A.N: I'm sorry for the waiting. I've been very bussy lately and having trouble beating the white page. I know this chapter is really short, and isn't very good, but I don't want to rush the story, and this was the best way to shape what I had in mind. I promiss next chapters will be far more interesting.
Dr. Stevenson had been Maura's doctor for over fifteen years; he knew her well. Maura always went to see him twice a year, to do the usual checkup; but never asked for another appointment during the year. Not once in all this time, so he knew that something had to be wrong with her.
That morning Maura came in looking as put together as she always did. Her green dress and stiletto shoes helped her masking the tension in her. Sitting in the waiting room of the doctor's office was making her anxious and suddenly she found herself wishing that Jane was there to hold her hand. "I should have told her" she thought. Regretting that she hadn't, she took her phone out of her purse.
Maura unlocked it, and dialed Jane's number. As she waited for her wife to pick up, Dr. Stevenson came out of his office "Miss Isles, Come in please" he said as he gesture her inside with his hand. She hung up and got up.
"Hello doctor" Maura said as she shook his hand. She knew that he could feel the sweating in her hand.
"Hello. How's the family?" he asked as he sat down the desk. He thought that some small talk would help Maura relax a little.
"They're fine." She looked at her ring and a little smile came out of her lips. "Jane is at work and Valentino at school. Thanks for asking."
"Well, I'm glad to hear that. Now, can you tell me what made you come today?" His voice now sounding more serious than before.
"I came here because I've been having trouble with my memory lately." she was serious now as well. Her tension had disappeared, and her cold mask was on. It seem like she was detaching from this talk, like it was someone else she was talking about.
"Oh" the doctor exclaimed surprised "and how's that?"
"Well, two weeks ago I forgot the word coagulation while I was at work but then it came back. But that same day, I was talking with my mother-in-law about a puzzle that I apparently bought for my son, but I don't remember doing it."
"I see. And apart from that did you experience any other unusual symptom?" the doctor asked as he typed this into Maura's medical record.
"I have been suffering from insomnia this last weeks." She paused as she tried to remember any other unusual symptom. "But only that." she added finally.
"And have you been having your period as usual?" he asked her lifting his eyes from the keyboard.
"Yes, as usual; last one was 3 weeks ago. Regular in date, with the usual flow and duration. Do you think that it may be related to my menstrual cycle?"
"Look" he said as he crossed his arms over the desk "you know that this could be related to hundreds of things, so I think that the best way to approach this is going from the simpler answers to the more complex ones."
"Yes, I agree with that." Maura said as she leaned more into the chair she was sitting in "So would be the next course of action then?"
"I would like to discard that this may be caused by perimenopause. Your memory loss and insomnia are common symptoms for this, and your age fits the criteria for a diagnosis. I know that you hadn't any issues with your last periods but this could be the begging of perimenopause. "
Maura completely understood what Dr. Stevenson was saying, but she wasn't convinced by his words. She didn't usually trusted her intuitions over the medical and scientific facts; she could feel that what was happening to her was something more serious that menopause coming.
"So how do you confirm this diagnosis?" she asked, already knowing the answer.
"I'd like to do blood tests to check your estrogen and hormones levels. It would be better to do several ones during the week so we can compare the results, and have a more secure answer." He finished his sentence as he wrote the same down in a paper that he handed to Maura once he was done. "Ok?" he asked kindly.
"Yes, doctor." She replayed as she got up.
"So that's all." Dr. Stevenson got up and followed Maura to the office's door. "I'll see you in a week." They shook hands, and she got out.
The cold air hit Maura's face as she stepped outside the Mass General, but she liked it. It made her feel grounded. With her hands in her pockets she walked to her car.
Once she was inside it, she took her phone out of her purse. The blond took her phone out of her purse and hit the first number in her quick dial.
After some tones, Jane picked up. "Hey, Maur" She sounded happy, as she always did when she took Maura's calls
"Hey" she replayed letting a sigh out. Hearing Jane helped her loose some of the tension that was in her.
"Where are you?" Jane asked her wife.
"I'm in the Mass General" the M.E. replayed. "Don't worry, I'm fine." She added, before her wife worried.
"Is everything ok, sweetie?" the answer carried evident concern. "Is Tino ok?
"Yes, Jane. Everything is ok." She knew that that wasn't entirely true. "Could we meet for lunch? Maura added.
"Sure. Want me to pick you up somewhere?" Jane asked, still a bit worried.
"No, it's ok." She paused. "Let's meet at the Dirty Robber."
"Ok. Love ya" Jane replayed and the call was finished.