Chapter 9( by FirstBorn60)
From under her concerned brow, Dr. Wiseman looked Amy up and down. She’d been increasingly uncomfortable with the secret she was forced to keep from Chloe because of the HIPPA laws. Amy had come to her as an adult and had a right to her privacy.
When she met her for the first time she recalled thinking what is the beautiful, blonde, vibrant, though somewhat sad young woman doing in my office? When Amy went on to explain Chloe’s condition and her concerns about the genetic component Dr. Wiseman knew why the last name sounded so familiar and could now guess why she was in the examining room.
On that first visit, Amy explained, “My mom has a rare genetic disorder that is attacking her lungs. Your uncle is working with her and trying to help her. I felt that I should get tested. Maybe I have it too. Or maybe I could be a match if someday she could get a transplant.” Dr. Wiseman complied with Amy’s request for testing and ordered all the necessary blood work. They scheduled a follow-up visit for 2 weeks later when Amy would be back from college again for a break.
Amy entered the waiting room on that day with trepidation and a sense of relief. She was, of course, scared, and nervous, but at the same time, she was glad the waiting and thinking and hand wringing could end. She signed in at the desk and sat in one of the vaguely comfortable waiting room chairs. Once, her name was called she considered bolting out the glass door and never coming back. Instead, she followed the nurse into an office and not an examining room. Dr. Wiseman came in, said hello and sat at the desk. Amy felt her leg twitching up and down as her foot was trying to expend her nervous energy as quickly as possible. She willed it to stop and made eye contact with the doctor.
Without opening her folder, and with her hands placed on top of it she looked Amy in the eye and told her the bad news.
“Amy, I’m so sorry to have to tell you this. Your tests came back positive for the genetic component of the same disorder as your mom,” said Dr. Wiseman. She instinctively rose from her seat and came around to console her, but in her typical stoic manner, Amy rebuffed her advances.
Now Dr. Wiseman was seeing her on a “check-in” basis. Amy was asymptomatic except these little pulse rate spikes. However, she was worried about her change in demeanor. She seemed withdrawn and depressed.
“Amy, how are you coping? I may be wrong, but you seem depressed. Do you have anyone to talk to about all of this?” the doctor asked.
She looked up from under the fringe of impossibly long lashes that framed her beautiful blue eyes. A slight grin tickled the corners of her mouth as she glanced off to the right not really seeing that empty corner of the office.
“Yes ma’am, I have someone to talk to. He understands exactly what I’m going through. He is a great friend and someone I can trust with everything. He will always keep my secrets. Harvey is the best. He will stick by me no matter what,” Amy told her.
With that, the appointment was over and Amy left. Of course, Dr. Wiseman couldn’t know she’d never see Amy again.
https://theprose.com/book/2114/the-third-patient-collaborative-writers