Chapter 45:
Kate was still in the floor when the doctor (Dr. Opal Rines) appeared at the door of apartment 4A. As Sheldon answered it, he still wore his mask and gloves, looking at the doctor over the yellow muffling preventative. The doctor gave him a look.
"What are you doing with that on?" Dr. Rines inquired.
"The flu is contagious," Sheldon stated. "Must more be said?"
Opal Rines was Kate's doctor, but also a friend; Kate had referred to her by a first name basis rather than the title, so it was no surprise for her to see Kate's roommate (and alleged boyfriend) with precautionary usages. The mask was a little more than was needed but Opal heard he was germaphobic. Hosting a roommate with the signs and symptoms of the flu was practical to wear gloves and a mask.
Opal entered, wearing a stethoscope and carrying a briefcase. She was a medium-sized black woman with a bun in her hair, soft brown eyes, and delicate features.
"Where is she?" asked Opal, glancing around. She raised an eyebrow at the Star Trek episode that was paused, and the batman blanket on the couch. Nerds, she thought; then again, Opal was a friend of one.
"In the bathroom," Sheldon said.
"You've contained her?" Opal responded incredulously.
"She's done that without my suggestion," Sheldon replied. "That, and accompanied by ten-minute intervals of vomiting has kept her sitting in front of the toilet for a long period of given time. I speculate it is her lack of consumption, which I strongly suggested; that was until her violent outburst, which from then she stood and fell, given the pain that no doubt increased as she stepped on her swollen ankle."
"Her ankle?" repeated Opal.
"She sprained it on the job; I doubt it was standing for a long period of time that enabled the sprain; she stated that she was running from the beginning to end of shift," Sheldon reported.
They walked to the bathroom, at which time, Opal asked him a question.
"How long are her shifts?"
"Kate's a workaholic, as one would suggest; she spends hours given anytime from 8 hours to 20," Sheldon said. "She's reported that there were two consecutive surgeries in which she opened two patients and they gave her no attention as she explained to them in post-surgery of how they may prevent the same situation from happening."
Opal nodded, understanding.
"That is frequently the result," Opal said. They stood in front of the door.
"Kate?" Opal said gently. To this, Kate's familiar sound of vomiting could be heard through the door. Sheldon frowned.
"Dr. Rines is here," said Opal, calling through the door. Sheldon twitched slightly.
"Dr. Rines, I know it's customary for a medical doctor to respect the privacy of a given patient, but I have a deep dislike for talking through the bathroom door, an action that can be punished by a strike," said Sheldon curtly. He opened the bathroom door.
"A strike?" repeated Opal.
Sheldon then explained to her about the strike against his rules, and Opal only shook her head, wondering how Kate could put up with this guy. The two gazed down as Kate finished, her body shaking. The doctor noticed her paleness, crying, sweating, and general lack of health.
"Oh, dear," Opal sympathized. She was close to Kate's age, perhaps older; as she lowered herself next to Kate, Sheldon took the sidelines.
Kate looked at Opal; she looked as though she'd seen a ghost.
"What's wrong, aside from your flu? You look afraid," Opal said, her eyes searching hers.
"I don't like vomiting," said Kate. "It's a phobia. I don't like it. It's unnatural, and I don't like it."
Opal nodded. She understood. She took Kate's shoulders and stood her up; Kate immediately limped off her ankle. When Kate's weight overpowered Opal's, Sheldon winced and took Kate's other arm; he was thankful for his mask and gloves.
"Let's get her to bed," Opal said.
The two hobbled Kate down the hallway and into her bedroom. They laid her down under the covers, moving the Batman decorated comforter on top of her body. Opal glanced around her friend's room, seeing the obsession between her, Batman, the Joker, and her admiration of Harley Quinn and Catwoman. It was kind of spooky, but it wasn't affecting Sheldon at all. Opal speculated that her interest in the superheroes and supervillains was what attracted the two of them in the first place.
"Kate," said Opal gently.
"What," Kate moaned.
"You're sick, I understand. And the diagnosis is easily the flu. However, I must take your vital signs to have a record of them, is that alright?"
Kate nodded wordlessly.
Sheldon watched Opal take out her thermometer, wipe it clean with an alcohol swab, and then place it in Kate's mouth. Afterwards, she took off her stethoscope, wiped it down also with an alcohol pad, and placed it against Kate's chest; Sheldon noticed Kate's soft gasp and small flinch when the no doubt cold surface touched her skin.
Concerned, Sheldon stepped forward.
"What can I do?" Sheldon offered.
Opal turned to him.
"Kate may need a cold washcloth placed on her head; it will reduce the fever at least by a small amount, but of course, anything is better than nothing."
Sheldon nodded wordlessly and quickly left the room. To Opal, it was a sweet gesture but Kate knew this was simply a diversion to leave her so he could flee to a cleaner part of the apartment. She knew this because it took him a good twenty minutes to get a simple wet washcloth.
By the time he arrived, Opal had already taken her blood pressure, temperature, heart rate, respirations, and handed her the already-prescribed and delivered medications needed for healing. Sheldon handed Opal the washcloth, to which she placed on Kate's forehead, brushing the matted hair from her face to the pillow underneath.
