My Christmas Doctor

"Since y-yester-day eve-evening," I answered, wishing he would do something to help.

"Yes, they noted it as seven p.m.?" He looked at me and I nodded. "And taking your medication didn't relieve the pain?"

I shook my head.

"Well, I'm going to schedule you for a group of tests, and we'll see what's going on. Does that sound alright to you?"

I nodded again because it was easier than speaking.

Before he left me on my own again, he listened to my heart, noted something on my chart, checked my throat and eyes. "I'll be back in a little bit to check on you."

I barely nodded, I was feeling extremely fatigued.

The nurse returned and gave me another pain killer, but nothing seemed to help. They took some blood and said they were going to run some labs. An hour or more later, they moved me and my property to another bed, this one on wheels, and took me through a bunch of hallways to a more private exam room and did some cardiology tests. It seemed to go on and on and on. I had no idea what time it was. The medication wasn't doing a whole lot to ease the pain, but it was knocking me out for short periods of time. Dr. Chilikuri had been in and out, speaking with various staff members about me during all of this. From the cardiology testing another nurse, this one named Amy, took me on to some imaging machines that looked really expensive, where they x-rayed my chest and back, before taking me to an actual in-patient room. My eyes widened as she wheeled me into it.

"Wh-what… um, wh-why aren't we g-going b-back to the ER?" I was not only in pain right then, but also very drowsy. My eyes were drooping, well they had been, until I realized she was bringing me to an actual hospital room, and at that moment I was wide awake.

Amy maneuvered the bed into its rightful spot and locked the wheels. "Well, Dr. Chilikuri has decided you need to stay with us for a little while, and we need to call in a specialist. He's not sure what's going on with you as the tests have all been a bit inconclusive, but he has a hunch and wants the specialist to look at you." She moved over to the room's computer and began typing in information.

"Specialist?" I feared the cost of this would break me and I'd end up having to return to Akron and live in my parents' house. Another sharp stabbing of pain lit through my chest and I raised up off the bed with a cry.

Amy hurried back to my side. "Are you okay? What's the matter? Where does it hurt?"

"S-stab—" was all I could get out as I pressed my fingers to my chest.

She rubbed my back, soothingly. "Breath slowly, think calming thoughts… relax… Dr. Chilikuri thinks this might partially be stress related somehow. That's why we've got you in the intensive care unit. He wants Dr. Chase to look at you."

I took a slow breath in through my nose and closed my eyes. Could that be it? Could all this just be stress? If that was true, then why was I in intensive care? Wasn't that supposed to be for the people close to dying? Was I that close to death? Had all the stress of my break-up with Aaron, the move, dealing with my mother and her fears, and everything caused this? What was I supposed to do about that? Never take a call from my mother again? Find a less expensive place to live? Maybe there was a cardboard box I could rent on a street corner…

"I'm going to guess what brought this on was the imagined expense of the room and specialist? Am I right?" she asked quietly.

I didn't open my eyes, but I whispered, "Maybe."

"Well, you shouldn't worry about that right now. You have surprisingly good insurance, it will cover most of this, and the hospital will work with you on the rest… okay? So just relax… we're going to take exceptionally good care of you."

I nodded, but her words didn't really help. I was still worried.

Amy set up an IV and attached it to my left arm, taping it in place. "Now, I'm going to leave you to rest for a little bit, but before I go, do you want the tv on?"

I shook my head. "No."

"Alright, I'll just leave the remote right here in case you change your mind." She set the remote next to my hand on the bed. "Are you hungry? I could have them send up something light for you."

"No." The thought of food made me nauseous, but maybe that was still just the pain.

"Remember, think peaceful thoughts, and I'll be back to help Dr. Chase when he arrives."