after that.
Azir, however, spent the next four days on the sunny, warm shores of Miami, baking his skin in the sun, with two of his favorite girlfriends. He had told/lied to his wife saying he was attending a Pharmaceutical Manufactures conference at the Fountain Bleu, 'and no', he informed her, 'wives were not invited'. You should note Azir had three of the key ingredients to a successful marriage, Unity, Respect,and Honor, but these were all useless to him with out Loyalty. So his marriage suffered a little, but his wife still had a big house, expensive cars, fine clothes, furs, jewels, schools for their children. So it was difficult for Azir to even see there was a problem with his marriage. It seemed soaking up the sun on the white sandy beaches of Florida, surrounded by the bright blue ocean, and two beautiful blonds, helped to push these thoughts far to the back of his mind. Three days were spent in fun and pleasure together, much food and wine and flesh, of all kinds, were enjoyed and consumed, and it was not until the second day when Azir happened to come upon a clever scheme a local pharmacist had going on at his corner shop. Now after learning more over drinks poolside with this 'local man' Azir thought he might take his idea back up to Chicago and make some serious big time money by changing the family clinic, to a pain clinic, and start up his own 'Prescription Mill'.
So it was Michael got up early every morning to be at the clinic by 7:00 a.m., and he had grown accustom to the south side of Chicago and her people. Whom he found to have hearts as big as their smiles and it did the young doctor's heart good to know the fine people of the neighboring communities. Michael delighted in the laughter and the bright eyes of the little children, so full of wonder playing with his stethoscope and pen light, telling him they wanted to be a doctor someday, MIchael fell in love with the old, refined, dignified, African American ladies who would bring him by a nice home made cake, or pie every now and again, always trying to convince him he should "marry soon and start a family", they would always say, 'find yourself a girl and settle down'. As for the violence and crime Michael had come to associate with city's southern half, it was true, but no so terrifying as the local media had made it out to be. Azir and Michael were pretty much left alone to tend to their business in the daytime hours, for you see, gang bangers may not catch a bullet, but you know they can catch the flu! So the nefarious types and malingerers minded their own business, leaving Azir and Michael to run theirs in peace. However, just as a precaution, Azir always, without fail, let his two giant, pit bull mastiffs out to run loose in the pharmacy at night, to protect the drugs, for as every 9th grader knows, prescription drugs are worth a lot of money.
Months went by, Summer came and went, Fall whirled by in an instant bringing in Winter and the cold and the snow. It was a very mild winter that year, nothing like the blizzard that hit in December '78 and didn't let up until February '79, leaving behind 897 inches of snow, burying the city for weeks. Not this year however, and the citizens of Chicago breathed a sigh relief when Spring returned once again with the birds, the radiant sunshine and bright green leaves and fresh blossoms on the trees. It was the middle of March when Azir decided to close the clinic and pharmacy down so each man could relax and go on a four day vacation. Michael needed a break and he had become very lonely working such long hours, seeing patients all day, he never found the time to go and play. So Michael went home and slept his vacation away, only venturing out one night, but that ended in disaster when the girl he had brought home for a 'roll in the hay' had stolen his watch as she made her way out of his apartment, while Michael had passed out from too much whiskey and too much sex. So he stayed home after that.
Azir, however, spent the next four days on the sunny, warm shores of Miami, baking his skin in the sun, with two of his favorite girlfriends. He had told/lied to his wife saying he was attending a Pharmaceutical Manufactures conference at the Fountain Bleu, 'and no', he informed her, 'wives were not invited'. You should note Azir had three of the key ingredients to a successful marriage, Unity, Respect,and Honor, but these were all useless to him with out Loyalty. So his marriage suffered a little, but his wife still had a big house, expensive cars, fine clothes, furs, jewels, schools for their children. So it was difficult for Azir to even see there was a problem with his marriage. It seemed soaking up the sun on the white sandy beaches of Florida, surrounded by the bright blue ocean, and two beautiful blonds, helped to push these thoughts far to the back of his mind. Three days were spent in fun and pleasure together, much food and wine and flesh, of all kinds, were enjoyed and consumed, and it was not until the second day when Azir happened to come upon a clever scheme a local pharmacist had going on at his corner shop. Now after learning more over drinks poolside with this 'local man' Azir thought he might take his idea back up to Chicago and make some serious big time money by changing the family clinic, to a pain clinic, and start up his own 'Prescription Mill'.
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