"This will be hard to do," said Opal. "But you must stay under the covers and wait for the fever to break. I've prescribed a dosage of antibiotics that will break down the pathogens in your body gradually. The other bottle contains a healthy dose of supplemental nourishment and Vitamin C to aid your immunity." Opal placed the bottles on her bedside table. She looked at Kate. "According to your roommate, you've been working constantly. The illness is caused by lack of restful sleep, which has lowered your immunity levels. Having supplemental rest will be good for you."
Kate looked at her indifferently.
"But, Opal, I'm scheduled for a surgery tomorrow."
"Is it yours?"
"No, a patient's."
"Then you will call in sick and take sick leave for two weeks," said Opal.
"But…"
"If you don't rest, Kate, your flu will get worse and it'll become pneumonia." Opal chastised. "I know you're dedicated to your work but on a contrary to what you believe, there is such a thing as overworking. You have done that."
Kate sat up.
"The surgery can only be performed by me; I was personally requested," said Kate coldly.
Sheldon stood beside Opal and said, "As that may be, you're sick and you need to get better before you performed a detailed operation. As my mother always says when I'm being stubborn, 'Not everything revolves around you, Shelly'."
Opal gave him a weird expression and looked at Kate.
"He's right," Opal said.
Sheldon looked at the doctor and said, "Of course I'm right."
Kate shook her head at the two.
"I'm not staying home," said Kate coldly. "I have a surgery to do. They depend on me. My patients need me. I'm going to—" she began to get out of bed but Opal took her feet and moved them back on the mattress.
"Your patients have taken a lot of your compassion and dedication, Kate. Now it's their turn," Opal chastised. "It's this kind of attitude that gives people burnouts and the hours you've been putting in are absolutely ridiculous."
Sheldon crossed his arms; he didn't care for Opal's criticism towards Kate's determination. Her dedication to her work, the hours she regularly put into it, was more than admirable. It was one of the traits she possessed he could definitely tolerate.
Kate seemed to find reason and she laid back in bed.
"Fine," she spat. "Fine, I will stay."
"Promise?" Opal returned.
"Yes."
"Good," said Opal. "Your temperature is 101.9. Any higher and you will be at risk for infection and death. I hope you hear me, Kate; I've given these precautions to many of my patients and they end up with pneumonia for lack of understanding or attention."
"I know what you're talking about, Opal; you don't have to tell me that," said Kate angrily.
Opal shook her head and said to Kate, "I'm just helping you, dear."
"I know." Kate muttered. She shook her head. "This illness is really taking a handle over me."
"Don't let it," Opal said.
"Easier said than done," Kate remarked. She closed her eyes.
Sheldon walked out of the bedroom as Opal did and the two met in the living room. Sheldon undid his mask and disposed his gloves.
"You have an extreme aberration towards germs, don't you?" asked Opal, placing her stethoscope around her neck and the thermometer in her briefcase.
"Extremely," Sheldon said.
"Does Kate have it?"
"Have what?"
"The aberration?"
"I would think so," Sheldon remarked. He shrugged and said, "She is a strong advocate of my preventative measures in reducing pathogenic presences."
"Ever thought she does it please you?" Opal asked.
"I've considered the idea," Sheldon confirmed. "However, I'm a strong advocate of it as well and since we've agreed on it, it's easy to say we both do it to protect our immunity systems from conspiring germs such as those that have violated Kate's system. It's a battle we all must endure."
Opal stared at Sheldon, saying, "You didn't have many friends in school, did you?"
"Coincidental," Sheldon stated. "Most of them were illogically under the impression they hated me but they were too stupid to figure out the reason why. I never cared for the matter myself because I was too busy in college."
Opal nodded, knowing the man in front of her was a prodigy, so she didn't beg further into the matter. She handed Sheldon the prescriptions in case they needed to be refilled, as well as a paper of the meals Kate was allowed to have which held the most nutrition.
"I have a question," said Sheldon.
"What is it?" Opal asked, as she reached for the door knob.
"In the past week while Kate's been under the influence of infesting microorganisms, she lately been latent to what one of my friends suggest are bi-polar symptoms. My concern is obvious of course but I wondered if she isn't a stranger to it," said Sheldon.
Opal gave him a concerned look as well.
"Bi-polar symptoms? What do you mean?"
"Well, I'm not psychiatric expert; that's Leonard's mother's field of expertise but Kate occasionally has a bout of short tempers and carelessness. For instance, when I offered her a varied amount of soups in form of chicken noodle or cucumber, she said she didn't care. When I inquired her about the movie for tonight, she also said the same thing. When my intention was receive a more specific answer, she showed an awful amount of anger towards me. And yet, just shortly after, she mulled about her thankless job and frustration for her brief stupidity in standing on a sprained ankle." Sheldon said.
Opal stared at him as he looked at her with obvious befuddlement.
"What's your diagnosis on that?" Sheldon inquired.
"She's feeling bad because of her flu and from what I understand, you're not being empathetic; show her you care and you won't get snapped at," said Opal coolly. "You're a genius, according to her; I thought you'd figure that out."
Without another word, Opal walked out of the door, leaving Sheldon staring after her.
