Chapter 1

"Amanda! We're going to be late if you don't come down now," Lee called up the stairs. He was pacing the foyer waiting impatiently.

Dotty stood in the doorway, wiping her hands on a dish towel. "Lee, you know pacing isn't going to get her moving any faster. She'll be down when she's down," she reasoned.

Lee looked up at Dotty with a small smile, "I know…it's just this appointment is important and I would hate to be late."

"I thought this was just another follow up appointment?" Dotty questioned.

Lee stammered, "Well, it is…which is why it's so important, you know? I mean, we want to make sure everything is fine…and make sure that all the tests are fine… and…" He stopped when he heard the door at the top of the stairs close. "Amanda! You're ready. Good. Great. Okay, we can go now." He took a step closer to Dotty and kissed her cheek. "Thanks, Dotty!"

Amanda descended the stairs, wearing a light blue dress with a white blazer. "Amanda! That dress is adorable! Is it new?" Dotty commented.

"Um, yes Mother. I saw it in the store when I was exchanging Jamie's shirt," Amanda explained. She ran her hands down the lapels of the blazer, smoothing any wrinkles. "We have a meeting after this appointment so I thought this would be the right thing to wear," she added.

Lee offered her his hand to help her down the remaining steps before heading out the front door. "Dotty, you sure you don't mind picking the boys up this afternoon? This meeting might get a little long and if we get hung up at the doctor's office it may be even longer."

Dotty pushed him gently outside as she said, "I told you before, my grandsons are never a bother. Now, go!"

Amanda smiled weakly as she replied, "Thank you, Mother. I'll call you later." Together, Lee and Amanda walked to his car, where he opened the door for her. "I hate not telling her the truth," Amanda whispered just loud enough for him to hear as she sat down.

Lee jogged around to the driver's side and climbed in. "I know, I know, but we said until we had all the answers we weren't going to tell her. Dr. Johansen said after today's appointment-" Lee began.

"I know, I know. After today's appointment, we would know what our next steps are. I'm just nervous, you know," Amanda admitted.

Lee held her hand in his as he drove away and assured her, "I know. So am I." He brought her fingers to his lips and looked lovingly at her. They held hands tightly the rest of the ride to the hospital and Dr. Johansen's office. Lee pulled into a parking spot near the door but before exiting the car, he turned to face her and asked, "You ready?"

Amanda nodded, "As ready as I'm going to be. Let's go get this over with."

Several minutes later, after checking in with the nurse, Amanda sat with a stack of papers, answering question after question. "Why could they possibly need to know how my paternal great-great-grandfather died? Or how old I was when I had my first eye exam? Really, who makes up these questionnaires?" she muttered under her breath.

Lee chuckled and said, "How about this one? Have you been to any foreign countries where the individuals you've been in contact with have not been vaccinated in the last six months?"

"Seriously? How am I supposed to know that?" Amanda exclaimed with a roll of her eyes.

"Mrs. Stetson?" the nurse called from the open door.

"Right here," Amanda stated as she stood slowly. Lee bounced out of his seat and fell into step beside her.

The nurse glared at him and asked, "Who are you?"

Amanda looked at Lee then back at the nurse and explained, "He's my husband."

"And he's coming with you?" the stern looking nurse demanded.

"Hell, yes, I'm going with her!" Lee exclaimed loudly. He was quickly becoming annoyed by the nurse's attitude.

The nurse took one look at him, smiled and stated, "We just like to verify no one is entering under duress. You understand that, don't you?"

Lee shook his head, "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Can you show us where to go, please?"

"First we need to take your vitals, Mrs. Stetson, so if you wouldn't mind stepping here," the nurse indicated a small triage area. There she took Amanda's blood pressure, drew several small vials of blood, weighed her and checked her height as well. "Now, if you'll follow me to the exam room, I'll have you get changed before the procedure."

"Procedure? Is that what they call this?" Lee muttered beside Amanda as they followed the nurse. He was rewarded with a swift backhand to his stomach. He simply side-eyed Amanda, the muscle in his cheek twitching nervously.

The nurse held her hand to the side, indicating the room they were to enter. Once inside, she handed Amanda a flowered blue johnny, stating, "Take everything off, put this on."

"What about…" Amanda started to ask but the nurse abruptly cut her off again, "Everything off, the johnny on. It ties on the side. The technician will be in, in a few minutes." She left the room just as abruptly, closing the door behind her.

Lee stood awkwardly to the side, looking around the room at the strange machines beside the exam table. "I can turn my back," he exhaled nervously.

Amanda rolled her eyes and laughed, "Yes, Sweetheart, because you've never seen me get undressed before. But if it would make you feel better I can pull the curtain."

"No… I mean… I know I've seen you… but, this just feels… different," Lee stammered. He blew out one more breath before saying, "It's fine. I'll sit in that chair until the doctor comes in."

Amanda watched him sit, nervously bouncing one leg as she took off the blazer before handing it to him. He turned and draped it over the chair behind him as she removed her dress, bra, and panties before tugging the johnny around her thin frame. She knotted the ties loosely before folding everything and handing it to Lee who placed the neat pile on the window sill. He reached out and took her hand, pulling her fingers to his lips once more.

"Amanda, whatever we find out today, remember, I love you," Lee whispered against her fingers.

She leaned forward, pressing her lips to his forehead. Lee released her hand before sliding his arms around her hips in an attempt to pull her closer. "Sweetheart, everything is going to be fine," she tried to assure him.

He looked up at her, his hazel eyes a dark green color, his pupils almost fully dilated in the dim light of the room. "What if it's not? Amanda, I can't lose…" his voice failed him as tears filled his eyes.

Amanda blinked back tears of her own as she whispered, "We're going to be fine. You have to believe that."

Lee buried his face against her midsection as he admitted, "I just hate doctors. I hate hospitals. The last time you were in a hospital there was a machine similar to that one in the room and I…" He choked on the memory of her in the hospital in California, the room filled with strange machines and devices.

"Lee, this is not California. I'm okay, we're going to be okay. I promise you. Everything is going to work out just fine," Amanda assured him as she patted his head and ran her fingers down his hair.

At that point, they heard a soft knock on the door and a young man, approximately thirty years old, wearing small wire-rimmed glasses and a white lab coat stepped into the room. "I'm Dr. Shannon, I'll be doing your exam today before Dr. Johansen joins us," he introduced himself.

Amanda reached out and shook his hand as Lee quickly composed himself and stood. "I'm Amanda Stetson, this is my husband, Lee."

"Hello, sir. It's nice to meet you both." Dr. Shannon gestured to the exam table and explained, "So the way this is going to work, is we will take a few pictures, take some measurements. Make sure everything looks good. Dr. Johansen will come in, review everything and answer any questions you may have."

Amanda nodded in understanding as Lee sank into the chair beside her. He unconsciously reached for her hand as she lay back.

"I'm just going to untie these two ties and we will begin," Dr. Shannon stated and reached for the middle two ties on Amanda's johnny.