Waiting

Jessie's eyes flashed around the room. She crossed her legs, then uncrossed them. The noise of her shuffling earned her a stern look from the lady across from her, a grey head and thick glasses over a newspaper. Jessie put her hands on the armrests of her chair, preparing to stand up and ask the receptionist what on earth the holdup was, but then changed her mind. Why hadn't they called her yet? Her results should be back. It should be a quick appointment. The labwork was complicated, and she had been wating weeks for this moment. She was due back at work in fifteen minutes when they finally called her name.

"Jessica Brighton, the doctor will see you now."

Jessie stared at the nurse standing in the doorway for a moment before she recognized her own name. The doctor and another nurse were waiting for her in examination room 2. Negative lab results shouldn't require an examination, should they? Would they? Picking at the seam of her pants, Jessie stood rigid in examination room 2 and listened to her life change forever.