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Dr. Josh Madden sat on the exam table in his blue scrubs, absentmindedly swinging his legs. He was tired from his 48-hour shift and just wanted to go to his apartment, take a long hot shower, and sleep until his shift.
But first, he had to get through this appointment.
The door opened and Dr. Joe Martin came in dressed in his white lab coat, shirt, and tie. He carried a chart in his hands and wore that soft, gentle smile Josh had become quite familiar with over the last several months.
"Hello, Josh," Joe greeted. "How are you?"
"I'm good," Josh replied, a small yawn escaping. "Tired, but good."
Joe frowned slightly, taking a seat on the stool beside the table.
"Sorry about such a long shift."
"It's okay," Josh told him. "I don't mind staying."
The smile returned.
"Well, I'm glad to know I have one devoted member of my staff," Joe looked down at the chart. "So, how have you been feeling since our last appointment."
Josh thought for a moment, wishing he had x-ray vision so he could see what was written.
"There hasn't really been much of a change," Josh said. "I'm still achy and have a bit of a cough. It hasn't gotten any worse, though."
Joe looked at the chart as Josh sucked in his breath.
"Your blood work shows that your counts have dipped a little," Joe said, concern in his eyes.
"Do you think it could just be stress from the last few months?" Josh asked, hoping his desperation wasn't so obvious.
In a span of four months, his dad had died, he found out Dr. Jeff Martin and Erica Kane were his biological parents, that Erica tried to abort him, sat through his dead dad's murder trial, and had been wrongly accused of statutory rape. He knew it was unlikely, but he had to ask anyway.
"No, I don't think so," Joe said sadly. "Your body isn't responding to your protocol. Now, it may not be your actual medications. It may just be your dosages, so I want to up them. Now, I'm going to warn you, you'll feel worse before you feel better. Most likely, you'll experience an increase in your aches, as well as nausea, vomiting, and headaches. Any questions?"
"How bad?" Josh asked a low whisper.
"You'll probably feel like you have a mild case of the flu, and, even though I'd prefer it if you would stay off your feet, you should be able to still work if you're feeling up to it."
Joe put his hand on Josh's knee and squeezed it.
"This isn't a full blown rejection. Many people with HIV have dips, and bounce right back without having to be put on a new cocktail. You've gone five years since your contraction without one, so the odds are in your favor. You're going to be okay."
Josh gave him a very faint smile. "Thank you for everything, Joe. I don't know what I would do without you."
"It's no trouble at all, and I'm so glad to be here for you." Joe paused. "Have you considered telling Jeff and Erica?"
Josh shook his head and looked down at his lap.
"I just can't bring myself to do it to them. We just found each other. I don't want to tell them that…"
Josh let his voice trail off.
"Don't worry," Joe said softly. "You'll tell them when you're ready. Now, here is your prescription. Go home and rest."
Josh accepted the paper and got down off the table.
"Thank you, Joe. Really, I mean it."
Joe offered him a smile and Josh felt himself being able to let out the breath he didn't know he was holding.