Doc was watching a soccer game on TV when the phone rang. As is his habit, he almost let it ring. When he answered the phone, he was surprised to hear Eline’s voice. He had met Eline about six months ago while attending a jazz festival in the Netherlands. When she had dropped Doc off at the airport for his return flight back to San Francisco, she had told him that she fully intended to visit him at his home. At the time he thought it would just be conversation and nothing would come of it, but she was calling to ask for a ride from the airport. It was a very typical rainy and foggy San Francisco evening as Doc headed south on Highway 101 to the airport. When he left the house, his dog had been waiting for his evening walk, so he was making a lot of noise. He thought to himself that the dog would just have to wait to be walked this day.
As Doc slowed down near the KLM terminal, he saw Eline sitting on a suitcase waiting. His mind went back to the time they had spent together a few months earlier, and it was a very fond memory. As he pulled over, their eyes met and without speaking, they both knew they were happy to see each other again. doc didn’t trust anyone, but he trusted her. He just instinctively knew he could. The two of them actually liked each other, were friends. This is something that has rarely happened in years.
However, this trust creates problems for Doc. He doesn’t trust anyone, but she is able to stand on the other side of that big wall he has. This was a problem because he didn’t want the wall to come down and he didn’t want to care about anyone. Or have them care about him. She was too close and he felt something he didn’t want to feel. He knew he had to walk away.
There were many reasons why Doc was the way he was. As a child, he experienced the House of Horrors. He lived in a house where the monsters were the ones who were supposed to love and care for him. He experienced the exact opposite, so he wouldn’t let anyone near him. He lived on the streets for several years, which taught him not to trust anyone, even his family. As a young Marine, the things he saw and heard and did made him realize how vile and heartless humans can be. His view of humanity was not complementary by any means. If a person can understand how his experiences have shaped him, then a person may understand why he is the way he is.
The doctor bought her a ticket back to Amsterdam and told her it wouldn’t work. Doc walked away without giving her much of an explanation. Years later, Doc realized that he had made a very serious mistake. He missed her, and his feelings for her never went away. It was torture to know that he was walking away from someone who truly understood and cared about him.
Ten years later, Doc travels to Amsterdam in search of her. He finds her living in a village in France. She is happy to see him, but the damage has been done and cannot be repaired. Doc returns home and realizes that he will never see her again. It is said that time heals everything. That may be so. However, Doc will have a lasting scar that he will never be able to erase.